Acts 9:19-31

Introduction

Good morning everyone it is a joy to be with you. If you have your Bibles go ahead and open up to Acts chapter 9 and we will start in verse 19

Just to catch you up on the last few weeks we saw Stephen preach and be killed. We are told a young man named Saul was there approving of his exection. Then we see Philip meet an ethopian enucih who God was prusing explain the Gospel to him and the Etopina was saved!

then one of the most pivotal points in Acts so far is the same Saul who was casuing havoc on the church and was there when Stepehn was killed is saved.

He was on the road to damucus and he as an encourter with the living Jesus!

Luke picks up the story right after his baptism and tells us what happens next

Read

Acts 9:19–31 “and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”

This morning for the next few minitues I want to talk to you all about how important our union with Christ is. This might not be obvios at first when you read this text but I beleive what Luke is starting to help us see is it is our very union with Christ that allows us to be ok

If you are anything like me I can want to manage my life to some degree. I think it terms that can be pretty liner Pain, suffering, heartached, loss, dissapointment and discourament are bad and I should do everything to avoid those things

success, promotions, safety, immediate acceptance into a new group of friends and I should do everything I can to expiernce those things

but when I live my life in that liner style I deny the very reality of life it self. That both good things and bad things happen as long as I have breath in my lung. And instead of asking God to take away all the bad and only give me the good scripture invites me into a better place

a place where when life is good I go to Christ, I thank him for the gifts and I enjoy my union with Christ

and when things are bad, when suffering, pain dissapointment and dsciourment happen I go to Christ and I thank him that he is The son of God, he is the God with me and he promises to never leave me or forsake me.

I recognize it’s because of my union with Christ that Jesus has brought me into I can have real peace, real joy, and real life

and maybe it’s something you and I have in common. Maybe you spend a lot of your time, energy and brain space mamangin outcomes and what i want to inivte you into today through this passage is instead of speading all that time manging outcomes

spend more time with Jesus.

right away in our passage we are told Paul stays with the disciples at dimicous. how amazing is this. The very people he wanted to arrest and kill are the very people he is now starting to grow as a new beleiver with. That must of taken a tremoudous amount of courage for the early church. but because of their courage and grace to Saul he begins to use that same passion, that same furver that he was using to destroy the church to know advance it.

He is becoming a new creatiion and as he goes inot the synogaues he tells everyone Jesus really is the son of God

not just a prophet, not just a good teacher, not just an example no he is Gods son. and they are confused by this. They still can’t get over the fact this was the one who made havoc in Jerusalem for anoyone who spoke the name of Jesus

and no he’s saying this? It’s the same reaction we see at penetacost when the disciples first recive the holy sprirt. They were so different that people assumed they were drunk. But on that day peter reminded eveyrone it’s the morning we are not drunk on wine but we are full of Gods spirit.

one of the tenesoin we might feel when we read a passage like this…The guy who killed Christians is now a christian. Or we hear a testomony of someone who did really terrible things and was mircolus saved we think sure I get it. Of course they look different to everyone

but maybe you think at that moment what do I have to say? What’s my story. I got saved young, I’ve walked with the Lord all the days of my life people have seen Christ in me for a long time. I don’t really have anything to say

and i’d just say that’s not true at all. You have so much to offer. Sure there are moments and we praise God for them that someone who is outright rebellion agaisnt God is readically change by Jesus and we rejoice.

but for those of you who got saved at a young age, or have wlaked with the Lord for a long time. Or maybe you think I don’t really have a radical story. I think the truth is you do

we all do

becasue according the scripture before coming to Christ no matter how old we were when we did we were dead

Ephesians 2:1–10 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Anyone who has been saved by Jesus the son of God had been radiclaly transofmred. we were dead in our sins and trespass but because of the rich mercy of God and the great love with which he lvoed us we are alive in Christ

and wonderfully alive.

Because Jesus was the son of God. And because Jesus died in our place we get to share in all the benefits of his sonship. That’s why Paul wants everyone to know this. because he is expierencing such sweet union with Jesus he wants others to also

He is trying to help people understand it’s not about being good ro not being bad

it’s about being with Christ and when we realize our life is hidden with Christ we start to really live

Paul later rights about what it means to share in this spirtual reality for the beleiver in

Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!””

Michael reeves in his book rejocing in Christ has helped me throughout the years to think about this truth more clearly

Reeves says in that book

“There is so much more to savor here. For our union with Christ means not only that he is the Bridegroom of his people, the one we love; he is also our head, the firstborn among us. That is, we not only come to share the Father’s pleasure in him; we come to share the life he enjoys before the Father. We stand in his own unspotted confidence before his Father—and there the Spirit draws us to live out his life and sonship. That is why he lived and died in our place, that we might live (and die) in his.

The Son’s very identity is found in this: that he is the beloved of the Father. All that he does flows from that identity. He does not act out of guilt, neediness, or a desire to curry favor with his Father or anyone else. For eternity, his Father has showered him with so much love that he overflows. He cannot but love his Father back, and long to please him. Being the Son of so perfectly kind a Father, it is meat and drink for him to do his will (Jn. 4:34).

That is the life we are drawn into. Just as the Father has always poured out the Spirit of his love upon his dear Son, so now “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit””

and this is what Saul seems to be offering the people he is sharing with

as he does this they are confused but he begins to be stregthed. He’s probably not just working out….in the text here most likely this is a spirtual str

and in some ways his story really tracks. I remember when I first got saved. I was so amazed that I was so loved by God, That I was united with Christ all I wanted was everyone to know about it.

I was in church every chance I got. I was with other beleivers. and I was telling as many people as I could about Christ.

but in this story verse 23 can be somewhat of a suprise. things got hard.

Luke says when many days had passed, the jews plotted to kill him

The many days is unclear from Luke but from Pauls own testomony we know this is time in the wilderness. Time alone. Time in silence and soltiude with the Lord

Which seems odd right?

We see someone of great power of influence Get saved and we want to pomote. but God called him away. to shap and mold him.....soemthing God is doing in all of us. 

there is something God is doing, God is planting. 

most belive this was a around 3 years

the model for us is this God prepares us for service as we spend time alone with HIm

one of our key discipleship questions we ask at rivertree is am I enjoying the nearness of God through prayer and bible reading

notice what we aren’t asking is are we praying and reading our Bible. because it is possible to pray and read and still feel distance from God. But when we get alone. When we silence our phones and our minds

we expiernece an intamcy with Christ that prepares us for whatever he has for us

and most of the time friends it does not happen overnight. It can but normally it doesn’t

in scriputre Paul spends 3 years in the backwoods

moses spends 40 years in the wilderness a few times. Abraham is pretty old when he expeireces the promises of a son From God

over and over this is the pattern of scripure

and we might ask why? I think we can know this the Lord is never in a hurry

see he is building us for eternity.

When we die we have much more ahead of us then what’s behind us. and the Lord in his goodness, in his kidness takes time and molds us into the image of Jesus

Paul is expeircning what most of us expierencingwhen we come to Faith in Christ

this is exciting, this is difficult, this feels impossible

and that’s probably what it felt like. In the same way he was there at the death of Stephen they want to kill him. He knows they can so his disciples took him by night and let him thorugh an opening in the wall lowering him in the basket

this could have been enough to end his ministry. IT probably felt discrouging, it would have been natural to feel afraid, it may have been embarissing. but and what happens next could have been confusing

as Paul escpaes the city he goes back to the epicenter. He heads back to jerusalm. Because he is human he might have wondered what would happen but he had hope because of all the Lord had done in him the other discples in Jerusalem we recive him. but they didn’t

that would have been hard. Could have been discouraging. Here you are. so amazed by grace, so inlove with Jesus. Wanting all to know

but also on a run for your life and you get to a place where you need others but people are afraid and think you are lying

verse 27 gives us something really encouraging. it says but baranabas took and brought him to the apostles.

Baranabas has already been part of the church for awhile. His name means son of encourament. Early in acts 4 we are told that he is a genrous man.

He had sold a field and given all the proceeds to the poor.

and it’s hear that baranabas begings to live out his name.

This is risky. What if he is wrong. What if Saul was a spy? What if the other disciples and apostles reject him becasue he is brining Saul to them

and friends this is the way with true discipleship. It can alwasy be risky to come alonside others.

you risk a lot when you spend time with someone. You risk being hurt, you risk being lied to , you risk others being fearful of you. You risk them being a spy

but you gain so much more. Barnabas isn’t trying to manage outcomes. He is just simply doing the next right thing the Lord is leading him to do.

he is part of Pauls own becoming, he is part of his own discpleship journey. and I am so glad he is. He vouches for Saul and at the end of it Paul is once again preacing bodly in the name of the Lord

We are told Paul goes right back to it. I am sure this is a pretty surreal moment. The place where he had killed Stephen for preaching the gospel he is know preaching the gospel and people are trying to Kill him.

if that’s not evidence of a changed life I am not sure what would be.

we know from from verse 31 they have accepted Barnabaas encouragement. Pretty awesome and look at the result

the church in judea and galilee and sameria had peace and was being built up.

Think about the beauty of the gospel here. Chapter 9 verse 1 Saul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord

now just some 30 verses later is part of the church

the church that he was trying to tear down is being built up. tha’ts what the gospel does

it’s a great reminder to us even the greatest enimies of the gospel when they meet Jesus can become the churches greatest strenght.

the conversion of someone actually brings unity and strenght that weren’t present before

and the church was also expierencing peace.

This wasn’t an outerpeace….though there may have been some realif. most likely this is a deep inner peace. A peace from knowning Jesus is the Son of God and the way the Father looks at him he know looks at us

a peace that isn’t manging outcomes anymore

a peace that comes from knwoning Jesus.

it’s what Paul would write about in

Philippians 4:5–9 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

when Paul says it will guard your hearts and your minds he knows this to be true. He has expierenced it personally. Even though people where trying to kill him and take his life he realized there was something better then saftey. It was JESUS

It’s what we need to know. Like I said at the beginning of this talk we can get so occpied in magning outcomes and our lives that we might actually miss Jesus

I want this for ever single person here today. that no matter where you find yourself you would expierence the peace that comes from a real, deep, rich realtionship with Jesus

and what does this realtionship look like

The end of verse 31

They walked in teh fear of the Lord

and the comfort of the Holy spirit

in other words. They understood just how big, how powerful, how increadable God was. They like Isaiah didn’t just have a revernce, they didn’t just say WOW look at how amazing God is

no they said WOE I am ruined

but instead of allowing Gods grandour to cause them to flee, they actually drew near to him. That word comfort of the Holy spirit means they were expirencing a nearness to God

The bible is clear in James if we draw near to God he Draws near to us

It’s what the writer of Hebrews tells us as people who are in Christ we get to do

Hebrews 4:14–16 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

that’s wild. Ins’t it. For most of history before Jesus this seems reckless. but becasue of what Jesus has done

we get to draw near to his throne of grace with to recive grace and mercy in our time of need and we do this with CONFIDENCE

that’s better then mananging outcomes.

so no matter what you are facing this morning. No matter what joy, doubt, happiness, dissappokintemnt., success or failure the invitation today is simple

DRAW near to God

and friends when we do that. the result. The church multiplied.

There is a little verse Paul would write years later to another church and some of his expierences in Acts are what shaped it. These verse have been meaningful

English Standard Version Chapter 6

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

I’ve really enjoyed this verse all week. It’s the way I want to live. It seems like Paul knowns something, or rather knows someone and he wants us to know

verse nine he says unknown and know

as dying, and behold we live

in other words there is something about a life compelty surrencered to God that may look by every common sense view as someone who has lost it all but Paul knows this he says BEHOLD we live

Eugen Peterson captures this well

look at how he paraphrases it

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Chapter 6

Our work as God’s servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly … in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we’re beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we’re telling the truth, and when God’s showing his power; when we’re doing our best setting things right; when we’re praised, and when we’re blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Chapter 6

Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

Terriifically alive, though rumed to be dead

immeresed in tears yet always filled with deep joy

find anyone who really Knows God and they will tell you this is it. This is how life is

if you life feels small, it comes from within you. You might just be living a small way

but Pauls words are true and what we have been seeing Christians in the early church expierence

friends this mroning OPEN up your lives to The way of JESUS

and live openly and expansively

walking in the fear of God and expansivly

terrffically alive

let’s PRAY