Lessons From Acts – Lesson 12
God can and does change lives. We are going to look at a huge change in a life in Acts chapter 9. God working in lives and changing people is our greatest need.
Some people get this wrong idea about the O.T. and about God and will say something like I don’t like that God of the O.T. People who say stuff like that must not really read the Bible. Israel got so bad that they were doing human sacrifice of babies to false gods.
God finally had to act and clean that mess up. The God of the O.T. is the same God as the N.T. Judgments like taking Israel into captivity was good and just. And the way He protected those who cried about what was going on, shows His goodness and faithfulness.
And we learned that God took out those who might consider early so that they would not go thru the Judgment about to fall on Jerusalem.
Last time in Ezekiel God mentioned twice that one of the root reasons that Israel got so bad was they forgot to remember.
Remember as in consider where they came from and all that they have because God gave it to them. Remember as in do right according to that truth.
America is committing the same error. Many can tell you that we spilled some tea, and declared independence in 1776. But they will not remember that this country was nothing and we only became strong and wealthy because of what God did.
If you look at all the stats, there is no way that we should have been able to defeat the British. God worked. We won because God was creating a country that would be the greatest sending missionary country.
America spread the gospel to the world more than any other. America also did much to bring a much better situation for women than any other and we also were instrumental in ending slavery not only in America but much of the world.
And without America Hitler would have taken over the world and he would have killed every Jew everywhere. America should remember where we came from and remember that what we gained was because of God and we should then act accordingly.
But that is not what we see happening. We see the same blind pursuit of sin. Sure it is a different sin than Israel. But we are on a similar course. And yes I do fear for this country.
The only way to change course is to get people saved. Today we are going to remind ourselves of the power of a changed life. God is in the people changing business. The hardest cases can do a complete 180.
Last time we were in Acts we saw Saul get knocked down on the Damascus road and get saved. We are going to pick up right there.
Act 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Act 9:7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
Act 9:8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
Act 9:9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Act 9:10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
Act 9:11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
Act 9:12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Act 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
Act 9:14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
Saul was doing much evil to Christians. He was causing men to lose their livelihoods and throwing them in prison. Saul watched the stoning of Stephen and was consenting unto his death.
The persecution that he and others brought caused the Christians to finally obey their Lord and leave Jerusalem and take the gospel with them. Saul did not say good riddance and say don’t let the door hit you on the way out and then leave it alone.
No. Instead Saul gets papers so he can go track them down. He starts with Damascus. It seems obvious Saul is not being driven by reason. He cannot get them all. He cannot stop this. He is ignoring the counsel that Gamaliel gave. Gamaliel who Saul studied under counseled that if it is not of God then it will come to nothing.
Saul is operating out of anger and hate and pride. And this was common knowledge. The damage and hurt that Saul was doing spread.
Then Saul meets Jesus. And he does a complete immediate 180. Saul’s first words to the Jesus he is persecuting after getting saved is Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
Jesus tells him go to the city and wait for Ananias. Ananias does not know about it yet when Jesus tells Saul to wait for Ananias. In verse 15 Jesus is telling Ananias to go find Saul.
Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
Notice the way this is phrased. How great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. Must suffer. There are many reasons it is must suffer. Must.
Just one of them is that Saul caused hurt and suffering for the name of Jesus. So now Saul must have some of that suffering come back to him for the name of Jesus. That is reaping and sowing. God is also going to use Paul’s suffering in many different ways.
Act 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Ananias was a man of faith. He believed the Lord. The Lord told him that wicked Saul got saved and is now a chosen vessel to do the Lord’s work and Ananias believed what God said and immediately starts calling Saul brother Saul. Ananias then touches Saul in faith and Saul gets his sight back.
Act 9:18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
Saul had not been eating and was weak. But notice what he puts first, even before eating. He gets his sight, gets up and then gets baptized, and only after that does he eat.
Why? Saul knew his enemy. I think it is clear. If you are going to go on the attack against an enemy, it is smart to study up on them. Know how they operate and how they react and think.
I think it is clear that Saul knew what Jesus said before He ascended. The great commission about teaching, winning, and then baptizing those that believe. Saul went from hating Jesus and persecuting Jesus to wanting to please Jesus.
Paul did not want any delay in any command that Jesus gave and so He got baptized immediately. You are witnessing a completely changed life. The desires, the goals, it all changed.
Act 9:19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
Paul knew that he was to be a witness. He got this from what Ananias was told.
Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
So Paul started preaching.
Act 9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
Act 9:21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
Act 9:22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
This shows how Saul would have studied his enemy. He knew all the facts about Christ. Now that he is saved and has a new life, he can now connect the dots. Saul was a renowned scholar of the O.T. He knew all the prophecies.
Now it makes sense. He can take the facts about Jesus’ life and match them up to the prophecies.
And he was very effective about it. This shocked the Jews and confounded them because Paul proved using the O.T. scriptures that Jesus is the promised Christ.
Now the Jews did not like that. For several reasons. They just lost their champion. The man who was sent to them to get rid of those problem Christians is now one of them. Instead of persecuting them He is now one of them and even worse preaching Jesus.
And even worse Paul is proving that their scriptures are about Jesus. They just went over the top, out of control, into a murderous rage.
Act 9:23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
Act 9:24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
They were going to catch him when he left town. Most likely they did not know what house he was staying in. Towns were walled in and they thought he has to leave sooner or later. And so in anger they stopped everything else and camped out at the gate.
Act 9:25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
Act 9:26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
They did not believe Saul’s conversion. This happens still today. When someone does a complete 180 when they get saved, some people will doubt. But praise the Lord not everyone will doubt.
Ananias believed and Barnabas believed. They both believed in the power of the Lord to create a completely new life. God has the power to turn even the hardest case 180 degrees.
Act 9:27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
Act 9:28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
Act 9:29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
Same reasons. The Grecians are the Greek Jews. They lost their champion and Paul had a sharp mind and was quick mentally and proved from the scriptures that Jesus was the promised Christ.
They also want to kill him.
The Christians in Jerusalem did not want the trouble it seems. So they tell Paul just go home. Tarsus was Paul’s home town.
Act 9:30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
Act 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
And things did calm down. Notice that churches are now not just in Jerusalem, they are now all throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria. All started by just believers who left the persecution in Jerusalem. They did not go to Bible College, and they were not ordained.
They just went, preached, and started churches. And it says churches throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria. Throughout all.
A huge number of churches were started this way. And God here calls them all churches.
Some get this strange idea that since Paul started churches a certain way, then that is the only way. They totally ignore that a multitude of churches were started before Paul ever got out of hiding.
Paul is sidelined and it was Christians who sent him there.
And that is the end of Paul for years and years and years. Sidelined in Tarsus. Not doing nothing for the Lord.
Of course Jesus is not done with Paul. In God’s timing Paul gets busy for the Lord again.
I believe that Paul had joy in his heart when he got a second chance.
Paul did a complete 180 from persecuting Jesus to loving Jesus. And that 180 is clearly evident when Paul first got saved and it is still clearly evident when Paul gets off the sideline.