Acts 9:1-8

Acts 9:1–8 KJV 1900

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

Not all storms are created equal. There are storms that arise without warning. Their path, uncertain their arrival unexpected. There are other storms that with the increased technology available in weather forecasting, we are aware that they are coming and on their way. And then there are storms that we can see approaching. Without doppler radar and weather satellite’s…we would be aware of their soon coming. Their encroaching presence is visible to the naked eye…their ferocity and impending impact can be seen, heard and even felt.

When I lived in the southwest…As a child in Arizona, and then when I was stationed in New Mexcio…sand storms were not an uncommon occurence. These storms are are not usually storms that come without warning. Usually, a sand storm can be seen from tens of miles away as they approach. They are massive measures of grains of sand that have been lifted from the dry desert soil, by high winds. They block out the sun…gradually turning a sunny day into an eerily gloomy day. The storm comes, its path is unmistakable but virtually inescapable, and its damage irrevocable.

Kansas Wheat farmer in the 1930 , Lawrence Svobida in his memoirs titled “Farming the dust bowl wrote, describing an approaching dust storm:

“... a cloud is seen to be approaching from a distance of many miles. Already it has the banked appearance of a cumulus cloud, but it is black instead of white and it hangs low, seeming to hug the earth. Instead of being slow to change its form, it appears to be rolling on itself from the crest downward. As it sweeps onward, the landscape is progressively blotted out. Birds fly in terror before the storm, and only those that are strong of wing may escape. The smaller birds fly until they are exhausted, then fall to the ground, to share the fate of the thousands of jack rabbits which perish from suffocation.”

The Invisible Work of God

1. A Storm named Saul

In Acts chapter 9, the church is bracing itself for a storm named Saul.

The storm was visible

The storm is evident

The church was aware that the storm was coming

Acts 9 Ananias is aware the Saul has sought approval

Acts 9:13–14 NASB95

13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

A little further on in Acts 9, following his conversion, when Saul is introduced to the church, the members of the church asked

“Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”

this storm names Saul is not a storm that is sneaking up on the believers within Damascus. This is not a storm that is going to take them by surprise. It is an evident storm.

The storm was intensifying

The storm was expanding

a. Saul the observer: Acts 7:54 Saul was a witness to the stoning of Stephen.

b. Saul the consenter: the Acts 8:1 Saul consented to his death.

c. Saul the intimidator: Acts 9:1 Saul breathed out threatenings.

d. Saul the terrorist: Acts 9:1 Saul is not just breathing out idle threats. These are are not empty promises…He is breathing out slaughter. there is murder in his heart..and blood on his mind.

e. Saul the invader: Acts 9:3 As he journeyed, he came near to Damascus.

the storm was authorized....The storm is evident, the storm is expanding and...

The storm is endorsed

Acts 9:1–2 NASB95

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 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.

It is one thing when the storm on the horizon has no authorization. it would have been one thing if Saul had been coming as a vigilante. Acting of his own accord, in violation of laws and governance.

But its another thing when the storm is authorized. When the storm is endorsed.

The storm is drawing near…and the storm is evident, It is expanding and the storm is endorsed.

This is going to be a word for those today that know what it is like to see the storm forming, and have no clue what you can do about it.

You can see all of the ingredients coming together on the horizon.

The storm in your marriage marked by a growing distance, short terse comments, the pain has been replaced by apathy and indifference.

The financial storm…the rising costs, the decrease in pay…the unexpected expense…

The wellness storm…the sharp pain, unusual swelling, the growing discomfort…

the spiritual storm…prayers feel hindered, worship inhibited, God’s voice seems distant or even muted…The whispers of doubt, the accusations of the enemy.

The storm is expanding

As time goes on…the longer that time goes on, the darker the clouds become.

The more distance in the marriage,

The more hopeless the financial dilemma,

The more concerning the health symptoms

And doubt takes a choke hold on your faith.

The storm is endorsed…it is authorized.

It’s one thing when you self diagnose, It’s something else when webMD diagnosis, But it’s an entirely different thing when the diagnosis has the Drs autograph.

The lawyers autograph

The creditors autograph

The repo reps autograph

I know I’m preaching today…You’re storm has been endorsed at the highest levels of power and influence…it even feels like God himself has authorized your storm!!

What can you with a storm that has been authorized?!? (don’t provide a solution yet…this is good tension)!!

And as Saul draws near to Damascus, the church can do nothing but brace for impact. Any day now, this storm named Saul will march into town. Persecution will come, arrests will be made and blood will flow.

Batten down the hatches and hope that damages are minimal.

2. The Unexpected Arrival

Flip the switch....

HOWEVER…We know that when the storm named Saul blows into town…it is not at all the storm that the church had been anticipating.

their expectations are voiced in Acts 9:21.

“Isn’t this the one that destroyed the believers in Jerusalem who called on the name of Jesus?” and now he has come to Damascus to do the same here?!

they are expecting bullying and brutality!

they are expecting pain and persecution!

they are expecting impending imprisonment!

They are expecting opposing winds to beat down and batter the church....instead, they find a force in support of their cause.

Expecting warrants and arrest dragging them mercilessly from the synagogue, instead they find Saul preaching in the Synagogue!

Paul had went to the high priest seeking letters to arrest anyone that preached Jesus…and now they find Saul is the one preaching Jesus!

The words they use to describe their response to Saul are words like “Amazed” (vs. 21) confounded (vs. 22)

The church doesn’t know what to do with Saul. This is not the storm that they were expecting. They were expecting the Sword and He is wielding the scripture. They are expecting Brutality, and he is waxing Biblical. They are anticipating being thrown into Jail and instead Saul is preaching Jesus!

What happened to my storm?!

Vs. 26 Saul returns to Jerusalem, hoping to join himself to the disciples there…but the Bible says, the disciples are terrified…They want nothing to do with Saul.

They storm that they were expecting and what arrived were not the same.

You need to know and trust today that your storm isn’t too big for God!

It might be evident, it might be expanding and it may be endorsed…but its not too big for God!

Somewhere between Jerusalem and Damascus, something had transpired.

Somewhere along this 136 mile road to Damascus, threatenings and slaughter had been transformed into

What happened to my storm?!

3. An unseen Jesus

Unseen by the church, somewhere between Jerusalem and Damascus, God steps in.

In one encounter the very heart of the Saul was transformed. The greatest threat to the church is being transformed to the greatest advocate of the church. Vs. 1 and 2 he is threatening, he is determined to arrest the disciples and persecute the church.

they are struggling with the transformation because they didn’t see it unfold!!

Here is where we get tripped up we think God we have to see it in order for God to do it!

That we have to be aware in order for God to transform the storm.

There were zero eye witnesses as to the work that Jesus did. It happened in isolation...

the church wasn’t there to witness it…There was a church in Jerusalem and a church in Damascus…but this happened on the road between Jerusalem and Damascus

Even the men traveling with Saul didn’t see it. (Acts 9:7…they heard a voice, but they saw no man)

Saul himself didn’t see it…Vs. 8, when he opened his eyes he saw no man.

the soldiers traveling with Saul don’t see it (Acts 9:7) they heard a voice, but they saw no man.

They hear a voice…but they didn’t hear what the voice said.

Saul didn’t even see it. vs. 8, when his eyes were opened, he saw no man.

Listen…right now God is up to something…while you are bracing for impact, God is turning your affliction into a blessing!

Never underestimate the power of God to work in ways that you cannot see!

We are waiting on God to work…He is already working!

We are waiting on God to move…he is already moving!

But I don’t see it. I don’t see Jesus. All that I can see is a storm that is coming!

All i can see is the trail that is looming on the horizon.

All i can see is the storm that has been authorized.

3. What WAS a storm IS a blessing

The main point. Trusting the work that God is doing that we cannot see!

God is able to transform your greatest storm into your greatest blessing!