LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN
Acts 9.19-31
S: Discipleship
C: Purpose of the Community
Th: A People with Purpose
Pr: WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE NEW BELIEVERS.
TS: Our study today will focus on the new adventure that Saul begins as a new believer in Jesus.
Type: Inductive
I. CHANGE (19b-22)
II. CONFLICT (23-25)
III. CONFIDENCE (26-30)
PA: How is the change to be observed?
Version: ESV
RMBC 28 May 06 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Belief
On the Upper West Side lived a man who was a very militant atheist but he sent his son to Trinity School because, despite its Christian roots, it was a great school. After a month, the boy comes home and says casually, "By the way Dad, do you know what Trinity means? It means the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."
The father can barely control his rage. He seizes his son by the shoulders and declares, "Danny, I’m going to tell you something now and I want you never to forget it. There is only one God and we don’t believe in Him!"
Well, some things are hard to believe.
And when we entered into our study of Acts last week, the passage that was just read, we saw that…
1. Saul had a difficult time believing in Jesus.
It had been his mission to utterly destroy those that believed in Jesus.
They had been calling themselves “The Way.”
And Saul was determined to eliminate these heretics.
But…
2. Saul changed his mind when confronted with the impossible.
He met Jesus.
He met the One he did not believe in.
It was impossible, or so he thought, until he was thrown to the ground.
Jesus had finally succeeded in getting Saul’s attention.
A little bright light, a little blinding of the eyes, and a voice from the sky – this was enough to finally get Saul’s consideration.
As a result of this incident, Saul was converted.
Instead of being a persecutor of the followers of Jesus, he became a follower of Jesus.
And so…
3. Saul was welcomed into the community.
Ananias gets the privilege of providing the first connection to the faith, with his stunning address, “Brother Saul.”
So Saul is baptized.
He makes that public demonstration of the faith, showing the change that has come to him, establishing him as a new creation in Christ.
Now the fun begins, for…
4. Our study today will focus on the new adventure that Saul begins as a new believer in Jesus.
OUR STUDY:
I. CHANGE (19b-22)
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
5. Saul’s change is unexpected.
Saul’s mission to Damascus had hardly been a secret.
For the Jews, his arrival was expected, and perhaps even welcomed.
But shortly after he arrived, instead of arresting Christians, he was defending them.
He was making the new claim that what the people of “The Way” had been saying about Jesus was actually true.
And the Greek text tells us that the reaction is of such astonishment that the whole situation seemed insane.
They could not comprehend the drastic change of Saul publicly proclaiming a new allegiance to Jesus.
You see…
6. Saul’s transition to Jesus as Messiah is quick and intense.
Saul has had the finest education.
He knows the Hebrew Scriptures forward and backwards.
So, now that he had begun to follow Jesus, he understood fully the implications of Jesus as the Son of God.
Jesus was God’s anointed king and promised Messiah.
And as the Son of God, He had a unique relationship with the Father as one who reveals the Father.
We know from other texts that Saul stayed in the area for another three years, that he was in a desert area near Damascus.
It was during this time that his new studies would begin.
He was going to reread those Hebrew Scriptures and find that Jesus was everywhere in them.
He was going to discover that the Prophets, the Psalms, Moses, and the Law – all point to Jesus.
The sacrifices, the offerings, and even the Tabernacle – all point to Jesus.
But now comes the…
II. CONFLICT (23-25)
When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
After the three years…
7. Eventually, Saul wore out his welcome.
He had probably been so effective and so bold in his preaching, people were having enough.
So the Jewish leaders and the government leaders of the surrounding area, decide to try to get their hands on him – even to kill him.
They had enough.
It was time to get rid of Saul.
Apparently though, it was not a well-guarded secret, for he finds out, and…
8. Saul makes a necessary escape.
Interestingly, he already has gathered followers that are listening to his teaching, and these folks are instrumental in getting him out of Damascus.
So humbly, in the dark of night, Saul is secretly lowered out of the city in a basket.
And he makes his way out, no doubt, with his confidence shaken.
But, he has an old place to which he desires to return – Jerusalem.
III. CONFIDENCE (26-30)
And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Saul understood that oneness with the disciples was essential.
But, when he arrived in Jerusalem…
9. Saul found the disciples were suspicious.
It was, to say the least, an interesting situation.
His old friends know about his spiritual defection, so there is no friendly welcome with them.
On the other hand, those who should be his new friends have not forgotten the persecution that Saul had fomented and carried to fruition.
They are naturally suspicious of Saul’s overtures.
The text tells us that Saul was making repeated attempts to connect, but his attempts were being rebuffed.
But then, the Lord saw through, and…
10. Saul was given a friend.
His name was Barnabas, who was true to his name – son of encouragement.
He decides to act as Paul’s sponsor.
He said, “I’ll vouch for him.”
This simple act builds the bridge between the new faith of Saul and those who had been with Jesus.
Having finally made this transition…
11. Saul kept the witness going.
And he returns to the scene of the crime, so to speak.
He returns to the place where Stephen was debated.
But now, Saul takes Stephen’s side and proves unbeatable in the debate.
As far as the Hellenists were concerned, though, Saul was worse than Stephen.
In their eye, he was a traitor, who deserved the same end as Stephen.
He should be killed.
And even though Saul has only been in Jerusalem for two weeks, the disciples realize that Jerusalem is too hot to hold Saul.
So…
12. Saul was sent home when conflict arose again.
Back to Tarsus he goes, and though there was a good-sized Jewish population, it was a free city under the Romans.
It was a safe place for him to be for the moment.
And he would stay in Tarsus for the next 7-10 yrs to learn the lessons he needed.
First of all, he needed to realize that God didn’t need abilities.
But what God did require was his availability.
Saul certainly would have considered himself a prime candidate for ministering to the Jews, but God certainly had a different idea.
In the meanwhile, Jerusalem settled down.
For all in one move, the former chief persecutor of Christians and now the chief target of Christ-haters was removed.
And peace came for a time to the city.
APPLICATION:
ILL Discipleship
Amazingly, with all this talk about the Da Vinci Code and the Gospel of Judas, this letter to Jesus has been found…
TO:
Jesus, Son of Joseph
Woodcrafters Carpenter Shop
Nazareth 25922
FROM:
Jordan Management Consultants
Jerusalem 26544
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for management positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them.
As part of our service and for your guidance, we make some general comment, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation and comes without any additional fee.
It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus definitely have radical leanings and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.
One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.
We wish you every success in your new venture.
Sincerely yours,
Jordan Management Consultants
All right, that was fiction (but at least it actually reflected Scripture unlike some other books and movies today).
Nevertheless, humorous as it might be, it does remind us that how one starts out in the faith is not necessarily where they end up.
Coupled with our story about Saul, this reminds us that…
13. New believers have needs.
Way too often, this is the story of the new believer:
They are attracted to the church and its fellowship.
They are welcomed and wooed.
But after a while, they find no place to use their gifts or serve.
They establish no authentic relationships.
Their attendance is taken for granted.
Their spiritual growth stagnates.
And they leave.
Then, inevitably, someone in the church blames them for being disloyal or disinterested.
But this is not the way of discipleship.
Just as Barnabas came alongside of Saul, mature Christians should come alongside the new Christian.
Those of us that are older in the faith need to remember what it is like to be new in the faith.
There are hard times.
One wonders, “What have I gotten myself into?”
False teaching abounds as Satan aims to distract and deceive.
Instruction is needed.
And patience must abound.
You see, just as Barnabas did with Saul…
14. WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE NEW BELIEVERS.
Let’s not ever forget.
Our assignment, as believers in the Lord Jesus, is to make disciples.
It is our responsibility to form committed followers of Jesus.
We do not take someone new to the faith, and propose some simplified formula of just read your Bible, pray and come to church and everything will be alright.
That doesn’t work.
It takes a Barnabas to come alongside of Saul and teach and live and love.
We are made to grow and exist in community.
Remember our theme verse for the year.
It speaks of the essentials of the early church.
Acts 2.42:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Being a people with purpose means we are never to leave the new believer to do the Christian life alone.
The Christian faith is not for loners.
We are called to be community.
And when we do…
15. Our investment will reap continuing dividends.
ILL DIsicpleship
This is illustrated well in the movie, Mr. Holland’s Opus:
Mr. Holland’s Opus is a movie about a frustrated composer in Portland, Oregon, who takes a job as a high school band teacher in the 1960s. Although diverted from his lifelong goal of achieving critical fame as a classical musician, Glenn Holland (played by Richard Dreyfuss) believes his school job is only temporary.
At first he maintains his determination to write an opus or a concerto by composing at his piano after putting in a full day with his students. But, as family demands increase (including discovery that his infant son is deaf) and the pressures of his job multiply, Mr. Holland recognizes that his dream of leaving a lasting musical legacy is merely a dream.
At the end of the movie we find an aged Mr. Holland fighting in vain to keep his job. The board has decided to reduce the operating budget by cutting the music and drama program. No longer a reluctant band teacher, Mr. Holland believes in what he does and passionately defends the role of the arts in public education. What began as a career detour became a 35-year mission, pouring his heart into the lives of young people.
Mr. Holland returns to his classroom to retrieve his belongings a few days after school has let out for summer vacation. He has taught his final class. With regret and sorrow, he fills a box with artifacts that represent the tools of his trade and memories of many meaningful classes. His wife and son arrive to give him a hand.
As they leave the room and walk down the hall, Mr. Holland hears some noise in the auditorium. Because school is out, he opens the door to see what the commotion is. To his amazement he sees a capacity audience of former students and teaching colleagues and a banner that reads "Goodbye, Mr. Holland." Those in attendance greet Mr. Holland with a standing ovation while a band (consisting of past and present members) plays songs they learned from him.
His wife, who was in on the surprise reception, approaches the podium and makes small talk until the master of ceremonies, the governor of Oregon, arrives. The governor is none other than a student Mr. Holland helped to believe in herself his first year of teaching. As she addresses the room of well-wishers, she speaks for the hundreds who fill the auditorium:
"Mr. Holland had a profound influence in my life (on a lot of lives, I know), and yet I get the feeling that he considers a great part of his life misspent. Rumor had it he was always working on this symphony of his, and this was going to make him famous and rich (probably both). But Mr. Holland isn’t rich and he isn’t famous. At least not outside our little town. So it might be easy for him to think himself a failure, but he’d be wrong. Because I think he’s achieved a success far beyond riches and fame."
Looking at her former teacher the governor gestures with a sweeping hand and continues, "Look around you. There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each one of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony, Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. And we are the music of your life."
In the same way, God calls us to be a life-changing influence in others.
We have the opportunity and responsibility to invest in the kingdom, to affect lives for eternity.
So…
Who claims to be your symphony?
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral:
Lansdown, David Astonished!
Luke, Michael The Needs of a New Christian
Shepherd, Steve How to Treat a New Christian
Stedman, Ray C. The Yoke of Christ
Books:
Bruce, F. F. Commentary on the Book of the Acts The New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1975.
MacArthur, John, Jr. Acts 1-12 The MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.
Stott, John R. W. The Spirit, the Church, and the World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990.
