Paul - Confession & Conversion
Notes
Transcript
“We’re Acting Like Human Fools!”
“Two tough old mules said, ‘Get this dope,
We’re tied together with a piece of rope’.
Said one to the other, ‘You come MY way,
While I take a nibble of that new-mown hay’.
‘I won’t,’ said the other, ‘You come with ME,
I have some hay over this way, you see’.
So they got nowhere, just pawed up the dirt,
Pulling each way, how that rope did hurt!
Then faced they about, those stubborn mules,
And said, ‘We’re acting just like human fools,
Let’s pull together, I’ll go your way,
Then you come with me, and we’ll both eat hay’.
So they ate their hay, and liked it, too,
And said, ‘Let’s be comrades, good and true’.
As the sun went down they were heard to bray,
‘Ah, this is the end of a perfect day’ ”
—Selected
Now, this is going to sound harsh, but please hear me out. Often times we are like one of those mules, stubborn, self-centered, trying to pull in every direction but the direction we need to be headed in. We want to go where we think the grass is greener, we want to explore places we think are good, we want, we want, WE want…
God, though, continues to speak the words of truth, the level headedness, and when we finally realize where we should be, aligning ourselves with God, THEN we realize just how good life can be.
For some, though, we are stubborn, and as a result we might have to be disciplined. No doubt, one of the harshest things we can ever endure is divine discipline. God has a way of making sure He gets our attention. Sometimes it can be “the look”, sometimes a clearing of the throat, it might even be calling or name, or other times it might be something harsher so He can get our attention.
Last week we looked at the conviction of Paul, as Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. Speaking to Paul through scripture hadn’t gotten his attention, hearing the apostles tell of Jesus hadn’t gotten his attention, even seeing a man stoned hadn’t gotten his attention. But, Jesus got his attention. He had made him realize he was not pulling with God, but instead he was pulling in the opposite direction. This, and this alone, the conflict between man and God, was causing Paul to go off in the wrong direction - even when he thought he was doing the right thing. Now notice, SAUL/PAUL THOUGHT “HE” WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING! You know, what stands between us and God? SIN? What is the middle letter in sin? “I”. WE are often the thing that stands between God and His goodness for our lives. It is when we are convicted of the sin in our live that conviction is placed on us. Again, conviction can be described as the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing awareness of sin, righteousness (morally right), and judgment (divine evaluation) to individuals. It is a deep sense of guilt and recognition of one's need for repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ. This concept is deeply rooted in Scripture and is essential for understanding the process of sanctification (spiritual transformation and growth in the Christian life). Today, we will look at the response of Saul to the conviction in his life, and how another person impacted his life as a witness of the Lord, but ultimately it was up to Paul to accept Jesus as his personal Savior, and THEN God could use him for His glory as a transformed, changed, SAVED man.
The Witness of Others
The Witness of Others
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,
12 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.”
13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.
14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.
16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Now, take this into mind. Saul was on a mission - he had secured permission (warrants) from the high priest to identify, arrest, and bring back Christians to Jerusalem to face trial and potentially face death. Here we see God speaking to one of those disciples - one of the people Saul was “hunting down” - and gives him a vision. He needed help from a very special believer. Apparently, the believer was not one of the apostles or deacons nor an ordained minister. The believer was a simple unknown disciple named Ananias. But the traits Ananias possessed were exactly what was needed by the new convert. Ananias was sensitive to God’s call. When God spoke to Ananias, he listened. He was alert and sensitive, aware of and familiar with the voice of God. He was a man of much prayer. Therefore, when God called him, he knew the voice of God and he answered.
How many of us have felt the urging of the Holy Spirit telling us we need to go over and talk to someone? Maybe the HS wants us to share our salvation story, to give our testimony, and share what God has done in our lives. How many of us have failed to follow through with the HS urging and have give God excuses over why we can’t or won’t? Have we ever thought that we “might” have missed the opportunity to be the hand of God to someone who might be in the same amount of need for salvation as Paul?
Ananias sensed inadequacy and apprehension. He knew about the former life of Saul, the terrible sin and shame, the threat that he was to believers. He shrank from helping him, sensing both an inadequacy and apprehension. But note: this is exactly how the believer should feel about the call of God, no matter what the call is. Feeling inadequate and being apprehensive makes the believer cast himself upon God. It teaches him to trust God, His grace, His suffering, His strength more and more.
The very thing Saul (and all other converts) needed was the help of a disciple who knew what it was to feel inadequate and apprehensive. All new converts (just as Saul) have to face difficult tasks all through life, tasks that demand God’s special grace if they are to be worked out for the most good. A believer who senses inadequacy can teach the new convert to trust and depend upon God rather quickly.
Ananias was willing to face difficult assignments. Reaching out and helping a new convert is always difficult, a heavy responsibility. And the more depraved the convert has been, the more difficult the task becomes. This was true with Saul; this is true with all new converts.
In dealing with the new convert, there is always some apprehension, for he is somewhat unknown and to some degree a stranger and a novice in the faith.
Now that Paul had accepted Jesus as his Savior, he was in need of a teacher to disciple the student - someone to come alongside him and show him what God is calling him to be and do. Even though Paul possessed “book knowledge” he was an infant in his “heart knowledge”.
Ananias was willing to be the answer to prayer. Note how God assured the believer, Ananias, that he would protect him. God told Ananias that Paul was praying: he was truly a new convert, seeking God’s face. Remember, he had just come face to face with his risen Savior, Jesus Christ. No doubt he was praying, but there were also many levels of questions and confusion. God told Ananias that Paul had been given a vision—clear assurance—that a believer (named Ananias) would come and help him.
The point is this: the new convert who is genuine prays for help, prays for God to send mature believers into his life who will help him to grow and to know the Lord’s will for his life. It is the mature believer himself who THEN becomes the answer to the new convert’s prayer.
I might ask this - how good of a job do we do in discipling new converts? Are we discipling others?
Both Ananias and Paul had to have faith. It is a good chance this is where we, as Christians, have so much of a phobia of witnessing to others. Maybe WE have faith, but we are unsure if the OTHER person has faith. The only way I can address this is in this manner - if God is calling YOU, then there is a good change He is calling THEM. Now, whether they are receptive, and will receive is still up to them, but we must be faithful to do the will of God.
“Chosen Instrument of Mine” - Paul had been selected by God to have a ministry that no one would equal. But, he had to humble himself to God and be willing to repent, turn 180 degrees from where he WAS and see where God wanted him to BE. God chose him to tell others (Jews, Gentiles, Kings, and Commoners) about His grace to all mankind - and here we are still learning from Paul today. Will WE miss out on an opportunity to be the Ananias to another?
Faith
Faith
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.”
The new convert needed to experience the help and ministry of God’s disciple. Just imagine the brokenness and trembling, the stricken and apprehensive heart of Paul. He needed the touch of a disciple’s hand and faithfulness. He needed the presence of some disciple who was faithful enough to come and touch his life. He needed to see faithfulness in action—love, care, concern, interest, help—all ministered to him in the name of Christ. Nothing could help the new convert more than seeing the faithfulness of a disciple reaching out to help him in his need. The recognition of being a brother in the Lord. Note: Ananias called Saul brother. This one word probably caused Paul to break out in tears. He was being reached out to by a dear believer of the Lord, accepted, and welcomed into his heart despite the terrible wrong he had done to the believers. He now had confirmation; he had been truly forgiven and received by the Lord. He had been truly accepted by God and he was beloved in the name of Jesus, the name he had abused and hurt so much in the past. How he needed to hear a dear child of God say “brother!” And now he had heard it. Only eternity and a conversation with Paul will reveal the impact this one act had upon Paul.
Never lose sight or sensitivity of what God is calling you to do. We may feel inadequate, we may feel unworthy, we may even have legitimate concerns for our own safety. But, if we lose the sensitivity of the urging of the Lord, we then lose the opportunity to show others a clear picture of their Savior. Both the unsaved, the newly saved, and even those mature in their salvation. God can continue to use us in the restoration of others, if we (like Ananias) will be willing to heed His calling.
Restoration
Restoration
18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;
19 and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
The power of his healing ministry. Saul was afflicted. He needed Ananias to help him in his affliction. He needed his eyes healed, his sight restored, and God used his dear disciple to heal Saul. The scales of darkness fell from his eyes, symbolizing how the scales of spiritual darkness and sin and shame had been removed from his heart. The sharing of the Holy Spirit’s infilling; the power of the Spirit.
Closing
Closing
The evidence is strong: Saul surrendered to the Lord on the Damascus road. It was there that the Lord (the Holy Spirit) entered his heart and life. And, as he was to experience the need for many infillings of the Spirit in the future, the need existed when Ananias visited him. So God infilled him then, the first of many enduements of power that were to come upon him.
