From Persecuting to Preaching
Acts 9:1-22
May 26, 2002
Intro:
A. [Transformed by an Elevator, Citation: Owen Bourgaize, Castel, Guernsey, United Kingdom]
A family from a remote area was making their first visit to a big city.
They checked in to a grand hotel and stood in amazement at the impressive sight.
Leaving the reception desk they came to the elevator entrance.
They’d never seen an elevator before, and just stared at it, unable to figure out what it was for.
An old lady hobbled towards the elevator and went inside.
The door closed.
About a minute later, the door opened and out came a stunningly good-looking young woman.
Dad couldn’t stop staring.
Without turning his head he patted his son’s arm and said, "Go get your mother, son."
1. 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
2. When Christ comes into a person’s life He makes all things new.
3. He will pull off the elevator trick as well when He returns!
B. Today we come to the story of a man who was transformed into a new creation.
1. His name was Saul and his story is in Acts 9.
2. This is the same man whose name was later changed to Paul and wrote over half the New Testament.
3. But before He met Christ, he was a totally different man and today we will look at the difference Christ made in his life.
4. The first thing we see about Saul is that…
I. Saul was moving against Christ.
Acts 9:1-2, Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
A. The text says that Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against followers of "the Way."
1. "The Way" refers to the Way of Jesus Christ.
2. "The Way" to heaven is through Jesus Christ.
3. He was "still" breathing out threats refers to other passages of Scriptures that we’ve already studied that tell of Saul’s persecution of believers.
4. Acts 7:58 tells us that when the religious people got upset with Stephen, they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
5. Then Acts 8:1-3, And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
6. The rest of Acts 8 tells us some stories about Philip’s ministry in two different places during this scattering of the believers.
7. But then Acts 9:1, 2 reminds us that Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
B. Now I must say a few things about Saul.
1. Saul was a believer in God.
2. In Acts 22:3-5, Paul described himself at this time, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
3. Paul said there that at this time in Acts 9, he was a Jew; he was a believer in God.
4. Paul said he was thoroughly trained in the law.
5. He was thoroughly trained under the most respected teacher in the land: Gamaliel.
6. He said he was zealous for God; he was very strongly passionate about God.
7. His was not just a "go-to-church-every-week-and-mind-your-own-business" kind of belief, his was a passionately active kind of belief.
8. He was passionately serious about his belief in God.
9. That’s what Paul means by being zealous.
10. The trouble is that he was zealously wrong!
11. He knew the Scriptures backwards and forwards.
12. He studied the Scriptures daily and applied them to his life.
13. Jews of those days all knew the Scriptures well, but Saul was way above average because he was college educated by the best professor in the world.
14. He believed in God and was zealously active with his faith—but he was wrong; he did not know God!
15. Saul was a religiously active person who was dead wrong about his beliefs about God—he was breathing murderous threats against believers in Jesus Christ.
C. It can be a frightening thing when people think they know the Bible and may even think they know the difference in right and wrong, but they don’t know God.
1. [illustration]
Do you know the meaning of the word "sophomore?"
The word sophomore comes from two Greek words "sophos" and "moros."
"Sophos" means to be wise.
"Moros" is the word from which we get the world "moron."
"Moros" means stupid, blockhead, or fool.
So the word "sophomore" means wise fool.
And unfortunately there are a lot of well-meaning religious people that go to church every week for years and years, but are nothing but wise fools because they don’t know God.
2. Saul thought he was a wise person.
3. He thought he was a good, religious person.
4. He thought he was doing God a favor.
5. He thought he was being zealous for God.
6. But he was clearly moving against God.
II. Saul was met by Christ.
Acts 9:3-6, As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
A. One day as he was traveling near Damascus to arrest some believers and take them back to Jerusalem, Saul met Christ.
1. There was a bright light that flashed around Saul.
2. Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice speaking to him from heaven.
3. Jesus asked Saul why he was persecuting Him.
4. Jesus told Saul to get up and go to Damascus and wait for further instructions.
B. Saul thought he was zealous for God while he was only zealous for himself and God had to find a dramatic way to get Saul’s attention.
1. Saul could not hear God speak to him as he read the Scriptures.
2. Saul could not hear God speak to him in church each week.
3. Saul could not hear God speak to him because he didn’t know what to listen for.
4. Saul could not hear God speak to him because he had his own system of beliefs that were preventing him from hearing and understanding the truth about Christ.
5. Christ had to flash a bright light from heaven to get Saul’s attention.
6. God was unable to get Saul to listen to him any other way, and God had to do something drastic in Saul’s life to get him to turn around understand the truth.
III. Saul was blinded by Christ.
Acts 9:7-9, The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
A. The men traveling with Saul to arrest the believers confirmed that this was real.
1. The men knew something had happened.
2. They stood there speechless.
3. They heard the sound, but didn’t see anyone.
4. Saul was blinded by the flash of light and the men had to lead Saul by the hand into Damascus.
5. They knew something had happened to Saul, but they didn’t seen Christ themselves.
B. Christ physically blinded Saul to tell him that he was Spiritually blind as well.
1. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he wasn’t seeing the truth.
2. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he wasn’t seeing God.
3. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he wasn’t seeing the point.
4. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he wasn’t seeing Scriptures correctly.
5. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he wasn’t seeing the Way to God.
6. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he wasn’t seeing what God really wanted him to do with his life.
7. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he may think that he knew the Scriptures, but he was blind!
8. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he may think that he knew God, but he was blind!
9. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he may think that he was wise, but he was blind!
10. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he may think that he was zealous for God, but he was blind!
11. Christ blinded Saul to let him know that he may think that what he was doing was what God wanted, but he was blind!
12. Christ physically blinded Saul to tell him that he was Spiritually blind as well.
C. Unfortunately, there are many people like Saul still today.
1. There are people who are spiritually blind who lash out and attack those who aren’t.
2. There are people who are spiritually blind who think they are doing God a favor by throwing a fit when others do things they don’t like.
3. There are people who are spiritually blind who converge on the preacher or other church leaders to try to get them to conform and not stray from the old ways, never bothering to ask if this is what God wants.
4. There are people that before accepting change, God may have to strike blind or bring terrible adversity in their lives.
5. I get very concerned about people who are spiritually blind and think they’re doing God a favor by getting upset with people who are simply seeking Jesus Christ.
6. Paul was spiritually blind and Christ had to physically blind him in order to get his attention and I often wonder what Christ will have to do in order to get some people’s attention today.
IV. Saul was converted by Christ.
Acts 9:10-19, In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. 11 The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." 13 "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
A. Christ used a man named Ananias to explain "the Way" to Saul.
1. Christ spoke to a man named Ananias and told him to go and see Saul.
2. Ananias was clearly more than a little worried about doing what Christ asked him to do.
3. Ananias told Jesus that he had heard about this man Saul and what he’d been doing to believers with the full authority of the government behind him.
4. But Jesus told Ananias that it was OK to go and Ananias did.
5. Ananias laid hands on Saul, Saul was healed, and Saul received the Holy Spirit.
6. After receiving the Holy Spirit, Ananias baptized Saul.
B. It is a scary thing to do to go to some people and tell them about Christ.
1. There are some people who you think are going to make fun of you.
2. There are some people who you think are going to get angry with you.
3. But when Christ speaks to us and tells us to go, we must go.
4. Christ knows what He’s doing.
5. Even if the person doesn’t get saved and doesn’t respond the way Saul did, we must go when Christ says go.
6. How they respond is not our responsibility; our only responsibility is to be obedient.
7. I can tell you that God tells me to go and talk to some people and I don’t want to go.
8. I can tell you that there are some non-believers that I really don’t want to talk to.
9. There are also some who claim to know God, but are spiritually blind like Saul was and they tend to get very angry when I get near them and I don’t want to go.
10. But I go because I love Christ.
11. I go because I know that He knows the whole picture and I don’t.
12. I go because I know that Christ can still penetrate the heart of anyone!
13. It doesn’t have anything to do with me.
14. Some people say that you can’t go until they are ready—how do you know when they are ready?
15. Ananias did not think Saul was ready and he didn’t want to go.
16. What would have happened if Ananias hadn’t gone?
17. I believe that people die and go to hell everyday because no one went to them when Christ spoke to them.
18. The key for us is to first be in tune with God enough to know when He speaks to us.
19. And then to have the courage to do what God calls us to do even when it is physically or emotionally dangerous like Ananias did.
20. It can be a scary thing to do to talk to some people about Christ, but we must be obedient—even if they don’t respond.
21. Our call is spread the gospel-how they respond is between them and God.
C. Praise God Saul saw the light!
1. And praise God, many whom God moves us to minister to will see the light as well!
2. Praise God, the more we share the gospel with the more will see the light!
3. There will be some who don’t get saved-but praise God many will!
4. If we are obedient to share when Christ asks us to share, many will be saved by the power of Jesus Christ!
5. You see it wasn’t Ananias that converted Saul, it was Jesus!
6. Jesus has the power to save anyone!
7. He only wants us to go!
8. Ananias did not orchestrate this whole thing, Jesus did!
9. Ananias had nothing to do with the bright light on the road to Damascus.
10. Ananias wasn’t even praying for Saul to get saved-Jesus orchestrated the whole thing.
11. And we must remember that when we go, it really doesn’t have anything to do with us.
12. Christ’s ability to save has nothing to with our ability to speak.
13. Christ’s ability to save has nothing to with our ability to understand the Bible.
14. Christ’s ability to save has nothing to with our ability to persuade.
15. Christ has the power to save people even when the spokesperson can’t read.
16. Christ has the power to save even if the spokesperson has a speech impediment.
17. Christ has the power to save and all He is asking us to do is go—just like Ananias!
18. Christ has the power to save!
19. Christ has the power to save!
20. Christ has the power to save!
21. It has nothing to do with my ability!
22. Christ has the power to save!
V. Saul was moving with Christ.
Acts 9:20-22, 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.
A. Look at the contrast in Saul from the beginning of this chapter to this point!
1. Acts 9:1-2, Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
2. Acts 9:20-22, 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.
3. Paul went from persecuting Christians to preaching to Christians.
4. Paul went from persecuting the Way to preaching the Way.
5. Paul went form bringing death to bringing life.
6. Paul went from aiding the Jews to astonishing the Jews.
7. Paul went form moving against Christ to moving with Christ.
8. Paul went from persecuting to preaching.
9. Paul certainly knew that of which he spoke when he wrote 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
B. When Christ gets a hold of someone, He will change their life!
1. When Christ works in a person’s life to save them, He will change them!
2. Christ will make them into a new person, just like He did Paul.
3. When Christ works in a person’s life, he works powerfully, just like He did in Paul.
4. It may take time for that to happen or it may happen instantaneously.
5. All Christ asks us to do is go. He will orchestrate the whole thing.
6. He will give you the words to say. He will pour forth His power and His Spirit.
7. And when He converts someone, they will start moving with Christ.
8. They may not preach, but they will be changed and start moving with Christ.
9. When Christ gets a hold of someone, He will change their life!
Conclusion:
A. [Prodigal Brings Christ Home, Citation: J. Granger, Sons: A Father’s Love (Word, 1999), quoted in Men of Integrity, Vol. 3, no. 2]
My son called.
Through years of drug abuse, Scott had stolen from our family, manipulated us, and failed us.
It had been a relief not to hear from him for two years.
Scott told me he’d been through a rehabilitation program a year and a half ago that provided something no other had offered.
"I met Jesus Christ. I’ve been forgiven for my past. I want to ask you and Mom to forgive me, too."
He said he was now helping other addicts get straightened out.
I was torn between hope and cynicism.
The well-groomed, bright-eyed young man who arrived at the airport looked like a stranger.
In the days that followed, Scott told how, in the midst of drug withdrawal, he’d seen a vision of Jesus Christ on the cross and cried out to him for help.
His withdrawal symptoms ended instantly.
That experience had led him to a church.
"I asked Jesus to be my Lord," he quietly explained, "and my life hasn’t been the same since."
The change in Scott was too dramatic for my wife and me to ignore.
Today, Jesus has given us the same new life he gave our prodigal son.
B. My friends, Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever!
1. The same Christ that made such a dramatic change in Saul can do the same in your life!
2. The same Christ that made such a dramatic change in Scott Granger’s life can do the same in your life!
3. If you haven’t seen a change in your life, then Christ isn’t there.
4. Maybe today your a religious person like Saul who is spiritually blind and think you’ve been doing God a big favor with you self-righteous attacks on others who are trying to follow Christ.
5. Perhaps today you need to come and ask Christ to open your eyes so that you may see!
6. Or perhaps you do have your spiritual sight and you need to begin making yourself available to Christ to be an Ananias in someone’s life.
7. Or perhaps you need to ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life and let him change you like He did Saul and so many others
8. What response do you need to make to Christ today?
C. Sing:"Open Our Eyes, Lord"
