Saints in God’s grace and in action (Acts 9:32-43)

Cornerstone Mission Church, Sunday Sermon May 25, 2008

It has been a while since we saw Peter in action in the book of Acts. The last time we saw him in major action was back in chapter 5. Following the tragic story of pride Ananias and his wife Sapphira, we saw Peter preaching in spite of the growing persecution in Jerusalem. Even after being flogged, his attitude along other apostles was that of “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” and he “never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”

Chapter 6-7 is all about the story of Stephen, his evangelistic effort at the cost of being stoned to death. Chapter 8 was about the story of Philip’s evangelic effort. And, chapter 9 introduced us to Saul, the chief persecutors of Christians and how he became a Christian.

Finally, we now see Peter in action after being out of the picture in the last four chapters. This doesn’t mean Peter wasn’t active in the last four chapters. Peter likely was very action with teaching and proclaiming about Jesus Christ. It just that Luke focused on telling the stories involving Stephen, Philip and Saul.

Chapter 9:32 and on, Luke again tells the story of Peter. Verse 32 says that he was traveling about the country and “went to the saints in Lydda.” Lydda was located twenty-five miles northwest of Jerusalem at the intersection of the highways from Egypt to the South to Syria to the North. And, about 10 miles northwest was Jappa where Peter also visited.[1]

1. Called to be saints, not by what we have done, but by everything God has done.

Here in verse 32, I noticed another designated term used by Luke to describe Christians. He called them, “the saints,” “the holy ones,” or “set apart ones.” It was also used in verse 13 as well. And, another time you see it being used is in Acts 26:10 when Paul recounted how he used to persecute the saints. Luke only used three times in Acts, which isn’t a lot. But, this doesn’t mean it isn’t important designation.

The story of Peter with Aeneas and Tabitha as known also as Dorcas is preceded by the crucial turning point that unleashed Christianity beyond the boundary of Jerusalem into the Gentile world. The major turning point occurred in the story of Peter with Cornelius. What we will discover is that the greatest hindrance to outward expansion of Christianity beyond the inner Jewish circle was the issue of holiness, what makes a person holy or saintly. Since the turning point involved understanding what holiness really is the reference to believers as saints here in 9:32 is important.

Since Peter traveled to Lydda specifically to visit the saints and there Peter found a man named Aeneas, it is not unreasonable to think that Aeneas was a believer of Jewish descendant.

This man too was called a saint. But, for this man, the last eight years before Peter stepped into his life with the power of Jesus Christ to heal was marked by paralysis that bound him to his bed. The healing story of Aeneas doesn’t promise that everyone can be healed as he was. Such miraculous healings do occur, yet is far from being the norm.

Here is an important fact about this man. If indeed it is right that this man was a believer, before the healing took place, he was called a saint and after the healing took place, he still was a saint. The physical healing was more of icing on the cake. It didn’t add anything more to the reality of who he was already in Christ. Before he could stand up on his feet, do things for himself, be active physically, be able to help others, be useful and tangible contributors in the society, he was dependant on others, he was at the mercy of those who would take care of him, yet his disability and dependence on others for help didn’t make him less of a saint than after he was healed of his paralysis.

When we think of saints, the image that is evoked in our mind is of that person who is actively engaged in doing good works for others. Yet, here was a man considered a saint when he couldn’t do much good works for others, not alone do much for himself.

What this tells us is that being saints is not by what we do or what we can do for others or for ourselves, but by everything that God has done, is doing and will do in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. A theological dictionary says it this way, “This was primarily not an ethical expression but a parallel to concepts like “called” (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1), “elect” (Rom. 8:33; Col. 3:12) and “faithful” (Col 1:2). It implies association with the Holy Spirit… “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11; cf. 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:1 f.)”[2] It also says, “holiness implies a relationship with God which is expressed… through the fact that believers are “led” by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14)”[3] Romans 8:14 says, “those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

The image of saints that develops when you study the word of God is the one who is solidly grounded in what God has done, is doing and will do. It is about our trust in God who sent Jesus Christ to die for us, who raised him from the dead to be the resurrection power for us, who sent the Holy Spirit to be our counselor, our guide, our ever presence of God.

So, ultimately being saints is not about us, it is all about God. For Aeneas, being a saint was not defined by being useful to the society, doing good works actively. It if was so, he couldn’t be a saint for his disability prevented him from actively carrying out good works. He was a saint because he trusted in God.

The healing was an icing to the cake. It was the outward expression of what God was already doing in Aeneas. Although he was bound by paralysis, his mind, his heart, his spirit, his life was not paralyzed by disability. He was indeed a free man no longer enslaved to the power of sin, but now freed to serve God. The physical healing was in David Gooding’ word, “an exhibition of supernatural physical power that advertised reality of the risen Christ... point to Christ’s ability to empower all his people; in the metaphorical language of Hebrews 12:12-13, to reinvigorate their drooping hands and paralyzed knees.”[4] Hebrew 12:12-13 reads, “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.”

2. Saints expresses the reality of the risen Christ with action.

Yes, it is true that being called saints has everything to do with what God has done for us, is doing for us and will do for us. The story of Aeneas points to this truth. Yet, it doesn’t stop there. As Hebrews 12:12-13 reads, the power of the risen Christ is genuinely felt and working in us, what we are going to see is soon or later the power of God working in us to make difference in others.

Again quoting from David Gooding, he says, “True saintliness will sooner or later begin to make its presence felt; for it is not a form of weakness, encouraging people to remain in spiritual immature dependence on others, all the while obsessed with “difficulties” and “problems.” True saintliness is positive, vigorous, active, maturely self-supporting, and able spiritually to stand on its own feet.”[5]

Consider the story of Tabitha, aka Dorcas. Her Hebrew name Tabitha and here Greek translation Dorcus both mean “gazelle.” In Song of Songs 2:9 and 8:9, “Gazelle” was the metaphor for “beloved”[6] a fitting description when you consider the scene at her death in verse 39. In Joppa, no widows were untouched by Tabitha. When Peter came to the room where the body of Tabitha laid having been washed, he saw her body surrounded by all the widows who lives were deeply touched by this saint. They were crying and showing Peter the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was till with them.” Perhaps, some of them were wearing the clothes this saint made for them.[7] Verse 36 describes her as one who was always doing good and helping the poor. Her true saintliness was not disguised under the pretence of goodness. Her goodness, her love, her kindness, her care, all that was true about her inside because of the Spirit’s indwelling made its presence felt tangibly and practically.

The truth is that saintliness is found in God; it has everything to do with what God, but it doesn’t stop there. Here was a woman who trusted in Christ deeply, who trusted the Spirit’s leadership, who was socked in the heavenly Father’s love; the life of God was in her. And, the life of God could not be contained in her as the light cannot be contained in darkness. Soon or later, she was gripped by what broke God’s heart. She opened her eyes and saw with God’s eyes the hurting, needed widows around her.

A Woman’s Study Bible notes that Joppa, a beautiful city situated on the Mediterranean coast, saw numerous husbands and fathers hip off into the dangers of perilous waters. Many men would never make it back from the sea leaving behind them widows and orphans in dire needs.^[8] You see, this woman was gripped by God’s grace. Her state of saintliness had nothing to do with what she had done, but had everything to do with God’s grace. She was in need of salvation and God came and saved her. She was in need of true meaning and God came and gave her the meaning of life. She was lonely and her creator came and fulfilled her. She was unhappy and God came and became her joy. Because she was so gripped by God’s grace, when she saw needs, the brokenness, sadness around her, her heart couldn’t remain still.

When God’s grace grips our hearts, God’s grave moves our hearts after his heart; and our hands, our feet, our money, our time, our effort, our life are moved to God’s heart. God’s grace working in her couldn’t be contained. That is that nature of God’s grace. It is like virus. Once you are infected by it, it spreads throughout the body quickly, multiplying and occupying all corners of body and making its presence be known.

Dorcas was sick with God’s grace. The symptoms of this sickness with God’s grace was pouring her life into caring for the heartbroken, financially strapped, disadvantaged and marginalized.

When we think of being saints, many of you may have the picture of holiness in the sense of staying away from what tarnishes holiness.

In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives a small animal called the ermine. It is also known as short tailed weasel or stoat. Normally, it has a rich medium brown with an off-white belly. But, in winter at places that experience an inch or more of snow for forty days and more, the fur color changes to clean white. And, this white fur is known as “ermine.” Ermine with its clean white fur has been used as a symbol of purity in Europe. Legend had it that an ermine would die before allowing its pure white coat to be dirty.[9] Fur hunters would home of the ermine by clefts and rocks or hollow old trees. They would smear the entrance and inside of the home with grime. Then the hunters would set their dogs loose and chase the ermine. When the frightened ermine flees toward home, it won’t enter it because of filth. So, instead of risking the pristine and pure white coat from being soiled, it would allowed itself be trapped by the dogs and be captured.

This is one aspect of holiness. Where God resides, it must be holy and clean place. We understand this well.

Yet, where as Christians we fail is not so much in this area of holiness in the sense of staying away from negative things, but expressing positively of God’s grace.

Let’s pray that our lives will be full of God’s grace so that we stand by God’s grace and work by God’s grace.

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[1] EBCNT, Acts 9:32.

[2] NIDNTT, G41

[3] NIDNTT, G41

[4] David Gooding, True to the Faith, 158.

[5] Ibid., p 159.

[6] .Darrell Bock, Acts: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 377.

[7] Ibid., p. 378.

^[8]Thomas Nelson, I. (1997, c1995). Woman's study Bible . (Ac 9:43). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoat

Called to be God’s marker of contrast in people’s lives (Acts 9:23-31)

 

Cornerstone Mission Church, Sunday Sermon May 18, 2008

If you go to Macy’s website, you can find a Rwanda Shop where you can buy baskets called Path to Peace Baskets; these are weaved by Rwandan people. In 1994, after just 100 days of the atrocious genocide, close to 1 million Rwandan citizens were murdered; mostly Tutsis were killed by Hutus. This horrifying genocide left this relatively small nation in Africa with nearly 70% women. To make ends meet, both women of Tutsis and Hutus turned to their tradition of weaving and worked together. Since 2005, Macy’s been selling Path Peace Baskets.[1]

Just few days ago, Christiane Amanpour, a CNN correspondent featured an article about a Rwandan woman named Iphigenia Mukantabana, a master weaver; she sits in front of her house and weaves beautiful baskets with her friend Epiphania Mukanyndwi. She had a very painful story to tell.[2]

In 1994, Mukantabana’s husband and five of her children were all hacked and clubbed to death by Hutu militias. Among the killers was Jean-Bosco Bizimana; he is the husband of Epiphania with whom Mukantabana weaves baskets now.

How could Mukantabana now share her future and her family meals with Bizimana, the killer of her family, and the killer’s wife, Epiphania?

Bizimana, the killer spent seven years in jail. When he was released, he went before a tribal gathering and was given an opportunity to ask for forgiveness from the victims’ families. Bizimana told the reporter, “It hurts my heart to see that I did something wrong to friends of my family, to people whom we even shared meals with… I am still asking for forgiveness from the people I hurt.”

Mukantabana found that it was difficult to forgive. For four years after her family’s murders, she did not speak to the killer Bizimana or his wife Epiphania. Yet, now, she weaves baskets next to the killer’s wife and has forgiven the killer. Mukantabana told the reporter, “I am a Christian, and I pray a lot.” As a master weaver, she said, “We know how to wave baskets… It helped unite Rwandans in this area because they accepted me as the master weaver, and I could not say, ‘I am not taking your basket’ or ‘I am not helping you because you did something bad to me.”[3]

Here is a picture of her with her family’s killer at her home after church.

Instead of turning to bitterness and seeking revenge, this remarkable Christian woman has taken the incredibly narrow path of Christ to forgive the killer and to keep the friendship with the killer’s wife.

Wow, I don’t know about you, but to me this is an unbelievable story. I just cannot fathom loosing all of girls by a killer and having to forgive the killer and to be friend the killer’s family. Could you?

Unless reported and brought to our attention, the countless stories like the story of Mukantabana remain otherwise unknown to us. So, I am very glad to have come across this article, however unbelievable it was to me when I first read it.

Yet, knowing how Jesus died on the cross to forgive and free you and me, his once enemies who would be right there to shout “Crucify him,” along with the Jews back in time, I shouldn’t think the story is unbelievable. A follower, a disciple to think, feel and act just like his or her master would shouldn’t surprise us.

Her story powerfully illustrates how Christians are called to be God’s marker of contrast in people’s lives. God invites each of us to make differences in other people’s lives.

1. To be God’s marker of contrast, get to him who defies way things are and seeks to bring changes that seem unlikely, impossible, and unbelievable!

If you trace back the story of apostle Paul and the people involved in his life, you begin to understand that we serve God who defies way things are in the world and does things that are unlikely, impossible and unbelievable.

How unlikely was it for Paul, the chief persecutor of Christians, out of all people to be chosen by God to be his witness to the Gentiles? How unlikely was it for Peter who cowardly denied Jesus Christ to become his bold witness?

Saul, also known as Paul, passionately hated the fact that Christians believed Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah promised by God. His hatred was so intense that the journey over hundreds of miles from Jerusalem to Damascus was a worthy cause for him. Saul was on hot pursuit to capture any who believes Jesus Christ as the Son of God to imprison and to get rid of them. But as soon as God changed Saul’s belief, his conviction, his way of life, it says in verse 20, having spent several days with the disciples in Damascus, “At once he began to preach in the synagogues. What was the major theme of his preaching? His message was centered on the very thing that he hated the most and persecuted Christians for, namely Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He passionately hated Christians, Jesus Christ. Yet, having changed, having been born again, having been converted, he passionately loved Jesus Christ and his people.

Isn’t it ironic how the hunter had become the hunted? The hunter who used to be on the hot pursuit after Christians to imprison them and put them to death, but now we see him in verse 23-25 being hunted by other Jews. As he was committed to rid of Christians, now he was surrounded by equally committed Jews who conspired to kill him, who “day and night watch[ed] on the city gates in order to kill him.” In 2 Corinthians 11:32, Paul recorded that he was also hunted down by the governor under king Aretas. Both the Jews and the Arabs hunted him down. Once with his head high, he went around to hunt down Christians, but we see him in verse 25 barely escaping the hands of the hunters with the help of followers who took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

When you and I get comfortable with way things are, the stories of Acts instruct us about God in motion to change things completely, to turn things upside down, to do things that are unlikely, impossible, and unbelievable.

We need to recover this vision of God who is after real changes in his people that defy expectations, common sense, way things are. God is after the real changes in your life and my life. We should expect nothing less from God who does impossible things.

Consider the life of Abraham. When Abraham was seventy years old, when he was just an ordinary person going about his business, God came to him and invited him to walk with him because he had many promises he wanted to fulfill through Abraham. God wanted to bring about unlikely changes in Abraham’s life, to give him the Land of Israel, to make him into a great nation, to bless him, to make his name great, to make him a blessing to others, to bless all peoples on earth through him, to bless him with a son in his old age, in Sarah his wife’s old age.

Have you discovered God who calls you is God wants to bless you with changes that may seem unlikely, impossible, and unbelievable to you?

2. God wants to use you as his marker of contrast.

Here was the situation going from verse 25 to verse 26. Just reading these two verses, it is easy to make an inference that not too much time had elapsed. But, for those of you who have been studying Galatians, you are aware that Galatians 1:18 informs us it was not until three years later that Paul was able to visit Jerusalem.

So, when verse 26 speaks of Paul coming to Jerusalem, it was after three years since he became a disciple of Jesus Christ. Apparently even after three years later, Saul’s reputation of having been a chief persecutor of Christians didn’t go away for it says that when he “tried to join the disciples… but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.”

And, what you read in verse 27 is the word, “but.” In this context, this word is classified by Low and Nida as a divine marker of contrast. The divine marker of contrast points to the moments and seasons when God brings about drastic changes.

In today’s passage, God’s choice to be his ‘marker of contrast’ in Saul’s life was Barnabas, who we first met back in chapter 4.

Before Barnabas stepped up as ‘the divine marker of contrast’, the disciples were unilaterally afraid of Saul because of his well known reputation of once being the chief persecutor of the disciples. Because of this, Saul’s motion towards Christians in Jerusalem was stalled. While people were gripped with fear and doubt thereby rejecting Saul Barnabas stepped up and became ‘the divine marker of contrast’.

Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles says verse 27. Here is the picture; when Barnabas realized that the people were gripped with fear and doubt over who Saul really was and rejected him, instead of going along with the rest, he took hold of Saul’s hand and brought him to the apostles. Barnabas took Saul under his wing[4] and brought him to the apostles. From Galatians 1:18-19, we understand that here Saul didn’t meet all the apostles, but only Peter and James, the Jesus’ brother.

When he took hold of Saul’s hand, under his wing, and brought him to the apostles, he began to explain to them about how Jesus showed up and personally shown himself and spoke to Saul. Saul’s conversion was evident in the drastic change of once hunter to bring down Christians becoming the hunted for having fearlessly preached in the name of Jesus Christ

When Barnabas stepped up and God used him as his divine marker of contrast, even though all the disciples rejected Saul out of their fear and doubt, Barnabas having seen God’s grace at work in the unlikely person became Saul’s biggest supporter.

Can you imagine how Saul must felt when he first came to Jerusalem after three years of having faithfully and fearlessly preached in the name of Jesus Christ in Damascus only to find out that he was not welcomed into Jerusalem church?

Can you imagine how Saul must felt when the fellow Christians brothers and sisters couldn’t get over the fact he used to persecute Christians although he had been a completely changed person for the last three years?

If nothing was done, if no contrasting changes occurred, if the spirit of rejection, criticism, insensitive to perceive what God was doing in Saul’s life, and fear continued, Saul’s disappointment would have turned into bitterness, anger, sadness. Rather than being positioned for further growth, Saul would have hard time growing as a Christian.

The unwelcoming spirit, the critical spirit, the fault dwelling spirit, the dull spirit that cannot perceive or even dream of God’s gracious activity in seemingly impossible people cannot be used as the divine marker of contrast. When God writes a story, he likes to use the word, “but” to mark the contrasting changes, going from death but to life, dark but to light, bondage but to freedom, depression but to joy, laziness but to diligence, uselessness but to usefulness, worthlessness but to worthiness, ineffectiveness and unproductiveness but to fruitful life.

And, the way God uses “but” in his story telling is by using you and me to mark these contrasts in other people’s lives just the way he used Barnabas in Saul’s life.

Simply put it, God invites you and me to be his agent of change in people’s lives. He invites us to make differences in people’s lives.

à Apply

I cannot think of anything else that would top the experience of being used by God to be his mark of contrast in people’s lives. Can you think of any experience that would be more meaningful than to be used by God to make differences in people’s lives, contrasts as drastic as day and night?

Can you think of what might be more meaningful than being God’s marker of contrast in others to help them go from darkness but to light, gloom and depression but to joy, restless but to calmness, dryness but to revival, defeats but to victories, apathy but to vibrant and living faith, head knowledge but to heart knowledge of God, being rejected but to being welcomed and embraced with love and kindness, being discouraged but to being encouraged, torn down but building up, unforgiven but to forgiven?

Can you think of what might be more meaningful than being God’s agent of positively contrasting changes in people’s lives?

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[1] http://www1.macys.com/campaign/rwanda/story.jsp

[2] http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/15/amanpour.rwanda/index.html?iref=newssearch

[3] http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/15/amanpour.rwanda/index.html?iref=newssearch

[4] Darrell L. Bock, Acts: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Baker, 2007, p. 369.

Jesus’ Radical Pursuit of Friendship (Acts 9:1-22)

 

Cornerstone Mission Church, Sunday Sermon May 4, 2008

David Letterman had “Top 10 signs that you have no friends”. Here are some of the lists from the top 10.

#8. James Taylor sings the first bars of “You’ve Got a Friend,” notices you in the audience and stops.

#7. Having a Super Bowl party means dressing up your dogs and tying them to the furniture.

#6. At your funeral, the entire eulogy is, “Yep, he’s dead.”

#4. You are one of the five best solitaire players in the world.

#2. You go to a video store and say out loud to yourself, “Well, what do you want to rent tonight?”

#1. No calls from salespeople pushing MCI’s “Friends and Family” plan. --- Well, something more relevant for today would be, “No need to switch to T-Mobile for their Myfaves to make unlimited calling to your non-existent 5 favorite people.”

When we think of Saul before he became a Christ follower, a Christian, there were plenty of signs that this man was no friend of Christians. Do you remember when Stephen was being stoned to death for his faith and hope in Jesus Christ who was also there? Acts 8:1 reads, “And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.” Saul was actively involved in all out effort to root out Christianity from the face of Jerusalem. He was no friend of Christians. Following Stephen’s martyrdom under the approval of Saul led to a widespread persecution. And, many Christians ended up leaving Jerusalem and scattering throughout Judea and Samaria.

And, in today’s passage, Acts 9:1-2 reads “Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 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.”

Saul was single-mindedly passionate about rooting out the people who followed Jesus Christ, those who belonged to the Way. When many who belonged to the Way, to Jesus Christ, scattered through Judea and Samaria, he went after them. He was tenacious, tireless, absolutely determined to mow down any who belonged to the Way.

There would be far greater than 10 lists for why Saul was no friend of Christians. Well, to say that Saul was no friend of Christians is really an understatement; he was a greatly feared enemy of Christians. His name alone was enough to chill any courage one might had. Any one who belonged to the Way, to Jesus Christ, the common sense would be to avoid him like a plague.

But, in this story, what we see is the message of the gospel clearly spelled out for us by Jesus’ radical pursuit of friendship with Saul.

1. Jesus is in the business of turning his enemies into his friends.

This was one of the great defining moments in the history of Christianity. If anyone was going to remain as the ardent fanatic, the hater, the enemy of everything that was represented by Jesus Christ would have been Saul.

When Saul stood there guarding the clothes of the Jews who stoned Stephen to death, there was nothing but the profound satisfaction in doing what he thought was absolutely right. He was the champion, the guardian, the enforcer of the Judaism against the gospel message of Jesus Christ that challenged the way of life.

You can almost imagine him, picture him with his head high marching on to Damascus with deeply seeded hatred, bitterness, animosity against anyone who belonged the Way. If there is such thing as perfect hatred, Saul had it against Christians, against Christ. From Jerusalem to Damascus, we are talking about close to 200 miles, well over many days of journey on foot. Not only was he going to get to Damascus, he was going to round up all who belonged to the Way and ruthless bring them to Jerusalem as prisoners.

Have you met anyone who possesses this kind of passion to go after you, to destroy you? Goodness, that would be truly scary to have someone like Saul come after us, don’t you think?

How was Jesus to deal with Saul who was bent on mowing down any who belonged to Jesus? How were the followers of Jesus Christ to pray for this guy, the enemy of the gospel, their principal persecutor? Wouldn’t be tempting to ask God to take this guy out? There are plenty of passages we can quote from Psalms to bring destruction on Saul for opposing the true Messiah. It would be nothing for God to extend his arms of judgment to take him out of the picture.

But, what we see is Jesus is in the business of turning his enemies into his friends. This really is the essence, the power of the gospel. If the gospel of Jesus Christ changed Saul, who was complete hater of all that Jesus stood for, if Jesus can change the hardened Pharisee of the Pharisees, the sinner of the sinners, the persecutor of persecutors, it shows us that none of us are out of the reach of God’s transforming power through his Son.

1 Timothy 1:15-17, Saul, the apostle Paul wrote, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Jesus is in the business of turning enemies into his friends.

2. Jesus initiates and deals with sins to turn his enemies into his friends.

Literally, Saul was breathing out murderous threats against Christians when he met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. There was no sign other than this man was full of hatred against Jesus, against Jesus’ people. Saul showed no sign that his heart was getting softer to receive the gospel. His heart remained icy cold, bitter, hate filled, full of self-righteousness, convinced that he could do no wrong. Saul was making no movement towards Jesus Christ except to destroy anyone who belong to him, believing that Jesus was no Messiah.

While Saul made no attempt to draw closer to Jesus for the purpose of submitting to him, to get to know him, to be known by him, we see Jesus making the initiative.

We see in verse 4-9, Jesus dealing with Saul for his sins of unbelief and persecution against Christians. Jesus’ question to Saul reveals what he thought of Saul’s action. Verse 4, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” And, verse 5, if that wasn’t clear enough Jesus said again, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

We see how Saul got the theology of the body of Christ. Anytime anyone persecutes Christians, they are not just massing with Christians, but they are massing with Jesus Christ who is the head of the body of Christ, the make up of Christians.

Jesus wasn’t sitting around doing nothing. While Saul was making his moves to round up Christians, Jesus made his move to convict Saul of his sins. Jesus showed up in complete High Definition in full audio-visual sounds and light. Jesus really wanted to get Saul’s attention and he got it. Not only did Jesus get Saul’s attention by showing up, but more than that. Jesus struck Saul with blindness for three days (v. 8-9).

This is when Saul’s murderous threat was stalled by Jesus. Saul, who marched pompously looking for Christians to arrest, got arrested by Jesus and rendered helpless and out of control.

Saul was suffering from sins of pride, self-righteousness, self-dependency, rejecting the truth of the gospel, rejecting ultimately the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Saul’s pride manifested feelings of being in control and in power even over Jesus Christ and his people. To deal with these sins, Jesus took away the very means of control, the eye sight. Jesus shone his glorious radiance and blinded Saul’s eyes for little bit. Jesus did this so that before Saul can see the true light of salvation, he would take time to confront the inner darkness of his heart, his sins, his wickedness. What was he doing for these three days? Well, he couldn’t get around much. It says in verse 9, for three days he… did not eat or drink anything, and verse 11 that Saul was praying.

à Apply…

Before we can see the light, we must too confront the inner darkness of our hearts. But, if we don’t take time to evaluate our own actions, behaviors, hearts’ motives through the standard of God’s word through the Holy Spirit, Jesus will force the issue with us as he did with Paul.

It is paramount that we take daily moments to shot our eyes and search our inner hearts for any dark spot with the help of the Holy Spirit. Honest reflection is vital to the healthy spirituality. There is a great value in fasting as well as. Saul took the most extreme form of fasting, abstaining from food and water all together. It really takes these down times when we tune out the outside and search the inners hearts with the help of the Spirit to discern the darkness that lingers in us.

3. Jesus is looking for ordinary people like Ananias to be his hands, his feet and his mouthpiece.

If you ever come across anyone who believes that there is such thing as solitary Christianity, meaning solo Christian life in isolation, you must reject such belief because it is a simply a lie far from the truth.

Ananias wasn’t apostle. He wasn’t big name Christian guy. But, what we see in our text is God using this ordinary person in extraordinary way. He is known in verse 10 simply as a disciple. And, we understand what a disciple is when we consider his action when a vision is given to him by God.

In the vision, the Lord spoke to Ananias to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. And, the Lord further instructed Ananias how Saul saw also a vision of Ananias coming to restore Saul’s sight.

Ananias’ immediate response isn’t to say, “Yes, Lord.” Before he could say, “Yes, Lord,” Ananias had this barrier to obedience. He had fear, concerns. Saul was notorious for having caused great deal of harm to Christians in Jerusalem. And, the fact that Saul came to arrest all who call on Jesus’ name was plainly known.

The Lord didn’t rebuke Ananias for having a doubt, a fear, a concern. Instead, the Lord addressed Ananias’ fear by letting him on his plan, how he had chosen Saul as his instrument to carry his name to others, how he would suffer for his name.

Here, we see what Jesus meant when he called his disciples friends. John 15:14-16, Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.”

Now we must get this straight. We don’t call Jesus our friends as though he is our buddies. The truth is Jesus calls us friends. And, we are his friends when we do what he commands. But, when Jesus commands us to do his will, it is in the context of being let in on God’s kingdom plan. God lets us in on his kingdom plan. He shares with us what he is trying to do and calls us to participate in his kingdom plan. That is exactly what he does with Ananias. Jesus let Ananias in on what the Father was doing with Saul.

à Apply… We got to get this picture. Although Saul, also known as Paul is the dominant and prominent figure in the New Testament, he owed his existence to this ordinary man Ananias, simply known as a disciple. You and I are all called to be Ananias to come along side of others to minister God’s grace, to be Jesus’ hands, his feet, his mouthpiece.

And, the practical thing we can apply is to ask Jesus to show us what he is doing in people’s lives. He will show us what he is doing in other people when he calls us to minister to others. I know that some of you have experienced how Jesus let you in on what he is doing in other peoples’ lives to whom you are called to minister. It is thrilling experience to know that Jesus wants to share the Father’s kingdom business with us. This is what it means to be Jesus’ friends, to participate in the kingdom business through joyful obedience.

4. Jesus calls us to expect suffering for he is suffering servant.

Lastly, I want us to pay attention to what Jesus said about Saul, how he would show him how much he must suffer for my name.

One thing that is consistent through the Bible is that we are called to walk the narrow path. People choose to walk broad paths that are easy to walk, have little demands or expectation. But, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is very clear on this. Jesus calls to walk the narrow path just as he walked the narrowest path. I talked about how we must not walk the path of least resistance. But, instead walk the path of resistance.

When we tell others about the gospel, we must make it clear that Jesus’ call is to the narrow path that would involve suffering for Jesus’ name. Jesus calls us to follow his path. And, the path that he walked was the road of suffering that lead to his ultimate glory.

As we learn more about Saul’s life and others, we are going to see how they suffered for the name of Jesus, why they suffered, how they felt about it.

à Apply

Ministering to others as I said to some of you requires varying degrees of suffering. If Jesus was rejected, suffered, was killed, why are we surprised when people reject us when we share the gospel, when we extent the love of Jesus Christ, when we reach out?

We need to cultivate this understanding… the call to follow Jesus Christ is to be like Christ. It means living out Christ’s life here on earth as he did. And, faithfully walking, imitating him, doing his will certainly require facing sufferings of varying degrees.

If we don’t get this right from the beginning, we reduce the gospel to the prosperity gospel, the gospel that exists for our own comfort, riches and good, instead of the gospel that builds us on the life of Jesus, the gospel that expands the kingdom of God, the gospel that makes much about God and be very happy doing it.