SUNDAY - JULY 20, 2025 "Into The Thick of It" Acts 9:23-31

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If you have your Bibles, we'll be in Acts, chapter 9 this morning.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Acts, chapter 9, we're going to be in verses 23 through 31.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Acts, chapter 9, we're going to be in verses 23 through 31.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Especially my older kids.

When they were younger, there was a show that we watched pretty regularly called the Backyardigans.

The Backyardigans I don't know if you remember that show.

I don't even know if it's still out, if you can watch it now.

But the Backyardigans, if you don't know it, it was a cartoon that was based on kind of five young characters who would go in their backyard and have adventure after adventure using only their imagination, and they would find themselves in dramatic fashion in all kinds of situations, and there was always, always, always a song.

As I was studying and preparing for the message this week, one of the songs from that show that we haven't watched in forever, it came just roaring back into my mind.

I remembered it.

Let me sing it for you.

I'm just joking, I'm not going to sing it for you.

Let me tell you about this song.

The title of the song was called Into the Thick of it and the story the show was about.

They were going on an adventure into the jungle and the song was, they would say, into the thick of it, that we're going into the thick of the jungle, we're looking for adventure, we're looking for things.

That into the thick of the jungle they were going.

And in one part of the show one of the characters say but we can't see where we're going.

Show one of the characters say but we can't see where we're going.

And so as they sang this song, marching through the jungle, going into the thick of the jungle, they found themselves going in circles in the jungle because they couldn't see where they were going.

And finally the song ended with them not singing into the thick of it but singing stuck in the thick of it.

Singing into the thick of it but singing stuck in the thick of it.

You know, sometimes I feel like in life we feel like we just get stuck in the thick of it.

We go into the thick of it and sometimes we feel like we just get stuck there.

You know, as we look at saul this morning, well, in in our passage today, we're going to see that that saw, almost immediately after his conversion began to face he, he ran into the thick of the christian life and into the thick of where god wanted him to be.

He ran into the thick of it because, almost immediately, he began to get persecuted, and persecution came upon him.

But not only, though, are we going to see persecution coming on Saul, and I think if it's coming on Saul, it's coming on the rest of the church as well.

So not only are we going to see him, saul, facing persecution, but we're going to see a church excel.

We're going to see the church experience, in the midst of persecution, peace and growth.

You know, and and for us, what, as we look at this, we need to understand that that we are going, if, if we are, if we are going into the thick of this call, if we're, if we're running into the thick of this call that god has placed on us, and and if we're going into that, we need to understand that we are going to face persecution.

We don't need to be blinded by that.

We, we, we need to know that, that, that that persecution is going to come, but what we want to find in the midst of the thick of it, in the midst of all that we need to understand, and we want to find that there are straight paths for us.

God has told us that Even before we come to the book of Acts, god has told us about straight paths in Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6.

Proverbs 3:5

Here's what he says Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean in your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.

Listen, as we rush into the thick of it, we need to know we need to see.

Our eyes to see don't need to be our eyes, our eyes to see.

And what we need to understand as we go into the thick of it is we need to trust God.

We need to trust in His eyes, we need to trust in His providence.

We need to trust in that he knows what he is doing and he will help us not get stuck in the thick of it, but to experience peace and growth in the thick of it.

I'm reminded, even before we get to our passage, of what God told Ananias about Saul.

Remember, last week we looked at Ananias, who went to Saul to help him regain his sight, and God told Ananias this in verse 16.

For I will show you, I will show him.

This is God speaking to Ananias.

I will show him the him there is Saul.

I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake.

I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake.

Listen, saul is going to rush into the thick of it and he is going to see and face persecution and we need to understand that we will see and face that persecution.

So the question that we're going to ask then today is how was Saul persecuted?

As we go in this passage, how was he persecuted?

I invite you this morning, if you are able, to stand with me as we read God's Word together.

Acts, chapter 9,.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Begin reading in a basket.

And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how, on the road, he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him and how, at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus, spoke to him and how, at Damascus, he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem preaching boldly in the name of the Lord, and he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists.

But they were seeking to kill him.

And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up and walking in fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Let's pray together, god, once again, we thank you for today and we thank you for this opportunity to open your word.

God, we pray that through your word this morning that our lives will be eternally changed.

Jesus, it's in your name.

We pray Amen.

So again, the question is how was Saul persecuted?

Well, first, I think we see here is Paul is persecuted by unknown people to him.

Now, don't misunderstand this.

We know and it tells us right here in Acts, luke says that the Jews were persecuted.

I'm not saying it's not the group that we don't know, but Saul is not at home, he's in Damascus.

He's in a different place, his people that he probably does not know.

He's meeting them for the first time as he goes into Damascus and as he goes, they begin to persecute him and seek to kill him.

It says Luke tells us that the Jews, they begin to seek to kill him.

So we have to ask the question why?

Why were they seeking to kill him?

Well, we find the answer to that in verse 22.

In verse 22.

In verse 22 it says but Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

See, saul came to them and he began to preach and began to tell them that Jesus is the Christ.

And I I love the wording that Luke says here.

Don't miss it.

He confounded them because he was proving that Jesus was the Christ.

This wasn't just some existential argument that he's making.

No, he was proving, he was showing them evidence, he was giving them proof that Jesus was the Christ, that Jesus was the Messiah.

But they wouldn't hear it.

But they wouldn't hear it.

That they wouldn't hear it.

Now, there are probably a couple of reasons why they wouldn't hear this message.

First, probably they wouldn't hear it because they're still stuck in their self-righteousness.

They're still stuck in the idea that they are good enough to earn a relationship with God, that they are good enough because of their heritage and descendancy, that they can earn this relationship with Christ.

But second, if they accept this, if they accept that Jesus is the Christ, they also must admit that they had a hand in the murder of the Messiah.

Listen, they didn't want to hear that.

Their hearts were hardened to, that they plotted to kill him.

But you know it's interesting.

In 2 Corinthians Paul, you know, saul becomes Paul.

Paul tells this story of this very thing happening, of this time in Damascus.

But he tells it a little bit differently.

Look in 2 Corinthians 11, verse 32.

2 Corinthians 11:32

At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket, through a window, in a wall, and escaped his hands.

What's going on here?

Is it the Jews or is it the governor who's trying to kill Paul?

Well, if you read John MacArthur's commentary, he says it could be both.

Macarthur, he says this Apparently, the Jews were not the only ones Saul had irritated During his three years in Nabataean Arabia.

He had thoroughly preached the gospel and had worn out his welcome with both Jews and the Arabs.

Now we're going to read this later, we're going to look at this.

But in Galatians, chapter 1, verse 18, paul talks about how he spent three years in Damascus and three years actually outside of Damascus, preaching in Arabia.

Galatians 1:18

And so he does this.

He's going out preaching and what MacArthur is saying is that during this time he made everybody mad.

He's going and preaching the gospel to everybody and telling everybody that they need to be saved and pointing to their sins, and he's made everybody mad.

So they're all seeking to kill him, both the Jews and the governor.

They're out to get him.

He is facing persecution from people that he really doesn't even know.

But we find here and we see that he does escape.

So then we move to the second people, second persecution that he faces, and it's from the disciples.

The disciples shunned Paul.

You see it right there in verse 26.

And when he had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples and they were afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.

So he goes to Jerusalem, to the group of believers there, and he says, hey, I'm part of you now.

And they shun him.

They say no, I don't know about this, Because they had a fear of Saul.

Now listen, before we give them a hard time.

We talked about Ananias last week, and how, if I would have been Ananias, remember the question you sure about this Lord?

I mean they had heard of the horrific things that Saul had done to the church, the horrific things that Saul had done to believers.

I'm not saying I wouldn't have been a little hesitant to.

But Saul goes and he faces this shunning from the disciples, but thank goodness for a man named Barnabas, he tells us.

Luke tells us in verse 27,.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them and so we see Barnabas Now.

Listen, we've met Barnabas now.

Listen, we've.

We've met Barnabas before in Acts.

Remember, back in Acts, chapter 4, we, we met Barnabas for the first time.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

We know that, that Barnabas, the apostles know Barnabas because we met Barnabas in Acts, chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

He, he sold a track of land and he brought the proceeds of that land and laid it down at the feet of the apostles.

And we also know that the apostles knew him, knew him so well that they had given him a nickname.

Barnabas wasn't even his real name, that was a nickname that they had given him back in Acts, chapter 4, verse 30, 36 and 37.

Acts 4:30

It says this thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas, which means son of encouragement, a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

So Barnabas, using this I don't know if it's influence, but using his relationship that he had already gained with the apostles goes to the apostles and they say hey.

He says, listen, I know this guy On his way to Damascus.

Yes, he was going down to persecute the church, but he met God, god spoke with him and while he's been in Damascus and we're going to learn, he's been in Damascus for about three years now While he was there he preached Jesus boldly.

He preached Jesus boldly and the apostles, hearing Barnabas' testimony what Barnabas had to say, accepted him and it says in verse 28,.

So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly the name of the Lord.

So we've seen Barnabas and not Barnabas.

We've seen Saul be persecuted by unknown people who tried to kill him.

We've seen him be shunned by the disciples.

But here the story takes an interesting turn.

To me, luke does something interesting, not really Luke, luke writes about it interestingly, but the story it takes an interesting turn Because here what is going to happen is the Hellenists are going to try to kill Saul.

Now we've seen this before.

We've seen something very similar to this to play out in Acts, chapter 6.

Acts 6 · chapter mention

Remember a guy named Stephen.

We met Stephen and when we met Stephen the first time we met him, the church chose him to serve the Hellenist widows in the church.

And then, right after that, what we're going to see is Stephen going to the Hellenist synagogues and the Hellenist gatherings in Jerusalem and he is going to proclaim Jesus Christ in such a way that they have no way to argue against him and they're going to put him to death.

And you know who was right in the middle of this, saul.

He was right there in the middle.

Go back to Acts, chapter 6, with me and let's read together the story of Stephen.

Acts 6 · chapter mention

And we just read the story of Saul and how he is going to argue with the Hellenists.

Hear again the story of Stephen and see how these stories seem to be intertwined.

Chapter 6, verse 8,.

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the freedmen, as it was called, and of the Cyrenians and of the Alexandrians and of those from Sicilia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.

Now listen to verse 10.

But they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking.

Then they secretly instigated men who said we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God, and they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council and they set up false witnesses who said this man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.

And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

And if you go down in chapter 7, verse 58 or verse 57, it says but they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him and they cast him out of the city and stoned him and the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Then, chapter 8, verse 1.

And Saul approved his execution.

Now Saul, a believer, goes to this very group that he stirred up against Stephen.

And what does he do?

It tells us that he preached boldly in the name of Jesus In verse 29,.

He spoke and disputed against the name of Jesus In verse 29,.

And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.

The difference in Saul's story in Stephen's story is that they weren't successful in putting him to death and brothers took him and they sent him to Tarsus.

Now we asked the question, I asked the question what did he do in Tarsus?

He goes to Tarsus and we're going to find out.

We're going to meet him again a little bit, but he was in Tarsus for about 10 years, so what does he do while he's there?

Well, finally, let's go to galatians.

Galatians, chapter 1, verse 18.

Galatians 1:18

Actually, I didn't give it to them.

I'm going to go to verse 15 first.

But when he who set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his son to me in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.

Nor did I go to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me.

But I went into Arabia this may be where the king Eretus of Arabia that he set this governor up to kill Saul.

Now, verse 18.

Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, which is Peter, and remained with him 15 days, but I saw none of the other apostles, except James, the Lord's brother, and what I'm writing to you before God, I do not lie.

Then I went into the regions of Syria and Sicilia and I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

They only were hearing.

It said, he who was used to persecute us is now preaching the faith that he once tried to destroy, and they glorified God because of me.

So what did Saul do when he was sent back home?

He preached boldly.

He didn't sit around and pout, he didn't have what my dad used to call a pity party and go.

Oh, woe is me.

I thought I was called to do this, but maybe I'm not.

I mean, I'm facing this persecution.

Maybe God's trying to tell me something.

No, he knew what God had said.

God had said go and bear witness of Jesus Christ.

So what Saul was doing was going and bear witness of Jesus Christ.

When persecution came, he bore witness of Jesus Christ.

When things were well, he bore witness of Jesus Christ.

That's why he says in Philippians In whatever situation, I have learned to be content.

When I have a lot, I can be content.

When I don't have anything, I can be content.

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

What he is saying is when I face persecution, I bear witness to Jesus Christ, when I don't, I bear witness to Jesus Christ.

He is preaching the word of God boldly, no matter what he faces.

And in the midst of this persecution, hear what happens In verse 31.

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up and walking in fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

See, when Saul first came to the disciples, they feared Saul, but when they stopped fearing Saul and feared the Lord, things changed.

So we have to ask this question then what does it mean to fear the Lord?

We say it all the time what does it mean to fear the Lord?

Well, I'm convinced more and more in my study that to fear the Lord means to trust that God is exactly who he says he is.

To fear God means this it means that you trust and you believe with all your heart that he is a just God and that, because of sin, he is going to punish sin and he is going to pour his wrath out on sin.

And we trust and we believe, when we fear God, that he is going to do that because he is just.

But we also believe with all of our heart that he is also a loving and merciful God and because of His justice he has to deal with sin.

But because of His love and mercy he sends someone to deal with sin for us.

He sends His only Son, jesus Christ, who lives a perfect life, who dies on the cross for my sin, my sin, for your sin.

Jesus died to take the wrath of God that I deserve, because he is a just God.

He took that upon himself.

He was buried, he arose three days later and now he offers to me.

He offers to you life, not death.

He offers to me, he offers to you Himself.

All we do is believe in Him.

The fear of God means that we believe that about Him, the fear of God means that we believe in His sovereignty and his providence, that even in the midst of persecution, even in the midst of hard times, even in the midst of failures, we believe that he has an eternal purpose.

We believe that he has an eternal purpose for me and for you.

And the fear of God does not mean that we run away from God because we're scared of Him.

The fear of God means that we run to God because we trust him.

Because, listen, no matter how far you run, if we believe God is who he says he is, no matter where you go to get away from God, there is no place that you can go.

David says if I make my bed in the pits of hell, you are there.

If I rise on the tallest mountains, you are there.

And if we have a fear of God, it means that we trust that God is exactly who he is.

And so when I'm facing persecution, I don't run away from God Because I can't handle it anymore.

I run to God Because I trust him and I know he's got a plan and purpose.

I know he will make my path straight.

When I'm going through a hard time I'm just stuck in the midst of life and all the stuff that goes on I don't run away from God To try to get out of it.

I run to God because I trust him and know that he is sovereign and he has an eternal plan in place.

When I fail, I don't run away from God because I'm ashamed.

I run to God because he tells me if I confess my sins.

He is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me of all unrighteousness.

I run to God because I believe that he can take everything in my life and work it for good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

To fear God means that we trust Him with everything, our whole life, our whole being, our whole life, our whole being.

I think what we see in the persecution of Saul is a man who trusts God with everything.

Church, I need you to understand this.

Living for Jesus does not mean everything is going to be perfect.

Living for Jesus does not mean that we are not going to face hard times.

Living for Jesus doesn't mean that we're not going to face persecution.

But living for Jesus and trusting in him means that in the middle of those things, I can run to him and know that he has it handled.

Yes, sir, I don't know where you are today, but listen, I need you to understand If you have never trusted in Christ as your Savior, just as I've already said, god is a just God and he is going to deal with sin.

And if you have never trusted in him as your savior, in his justice, he will deal with you in your sin.

But God is also a loving and merciful God and he made a way for us.

He made the way for us.

He made the way for us because he sent Jesus, his Son, who died on the cross and took the punishment of my sin and took the punishment of your sin.

He took the wrath of God upon Himself that we deserve.

He was killed and he was buried and he arose, and now what he offers to us is life.

And if you have never trusted in him for life, I pray today.

Today will be the day of salvation Because, listen, you can't run from Him.

You can't get away.

He is God and he is everywhere and he knows everything.

So don't try to run away, but instead, this morning, run to Him but believer, but believer, believer who is going, going into the thick of it, or maybe believer that is stuck in the thick of it.

I need you to hear this word of, this promise of God that we can have peace.

See what he says.

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up.

They had peace and they also had the comfort of the Spirit Peace and they also had the comfort of the Spirit.

Jesus told his apostles in John chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

In John chapter 14, he said that he is going to send another helper.

John 14 · chapter mention

He was going to send another helper, and this is what he says about the helper in verse 27.

He says peace I leave with you and my peace I give you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

We can trust because he sent another helper just like him, the Holy Spirit, who is walking with us and guiding us and giving us all we need.

Believer, if you have Find yourself stuck in the midst of it or even running away this morning, stop and instead run to him.

We're about to sing a hymn of invitation, as we do.

I invite you.

If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, we invite you to come down this morning.

There's nothing magic in walking down this aisle, but we invite you to come.

We would love to pray with you.

We would love to talk with you and share with you how you can believe in Jesus Christ and find life or maybe you have.

And if you are that believer who feels stuck in the midst of it, listen.

We invite you to come.

I would love to pray with you and help you, but we also have these steps here that you can use as an altar and you can kneel down and you can pray and cry out to God.

Don't stay stuck.

Trust in Him this morning.

If you're looking for a church home, we invite you to come.

God has gifted us with the church so that we don't have to do this by ourselves.

We can walk together.

We would love to walk with you.

If you're looking for a church home, we invite you to come forward.

We'd love to share with you how you can be a part of DeSoto Hills.

Listen whatever God is calling you to as we stand and sing.

We invite you to come.

Let's pray.

God, I thank you for today.

I thank you for how you love us.

I thank you for all you have done for us.

God, I am so thankful that I can trust you.

I've trusted you for my salvation and I'm so thankful that I can trust you to carry out that salvation, to work out my salvation.

God, move today as only you can For those who have never trusted you.

God, we pray that today will be the day of salvation for them, for those who have and just need to repent or need to cry out to you because they feel stuck.

God, help them this morning.

God, whatever decision needs to be made, we pray that you will give us the faith this morning to make that decision.

Jesus, it's in your be made.

We pray that you will give us the faith this morning to make that decision.

Jesus, it's in your wonderful name that we pray, amen.

Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.

If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at desotohillscom dot com.