Acts 9:1-19

Prelim remarks

Goal:

To inspire confidence and zeal in you for the Lord Jesus’ mission.

Jesus is at work in this world and he is still saving people.

Jesus continues to build his church, and he has included us in that work.

Main Point:

Seeing the Lord Jesus’ Mission.

Structure

Converted

The power of Jesus

Coversion brings division. (two groups are blind).

Commissioned.

call on Jesus’ name

carrying his name.

instrument (greek word is thing/something/KJV says vessel, pottery

Jesus has shaped this vessel, this pot to carry his name to the gentiles.

Suffering for his name

Textual Features.

“Lord” keeps being used.

Reverence, fear, “Get up, go”.

name - call upon your name, carry my name, suffer for the sake of my name.

name: conveys Jesus’ power - Acts 3:6; Acts 3:16

name: belonging to Jesus - Acts 9:14

Name: salvation - “call upon the name of the Lord and be saved”

Name: forgiveness of sins. Gentiles are now included and reconciled to God. Acts 2:38-39.

Name is Jesus’ presence.

vs 7-8

two groups are blind - one for seeing Jesus, the other group, are blind to Jesus.

the spread of the apostolic gospel and sharing in the suffering of Christ go together.

the gospel has come here through suffering. Richard Johnson example.

Introduction - Persecution of the Church.

Gents, good morning.

It’s good to see you

My name is Jimmy im in 4th year

im excited to crack into Acts 9 with you this morning

Before we do would you join me in prayer

Father, we give you great thanks and praise

that by saving us you have demonstrated your great patience with us.

we pray now that you would work in us by your Spirit

to see Jesus’ mission clearly

and that we would yearn to see the

unstoppable, Apostolic gospel continue to save people.

Amen.

Hey, what do these 6 names all have in common

Bishoy Adel Khalaf

Samuel Alhoam Wilson

Hany Abdel-Masih Salib

Melad Mackeen Zaki

Abanoub Ayad Attia

Ezzat Bushra Nassif

I’ll just tell you

what these 6 men have in common

is that approx 11 years

they were all brutally beheaded for trusting in the Lord Jesus.

In fact on this list there are 15 more names

of men who were taken to a beach in Libya by Islamic extremists

and who were told if you do not convert to Isalm

you will executed.

and all 21 of them were publicly beheaded.

Do you know right now,

there are christians across the world who’s lives are in danger

because they trust in the Lord Jesus.

There are myriad websites that are just a click away

that detail the horrific suffering

that disicples of Jesus experience for their faith in him.

But what is even more shocking

is that despite all this persecution

that seeks to extinguish the christian faith

Jesus Christ is still at work saving people.

The church is Iran is apparently exploding

the underground church in China has been booming for years

the christians in North Korea just can’t seem to be snuffed out.

Jesus Christ is still saving people.

And my goal in this sermon

what Im hoping to acheive in you by the end of this sermon

is that you would have a confidence and a zeal for the Lord’s Jesus mission.

that you would see the Lord Jesus’ mission

and it would fill you with reverence and confidence and obedience.

And that’s actually my main point for this sermon

Seeing Jesus Mission.

you could turn it into a question if you like

do you see Jesus’ Mission? x 2

and we’ll break this passage up into just two points

saved

and sent. x2.

Saved.

So firstly, saved.

And we see right at the start of this passage

that Jesus shows himself

even to those farthest from him.

Jesus reveals his power and majesty

to his greatest enemies.

read with me from vs 1-6

Acts 9:1–6 NIV

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

When Jesus saves, he divides people.