Sauls Conversion: Acts 9:10-31
God works through suffering
Ananias’s vision from God
Go to Judas’s house on Straight Street where there is a man from Tarsus named Saul
Ananias is to pray and lay hands on Saul to restore his sight
Ananias is scared because of the things that he knows about Saul and what Saul has been doing to Christians
Ananias has to believe that God has a plan and will protect him or that his persecution will have a purpose
(like when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the fiery furnace – “our God will save us, but even if he does not . . .)
God tells him to go because Saul is his chosen one and God has a plan
Saul will carry God’s name to the Gentiles and to kings
God will show Saul how much he will suffer for God
How much do we suffer for the name of Christ? If not, why not?(daughter of woman in Kristen’s small group facing persecution as a missionary THIS WEEK)
Ananias goes to Saul
As soon as he touches Saul, scales fall from Saul’s eyes
When we have a genuine encounter with God, our eyes are opened to the truth just like Saul’s were
Symbolizes the blindness caused by empty religion and the freedom found in true relationship with God
Saul was baptized and then after the spiritual crisis passed, he takes care of his physical and social needs (eats and stays with the believers for a few days)
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Damascus
A hub for caravan trade reaching to north Syria
Saul must have known if The Way took root there it would spread all over the region
Spent most of his time in Arabia and some in Damascus
the borders of Arabia extended to the surrounding area of Damascus
Spent time with those who could disciple him
But he also start to share what he knew right away
The news he had was too exciting and good to keep to himself
He knew that Jesus was the Son of God because of how he had met Jesus (the way that God communicated with other people from the OT)
He was just as bold for Christ as he had been against Christ
Those that heard him were amazed because of the drastic change in his life
Some did not trust him because of his past
People don’t always trust us because of things we have done in the past but we have to keep going until we gain their trust
After many days he had offended so many of the Jews and former friends and followers that they planned to kill him.
According to Gal 1:17-18, this was about 2 years
As we talked about earlier he spent time in Arabia and in Damascus
Should we not be the same way that we are so committed to God that we risk turning our friends away from us so that God can be shown in and through us?
Saul learns of their plan to kill him
His enemies wait at the gate to kill him
So he leaves by going out at night in a basket down the side of the wall
Saul goes to Jerusalem to join the disciples
The disciples were afraid that he was lying and they would not meet with him
Gal 1:19 says that the disciples were all away from Jerusalem except Peter and James the brother of Jesus
James was not a disciple, but held a high place in the church in Jerusalem possibly equal to that of the disciples
Barnabas took Saul to them and explained what he had been doing for the past few years.
Even after 2 or 3 years it was still hard to trust Saul because of what he had done in his past
Our action can cause the same harm to others. We have to constantly be on our guard.
Saul spent time in Jerusalem teaching and debating with the Grecian Jews
They tried to have him killed
Greeks that chose to become Jews by religion
The brothers found out and took him to Caesarea and then to Judea
Brothers = those of common Jewish descent but later it also becomes known as those believers in Christ
Then the church from Judea, Galilee and Samaria experienced peace
The church then grew and was strengthened by the Holy Spirit
They live in fear of the Lord
What does that mean?
Why was Saul chosen by God over others to be his primary witness to the Gentiles? What is the relationship with the verse in Revelation that says God would rather us be hot or cold than lukewarm?
Two weeks ago, we talked about Philip and this week Ananias, who both had the faith and courage to do things that do not make sense to them. Has God ever called you to do something that doesn’t make sense?