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Acts

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Responding To The Gospel Call

Acts 8:36-40

Philip had intercepted the Ethiopian eunuch, on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.  The location and timing were God’s plan (Acts 8:26-27).  This man, the Chief Finance Minister for his country, was a God-fearer and very much wanted to understand more.  So, he was reading from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of our Old Testament.  When Philip joined him, the Ethiopian was struggling to understand the meaning of the text (Isaiah 53:7-8) – who was the person being treated so badly?  Philip explained it was all about Jesus who died unjustly, but willingly, for the sins of the world (Acts 8

Divine Challenge

Acts 9:1-4

The persecution, sparked by Stephen's religious murder, was effective in driving many Christians out of Jerusalem (Acts 8:1).  But that was all part of God’s plan … because they took the gospel with them: many more people came to believe in Jesus because of Philip's ministry in Samaria and Judea (Acts 8:4-40).  But Saul (later called Paul, the Apostle), who was present when Stephen was stoned by the Sanhedrin, then wanted to eliminate all those who believed in Jesus (then called 'people of the Way') (Acts 22:19-20).

Prophetic Blindness

Acts 9:5-9

Jesus confronted Saul (later known as Paul, the Apostle) on the road to Damascus.  This passage starts just after Jesus had asked him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4).  His reply was honest, "Who are You, Lord?"  Saul had heard about Jesus, and he despised Him; but Saul did not know Him.  The religious zealot thought he was pleasing God by persecuting Christians, but he was wrong (Acts 9:1-2).  He assumed that he had power and that Jesus was yesterday's failed imposter; he was wrong about that too.  The blinding light, and the commanding voice who knew hi

Unwelcome Assignment

Acts 9:10-16

The blinded Saul (later called Paul, the Apostle) was led by the hand to Damascus (Acts 9:6-9).  He did not know exactly where he was, but Jesus knew all about him; his name, his birthplace and his new prayer-life.  Elsewhere in the city, Ananias, who was a Jewish believer in Jesus (perhaps a refugee from the persecution in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1)), also heard the Lord Jesus speaking to him in a vision.

Courage in Service and Fellowship

Acts 9:17-19

Ananias was fearful that his vision with the instruction to meet Saul might have put him in danger (Acts 9:15-16).  But the Lord convinced him to trust Him and be obedient.  Arriving in Judas' house in Straight Street, Ananias found Saul who was unable to see (Acts 9:11-12).  He reached out to the former persecutor, greeting him warmly as a brother in Christ.  Ananias said that his assignment was to restore Saul's sight through the authority of Jesus and announce the infilling of the Holy Spirit (John 20:22).

A Changed Man

Acts 9:20-22

Saul had met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9).  Saul's intention was to persecute the believers and try to eliminate the Jewish sect called 'The Way' (their term for Christians) who followed Jesus (Acts 9:2).  Instead, Jesus confronted Saul's arrogant ignorance, and Saul was converted, received the Holy Spirit and was baptised (Acts 9:17-18).  From that moment Saul started a whole new life.  First, he fellowshipped with his new spiritual siblings – paradoxically, they were the same people who he had come to arrest and imprison.

Challenging Faith

Acts 9:23-30

Saul (later called Paul) had met Jesus Christ and been converted (Acts 9:1-9).  Instead of persecuting believers, he became a fully convinced follower of Jesus.  He stopped persecuting the church and started to preach in Damascus that Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 9:20-22).  Although religious people in Damascus initially tolerated Saul, eventually he proved too much of a threat to them.  So, they planned to kill him.  Keeping the gates under surveillance day and night, they planned to ambush Saul when he left the city.  Apparently, there was no way out.  But Saul heard about the plot and, und

Times Of Peace

Acts 9:31

After Stephen's murder - he was stoned to death by the same Sanhedrin who sentenced Jesus to death (Acts 7:54-60) - a wave of persecution erupted in Jerusalem and Saul extended this to Jews in other countries who believed in Jesus (Acts 8:1-3).  Saul's sudden conversion was a shock to him, and also to the newly formed churches and to the unbelieving Jews.  It was a sort of religious earthquake which forced everybody to consider who Jesus is, and how they wanted to relate to Him.  The believers were strengthened in their faith and witness; while those who resisted Jesus wanted to kill Saul –

Powerful Pastoral Visit

Acts 9:32-35

Peter, James and John were the leaders of the church in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9) but Peter had visited the different parts of the country, including Samaria, to affirm the new believers in their faith (Acts 1:8).  He saw for himself what God was doing among people who were not regarded as true Jews.  But most of his time was spent in Jerusalem and the towns of Judea, like Lydda, teaching Jews who had believed in Jesus.  Lydda was north-west of Jerusalem at the foot of the hills above the coastal plain of Sharon about 15 miles from the seaport of Joppa (Jonah 1:1-3).   A church had been for

Honouring Godliness

Acts 9:36-39

Peter had just seen Aeneas healed in Lydda where a large number of people were converted (Acts 9:32-35).  They realised the awesome authority of Jesus Christ.  About 15 miles away, in the Mediterranean seaport of Joppa, a much-loved believer called Tabitha had died.  By recording her Greek name, it appears that Luke was hinting that Tabitha had previously converted to Judaism.  Now she believed in Jesus as the Messiah.  Hearing that Peter was nearby in Lydda, the believers sent two men to ask him to come quickly.

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