From Persecutor to Preacher

Introduction

Imagine for a moment, that the most evil man that you can think of walks in this room and claims that he has had a saving experience with Jesus. Would you welcome him in?

That’s exactly what the church is going to face with Paul. If it weren’t for God’s provision, to send encouragers Paul’s way, he may have never become the Apostle Paul that we know today.

Background:

The martyr of Stephen has taken place, and now we are seeing the gospel spreading like wildfire. When the people of God were scattered, they never stopped preaching the gospel, and because of that salvation began to spread into the region of Samaria.

The man named Saul, who will become Paul, is following this movement and going around to arrest and imprison God’s people, and that is where we pick up in Acts 9

Context:

In verses 1-31, we need four encounters needed for transformation. This once great persecutor of the church is about to become a preacher of the gospel and the author of most of the New Testament.

The first encounter of any transformation is an encounter with Jesus.

I. An Encounter with Jesus

There is Spiritual Blindness

Acts 9:1–2 NKJV

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Saul is passionate about serving God, and here is he committing murder to do so. The thing about Saul is that, in this moment, he thought he was doing the will of God.

Saul is like so many people…Saul was following a god that he invented in his mind.

People today follow a god that they have invented in their minds. They might not be murderers, they might not be con artists, but they are following a god that they have invented, and they might be doing it with great passion.

But passion isn’t enough to save a man. A desire to do what they think is right isn’t enough to be called “good” by God.

Saul’s problem here in v. 1-2 is the same problem that people today have, he was spiritually blind

At this point in Saul’s life, he was operating on what he knew. The religion that he grew up with was the truth of his life, but it was also the condemnation of his eternity.

There he is, believing he is serving the God of the Bible by persecuting the people of God, by eradicating the testimony being spoken about Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead.

Sometimes we ask, “How can people behave that way?” Or maybe we say, “How is that tolerated in our society?” The reason that injustice and sin reigns in our world today is that people are spiritually blind.

They cannot see truth, because, as we will see in a moment, God must cleanse us from our sin and give us new eyes to see Him, new eyes and a new heart to understand truth.

In order for a person to overcome this spiritual blindness in their life, they are going to need an encounter with Jesus Himself.

A Personal Meeting with Jesus

Acts 9:3–6 NKJV

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

In this moment, Saul has come face to face with the person that he has set out to destroy.

What caused Saul to be on the road to Damascus? He was going there to prevent anyone else from giving testimony that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead.

I can see those believers on trial, and Saul is there as the prosecutor.

When he brings the evidence, Saul says, “This man claims that Jesus from Nazareth, the criminal and blasphemer is alive and well, that He has risen from the dead. I move to have these believers arrested for their blasphemy, claiming that Jesus is alive!”

Now in v. 4, the very man that Saul believed was dead is calling to him, having a conversation with him.

Saul simply replies, “Who are you, Lord?”

Maybe Saul thought this god he invented in his mind was finally reaching out to him to congratulate him on a job well done.

What Saul got was an indictment. Suddenly the prosecutor and the persecutor is standing on trial before Jesus Christ.

There are many people today that are living, thinking that when they stand before Jesus in His Great White Throne Judgement, that they are going to look Him in the eye and say, “You are an unjust God! You are a God that allowed suffering and sin on earth! I will never follow a God like you!”

But that won’t be the case. They will be just like Saul, the man who had all earthly power to persecute the people is suddenly on his knees, being declared guilty by the Lord God Almighty.

Notice the Charge

In v. 4, Jesus says, “why are you persecuting Me?”

Notice the Defense

In v. 5, Saul attempts to clarify, he says, “who are You, Lord?”

Notice the Rebuttal

v. 5 again, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Notice the Admission of Guilt

v. 6, “So Saul, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’

Finally, see the Sentencing

v. 6 again, “go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

When there is a personal encounter with Jesus, you will be charged with sin, you may try to defend yourself, but the evidence will be insurmountable, and it will be up to you to admit your guilt or not.

If you do admit your guilt and ask Him to save you, Jesus is always going to ask for a response. He is going to say, “Arise, go an see what you must do.”

If you do obey, don’t expect anyone around to know what has happened, because it is an encounter between you and Jesus Himself.

Acts 9:7–9 NKJV

And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

This once powerful man has now become feeble and unable to care for himself.

This is how we must be if we are going to trust Jesus Christ.

Once, in this life, we were filled with what we thought was power and authority, but when Jesus apprehends a man, suddenly he understands that he is blind, unable to survive without the grace of God on his life.

Not only have we seen this encounter with Jesus that saved Saul from his sin, but now we are going to see an encounter with a teacher, to show Saul the correct way to follow Jesus.

II. An Encounter with Ananias

Acts 9:10–16 NKJV

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, 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.”

An Impossible Task

What’s Ananias saying, “Lord, this is impossible what you’re asking me to do! This man has the authority to arrest me, he killed our friend Stephen, and now you’re asking me to go an lay hands on him? I don’t think that’s possible, Lord!”

Jesus doesn’t argue, He just says, “Ananias, I’ve got it, just obey Me, trust Me.”

One of the great functions of the church is to disciple and to baptize new believers.

That sounds wonderful on paper, but true discipleship seems impossible. And the truth is, it is impossible without a blessing from God.

People, like Saul, are messy, and they come to the church with baggage and a lack of understanding.

But I want you to imagine where the church would be in Ananias had not gone to teach Saul. Jesus says that Saul will bear His name before the Gentiles, kings, and all Israel. Teaching people to observe the things of God is difficult, time consuming, and sometimes it is disappointing, but when it is done in the power of God’s Holy Spirit it brings results that cannot be replicated.

Elizabeth and I have this discussion often, that the church is not about throwing the best event, it’s not about having the nicest stuff, its not about having the coolest decorations and the latest styles…

Every church should revolve around this truth…that we are here to teach the people to be more like Jesus.

Everyday churches are falling victim to caring more about production and aesthetics, more about business and processes, than they care about the people in the church and outside of the church.

If we ever fail to move each other closer to Christ, and if we ever fail to evangelize our community, then we aren’t a church, we’re just a social club. And Jesus says that He will vomit the social clubs out of His mouth because He can’t stand them.

Revelation 3:17 NKJV

Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

Revelation 3:16 NKJV

Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

This verse doesn’t mean they were fence riders, Jesus is not saying that He would rather them be against Him than in the middle. Jesus is telling this church that they have abandoned their purpose to seek and to do the will of God.

And what is the will of God?

Look back at v. 4, it is the will of God that every person have an encounter with Jesus

Look now in v. 11-12, it is the will of God that we live in obedience to Him, no matter how impossible it may seem to us. God is moving the pieces of life, its just up to us to respond to Him.

Look at the context though, the will of God was that Ananias be obedient to Him so that a new brother might be trained in the ways of God.

In the same way, everything that God commands us to do revolves around these truths…either to become more like Jesus, or to make someone else more like Jesus.

We noted that this request from God seemed impossible, but now I want you to see what obedience in action looks like.

Obedience in Action

Acts 9:17–19 NKJV

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

God doesn’t always call the most notable person to perform great tasks. If you try and find this Ananias anywhere else in the Bible, you won’t find him. Paul mentions him once more, but that’s it.

In our human mind, we would assume that God would have chosen Peter or John to go and teach this man who would write most of the New Testament, but He didn’t. He used a man that was obscure, yet faithful, this man Ananias.

Imagine this, there is this educated man full of power, stricken, blind, weak, and being trained by a nobody to do the things of God.

God doesn’t care about your status in this world, He cares about your obedience to Him.

When God tells us to move and to obey, we can obey without hesitation, even if it seems impossible!

The human mind would never trust a persecutor and murderer, but a man filled with the Holy Spirit can discern these things.

God does perform miracles, but He also moves in the mundane of life.

Saul had a public and miraculous encounter with Jesus, but the growth and the filling of the Holy Spirit came in the private meeting between an obedient disciple and a willing convert.

We never know who we are leading to the Lord.

Can you imagine Ananias have the honor of laying his hands on Saul to fill him with the Holy Spirit? How could Ananias have known that he was teaching one of the most prolific people in all of history?

Who else is right here in our church that God can use in a mighty way? Who else is right here in our community that God could use for miraculous things?

We cannot be ignorant about these things…because there is some kid, some person out there who is considered a nobody, but that God wants to enlist in His ministry to this world.

First, we all need an encounter with Jesus. Second, we all need a faithful teacher and obedient servant to show us the path to Godliness. Third, we need opposition in our life if we want to grow.

III. An Encounter with Opposition

What Happens When Our life Changes?

Acts 9:20–21 NKJV

Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. 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?”

When your life changes, you are going to begin to proclaim Christ. It won’t be something you hide. People are going to know that you are unashamedly a follower of Christ…and, if you are serious about it, you are going to preach Jesus to them.

However, when you change, people are going to take note of that change. They’re not going to magically forget your past. They are going watch and see if you’re real or if you’re fake.

If you’re fake, they’ll mock you and tear you down. If you’re real, they’ll disassociate from you and you won’t have the same relationship with them.

But as your change and as you preach, as you study God’s word, you are going to increase in your knowledge, and all of a sudden you’ll speak with power and conviction from the Word of God.

What Happens when We Study

Acts 9:22 NKJV

But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Something I want you to notice is that Saul was not spoon fed by anybody.

Your Christian faith is just like everything else in life, your knowledge and understanding of the Scripture is just like everything else in life, you are going to have to take the initiative to know it, to live by it, to obey it, and to apply it.

I would love to do it for you, but if God can’t force you to know and love His word, then neither can I.

If you want to do great things for God’s Kingdom, quit trying to take short cuts, get in the Word, and grown in your strength, which means in your knowledge and in your understanding.

As you grow, God will assign you bigger and bigger tasks of resistance and challenge.

Acts 9:23–25 NKJV

Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.

Why is it necessary for us to encounter resistance and opposition in our Christian faith?

The reason that we do is because in the opposition we learn to trust God.

There are going to be times in your life that the circumstances are insurmountable, and it feels like your circumstances are watching you day and night to kill you if you try to escape.

The truth is, that when you live a life of surrender to God, you’re going to find that He will make a way for you despite the opposition…and when God performs His miracles and provision in your life, you are going to learn to trust Him like never before.

James 1:2–4 NKJV

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

We need the opposition of life so that God can teach us about His goodness and His provision.

This is not the only time that this man Saul will face death because of his faith…but as we walk through the book of Acts, you are going to see that this opposition never destroyed him, but it did what God promised us opposition would do…it strengthened Saul so much that he became who we know as the Apostle Paul.

So, not only do we need to encounter the Lord, not only do we need to encounter some teachers, not only do we need to encounter some opposition….we are going to need some encouragement along the way.

IV. An Encounter with Barnabas

Acts 9:26 NKJV

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

Some people get the idea that when Christ saves them, that it resolves them from the earthly consequences of their actions.

That’s not true.

You can call it unjust, you can call it unfair, but the Bible calls it reality.

Because Saul was a murderous persecutor, he was not recieved well.

However, all that changed when a man called “the son of encouragement” took him under his wing.

Acts 9:27–31 NKJV

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. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

The ministry of Barnabas was this, that he wanted to encourage people in their faith.

Maybe the greatest man in all of the Word of God, besides Jesus, was Barnabas.

Paul and Barnabas Over John Mark

There is a time when Saul, who will be called Paul, has a serious problem with a young missionary named John Mark. So serious that Paul says, “John Mark is never allowed to go anywhere with me again. He’s weak, irresponsible, he’s not cut out for the mission field. I won’t take him.”

Now you know what Barnabas said… “Now, Paul…he needs another chance, and we’re going to give him that chance. God wants to use him, and we are going to take him.”

Paul says, “I am not taking John Mark.”

Can you hear what Barnabas says next? “Now, Paul…do you remember when nobody gave you a chance? When you weren’t accepted because of what you did? God gave you grace, it’s time for you to give John Mark some grace…”

This obviously made Paul so angry, and Barnabas disagreed so passionately, that Paul and Barnabas part ways and take separate missionary journeys. Paul takes Timothy…and Barnabas takes John Mark.

Church, we all need an encourager, we all need to be an encouragement. People in this church are going to fail you, and we need to learn to stick it out and love each other even when there are disagreements.

Conclusion

You may need an encounter with Jesus Christ today

You may need to submit yourself to teaching and understanding of the Scripture

We are all facing opposition…are you allowing it to destroy you, or are you allowing God to mature you?

We all need encouragers, and we all need to encourage. Nobody is perfect, but thank God for His marvelous grace. Some of you Christians need to remember your life of blindness and sin before you discount someone else from being part of God’s family.