The Persecutor Becomes The Preacher

In 2007, a movie came out called The Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It was a movie about two men from very different walks of life whose paths crossed and changed everything. The characters, Carter Chambers (Freeman) and Edward Cole (Nicholson) were both diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. The movie shows that though these men came from different sides of the tracks, their lives from that point on would never be the same.

In life, there are times when we have meetings that change our lives. Last week, we talked a little about how God has “divine appointments” for us where He will want to do something in our lives and/or the lives around us.

As we continue our series called Unhindered looking at the New Testament book of Acts, we come to chapter 9 where some of these “divine appointments” take place in a certain man’s life.

[PRAYER]

As begins, we are told about a certain man named Saul. This was the same guy that gave approval to the execution of the first Christian martyr, Stephen in and .

Saul will prove to be a very important character in the New Testament. As we are introduced to him here, we see that Saul is a staunch enemy of the church. He is doing everything he can to snuff out the church of Jesus Christ.

Acts 9:1–2 CSB

Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Damascus is about 140 miles from Jerusalem. Remember, many of the Christians left Jerusalem after Stephen’s death because of the intense persecution. Saul wanted to go find them and bring them back to stand trial. These trials would involve counts of blasphemy and forcing people to recant their faith in Jesus and turn back to the Law.

What happens beginning in verse 3 is a series of “meetings” that Saul has that completely changes the course of his life and the world.

Saul meets Jesus

Acts 9:3–9 CSB

As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.

In these verses, Saul finds out that the things that he was so sure of were completely wrong. Saul had grown up and was on the fast-track to becoming something big in the Jewish faith. He was a poster-child of the Jewish faith and its future. He saw Jesus as just another crazy heretic that was needing to be wiped from the face of the earth.

Jesus confronts Saul with the question, “Why are you persecuting Me?” This is a reminder that the Body of Christ is the church — every follower of Jesus represents Him. When people come against Christians, it is not just towards those men, women, boys, and girls; it is ultimately them coming against Jesus Himself.

Saul must have been mortified to find out that while he thought he was doing all that he was doing for God, he was actually doing it against God. Saul had a deep love and respect for God. He knew believed that nothing could come against God and survive much less win. As he realized that he was at war with God, I’m sure that he was scared. What would God do to him?

We see from verse 6 that God did not have plans to destroy him, but God wanted to correct and use him for His purposes. We need to remember the fact that though we are sinners and at odds with God by nature, He sent Jesus to correct that malfunction and bring us into His family.

Saul meets Ananias

Acts 9:10–19 CSB

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” “Here I am, Lord,” he replied. “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. And after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time.

The next meeting that takes place in Saul’s life is meeting one of the people that he was hunting down in the first place. Ananias had heard all about this Saul of Tarsus and what his mission was. He wanted no part of it. We see that Ananias was available to do God’s will, but he was not anxious to obey.

There will be times when God moves us to do or say something in situations where we know that to obey is what we should do, but we may not want to do it. The issue is whether our hearts are submitted to the One who loves us more than we could ever deserve or not? We may not always understand in the moment what God is up to, but just wait because He always has a plan with everything.

Illustration: On April 21, 1855, Edward Kimball led a young man in his Sunday school class to faith in Christ. He did not know at that time what God would do with this young man. As days and years passed, this young man would move to Chicago and start a Sunday school group and work with the YMCA. From there, this young man would travel across the country and even across the ocean preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He would eventually start a school to train people for the ministry in the heart of Chicago that is still doing so today. This young man’s name was Dwight L. Moody.

We may not see in the moment what God is up to, but rest assured that He has a plan. Ananias would go to Saul and pray for him. This would start in motion a new life for Saul from Tarsus.

We see in verse 18 that “something like scales fell from his eyes,” and Saul could now see again. This is a picture of what God does in our lives as He opens our eyes to the truth of His word and work. Saul responds by getting up and being baptized showing that he is now following the same Jesus he was trying to get rid of.

Saul meets the church

Acts 9:26–27 CSB

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

In the final meeting that Saul encountered that we are going to look at today, we see that Saul tries to come and be part of the church. You can imagine that it was tense in that moment when the one who was trying to arrest you comes and wants to be part of you. The Bible says that the church was “afraid of him.” They did not trust his testimony.

In verse 27, we see Barnabas step up again. This man, full of wisdom and character, takes Saul and personally brings him to the church and its leaders. Barnabas vouches for his conversion and tells about how God was using Saul in Damascus to bring people to Jesus.

This reminds us of the need that each of us has for the community of the church. Not one of us were intended to do this life alone. The church is the family of God. It is supposed to be there for one another. It is not about just coming together for a service though. We can remain lost in the crowd and never truly part of the fellowship. We need Sunday school groups, Life Groups, and other things to allow that community that God desires in our lives to flourish. We need to build those relationships where we truly get to know one another and then we can vouch for one another when God wants to do great things.

Conclusion

We will see in the coming weeks that these three meetings in Saul’s life were not only life-changing for him, but they were life-changing for the work of the church.

is another instance that God’s work through His gospel will not be hindered. There may be those that do not like it and do all they can to resist or even stop it, but the gospel will accomplish its purpose.

= “For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

Isaiah 55:10–11 CSB

For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

It is no coincidence that you are here today. God has you here to speak into your situation. He is gracious and merciful. He is all-powerful and nothing is too difficult for Him. Just as He turned Saul’s life around and began to use him for the Lord’s purposes, He can do that in our lives as well. He has provided a place here at FBC for you to grow in your faith and do life with other Jesus-followers.