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C:\VMCHURCH\LESSON\KINGDOM\SAUL2.DOC 10-11-91 THY KINGDOM COME PART 6 SAUL PART 2 Acts 8:1 to 3 Acts 9:1 to 9 read -- Last week we left Saul and his men at midday stepping it out to get to Damascus by night fall --- Then suddenly there is a light from heaven that is brighter than the midday sun -- it engulfed Saul and he falls down --- Saul would have recognised this as the Shekinah Glory - As Saul lays on the ground he hears a voice -- he looks up and sees someone about his own age -- with nail scares in his hands -- and this someone was -- Saying -- Saul - Saul -- why are you persecuting me --- Saul's reply was -- Who are you lord -- This could be better said -- Who are you sir -- The reply came -- It is Jesus who you are persecuting Can you imagine how Saul felt -- what else was there to say -- as he trembled and was astonished -- But to say -- Lord - what would you have me to do -- He was told to go into Damascus and then he would be told what to do --- SAUL PART 2 If you could be one of those standing off a little and seeing this great light -- and then the lights subside -- you too would be trembling with fear --- Saul now stands -- and it seems as if he doesn't know where to go -- those that were following behind came forward and found that he was blind and then lead him into Damascus -- They could see that something has happened to Saul -- and whatever it was -- it had ended the mission that they were on --- This arrogant Pharisee -- who had come to persecute all who would not deny Christ -- is now led like a helpless child into Damascus --- They went in the house of Judas which was in Straight Street --- and probably he would have been a rich merchant-- He would have to be someone important enough to host the man who represented Caiaphas --- Only now it is a strange party that comes and knocks at the door -- Saul is ushered in -- and the rest of the party leave and we never hear of them again --- Saul now is left in utter darkness -- alone and helpless -- and he remembers the words of Jesus -- Saul - Saul - why do you persecute me --- Saul sees that he has slaughtered the Christians -- and yet Jesus comes to him so gently --- He has had Jesus' believers killed because they would not blaspheme his name --- He does not come with wrath -- he does not come with anger -- he just asks me a simple question --- SAUL PART 2 He names me -- he knows me -- He says -- Saul - Saul -- and asks this question - why do you persecute me --- This seems to screw me up inside -- all the spiritual turmoil -- Saying -- Why - why - why - are you persecuting me -- maybe you know that I am the Truth --- In that moment of considering it -- he understands that all his raging and persecuting has been against Jesus -- But why do you persecute me In this sense he had not laid a hand on Jesus -- Jesus to this persecutor -- is identifying himself with every believer -- that is now in a Jewish jail --- Jesus is saying -- It is me that you have put there It is me that you have killed It is me that you have flogged Why do you persecute me And Saul was left to meditate over these words in the darkness with God and himself --- In a real sense at this time he was a man without faith -- I say this because -- That light had destroyed everything that he thought that he believed -- SAUL PART 2 That light had pushed aside all faith in -- the law -- the temple -- the land -- the lot had gone -- and he is now trying to piece it all together --- You see he could not have had faith in those first hours -- but at least he had an answer -- And that was -- Jesus was alive they had been right He is alive I have meet him and he spoke to me and now things make sense You see if I say -- that Jesus was the Messiah -- Jesus was God -- and that he died -- This is blasphemy -- God dead --- Saul was a good Jew -- he knew why death was in the world -- because of sin -- sin -- death -- Death in fact spelt with a capital D --- Sin and death -- it is the very domain of the kingdom of darkness -- The Messiah -- the one we had waited for -- for centuries - now for him to go into the power of darkness and death -- this is blasphemy -- AH -- but if he rose again -- this then makes sense it means that he took death and killed death in the death of Jesus death died SAUL PART 2 He is no blasphemer he is the conqueror of death the bearer away of sin This is different This makes sense -- according to the law of Deuteronomy It says -- whoever hung upon a tree -- in crucifixion -- was the cursed of God -- And Saul the Pharisee Says -- you tell me -- that the Messiah -- is the cursed of God -- this is blasphemy --- AH -- but if he rose again from the dead -- this then means that he has put away the curse -- He bore it and flung it from him -- and comes out of it with blessing for mankind -- This makes sense -- things are fitting together now - Now he is hearing all these testimonies -- that he heard in every synagogue -- He now hears all that Stephen had said -- it now begins to fit together -- All he now knows that Jesus Christ is Lord of all -- he is alive from the dead and he knows nothing else --- If you do nothing else in this series -- go and meditate upon the fact that Jesus Christ is alive from the dead --- In this part of the Christian Church -- we emphasis the death of Jesus --- SAUL PART 2 You think about it -- how many churches have a crucifix of Jesus dying -- What is the great festival -- it is Good Friday -- the death of Jesus --- Where do we start when we lead someone to Christ -- It is that Jesus died for you --- You read the book of Acts -- its emphasis is Jesus Christ is alive -- is alive for evermore -- and this is why his death makes sense --- It is not only that he died for you -- This can only be understood when you see he is alive -- When Jesus came to Saul on the road to Damascus -- He did not say -- I died for you -- He said -- I am alive - I am alive - now I understand his death --- Our faith is not a morbid suffering death -- Our faith is a victorious celebration that Jesus is alive from death -- and now his death makes sense --- Somewhere on that third day of darkness and loneliness - things begin to come together with Saul -- He has a vision -- and in this vision he sees a man coming into the room -- and he knows the man's name is Ananias --- SAUL PART 2 He sees this man lay his hands on his head -- and he sees himself receive his sight -- Now he knows that this is what Jesus was talking about When he said -- go and you will receive further instructions --- On the other side of Damascus -- a simple believer -- no great minster -- this is the only time we ever hear of him --- His name is Ananias -- and he heard a voice -- He is not surprised by this -- because the resurrection is very real to him -- and his reply was -- yes Lord -- And the Lord said -- I want you to go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas -- for one named Saul of Tarsus --- Ananias quickly replied -- Do you not know that this man comes here with letters -- so as to be able to bind us and take us to Jerusalem --- The Lords' reply to Ananias was -- yes I know -- but still I want you to do as I have said -- and when you get there you will hear him praying --- The Pharisee says prayers every day -- and for the first time in his life Saul was praying --- To Ananias -- the simple little believer -- this sure is God -- this is the way he does things --- SAUL PART 2 Here is the most arrogant Pharisee -- the representative of the High Priest and here is Ananias placing his hands on him --- Later he is going to carry the Gospel before Kings and Emperors -- and to the ends of the earth --- Here the Lord chooses a little believer Why not choose the elder of the church -- No -- he chooses one who is probably sitting at the back row of the church --- Ananias goes to Judas' house -- and is taken to the guest room -- and there he hears Saul praying --- He goes in and sees this blind man -- and there is one word that he must have found hard to get out -- When he said -- BROTHER -- Saul -- Murderer of my brothers and sisters in Christ -- Christ has sent me that I may lay hands upon you -- so that you may receive your sight --- As Ananias laid his hand on Saul -- scales immediately fell from his eyes -- I say all the scales fell from his eyes -- He did not go around half blind for the rest of his life -- as some people would have you believe --- Then Ananias said -- Saul receive the Holy Spirit -- We will deal with this a little later on -- There is no one in the New Testament that had not received the Holy Spirit -- SAUL PART 2 This was the entrance into this Kingdom of God -- which was the community of the Spirit -- Then Ananias said -- Now we have to baptize you -- Because there was no one in the community of the Spirit that was not baptized --- Ananias then leads Saul about five miles to the river Abana -- This is the same river that Naaman wanted to dip himself in -- When Elisha said -- go and dip yourself in Jordan -- Naaman said -- not the dirty rivers of Damascus -- but the river of Abana -- and Pharpar -- This is seen in -- 2 Kings 5:12 --- It was the river Abana -- that Saul would have been baptized in -- by a little brother named Ananias --- As the little brother places Saul under the water -- it would be said -- finished with being a Pharisee finished with legalism finished with the Temple finished with Judaism and - hello - Jesus Ananias brought him out of the water united with Christ -- and then Saul joined himself to the community in Damascus --- How would you feel when knowing that Saul was coming -- and you get a message from Ananias -- SAUL PART 2 to say Saul has arrived and I have just baptized him --- In those times when just baptized -- you received what is known as -- EUCHARIST -- EUCHARIST -- means thanksgiving -- It was a special communion service -- after baptism -- it was called the communion of thanksgiving --- It was the welcoming into the Covenant community -- Ananias would introduce Saul of Tarsus to all of the believers in Damascus -- whom he had come to flog -- and to bind --- Who was the one who gave Saul the bread and the wine -- they were all simple believers -- many of them refugees from Jerusalem because of Saul's persecution --- Some of them had seen Saul drag away their wife -- their mother -- their father -- And now they are having communion with him -- because he had met with the risen Lord Jesus Christ --- This story stops here -- and to follow it you have to go to Galatians --- For here he goes to the synagogue in Damascus -- and preaches that Jesus is the Christ -- It was only days ago -- that he was about to kill them -- and now here God has him doing this -- What do you think that Caiaphas is thinking -- Even some believers could not even believe that Saul has changed sides --- SAUL PART 2 Many in Jerusalem did not believe it -- even when he went back to Jerusalem -- they still did not really believe that he had changed --- After a short time he left Damascus -- and goes into Arabia -- Galatians 1:17 tells me this --- He went alone -- and there the scriptures open up to him -- It is the Holy Spirit that is illuminating it to him -- He begins to see what he is going to call -- The mystery of the Gospel That hidden there in the Old Testament -- was the fact that the true Israel -- is not Israel it is the Church The Israel that God had in mind -- was always Jew and Gentile united in Christ -- It all began there as he pondered the scriptures --- From here he returns to Damascus -- and for three years he preaches in the synagogues --- Galatians 1:18 and also Acts 9:22 - tells us this - There in the synagogues he proved conclusively that Jesus was the Christ --- To the Temple Jew this man was dangerous -- if anyone could argue and prove that Jesus was the Christ -- it was Saul --- SAUL PART 2 Finally the Jews could stand it no more --- Acts 9:23 and 2 Corinthians 11:32 -- It says -- the Jews wanted to kill him -- he is not going to get out of Damascus alive -- So true believers took him and placed him in a laundry basket and lowered him over the wall --- What a change from a arrogant Pharisee -- to a run away believer --- From here he goes back to Jerusalem -- Acts 9:26 to 30 -- But the church in Jerusalem is very suspicious -- it has been about four and a half years - since Saul had first left Jerusalem --- Saul being the mad man that he had been -- who was going to believe him -- This is just one big plot -- he will go and come back after he has all our names -- and then whip out the whole Church --- Then there are others who are saying -- there is an empty seat at our table -- this Saul killed him -- There were many people in the Jerusalem Church -- who had reason for not trusting Saul -- It was only when Barnabas turned up -- a man who would always take second place -- never in the forefront -- gentle and kind -- he was always seeing the best in people SAUL PART 2 Barnabas speaks forth saying -- I know this man -- I have been up north -- I have heard him preaching -- I have heard his testimony -- And it was through Barnabas that Saul received the right hand of fellowship -- He was now accepted into the Church - Now the full impact of what has happened has got to Caiaphas -- now the Sanhedrin council and all those who follow -- the Temple and the land and the customs wanted to kill him -- The believers -- fearing for Saul's life -- quietly took him to Caesarea on the coast -- and there got him a boat to Tarsus --- It looked like this could easily be the end of Saul's career --- From this time on he is a poor man --- His family were very rich -- and on hearing of their son's decision -- the family cut him off -- and treated him as if he was dead --- If he had been a member of the Sanhedrin council -- which everything pointed to that he was -- then he had to be a married man -- You could not be a member of the council unless you were married -- SAUL PART 2 And yet Saul speaks of himself as one without a wife -- Did his wife divorce him Was he cut off from wife and family If he was then it would make sense -- Saul goes back to Tarsus -- as a man cut off and not wanted -- The Temple said -- Go -- His family said -- Go -- Still some of the believers were a little unsure -- He is left with only one thing to do -- and that is to take up his trade -- which was tentmaking -- Every rabbi knew a trade -- Now Saul sits cross-legged in Tarsus making tents -- He was in Tarsus for many -- many years -- I think about 10 years --- In the Epistles it seems to indicate that Saul covered much of the countryside -- proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord -- and he is alive -- And through this -- he himself was much persecuted -- So when he was not making tents -- he would be off preaching -- off gossiping the Good News -- that is Jesus Christ is alive --- This looked like as if -- this was to be his life's ministry -- but this was only the beginning -- of what Jesus had intended -- Here he takes the most Jewish Pharisee of all -- and makes him the messenger to the Gentile dog --- SAUL PART 2 He is the one who stood every morning -- Saying -- I thank you O God -- that I am not as other men I am not a Gentile I am not a dog I am not a woman And now Jesus says -- Go to the Gentiles Go to those you have called dogs and proclaim to them that Jesus is alive --- The Church has now broken loose --- The Temple goes one way the Church goes another And it is now echoed across the world that Jesus Christ Is alive -- The Kingdom of God has come We are in the age of the Holy Spirit AMEN.