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MESSAGE SERIES: “CHURCH ON THE MOVE”
Acts 9:19-31

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Church on the Move, and we are working our way through the book of Acts together. Last week we looked at Saul’s conversion in the first part of Acts 9. We saw what Saul was like before his conversion and how God grabbed hold of Saul on the road to Damascus and brought him to faith in Christ. That was Saul’s conversion part one; today we come to part two. Today we learn the rest of the story. Last week we saw how Saul came to Christ. Today we learn what changed in Saul’s life when he came to Christ. (Read Acts 9:19-22 and pray.)

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Your conversion doesn’t stop when you come to Christ. It is only the beginning. Yes, you have changed from not believing to one who believes in Christ. Before your conversion you were unforgiven; now you are forgiven for all your sins. Before you were under God’s just condemnation for your sins; now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. You have turned from darkness to light. You have gone from being a child of Satan to a child of God. You were enslaved by sin and now you have been given freedom through the Holy Spirit.

Those are some pretty big changes. All those happened the moment you put your faith in Jesus Christ. But that’s just the beginning. There are more changes to come.

When Saul converted to Christ, it was just the beginning. He was about to experience a whole series of changes in his life—from his speech patterns, to his actions and loyalties, to his relationships and purpose in life. Today we want to look at these changes in Saul’s life and see what we can learn about the changes that should take place in our lives following our conversion to Christ.

I. The blasphemer became a preacher (19-22)

The first change we notice in Saul is that the blasphemer became a preacher. This was a change in Saul’s speech or the words that came out of his mouth. There was both an immediate change and continued growth here.

   A. Immediate change (19-21)

The immediate change was that he began speaking for Jesus rather than against Jesus. Look at verses 19-21:

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” (Acts 9:19-21)

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus, but he began preaching at once. Notice he began his preaching with the Jews in the synagogues. This is a pattern we will see throughout the book of Acts, where the gospel always went to the Jews first.

The content of his preaching was simple: he began to preach that Jesus is the Son of God. Whereas before he blasphemed the name of Jesus, now he preached the name of Jesus. Whereas before he arrested those who preached the name of Jesus, now he preached the name of Jesus himself. Whereas before he considered the message of Jesus blasphemy of the highest order, he now proclaimed it literally as the gospel truth.

This was an amazing change in Saul’s speech. He still visited the synagogues, but now he came to preach instead of persecute. His former zeal for persecution was outdone by his newfound zeal for the gospel.

All who heard him were amazed. They knew his reputation from Jerusalem. They knew his mission to Damascus. This was a completely changed man. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” There was an immediate change when Saul came to Christ.

   B. Continued growth (22)

However, there was not only immediate change, but there was continued growth as well. Look at verse 22 next:

Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 9:22)

Saul didn’t stay static in his faith. He grew. He grew more and more powerful in his preaching. Where did that power come from? Remember what Ananias told him back in verse 17: “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

This brings us all the way back to Acts 1:8—our theme verse for the book of Acts where Jesus told the disciples: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Remember, the power for witnessing comes from the Holy Spirit, which is good news, because we all have access to the same Spirit through Jesus our Savior. That means you can have the same power in sharing the gospel that Saul did because the power comes from the Holy Spirit.

As Saul shared Christ, he grew in his faith. He became more persuasive in his message, proving that Jesus is the Christ. Saul already had an amazing background in the Old Testament. Long before he became a Christian, he’d studied the Law. He’d studied the Scriptures. He’d studied under the most famous rabbis. He knew his Old Testament.

Now he began applying that to preaching Christ from the Old Testament, proving Jesus is the Christ. The word translated “proving” in this verse is a word that means “to join or put together.” Paul made connections for his hearers. He put together the various Old Testament texts that spoke of the Messiah and showed how they all connected to Jesus.

This brings us to an important principle. Knowing the Bible doesn’t make you a believer, but knowing Christ does. Saul knew his Bible better than anyone, but it wasn’t until he came to Christ that he truly understood it and began to teach the full meaning of the Scriptures in Christ.

This also shows us that God can use your background before you came to Christ for your witness to Christ once you become a believer. God can take all the things in your life, the good, the bad and the ugly; God can take everything in your background, turn it around, and now use that for the gospel. Nothing is ever wasted with God.

Notice Saul didn’t prove Jesus was the Christ, but that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus was not someone who died and was buried and stayed buried. Jesus died, was buried and rose again. Jesus is the Christ because is alive today. He rose from the dead and lives forever. This was part of Saul’s role as an apostle—to testify as an eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There was an immediate change in Saul’s speech when he became a Christian, and then there was continued growth as well.

How about you? How did your speech change when you became a Christian? Do you speak differently now that you’re a follower of Christ? Do you use different words? Have you stopped using other words that you used before you became a Christian? Do you speak about Jesus in a different way? Perhaps before you used his name as a curse word before, but now you use his name as an object of praise and worship and testimony. Was there an immediate change, and is there continued growth? Are you growing in this area?

When you become a Christian, everything changes, and that includes the words that come out of your mouth. This was the first big change we see in Saul’s life: the blasphemer became a preacher.

II. The persecutor became the persecuted (23-25)

Secondly, the persecutor became the persecuted. The first change in Saul’s life was a change in his speech. This second change was a change in his actions and loyalties. Saul changed from someone who persecuted others to someone who was persecuted himself.

   A. Not everyone will approve (23-24)

When you first become a Christian and take a stand for Christ, not everyone will approve. Look at verses 23-24:

After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. (Acts 9:23-24)

“After many days” here is actually a span of about three years. Here’s the timeline. Saul was converted on the road to Damascus. He immediately began preaching in the city. However, the book of Galatians tells us he then spent three years in Arabia before returning to Damascus where he continued his preaching (Gal. 1:11-20). This interlude in Arabia gave him time to solidify his study of the Scriptures and grow in his faith before beginning his more extended preaching ministry.

Now that he was back in Damascus, the Jews conspired to kill him. They were obsessing over this. Day and night they watched the city gates just waiting for the right opportunity. Apparently, the plan was to wait for him to leave the city so they could kill him outside the city gates.

Not everyone will approve when you become a Christian. Some may even get nasty! Sure, if you keep quiet and don’t make any major lifestyle changes, they will probably leave you alone, because they won’t know. But when you start speaking up for Jesus, when you change your actions and your loyalties, get ready. Be prepared for some pushback.

   B. God will see you through (25)

Not everyone will approve, but God will see you through. Fortunately, Saul got wind of their plans. He knew the gate was being watched, so he came up with another way out. Look at verse 25 with me next:

But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. (Acts 9:25)

I like to call this the great escape. This was one of my favorite Bible stories as a kid. I had a picture Bible, and I can still remember the picture of Saul being let down from the wall in a basket to escape the city in the middle of the night.

When you become a Christian, everything changes, and that includes your actions and your loyalties. Your lifestyle will change. Not everyone will approve, but God will see you through. He will watch over you and protect you. This was the second big change in Saul’s life. The persecutor became the persecuted.

III. The outsider joined the disciples (26-30)

1) The blasphemer became a preacher. 2) The persecutor became the persecuted. And then 3)
the outsider joined the disciples. This was a change in Saul’s relationships and purpose. Before his conversion, he was outside the faith. But once again, when you come to faith in Christ, everything changes.

   A. Welcome to your new family (26-27)

You have two big welcomes awaiting you when you come to Christ. First, there is the welcome to your new family. Look at verses 26-27:

When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. (Acts 9:26-27)

Paul escapes from Damascus and makes his way to Jerusalem, but when he gets there the disciples are all afraid of him. They don’t want anything to do with him. They remember the last time he was in Jerusalem and all the harm he caused. They don’t trust that he is truly a believer.

Have you ever found out someone from your past became a Christian and you were a little suspicious about it? I’ve done that before. I’ve had friends who were dead set against Christ and the church, they didn’t want anything to do with Christianity, and then years later when I hear they’ve become a Christian, my first thought is, “Really?” That’s a lack of faith on my part. Why? Because I shared Christ with them in the past. I shared the gospel with them. I prayed for their salvation. And now that they’ve come to Christ, I’m going to question it?

That’s probably how the disciples in Jerusalem felt. Could Saul the blasphemer and persecutor of Christians really have become a Christian himself?

Fortunately, Barnabas came alongside Saul and became an advocate for him. This is the second time we’ve met Barnabas in the book of Acts. The more you meet him, the more you love this guy. We first met him back in chapter four where we learned that his real name was Joseph. He was a Levite from Cyprus who was known for his encouragement. In fact, that’s how he got his name. The name Barnabas means Son of Encouragement, and so the apostles all called him Barnabas instead of Joseph (Acts 4:36).

Here in chapter nine Barnabas the encourager brings Saul to the apostles, specifically to Peter and James (Gal. 1:18-19). He tells them three things. He tells them about Saul’s conversion (how he met Jesus). He tells them about Saul’s commission (how Jesus spoke to him). And he tells them about Saul’s conduct (how he preached Jesus fearlessly in Damascus).

Barnabas smoothed the way for Saul and helped him transition into the church in Jerusalem. We need more encouragers like Barnabas who will welcome newcomers, introduce them to others and help them feel welcome in the church—especially when they are new believers in Christ.

Your relationships change when you come to Christ. As a Christian you have God as your Father, Jesus as your brother, and the church as your family. So, that’s the first welcome awaiting you when you come to Christ. Welcome to your new family!

   B. Welcome to your new mission (28-30)

And then there’s a second welcome awaiting you. Welcome to your new mission! Saul was not only welcomed into a new family when he became a Christian. He had a new purpose in life. He was recruited into a new mission. Look at verses 28-30:

So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. (Acts 9:28-30)

The book of Galatians tells us that Saul stayed with Peter for fifteen days (Gal. 1:18). During that time he continued speaking boldly about Jesus.

One group he talked and debated with was the Grecian Jews. We’ve met this group before. This was the same group that debated with Stephen. Do you remember what they did to Steven? They killed him. And who was there when they killed him? Saul was there. They laid their coats at Saul’s feet, and he approved of Stephen’s death. Saul saw what they did to Stephen when Stephen debated them, and now Saul is doing the same thing Stephen did. That takes boldness!

The Grecian Jews responded to Saul the same way they did to Stephen. They tried to kill him. I guess when you can’t win the argument, you look for other ways to win. But Saul was part of a new family now, and the church came alongside him to protect him. They escorted him safely to Caesarea from where he made his way back to Tarsus.

Tarsus was the capital city of Cilicia. It was also Saul’s hometown. Saul would spend the next eight to ten years there (sometimes called “Paul’s silent years”) before he began his famous mission trips to various parts of the world.

When you join the family of God, you join the mission as well. The church is called to be a church on the move with the gospel. We all share the same responsibility of bringing the gospel to those around us and indeed to the whole world.

IV. The church enjoyed a time of peace (31)

Finally, along with the changes Saul experienced, the church was blessed with a change at this time as well. The church entered a new season of peace. We read in verse 31:

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord. (Acts 9:31)

That first wave of persecution, much of which had been fueled by Saul, finally came to an end. The church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a season of peace. The gospel was going forth according to plan.

Jesus told his disciples back in Acts 1:8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The ends-of-the-earth part would eventually come, and Saul would be a big part of that too, but for now the church enjoyed a time of peace that would last until the next wave of persecution began under King Herod. (We’ll get to that in Acts 12.)

What did the church look like during this time of peace? They were strengthened; they were encouraged; they grew in numbers; they grew in holiness; they lived in the fear of the Lord. It’s a beautiful picture, one we should all aspire to as a church together.

CONCLUSION: What do we learn from this second section of Scripture dealing with Saul’s conversion? When you come to faith in Jesus, everything changes. Your speech changes. Your actions and your loyalties change. Your relationships change. Your purpose in life changes. You have a new family. You have a new mission.

There are immediate changes as you begin your new life in Christ. There are continued changes as you grow in Christ. And then there are changes around you as you influence others for Christ.

Your conversion doesn’t stop when you first become a Christian. That’s only the beginning. The person who doesn’t experience any change is not really a Christian. The Christian who stops changing has stopped growing as a Christian. Christianity is not a quick dash and you’re done, but rather a long-distance marathon.

My prayer for you today is that you will examine your life to see what changes God has brought thus far and what changes still need to come. I pray that you will be encouraged to praise God for the changes he has already done and that you will seek God for ever newer and fresher growth as a believer. As believers, we should all commit to a lifetime of following Jesus resulting in a lifetime of change.

© Ray Fowler

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