Acts 9:1-19 ~ Unbelievable Change
By way of introduction: If you could go back from 2020, and tell 2019 version of yourself about today, what would you say? How much has changed?
Read Acts 9:1-19
We have already met Saul in the Book of Acts (7:58 and 8:3), and we see his own testimony in-full later on in Acts 22 and Acts 26. Saul’s so-called “name change” to Paul has nothing to do with his conversion, but he like many of the day simply has two names (Saul is Hebrew and Paul is Greek). Yet from Paul’s pen we have his theological testimony to the gospel of Jesus given to us throughout his letters. Read from Philippians 3:1-11, what makes Saul tick when we see him here at the start of Acts 9?
Who was Saul persecuting, according to Jesus (Acts 9:4-6)? From his conversion and throughout his letters, Saul/Paul has a profound understanding of our union with Christ, and what that means for the church. How does the way we relate to church reveal how we relate to Jesus (not just in persecution, but in all our attitudes)?
How is Jesus acting here in the Book of his Acts, and for what purpose does Jesus have for Saul (Acts 9:15-16)?
What is Jesus purpose in saving us (Read Philippians 1:29)? In what ways do we see the church living this out today, even here in Bendigo, in Reforming Church?
Initially Ananias is not so sure about Saul, can you blame him?! But because Ananias believes that this unbelievable change can happen because only Jesus can change everything, he goes to Saul. How does he treat Saul?
From Sunday’s sermon we saw how there are a few ways Jesus changes everything in our lives from this episode in Acts 9:1-19. Talk through each and pray that the gospel would be re-forming us deeply:
For those of us who have been living life in a religious and self-righteous way, rather than through knowing Jesus relationally as Lord of our life. What do we need (read Acts 28:18)?
Some of us are not praying (Acts 9:11) as if our life and salvation depends totally on Jesus. How does knowing Jesus as Lord change our prayer life?
Some of us find we are not so sure about embracing the newcomer (like Ananias wasn’t sure about Saul), how does Jesus change that for us?
Pray for one another
