Back to Jerusalem
Acts 9:23 – 9:35
Jeff Hughes – June 29, 2003
Calvary Chapel Aggieland
Introduction
Homecomings are generally really great things. I was a foreign exchange student while I was in high school, and I lived a year overseas in Australia. Far away from my family and friends, I was pretty lonely there for a while. I really enjoyed being there, but I wanted to go home, too.
Finally, the day came, when I got on a plane in Sydney, and flew back home to Texas. I was so exhausted after the 32 hour flight, that when I finally got home, I crashed out on my bed in my grandma’s house for some 16 hours.
They had planned a homecoming that day for me, and as the family came in from Austin and all points in between. My older sister finally burst in the room and woke me up, because I was about to miss my own party.
What does that have to do with our story today? Not much, but it seemed like a good thing to say, as we see Saul heading back to Jerusalem, and his welcome, his homecoming wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as the one I had.
We are going to look at this in depth as we continue our study through Acts this morning.
But first, let’s pray, and ask the Lord to bless our study this morning.
PRAYER
Illustration
A former Pastor of a large church in Houston tells the story of his coming there to candidate for the position of pastor many years ago. He said that as he entered the auditorium it was dimly lit, with just a few people huddled together. They were singing some old slow funeral type song that was depressing.
Later that day he took a walk in downtown Houston and came upon a jewelry store. It was some sort of grand opening and there were bright lights and a greeter at the door to welcome you in with a smile. Inside there was a celebration going on. There were refreshments and people having a good time talking and laughing with each other. They welcomed him and offered him some punch. He said that after attending both the church and the jewelry store, if the jewelry store had offered an invitation, he would have joined the jewelry store!
Last week, we saw as Saul was embraced and accepted by the church at Damascus. This week, we see a different kind of reception coming from the church at Jerusalem. But, one man had the faith to believe that God had changed Saul of Tarsus, and we will see just what Saul the Christian is up to in Jerusalem.
We are going to look at these events in detail as we continue through the book of Acts. Acts is just past John, and right before the book of Romans in the New Testament. We will pick up our study starting in chapter 9, verse 23 today, and so follow along as we read.
Study
Intro
23 Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. 24 But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. 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. 31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately. 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
Thirteen verses to cover this morning. I wonder if Saul anticipated the church at Jerusalem rejecting him at first, or did he think he would get the same kind of fellowship in Jerusalem that he got when he was leaving Damascus?.
In both places though, the Jews were out to get Saul. He became a first century Benedict Arnold when he made that choice to follow the Lord on that road to Damascus.
In our message today, we will look at six points – the Death Threat, the Deprivation of Fellowship, Deemed a Believer, Dispute and Departure, Drawing Together, and the departure of Peter.
Our first point comes from verses 23 through 25, we pick up from where we left Saul last week, in Damascus, but, he will have to move on down the road, and let’s take a look at why.
The Death Threat (Acts 9:23-25)
23 Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. 24 But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.
These three short verses cover a span of about three years in the life of Saul. In Galatians chapter 1, he tells us about these three years. Here is what Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 1 –
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem
Most scholars concur that the many days in verse 23 was this three years that Saul spent Nabatean Arabia. Not to be confused with Modern day Saudi Arabia, the Nabateans lived south of Jerusalem actually, further down on the Sinai Peninsula, which is in modern day Jordan. The Nabateans were nomadic traders, much like the Bedouins, but by this time they had settled down in a string of cities along the trade route down to the Red Sea.
Saul spent three years in Nabatea learning by the Spirit’s guidance, as he was prepared for his later ministry. After spending considerable time among the Nabateans, he heads back to Damascus.
It was at this point, when he returned to Damascus preaching the gospel that the Jews there in Damascus decide to try and kill Saul to shut him up. There is no doubt in my mind that Paul had stirred up controversy among the synagogues in Nabatea as well. We learn this from more of Paul’s later writings about this time in his life, found in 2nd Corinthians.
Now he was back in Damascus preaching and teaching. The Jews watched the city gates day and night to catch Paul and kill him. But, he was wide to their plans. Even though the city of Damascus was a well fortified city, with high walls, and only so many gates, God provides a way for Paul’s escape.
You see, Saul had friends in high places. Apparently, one of the Christians had a house that was on the city wall, with a desert view.
The plan was to kill Saul, but God had other plans. We’ve seen this played out several times in the book of Acts – The Jewish leaders have one plan, and God has another. Guess who wins?
Saul was lowered down by a basket from the city wall. He tells us this about these events in 2nd Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 22 and 23 –
32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.
Aretas was the king of Nabatea. Saul was making problems for him, by stirring up the Jews, so, not only the Jews, but the Nabateans wanted him dead.
The church at Damascus was used to save Saul’s life. You’d think that he’d get a warm welcome in Jerusalem, after preaching the gospel in Nabatea and Syria, but as we see in the next verse, that was not the case.
The Deprivation of Fellowship (Acts 9:26)
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.
Saul gets to Jerusalem, and he gets no tickertape parades, no fanfare, not even a “How ya doin’ Saul?” He gets the proverbial “left foot” of Christian fellowship.
That must have been hard. Here he was, left everything he knew to follow Jesus. His wife had left him, he got blinded, and he was out in the desert for three years, learning, preaching and teaching, and he gets the cold shoulder when he arrives in Jerusalem.
The church’s reaction to Saul coming to Jerusalem has confused many of the commentators I read. They speculate that plenty of time had passed (3 years) for them to have heard about Saul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, and subsequently, his teaching in Damascus and Nabatea.
Personally, I think they were afraid simply because of the sheer damage that Saul had caused upon the church. They probably had a hard time believing that a man so hardened and terrible could ever be saved.
Maybe they thought that it was part of a large elaborate hoax, but the facts speak for themselves – Saul was forgiven and converted on the road to Damascus.
Therefore, Saul should have been welcomed into the Body of Christ with open arms. I think that there’s a big lesson for us here too.
Many of us know people with a lot of problems, a lot of issues that they have to deal with in their lives. Maybe it’s drugs, whatever, but sometimes we get into a mode of thinking that there’s really no hope for that individual.
In Romans, chapter 10, verse 13, we read - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Think about that. Think about the people that that was written to. Yes, the Romans were the rich and powerful people in the ancient world, but they were by far the most corrupted.
They had drunken orgies in the name of their pagan gods. They were involved in all kinds of lascivious behavior. Homosexuality was rampant, and the Roman society had gone crazy for pleasure.
Those people were forgiven if they called upon the name of the Lord. That day on the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus called upon the name of the Lord, and he was saved.
Saul knew it, the Lord knew it, and the church at Damascus knew it. The Nabateans knew it. But the very people that had walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, and ministered with Jesus didn’t know it.
They were about to find out though. One man was seeking God concerning Saul, and God obviously let that man know where Saul stood with him. That man was Barnabas, and we see him in verses 27 and 28.
Deemed a Believer (Acts 9:27-28)
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.
Praise the Lord for people like Barnabas. People that will welcome folks into the Body of Christ. We sometimes get so caught up in our little Christian world, that when an unbeliever happens to stumble into our life, it might bother us, it might irk us, right?
They curse, the drink, they make coarse jokes, kind of things that personally make the hair on my neck stand on end. You guys ever get like that?
But, you know what? These folks are just lost, not condemned. Jesus died for them; too, He just hasn’t had much chance to work on them yet. People are going to come in to our church and into our lives beat up and messed up by the world. Because that’s what the world does to people. It’s kind of like a big meat grinder.
But in this circle of believers, this circle of friends, there’s healing, there’s hope, there’s life, and these things come from Jesus Christ.
Jesus said He came to give us life, and life more abundant. He came to give us that calm in the storm, so you can make it through the meat grinder.
Barnabas welcomes Saul into the fellowship in Jerusalem though. Saul gets to tell his side of the story, and what a wonderful story it is.
The believers at Damascus were blessed getting to see God’s grace and mercy being poured out on Saul in a big way. Public Enemy #1 of the church becomes a spokesman. How wild is that?
Saul talked about how the Lord stopped him in his tracks and blinded him. He told them no doubt, what Jesus had told him. HE told them about Ananias, and how Ananias was used to bring him into the fellowship at Damascus.
He told them about the time he spent in Nabatea, and his narrow escape from Damascus.
I believe he told them the rest of the story there that day, too. He probably told them how God had called him as a messenger to the gentiles.
You see, Paul was an eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus just like the apostles. God had called him as an apostle as well.
He stayed with the other apostles there in Jerusalem. He tells us at the very end of Galatians chapter 1 starting in verse 18 this –
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) 21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23 But they were hearing only, "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy."
God had done the work in Saul’s life, not man. He didn’t go to a big crusade, he wasn’t instructed by the other apostles; No, he was called by the Lord and instructed by the Lord as to how he should minister to others.
At this point, we see him engaging in some intense fellowship with some Greek Jews. Remember, these are the same folks that had Stephen stoned to death. They had laid their cloaks at the feet of Saul as they killed Stephen, and now Saul’s back to preach to them the same message that Stephen had taught. We see this in verses 29 and 30.
Dispute and Departure (Acts 9:29 - 30)
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.
Saul begins to teach the Greek Jews, the Hellenists, about Jesus. He was a Greek Jew himself, being raised in Tarsus. Saul takes an offer to teach in the Synagogue on the Sabbath. It was Jewish tradition to let any man able to teach use his gift in the Synagogue.
There is no doubt the Saul had probably taught there before, in his pre-conversion days. After all, these were the same guys that lost the debate to Stephen and had him killed. Saul stood by as they were doing it, approving of what they were doing.
They knew Saul, they had heard some rumors about him, but he was still the same old Saul of Tarsus, right? Zealous Jew, member of the Sanhedrin, Christian hunter, this was Saul. No way had he fallen in with those Christians!
That is exactly what happened. Saul stood up and started preaching the gospel and that Jesus was the Son of God to these, his former companions.
Can you imagine their reaction? Probably at first, they were surprised. They probably tried to reason with him. They probably said something like, “Hey Saul, you sure you’re okay? You didn’t get knocked in the head on the road to Damascus did you? Did they tie you up and torture you?”
Their reaction turned to anger when Saul explained the transformation that had taken place in his life. These Christians went around spouting off that Jesus was alive, and here Saul is telling them that He truly was alive, and that he had seen Him on the road to Damascus.
They didn’t like what Saul had to say too much. They plot to kill Saul. We aren’t told how. I guess if you’re Saul, it really doesn’t matter, the long and the short of it is that these guys want you dead.
They make an attempt on his life, and obviously it didn’t come to fruition. God had other plans for Saul of Tarsus. Further plans that involved him being away from Jerusalem. You might say that this is another case here of God using bad circumstances to accomplish His will.
The church at Jerusalem soon realizes that having Saul with them is not too much unlike having Saul against them. Saul’s preaching in Jerusalem stirred up a hornet’s nest against the church once again, and the church comes under persecution. This time not by the hand of Saul, but to try and get at Saul.
The church found out about the attempt on his life and they feared for him as well as themselves. The only safe place for Saul was out of Jerusalem, and it was the only way that they would be safe from those hunting the church as well.
So, they decide to send Saul home. It just didn’t seem to be working out for him in Jerusalem. Maybe things would go better for him in Tarsus, his hometown.
Saul is sent to Caesarea, where he boards a ship bound for Tarsus. We will not hear about him again for another 10 to 12 years. Saul will spend those years living in Tarsus in relative obscurity.
I liken the experience that Saul had to that of Moses. Moses felt called of God to deliver the Israelites, so he kills and Egyptian that was abusing some Israelites, thinking he could lead some kind of insurrection.
Saul heads to Jerusalem to finish some business that he thought Stephen left unfinished. He meets with a few of the apostles, and tells them about his calling to the ministry.
But, this wasn’t God’s timing for Saul, just like it wasn’t God’s timing for Moses. Moses spent 40 years in the desert of Midian tending sheep, thinking that he blew it, that he missed God.
Saul would spend the next ten at home in Tarsus, sitting on the sidelines as it were. But, God’s perfect timing would come to pass for Saul, just like it came to pass for Moses. It would just take a time of waiting, a time of patience.
Paul tells us in Galatians chapter one that he met with Peter and James in Jerusalem. James would later write these words found in James chapter 1, verses 2 through 4.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Paul had already fallen into trials and tribulation. His life had been threatened at least twice that we have documented in Acts. Saul would spend the next ten to twelve years waiting for God to tap him on the shoulder, and say – “It’s time to get to work!”
I can relate to that. God sidelined me for a while. I got my call into the ministry in my early twenties. I got burned out on it, and God had to work on me, He had to remind me that I wasn’t working my way to heaven, no; He had to remind me that it is my privilege to serve Him. That’s a privilege I take rather seriously now. I am more cautious in ministry, I tend to wait and see what the Lord will do in this situation or that before rushing in, guns blazing.
That took time; that took trials, often by fire. Maybe you’re here this morning, and God has called you to a certain area of ministry or another, and you feel like you’re just kind of hanging out, waiting for His lead.
People told me this when I was in that situation, and honestly, I just couldn’t seem to do it. They told me to relax and enjoy the downtime, because soon the Lord would crank me up again.
They were right. The way the church came together, and us leaving Houston was a blur. We were stretched in directions that we didn’t know we could bend in.
We will say goodbye to Saul here, though, and we won’t hear from him again until Acts chapter 11. But, Saul’s departure had a rather interesting effect on the church at Jerusalem, though, and we see this in verse 31.
Drawing Together (Acts 9:31)
31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
At this point in history, the church hits a high point. Luke uses this period of time to give us a summary of the gospel’s activity in the 4 or 5 years that had elapsed since Jesus Ascension that we saw back in chapter 1.
As Saul goes back to Tarsus, the Lord blesses the churches in Judea, Samaria, and even Galilee. Now, we have studied in the previous weeks how the gospel was taken by Philip to Samaria.
We saw how the gospel was taken to Judea in a less deliberate manner, as Saul persecutes the church and scatters the bretheren; we saw this back in chapter 8.
But, one interesting thing to note here is that Luke tells us here that the churches in Galilee were edified. Hang on a second, we don’t know anything about how the gospel was spread to Galilee!
Right. We never saw that in Scripture. The book of Acts is a partial history of the church during this time.
One other thing that we need to notice here is that the church had peace during this time. This doesn’t mean that they had a total rest from the persecution that they seemed to face daily.
God gave the church peace during the midst of the persecution. Jesus told us in Matthew chapter 11 - Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
God gives us peace in the midst of our trials. That’s why James told us to count it all joy, the Lord is to be our peace, not circumstances.
People want that. People desire to have something to carry them through all of the rough circumstances that life will deal us. We live in a fallen world, and we live in a terrible world today because people don’t fear God anymore.
We are called to fear the Lord; and what that means is to have a healthy respect for the Lord. God’s not sitting up there waiting to get us when we make a wrong step.
On the contrary, as we see here, God wants to give us comfort, God wants to give us peace, and we can only find that joy, that comfort, that peace when everything is falling down around you through God.
People are drawn to this in us if we are abiding with the Lord. People want to see someone walking differently. They may hassle you or whatever, but bad things will happen, and when those things happen they will remember the peace and joy that you had during similar circumstances.
God used the lives of Christians as a witness to those around them, and by their lives, the church grew, it multiplied through the trials, as it will today.
While the church is growing though, Peter feels called by God to take the gospel to the surrounding areas. We see this in verses 32 through 35.
The Departure of Peter (Acts 9:32-35)
32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately. 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
Peter takes a trip. He went to visit the church at Lydda. Lydda was a city some 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem along the road to Joppa. The city is still there today, it is called Lod by the Jewish government.
This would have been about a two day journey for Peter. The church at Lydda was likely planted by Philip. Remember we were told that Philip was in Azotus, and that he went along the way to Caesarea, spreading the good news all of the way.
It is here in Lydda that Peter comes in contact with a man named Aeneas. Aeneas, as we are told here was paralyzed and bedridden for a period of eight years.
Many scholars believe that Aeneas was not saved. He isn’t identified as a disciple here. Aeneas’s condition would have been a burden to his family, as well as being a torment to him mentally. Ever know someone who was bedridden like this?
I used to minister in nursing homes. I still do to one particular person in a nursing home in Bryan. You want to get up and live a normal life, but you can’t. Simple acts like answering the phone, changing clothes, turning on the TV become your daily challenges. Aeneas needed hope.
Peter shows up with that hope. Just like the lame man we saw back in Acts chapter 3, Peter would tell this man that he was healed not through Peter; On the contrary, Peter was just the vessel that Jesus used.
Jesus Christ Himself would heal this man. Jesus would take all the credit, not Peter. Just like in Acts chapter 3, Peter uses this experience as a platform to share the gospel with the people of Lydda.
Also the people of Sharon came to hear the word of the Lord at Lydda. Sharon is the plains region that lies between Lydda and Joppa.
Now, we aren’t told here, but these areas were not Jewish strongholds. People that weren’t Jews were hearing the gospel. Many people heard the message and believed.
Like I said earlier, people want to see the power of God at work in their lives. There are so many today without hope. They may go to church, they may go to mass, but they don’t know the Lord.
They don’t know Him in a personal way. We are these people’s hope. We are just planters, going around spreading seed, like Peter, God gives the increase, just like He did a Lydda.
No longer are we hopeless at that point. As the old hymn goes - My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
The question to us this morning is where are you standing? Maybe you’re here and you’ve never trusted Jesus as your Savior. In a couple of minutes, I am going to pray, and you are going to get the chance to do just that. Don’t pass up that opportunity this morning put your trust in Him.
Point Summary – As we draw to a close, there are three things that I want us to take away from this message. If you don’t take away anything else, take this:
1. God’s desire is for us to welcome people into the body, no matter how rough they are, or might have been.
2. God’s timing is perfect and He will use trials and waiting to prepare you.
3. As believers, we model hope in Jesus to non-believers around us.
I‘d like to close with a quote from John Maxwell.
Conclusion
What Does Hope Do For Mankind?
Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest.
Hope motivates when discouragement comes.
Hope energizes when the body is tired.
Hope sweetens while bitterness bites.
Hope sings when all melodies are gone.
Hope believes when evidence is eliminated.
Hope listens for answers when no one is talking.
Hope climbs over obstacles when no one is helping.
Hope endures hardship when no on is caring.
Hope smiles confidently when no one is laughing.
Hope reaches for answers when no one is asking.
Hope presses toward victory when no one is encouraging.
Hope dares to give when no one is sharing.
Hope brings the victory when no one is winning.
Romans 15:13 tells us this - Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Where is your hope this morning?
Let’s Pray.
Closing Prayer
