Acts 09_10-19 Called to Greatness

Read Acts 9:10-19 – Years ago, a famous organist was giving a recital on an organ supplied with air by a hand pump. A young boy, Bob, was pumping. Between songs he whispered, “We’re doing pretty good, aren’t we?” The organist objected, “What do you mean ‘we’”? A few minutes later, the organ suddenly stopped playing. The organist pulled all the stops, but to no avail. That’s when Bob popped up and said, “Now do you know what I mean by ‘we’?” Greatness always has some help from the wings.

Saul was destined for great things, but God used a little man, just a disciple, to help prepare him. That makes Ananias a participant in every victory Saul had. In that sense, we are all called to greatness as believers. We’re not adopted to sit on the sidelines and watch others serve. Eph 4:12, it is the job of pastors “to equip [all] the saints for the work of ministry.” We’re all gifted for service. Rom 12:6: “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” God didn’t save us and gift us to watch others. We’re called and gifted to serve. Big or little in our eyes, we’re gifted to bring light to darkness.

So, Saul is first called to salvation by God’s grace; but he is also called to serve. Our call is no less significant in God’s eyes.

I. It’s a Supported Call

Imagine Ananias suddenly getting a vision from God saying, “Ananias, go to Straight Street [he knows where that is; it’s still there today], to Judas’ house [he knows that] and look for Saul of Tarsus! Whoa! At that point, Ananias’ blood must have frozen. He knows that name, too. He knew Saul had come to arrest believers, and his blood must have run cold at this instruction.

But God tells him Saul is praying – a good sign -- that he’s had a vision of Ananias coming to him to heal his blindness. That no doubt helped, but Ananias is still unsure. 13) “But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.” With one more reassurance, Ananias sets out on his mission.

Now Jesus could have healed Saul and given him this info right after he believed.. But instead, immediately after his conversion, the Lord involves two minor figures in Saul’s preparation for ministry – the often overlooked Judas, to whose house Saul was sent – and Ananias who was instructed heal Saul’s blindness and affirm his amazing call to ministry.

Two things apply to us here. First, God uses little people. Saul is going to loom large over the whole church age. No question. But without Judas and Ananias, there is no Saul. All are equally important to God and treasured as part of Christ’s ongoing work on earth carried out thru faithful servants. This illustrates I Cor 12: 22) “On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23) and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24) which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25) that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” We love our eyes, right? We esteem their function in our body. But without the ugly liver, the eye wouldn’t mean much. Paul says, “If the whole body were an eye, good luck to you, rolling your way down the street.” Judas and Ananias may seem small potatoes to us – but not to God. And neither are you. We’re all called to serve, whether little or big.

2nd, this shows God affirms our call thru others. By using Judas and Ananias, God was re-enforcing in Paul’s mind that, tho he would have a leading role, he needed others. We see this often. Barnabas selected Paul to come to Antioch. Paul later chose Silas to accompany him and then many others. When Timothy got discouraged, Paul reminded him in I Tim 4:14 of the “elders laid their hands on you.” II Tim 2:6: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you thru the laying on of my hands.” One way we know our giftedness is thru the affirmation of others.

So, if you’re not sure of your spiritual gift, find a need and fill it. If that’s your gifting, you’ll start to love it and others will affirm you. If not, move on until you get to the right place. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an eye, a nose, a leg or a pancreas – we need you, and you will be affirmed in your calling.

In DC there is a memorial to US Grant on his war stallion east of the Capitol. 2-1/2 miles away is another statue – quite small, of Maj. Gen. John Rawlins –seldom noticed. Rawlins was a lawyer from Galena, ILL – friend of Grant who was his chief of staff. He knew Grant’s weakness for alcohol and extracted a promise he’d abstain during the war. He not only organized Grant’s commands, but kept him sober. He is little known or appreciated – but no Rawlins; no Grant. So, Beloved, whoever you are, you are needed. Find your place; exercise your giftedness; forget prominence, aim for faithfulness.

II. It’s a Special Call

Special first bc the call is from God. 15) Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name.” It would have been great to be chosen by Caesar, but Saul’s call is infinitely greater. He’s called by God!. Gal 1:1: “Paul, an apostle – not from men nor thru man, but thru JC and God the Father.” Col 1:1: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” Called by God!

And it was great because of the task. He was “to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” Throughout his ministry, Paul went to Jews first. But he knew he had a special privilege to take the gospel further – to the rest of the world – the Gentiles. Rom 11:13: “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles.” He was called, Rom 15:16: “to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.”

And it was great because he’d be before kings. And he was. While in jail in Caesarea, he gave witness to the Roman governors– Felix, Festus and King Agrippa. Later, in Rome, he almost certainly appeared before Caesar himself.

Saul’s whole life prepared him for this. He had the best education under Gamaliel. He was bright, ambitious, zealous. His Roman citizenship was a great advantage. Unbeknownst to him, God had been preparing him all along.

Yet, Paul never lost perspective. God says in Acts 9:15: “he is a chosen instrument [σκευος] of mine.” Paul says in II Cor 4:7, “That may be, “But we have this treasure in jars [σκευος] of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” He never forgot, the treasure was not him, but the gospel. He was an instrument, yes, but a clay pot instrument – like you’d find in any home at that time for cooking, storing food and even more mundane uses. Paul’s saying, “I’m just a clay pot. It’s the gospel that is the treasure. I’m a clay pot holding an enormous treasure. That’s who I am.”

And so are we all, right? All God calls to salvation, He also calls to service, and every call to serve is a call to greatness. Years ago when I began working with the FBI on several technology projects, I found out an interesting thing. Prior to that, when I heard “special agent”, I thought that must be the elite. There must be agents and then special agents. But guess what? Every agent is a special agent. Every one. And that’s just how it is in God’s family.

In one sense, we’re all just clay pots – with all the flaws and failings common to humanity. But we’re also called to many diverse forms of ministry which are special bc they in some way represent the treasure of the gospel – whether preaching the sermon, singing with the team, doing fellowship, giving to missions, working a soup kitchen, or arranging the chairs – we are clay pots with a special mission. No little people. All special agents for Christ.

I saw a cartoon once that showed a psychologist sitting in his chair, notepad in hand. On the couch is a life size puzzle piece, complete with head, legs and arms. The puzzle piece says, “Did you ever feel like you’re part of something greater than yourself?” Every believer should feel that – part of something bigger than ourselves, infinitely bigger. How that should incentivize us to give our very best to the special call of God on our life. II Tim 2:20-21: “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” Let’s be honorable vessels.

III. It’s a Suffering Call

Saul was God’s “chosen instrument”, but God also asked him to pay a heavy price. 16 “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” And it didn’t take long for it to start – only a few days. Mid-career Paul’s itemizes some of that suffering: II Cor 11: 24 “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” All of that was before further beatings and imprisonments eventually leading to his execution by beheading. The church’s worst persecutor became its most persecuted.

But suffering is also part of every call of God. Phil 1:29: “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” Suffering should never surprise us. It is as much a gift as our salvation. But we can hang on this: As we accept God’s ways by faith, He will never waste our suffering as we commit it to Him in faith.

Sir Norman Anderson was called by God to head the Advanced Legal Institute at the University of London. But suffering was part of his call. All three of his children died as young adults. His wife, at the end, no longer knew him. An interviewer asked, “As you reflect on your life and losing 3 children and your wife of 60 years no longer recognizes you, have you ever asked, ‘Why me?’” He replied, “No. I have never asked that question. But I have asked, ‘Why not me?’ I am not promised as a Xn that I will escape the problems encountered by others. We all live in a fallen world. I am, however, promised that in the midst of difficulties, Christ is present with me. He will give his grace to help me cope in a way that will bear witness to him.” And there’s the key. Paul knew God would not waste his pain. Sir Norman knew God would not waste his pain, and God will not waste ours either.

IV. It’s a Spirit-Empowered Call

17 “So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Beloved, I hope you know that by now, but nothing for God can be accomplished with the empowering ministry of the HS. At Jesus’ baptism at the beginning of His ministry, the HS came upon Him. Among the last words of Jesus to His disciples were these in Lu 24:49: “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Which happened a few days later at Pentecost. We are always to give our best in preparation for ministry. How could we not when it is for the king of kings. But we must also rest in this: the power and the results are under the power of the HS.

Billy Graham told one biographer he feared being like Samson and losing his strength because of sin and not even realizing it. He knew his reliance must be on the HS, not on Billy Graham. He said, “I’ve been asking myself: ‘Billy Graham, are you filled with the Holy Spirit?’ My only claim to power is the Holy Spirit. Without that, whatever I do is of the energy of the flesh and will be burned up before the judgment seat of Christ. I don’t care how big the crowds are and how big the reported results are; it’s all ‘sounding brass and tinkling symbol’ unless I am filled with the Holy Spirit.”

The HS is always there, Beloved. He may only be quenched by our unconfessed sin and pride of personal accomplishment. So confession and submission must be constant in our lives. Spurgeon said he had 13 steps between his lower and the higher one he preached from. He said on every step going up he used to say, “I believe in the HS” – his way of getting self out of the way and the HS front and center. That’s just what we must do for our tasks – big of little. Depend on the HS, and see what he will do thru clay pots.

Conc – Let me illustrate with a call to greatness. Jay Strack was chaplain to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Tony Dungy coached them. He arrived early one morning for a pre-game chapel only to find Coach Dungy arranging the chairs. Jay said, “Coach, I’m sure you’re busy. Let me set up the chairs for you.” Dungy said, “No thanks. I like to set up each chair myself. I know where each man sits. I know his needs and where he’s hurting. I pray over each man’s chair as I set it up.” Obviously, that was just one aspect of a many-faceted ministry, but that was just one way Tony Dungy was accepting his call to greatness. How about you? How about me? Let’s pray.

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