Acts 9:18-31
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.
20 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.
26 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.
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.
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.
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.
An Issue of Trust
Trust is one of those characteristics that is both incredibly strong and terribly fragile
True in every conceivable relationship
Certainly true in a marriage relationship
True also in parent/child relationship - in both directions.
True in relationship between boss/employee; government/citizen; commander/soldier; friend/friend.
Where it is strong it can be shattered with one blow
We all know someone or we have experienced ourselves how quickly trust can be shattered - a letter from a well-meaning friend arrives in the mail with an accusation concerning your spouse.
You find a receipt in the trash that is for an unexplained expense.
The school or someone from work calls and asks to speak to a loved one - child or spouse - who is supposed to be at the school or work - and they aren’t at home.
It’s like driving along on a beautiful day and someone drops a bowling ball from an overpass and it goes through the windshield and lands in the pit of you stomach.
Once that bowling ball drops into your life it’s hard to drive on the freeway without fear.
Once trust is lost it’s hard to regain and once someone has hurt you it’s hard to trust them at all.
Now consider this man named Saul
Wouldn’t you have a hard time trusting someone like Saul?
Especially if it had been your loved ones he killed? Or if your name is on the list of people he wants to take out.
Even when there is forgiveness for past wrongs, trust is not something that just magically reappears. It takes time and it takes effort on the part of the one who has broken the trust and the one who forgives.
Yet Saul changed - he really did - dramatically and radically
Dramatically on the road to Damascas
Radically - From Inside Out
Let’s consider how this Saul’s change affected his relationship with the others in his life
At first the Christians had a hard time believing it could be true, that this persecutor could really be changed. But it wouldn’t be long before they would see that he was indeed a changed man.
As far as I’m concerned, the most convincing testimony of the credibility of Christianity is the way it changes lives, and not in just a few cases.
Baptism marks only the beginning point of the new life - a life of change for the better. Seldom is it very long before that change begins to become evident - as seen here in the case of Saul.
1) Saul became a witness…
Witnesses testify to what they know to be true…
Don’t have to study or sell someone something
Just tell people what you know to be true
Saul immediately began to preach in the synagogues
Don’t get too hung up on this word "preach".
Saul was proclaiming to everyone he knew that Jesus was the Lord.
He was "telling people" what happened to him.
Saul was a public figure with lots of notoriety
Him becoming a believe would be like Madonna or Dennis Rodman becoming a Christian. Pretty wild stuff!!!
Anything they said would be intense and labeled "preaching" by everyone!
Three Important Principles of being an effective witness…
…Toward Loved ones:
Without words but with the evidence of your life
1 Peter 3:1-2
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
…Toward Friends:
Always be ready to give an answer when asked the question
1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
…Toward Outsiders:
Full of grace, seasoned with salt
Colossians 4:5-6
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
2) Saul grew more and more powerful
Saul spent "Many days" learning and growing…
Other parts of the New Testament tell us that, while we don’t have the exact chronology, Saul spent over 3 years in what was called Arabia sorting out his new faith.
Many days refers to more than a few weeks - measure it in many months and years.
New Birth involves spiritual growth… in faith, in confidence, in perseverance.
That kind of growth takes time.
"Increasing in strength" is a good description of what a new Christian should be doing. He or she shouldn’t allow themselves to be satisfied with anything less.
Three principles of Spiritual Growth…
…It’s natural
Same as physical growth. You don’t have to work at it. You simply have to nurture it with the word and you will grow.
…It’s difficult
There is a battle involved
Romans 7
…It’s a great adventure
Never gets boring!!!
3) Saul became a different and better person
Change is always resisted
Why - because we are afraid of what we might lose
In fact people change for only one of three reasons:
1) Educated to understand why change is good.
2) Excited about what they will gain
3) It hurts so much the way it is.
Guess which motivation is the most powerful… It’s not hard… Got it?…
Saul changed but not the people around him
That’s makes for some tough circumstances
Saul was attacked by those who were once his friends…
Not all of them - but certainly some of them
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:32 that even the governor of the city was in on this conspiracy to kill him.
2 Corinthians 11:32-33
In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
Saul was unique in some ways
Saul was a leader in an opposition movement
Now because he was such a public person - there was a dramatic response - good and not so good.
But that same potential is there for anyone who really tries to make a mark for Christ.
Satan doesn’t take kindly to those who upset his control of the masses. Do nothing for God and you’ll receive little real persecution. Make inroads into Satan’s territory though, run your mission behind enemy lines, and you’ll suffer for it.
Saul was resisted by some who were unconvinced
The Christians were not quick to accept him.
Can you blame these people?
Wouldn’t you have a hard time trusting someone like Saul? Especially if it had been your loved ones he killed? Even when there is forgiveness for past wrongs, trust is not something that just magically reappears. It takes time and it takes effort on the part of the one who has broken the trust and the one who forgives. That is true in any case where trust doesn’t exist.
Trust is earned, not granted freely.
But there must be granted the opportunity to prove trust
As believers - we must give every opportunity to those who come in and accept them - even when they aren’t just like us.
Several years ago I heard of a hippie - dirty long hair, crummy clothes, and bare feet who - like Saul - decided he would follow Jesus.
He wasn’t sure what to do next so he went to a church - first time in his life. He came late - it was crowded and there were no open places and so he went down one of the side aisles, found a spot and sat on the floor.
Now as it happens this was kind of a formal group of people and they were all a bit shocked to see this happen. The minister was speaking, the ushers were distracted and it just happened. As the minister continued one of the older (81 years) and more conservative deacons got up from his pew and with cane in hand slowly walked up the aisle to where the attentive, dirty, young hippie was sitting on the floor.
Everyone in the auditorium saw and held their breath because no one knew what was going to happen next.
When the old gentleman got to where the young man was - he slowly and with obvious pain - sat on the floor next to the young man and shared his Bible as the preacher spoke.
That is what I’m talking about folks. That’s acceptance and love, God Style.
Saul was helped by one who walked alongside…
Baranabas accepted and mentored Saul
So God used a man who has already appeared in the pages of Acts, a man named "Joseph," a Levite of Cyprian birth.
The Christians called him "Barnabas" (i.e., "Bar" meaning "son of," and "Nabas" meaning "encouragement" or "consolation.")
This man was such an encouragement to the believers that they had nicknamed him "the Son of Encouragement."
Barnabas saw that Saul’s own reputation was getting him nowhere in fact, it was landing him outside the fellowship of the brethren. So he put his own reputation on the line and took Saul under his wing. I like the way Luke puts it: "Barnabas took hold of him..."
Walk alongside - the Gift of Encouragement
What would have happened if some one didn’t believe in you, trust in God and help you to grow??
Who knows what might have happened to Saul had the Jerusalem Christians been allowed to reject him. Had he fallen away, two-thirds of our New Testament wouldn’t be there! Barnabas "took hold of him" and brought him into the fellowship. You know, there are plenty of times when that is necessary today as well. When a person first becomes a Christian, he is an outsider. He knows only a few or perhaps even no people in the church. Worse yet, he often feels like an outsider. He doesn’t know the language or the customs of the people in the church. He still has many of his old habits.
Who are you walking with?
Could you do that for someone?
It’s even more important with someone who has a very rough background (like Saul here) since their life is going to be so different and some may even be repulsed by what they’ve been in the past. We need people who make it their business to be modern day Barnabas’s.
So, with the help of the Son of Encouragement, Saul was given a chance to redeem his violent reputation. He wasted no time getting to it. He spent 15 days with Peter as we are told in Galatians 1:18 and then went out into the city to preach.
Conclusion
Saul’s conversion and initial steps of faith provide more of the kind of faith building stuff that we began talking about. Christianity changes lives like nothing else can. He who is in Christ is indeed a new creature. The old things have passed away. New things have come.
Is that true of your life? If you are a Christian it should be. But maybe you’re not a Christian. Maybe you still think it is just an illusion.
