He came to church and sat on the back row.
Everyone shook his hand and introduced themselves.
He was a stranger; someone they had never seen before.
He stood quietly throughout the praise and worship.
He sat quietly throughout the message.
He came forward crying and asking how to received Jesus as his Savior.
He left a changed man. Hope had replaced hopelessness and peace had replace turmoil.
After the service he spoke to the pastor and admitted that salvation wasn’t the reason he had come to church.
He wasn’t there to praise and worship; he wasn’t there to hear the message.
He had come for an entirely different reason but God had another idea.
The same thing has happened time and time again.
A man by the name of Saul hated the church; he hated and despised the followers of Christ.
He was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:1-6
Saul did not go to Damascus to receive salvation. But it happened.
God so very desires for everyone to accept His Son as Savior; He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3:9
So what is your reason for going to work, or the store, or to church?
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Col 3:17
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, Col 3:23