May God bless us this evening
as we continue our meditation in the Acts of the Apostles and
the 9th chapter and we'll commence from verse 10 tonight down to
verse 19. When we last consider this you
will remember Saul of Tarsus, the Lord had met with him on
that Damascus road and he'd been brought to that position where
he was trembling and astonished and ask that question, what will
thou Lord, what will thou have me to do? A very different Paul
or Saul from that which had been just a few hours earlier. We
see how the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is so powerful and
wonderful. And so as we left it last time,
we noted that he was three days without sight. Neither did he
eat or drink. So there was saw the Tarsus in
that situation in a dwelling not very far away from what we're
going to read about now where this man Damascus, this man Ananias
was residing. So we read and there was a certain
disciple at Damascus named Ananias and to him said the Lord in a
vision Ananias and he said behold I'm here Lord and we must observe
the Lord's plans being worked out and how the Lord had singled
out this man Ananias to hear the word of God spoken to him.
And so here he was and the Lord came to him in a vision and spoke
to him and said, asked him and he said, behold I am here Lord.
And then the Lord spoke and the Lord directed him. And it's good
if in our lives we have the evidence of God speaking to us and directing
us. and sometimes it may be in a
very strange way, a very different way to what we might expect and
with no doubt here Ananias was surprised at what the Lord asked
him to do. The Lord said unto him, arise
and go into the street which is called straight and inquire
in the house of Judas for one called sword of Tarsus for behold
he prayeth. The Lord has spoken very clearly
here to Ananias as to what he was to do. He was to get up.
He was to arise. He wasn't to sit down and prevaricate
and to wonder what he should do. He was told he was to arise
and to go into the street which is called straight. Again a clear
direction as to where to go and enquire in the house of Judas. For one called Saul of Tarsus,
for behold, he prayeth." Now, it's a wonderful thing to know
that this man, Saul of Tarsus, has been moved by the Spirit
of God to pray. It is without any doubt a very
single evidence of the grace of God in our hearts when the
Spirit of God causes us to pray. And by that I mean this, He causes
us to pray from our heart. No doubt we've said many prayers,
many prayers which may just have been a mere form of words and
really in so doing we've mocked God, we haven't really come,
we haven't been praying in faith and yet when the Lord brings
us and causes us to realise our need and to call upon his name,
then it is that we truly pray. And so, Ananias was told here
by God himself, behold he prayeth. Now we know there have been those
three days, and of course it could have been a few hours the
Lord could have called Ananias to go along and find Saul of
Tarsus. But no, he was to be there three
days, without his sight, And he had had that meeting with
the Lord. The Lord had spoken to him. And
those three days must have been three days of great consideration. Thinking of what the Lord had
spoken to him, what the Lord would do for him, what the Lord
would do with him. And what a cause it was then
for him to pray as he'd never prayed before. And what a blessing
in our lives. If we can note and find a time
when we had to pray, when the Lord caused us to pray, the sword
of Tarsus knew how bad he'd been, how he'd opposed God. I believe
that's the same with the church of God, the true living church
of God. The Lord brings them to realise
how they've sinned, how they've opposed God. and caused them
then to truly pray unto him for behold he prayeth. But the Lord went on to say and explain
to Ananias what the situation was and hath seen in a vision
a man named Ananias coming and putting his hand on him that
he might receive his sign. So Ananias was directed where
to go, what house to knock at, and that Sorotasis would be expecting
him because he had this vision that this man Ananias would come
to him. So Ananias had been given all
this information and his reaction was really one of doubt, we see
what he said. Then Ananias answered, Lord,
I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done
to thy saints at Jerusalem, and here he hath authority from the
chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. So really,
Saul of Tarsus was very infamous in the situation which existed.
And the residents here in Damascus were well aware what he'd come
to do. He'd come to bind them, he'd
come to harass them, he'd come to get them convicted and to
put into prison. And so, understandably, Ananias
was concerned at the commission that God had given him to do. It may be so, sometimes in our
lives, the Lord may speak to us about certain situations We
may perhaps think, well, do I really have to do that? That's a very
difficult thing. And there's much opposition in
that situation. Well, here was Ananias then doubting
what he should find and what he should face. But the Lord
spoke to him again to clarify the situation, how kind and gracious
our God is. Here was Ananias really in a
time of need, He received this instruction. He was very fearful
of what he would find with this man who he had heard so much
about. But God spoke to him in this way. The Lord said unto
him, go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name
before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. Well, Ananias was told here in
just a few simple words. the great commission that the
Lord had ordained for the Apostle Paul this man who was a persecutor
this man who had opposed the things of God and the children
of God and had been a great enemy and here was the word that Lord
spoke to Ananias to clearly tell him that this man was going to
be directed to do these great things and he had chosen him
the Lord God had chosen this man whatever the situation was
that he'd been in now the Lord had chosen him to bear his name
among the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel and
then he comes and says for he says I will show him how great
things he must suffer for my name's sake It wasn't going to
be an easy life. No, the Lord was going to greatly
bless the Apostle Paul. But he was also going to cause
him to have many difficulties, many trials and many temptations
in his life. And he refers to this in the
2nd Corinthians and the 6th chapter. He says, but in all things approving
ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions,
in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments,
in tumults, in labours, in watchings and fastings, by pureness, by
knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost,
by love, unfeigned." He goes on in the sixth chapter to give
a list And of course as we know further on in this epistle he
does explain all those things that he had to endure. But here
he speaks generally of those things which ministers of Christ
will be expected to face. And we could also say that it
refers really to all those who are called by grace, who are
called to serve the Lord. And we're all called to serve
the Lord in our particular sphere in which the Lord has placed
us. And so he says, for I will show him how great things he
must suffer for my namesake. Well the Apostle Paul later on
confesses and is thankful that he was counted worthy to suffer
for the Lord. And it is indeed a blessing,
it is a favour if the Lord has called us to serve him and we
find that in so doing we suffer for his namesake. And the Lord
also says if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him. It really itemises to us the
pathway, the true child of God, the true minister of God, who
will walk this way, through this life, through this world, with
much opposition, and yet to know the Lord is with us and the Lord
will bless us. The Lord will never leave us,
nor forsake us. And so, with that encouragement
then, Ananias went his way. Again, there was no more questioning. The Lord has spoken and Ananias
was directed by God and he went his way. He'd risen up and now
he went his way. And it would be a good thing
in our lives if when the Lord directs and speaks to us, we
do that, we get up, we arise and we go in that way and in
that place the Lord would direct us in for his honour and for
his glory. So Ananias, he obeyed the word
of the Lord All he knew about Saul of Tarsus was the wrong
and the difficult things he'd heard about him. And now the
Lord had given him a completely different picture. A completely
different picture. And he had faith to believe that
completely different picture. and it will be good for us again
in our lives. Sometimes we may hear things
about people, we may draw our own conclusions, but if God comes
and speaks to us, it may be that we are given a completely different
picture by God and we are to follow that which the Lord directs
us in. He did hear Ananias went his
way and entered into the house and putting his hands on him,
said, Brothers all, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto
thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest
receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. There was
no holding back, was there? There was a complete agreement,
and a complete desire, and a complete willingness to do the will of
God and he speaks here and we see how beautifully he came to
this man Paul who he just previously spoken about how he feared him
what he was and now influenced by the blessed spirit of God
we see the change in his attitude and he immediately enters into
the house and he puts his hands on him and said brother Saul
Yes, brother Saul, what a change in his view from this person
he'd just spoken about and now he says brother Saul. You see
the Lord can change our minds very quickly and produce a great
change so we might have thought wrong about somebody and it might
have been true that we thought but now there's been a change
And we're directed this way and we come like this Ananias did
and said, Brother Saul, the Lord even Jesus that appeared unto
thee in a way as thou camest and sent me that thou mightest
receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. So there
were those two great situations. First of all that he might receive
his sight and secondly that he might be filled with the Holy
Ghost. What a great blessing that was.
and what a blessing for us. If we receive our spiritual sight,
that Saul had received his spiritual sight and now he was going to
receive again the renewal of his natural sight and above those
things the Lord was going to bless him with this wonderful
outpouring of his Holy Spirit and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And what happened? You see the
Ananias had faith to speak these things, these things which naturally
would appear impossible. But faith was given to believe
those things which had been revealed to him, and he was able to address
Sorotasis in this very positive way. And we then read, immediately
there fell from his eyes, as it had been scales, and he received
sight forthwith and arose and was baptized." Well, we are made
aware here, are we not, of those things which were done immediately. There was no putting things off,
there was no making any excuse. Ananias didn't make any excuses. He had explained to him what
the situation was. He went and saw Paul or Saul,
he spoke to him and immediately the scales fell from his eyes
and what did he do? He arose, arose and was baptized. He didn't sit down still to be
sprinkled with water, he arose and was baptized. Why did he
do that? Because He desired to follow
the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who he had despised, that one
who he had spoken against, that one who he had brought his name
into disrepute among the people. And now, under the blessed influence
of the Spirit of God, we see him following that despised and
crucified man. And he arose and was baptised. Well, it's good for us all, isn't
it? if we observe the great blessing of God and the Word of God and
the instruction of the Word of God. You see the Apostle here,
he didn't turn around and say, well now, what shall I do now?
He knew the Spirit of God had come into his heart and he knew
what to do. received the sight and arose
and was baptized. It's a really beautiful picture
isn't it we have in these few verses and that wonderful change
in the life of the Apostle Paul those three days without sight
and now that wonderful revelation of sight given and the blessing
of the Holy Ghost and the effect it had upon the Apostle Paul
and then we read and when he had received meat He clearly
hadn't been eating. When he received meat, he was
strengthened. Then we saw certain days with
the disciples which were at Damascus. Yes, the Apostle stayed there
days with the other disciples at Damascus and he tells us when
he was giving his account before Agrippa, which we referred to
last time, he tells us Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient
unto the heavenly vision." Now you see this was the heavenly
vision that God had given to his servant. I was not disobedient
unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus
and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coast of Judea and then
to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do
works meet for repentance. You see he was able to testify
very clearly of the commission that God had given him and how
he obeyed that commission and how the Lord was with him. Then
we saw certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. Amen.