Acts 9:23-35

Good morning, good morning, good morning. It's so good to have you. This is where every day you and I, we get together, we get into God's word and we grow in our love for the Lord together. In this year, 2021, we'll make it through from the book of Acts all the way to the book of Philemon. We're at Acts chapter nine, beginning at verse 23.
Let's go ahead and have some coffee. We'll pray and we'll get into God's word. Some pretty fun stuff. It's just four quick little stories that I think have a lot of helpful insights for us. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you for your word. And we pray that as we read your word. that you would care for us. We pray that we would walk as your disciples, that we would be your students, and that you would lead us. In Jesus' name, Amen. All right, here we go. Acts chapter 9, beginning at verse 23.
Now, after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. This is Saul. But their plot became known to Saul and they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. So Paul is in Damascus. Remember he has, well he's Saul at this point, he's in Damascus. He's had this vision of Jesus Christ, this is blinding light and now he is in Damascus and he's arguing. proving that Jesus is the Christ. And while they're not so happy about it, they want to kill him. He hears about it and they're in ambush. They know he's got to go through the city gates to get out. And so what do his friends do? They let him down in a basket.
In my Bible, I have underlined the best verse for that section is verse 30. Now, after many days were passed, the Jews plotted to kill him. This is exactly what Jesus had told Saul on that Damascus road when he said that he would suffer for his sake. This is, or sorry, he hadn't told Saul that. He had told, he had told Ananias that, let me see here. There you go, verse 16, for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake. And indeed, this is just the very beginning of Saul's suffering for Jesus.
Well, the next portion, 26 through 29, says this, and brought him to the disciples, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out, and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. Well, what is this section about? Saul goes to Jerusalem.
And surprise, surprise, the people there don't want to talk with him. Remember, this was Saul who had ripped women and children out of houses, who had been seeking to destroy the assembly, trying to dismantle the church, persecuting Christ. And so they don't believe it, right? There's no way. There's no way this guy who left here just a little while ago is now coming back here and is somehow a changed man. It doesn't make sense. Hold on.
And there's only one man who seems to believe him, Barnabas. And Barnabas brings him in and he takes him to the disciples and he gives his testimony. He says of what God had done, how he had become a believer, how Jesus Christ had called him out of darkness and into light. And so now he's going freely in and out. And it's interesting what happens. in verse 29, and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists.
These are Greek-speaking Jews. These are Saul's type people. Remember, Saul is from Tarsus. Saul is from a Greek-speaking area. In Acts chapter 6, these were most likely the same Jews, the synagogue of the freedmen. that were putting Stephen to death. And now Saul, who it's very possible was once a member of that synagogue of the freedmen, these zealous Greek-speaking Jews are now offended by the one who is possibly of their own ranks. They might call him a Benedict Arnold. They might call him a traitor. They would, you know, how has he done this? And so they try to kill him.
But the The disciples there in Jerusalem find out and they say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. So they send them to the port city, Caesarea. And then from Caesarea, they send them on home to Tarsus. And then in verse 31. Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And with walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
The church has a few things here. Notice what it says. They have peace and they're edified. Edified is a fancy word for built up. They have peace with one another and they're building each other up. Indeed, Saul himself, when he was Paul, would give this commandment from the Lord in Ephesians. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up. Or as another translation would say, for necessary edification that you might impart grace to those who hear.
And so this idea here is that the church has peace and the church is building each other up. They're edifying one another and they are walking in the fear of the Lord. They have reverence toward the Lord. They know His holiness, they know His righteousness and they walk before Him with a sense of sobriety of who they are and who God is and in comfort of the Holy Spirit. It's only when God is magnified in our eyes that then His Spirit comforts us.
And then finally, this last story in verses 32 through 35, this great history of what happens with Peter. So it came to pass as Peter went through all the parts of the country that he also came down to the saints who were at Lydda. There he found a certain man named Aeneas who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. Then Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed. Then he arose immediately. So all who dwelt in Leda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
Peter leaves and he's on a preaching tour, he's going all around, he's sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, and he finds this man who has been bedridden for eight years. I don't know about you, but I hate getting sick. I mean, I was down in bed for three days a couple of weeks ago, and I just, you know, I was so disheartened. I wanted to get so much done, and there I was, not able to do anything and just sick. And here this man has been bedridden for eight years, and Peter says, get up.
He says what every mother tells her kids right when they get up, make your bed, get up, make your bed. But this is a miraculous thing that he and his hears, obeys, he believes, he's healed. And his whole house, all these people in Lita and Sharon, they believe. They come to faith, they see this miraculous work that this sent one, this apostle of Jesus Christ has been able to do in the name of the risen Lord.
Well, what are these passages calling us to do? Well, I'm not gonna say get up and make your bed, although your mom might appreciate that, I know my mom would, but what are we called to do? Will we be bold in our faith? Will we tell people who want to listen and who don't want to listen? Notice here that the scriptures don't say that just because people are trying to kill them, they have to let themselves be killed. No, they're wise.
I'm not saying that you should go headlong into being a martyr. But will you be one? Do you know what the word martyr means? The word martyr comes from a Greek word that means to testify. Will you testify of Jesus Christ? Will you speak of the one whom you reverence and fear? Will you tell others of the prince of life who has saved your soul? Do you reverence God? Are you building others up in the church? Are you seeking to live at peace?
As we do those things, as we follow after the Lord, I pray that you'll have comfort in the Holy Spirit. Let's pray now. Father, we thank you for your word, and we pray that we would follow after you, love you. We pray, Lord, that you would let us walk before you in reverence to fear you, to build others up, that you might receive the glory. Comfort us with your Holy Spirit in Jesus's name. Amen. Well, may the grace of Jesus Christ and the comfort of the Holy Spirit be with you today, and I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.