Untitled Sermon (4)

Acts 9: 1-43

Two Persons and Three Beings

The Actions of Saul, who became Paul.

The Actions of Peter.

Was Saul a political activist or a religious fanatic? Was Saul working for an earthly kingdom or a heavenly one? The practice of men violently imposing their will upon their fellowmen is as old as humanity itself. Cain killed Abel because He had a different point of view. Cain rejected God’s counsel, became consumed with rage, which drove him to emplow deceit, in order to murder his brother. Believers are hunted down, caught and brought before a Court of Law for believing in Jesus. Jesus said to expect it. The world hated Christ. John 15:18–19 ““If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” The word fanatic means 1. A person exhibiting excessive enthusiasm and intense uncritical devotion towards some controversal matter ( as in politics or religion) 2. A person who is extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to some interest or activity. Jesus said in John 4:34, my meat is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work. Does that sound a bit fanatical to you? Be prepared to be hated, bound and beaten for believing in Jesus.

Acts 9: 3-4

Pastor Jeff made a great point about interruptions last week. the text shows Saul is being subjected to a divine interruption: 1. Suddenly a light from heaven shone around them 2. He fell to the ground. 3. He heard a voice addressing him by name. 4. The voice asked him a question, why are you persecuting me? 5. The voice made a shocking and glorious revelation. The voice identifies itself, Himself as being one with the lovers, followers and believers in Christ. 6. Saul asked the voice to identify itself (who are you Lord). And the voice said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. To every believer who is being persecuted today - Jesus is being with you. I am being persecuted with Him who is the resurrection and the life.

In Exodus 3:14, Moses asked God at the burning bush, and God answered “I am who I am.” God told Moses to tell the Israelites that I Am had sent him. I AM points to the self-existence of God. God depends on nothing else for His existence - He is eternal uncaused of life. Unchanging Nature - His identity is not bound by time. He was and is and always will be the same. Active Presence - I will be what I will be. I will be present and active, and whatever His people need Him to be in any given situation.

For some this morning, the I Am is a friend, a comforter, a revealer of truth, a savior, a healer a deliverer, a shelter in a time of storm, a rock in a weary land. For Saul and his entourage, He was Jesus whom you are persecuting.

God had use, had work, had a plan for the murderous, hate breathing, Christian hunter Saul.

Anna W. Waterman expressed a similar sentiment when she penned the words, “Come ye sinners lost and hopeless, Jesus blood can make you free. For he saved the worst among you, when He saved a wretch like me.”

The great” I AM” is recruiting the murderous persecutor of Christians to be arguably, the greatest theologian, evangelist and apologist the world has ever seen. No one is too bad for the grace of God. The great I AM loves you. The great I AM wants you.

The men travelling with Saul stood speechless. The men travelling with Saul heard the voice. The men travelling with Saul saw no one. The men travelling with Saul noticed that he had lost his ability to see. Saul was blind and could not eat for 3 days. It could be that Saul was in deep shock, that he lost his appetite for food.

Disciple - one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another, a. Christianity- one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ’s followers according to the gospel account. b. Disciples of Satan - Spreading doctrines of devils.

The conversion of Saul was not a private matter. God deposited the story in the minds of many credible witnesses. Why?

To firmly establish the reality of His identity.

To firmly establish the truthfulness of His appearance.

to firmly establish the completeness of Saul’s conversion.

Witnesses

Saul and his entourage

Ananias from Damascus

Occupants of the house of Judas

The supporters of Saul

The officials who gave him authority to go after Christians

All of them are witnesses to the appearance and conversion of Saul to Paul. It was not done on private or in secret.

God orchestrated Saul’s conversion so that there will be any witnesses to the presence, power, plan and purpose of God.

What does God want?

God wanted Saul, now Paul to bear His name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and the Sons of Israel. That is everybody. All of humanity is included in this mission or commission.

Filled with the Spirit - Divine Enablement

What did Paul preached in the Synagogues? He preached that Jesus is the Son of God - Evangelist. He proved that Jesus is the Christ - Apologist.

The God of the Bible is on the side of persuasion not coercion. God respects our will. The God of the bible invites. He does not compel.

VS 23. - Classic human behavior to kill and destroy those who are anchored to truth. Here again in Acts 9 we see the spirit of Cain in action. Contrast this to Jesus’s response to the Rich Young Ruler. Jesus saw that he was sad. Jesus then explained the dynamic that involved here, and graciously allowed the man to leave and live and hopefully come out victorious.

VS 23 to 26. Saul, now Paul finds himself between a rock and a hard place. The Jewish leaders are seeking to capture and kill him, and the fearful of him and are avoiding him like the plague.

Vs 27. But Barnabus took hold of Him.

God works through People.

God works through imperfect people. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Beware of the Spirit of Cain. Elements of the Spirit of Cain are: 1. Cain was told by ?God that he was wrong

2. Cain knew and was convinced that he was wrong

3. Cain was overtaken by irrational rage and anger.

Finally, Cain chose to murder, to cancel his brother.

We need to be careful about joining groups and movements that are seeking to kill and destroy. Lets be on the side that says, I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.

Acts 9 32- 35

As peter was traveling.

Peter had a story to tell. The story of Jesus and His love.

The Healing .

The healing says Jesus is real. Peter points to Jesus and His Kingdom. Peter did not say “look at me, I am a faith healer.” Peter behaved like Paul and not like Simon the Sorcerer. See Acts 8: 9-24.

Jesus is the Supernatural God.

A good woman died. They sent for Peter urgently. Why? Logic. Upon arrival he met sorrow at the departure of a saint and friend. Peter sought privacy and prayed privately to the Supernatural God.

Peter spoke to the dead body. speaking to a dead body does not make sense in the natural. With the supernatural all things are possible. The dead body responded. The dead body of Dorcas heard. The dead body of Dorcas obeyed.

Why all of this?

Acts 9:42 That it becomes known all over Joppa.