Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest (1)

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview May 8, 2016 Converted Background: Acts 9:1-31 Lesson: Acts 9:3-9, Motivation: Saul of Taurus was radically converted on the road to Damascus. His experience began a lifelong transformation into a Godly, effective and excellent minister of the gospel. It required not only Saul s obedience to God s revelation but also fellow Believers obedience to accept and encourage Saul (Ananias and Barnabas). We can learn by the example of all three men. Examination: I. The Condition Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest (1) A. Anti-life Saul agreed to putting him to death. (8:1) Saul s complicity in Stephen s martyrdom was in contrast to the Believers who mourned deeply over him. (8:2) B. Anti-Christ Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison. (8:3) Christ reminded Saul that in persecuting Christians, Saul was persecuting Him. (9:5) In Philippians 3:6 Paul emphasized the zeal he possessed in persecuting Christians. C. Anti-peace He went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the 1 / 10

2 synagogues in Damascus. (9:2) A bumper sticker reads Know Christ, Know Peace, No Christ, No Peace. Saul s frantic campaign of terror revealed his inner condition of darkness and turmoil. HCSB; p.1877: 9:2 That Saul was authorized to travel to Damascus with warrants from the high priest to imprison people of the Way (a common name for early Christians; 19:9, 23; 22:4) indicates his high standing among Jewish religious leaders. He planned to bring them back to Jerusalem since this city was the center of Judaism. II. The Confrontation As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? 5 Who are You, Lord? he said. I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting, He replied. 6 But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. (3-6) A. Destination: As Christians scattered from Jerusalem due to persecution (8:4), the task of the Sanhedrin so this does not spread any further among the people (4:17) became more complicated. Damascus was a likely destination for these fleeing Christians; located in what is now southwest Syria, it was about 175 miles from Jerusalem. It has remained one of the longer lasting continuously inhabited cities on earth, attesting to its attractiveness as an economic and trade center. Christians who were possibly denied employment in Jerusalem could likely find jobs in Damascus. B. Display: The light from heaven was both sudden and bright. Its intensity forced Saul to his knees. 2 / 10

3 C. Demand: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? The close association of Christ and His church is woven throughout Scripture. To Peter, Jesus declared ownership (Mt. 16:18). In Ephesians and Revelation Jesus revealed relationship (Ep 5:25-27, Rev. 19:7-9). In this verse we see identity; to persecute the church is to personally attack Jesus. D. Description Acts 26:14 adds It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Believer s Study Bible, p. 1557: 9:5 Saul is pictured as an unwilling animal, such as an ox or donkey. The beast kicks vigorously at the driving goad, which may have been an extremely sharp piece of metal in the end of a staff. The picture suggests that this hard-crusted and zealous young man had been struggling for some time with his conscience. In the deepest recesses of his heart, he perhaps remembered the voice of the first martyr, Stephen, as he died: Lord, do not charge them with this sin (7:60). E. Direction you will be told The essentials of a conversion experience are revealed in Saul s dramatic encounter. While few would say that they have experienced a Damascus Road Conversion, all would identify with the essential elements: 1. Revelation a light from heaven (3) No matter how much of God s enemy we try to be, He seeks us out in love! (Rom. 5:8). Jesus is not only the Light of the world (John 8:12, cf. John 1: 7-9), He seeks us out with the light of revelation (Luke 19:10). 2. Repentance falling to the ground (4) Saul was proud of his own righteousness (Phil. 3:4-6; II Cor. 11:22). However, when measured against Jesus, Paul realized he was utterly lost. (Rom. 3:23; Heb. 4:15) 3. Realization Who are You, Lord? (5) Saul had to understand the truth of the very gospel he was fighting so hard to extinguish. The undeniable fact that won Saul over was the truth of the resurrection. (I Cor. 15:1-19). His encounter with the resurrected Christ transformed 3 / 10

4 him for eternity. 4. Realignment What should I do Lord? (22:10) God broke into Saul s life in a spectacular way in order to call a spectacular servant. In a moment he went from being a hateful enemy to being a willing servant. (Gal. 1:12-23; Acts 22:1-11, 26:4-18) HCSB; p. 1878: 9:6 Saul was not told at this point what his mission or purpose was. That was reserved for when he encountered Ananias later in the city of Damascus. This stepwise introduction to his future kept him from being overwhelmed all at once with the changes Jesus had initiated in his life, and it also allowed the Christians in Damascus to meet and accept the one whom they feared. III. The Companions The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. Then 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. 9 He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink. (7-9) Comparing this account to Paul s testimony before the Jerusalem mob (22:9), it seems that Saul s traveling companions heard sounds and saw a light, while only Saul heard the voice of Jesus and saw His person. Thus, his fellow travelers could attest to the fact that something happened while only Saul could discern the message. The encounter was so real to Paul that he later held it alongside those of other Apostles who saw Jesus in the flesh (1 Corinthians 15:8). The fact that Paul s account is included three times in Acts (26:12-18) emphasizes the importance of personal testimonies. IV. The Comforter (10-19) A. Mentor There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias (10) II Tim. 2:2 implies that each Christian should have one or more mentors while he/she is mentoring others. Ananias is a good role model for the kind of mentor who s effective: available, accessible (to the Holy Spirit) and in agreement with the Lord s commands. A mentor is not one who just passes on truth; Paul insists in Galatians 1:1-2 that the truths he learned come from direct revelation. Ananias role was more comforter than teacher; he reached out to Saul in love when others 4 / 10

5 were terrified of him. B. Message 1. To Ananias And the Lord said to him in a vision... (10) Get up and go... (11) A symmetry can be seen between this account and the experience of Peter and Cornelius. Ananias obedience is more clearly defined in the light of his fear (13-14). A divine appointment requires a disciple who is ready to obey. HCSB, p. 1878, 9:10 2. To Saul In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias... (12) Although Saul accepted the risen Christ and surrendered to His will, he was still physically blind. God s vision surely was a great comfort to him! V. The Commission But the Lord said to him, Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for My name! 17 So Ananias left and entered the house. Then 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 can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 And after taking some food, he regained his strength. (15-20) A. Mission this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for My name! (15-16) (Mark 10:28-30) Paul s call was a steady beacon that continually compelled him to endure all 5 / 10

6 kinds of hardships to accomplish his mission. (II Cor. 11:23-28). The fact that God told him in advance of the price he would have to pay deepens one s respect for Saul s acceptance of his mission. B. Mandate regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit (17) It s instructive to us that God depended on Ananias to deliver the message to Saul. Given the importance, why didn t God handle it all Himself on the road to Damascus? God uses ordinary people every day to convey extraordinary truth. God used Ananias for the same reason that He says You are my witnesses. (1:8) (I Ths. 5:3-9; 2 Cor. 4:3-6; Eph. 5:8-14; Col. 1:13) C. Maturity he regained his strength. (19) Notice that his first step of growth was baptism. Paul s physical strength mirrored the spiritual transformation he was undergoing. He was transformed from darkness into the light spiritually as well as physically. He still had three years to spend in the desert (Gal. 1:17-18), but the path to being Godly, effective and excellent was laid out before him. VI. The Commitment (9:20-31) A. Saul s Training Saul was with the disciples at Damascus some days (19b) Explor e the Bible Commentary (Fall, 2000), p. 73: What is described here as the passing of many days, Paul described in Galatians 1:18 as the passing of three years. Within those many days was the period Paul spent in Arabia, after which he returned to Damascus (Gal. 1:17). An almost three-year ministry in Damascus helps explain how Paul could have followers or disciples who could help him escape the city (Acts 9:25). A comparison of Acts with Galatians reveals a likely sequence of events in Paul s early Christian years: (1) his conversion and commission (Acts 9:1-19a) (2) a time of preaching in the synagogues of Damascus (9:19b-22), (3) an indefinite stay in Arabia (Gal. 1:17), (4) his return to Damascus for additional ministry that incurred strong opposition (Acts 9:23-25), and (5) his departure to Jerusalem three years after his conversion. B. Saul s Testimony He is the Son of God. (20) This One is the Messiah (22) Belie ver s Study Bible; p. 1666: 1:12 6 / 10

7 Paul insists that his gospel was not taught to him by the apostles or any other human being. Prior to his conversion Paul had received the best theological education available in his day. However, the gospel came to him directly from God (Acts 9:1-22). Subsequent to his conversion and baptism, Paul departed to Arabia (v. 17). It was probably during this time that a Christological understanding of the O.T., as well as the meaning of what had happened to him when he was confronted by Jesus on the Damascus Road, was revealed to him. God removed the veil from his eyes and revealed certain truths to Paul directly. Since this revelation proceeded directly from God, it was completely trustworthy. At least a portion of these truths which God revealed to Paul has been preserved for the churches in his writings in the Bible. Although the personality of the apostle is certainly seen in his 13 epistles, the message is infallible and inerrant because it is God s Word. In an ironic historical footnote, Saul s former allies become his enemies (23) and his former enemies became his allies (25). C. Reaction of the Christians they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple (26) Saul s conversion didn t exactly make CNN, so the Jerusalem church was either ignorant of the event in Damascus or felt that Saul was impersonating a Christian in order to infiltrate the church. Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles (27) Christian love demands that we investigate the facts about our brothers and sisters instead of relying on hearsay. Just as Ananias was used by God in Damascus, so Barnabas answered the call in Jerusalem. The importance of these two men to Saul should remind us of our strategic role in welcoming new church members. D. Reaction of the Church The Gospel Spread Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they attempted to kill him. (29) Here is a repeat of Saul s experience in Damascus and a foreshadowing of his empire-wide ministry. HCSB ; p.1879: 9:28-30 Saul conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, some of whom may have been involved with him in Stephen s stoning (7:57-60). A Hellenistic Jew himself, Paul had been born in 7 / 10

8 Tarsus and spoke Greek as his primary language. Seeing one of their own, a former persecutor of the church no less, argue on behalf of Christianity was more than they could bear. They attempted to kill Saul, with the result that he was whisked away to his hometown. 1. Persecution Ceased So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up Perhaps this is an indication of Saul s importance to the persecution movement. 2. Disciples Multiplied and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers. (31) O.S. Hawkins preached a sermon on the fear of the Lord on January 23, He related that it was absolutely necessary to a proper sense of God s holiness and our need for obedience (Ex. 20:20; Prov. 16:6; Prov. 2:1; Ec. 12:13; Rom. 11:20; Eph. 5:21; Heb. 10:31). HCSB; p.1879: 9:31 This verse marks a significant point in the development of the early church. The church, having been forced by persecution to scatter outward from Jerusalem, was at peace in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. This set the church up for a second stage of growth, which would see the gospel boldly taken outside Israel. Application: 1. Conversion to Christ results in a radical transformation. (2 Cor. 5:17) 2. Conversion to Christ rebuilds a broken life into a useable vessel. (Ps. 32 & 51) 3. Conversion to Christ requires an accepting Body. (John 6:39) 8 / 10

9 Leader Pack Item 8: Conversions in Acts ; Item 13: Poster Acts 4:12 Illustrator: p. 28: Paul Before His Conversion Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: g ; also, the Highpoint Bible Study (Downtown) is available on MP3 at the HFBC site under the Highpoint link/downloads. Dates: /8 SPF Mother s Day Luncheon; 5/11 - VBS Big Training Preschool & Children; 5/14 - CBS Graduation; 5/1 5 High School Senior Celebration Sunday; 5/15 SPF B-day Bash; 5/22 Parent Commitment & First Grade Bible; 5/27 Last Day of FBA; 5/29 AMP/WIRED Sunday; 6/3 Summer Kickoff at the Loop; 6/3-4 5 th grade Launch at the Loop; 6/5 Promotion Sunday (all campuses); 6/5 SPF Birthday Bash; 6/5-9 Elevate Choir Tour; 6/6 7/5 Pastor Gregg s Sabbatical; 6/12-15 Camp Intersect; 6/ / 10

10 HUB Intl. Mission Trip; 6/19 SPF Father s Day Lunch; 6/25 Men: Serve; 6/27-30 Loop only family night on 6/ / 10