HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO’S WHO?
Acts 9:26-30
26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.
29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.
30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.
Paul had a problem and thank goodness Barnabas was willing to help him with it. You see Paul, once named Saul, had not always been a believer. In fact, according to his own testimony, he did some pretty awful things trying to put the church out of business. However, on the Damascus Road his whole life was changed. Unfortunately the other believers weren’t so easy to convince as the Lord Jesus.
Barnabas, as good as his name, stepped in and interceded on Paul’s behalf so he would be accepted by the brethren. Barnabas not only told the church Paul was a brother in Christ but told them why. What Barnabas told the church will help us today to know who’s who when it comes to knowing the Lord.
1. PAUL HAD BEEN WITH THE LORD (v. 27):
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
Barnabas wanted the other believers to know that Paul was a saved person. This is something we need to know about each other. The implication of the phrase “seen the Lord” is that “Paul knew the Lord.” He knew Him in an experiential manner. Too many today know about the Lord but do they really know Him – do they know Him in the sense of having been saved by Him?
How about you? Have you been with the Lord? Have you experienced His salvation?
2. PAUL HAD HEARD FROM THE LORD (v. 27):
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
What had Paul heard from the Lord? Once he had been saved Jesus have him a job to do, He placed a calling upon his life and Paul surrendered to that calling. The church at Jerusalem understood that God never asks someone to do something or be something that doesn’t belong to him. Barnabas wanted the leaders of the church to know that he knew who Paul was because God had given Him something to do.
Acts 9:13-16
13 Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."
15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
How about you? Do you possess a specific calling from God? Has He given you something to do? Have you heard from Him?
3. PAUL HAD SERVED THE LORD (v. 27):
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
In the end, when all was said and done, Paul had been faithful to what God had asked him to do. It took a lot of guts to boldly preach the name of Jesus in a place where he had originally gone to arrest Christians. Sometimes it hurts to serve the Lord when He calls upon us to do things we’d really rather not do. Paul understood who he was, what God had called him to do, and no matter the consequences he was determined to be faithful. Paul wanted the church at Jerusalem to understand that his faith had cost Paul something at and that proved he was a believer.
How about you? Are you willing to go the extra mile for Jesus? Are you willing to be faithful even though it costs you something?
400 Times
Norman Geisler, as a child, attended church because he was invited by some neighbor children. He went back to the same church for Sunday School classes for 400 Sundays. Each week he was faithfully picked up by a bus driver. Week after week he attended church, but never made a commitment to Christ. Finally, during his senior year in High School, after being picked up for church over 400 times, he committed his life to Christ and got saved. What if that bus driver had given up on Geisler at 395? What if the bus driver had said, "This kid is going nowhere spiritually, why waste any more time on him?"
Paul became a “Who’s Who” on the Damascus Road. Norman Geisler became a “Who’s Who” after being picked up by a bus driver 400 times. When did you, have you ever become a “Who’s Who in God's book?”
