A New Life in Christ

Introduction

Opener

Hills and Valleys by Tauren Wells.

On the mountains, I will bow my life To the One who set me there In the valley, I will lift my eyes to the One who sees me there When I'm standing on the mountain, I didn't get there on my own When I'm walking through the valley I know I am not alone You're God of the hills and valleys Hills and valleys God of the hills and valleys And I am not alone

For the Christians in the room, how has your time as a Christian been?

I think that if any of us were to tell the truth, we’d have to admit that we haven’t always been at the top of the highest mountain or even at the bottom of the lowest valley, but rather, its been a constant uphill and downhill climb, with many triumphs and shortcomings, but the gospel that we live for is also worth dying for.

There was one man who knew this better than most and his name was Saul.

Main Point of the Text (MPT)

If you will, please open your Bibles to Acts 9.

Over the past few weeks we have studied the early life of Saul, from his time persecuting Christians, just a young man, standing there as witnesses laid down their clothes at his feet as a man was being murdered right in front of him (Acts 7:58).

Somewhere along the way this same young man, most likely influenced by the leaders around him, had been convinced that the only answer for a threat against Judaism, that being the disciples of Christ, was violence.

He spent his time wrecking havoc on the church, entering homes, dragging off men and women, committing them to prison, and breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 8:3; 9:1).

But no man, no woman, is out of reach of God and Saul would learn that as Christ would meet him his way to Damascus, as a bright light he would appear, blinding an already blind man (Acts 9:3-7), but shortly after, that blind man would be allowed to see, where God would make him a chosen vessel of God, that would bear His name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel; and that He would show how many things he must suffer for His name’s sake (Acts 9:15-18).

This transformation was immediate (Acts 9:18) and was followed by Saul spending some days with the disciples at Damascus (Acts 9:19), beginning his new life in Christ.

That is where we find ourselves today, at the beginning of Saul’s Christian life, where he would find himself in both, mountains and valleys, and so if you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Scripture Reading: Acts 9:20-30

Prayer

Body

Point 1: Immediate Evangelism

Scripture: Acts 9:20–22

Explanation:

Following Saul’s conversion from Judaism to Christianity and the subsequent days he spent with the disciples at Damascus (Acts 9:19) and the time that he spent in Arabia (Galatians 1:17), verse 20 tells us that he immediately preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

There is a lot to break down just in this first verse:

First, the same Greek word used here for “immediately” is same word used in verse 18 to describe the scales falling from Saul’s eyes, eutheōs, meaning “at once”.

“At once” there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he recieved his sight at once...

“At once” he preached the Christ...

This word was the same word used to describe the disciples following Christ in the gospels (Matthew 4:20) and describe events of healing done by Jesus (Mark 7:35; Luke 5:13).

An immediate change in Saul led to immediate evangelism as he went a began preaching the Christ in the synagogues...

That’s the second thing we should notice is that after spending some days with the disciples at Damascus (Acts 9:19), the first place he went was the synagogues in Damascus which were full of Jews.

Remember who his initial target was upon leaving Jerusalem, it was the Christians in Damascus, those who were of the Way (Acts 9:2).

God had changed his target as his goal was no longer to place chains on Christians, but rather to help set the Jews free of their chains, the Law.

And how would he do this?

By preaching that Jesus was the Son of God.

He would have to convince them with his words that this was true, perhaps using such language as we find in one of his later works, Hebrews, where in Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”

That yes, while Jesus was made a little lower than the angels, that while his state may of changed, from God to a lowly human, that didn’t change who He was, He, not was, but is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…the One who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8).

This Jesus, he would have told them, is He, the Messiah, the Son of God.

Their response?

Verse 21, “Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ‘Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?’”

They were amazed, astounded, greatly astonished!

How many times have we read of God amazing people just in the first 9 chapters of Acts?

At Pentecost, when the crowds of Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven, heard those from the upper room speak in their own native tongues upon receiving the Holy Spirit, they were amazed (Acts 2:7, 12).

When Peter healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, they were amazed (Acts 3:10, 11).

When Simon the Sorcerer saw the miracles and signs being done through Philip, he was amazed (Acts 8:13).

And now, here when the Jews saw this new man Saul, not the one who had been described to them, one that was to be feared, one that was the great persecutor of Christians, before them, and the work that Christ had done in him, they were amazed!

What an amazing God we have?

It led them to ask the question, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

No, no it was not, that man was gone, this man was completely different, radically different, and instead of being influenced by man, by the chief priests, this man was influenced by Jesus to not destroy those who call on the name of Jesus, but rather to join them in their mission to be a witness to Him in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).

It seems that the Jews wouldn’t let him get off easy, they would argue against him as the “But” in verse 22 alludes to, the verse continuing with, “But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.”

Despite the Jews in the synagogues arguing against him, Saul’s strength would increase all the more as he confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, the word confound, meaning that they became confused.

Saul was a well-educated Jew, as he tells us in Galatians 1:13, that he was advanced in Judaism beyond many of his contemporaries in Judah, and thus we should not be surprised to hear that the Jews who were in synagogues would have been confused by his teaching as they could not hope to match his knowledge of the OT and now that he knew Jesus was the Messiah, he would have been able to defend his position using that knowledge that God had blessed him with, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Application:

How have you used that knowledge?

Where you as Saul, immediately influenced by what Christ had done in you to go and spread the gospel? Do you still spread the gospel with the same urgency as you did when you first heard it?

Who do you feel that you should urgently share it with?

I am sure that each one of us can sit here and think of people who urgently need the gospel, as the life they live, is a life headed towards destruction.

Many of these people are people, if we presented the gospel to them, they would argue against it, just as the Jews had with Saul, but does that mean we shouldn’t present it to them?

Absolutely not, the gospel is not meant just for your best friend or that person you feel comfortable around, no, it’s for everyone who will accept it, believe in it, have faith in it.

For those whom we have deemed unworthy through our judgments, those whom we have called our enemies, even those whom we have decided are unforgivable, the gospel is for them.

For Saul, I am sure there were many Christians, those who he had persecuted, if presented with the opportunity, would have rather saw him die than become a brother in Christ, but it’s people like Saul who Christ takes and whose testimony amazes people, it’s their testimonies that serve as proof that Christ is who He said He was, the Christ, the Messiah, our Savior.

In Mark 16:15, Jesus instructed His eleven disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

You want to know a fun fact about me?

I’ve told you before, that from a very young age I felt called to preach and I remember as a child, probably 13 or 14, going on my sister’s farm, where they lived, and I would walk down to the tire swing they had down by the field that was full of cattle.

Cattle are curious creatures aren’t they?

I would often moo to them, causing them to come to me.

I loved the attention, wasn’t getting enough from the ladies, so I had to settle for cows, but I remember there were times when I would do this and I took time to practice sharing the gospel with them.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t only share the gospel with them, as I am glad that cows can’t speak English or there would be many secrets that would be shared that I wouldn’t want getting out.

Could they understand me? Not at all, who knows, right? But it didn’t matter to me, they were there, they were all ears and I needed the practice.

When was the last time you practiced sharing the gospel? Maybe you should go find a cow, a dog, your hamster, practice and prepare so that you are ready? May then go try it on those who you feel comfortable with? Then, after that, why not try sharing it with someone you aren’t so comfortable with?

I found no surprise, in that, the first place that Saul would find himself spreading the gospel is a synagogue full of Jews.

Not only would Saul’s knowledge of the OT and his knowledge of Christ serve him there, but so would his testimony as the Jews would be unable to deny that this Saul was a transformed man, but they would be an uncomfortable audience to first share the gospel with.

But also remember back to God’s words to Ananias before he went to Saul, “...for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15).

God specifically said that Saul would suffer for his name’s sake and suffer he would as those whom used to call him brother would, most likely because of the confusion he was causing and because he was teaching that Jesus is the Christ, would begin plotting to kill him, this leads me to my second point...

Point 2: Immediate Suffering

Scripture: Acts 9:23–25

Explanation:

Verse 23 continues with, “Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him.”

Their confusion had led to anger and their anger to violence.

Saul would have been someone that would have known this feeling all to well as he used to be someone who used to breath threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, of which, he know was.

Somehow, their plot became known to Saul, as they watched the gates day and night, to kill him, but it would be the disciples that took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket, so that he might escape them.

Application:

This is where I speak to those valleys we suffer in as Christians.

Saul had seen the mountain top as he had established a relationship with Christ, but his new life in Christ, as we have read would quickly come to moments where he would find himself in a valley, but Saul didn’t look at it that way.

In fact, Saul actually speaks to his experience with the Jews in Damascus in 2 Corinthians 11 following the list of sufferings he had endured for Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23-28), saying, “If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands” (2 Corinthians 11:30–33).

In the previous passage, he had listed all of the ways that he had suffered, for anyone who doesn’t understand what it means to suffer for Christ, suffering is often seen as a sign of weakness, but what Saul says here is that if he must boast, then he will boast in his suffering, the thing which concern his infirmity, because his through suffering, it shows his reliance on Christ.

In this situation, where Saul was in danger, he would need to rely on Christ to get him out of Damascus and he would, through his disciples, Saul would escape from the Jews and the governors hands.

Is this how we view our moments in the valleys? Do we choose to rely on God, even in our suffering? What if suffering doesn’t always mean that we are in a valley? What if suffering comes at the mountain top as well?

I often speak of my parent’s passing when it comes to suffering, because it did cause me suffer much heartache and still does to this day when I look at my children and often think they are to young to not have their grandparents around.

I get to see many others my age enjoy the company of their parents alongside their kids and I won’t lie, I often feel envy, but at the same time, I have peace knowing that my parents suffering didn’t last.

I was so blessed to be able to call Jerry and Deloris Seay my Father and Mother.

They chose me and adopted me when they were in their late 40s. I am only 31 and I couldn’t imagine adopting twins, then 17 months later adopting a baby girl.

They were so strong and to say they didn’t suffer because of their sacrifice would be a lie.

My parents gave up their retirement to raise my brother, my sister, and I, so that we may have a better life.

And look at the life their suffering gave me…SHOW PICTURE...

What a testimony to how God used them, my marriage, my kids, my entire life has been a testimony of how God used them, so that He could use me…which leads me to my third point...

Point 3: Immediate Testimony

Scripture: Acts 9:26–30

Explanation:

After he had escaped from Damascus, Saul would come to Jerusalem where he would try to join the disciples, but similar to Ananias, they knew his past as a persecutor of Christians, so they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

Saul had been gone from Jerusalem for a little over 3 years now and his reputation had not changed as no one had heard of what had happened to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9) and how he had preached Christ in the synagogues of Damascus (Acts 9:20).

They knew him as Saul, the persecutor of Christ, not Saul, the persecuted for Christ, but that would quickly change.

It would quickly change because another disciple, named Barnabas would be able to testify on Saul’s behalf.

We met Barnabas, otherwise known as Joses, also called the Son of Encouragement, back in Acts 4:36-37 as a Levite of the country of Cyprus, whom at the time when the apostles and disciples where sharing in all things, had sold his land, then brought the money he made from the sell and laid it apostles’ feet.

This was a man who had now spent many years with the apostles and disciples in Jerusalem, he was respected and highly regarded, so they would listen to him.

After the disciples did not believe him, in verse 27, Luke tells us, “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”

Saul’s immediate decision to preach Christ at the synagogues, which led to his immediate suffering at the hands of the Jews, would lead to an immediate testimony, able to be given by one of the disciples that the others respected, which would lead to his immediate acceptance from the other disciples in Jerusalem that he had persecuted.

During this time, which would only last fifteen days, Saul would get to spend time with Peter and get to meet James, the Lord’s brother (Galatians 1:18-19), coming and going out of Jerusalem.

His short stay was due to him, even in Jerusalem, where many Jews still lives, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and just like his time in Damascus, he would end up in disputes with his fellow countrymen (2 Corinthians 11:26), the Hellenists, Jews who spoke Greek and adopted the Greek culture, and they too would try attempt to kill him.

Saul speaks to how God warned him of their attempts in Acts 22:17-21 while telling the Jersualem mob of his testimony, saying, “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’”

It is from this knowledge that the Lord gave Saul that we can assume what led to Saul’s brethren’s response in our last verse, verse 30, telling us that “when the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.”

For Saul’s own safety they brought him down to Caesarea, a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea, and most likely sent him by boat to Tarsus, his hometown in Cilicia (Acts 22:3), where he would continue spreading the gospel throughout the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Galatians 1:21).

Application:

What a testimony?

Saul was not someone who was ashamed of the gospel, let alone his own testimony.

Later in Saul’s letter to Timothy, he would tell his young protege, “...do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began...” (2 Timothy 1:8-9).

His words to Timothy should be something that continues with us today as we:

Should not be ashamed of who we are in Christ...

Should not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, that is the gospel...

Should not be ashamed of the suffering we endure for the sake of Christ...

But rather...

Should continue in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God....

Should share in our sufferings together...

Should continue in the holy calling He has called us into according to His own purpose and grace...

That is to be a witness to Him, no matter the cost, in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Just as Saul was, so should we.

As the worship team comes…HOLY SPIRIT LEAD!

Altar Call