I please God to bless our meditation
tonight as we continue in the Acts and chapter 9 and commencing
at verse 23 down to verse 31. And you remember that last week
we commented on the previous verses where Saul had been converted
and his eyes had been opened and straightway he preached Christ
in the synagogues that he is the son of God but all that heard
him were amazed and said is not this he that destroyed them which
called on this name in Jerusalem and came hither for that intent
that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests but saw
it increase them more in strength and confounded the Jews which
dwelt at Damascus proving that this is the very Christ now we
move on and we see the apostle Paul moves on and he said and
after that many days were fulfilled the Jews took counsel to kill
him now the many days were approximately three years he left them in Damascus
and he'd gone into Arabia that place of desert and he was there
for three years and the Lord in that time great instructed
him and blessed him and then he returned to Damascus to continue
preaching the gospel and we can see that the Jews were so annoyed
at the truth which he was declaring and they hated what they considered
to be a false gospel and therefore they took counsel to kill him. They determined to get rid of
him. You see what a change, a situation
occurs. There he was at one time on their
side. and trying to alienate everybody
who desires to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and
to persecute them and to commit them to prison. And now it's
the opposite situation. He is preaching the gospel and
the people now want to get rid of him because he's preaching
that which they hated. And so we read that their laying
a weight was known of Saul And they watch the gates day and
night to kill him. Well we see how God does sometimes
preserve his people in a very special way. Not always are they
preserved. Sometimes that price has to be
paid. And we know that historically
there have been many martyrs who have given their life for
the gospel. And many today in different parts
of the world give their life because they are not prepared
to give up their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we always
need to realize the cost of true Christianity. We have a very
easy life in our nation here today, but we have to examine
ourselves to see whether we would be prepared to lose our life. if we were called to stand firm
for the things that we believe and not to weaken and deny the
blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Well, the apostle Paul was bold
to proclaim the great and glorious truth of the gospel and so they
watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples
took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket,
a way to escape and I understand that walls of cities were classified
as holy things because they didn't want people to climb over the
walls to get into the building, into the city rather. And therefore
it was generally not allowed for people to be seen on the
walls. Well here was the Apostle Paul
in this situation. The disciples took him and let
him down by the wall in a basket. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem,
he had said to join himself to the disciples, but they were
all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple. They couldn't believe that this
man they heard so much about was now a true disciple of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And the Apostle Paul, he gives
us the account of this situation when he wrote to the Galatians
in the first chapter he says for I certify you brethren that
the gospel which was preached of me is not after man for I
neither received it of man Neither was I taught it, but by the revelation
of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard in my conversation
in time past, in the Jewish religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted
the Church of God, and wasted it, and profited in the Jewish
religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more
exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. Well that was
the Apostle's confession of his profession at that time. And then he tells us that when
it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and
called me by his grace. You see he makes this grand statement
here that it was God when it pleased God, who separated him
from my mother's womb and called me by His grace, this free unmerited
favour. And the Apostle Paul was to enjoy,
my friends, all of God's children enjoy this great wonderful blessing
to be called by His grace, that personal call the apostle heard
it on that Damascus road and God's children do hear it not
in the same way perhaps but nevertheless there is a word spoken into the
heart where our hearts become alive spiritually to receive
the word of God and so he says and called me by his grace to
reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the heathen
Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." You see, he
was shut up to God. My friends, none teach like the
Lord. And the teaching of God is infallible. You see, man's teaching may be
fallible, God's teaching is infallible. And so he tells us, neither went
I up to Jerusalem, to them which were apostles before me, but
I went into Arabia. and returned again unto Damascus. And after three years he went
up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw
I none save James the Lord's brother. Now the things which
I write unto you behold before God I lie not and so we see the
Apostle telling us the situation which existed in his life and
how he followed this way and came to Jerusalem and when Saul
was come to Jerusalem he has said to join himself to the disciples
but they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was
a disciple but Barnabas took him and Barnabas was that person
that on that day of Pentecost or following that day of Pentecost
he was one of those people that came and brought, sold his goods
so that they might have the benefit of those finances and were able
then to share them around. You see the willingness And we're
told, and Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which
is being interpreted the son of consolation, a Levite, and
in the country of Cyprus having land, sold it, and brought the
money and laid it at the apostles' feet. We see here that Barnabas
was fully committed to the truth of God. and indeed actions speak
louder than words and now we see him coming to the rescue
of the Apostle Paul Paul is being rejected by the disciples and
Barnabas comes and Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles
and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way
and that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly
at Damascus in the name of Jesus Now there's good instruction
here for us to realise that sometimes There may be those who are able
to speak about other people, how they've heard about them,
and how they recognize they are good people, although perhaps
on the surface they may not be received initially. And yet here
we see Barnabas bringing the Apostle Paul, declaring unto
the disciples what he'd done. And he'd seen it and knew about
it. and how he had spoken to him
and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Now this report was a good report
and it was a report which was received by the disciples and
he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. He was
now accepted, he went in and out with the disciples and what
was he doing? He was just spending his time
aimlessly. No, he was not. What good words they are to realise
in our day and age. We have an example here. And
he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against
the Grecians. But they went about to slay him. Here was the apostle proclaiming
the truth of the Lord Jesus boldly. And he was aware that such preaching
might cost him his life. But it didn't stop him speaking
well of the Lord Jesus and going about preaching boldly. What
a good thing, what a good example it is for us today to be bold
in the things of God. You know, we have wonderful freedom,
don't we, in the present time. We need to make the most of it,
but we need to go out into the highways and the hedges and to
compel them to come in. and so we read on which when
the brethren knew they brought him down to Caesarea and sent
him forth to Tarsus where he would have been amongst his own
people of course there he was of course brought up in Tarsus
and we know that was his home country and then we read and
then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria
and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in
the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied. There was then
a time of blessing, a time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
of God. And it's important to realize
that what occurred, that they were edified. And what that really
means is that they were built, that they were built up. Now
you must remember that here were these Jewish people, brought
up under the Old Testament with all the ceremonies there. And
this now was the great and glorious gospel of which they weren't
ready or prepared to accept. But here they were being edified,
here they were being built. The gospel which is being preached
to them came home to them. And it did them good. And they
were established. There was a building up. There
was an edifying in the things of God. And that's so needful
today. that people are built up in the
things of God, that they understand the truth of God. It's not just
some vague ideas, but there's a wonderful and glorious depth
in the truth of God with regard to that wonderful salvation that
our Lord Jesus Christ brought about through His death. Not
that people might be brought to a right spiritual and good
understanding and rejoice, in the great act of the finished
work of the Saviour. It is a glorious gospel and our
salvation depends upon that finished work. There is then that edifying,
that being built up on these great and important truths were
edified and they walked in the fear of the Lord. You see the
change, they were walking now in the fear of the Lord. What
does that really mean? It means they desired to obey
the Lord. It means they desired to do His
will. They feared to offend a gracious
God for all the revelation that He brought to them. And so they
were edified and walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort
of the Holy Ghost were multiplied. And the comfort of the Holy Ghost
is this. Christ revealed to our souls. That's the comfort of the Holy
Ghost. That's the work of the Holy Spirit
to reveal Christ. And what a comfort it is for
needy sinners who realize their wretched and lost and helpless
and hell-deserved condition to be pointed to the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Well edified, built up, walking,
and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied. There was a gracious in-gathering
of people. Yes, there was a wonderful work
of the Holy Spirit of God. They were joyful days, but they
were also perilous days. because there were those seeking
our lives to destroy them and if possible to eradicate the
teaching of the apostles with reference to the Saviour. but
it's good to read of these things and to realize that today we
worship the same God, the same almighty God, the God who did
great things on these days, in these difficult times, but yet
they were wonderful days, days of prosperity, days of blessing,
and all that we might know, days still, days of the Son of God,
days when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us and we can
recognize the truth expounded here and were edified and walking
in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost
were multiplied. Amen.