Introduction:
A. A certain Boy Scout master was determined that his Scouts would be ready for the next Court of Honor.
1. So he ordered that each of them be ready to report about a good deed they had done before the next meeting.
2. When they gathered at the next meeting, the Scout master asked the first boy, “What was your good deed?”
a. The first Scout replied, “I helped a little old lady cross the street.”
3. “Very good,” said the Scout master, and he turned to the next boy and asked, “What was your good deed?”
a. The second Scout replied, “I helped him help the little old lady across the street.”
4. “I see,” said the Scout master, and he turned to the next boy and asked, “What was your good deed?”
a. The third Scout replied, “I helped those two help the little old lady across the street.”
5. Frowning now, the Scout master asked the fourth boy what his good deed was.
a. The fourth Scout replied, “I helped the other three guys help the old lady across the street.”
6. “Now, look here,” the Scout master said sternly. “Why did it take four boys to help one little old lady across the street?”
a. The fourth Scout replied, “Because she didn’t want to cross the street.”
B. Are you someone who easily accepts the help of others?
1. Some of us are willing to help others, but we are unwilling to receive help – does that describe you?
2. In some respects, America was built on an independent spirit.
a. Some of us had it drilled into us that we should pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, and to never depend on anyone for anything.
b. If this kind of attitude is taken to an extreme, it can have a devastating impact on individuals and on society.
3. Truth is: that kind of philosophy is not taught or supported in the Bible.
a. In reality, every single one of us not only need the Lord, we need each other.
b. God created us for dependence, not for independence.
4. Sometimes people justify their independence by saying, “Well, you know, the Bible says God helps those who help themselves.”
a. But guess what? The Bible does not say that anywhere!
b. In fact, the Bible teaches the opposite truth.
c. God waits to assist those who finally come to the point in their lives where they cannot help themselves, and they willingly surrender themselves to a loving God.
C. When I think of Saul of Tarsus, I picture him as someone who was pretty self-sufficient.
1. I picture Saul being someone with an independent spirit…someone who doesn’t need anyone.
2. Consider the fact that Saul wasn’t married, and would never get married.
3. So when Saul faced the risen Christ and became a Christian, one of the things he likely needed to learn was humble dependence.
4. When Saul left the solitude of Arabia and returned to Damascus, the Lord had already begun to work on his stubborn will, and his independent spirit.
5. But unlike his sudden conversion, such a transformation would not be instantaneous.
6. Instead, I believe that Saul learned humble dependence through a series of circumstances.
7. As we will witness, these circumstances forced him to humbly depend on God and on others.
I. The Story
A. Let’s resume Saul’s story in Acts 9:20-25.
20 Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. (Acts 9:20-25)
1. The narrative here in Acts 9 makes it look like there is a seamless transition between verses 19 and 20, but as we noticed in our last sermon in the series, in Galatians 1:17-18, Paul says that after his conversion, he went immediately to Arabia and later returned to Damascus, and that it wasn’t until three years later that he went to Jerusalem.
2. So here in verse 20 and following, Saul has returned to Damascus, the place of his conversion, and he is amazing people with his preaching about Jesus in the synagogues of Damascus.
3. For obvious reasons, people are astonished by his jump from persecutor to proponent.
4. Once the switch in Saul’s mind was flipped, it was easy for him to employ his intellect, knowledge, and training as a rabbi to convincingly prove that Jesus is the Christ.
5. As you would expect, Saul’s growing popularity and effectiveness were viewed as a threat by the Jewish leaders.
6. Something had to be done to silence this gospel-preaching turncoat, and so they devised a plan.
7. It’s difficult for you and me to imagine what it would be like to have a contract out on us.
a. But that’s what Saul experienced in his new life in Christ.
b. The mighty hunter had now become the hunted.
c. His enemies wanted him so badly that they posted guards at every gate around Damascus.
8. Can you imagine the fear Saul must have felt?
a. Can you imagine the sense of helplessness he might have experienced?
9. But notice how God works on Saul’s behalf when Saul finds himself in a place of humble dependence.
a. Verse 25 informs us: But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
b. Who came to Saul’s rescue? They are simply identified as “his followers” – “his disciples.”
c. We don’t know them by name, but Saul did.
10. And what about the way his new followers assisted him – they lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall in the middle of the night.
a. How’s that for a special operations rescue!
b. Can you imagine the great Saul of Tarsus, five years earlier, saying, “Sure, I’ll get in a basket”? But that was then, and this is now.
c. His need forced the once-independent Saul to depend on a nameless group of faithful disciples to rescue him from certain death, by means of a basket hanging from a rope.
d. There’s nothing like a basket rescue to teach a little humble dependence.
11. Having to leave Damascus in the dead of the night, where would Saul go now?
B. The Bible answers that question in the next verse of chapter 9, “When he came to Jerusalem…”
1. Saul went to Jerusalem?! Yes he did!
a. Wasn’t Jerusalem the headquarters of the Jewish opposition? Yes it was.
b. But think about how different it must have been for Saul to return to Jerusalem – so much had changed, not about Jerusalem, but about him.
c. Saul had owned Jerusalem – it’s where his alma matter was.
d. He knew Jerusalem like the back of his hand.
e. He knew everyone of significance in that city.
2. How do you think he was received there in Jerusalem?
a. Was the red carpet rolled out for him? Oh, no!
3. Acts 9:26 tells us: When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.
a. The Christians in Jerusalem didn’t want anything to do with him.
b. They were afraid of him, and that was certainly understandable.
c. Saul had imprisoned and killed some of their friends and relatives.
d. They thought he was a spy and that this was a trap – and what a brilliant plan that would have been! Pretend to be a Christian and gain access to everyone and everything!
4. So when Saul knocked on their doors and asked to be received by them, the doors were closed.
a. He was a man whom nobody wanted to have anything to do with – he couldn’t go to his old friends, they wanted to arrest and kill him, and the Christians were too afraid of him.
b. Have you ever felt the sting of that kind of rejection? Have you ever felt like a person that nobody wanted anything to do with?
c. It is a hard place to be, but it is the place where we often learn the most about depending on God.
C. We are not told how long Saul languished in this place of no man’s land.
1. God was teaching Saul humble dependence.
2. The Bible tells us: 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. (Acts 9:27-28)
3. Don’t you love how verse 27 starts? “But Barnabas!”
a. Out of nowhere comes a man named Barnabas who becomes Saul’s advocate.
b. How did Barnabas overcome the fears that the other Christians had? We don’t know.
c. Did God’s Spirit give assurance to Barnabas’ spirit? Perhaps, but again we don’t know.
4. Don’t you love the fact that Barnabas’ name means “Son of encouragement?”
a. When Barnabas shows up in the Biblical record it is often because we see him offering encouragement to someone.
b. It is usually an underdog, or someone with a bad track record.
c. Barnabas was someone who was willing to take a chance and step out on a limb for someone else.
5. Barnabas took a chance on Saul, and amazingly, Saul was willing to accept his assistance – that’s humble dependence at its best.
a. And once Barnabas was willing to take Saul into his fellowship, so were others.
b. Saul moved into Barnabas’ guest room and got to work there in Jerusalem, spreading the good news about Jesus.
D. And as you could probably predict, Saul’s ministry prompted further opposition.
1. The Bible says: 29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. (Acts 9:29-30)
2. So again Saul finds himself in need of help to survive and again he is assisted by newfound and nameless advocates.
a. They are described simply as “the brothers.” They are Saul’s new Christian family.
b. And look what they do for Saul – they take him down to Caesarea about 70 miles away.
c. The brethren likely paid for his ticket on the boat.
d. And where were they sending him? To his hometown in Tarsus.
E. Why send him back home? That’s a good question.
1. F. B. Meyer answers that question, saying, “So the disciples brought the hunted preacher down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus; not improbably he resumed tent-making there, content to await the Lord’s will and bidding. Years passed slowly. Possibly four or five years were spent in comparative obscurity and neglect.”
2. Now wait a minute!
a. Wasn’t Saul commissioned by the Lord Jesus to teach the kings and rulers of the world?
b. Isn’t he the one who was to open the door of the Gospel to the Gentiles?
c. Why would he be sent back to Tarsus to wait?
3. None of us like to wait, do we? We don’t even like to wait for red lights to turn to green!
4. But notice the next verse in Acts 9: 31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord. (Acts 9:31)
a. You mean the church prospered for the next period of time without Saul?
b. But Saul was called and he was so gifted? Yes, he was!
5. But the secret of the church both then and now is not a remarkably gifted individual like Saul.
a. The secret to the blessing and health of any church is Almighty God. Period!
b. The secret is not Saul, it’s not you, and it’s certainly not me, or anyone else we may be tempted to think is indispensable to the cause.
6. Saul would certainly play his important role in the church, but not until he learned some of the lessons he needed to learn.
a. One of those lessons was humble dependence.
b. Saul learned some humble dependence as he escaped Damascus dangling from a rope held by nameless Christians.
c. Saul learned some humble dependence when he came to Jerusalem and was rejected by everyone, until Barnabas came forward and took a chance on him.
d. Saul learned some humble dependence when his life was again threatened and the nameless brothers swept him away to Caesarea and shipped him off to Tarsus.
e. Saul learned some humble dependence as he waited patiently in Tarsus for God’s next instructions.
II. The Application
A. As we step back from today’s section of Saul’s life, I would like us to consider three lessons that we might apply to ourselves.
B. First of all, today’s part of Saul’s story encourages us to learn to value others.
1. Have each of us learned to really appreciate and embrace the value of other people in our lives?
a. Do we clearly see how others play a strategic role in our personal survival and success?
2. God hasn’t created us to make it through life completely on our own.
a. God rarely asks us to fly completely solo.
3. When God leads us into battle or leads us to soar on heights, He encourages us to travel with others.
4. Charles Swindoll shares something from his training in the Marine Corps.
a. One of the tips for surviving in combat was: always dig a foxhole big enough for two, or three.
b. Inevitably, the strain of battle will cause a person to go weak at the knees.
c. Most of us do better with someone nearby, to help keep us steady and strong.
d. God has designed family to be that sort of support network – both the physical family and the spiritual family.
5. Hopefully all of us see the value of having close relationships.
a. Hopefully we are investing in relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ.
b. If we are going to survive and thrive in the Christian life, then we need to be active members of God’s family who are engaged in the service and fellowship of the church.
c. We must not allow a stubborn spirit of independence to rob us and others of the joy of sharing life together.
C. Second, today’s part of Saul’s story encourages us to learn to humble ourselves.
1. You and I are not indispensable, or are we irreplaceable – only God is.
2. Let’s be willing to let God use us as He seems fits.
3. God may employ some of us to be Sauls, and He may employ some of us as Barnabases.
a. Or God may employ some of us to be the nameless, lesser known individuals who make a big difference in small ways.
4. As we humble ourselves, we allow God to use us when He wants to and how He wants to.
5. How beautiful and freeing it is when we can simply walk with God in humble dependence!
D. Finally, today’s part of Saul’s story encourages us to learn to trust God.
1. Does God know what we need? Does God know how to protect and provide for us?
2. Saul had to learn to trust God and trust God’s employment of God’s people.
a. God provided Christians with a basket for a needed escape.
b. God provided a Christian named Barnabas to stand up for Saul and take him in.
c. God provided Christians who would whisk Saul away to Caesarea and send him on a ship to the safety of Tarsus.
3. When we trust God, we are in good hands…better than Allstate!
E. Allow me to leave you with this story:
1. During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island.
2. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.
3. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction.
4. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock.
5. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves.
6. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be found and killed.
7. As he waited, he prayed, “Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen.”
8. After praying, he lay quietly listening as the enemy begin to draw close.
9. He thought, “Well, I guess the Lord isn’t going to help me out of this one.”
10. Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.
11. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.
12. He thought, “What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor.”
13. As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another.
14. As they came to his cave, he got ready to make his last stand.
15. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on.
16. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.
17. “Lord, forgive me,” prayed the young man. “I had forgotten that with You a spider’s web is stronger than a brick wall.”
18. As we learn to live in humble dependence, we may see God work in surprising ways.
Resources:
Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit, by Charles Swindoll, Word Publishing, 2002, Chapter 5.
