The Preparation of Paul- Acts 9:19-31
Notes
Transcript
Let’s Pray Together
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Created in Christ… for good works. prepared by God.
Go ahead and open with me to Act 9.
Introduction
Introduction
Double Portion
In 2 Kings 2, Elijah, arguably the greatest prophet Israel had known was about to be taken by God to heaven.
His protege at the time, Elisha asked one final request of his teacher.
2 Kings 2:9 “And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.””
A double portion, indicates a succession in his ministry, but also a desire for a ministry and influence double in size.
As I was exploring a calling into public ministry I heard the following story:
a very famous minister of the gospel, someone who had a massive following. Book royalties, conference invites, a big following, but also a powerful ministry… was teaching an event.
At the conclusion of the night a young man, went up to him and said, “Sir, please pray for me that I may have a double portion of the anointing God has given you.
The teacher, wise and experienced, said, “No. No way. You don’t know what you ask for.”
But the young man continued to insist. Begging. Yearning to be used mightily of God, for the advancing of His kingdom. So he asked again.
To which the speaker, once again refused.
But the young man, knowing that we have not because we ask not, pressed one more time. Sir, please lay your hands on me and pray that I would have a double portion of your anointing.
Finally, exasperated the sage caved. He laid his hands on the man, and prayed, “Lord, give this young man a double portion… of the sufferings that you have given me. Amen.
Stunned, the young man stood speechless as the experienced minister walked away.
Richard Foster in his AMAZING, and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED book The Celebration of Discipline, wrote,
Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is primarily a spiritual problem. The great need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people or gifted people, but for deep people.”
Deep people aren’t microwaved, they are developed. They are cultivated. They are prepared.
Saul was made a DISCIPLE on the road to Damascus, but he was made DEEP in the DESERT.
He was set apart in a moment, but shown how much he must suffer over time.
Given a ministry on the spot, but first this Paul had to be primed and prepared.
This is what I want for you. For myself. For our church.
You see, most of us know of the expansive and worldwide impact of the Apostle Paul.
We see his product… but we are largely ignorant to his process.
Paul’s impact was a result of his preparation.
So this morning I want to preach on the Preparation of Paul, and in so doing give you 4 insights to how God wants to prepare you as well.
Let’s read our text together
and taking food, he was strengthened.
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.
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.
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.
So taking the 3 renditions, we can summarize his purpose as:
A Witness of Christ primarily to Gentiles, for which he will suffer greatly.
And Acts 9:20 opens up with him immediately launching into the fulfillment of this purpose… but as the story progresses we will see that Paul needed greater preparation.
So how does God prepare Paul to fulfill such a great purpose. And how might he be preparing you for good works, that you may walk in them as well!?
Sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereign Foundations
Paul’s Preparation began with Sovereign Foundations.
Robert Clinton, longtime Seminary Professor at Fuller seminary writes, “God sovereignly, and providentially works to lay the foundations someon’s life.
These soveriegn foundations include our family of origins, our environment,our temperments and personalities, gifts, and etc.
Let’s look closely at Paul’s Sovereign Foundations beginning with His origins.
Origins
Family
We saw this last week, but Saul was born into a Jewish family.
His initial love and familiarity with the OT Scriptures, was due to the fact that he was born Jewish.
His understanding of the sacrificial system, and legal demands for righteouessness… all because of his family.
Roman Citizenship
That he was born to a relatively wealthy family, who had Roman citizenship is another piece of those sovereign foundations. Because it was his roman citizenship that would grant him access to various gentile areas throughout the roman world and ultimately give him an opportunity to speak before govenors and kings for the sake of the name!
But Paul didn’t do anything to earn that. He was just born into it, and as a child or young student he could never have seen how God was setting his sovereign foundations.
Family is part of the Soverign Foundations
But so is location.
Location
Saul, born of Tarsus.
Tarsus— no obscure city in his own words.
Tarsus was a heavily populated, and important city situated on the trade route from Egypt to Mesoptomia.
But it was a land of Gentiles. Although a Jew, he would have been raised in the religious minority.
Most of the people of Tarsus were part of some eastern cult, or followers of the Greek god Hercules.
As a young boy Saul witnessed the realities of idol worship.
He saw idolatry up close, and personal. And it doesn’t surprise me a bit to see him later condemining the Gentiles of Corinth for their consistent idol worship.
Tarsus was known as “the university city” and attracted the greatest Greek Philosophers of the day.
To which we find him later quoting various Greek Philosophers like”:
Menander in 1 Corinthians 15
Epimenides in Titus 1.
Roman Philosopher Lucius Seneca in Acts 17
and even Plato and Aristotle!
His Gentile, Greek audience later in his ministry would have immediately connected with this Greek learned man.
Educated in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamilial.
But more than anything his learning under Gamaliel forms his Soverign Foundations mightily used by God.
His understanding of the Jewish religious creed, and deep knowledge of the OT Scripture permeates his ministry more than anything.
And God used this education. An education, chosen for him, not by himself… part of his sovereign foundations. God used it to prepare him!
Look with me at Acts 9:22
But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
The Jews were confused to hear that he who had formerly persecuted the name of Jesus, is now preaching in His name.
But Saul, just kept growing in strength and confounding his audience by proving.
Proving is the greek word “symbibazo” which means “to join or put together.”
Paul preaching in Damascus, was utilizing his origins, his studies, to help his Jewish audience put together the OT Texts in order to demonstrate that they were fulfilled in Jesus Christ!
His Zeal
Finally I want to quickly say that God was laying soverieng foundations even in his temperment, or personality, or make up. Whatever you want to call it.
Saul was zealous. We saw that last week. Passionate in his persecutions.
But His zeal as a Christian was even his zeal as a persecutor.
God didn’t do away with his passion. He had created Him to be a passionate person. He just redirected it for His glory.
Application
Family of Origin:
Chuch, Saul’s family of origin played a massive role in who he was, and all of that is the soveriegn work of God.
And it’s the same for you as well. Your family. Your birthorder. All of it is used by God in his sovereignty to make you who you are.
The good and the bad.
But, a quick note on the bad… some of you were born into horrendous circumstances, and had upbringings that are horrifying and traumatizing. And I want to clearly say that just because God, in His Sovereignty will use it (remember Kintsugi), doesn’t mean that the sin of those who hurt you, or the sin that created the circumstance that wounded you, will go unpunished. Vengance will be the Lord’s.... however, He is still Sovereign.
If that’s you, I just want to point you to Moses.
As an infant, under threat of infantacide, and laid in a basket in the nile as a last resort. Ultimately raised in Pharoh’s palace, which God had Soveriengly used to raise him up to lead His people out of Pharoh’s Power.
Location:
Where you were born. How you were raised. Where you studied. The people that God had in your life like Gamilal, are all part of His Sovereign Foundations.
God doesn’t do away with your upbringing, past, experience, personalities, etc...” They are part of his sovereign foundations, to make you who you are for His Glory.
And although Saul (playing checkers) thought all of that was the purpose of climbing the Jewish, religious ladder.... all the while God was playing chess and just laying sovereign foundations.
Church, do not spurn your origins. God has used them to make you who you are, and even in the hard He was there, redeeming, restoring, and reshaping.
Take some time this week to reflect on those origins? Ask the Lord, “How have Your Sovereign Foundations made me who I am today? And how have they prepared me for your purposes.”
The DEEP Life is a life prepared… prepared by Sovereign Foundations.
Conclusion
But we can’t rely on our Origins or Natural Giftedness.
Saul’s impressive origins and giftedness, even combined with a dramatic testimony of salvation, DID NOT QUALIFY HIM FOR MINISTRY.
A longer program of preparation awaited him.
Let’s turn back to our text.
Silence and Solitude
Silence and Solitude
Acts 9:22-23 “But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.... (When many days had passed...
Alright here is where I have to help us piece together a little of Saul’s Timeline.
Turn with me to Galatians 1:15-17
But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
Map Slide
Luke doesn’t mention anything about Paul’s time in Arabia. Some argue he must not have known about it, or simply excluded it because it didn’t align with his purposes in writing the account of Acts. But what matters for us is that Paul was
First, At Damascus (Acts 9:20-22)
MAP?
From Damascus, according to Galatians 1:17, he left Damascus and went into Arabia, which may mean the surrounding desert countryside. We have no idea how far south into the Arabian Peninsula Paul may have wandered, but we know he later returned to Damascus.
Arabia to Damascus (Acts 9:23-25)
Damascus to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26-31) (Galatians 1:18)
What happened in this 3 year intermission? Where exactly did he journey too? Why!?
Many argue he went into Arabia to preach… and I too believe that occurred. But I do not believe that was the primary purpose in going into Arabia. I believe it was for Silence and Solitude!
God prepares his people with Silence and Solitude.
There is no microwave.
Moses, stirred by zeal to deliver his people commits murder, and the people of Israel reject him as their deliverer.
Although primed through his origins, temperment, and even giftings… HE WASN’T READY.
So he goes to the Wilderness for 40 years.
Joseph, a gifted dreamer, destined for greatness! YET UNPREPARED, so God has him sold into slavery, only to rise to prominence, but once again unprepared.
YOU SEE, our character trumps our giftings, and often our giftings elevate us to positions that our character and faith is unprepared for! So what does God do! He thrusts us into silence and solitude, and Joseph was put into prison for 2 years!
And could later say, Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
David, was prepared with years as a lonely shepherd left all alone, but using his silence and solitude to play the harp and worship with a heart that was after God’s alone.
In that silence and solitude, learning to war and defend by defeating a bear and a lion, preparing him for goliath.
and once again his gifts are recognized and elevated. Musician and Armor Bearer to the King himself, but He wasn’t ready! And Saul in jealousy tries to spear him to a wall and he is forced to flee. Thrust by God into silence and solitude for a period of about 7 years!
Elijah, relishing in his recent victory over the prophets of Baal, receives a death threat from that dreaded woman Jezebel, and immediately flees to the wilderness to battle despair and reflect on God’s provision and calling.
John the Baptist was in a prolonged period of isolation in the wilderness until the Word of the Lord came to him to serve as a prophet publicly.
And of course Jesus Christ Himself! Jesus spent 18 years in obscurity (from his story in the Temple posing questions to his public ministry), only to be released into ministry for 3 years, and BEGAN those 3 by spending the first 40 days in the wildnerness!
And throughout His ministry we consistently see him initiating a rhythm of withdrawal to commune with God, and seek Him above all else.
This is how God cultivates depth in His people! It is how he prepares us to carry His name.
Paul
So Paul spends 3 obscure years in the Wildnerness of Arabia.
About this period of silence and solitude Paul writes, Galatians 1:12 “For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
The Revelation of Jesus Christ did not simply come to Paul all at once!
He knew enough about Jesus after the Damascus Road to immediately rise up and proclaim Jesus as the Son of God, but it would take extended periods of time before he cultivated the depths of his theology on display in his epistles.
He saw him on the damascus road, but he also had other visions later. Visions of heaven. 2 Corinthians 12:2-5 “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
Paul’s deep, intimate knowledge of God was cultivated in silence and solitude.
Application
Church, E.M. Bounds words in 1913 still ring true today!
“God's plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God's method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use -- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men -- men of prayer.”
Or A.W. Tozer, “A Christian is strong or weak based on how he or she has cultivated a knowledge of God.”
Periods of Silence and Solitude, or Rhythms of Withdrawal is how God Prepares His People.
And many of you are thinking… that sounds good and all but I don’t have the time to slip away for 3 years. Or 40 days.
That’s okay!
Luke 5:16 “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
Mark 1:35-37 “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
Luke 6:12 “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”
Rhythms
Let’s begin daily.
Do you have a “desolate place”?
Are you rising early enough, to not be distracted?
Could it be at night?
I know the objections. And their our seasons. Sometimes it’s when you’re using the bathroom. Taking a shower. Commute in the truck. Etc.
Carve it out, and God will prepare you!
Saul was Prepared in Silence and Solitude, and so are we. There are no microwaves.
But as with all seasons, this one too comes to an end. And after 3 years, Saul leaves the Desert and Heads back to Damascus.
Acts 9:23-25 “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.”
This leads us to our 3rd point: God Prepares Paul with Suffering
Suffering
Suffering
The Jews in Damascus were tired of being confounded by this man of great intellect, gifting, and now depth.
So they plotted to kill him.
You see, it’s not long into Saul’s Commission that He leans into his calling… to see how much he must suffer!
In this case they are spying him out day and night, waiting to kill him.
Paul himself references this specific occurence in 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 “At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.”
Now, Damascus was a Roman Colony, but Paul says the governor under King Aretas… King Aretas was an Arabian King.
This clues us in that Saul wasn’t just out in silence and solitude, but apparently on his way back to Damascus he was preaching in Arabia too.
Saul stirs everybody up. So the Arabians follow him into Damascus watching for him from the outside, as the Jews are watching for him from the inside.
And he only escapes by being lowered from a city wall window in a basket.
We will continue to study the sufferings of Paul, but suffice for today that Suffering is always a means God employs to PREPARE His People!
Church, it is doubtful rather God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply— A.W. Tozer.
Why!? Who better to answer that question that Paul himself!
Romans 5:3-5 “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
ENDURANCE< CHARACTER< HOPE
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”
RELIANCE
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
We are so tempted to rely on our origins, temperments, and giftings or own intellect! Not for the purposes of Christ. So we Suffer to be made perfect in weakness. To rest in His power, not our own!
George McDonald, “No words can express how much our world ‘owes’ to sorrow. Most of the Psalms were conceived in a wilderness. Most of the New Testament was written in a prison. The greatest words of God’s Scriptures have all passed through great trials. The greatest prophets have “learned in suffering what they wrote in their books.” So take comfort afflicted Christian! When our God is about to make use of a person, He allows them to go through a crucible of fire.”
But poor Paul’s suffering wasn’t just in persecution
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.
He finally goes to Jerusalem, to visit with Peter for 15 days (gal 1), only to be rejected by the church there!
They too had heard of this man, and his reputation was consistently held against them. They probably believed him to be a spy.
To deceive them. To fake a convert, only to find them out and kill them all.
But, that leads us to our last point.
God prepares his people with the Support of Others.
Support
Support
Acts 9:27-28 “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.”
Coleman is going to do a deeper character study into the life of Barnabas soon, but Paul needed some support. An Advocate.
And Barnabas, consistent with his character, testifies on Paul’s behalf and due to the credibility of Barnabas, Paul is deemed credible and is permitted access to the church in Jersualem.
This only gives him more support, because it was with Peter and James he learns more about the faith
Now his commission and apostolic calling was conferred by God alone. But it was with Peter and James that he learned the tradition of the gospel.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
And about the facts of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:5-7 “and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.”
Paul needed support, and the support he received from Barnabas and Peter and James, continued to prepare him for God’s purposes.
Conclusion
Conclusion
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.
Saul, prepared by Sovereign Foundations, Silence and Solitude, Suffering, and Support picks up right where Stephen left off… preaching to the Hellenists.
But as is always the case with Saul… he must suffer for the sake of the name and they tried to kill him again.
So the disciples, probably the leaders of the church send him off to Tarsus.
And guys!
Quick fact… he remains in Tarsus, in obscurity for another 7 years, until Barnabas comes to find him to join him in pastoring the church in Antioch in Acts 11.
A Chosen Instrument. God’s Workmanship, created for good works, prepared by God.
There is no microwave. The church doesn’t need greater methods, but greater men and women. Men and Women who are deep, and have cultivated a knowledge of God through the process of Preparation.
Preparation by reflecting and owning their origins.
Preparation that is fought for in withdrawing for solitude and silence.
Preparation that is forged in the crucibles of suffering.
And Preparation that is developed with the Support of Others.
And our chapter concludes the conversion and commission of Saul by saying,
Acts 9:31 “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.”
What began in Acts 8:1 as a church being ravaged, due to the conversion of its greatest persecuter who has been prepared to be its greatest witness, the church is at peace.
communion
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.