Four Questions Pertaining To Paul Acts 9:1-9

1. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4) Set to destroy the church of Christ (Acts 8:1-3) Set to destroy the church of Christ (Acts 8:1-3) “havoc” to affix a stigma to, dishonor, defile, ravage, devastate, ruin Paul brought much harm to the saints in Jerusalem (Acts 9:13) Destroyed those who called on the name of Christ (9:21; 22:4, 5; 26:9-11; Phil. 3:6) Paul persecuted Jesus, though he never set a finger on the Lord’s actual person Paul persecuted Jesus, though he never set a finger on the Lord’s actual person What does this mean? A deep relationship exists between Jesus and the church! 2

Our Relationship to the Church Defines Our Relationship to Jesus Applications Applications When we preach about the church, we are “preaching Jesus” Preaching the kingdom, is preaching the church, is preaching Jesus Jesus preached the kingdom and in doing so preached the “gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:17, 23) Both were connected in Paul’s preaching (Acts 28:30, 31) “Kingdom,” and “church” are tied together in the “gospel!” 3

Example of NT Saints Therefore we are preaching Christ when we preach about the kingdom! Preaching Christ is preaching the word of God (Acts 8:4, 5, 14) Preaching Christ is connected to preaching the Kingdom (Acts 8:5, 12) Learning and obeying the gospel places us into the kingdom which is why they were baptized (v. 12) Kingdom “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. …But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized” (Acts 8:5, 12) Preach 4

Outline of some key points in Colossians 1 Heard + Knew = Learned “the grace of God in truth” (vv. 6, 7) Faithful brethren in Colosse (v. 2) Heard “the word of the truth of the gospel” (v. 5) Conveyed into kingdom of the Son of His love (v. 13) Head of body the church (v. 18) Learning and obeying the gospel conveys us into the kingdom of the Son and makes us members of His body, the church! Gospel Kingdom Church 5

How To Get In Kingdom/Church? Preaching gospel requires commanding baptism (Mk. 16:15, 16; Col. 2:12) Faithful brethren in Colosse (v. 2) Heard “the word of the truth of the gospel” (v. 5) Conveyed into kingdom of the Son of His love (v. 13) Head of body the church (v. 18) Gospel Kingdom Church Preaching Christ requires the preaching of the kingdom of God, the name of Jesus and baptism (Acts 8:5, 12) Baptism is into the body (1 Cor. 12:13) 6

WHEN WE WERE BAPTIZED “INTO CHRIST” WE WERE BAPTIZED “INTO HIS BODY!” WE OUGHT TO APPRECIATE THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP OF JESUS WITH THE CHURCH: WHEN WE WERE BAPTIZED “INTO CHRIST” WE WERE BAPTIZED “INTO HIS BODY!” “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:12, 13) 7

"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4) 8

Our Relationship to the Church Defines Our Relationship to Jesus Other Applications What about forsaking the church? What about cursing the church? What about minimizing the church? “Some think that following Jesus is attending a certain church or political party. A follower of Jesus is one who places their life where the apostles placed their feet” (Max Lucado, CSPAN, national prayer breakfast broadcast, Feb. 4, 1999) A certain church or political party? 9

“A follower of Jesus is one who places their life where the apostles placed their feet” Didn’t the apostles place their feet and their life into the church? What has God placed in the church? 10

What is placed in the church? The blood of Christ (Acts 20:28) The affection of Christ (Eph. 5:25) The redemption and forgiveness of sins (Col. 2:12, 13) Having forgiven “you,” who? Those in the kingdom/church (Col. 1:13, 14, 18; cf. Eph. 2:16) The fullness of Him (Eph. 1:22, 23) The concern of the apostles (1 Cor. 12:28; 2 Cor. 11:28) 11

Our Relationship to the Church Defines Our Relationship to Jesus Other Applications What about doing good to those in the church (Matt. 25:31-40; Gal. 6:10)? 12

2. “Who are you Lord?” (Acts 9:5) On his march to Damascus he met Jesus How some have answered who the Lord is: A good teacher (Mk. 10:17, 18) A deceiver (Jn. 7:12; Matt. 27:63) Demon possessed and mad (Jn. 10:19-21) A prophet (Matt. 16:13, 14) The Christ, the son of God (Matt. 16:15-17) The right answer—Romans 1:1-4 13

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Why Do So Many Reach Wrong Conclusions About A Lot of Things? Baptism versus faith alone? First day of the week versus Sabbath keeping? A cappella versus instrumental music? One church versus many? Being a faithful member or a hit and miss attender? “Christian” versus man-made names “Church of Christ” versus man-made names 15

Why Do So Many Reach Wrong Conclusions About A Lot of Things? Not because of a lack of intelligence Not because the message is vague and unclear Not because the word of God is inaccessible 16

BECAUSE 1.People simply do not like God’s choices “ 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Cor. 1:26-29) 2.Men love darkness 17

Truth Repels and Attracts John 3:19-21 “ 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” Repellant Attractant 18

3. “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (9:6) “ Lord, what do You want me to do?” Do we often think about what we do as that which the Lord wants us to do? “Lord, what do You want me to do?” The Lord places personal and individual responsibility upon us (1 Cor. 11:28; Phil. 2:12; 1 Pet. 1:17; etc.) “Lord, what do You want me to do ?” The Founder was a doer (Acts 1:1) He expects us to be “doers” of His will (Lk. 6:46; Jas. 1:22; Matt. 7:21) 19

The Lord Did Not Tell Paul Exactly What He “Must Do” “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6) What Paul “MUST DO” would be told to him in the city 20

4. “And now why are you waiting?” (Acts 22:16) This verse contains what the Lord wanted Paul to do The majority of denominations teach that Paul was saved on the road to Damascus If Paul was saved on the road to Damascus, then he must have been saved in sin Since we cannot be saved in sin, Paul was not saved until he obeyed this command 21

Some Answers That Do Not Match What Paul Was Told He “Must” Do “Do Nothing” (cf. Acts 9:6) “Just Believe” (cf. Acts 9:5, 6) “Fast” (cf. Acts 9:9) “Pray and let Jesus into your heart” (Acts 9:11) None of these answers or actions would have saved Saul! 22

‘CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD’ IN ACTS ACTS 2:21, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” “And now why are you waiting? Arise and BE BAPTIZED, and wash away your sins, CALLING on the name of the Lord.” ACTS 22:16 23