Acts 9:19b-31
Acts 9:19
September 20, 2020
Acts 9:19b-31
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And
immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is
22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by
proving that Jesus was the Christ.
23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring
them bound before the chief priests?”
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So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had
peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and
in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Football season has just begun and despite all the conversations about everything happening other than football, when it comes down to the game, once the whistle blows, getting the pigskin over the goal line, or through the goal posts more times than the other team is the goal and lo, and behold, fans actually do, by and large, show up.
For decades, certain teams of all sports in our nation especially, have had rabid fanbases who wear the team colors, learn team-specific cheers, purchase tickets or sit with family and friends in front of television sets cheering on their chosen team.
For some, the favorite team is the that one they picked for whatever reason as a child and they have stuck with them.
For others, the team of choice is the hometown team and they find themselves caught up in the moment with neighbors, co-workers, fellow students, etc. cheering for the hometown.
Yet, as I think Jerry Seinfeld stated years ago, often we find ourselves “cheering for laundry.” In other words, as long as an individual is wearing the jersey of our favorite team, we will cheer for him or her. It may be that the athlete is not really very nice, but there is a built-in excuse for attitude (from some) as long as they wear the home colors. Until their traded or cut...then they’re the enemy.
There is an allegiance to the favorite team and that’s why it is weird to see a long-time player change teams late in his or her career. Something just doesn’t seem quite right.
1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 9:19–31). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 2
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Whether it was
• WillieMayswearingaNewYorkMetsuniform,or... • PeteRoseinhisExposuniform
• JohnnyUnitasontheChargers
• FrancoHarrisasaSeahawk
• YogiBerraonthecross-townMets
• KarlMaloneasaLaker
• EmmittSmithontheCardinals
• BobbyOrrontheBlackhawks
• PeleplayingfortheNYCosmos
• OrmorerecentlymaybeTomBradyasaBuccaneer
...it just doesn’t seem right.
It’s like a parallel universe of sports. Seriously, what if Steve Spurrier had not been hired to coach at South Carolina but instead became the head coach of FSU? Yeah...that didn’t happen, but you get the point, right?
When it comes to sports, we want our favorite players to remain on our favorite teams for their entire careers. It’s just how it ought to be.
I guess.
But ultimately, those are just games. They’re big money-making games, but still games. When the Hall of Fame calls these guys, they most often revert back to being associated with the team where they made their name as Hall of Famers.
As I read through this portion of Acts, Luke reveals in this narrative the great change that has taken place in the life of Saul, also known as Paul. This Christian killer and enemy of the church has an encounter with Christ while journeying to Damascus. In this encounter, Christ changes Saul. His identity is transformed. He becomes someone that not only celebrates Christ as Messiah, worshipping him and declaring him to be
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the only Way, Truth, and Life...he becomes the greatest champion of the church in his era.
This is not just a jersey swap, this is an actual change of identity. A fulfilment of who God created Saul to be. An amazing story, no doubt, but more than just a narrative of a churchman who lived two-thousand years ago. This is an exposé of God’s amazing grace, of his love for people, his equipping of saints, his engagement in the lostness of the world, for the expansion of his kingdom. These three words define what our church is about and what our network of churches here in Jacksonville is focused upon – equipping the believers, engaging lostness, and expanding His kingdom.
We look here at how God used Paul, but it leads to the more direct question today “What does God have for you to do in his kingdom expansion?”
1. FOLLOWING CHRIST IS NOT EASY
You’ve likely heard it said. I have heard it said. Sometimes, in the marketing of Jesus from a well-meaning friend or even one standing on a stage at a camp, conference, or even in a church building, the truth gets twisted.
“Just say ‘yes’ to Jesus and become a Christian and all your problems will be over.”
That’s the lie that is presented to the desperate seeking a three- step-process for fixing current life problems. While ultimately, I agree that certainly saying yes and surrendering one’s life to Jesus Christ as Lord is THE answer and the necessary response to any and all of life’s circumstances, not to mention the only way to life and forgiveness...to say “all your problems will be over” seems to say “Jesus will make everyone like you, make your spouse treat you better, cause your children to behave, heal all the wounds you have inflicted on others, make your boss pay you more, get you out
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of debt, heal you of your cancer, fix your broken car, or any other such thing that may come to mind.” It’s prosperity-gospel light, and it’s a lie.
Your earthly problems do not simply go away when you become a Christian.
In fact, you may find yourself facing different problems when you surrender to Christ as Lord.
That’s not a marketable statement or a good sales pitch, but it is the truth.
The American-ized version of Easy Christianity is sold and bought by many, but it has more in common with the cure-all product or the amazing cleaner that is better than anything you’ve ever used that will clean any and every stain...but not sold in stores. Call now and if you say the magic word, you get free shipping and an extra bottle.
Too good to be true? Yep. And a waste of money, time, and effort.
The buyers of easy Christianity have no faith, just 9-1-1 Jesus who they cry out to in an emergency but ignore when life gets back to normal. That’s no life change. That’s no biblical reality. That’s no Christianity.
Saul’s conversion changed him and from a human perspective, his life was much easier when he was persecuting Christians and seeking to shut down the church. Once he became a Christian, it was as if he changed jerseys and all the sudden not only were his former friends now his enemies, but he newfound brothers and sisters did not trust him.
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Saul had a hard time getting away from his past. Maybe you can relate?
20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said,
Nevertheless, he persisted. He continued to preach, to teach, to explain how Christ met him, changed him, and revealed that all he had been taught for decades from the law was fulfilled in Christ.
Becoming a Christian may be easy (if you count total surrender of everything as easy) but living a righteous life of faith for the glory of God proves to be challenging at best. The good news – GRACE. God’s abundant and amazing grace is poured out upon his children so that believers do not have to rely on themselves but will trust in Him...daily.
2. FACING OUR PAST REVEALS CONSEQUENCES
The Christian is made new in Christ. Therefore, as Paul would later write to the believers in Rome...
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2
Those who have been redeemed are forgiven, standing clean before the Father thanks to the covering and payment of personal sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. No longer guilty, but clean.
2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ro 8:1). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 6
“Is not this the man who made havoc in
Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not
come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the
chief priests?”
No condemnation. But...consequences remain.
In Saul’s case, his reputation entered a city a day before he had a chance to walk through the gates. Saul the Christian killer! That’s who he was. For many...that’s who he remained.
It did not matter to some in the early church that Saul now was wearing the hometown jersey. In their minds, he was still on the other team. He was still an enemy. His “conversion” was little more than a covert trick to infiltrate their underground meetings.
He could not be trusted.
Did you know that just by telling people that they can trust you is often not enough to garner their trust?
26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.
Thanks be to God for his greatness and his grace in erasing all condemnation, in seeing us through the blood of his Son, clean, pure, holy, redeemed. Thanks to God for the hope we have in him and in a home for eternity with him.
Thanks be to God that even though others impacted by our sins may never come to see us as anything but our past actions, we can stand firm in our faith, knowing that while the consequences may remain, condemnation is eradicated.
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3. FINDINGACCEPTANCEREQUIRESANADVOCATE
I know I used a lot of sports references today, so in wrapping up this portion, I’ll use another illustration that many of you likely will not connect with, but hopefully some will (and I’ll try to bring the rest along.)
Unless you just have not been paying attention the past few years, superhero movies have become a billion dollar business. It really is amazing how these films have raked in the money, especially since previous tries at comic book themed characters have been hit-or- miss.
I wrote about this a couple of years ago on my blog. Here’s what I wrote...
The Avengers films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been so successful that even those who did not grow up reading comic books or care about the narratives are at least familiar with characters like Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, the Scarlet Witch, etc.
The original Avengers comic book was printed in 1963 and featured the following characters (now famous from film): Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. Some other minor characters like Voyager, Rick Jones, and Willie appeared as well, but the core was made up of the now famous heroes.
By issue 16 (May 1965) it was time for the team line-up to change. Over the decades this has happened often. What makes issue 16 so interesting (well, for comic readers at least) is that the new team would feature the following characters joining Captain America:
• Hawkeye
• Quicksilver
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• ScarletWitch
Eventually, even Black Widow would join.
Original team members like Thor, Hulk, Giant-Man (previously Ant-Man), the Wasp, and Iron Man would leave the team.
What is so significant about the addition of Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Black Widow? Each of these characters began as a villain in the comics.
I have never read the actual Avengers comic where this introduction to new members happened, but I have looked it up online. I talked with some who did read it and it seems that a significant event took place to allow these former "bad guys and ladies" to be admitted into the club known as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes."
They had been redeemed. They had an advocate.
Each characterization was unique, but by and large, Captain America vouched for the new team of heroes.
Cap, the image of virtue and morality basically stated "These people are with me." And, that was enough.
That’s all fiction, but maybe you get the point. Villains are not trusted. Why? Because they’re evil. They do bad things. They have wrong motives. They are not trustworthy.
So when Saul seeks to join the church in Jerusalem, he is met with a room of Christians giving him the side-eye.
Until...
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27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
Saul needed an advocate – one who was trusted that would stand next to him and say “I vouch for him.” Barnabas did that. He put his reputation on the line for a new believer because he knew Saul had been transformed. He believed in the amazing grace of God that can change a person from the inside out.
Saul did not need Captain America. He needed Barnabas and when this brother spoke, the church said “Okay – good enough.” Why? Because Barnabas was known to be authentic, real deal, trustworthy. Saul entered the church on the borrowed credibility of Barnabas.
But...Saul would never have remained in the church if he was simply living off the credibility of Barnabas.
So Saul immediately began doing what he had been doing in Damascus.
28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
WRAP UP
Christianity is the boldest journey anyone can make. Joining God’s family is not like joining a club. It’s a life-change. Some will celebrate. More will not. It will not be easy...but it was never sold as easy. It is right and good, however.
Your past? Likely not as bad as Saul’s. Even if it is worse, remember there is no condemnation for those who are truly in Christ Jesus.
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What about your advocate? You don’t know a Barnabas? You don’t even know a Captain America?
We have one better than those...
1 John 2:1
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.3
I hope those listening and watching today are included in this phrase “my little children” meaning children of God. I know many of you are, but for those who are not. For those who are stalled on the onramp, but have never surrendered to Christ and received him as your Lord...why not today? Why not now?
We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We, meaning Christians. And...if you need someone with skin on to walk with you into the fellowship, the Bible study, the church...God provides that too. I’ll be that Barnabas for you. Many here would love to as well.
You are welcome here.
Why don’t you come on in and join us as part of the family?
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3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Jn 2:1). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
4 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 9:19–31). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had
peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and
in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Footnotes
