The Acts of the Holy Spirit

Introduction

Good morning; turn with me to the book of Acts. Today we continue our study through the book of Acts. The passage we will consider today will be verses 19 b-31.

Last week we looked at the dramatic conversion account of Saul. How God literally stopped him in his tracks and changed the entire course of his life. God specifically chose Saul as an instrument in His Hands to bring the gospel to the known world.

And many scholars attribute Saul's ministry and missionary journeys to the spread of the gospel across the roman empire and beyond.

Today we will spend time examining the early post-conversion events of one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity.

We will see how God used one of the most unlikely candidates, someone whose life mission was to stamp out those who professed faith in Jesus to advance His Kingdom.

As we spend time marveling at God's grace in the life of Saul. My prayer is that God, through His Spirit, will stir up your soul to the purpose He has for you.

God used Luke to pen this narrative, not just for the Early Church in the 1st Century. But for us today in the 21st century.

So as we look at these verses this morning, begin now to pray that God will illuminate your mind and heart to the truth he has for you today through His word.

Let us now turn our attention to God's Word, beginning in Acts 9 starting in verse 19. And we will see how Saul went from a persecutor of the faith to a proclaimer of the faith.

Persecutor to Proclaimer vs. 19 b-22

Act 9:19b

Acts 9:19b (CSB)

Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time.

We see that Saul was with the disciples in Damascus. The same disciples that earlier we read in Act 9:1-3 that he intended to drag off and throw into prison by order of the High Priest. Now we read that he was with those disciples. That is, he was in fellowship with them.

Luke tells us that he was with them for some time. Now you need to know that Luke is giving us a summary in this passage because If you read Galatians, you will discover that he was with the Disciples in Damascus for at least three years.

We go on to read in Acts 9:20

Acts 9:20 CSB

Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.”

Notice the urgency in Saul; it says immediately. He doesn't waste time in proclaiming Jesus. Almost as if he wants to make up for the time he spent blinded to the truth of who God is. He finally saw Jesus rightly for who He really was.

Not as just another man.

Not as a blasphemer.

Not as a deceiver.

No, that is how he used to view Jesus. Someone who came and threaten his traditions. And Saul traveled far and wide to stamp out anyone who named the name of Jesus.

Have you seen Jesus for who He truly is? Has God's Spirit opened your eyes to view Jesus rightly? Not like the world views Him.

The world views Him as just another historical figure.

They see Him as simply a good and moral teacher.

They see Him as a figure to advance some social cause.

Jesus transcends all of the wrong and worldly views of who He is. And when God, through His grace, opens your eyes to see Jesus rightly. To see Him as He has been revealed in The Word. That reality will fill your life, so much so that you can keep it to yourself. You will have to proclaim that truth to others.

In His kindness, God opened Saul's eyes. He opened his heart and mind. He was finally able to see Jesus as He truly is. The long-awaited Messiah, The Son of God.

And that is the message he proclaimed, that Jesus is the Son of God. And the people, when they heard this message coming from Saul, were astounded.

Look at Act 9: 21

Acts 9:21 CSB

All who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man in Jerusalem who was causing havoc for those who called on this name and came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

The people were saying, listen, isn’t this the same Saul who made it his life mission to destroy anyone who believed in Jesus? Saul was famous for his zeal in persecuting the Church. He made it his life goal to destroy the Church.

He wrote this about himself in Galatians 1:13

Galatians 1:13 CSB

For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it.

He intensely persecuted God’s church, and the people knew him as a persecutor of the faith. But now they hear this same man proclaiming the Jesus he once persecuted. And they were astounded.

How could someone go through such a radical change?

When you have a genuine encounter with the risen Christ. It is impossible to stay the same. Your old self dies. You literally become a new creature. That is what we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

You cannot remain the same when you genuinely encounter the living Christ. I love the illustration one pastor gave.

He told the story of a man late to a speaking engagement. When the man finally arrived, the host asked why he was so late. The man apologized and said to the host, “Listen, I’m sorry I’m late, but what had happened was. I was on my way here, but as I was driving down the highway, this 40-ton semi-truck slammed into me. And I barely made it here today.

The host looked at the man as crazy and said that is impossible. He said it is impossible to have that kind of encounter with a 40-ton semi truck and not be changed.

God is more powerful than a semi-truck, and when you have a genuine encounter with the God of the Universe through faith in Christ, it is impossible not to be radically changed.

Your thoughts will change.

Your walk will change.

Your desires will change.

Your speech will change.

The entire trajectory of your life will change.

And others who knew you back then will look at your life and be astounded.

Isn’t he the same person who used to cuss folk out?

Isn’t she the same person who used to fight at the drop of a dime?

Isn't that the same person who was impatient, unloving, and full of greed, lust, envy, strife, and pride?

And now I see them, and there is this peace they have, and this joy, and sense of hope in the midst of pain. And they will look at you and are astounded, not at you, but at the God who changed you.

The people were astounded when they saw the radical change in Saul because of the work of Christ. Saul had a new mission. A new mandate. A new trajectory. As he boldly proclaimed Christ, he grew in influence among the people.

We see in Act 9:22

Acts 9:22 CSB

But Saul grew stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

Paul was going from synagogue to synagogue, proclaiming and reasoning with the Jews that Jesus was the Long awaited Messiah. As you read and study this passage, you get the sense that when Saul’s eyes had been opened to the truth of who Jesus really was, he wanted to share this first with his kinsman in the flesh, the Jews. He wanted them to know that the long-awaited Messiah that was spoken of in the Prophets and the Law of Moses has arrived.

It says he kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving Jesus was the Messiah. Implied in this verse is an ongoing ministry to the Jews in Damascus.

Saul was in Damascus for at least three years during his early ministry. Again we know that by what he writes about his early post-conversion life. Galatians 1:17-18.

And he was proclaiming Christ to the Jews in Damascus; it says he was proving to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.

The Jews, in this context, were the religious authorities. The Sadducee and the Pharisee. They had already rejected Christ as a false Messiah and blasphemer.

And Saul, skilled and trained in the Old Testament, was now proving to the Jews that Jesus was actually the true Messiah. I imagine him looking back at the Old Testament, recalling all his training and how he excelled in his knowledge beyond his peers. And the spirit illuminated his understanding of the passages he memorized in unbelief. And he now realizes that those passages were pointing to Jesus as the Messiah all along.

I imagine him reflecting on passages like Micah 5:2 where it says the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.

Or passages like Isaiah 9:6 where we see that the Messiah would be born of a virgin.

Or 2 Samuel 7:12-16 where the Messiah will come from the line of David.

Or Isaiah 53 where we see that the Messiah will suffer and die to bring salvation to his people.

Saul now saw that all those passages were pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. And he confounded the Jews by proving this fact to them. The Jews could not come against the truth of the message delivered by Saul. Saul would point the Jews to the Scriptures time after time, showing them that Jesus was the Truth, and they could not come up with an argument to deny it. They were confounded.

Saul, the persecutor of the faith. Now boldly proclaiming the faith to the Jews.

Now how did the Jews respond to this message?

Let us now look at how Saul went from being an opposer of the faith to being opposed for his faith.

Opposer to Opposed vs. 23-25

Look at Act 9:23

Acts 9:23 CSB

After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,

They could not oppose the message, so they opposed the messenger. The Jews could not overcome the wisdom of God in Saul. And they began to realize that he seriously threatened their religious establishment. Saul’s zeal and passion for the Jewish tradition and destruction of the Church of Christ had now turned to zeal and passion for advancing the Kingdom of Christ.

The Jews recognized this as a problem. One of their most zealous, passionate opposers of the Christian faith had now become a Christian himself. And now he is proclaiming Jesus and growing influence and strength. The Jews could not have this. Their goal was to stop the spread of the gospel. This began the opposition to the ministry of Saul. The Jews conspired to kill him. They came together to come up with a plot to end his life.

You know when the message of Jesus of Christ is proclaimed clearly and boldly. There are really only two responses to that message, acceptance or rejection. There is no middle ground. You can’t ride the fence when it comes to Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 12:30

Matthew 12:30 CSB

Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.

You are either with Him or against Him. And when you hear the message of Jesus, it demands a response. You either accept it by faith or reject it in unbelief. And when you reject the finished work of Christ. That rejection means that we are in opposition to Christ. Romans 5:10 teaches us that in unbelief, we are enemies of God. An enemy is someone who opposes you. To reject Christ is to be in opposition to Christ.

That opposition can take many forms. Sometimes it takes the form of a disobedient lifestyle. That is a lifestyle that says I want to do my own thing and live my own truth in spite of what God commands in His Word. Sometimes it takes the form of superficial religious life. That is to say; I don’t need God to save me; I’m not that bad a person. I can do enough good to earn God’s favor. Sometimes it takes the form of open hostility to the gospel message. I don’t want to hear God’s Word. And I don’t want others to hear it. So I will stop you when you proclaim it.

I remember a recent story I heard of a dear brother who went out with a local church to evangelize in the community. He shared how they went to a local apartment complex and were knocking on doors, asking people to pray for them and looking for opportunities to share the gospel. They got to one particular door and knocked on the door of a lady. He said that the lady initially opened the door slightly and quickly dismissed them. And as they were walking away, the lady then proceeded to come out of her apartment and openly opposed them. Telling people not to listen to them and antagonizing them. Even going as far as pulling people away, preventing them from hearing the gospel. Even as they left the apartment complex, the lady began to bang on the car and made a demonic gesture at them.

The message of the gospel is met with opposition and hostility from those who do not believe they see it as foolishness. We read in 1 Corinthians 1:18

1 Corinthians 1:18 CSB

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.

It’s foolishness to unbelievers. And those who reject Christ often oppose those who proclaim his Word. But know that the opposition is not against you per se. It is against the One who you proclaim they hate you because they hate him. Jesus said John 15:18

John 15:18 CSB

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you.

The world hates and opposes the Word of God because of the hatred and opposition to The God of the Word. So don’t be surprised when you proclaim God’s word when you are met with opposition. The World, that is, the evil satanic system, is opposed to the message of Christ because Satan knows that the gospel's proclamation is God's power to bring true transformation.

His job is to kill, steal and destroy and he does that by blinding people to the message of Jesus Christ. He does that by opposing those who proclaim the message of Christ. Christian, your battle is not against flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12

Ephesians 6:12 CSB

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

Satan opposes the gospel's message because he knows its power, and he will influence people, directly and indirectly, to oppose us when we endeavor to proclaim it. But God will advance His Kingdom despite the opposition. Jesus told Peter that in Matthew 16:18, that He will build His church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

God will expand His kingdom through us. God will expand His Kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel. And no matter the opposition you will face, the gates of hell will not prevail.

The Jews opposed Saul and devised a satanic plot to kill him in order to stop his influence and the spread of the gospel. But God, in His sovereignty, protected him. Look back at Acts 9:24-25

Acts 9:24–25 CSB

but Saul learned of their plot. So they were watching the gates day and night intending to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the wall.

God protected Saul. God, in his divine providence, revealed the nefarious plot of the Jews. And Saul escaped because it wasn’t his time. God still had work for him to do.

Though you may face opposition when you are in Christ, the safest place to be in this universe is His Will. He will protect you.

I like what one pastor said in his reflection on this passage. “When it is our time to go we cannot escape, but when it is not our time to go we can expect God to open up doors, provide protection, give insight and wisdom about decisions and places and people” -Jack Andrews.

God transformed Saul from a persecutor to a proclaimer, Saul once opposed the faith, and now he opposed it because of his faith. And God protected him. Now we will see how Saul, as he returns to Jerusalem, how God will take him from being rejected because of his past to being received because of God’s grace.

Rejected to Received vs. 26-30

Look back with me at Acts 9:26

Acts 9:26 CSB

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple.

After three years, Saul returned from Damascus to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples there. But he was rejected because the people were afraid. The word tried in this verse implies that it was an ongoing attempt. Time after time, he tried to be a part of his new family. But he was met with rejection.

Saul escaped the attempt on his life and returned to Jerusalem with a new identity in Christ. But the people remember him before he left. They remembered the original reason he went to Damascus. To find believers and haul them off into prison. They still remember how Saul stood in approval as Stephen was stoned to death.

So they rejected him because of his past.

You know it is sometimes difficult for us to imagine God saving and changing someone, especially when that person caused harm to you. Think of someone in your life who has caused you harm. Maybe a family member hurt you and sinned against you deeply. Maybe it is a former friend who betrayed you. Or a former spouse who hurt you. Or any person who treated you wrong or caused you harm. Imagine that person was radically transformed by the power of God. What would be your initial reaction to that person's conversion?

Would you receive him or her as brother or sister? Or would you hold them at arm's length because you know who they were? It’s sometimes too easy for us to reject someone because of their past. Forgetting that we once had a past. We will hold them at arm's length because we know they were once thieves, drunk, promiscuous, or racist.

It is easy for us to reject them, forgetting that we are also recipients of God’s grace.

One preacher said, "Even believers who have seen the power of God at work in their own lives can doubt God’s ability to change others.”

We are not better than anyone. All that we are is by the grace of God.

The same power that changed you when you were dead in your sin is the same power that can change that person who hurt you.

God changed Saul’s life in his power, yet the people rejected him. I can imagine Saul being very discouraged at this point. Not able to live down his past life. But God's grace showed up just as he was rejected and discouraged. How many of you are thankful when God’s grace shows up?

Look at Acts 9:27

Acts 9:27 CSB

Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

God’s grace showed up in someone who took a chance on him.

Barnabas, we met Barnabas back in Acts 4:36, when he sold a field he owned and laid it at the apostle's feet. Barnabas was the name he was given by the apostles. It means a son of encouragement. It wasn’t an accident that he was given that name. Everyone was afraid of Saul, But Barnabas took him in. Everyone rejected Saul, but Barnabas received him.

He believed that God had done a powerful work in Saul. He believed that God had transformed him. Barnabas took a chance. He risked his safety and reputation because he trusted God. He came alongside Saul as he was discouraged and rejected by the disciples and received him.

Sometimes God may call you to come alongside those who are rejected by society. Rejected by others. He will call you to take that risk to risk your safety, comfort, and reputation, and trust Him. Who is God calling you to step out on faith to receive? To welcome? To come alongside?

It’s often a new believer still stained from the world. But being made new. God may be calling you to take a risk and come alongside that person.

Barnabas took a risk. While others were afraid, he drew near to Saul to come alongside him. To learn his story. And by God’s grace, receive him.

And he took him to the apostle to vouch for him. He explains how Christ met him and gave him a new life and how he boldly proclaimed Christ. And the Apostles, on the testimony of Barnabas, received Saul as a brother. He was affirmed by the Church.

And we read in Act 9: 28-30

Acts 9:28–30 CSB

Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Saul was no longer feared by the disciples but was now accepted. Saul continued his ministry. He continued to proclaim the gospel boldly with a new family. And again, he conversed and debated with the Jews, this time the Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Jews. And again, he faced opposition. But God again protected him, and the brothers took him to Caesarea and then to his birthplace in Tarsus.

That is Saul’s early ministry. His whole life changed in a moment. We will later see how God will lead him across the known world, proclaiming the gospel and planting churches. But the story of Saul’s post-conversion ministry is not about Saul. One of the things Luke often does throughout this book is to remind us that this is about God. And how His Spirit is Constantly at work growing His Church and advancing His Kingdom.

We saw him remind us of that in Acts 2:47 We saw that in Acts 6:7 and we see that here in Acts 9:31

Acts 9:31 (CSB)

So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

God’s Spirit is still at work, giving peace and encouraging His people. He is still at still saving souls. Saul is evidence of God's Spirit at work. His Spirit wasn’t just at work during the time and life of Saul. It is still at work today in your in my life. God's Spirit is still advancing His kingdom. He still offers encouragement and peace. He is still adding to His Church through the proclamation of the gospel. Through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Let’s Pray.