Saul Proclaims Christ

SAUL PROCLAIMS CHRIST (Acts 9:19-31)

We have said in the past that one of the reasons that the devil hates us is because we have abandoned him. The war that Satan fights against the church is very personal to him because a lot of us have switched sides.

That's what Paul was experiencing. All of Satan's influence was unleashed against him. But this didn't stop God from using Paul.

What follows Paul's justification?

=> SANCTIFICATION

1. PREACHING

"IMMEDIATELY, he proclaimed Jesus."

Paul didn't have to sit around and wonder what his calling was. He went straight to preaching the gospel. He knew he was called to this ministry - making the Son of God known.

"Son of God" - this encompasses the truth of His (a) Messiah-ship and His (b) divinity

This needs to continue to be preached to all the world amidst hate and resistance like how it was hated and resisted during Paul's time, but he persisted.

2. PERSECUTION

The plot to kill Paul was not just orchestrated by the angry Jews but also by the high powers behind them.

This was Paul's life - preach and then suffer for it. Eventually he was killed for the Gospel that he preached.

Why dedicate your life to the preaching that would cause you pain and eventually get you killed? The only reason must be having realised the value of the thing we speak about.

3. PROGRESS

From persecution comes progress.

How many times has the Church thrived through persecution?

Persecution does not set us back, God uses it to lead us to progress.

What is the responsibility of the church?

"To walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit." (V31b)

What does it mean?

To be overcome by the manifold attributes of God—His power, wrath, holiness on the one hand, which cause us to fear Him, and His comforting tenderness, love, grace and mercy, on the other.

This is the posture that we ought to adopt before God - the posture of fear and comfort.