INTRODUCTION

Frequently, part of the difficulty we have in understanding and applying the Bible to our lives is that we do not understand the characters involved. One such character is the Church. The word for “church” can simply refer to a generic human assembly, like the Elks Club or a political party’s convention. But part of the message of the Bible is that God has established an entirely different kind of assembly in this world called the Church, unlike any other human institution. 

The Text: “And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: but their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him…” (Acts 9:23-43).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

After his dramatic conversion, Luke says that Saul was in Damascus for many days preaching Christ as the Son of God and confounding the Jews before escaping out a city wall in a basket (Acts 9:23-25, cf. 2 Cor. 11:32-33). Notice the juxtaposition: radical conversion and confounding the Jews (sounds powerful) versus a narrow escape in a basket (sounds weak). In Galatians 1:18, Paul says that it was three years before he went down to Jerusalem, where they were still afraid of him for his former persecutions, but Barnabas brought him to the apostles and vouched for his conversion (Acts 9:26-27). Saul began preaching with the other apostles boldly before another plot arose, causing the brothers to exit Saul stage left back to his home town of Tarsus (Acts 9:28-30). And despite what might look like another setback, Luke insists that this controversy and movement produced peace in the whole church, being built up, walking in the fear of the Lord, being comforted by the Holy Spirit, and it multiplied (Acts 9:29-31).

Meanwhile, Peter was travelling in some kind of circuit and came through Lydda where he healed a man named Aeneas from an eight year sickness that had kept him bedridden, causing many to turn to the Lord (Acts 9:32-35). While we are tempted to think this was a great power in Peter, he says, “Jesus Christ is healing you” (Acts 9:34). Then in Joppa, a prominent woman named Tabitha/Dorcas was raised from the dead when Peter knelt down and prayed (Acts 9:36-41). And many believed in the Lord and Peter ministered there for many days (Acts 9:42-43). 

ORDINARY LIFE & EXTRAORDINARY POWER

Luke is a careful historian, but he is also summarizing and highlighting key events in order to make particular points. On the one hand, God really did work extraordinary miracles through the Apostles (1 Cor. 12:12). The Bible never assumes that just anyone can speak for God; in fact, anyone who claimed to but was lying was liable to a death penalty in the Old Testament (Dt. 18:20). So the Apostles were given unique authority to prove that they had the right to speak for God and write the New Testament – the signs confirm the Word (Mk. 16:20). At the same time, there was a lot of ordinary life most of the time, including somewhat humbling things like Saul being let down in a basket and fleeing various plots (Acts 9:25, 30). The apostles were not constantly working miracles, otherwise, why didn’t the apostles just call down fire or blindness on the enemies plotting against Saul? The reason is because humans are always tempted to focus on the wrong thing: miracles, signs, wonders, human brilliance. But the central glory, the central miracle is the transformation of ordinary human lives by the gospel. How was the whole church given peace when the same party that put Stephen to death was now plotting against Saul (Acts 9:29)? One big reason was that the one who had overseen that murder was now speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 9:29). The goal is to point to Christ. 

SIGNS OR PHILOSOPHY OR THE CROSS?

Elsewhere Paul says that the preaching of the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). He says that everywhere he went the Jews demanded signs, and the Greeks demanded philosophy, but we preach Christ crucified, which is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks (1 Cor. 1:22-23). The problem was not with signs and philosophy per se, the problem was with a resolute refusal to believe combined with those demands. Many who say that they will not believe unless they see a miracle or hear a convincing argument will still not believe even then. Christ is the wisdom of God and the power of God. He taught the truth, and He died and rose from the dead. The apostles reasoned from evidence, and on occasion healed the sick and even sometimes raised the dead (Acts 9:22, 40). But the fundamental question is willingness to submit, willingness to believe. If you are not willing, no amount of signs or arguments will convince you. But the Christian Church is the gathering together of those who believe in Christ, who fear the Lord, and have the comfort of the Holy Spirit. 

THE CHURCH LIKE NO OTHER

This is why the Church is no ordinary human institution. It is not based on human action or human wisdom. Christ said that He was establishing His Church on the Rock of Peter’s confession of faith, such that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it, giving keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, to bind and loose on earth as it is in Heaven (Mt. 16:18-19). This is not the Lions Club or a golf club. The Church is called the “Body of Christ,” such that what is done to Christ’s people is reckoned to Christ Himself (1 Cor. 12:12-27, Acts 9:4). The Church is called the “Bride of Christ,” for whom Christ died, to sanctify and cleanse and make completely holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:25-27). The Church is a “holy priesthood,” the temple of the Holy Spirit, elect and precious (1 Pet. 1:5, Eph. 2:20-22). While God has also established families and nations, and we may establish other human institutions, no other assembly has such promises. 

CONCLUSION

The Church grows through the preaching of the cross of Christ. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, crucified for sinners, raised from the dead, ascended to the Father, Lord of the Church, and Lord of the Nations. Or else if He isn’t, we really do have better things to do on Sunday mornings. But this is the message that has transformed the world: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified for our sins, He was buried, and on the third day, He rose from the dead. This historical fact, this message of the Cross is the wisdom and power of God by which the Church grows and the world turns to the Lord. We are in fellowship, but our fellowship is with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Read Full Article

INTRODUCTION

The Lordship of Jesus Christ means the submission and surrender and obedience of all. And this is good news because He died and rose again for our sins, and He knows what He’s doing – He is a gracious Lord. He rules for our happiness. But this may be one of the most hated Christian doctrines.

The lies of our flesh, the world, and the Devil say that God is withholding something from us, He has forgotten us, He would help but He can’t, or else that He isn’t really good. And these lies tempt us to panic, grasp, demand, get angry, and in various ways assert our own lordship which only makes us less happy. In this passage, Christ confronts the plans and misconceptions of Saul and Ananias, and what Jesus says to them, He says to every one of us: “arise and go.”

The Text: “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem…” (Acts 9:1-22).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Full of animosity, Saul takes his persecution on the road to Damascus, where Jesus confronted him with a bright, blinding light, and gave him radically new orders (Acts 9:1-9). Notice that Jesus addresses Saul personally, by name, and that He takes the persecution of His people personally, reckoning what is done to them as done to Him (Acts 9:4). Three days later, a disciple named Ananias was instructed by the Lord to go find Saul to restore his sight, and to baptize him so that he might receive the Holy Spirit, and despite his concerns, he obeyed (Acts 9:10-18). Saul immediately preached Christ in the synagogues, causing quite a stir, especially as his arguments increased in strength, confounding the Jews (Acts 9:19-22).

Kicking Against the Goads & Obedience to the Lord

When Jesus confronted Saul, He said, “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:5). The image Jesus is using is taken from using oxen to plow a field, where a farmer often had a prick or goad that would be used to drive the oxen. Sometimes a goad might even be attached to the plow, such that if the animal kicked, the goad would prick them even more sharply. Sin makes people beastlike, slaves to their lusts, slaves to their passions, slaves to their emotions, slaves to their past. The call of Christ is the call to full and true humanity and freedom.  

Jesus graciously confronts Saul by saying that he is in rebellion and his rebellion is only making it more painful for himself. And Saul responds in surrender: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” And the command from the Lord is to “arise and go” (Acts 9:6). The same command is given a few verses later to Ananias, “Arise and go” (Acts 9:11). Who dares order people around like this? The One who made us, the One who suffered and died for our sins. The One who is worthy of all obedience. Jesus is Lord.

THE SORROWS OF THE WICKED

In Psalm 32, a similar warning is given in the context of confession of sin: “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about” (Ps. 32:9-10).

The contrast in this psalm is between the sorrows and pains of our beastly stubbornness and the joy and relief of obedience and confession. If you are not a Christian, then you cannot have peace and joy when you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, when you are trying to be your own lord. But if you are a Christian, you cannot have peace and joy if you are refusing to obey your Lord, and in particular refusing to confess your sins. 

Years later, Saul/Paul wrote to Timothy: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (1 Tim. 1:15-16). 

Do not despair. Do not lose hope. If Saul obtained mercy there is mercy for you and there is mercy for anyone. 

CONCLUSION

“For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:9-10).

God’s grace is not a flimsy, weak thing. His grace is fiery and fierce. His grace propels us to great and joyful obedience. In Christ, God’s authority and kindness are married. His will is almighty and all-gracious. He summons us to die, but the summons to die, is an invitation to begin to really live. Your own desires and plans are often not good, right, or healthy. But when you obey the Lord joyfully, you become a force for that good. 

Read Full Article