Peace and Life

Acts 9:31-9:43

Each month, on the last Sunday of the month, we have a shorter teaching followed by communion together and then a sharing time, where anyone can contribute what the Lord has been teaching them, ask for prayer, and generally, be open to promptings of the Spirit so that we “build one another up in love.” This Sunday is such a Sunday.

We have been traveling through the book of Acts. Today, in a sense, “The last will be first and the first will be last.” I am going to take the passage a bit out of order. I will save the first verse, Acts 9:31, for last, because it leads so well into communion.

As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. – Acts 9:32-35

A New Man

Acts 9:19-30

Last week John shared about the conversion of Saul, the person we now know as Paul. Recall that it was a miraculous experience: struck with a blinding light, hearing the voice of Jesus saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” He was struck blind, led into the city of Damascus, didn’t eat or drink for 3 days, and then was met by Ananias, who obeyed the Lord’s call and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." It says that something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and then he was again able to see. It also says he was baptized. This brings us to today’s passage.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 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?" – Acts 9:19-21

Blind But Now He Sees

Acts 9:1-19a

This is the second time I delivered a full length message on Sunday morning. After the first teaching, I had two strong reactions. The first came immediately and lasted for about 2-4 hours afterward. I thought, “As long as I live I will never do this again.” After a day or so, the Spirit must have been softening my heart, and I realized I needed to “get back on the horse”. Then, Carl asked, “When do you want to teach again?” (not “Do you want to teach again?”) Because it was already on my heart, I agreed to share again before I gave myself time to come up with an excuse why I couldn’t.

So, here we are. Acts 9:1-19a. The conversion of Saul. This is the great turning in Saul’s life, a great turning point in the early church and a great turning point in the history of the world. Saul returns to this story two other times in the book of Acts. In Acts 22, he gives his testimony before the Jews in Jerusalem. Later in Acts 26, he gives his testimony before King Agrippa. He uses the testimony of his conversion to demonstrate the power of Jesus Christ in his life.

The Good News

Acts 8:26-8:40

Happy Resurrection Sunday! He is risen! I am so glad we have a date in the calendar year specifically set aside to remember this fact. I like Easter - I like that except for a strange bunny and a bunch of eggs, it remains fairly uncommercialized. It is still a religious holiday. As we will see, today’s passage in Acts seems quite appropriate for this day.

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." – Acts 8:26-29

God's Power Cannot Be Bought

Acts 8:9-8:25

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." – Acts 8:9-10

What was it like to be Simon? He was a famous magician, the celebrity in Samaria. It is interesting – when I try to think of a modern day equivalent, I come up with people like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Our culture views them highly – not as a divine power, but as exceptional producers, directors, makers of magic on the screen. They too have amazed all the people with their magic. They too enchant the rich and poor, the high and low – in Greek, the micros and the megas.

They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. – Acts 8:11-13