The Worthy Servant

Have you ever felt unworthy of God’s Love? That you don’t deserve His Love? That things you’ve done in your life make you unworthy of God’s Grace and Mercy? That they somehow disqualify you…

Or, maybe it’s not that drastic for you… Maybe you just feel like God can’t use you for ministry because pf what you’ve done, or your lack of education, …

Is that you?

Do you wonder how God could use you? Or, What good you are doing in the Kingdom?

After all, we are not a “megachurch,” and you and I are not “rockstar” pastors!

“How caught up North American Christianity seems to be with public visibility and vocal celebrities. How megachurches and syndicated television broadcasts seem to dwarf the dogged faithfulness of people…

Luke makes us stop for a moment and look at the little people, the ordinary Christians who make the gospel work in their communities despite the absence of applause and recognition in the wider world.” — Gangel, Kenneth O., Holman New Testament Commentary.

When I look at scripture, I see many examples of how our thinking is wrong!

— I see a man who God used to deliver His faithful people from a great flood, who then got drunk and passed out! — Noah

— I see a man who murdered another man, then fled the country, only to be used later as a champion of slaves! — Moses

— And don’t forget the man who watched porn from his balcony and then caused a married woman to cheat, then covered it up my having the woman’s husband murdered! — King David

How can someone like that be worthy of God’s Kingdom?!?

Yet, Luke tells us that through it all, God called David

Acts 13:22 (NIV)

22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

If God can say that about David, after all that he did, what does He say about us?

That’s what we are going to look at today.

Turn with me to Acts 9.

Now, what has happened so far in Luke’s story?

— Phillip went to Samaria… They received the Gospel… The disciples came and the Holy Spirit was poured out… Then what did Phillip do?

— God sent him to the Ethiopian Eunuch…

So, we have seen the gospel spread… Salvation received by many… It is kind of a joyous story!

But look at Acts 9:1-2

Acts 9:1–2 NIV

1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

All this amazing stuff going on… miracles, salvation, the Spirit received… People finding joy and life… Yet, what was Paul doing?

— still trying to stop the Church by resorting to slander, terrorist threats, and murder!

let’s look at the rest of the story…

Acts 9:3–9 NIV

3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

Can you imagine what had to be going through Paul’s head? Can you imagine what he must have been thinking?

— Why God? Why have you done this to me? What have I done? I only wanted to serve You… to protect Your name… to care for Your people and Your church… I’ve been faithful to Your Word… What am I doing wrong?!?? (sound familiar)

At first glance, Paul seems more like someone whom God should punish, not someone who deserves His mercy… Yet God does what?

— uses Paul’s suffering to transform his life!

Acts 9:10–14 NIV

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

If you were Annanias, what would you do?

— Annanias is rightfully terrified! Saul has been murdering Christians, and God wants him to go testify to him… “Why him? Why Saul? Why a man who has been actively destroying the church? Why minister to him?”

Look at verse 15-16

Acts 9:15–16 NIV

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

God told him he was going to use Saul… That he was going to change his life… his direction… his purpose… As unworthy as Saul was, God had a purpose for him!

So Annanias goes… He prays for Saul… He ministers to Saul… (I believe) that he had to have explained the gospel to him, Look what he tells him in verse 17:

Acts 9:17 NIV

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus appeared to you on the road

Jesus sent me to you

Jesus will give you your sight back

Jesus will fill you with the Holy Spirit

Jesus has a purpose for you.

That message is what “saved” Saul!

Acts 9:18–19 NIV

18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.

What made Saul — a man who spent his life killing people who followed Christ — deserving of God’s grace and mercy? What made him worthy of God’s Love?

God did!

God is the only One who gets to choose!

We don’t have that privilege…

“For God so loved the world…” (Jn 3:16)

Romans 5:8 NIV

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Paul understood it better than we often do…

God chooses us! We ARE worthy in His eyes!

Jesus came to us

Jesus sends ministers to us

Jesus gives us our life back

Jesus fills us with the Holy Spirit

Jesus has a purpose for you.

Peter tells us:

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

What is the purpose of Saul’s conversion story in this part of Luke’s narrative?

— To show us that no matter what we think, WE ARE WORTHY!

— God WILL use us for His kingdom purposes…

The question is, “Will we let Him?”

I think that sometimes, we think that the work God is trying to give to us really belongs to someone else… So we pass it off, or just don’t do it…

Sometimes we think the work is not “prestigious” enough — it doesn’t bring us fame, or praise, we can’t “pat ourselves on the back” for it… So, we don’t do it…

It doesn’t get the BIG results we want… So, we don’t do it…

Or worse…

We don’t think those people are worthy… So, we don’t do it…

What would have happened if Annanias had refused to go to Saul?

What if he had said, “That’s the Apostles’ job, I’ll go tell them they need to go to him.”

or, “That won’t make me ‘feel’ good about my work, so I’m not going to do it.”

or, “That won’t bring my ministry a ‘return on investment’ so I’m not going to waste time with it.”

Church, We do not get to decide that!

Only God does!

God tells us to share our faith… to go to the outsiders… to minister to those who others will not…

Jesus has Reclaimed us…

Jesus has Restored us…

Jesus has Repurposed us… to bring His healing, His Love, and His grace to the “widow,” the “orphan,” and the “prisoners” in this world…

Acts 1:8 (NIV)

“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Let’s stop being a Saul in this world — the world has enough of them, and start being an Ananias.

(pray)