Paul's Conversion Part 2 Acts 9:10-19

Willing Disciple

Saul went to Damascus blind. He was probably scared and didnt know what to do. This is evidenced by the fact that he didnt eat or drink for three days. He prayed and was seeking what was next for him as the Lord said, Acts 9:6

Acts 9:6 NASB95

but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

He was waiting for an answer and God had given the answer to Ananias. Ananias was to tell Saul what his mission was going to be.

When the Lord called Ananias he was eager to serve the Lord based on his response. Acts 9:10

Acts 9:10 NASB95

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

The Lord called his name and he responded with an affirmative “Here I Am Lord!” This is a favorable answer because it indicates that you have a relationship with the Lord and are willing to serve Him. I would like share a negative and positive example about “here I am, Lord!” Let’s start with the negative example. For that we will have to go back to the fall of man and see what Adam’s response to God after he had sinned. Gen. 3:9-10

Genesis 3:9–10 (NASB95)

Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

God was not looking for a proximity of Adam when he asked him where he was. He was wanting to know where Adam was relationally. Adam had sinned and consequently broken relationship with God. Instead of saying, Here I am Lord!” he said, “ I was afraid so he hid himself.” He was not in right relationship with the Lord so he ran from him.

We may have the same tendency when we are living in sin or not wanting to surrender to the will of God. We can be like Jonah and run away from God. This never works out. We must learn to trust God and His callings in our life. In order for this to happen we must be in right relationship with the Lord.

The positive example is when Isaiah Surrendered to God to be the prophet to Israel. Is. 6:8

Isaiah 6:8 NASB95

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah trusted God even thought the message he was going to deliver was not going to be popular and would actually bring great persecution against him. He had such a faith in God that he had no choice but to say “Here I am, send me!”

Isaiah loved God and loved Israel. He had to preach a message of repentance that the Israelites didn’t want to hear. Isaiah then had to preach a message of judgement on Israel. Then he told of a future Messiah that would eventually save Israel. He was a faithful servant of the Lord. Though he was faithful to the Lord, Church history says that he was sawed in two by King Manasseh. king of Judah, the oldest son of king Hezekiah.

Though his service cost him his life it did not shake his faith in God. This is because his relationship with God was strong.

Our willingness to serve God will be based on our relationship with God! How is your relationship with God this morning? Are you willing to say “Here I am Lord!” Here’s why your relationship has to be strong in order to follow Him.

Difficult Calling

When Ananias stepped up and was willing to do what the Lord asked, it took him by surprise and he was fearful. The Lord told him Acts 9:11-12

Acts 9:11–12 (NASB95)

And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.”

This was not something that Ananias would have voluntarily done on his own. As a matter of fact he questioned th Lord in Acts 9:13-14

Acts 9:13–14 (NASB95)

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

Ananias believed God was calling him into a suicide mission. He knew who Saul was and probably thought that if he confronted Saul that he would be arrested put in prison and executed. This is not a task that could be taken lightly. The only way he was willing to do it was because of his relationship with the Lord.

When God calls us into something it is never easy and is going to require a tremendous amount of faith. Henry Blackaby in his book “Experiencing God” calls this a crisis of belief. The Lord will be clear in his calling and we will be clear in our inability to fulfill His calling. It is through relational faith that we can step into the calling with confidence.

I would like to take you back to God calling Moses to lead the nation of Israel. Ex. 4:1-17

Exodus 4:1–17 NASB95

Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. “If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. “But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.” Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? “Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.” Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. “You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. “Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. “You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”

Moses let his inadequacies get in the way of the Lord’s calling. The Lord then revealed himself to moses through three miracles to assure Moses that He would be with him and empower him to complete the Lord’s purpose to free Israel.

Moses still would not believe and told the Lord to please send someone else. This was a matter of lack of faith in God. This is what angered the Lord.

Moses lost the blessing of leading the Israelites by faith in God and instead leaned on the speaking ability of his brother Aaron. Eventually Aaron would rebel against Moses and cause him problems. Num. 12:1-2

Numbers 12:1–2 (NASB95)

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard it.

When the Lord calls we need to look at the Lord’s ability to fulfill His purpose and not our own. Understand that it will take a faith that will be substantiated in the depth of our relationship with the Lord.

God’s calling are never people sized, but always God sized. This is because when the purpose is fulfilled God get’s the gloryy and not the servant.

Ananias did not want to do what God called him to do but God assured him of the task by telling him Acts 9:15-16

Acts 9:15–16 (NASB95)

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Ananias mission was clear and now he was faced with a decision. Am I going to obey the Lord or am I not. We too will be faced with a God-sized calling.

What did Ananias do?

Obedient Disciple

Acts 9:17 NASB95

So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Ananias chose to be obedient to the Lord and not only got to heal Saul of his blindness but also anoint him with the Holy Spirit to fulfill the purpose that God had for Saul.

This is huge! Paul could not have effectively started the first century church blind. He certainly could not have done it without the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Ananias got the blessing of healing and anointing and God got the glory for what Paul accomplished.

This is what the Lord does for us when we walk in obedience to his purpose and calling. We will receive the blessing of obedience and God will get the glory for it!

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