The Fruits Of Repentance Series

Acts 9:20-23

A

20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the sinagogues, that He is the Son of God.

·Immediately he preached -- we see a radically different Saul here.

·Did not only preached – but preached Christ.

·Let’s look at this radical change…

·Verse 1 he was still breathing threats and murder.. not pleasant.

·But now he changed and believe me the people noticed it.. Look at verse 21.

·Let me ask you today: Are people seeing the change in you?

·Just to make sure we know what we mean:

·Change means to alter or to transform.

·Have you changed when you med Jesus? Did that meeting change your life?

Consider Jesus’ words:

Mat7:15 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

·So Jesus tells us to look at the fruit that people bear and we will know them.

·So practical… Lemon tree bears …?….. Apple tree bears …?…Banana tree …?.

·Jesus made it so simple for us….

So we are told to look at the fruit of repentance..

Luke 3:8 8Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

10So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"

11He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."

12Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"

13And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."

14Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"

So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

What shall we do then? Compare to acts 2:37, Acts 9:6

V11 Greed stop

V13 Stop stealing

V14 What Saul did.

What are you thinking of today that you need to change?

B

21Then all who heard were amazed, and said, "Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?"

This verse show Saul’s real fruit of repentance..

·The people noticed it straight away.. He was a different man…

·Now Paul preaches the Good news, Gospel.. look at their reaction!

·21Then all who heard were amazed

·They didn’t repent, or cut to the heart (Acts 2:37 37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, or change they were just amazed. .. ..

·There are still thousands of people who are just amazed about the Word.

·Even in the church!!!

·You show them a revelation out of the Word of God and they are just amazed.

·They don’t apply the truths thereof to their lives.

C

22But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Now I believe that Saul’s three years in the dessert happened here.

·Gal 115 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus

He went to the Dessert….

·Dessert not always a bad place.. We know it is a lonely place but not always bad.

·Greta things happened in the dessert.

·Jesus was lead to dessert by Holy Spirit… Had great victory over Satan..

·Phillip was told to go to dessert by Holy Spirit… Lead eunuch to Lord

·Here Saul goes to Arabia.. Word says that he increased all the more in strength

·The dessert is a place where God wants to show you that you can indeed trust in Him..

Saul Escapes Death

23 Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. 24But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. 25Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.