Page 17 - Florida Sentinel 10-9-15 Edition

Sunday School
God Uses A Universal Man To Preach The Gospel (Acts 9:19b-31)
ascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. He spoke boldly in the name of the Lord.
But more important than his method or his passion was the content of Saul’s preaching. It centered on Jesus. This irked the oppo- sition (Acts 9:21-29).
Saul’s opposition came from the Jews living in Damascus, the disciples liv- ing in Jerusalem, and the Hellenistic Jews living in Jerusalem. They were so op- posed to his preaching that they questioned him and conspired to kill him.
Like in life, when you make a life changing deci- sion to live Christ-like, you get discouraged. You, like Saul made a 180-degree turnaround. And, because you are thrilled with your newfound faith in Jesus, you find yourself being perse- cuted. But, as part of Saul’s call to become a Christian, Jesus had said that there would be suffering for the
sake of the name.
Yet, through it all, Acts
9:25-30, God showed ten- der mercies to Saul and to you in the midst of opposi- tion. Although some ene- mies fought Saul, those who befriended him, helped him to leave Damascus. Just like Saul, God gives his preach- ers disciples. Followers who want the learning of Jesus. God gives you rich and pow- erful followers as was Barn- abas in Saul’s case. Earlier, Barnabas was introduced as one who encouraged through his gift of money (4:36, 37). Now he encour- aged by supporting Saul.
One can understand why the Jerusalem church was hesitant to embrace Saul, just like your friends and foes can’t accept you, as a believer. Saul was a former terrorist, after all. But Saul was able to ride the coattail of Barnabas’s affirmation.
Finally the believers in Jerusalem who had ac- cepted Barnabas’s testi-
mony about Saul helped him escape. From there he went to his hometown of Tarsus— for the new life ahead.
Few sermons are more powerful than the sermon of a transformed life. Saul of Tarsus preached that one.
The story of Saul of Tar- sus’ conversion is told three times in Acts (9:1-19a; 22:6-11; 26:12-18). God used Peter to open the door of faith to Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. But God needed a universal man who would be very global in his thinking to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. That man was Saul of Tar- sus.
Saul of the Old Testament started out good and ended up bad. Saul of the New Tes- tament started out bad and
ended up good.
Before encountering
Jesus on the Damascus Road, Saul was a terrorist who was out of control (1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Tim- othy 1:12-17). After meet- ing Jesus on that road, Saul became a preacher of the gospel (Acts 9:19b-22, 28).
Literally days after seeing Jesus on the road to Damas- cus, Saul began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. He also baf- fled the Jews living in Dam-
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