Saul's Preaching

Saul’s Change

When Saul recieved his sight and the Holy Spirit, he immediately went and started preaching that Jesus is the Christ in the synagogues. This amazed everyone because they knew he had letters from Jerusalem to arrest Christians and here he was preaching about Christ. Saul did a 180 degree turn because of his encounter with Christ

This is what happens when a person has an encounter with Christ. First at salvation. Salvation turns one’s heart from the desire for sin to a desire to live for Christ. As a result your “want to” changes. The way you see things, think about things and do things change. Personally, I hated Christians and stood against everything they stood for. Then I met Christ and He changed my heart and I began to learn the Bible. It has radically changed my heart. You too have been radically changed if you have had a salvation encounter with Christ. If you have not had a change then you may need to asses your salvation.

Another way people may encounter Christ is when they have a life altering experience. It will change the trajectory in your life. There will be times in your life when life just doesn’t make sense and Christ uses that encounter to change a direction in you life. This will always get you on the path of purpose for your life. It could be through a job change, relationship change, or even a philosophical change.

People also experience Christ in personal difficulties. The Lord will bring a person to the end of their selves to meet the Lord to carry them through the difficulty. This could be through tragedy of losing a close loved one unexpectedly, losing a job, or even a terminal diagnosis for yourself. This will draw you near to a Savior that makes Himself tangible in your difficulty.

Encounters with Christ change who we are and what we do. We see here that Saul went from arresting Christians to preaching about Christ and convincing people that Christ is God’s Son.

Saul’s Challenge

Saul was having so much success in convincing people that Jesus is the Christ that the Jews wanted to kill him. Acts 9:23-24

Acts 9:23–24 (NASB95)

When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death;

The time period from verse 23 and 24 is three years. Gal. 1:17-18

Galatians 1:17–18 (NASB95)

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

Saul spent three years in Damascus preaching the name of Jesus. The Jews wanted him gone because he had a successful ministry that was leading people to Christ. They did not want this because it posed a threat to their religion of Judaism.

Though they wanted to kill him and came up with a way to do it, their plan became known to Saul and the people helped him escape from Damascus by lowering him in a basket outside the city wall. Acts 9:24-25

Acts 9:24–25 (NASB95)

but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

The Lord allowed the Jews plan to become known to Saul and he was able to escape.

This is how the Lord intervenes in our times of difficulties. He supernaturally rescues us from harm by making known to us the threats and even sometimes supernaturally rescues us. Luke 4:28-30

Luke 4:28–30 (NASB95)

And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way.

Jesus himself faced difficulty and was able to escape. Because he knows how to escape difficulties he aids us in our escaping harmful difficulties.

A Man Fell Into a Pit…

By Michael Hopkins

A man fell into a pit and he couldn’t get out.

BUDDHA said: "Your pit is only a state of mind."

A HINDU said: "This pit is for purging you and making you more perfect.”

CONFUCIUS said: "If you would have listened to me, you would never have fallen into that pit."

A NEW AGE PERSON said: "Maybe you should network with some other pit dwellers."

A SELF-PITYING PERSON said: "You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit."

A NEWS REPORTER said: "Could I have the exclusive story on your pit?"

A FEDERAL BUREAUCRAT said: "Have you paid your taxes on that pit?"

A COUNTY INSPECTOR said: "Do you have a permit for that pit?"

A REALIST said: "That’s a pit."

An IDEALIST said: "The world shouldn’t have pits."

An OPTIMIST said: "Things could be worse."

A PESSIMIST said: "Things will get worse."

BUT JESUS, SEEING THE MAN, TOOK HIM BY THE HAND AND LIFTED HIM OUT OF THE PIT.

Copied from Sermon Central

The Lord has a way of rescuing us from our difficulties or walking with us in our difficulties. Either way we experience Christ and grow in our relationship with Him.

Fearful Jerusalem

When Saul escaped Damascus, he went to Jerusalem to join the disciples there. However the disciples were afraid of him because of his past. They did not want to associate with him because of his reputation against Christians. They didn’t believe that he was a Christian. Acts 9:26

Acts 9:26 NASB95

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.

The disciples in Jerusalem allowed Saul’s past to affect their potential relationship. I find it interesting that they did not believe in the life changing power of Christ that they themselves experienced.

This brings me to a touchy subject. Do we allow a person’s past to affect how we believe about a person. The spiritual answer is “no”, but deep down in side we will say “we will see”. Then if the person makes one mistake we will say, “see I knew that he was not a christian.” What if the same standard was used for you? Matt. 7:1-3

Matthew 7:1–3 (NASB95)

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

This passage teaches us to rejoice in the conversion of a lost person and help them to follow Christ rather than judging them on their walk with Christ.

Saul’s Friend

When Saul could not associate with the disciples, he met a friend in Barnabas! Barnabas took him to the apostles and then Saul was accepted by the disciples. Acts 9:27

Acts 9:27 NASB95

But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described 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.

Barnabas vouched for Saul when everyone else was against him. Barnabas proved to be a good friend and even accompanied Saul on his missionary journeys to start the first century church.

Saul kept preaching Christ and the Hellenistic Jews sought to kill him because of his preaching of Christ and leading many to salvation.

The church found out about the plot to kill Saul and sent him back to his home town of Tarsus. The neat thing is that along the way home he was starting churches. The church grew as a result of the conversion of Saul.

If you are walking with Christ the church will continue to grow because of you. God will bring people into your life that only you can touch. You can share the gospel with them, get them involved in church, and disciple them. Use the place that God has you now to do His will. If you are not able to then change where you are to where you need to be. For some it will mean moving from lost to saved. For others it will mean moving form living for self to living for Christ. For others it may mean taking that lea of faith for Christ. I don’t know where you are in your walk with Christ but one thing you can tell is the fruit you bear. Matt. 7:15-20

Matthew 7:15–20 (NASB95)

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.

What kind of fruit are you bearing? Bear fruit for Christ!