Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts - 25

Acts 9:19b-31

Introduction

‘The Rest of the Story’ was a Monday through Friday radio show that began as a part of Paul Harvey’s newscasts during WW2.

It premiered as its own series on ABC radio on May 10, 1976.

The show consisted of little-known or forgotten facts on a variety of subjects, with some key element missing from the story, purposely held back until the end.

It usually ended with Harvey saying some variation of the tag line… “and now you know…the rest of the story.”

Our text for today is the ‘rest of the story’ after the conversion of Saul, whom we know as the Apostle Paul.

At the beginning of Acts 9, the Lord Jesus sovereignly converts Saul and commissions him to take the Name of Jesus to the nations.

Now we get the rest of the story…what happens next?

How does Saul respond to this commission and how does he begin to live out his faith?

At the same time, we also see the rest of our story.

I said last week, as we saw Saul’s conversion as a model… “Your conversion comes with a commission.

To be saved is to be sent.”

Just as the Lord has sovereignly saved you, He now sovereignly commissions you to take the Gospel to those who do not know Him.

Well, what does that look like?

Once again, we can look to Saul as a model.

Acts 9:19b-31 - Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,

20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

21 And all those hearing him continued to be astounded, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those that called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”

22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this One is the Christ.

23 And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to put him to death,

24 but their plot became known to Saul.

They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death;

25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

26 And when he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and recounted to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

28 So he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.

29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews, but they were attempting to put him to death.

30 But when the brothers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria was having peace, being built up.

And going on in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to multiply.

TS - Saul’s response to Christ’s commission shows us what it looks like to be a faithful witness for Christ.

Here is the Pattern for a Faithful Witness:

CHRIST-CENTERED

Now that Saul has become a Christian, he spends “several days” in v. 19 with the disciples in Damascus.

What is he doing during these days?

We can only speculate since Luke does not include specific details.

But I am sure Saul is worshiping in a new way.

He now knows God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

I am sure Saul is in wonder that God would say someone like him.

Remember, Saul had been a religious terrorist, actively hunting down and overseeing the execution of those who called themselves Christians.

Saul will say later in his life in 1 Timothy 1:15-16 - 15 It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.

16 Yet for this reason I was shown mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate all His patience as an example for those who are going to believe upon Him for eternal life.

So I am sure Saul is already evangelizing the lost by using his own life as an example.

If Jesus can save me, he can surely save you!

In fact, we are explicitly told in Acts 9 that Saul is doing just that very thing.

V. 20 - and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” ‘Immediately’ he begins to preach.

How could he do that?

The theology that Paul is famous for, the theology that is articulated so well in letters like Ephesians, or especially in Romans, the greatest theological treatise ever written, that theology has not been developed yet.

So how can Paul preach when he doesn’t really know much at this point?

Well, he knows enough.

He knows that he is a great sinner and that Jesus is a great Savior.

He knows that Jesus is the Son of God.

And that’s enough to get started.

You don’t have to have an advanced degree to be a faithful witness for Christ.

You just have to know that He is the Son of God and that He has saved you.

But even here we have the beginning of Paul’s theology that will be expounded and developed in his later years.

This is the only time in the entire book of Acts that Jesus is referred to as the Son of God.

That is a distinctly Pauline concept.

By calling Jesus the Son of God, Saul is declaring Jesus is equal with God, that Jesus is God in the flesh.

In John 5, Jesus gets Himself into trouble because He heals a man on the Sabbath and it makes the Jews mad that He violated their laws.

But it was more than that.

John 5:18 - For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

To call Jesus the Son of God has clear and profound implications.

He really is God in the flesh.

And after Saul sees the risen and reigning Lord Jesus in that heavenly vision, what other conclusion could he possibly come to?!

And as inspirational as this is, Saul’s Christ-centered faithfulness is not without its naysayers.

V. 21 - And all those hearing him continued to be astounded, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those that called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”

They are astounded at Saul and his preaching.

And rightly so.

Isn’t this the persecutor?

He destroyed (wreak havoc) on the Christians in Jerusalem and came here to arrest even more Christians.

What is going on?

Understandable.

Remember where Saul is currently preaching…in the synagogues in Damascus.

Back to Acts 9:1-2 - Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

He was supposed to be hauling off the Christians from the synagogues of Damascus, but instead he is helping make more of them!

The fact that they are astounded could be taken as positive…wow, look at the power of God to change such a life!

Or it could be taken negatively…this isn’t real.

Look at all you’ve done Saul.

You’re the Christian killer.

You are the persecutor.

Nothing more.

Drop this nonsense.

While we hope it is positive, we have experienced the negative side, haven’t we?

This is why it is so challenging to share the faith with friends and family members.

They remember.

They knew you when.

To them, maybe you will forever be that immature kid who isn’t worth their respect.

Or you’re the one who sinned against them and that is forever the lens through which they will view you.

And like Saul, your past may come back to haunt you.

How do we respond to that?

Acts 9:22 - But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this One is the Christ.

His response was to keep growing.

The word for ‘increasing in strength’ does not refer to physical strength, but spiritual strength, really meaning ‘capability.’

Because his knowledge of God and of God’s Word kept growing, his capability to debate who Jesus is continued to grow as well.

And notice that not only is Saul declaring that Jesus is the Son of God, he is proving to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.

Messiah is the Hebrew term, Christ is the Greek term, both meaning ‘anointed.’

In the OT, only prophets, priests, and kings were anointed, set apart in their role.