Acts 9
Background:
- Saul's Conversion (Acts 9,22,26)
* Prejudices die hard.
- Many say that it was just a storm, but Barnabas affirmed the incident.
Early Footsteps of Saul/
God's Work of Salvation
1. Formative Period
- God reveals Himself
2. Fervency in Prayer
a. at all times (without ceasing)
- God conscious
- constant/persevering
3. Call to Serve
- saved to serve
v. Acts 22:8,12
a. Who are you Lord?
* God's deity is the foundation of the faith.
b. What shall I do Lord?
~ Vessel: believers. use of God. coveying God's Word to men
not something you appoint to yourself; God-appointed; affirmed by God
- call to a lifestyle of limits
- living: to be faithful until the end
* Saul: tent maker but known as the apostle
4. Filled with the Holy Sprit
- kept filled
+ fizzy
- yield to the HS: one decision after the other
- controlled by the Spirit
5. Entry to Fellowship with Christians in Church
- do not sit in the counsel of the ungodly
v. Phil. 1:8
- socializing vs. fellowship
- love is the tie that bonds
- Spirit people needs to talk spiritual things with other spiritual people.
6. Boldly Proclaiming God's Word
7. Perseverance in the midst of suffering and persecution
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v. 1-9
Narrative: Light enveloped Saul...
1. God contacted him.
- God always initiates the conversion to salvation.
2. God confronted him and he was convicted of his sin. v. 4
- Every struck in church will never go unfelt in Heaven.
- Anyone who goes against God is a curse.
- Simple rejection of Christ's offer of salvation and disobedience makes you an enemy of God.
3. Saul was converted.
- Saul's Opposition: Jesus claimed to be the Messiah.
-Saul honored Christ's great revelation.
- Bright face came to God's chosen people... (e.g. Moses): full revelation of God (final outshining of who Jesus is) and the love of God
- 2 Types of Religion: Religion of works & Religion of grace
- Paul's Discovery v. Phil. 3:4-11
- Saul's conversion was extraordinary. It was sovereign grace. (I Tim. 1: 13-17)
4. Saul consecrated himself to obeying God.
- obedience out of love
Before: Ready to go to Damascus with great confiedence to persecute believers.
After: Broken, helpless, sightless for three days but was transformed.
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v. 10-20
Early Footsteps of Saul
1. Formative Period
- Fasting/ Revealing of God to His people
* You can't know the Son if he won't reveal Himself to you.
2. Fervency in Prayer
* Prayer is the spontaneous act when believing in God.
a. Like breathing. Natural: Vital Breath
* Cause of Prayerlessness
i. Sin of Unforgiveness
ii. Selfishness (laziness, unconcern, indifference)
* When you are not praying, it's suffocating.
b. Prayer for a new Christian is like crying for a new-born baby.
* Instead of trusting Himself, he trusted on God.
* Gentlekindness of God: vision of Saul. hope in receiving his sight.
* Basic Things that Proves that God Answers Prayer
i. Bible
ii. Past experiences that God answers a prayer
iii. Vision (Saul & Annanias)
- God is truly in control by design.
3. Call to Serve
a. God can use the most obscure believer. (Annanias)
b. We should never be afraid to obey God's Word.
- God uses both ends to accomplish His will.
c. God's work is always balance.
d. We must never underestimate one believer/worker of God. = faithfulness
- Ours: lead men and women to Christ.
- God: use men for His glory.
e. There is urgency in serving God.
+ someday never happens
+ saved to serve - vocation becomes avocation/hobby
PV: Jn. 13:35
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Transformation can't be done by...
1. Psychology
2. Education
3. Powerful Prescription/ Shock
Drugs
4. Positive Thinking
5. Society Reform
6. Others (medicine.falling in love.)
Scriptures Claim of Transformation
1. Powerlessness of Externals
v. Jer. 13:23
* Man can't change what he is.
* God sees the stain of your iniquity.
v. Jer. 9:4 - world full of cunning men
2. Importance of Internals
- the problem is internal
v. Jer. 17:9 - heart is deceitful
* God is in work of transforming.
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4. Filled with the Spirit
Apostles' Laying of Hands
- representatives of the church
- to make sure they are under authority of the apostles and are saved in the same method
+ Paul: Special Case of no laying Hands - he himself is an apostle
* New apostles were not left behind. Same ranks. e.g. Matthias
+Paul: commision to serve as an apostle, equal with other apostles, chosen personally, receiving the HS
God's Work of Transforming a New Believer's Characters
(2 Fudamental Steps)
1. God takes the natural strengths and refines them.
a. leadership
b. strong will power and discipline
* "If you don't master sin, sin will master you."
c. inflexible convictions
d. bold and brash
e. self-sufficiency and independence
f. crusading spirit
g. motivation and perseverance
- Second Coming of Christ
h. speaking ability
2. God eliminates undesirable characteristics, and replaces it with something more useful/desirable traits.
a. cruel hate/anger to love
b. restlessness/aggressive spirit to peace v. Phil.4:11-13
c. roughness to gentleness
v. I Thes. 2:7
d. replacing pride with humility
v. Acts 14:15, II Cor. 12:7
v. II Cor. 3:18
- Metamorphia = Transformation = Sanctification
~ e.g. caterpillar metamorphosis
~ Sanctification: begins at the time of conversion. work of the Holy Spirit. carrying out of regeneration to its intended end (Christ likeness). being a full-grown man. part: yield control of our life to the HS from day to day and moment to moment/pursuing a life of holiness. a process. even the tiniest thing would convict you.
*Sin in a believer's life is a defeated army but will never surrender (guerilla warfare). The Holy Spirit is our agent that will transform us and help us overcome the battle.
Problems besetting many Christians
- not believing that the Holy Spirit transforms you = process of sanctification
- not to believe in God is sin, abandoning the Spirit-filled life.
- let God transform you at his own pace
- change - instantaneous
- the faster we yield, the faster we'll be transformed
- e.g. line man - leaning fully on the belt not on the pole
- Sanctification: having awareness of how perfect they were becoming X. knowing that you're a sinner and seeks always for God's continual guidance and forgiveness.
4 Steps in Trusting God
1. Make it a priority in life.
2. Develop a keen sensitivity to sin.
- deal with the root problem (e.g. parenting)
3. Study the Word of God.
4. Don't grieve or quench the Holy Spirit
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5. Entry to Fellowship with Christians in Church
- "koinonia": sharing/communion with common ground
- backdoor Christians X
Erroneous Views about Churches that Hindered Fellowship
1. Rise of para-church organizations
v. C4C
2. Church growth movement
3. C. acceleration to secularism
Bible's Explanation of Body Fellowship
1. Basis
- One Spirit bcoz of Christ
- Word of Life
- same with basis of those who fellowshiped with Christ
v. I Jn. 1
+ lookout: long search or gaze
2. Nature
v. I Tim. 3:15, Eph. 2:19
+ metaphors: household of God
- importance of right conduct in a family
- need to be in the church/ part of the church
+ vitals of one another
3. Danger that Threatens it
- communion: examine yourself
- sin: affects family, church, country, so be warned
- sin without repentance
Vitals of One Another
1. confess sins to one another
- comfort as God comforted you
v. II Cor. 1:3-4
2. forgive one another
v. II Cor. 2:6-8
-when someone for his sin, never restrain from forgiving
3. bear one another's burden
- sympathetic burden. accountable of others v. I Tim. 5:20
- confront a sinning brother: v. Mt. 18
~ err on grace -> putting out of church
4. love one another
- no favoritism; putting others ahead of you; caring of one another
v. I Jn. 4:7
- fervently: stretched love
5. encourage one another
v. Heb. 10:25
- "parakaleo": with sense of urgency; coming alongside with personal care
6. build up one another
v. I. Thes. 5:11: using Word of God
7. admonish one another
v. II Thes. 3:14
- sin is present
- encourage a brother to turn away from sin
8. pray for one another
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