Acts 9:19b-25 

^19bSaul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. ²⁰ At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. ²¹ 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?” ²² Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. ²³ After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, ²⁴ but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. ²⁵ But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

Recyclable

When we were in China, Louie made it a hobby to collect plastic bottles and sell them. We ask our friends to save plastic bottles and Louie would take and carry them each time we visit their homes. Louie was able to buy his motorized car toy with the money he saved from selling recyclable bottles.

Recycling things is a very productive innovation and God himself has practically employed it. God has recycled people who are hated, people who are hazardous to Christians like Saul. Saul was hazardous and harmful to the disciples but the Lord recycled him for His glory. God manufactured Saul into one of the more useful characters in Christianity.

Let’s learn from the life experiences and the quick spiritual growth of Saul.

1. Preach

^19bSaul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. ²⁰ At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

The transformation of Saul into a preacher was quicker than most conversions we heard. With God, there is no short or long time transformation; He can transform a person instantly.

Saul had a very memorable and a very distinct encounter with the Lord. He heard the voice of the Lord audibly; he saw the blinding appearance of Jesus. In a vision, he saw a man named Ananias praying for him and it happened as it was.

He was very convinced without any doubt that the Jesus is the Son of the Living God. After his baptism, he spent time with the disciples afterwards, he began to preach.

²¹ 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?” ²² Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

It was truly confusion to those who have known Saul as persecutor few days earlier. An enemy of Christianity to become a gospel preacher in a short period of time is baffling. Only God can do such a thing in the life of a former persecutor transformed into a preacher. His life experience was Saul’s best exhibit when he preached about Jesus as the Messiah. The complete turn around of his life in just few days was a manifestation of God’s power. Throughout the New Testament, each time Saul preaches before a crowd, he would always tell how he personally encountered the Lord Jesus.

Our challenge: “Do you have a story to tell about your personal encounter with the Lord?”

If you are to tell how Christ changed your life, what would you like to tell others?

Saul, after he was transformed, he went preaching about Jesus in the synagogue at once. Being a former Pharisee, he had some influential acquaintances with religious leaders. But for him to be very daring in preaching about Jesus, it was God who empowered him.

When you encountered God, when you personally experienced God, God has also given you a specific calling in the ministry. God has prepared particular good works in advance for you to do.

In Ephesians 2:10 it says… ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Those good works God has prepared for you to do are His means to mould you into a disciple He wanted you become and to grow spiritually.

Have you discovered that specific calling God wants you to become?

God has also prepared an avenue for you to practice your calling for you to become exactly what God has designed and planned for you.

Called to Preach

Few years before I enrolled in the seminary, I confidently and seriously told my wife: “You will never see me standing behind that pulpit much more to preach!”

Few years later, after my 1^st preaching in a church setting, I was reminded of my words. I know that the old introvert me has been transformed into a person called to preach.

Preaching has been a ministry I love, enjoy, and never get tired preparing for sermons. Not everyone is called to preach; some are called to evangelize, teach, go to mission, serve in practical ways like: singing, leading, giving, organizing, healing, administration, etc. You’ll know you are called into a ministry when you have excitement and consistency.

God has also prepared opportunities for you to practice your calling regularly.

In Ephesians 4:11-13 it teaches us… ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

While waiting for perfect God’s timing for you, join every opportunities to be trained. Discover the works of service God has prepared for you to be involved with. Your calling is an avenue where God shapes you into a disciple He has designed for you. The works of service God has designed are God’s instrument for you to grow spiritually.

When God allows problems when you decide to be more serious in your spiritual life, God is taking from where you are and bringing you to a higher level of spiritual growth.

2. Problem

²³ After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, ²⁴ but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. ²⁵ But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

The leaders of Jewish people did not like when Saul was preaching about Jesus. They wanted to kill him but his followers heard about it and saved him.

Saul’s problem against the Jews was a terrible problem a disciple could encounter. But if God has called you in His service, you may encounter some struggles but the Lord is faithful and gives you a way out of that problem.

We are reminded about what the Lord told Ananias in Acts 9:15…¹⁵ But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

The book of Acts narrates that Saul has been in constant danger each time he preached the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord said that Saul will suffer for His name and indeed it happened. Saul suffered but he never back down, he never thought of stopping, all the more, he has experienced the grace of God in his life, especially, in times of trouble.

The grace of God is sufficient enough for Saul to keep on keeping on preaching.

Scared to Witness

In one of our Bible Studies, one student asked: “Pastor, I want to witness to my friends but I am afraid, I’m scared of what they will say if I talk about Christ!”

Have you experienced that; you were scared of what people say if you testify about Jesus?

Some are scared to testify because there is no concrete transformation in their life. Others do not know what to say or how to answer tricky questions. With God’s timing, His empowerment will prevail over any hesitation to testify about Him.

In Acts 1:8 it says… ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…

V.8 says that before witnessing: first, you receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Those who are scared to witness, for sure, have not received the power of God. Witnessing is the result of having the Holy Spirit and receiving power from the Lord.

There’s excitement in witnessing; there’s courage like dynamite explosion with God’s power. Joy, peace, and courage are tangible manifestations of empowerment of the Holy Spirit

In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul says… ⁷For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

God gives the believer the spirit of power so that there is no timidity during witnessing. God gives the spirit of love to help us understand that every person should be given a chance to hear the gospel of Christ. God gives the spirit of self-discipline to help us wait for His right timing when to witness.

When a person is prepared to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, God sends a witness.

Keep praying that you will experience that power from the Lord very realistically.

You are more assured that you have genuinely accepted Christ as Lord of your life when you have that explosive excitement to tell others about your personal encounter with Christ. You will know that Christ is in your life if His Spirit, the Holy Spirit has come into your life. You will know that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ has come into your life when you have explosive thrill to testify about your personal experience with Christ consequently.

Do you believe that God can transform you overnight like what he did with Saul?

Keep on praying and asking that God would pour out the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ into your life; do not stop until you’ve experience joy, peace, and courage to witness.

Do not force the issue of witnessing in your life; pray and wait for God’s empowerment.

You know that you are growing spiritually when you experience that excitement, peace, and courage telling others about you personal encounter with the Lord.

><((‘> … ><(((‘. tmec\2021 <‘)))>< … <‘))><