Turning the World Upside Down: Making a Somebody a Noteable Nobody: Acts 9:1-31

I. When a Somebody Becomes a Nobody vs. 1-22

A. Saul was so blood thirsty that he didn’t just stop at home, but traveled 150 miles (a week long journey) just to keep up his vendetta against people of the way.

B. Jesus equates persecuting the church or the individual Christian as persecuting Himself.

C. Saul knew whoever this was, had to be the Lord.

D. The message was for Saul, not the others. It could be that these were the first ones to whom Saul witnessed to. They heard the voice but couldn’t understand what the Lord was saying.

E. The part in verse 5 about kicking against the goads wasn’t found in older manuscripts, it is found later in the book of Acts when Paul gives his testimony before Agrippa. It was probably not in the original in the passage.

F. The Christians of Damascus already knew that Saul was coming. Many still stayed knowing persecution was coming.

G. Yahweh chose a Christ hating religious terrorist to go and take the gospel to Gentiles. People he hated. At this time Jesus hadn’t showed Saul how he would suffer, but showed him probably so he could endure. Today the Bible says we will suffer in this life.

H. The scales on his eyes were a symbol of Spiritual blindness. That is religion blinds you, grace reminds you.

I. Saul kept growing in his relationship to Christ.

II. The Making of a Nobody vs. 23-26

A. There is a 3 year gap between verses 22 and 23.

Galatians 1:16–18 NASB95

to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

B. Saul went where Moses recieved the law. In that same place, Saul recieved grace. God will put you in the wilderness so that you will be used. “When God wants us to do an impossible task, God takes an impossible man and crushes him,”- Alan Redpath.

C. When Saul returned to Damascus, he was stronger because of the time in the wilderness.

D. Saul made other religious people angry enough to kill him. If you are ever freed from religion, and find freedom in Christ, you will be targeted by the religious folks.

2 Corinthians 11:30–33 NASB95

If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

E. God used Saul’s first ministry. What he and we would consider a failure, in order for Saul to humble.

F. Then Saul is rejected by the mother church. Failure is hard, when you add rejection, then you have a nobody.

III. Becoming a Notable Nobody vs. 27-31

A. Barnabas vouched for Saul, and helped him. We all need an encourager, who will help us, and open doors for us/give us a chance.

B. This helped Saul stay with Peter for 2 weeks and learn the ups and downs of ministry.

Galatians 1:18–19 NASB95

Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

C. Saul then repeats what many would consider defeat, but he is now better equipped.

Isaiah 55:11 NASB95

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

D. Saul goes to his hometown of Tarsus for 8-10 years, before Barnabas is used by the Holy Spirit to move Saul to Antioch. “it takes time to build a life that is eminently usable in the program of God. Do not undervalue times out of the mainstream, times to recharge or rest or become further trained. In such times God prepares us for fast-moving currents that will take us to high seas of effectiveness.”- R. Kent Hughes.