1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:05,480 I have to admit that it is extremely difficult to dedicate 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:12,600 a series on the life of the apostle Paul and not have to 3 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:19,480 talk about his conversion. How do you talk about Paul and 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,800 not talk about his testimony? And that is not personal 5 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,080 opinion. I believe the weightiness of the 6 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:30,880 Bible leans toward the fact that his testimony is something to be 7 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,080 greatly considered. It's not a secondary or tertiary 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,720 idea. And the reason why we can say 9 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,880 that is because Paul's testimony in the book of Acts is not 10 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,400 mentioned just once, not just twice. 11 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,720 It is recorded for us three times. 12 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:53,000 Surely this emphasis given to us by the Holy Spirit is meant to 13 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,920 convey that his conversion is of weighty significance. 14 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,200 And one of the reasons for that significance is because he was 15 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,800 not one of the original 12 disciples who walk with Christ, 16 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,480 who ate with Christ, who was with Christ during his 17 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,520 three-year ministry. But he would play a vital role 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:19,320 in establishing the foundation of the Church and so the origins 19 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:24,360 of his encounter with Christ. And his experience of the 20 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:29,400 resurrected Christ had to be unmistakable, had to be 21 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,880 undeniably clear for the sake of his credibility as an apostle 22 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,760 who had laid down so many important truths that you and I 23 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,320 are experiencing and learning and are walking in today. 24 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:44,280 So his story is part of Scripture. 25 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,880 And because it is part of Scripture, it not only does it 26 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:54,600 hold historical value. But the same Paul who we're 27 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:59,520 learning about said that all Scripture has been what breathed 28 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,800 out by God because it's been breathed out by God, it is 29 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:08,840 absolutely useful for the man of God to be complete, complete and 30 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,080 ready for every good work. And guess what? 31 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,320 Paul's testimony is part of Scripture, and so we can look to 32 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,320 his testimony for practical truth. 33 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:25,520 For personal applicable things in our own walk with the Lord. 34 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:28,240 And so I want to encourage you, though we're not going to 35 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,600 explore every single detail about his testimony today. 36 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,400 What a thrilling thing it would be to take the mentions of his 37 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,280 testimony. Do a comparative study. 38 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,720 You'll find it narrated in Acts Chapter 9. 39 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,240 You'll find it given by the Apostle Paul's own words in Acts 40 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,680 chapter 22 and also in Acts chapter 26. 41 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,640 But many of us in here have studied the Word of God, I 42 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:53,440 assume. I've grown up hearing about 43 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,520 Paul, surely. And so we're very familiar with 44 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:00,280 his Damascus Rd. experience when he was on his way, with 45 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,320 permission from authorities, to persecute the church. 46 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,120 We all can really recite that testimony, that part of it at 47 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:09,600 least. But I want to consider a part of 48 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,760 his testimony that is often overlooked. 49 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,040 An ingredient, a fragment of his story. 50 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,320 That is mentioned two times out of the three times that the 51 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,760 testimony of Paul is mentioned in the book of Acts. 52 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,480 It deals with a person, a person who played an integral part in 53 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:28,960 his genesis of the Christian journey. 54 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:34,880 That person is named Ananias Ananias. 55 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:41,280 Ananias was a man who played a very crucial role in Paul's 56 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,200 beginnings as a believer in Jesus Christ. 57 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,760 Many of us know again that Acts chapter nine story of Paul 58 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,400 meeting Jesus in a very humbling way, but I'm not sure many of us 59 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,840 realize how important and how many things you can learn from 60 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,360 Ananias who is part of his story. 61 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,800 So I encourage you to come to Acts Chapter 9 with me and let's 62 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:06,240 go to verse 10. Verse one to nine is the report 63 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:11,160 of his personal experience of Christ, but that's not the whole 64 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:16,720 story. And I know we're here to talk 65 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,480 about Paul, but intertwine with Paul's story is this man 66 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,680 Ananias. So let's read here in verse 10, 67 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:27,720 we read now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. 68 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,480 The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. 69 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:37,960 And he said, here I am Lord. And the Lord said to him, Rise 70 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:42,040 and go to the street called Straight, and at the House of 71 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,640 Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. 72 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,520 For behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man 73 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,560 named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he 74 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,840 might regain his sight. But Ananias answered, Lord, I 75 00:04:56,840 --> 00:05:00,560 have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done 76 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:05,000 to your Saints at Jerusalem, and here he has authority from the 77 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,160 chief priest to bind all who call on your name. 78 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,720 But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of 79 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:18,360 mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the 80 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:23,360 children of Israel, for I will show him how much he must suffer 81 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:29,040 for the sake of my name. So Ananias departed and entered 82 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,560 the house, and laying his hands on him, he said, Brother Saul, 83 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,120 the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you 84 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,920 came has sent me, so that you may regain your sight and be 85 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:44,520 filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately something like 86 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:48,440 scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. 87 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:54,000 Then he rose and was baptized and taking food, he was 88 00:05:54,440 --> 00:06:00,000 strengthened. There's no debate of the 89 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:06,320 incredible role that Paul played in the life of the church, and 90 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,960 understanding his importance would make us think that the 91 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:15,400 person who would be used by God to direct Paul as a baby in 92 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:19,840 Christ to nurture Paul, to instruct Paul would also be 93 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:24,840 somebody of great significance. So here's just me thinking, OK, 94 00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:26,320 if there's going to be any person. 95 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:31,600 Who's going to go to Saul, who now will become Paul in a few 96 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,320 chapters? It has to be a big guy. 97 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:39,720 It's got to be a Peter, maybe John James. 98 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,280 What about Philip the Evangelist who in a chapter before saw a 99 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:50,240 revival in Samaria and who was transported supernaturally after 100 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,160 seeing that Ethiopian eunuch come to Christ? 101 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,000 Couldn't the Lord transferred him from Caesarea here to 102 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:01,000 Damascus and meet with Paul? But God doesn't do any of that. 103 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,960 God doesn't send an apostle. He doesn't send a teacher, a 104 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,120 pastor, an evangelist, a revivalist. 105 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,000 No, all we read here in verse 10. 106 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:14,280 Now there was a disciple, a disciple, a Damascus. 107 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:19,280 Nobody of prominent position, nobody of great talent, no 108 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,800 miracles necessarily associated with his name before this time, 109 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:29,280 just a disciple. Don't read your Bible too fast, 110 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:33,960 please, lest you miss marvelous insights about the heart of God. 111 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,400 Doesn't it warm your heart to know that the Lord, when he 112 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:45,720 recruits people to be used, does not bypass ordinary disciples? 113 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,320 He's not automatically magnetized towards those who are 114 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:57,440 known with notoriety, with significant public gifts. 115 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:02,720 No, He even looks for men like this Ananias, and the only thing 116 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:04,960 associated with his name in the scriptures that he was a 117 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,600 disciple. You know why that's encouraging? 118 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,760 We're all disciples. We're all disciples. 119 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,120 And as we study and admire the testimony, one of the greatest 120 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,520 leaders in the church, you and I are also in reading his 121 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,160 testimony, discover that God, that God uses lesser known 122 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:23,120 believers to do significant things. 123 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:26,680 And this is something to encourage you. 124 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,400 And when the Lord recruits people, he does not look for 125 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,960 what you and I look for if we're going to look for somebody of 126 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:38,400 great purpose. And I remember looking at this 127 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,120 and thinking about different people who've been used by God 128 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:43,039 that have really shifted history. 129 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,320 And we know them. We read their biographies. 130 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,200 We are inspired by their stories. 131 00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:49,440 Books have been written about them. 132 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,600 But we never consider the people who played a role in their lives 133 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:54,800 that we'll never hear about on this side of eternity. 134 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,160 And I stumbled upon the testimony of a person that 135 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,600 you've heard of, I'm sure, John Bunyan. 136 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,640 You've probably read his book Pilgrim's Progress if you 137 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,440 haven't. It's one of the most read books 138 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:11,480 in all of human history, and it is certainly the most popular 139 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:15,960 Christian allegory of all time. A brilliant man. 140 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:21,360 They said of John Bunyan that if you cut him, he would bleed out 141 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,680 the Bible. He loved the Word. 142 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:27,760 He knew the word, and God used them to make an impact. 143 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:32,480 The Kingdom of God to this day. But what's so incredible John 144 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,160 Bunyan was not just his writings, but the events leading 145 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,520 up to his own conversion. And you can find this in great 146 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:40,640 detail. One of my favorite episodes in 147 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:44,840 John Bunyan's life is that when he was still a tinker. 148 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,880 Have you ever heard of the word? A tinker was somebody who, by 149 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,880 way of profession, would fix people's pots and pans. 150 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:55,480 And so they would travel from town to town with utensils, and 151 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:57,840 they would knock on people's doors and ask if they would have 152 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:01,040 any of their kitchenware fixed. And so John Bunny, before he was 153 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,040 an author, before he was a preacher, he was a tinker. 154 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,720 And one day he finds himself in a specific place and he 155 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,880 encounters in Bedford a group of women, three or four women, who 156 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,960 were sitting at the front door of one of their homes and they 157 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:24,680 were talking and he was nearby. Unfortunately for some, when 158 00:10:24,680 --> 00:10:28,280 three or four women get together and talk, it's dangerous. 159 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,600 But that wasn't the case here because when John Bunyan walks 160 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:39,960 by, he, he heard these women who were poor, unnamed, discussing 161 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,880 the things of God. And this attracted Bunyan 162 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,400 because he never heard people talking about things like this, 163 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:51,240 things about God saving their souls, heaven. 164 00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:55,160 The Bible, what they read. And John Bunyan, he wasn't a 165 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,160 person who grew up in the church and had some kind of knowledge 166 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:00,680 of these things. He was an atheist at heart, very 167 00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:03,800 rough upbringing, but something that there was a fragrance in 168 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,920 the air that drew him to to just draw a little closer and lean 169 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:09,520 in. And we're told there that he 170 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,800 didn't really understand what they were talking about, but he 171 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,600 interpreted that they were speaking from a place of joy, 172 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,520 and he realized that they were speaking. 173 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:26,480 Of another world and that made an impact on this man John 174 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,240 Bunyan. That was just one link in the 175 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,680 chain that would eventually cause him to be bound to Christ. 176 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:40,920 4 poor unknown woman who were talking about the love of their 177 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:44,360 hearts, and a man in the neighborhood heard them, and 178 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:48,160 that would be used to push him closer to the foot of the cross. 179 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:55,360 God uses nobodies, but just because God uses nobodies, which 180 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,600 we rejoice in, it doesn't mean he uses anybody. 181 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:04,120 You can say that Ananias was a nobody, but he wasn't just 182 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:05,880 anybody. Because there are standards in 183 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:07,960 which God looks for when he recruits. 184 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,320 And thankfully, he doesn't look for talent looking, doesn't look 185 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,360 for prestige, it doesn't look for pedigree, but he does look 186 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,920 for something. And we're told not in Acts 9, 187 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,240 but again, in the parallel account of Paul's testimony, 188 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:23,600 something about Ananias as Paul talks about his own conversion. 189 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,240 That's worth looking at for you and I to see. 190 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,280 Look at this here in Acts chapter 22. 191 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,120 Turn there with me, would you? And this is when Paul speaks 192 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,040 about his own testimony. And look what he says about 193 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:38,080 Ananias in verse 12. I want you to take note of two 194 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:42,280 things that will secure us as candidates for God's service. 195 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,480 The first thing which is not included in the two, but it's 196 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:48,360 automatic, is you need to be a disciple. 197 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,840 But there are two additional things, and they're found here 198 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:54,720 in Acts 22 and the other one back in Acts 9. 199 00:12:54,720 --> 00:13:02,920 Look at verse 12, Paul speaking, and one Ananias, a devout man, a 200 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:08,120 devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews 201 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,560 who lived there. So what was it about? 202 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:14,840 Ananias #1 he was devout. What does it mean? 203 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:18,520 To be devout means to be pious. This man was holy. 204 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:22,640 This man was blameless. This man had true character and 205 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:25,160 he stands in contrast to another Ananias. 206 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,560 This is not the same Ananias of Acts chapter 5. 207 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:30,680 Acts chapter five was Ananias and his wife Sapphire. 208 00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:34,440 Remember those two? They came into church thinking 209 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:38,880 that they can lie. And Ananias and Sapphire, seeing 210 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:41,640 Barnabas give this charitable gift thought, wow, I mean, look 211 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,680 at all, look at all the people who are moved by Barnabas 212 00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:46,440 generosity. Let's do something like that. 213 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,800 And so they, they faked it. They pretended to give 214 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:51,640 everything when they actually gave some. 215 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:56,880 And so Ananias walks in and he lies to ultimately God and he's 216 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,600 stricken dead. And his wife comes later on and 217 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:01,440 he's she's confronted by church leadership. 218 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,800 She lies as well. And that church service became a 219 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:09,200 funeral service. But this is a different Ananias. 220 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:10,920 Listen, he doesn't have a position. 221 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:14,400 He didn't possess anything significant, but he did have a 222 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,360 praiseworthy reputation. So much so Listen, he wasn't 223 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,040 just well spoken of by the Christians. 224 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:22,560 What did Paul say? Well spoken of by all the Jews, 225 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,080 the Jews. The Jews were enemies of the 226 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,400 early Christian movement. And yet we're told here that 227 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,680 they were well spoken. They, they were speaking well of 228 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:35,840 this man because he was no hypocrite. 229 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:41,640 He was consistent no matter what context he was found in, whether 230 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,840 people love them or hated. And they they could not deny 231 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,720 that he was a devout man. He was committed to the thing 232 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:48,160 that he said that he believed in. 233 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,600 And the example of Ananias here teaches that none of us should 234 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,920 expect to be recruited by the Lord if we are not first 235 00:14:55,920 --> 00:15:00,440 committed to maintaining and pursuing Christian character. 236 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:05,840 Christian character, but the extent of his faithfulness 237 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:08,120 doesn't just end here. Go back to Acts Chapter 9, 238 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,760 Right? He's a devout man, but when you 239 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,800 look at the main text, you see the extent of his faithfulness 240 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,240 in Acts 9. Look at verse 13. 241 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:20,440 This is when the Lord said, I want you to go to Saul. 242 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,760 And this is his response in Acts 913. 243 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,880 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this 244 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:31,160 man, how much evil he has done to your Saints at Jerusalem. 245 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,280 And here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all who 246 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,880 call on your name. Look at the first few words of 247 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,760 verse 14. And here he has authority from 248 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,200 the chief priest to bind here. Well, Damascus. 249 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:50,440 So Ananias realized it. It was on headline news in the 250 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:56,720 church that there is this saw of Tarsus coming to Damascus to 251 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,040 eradicate Christianity in this region. 252 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,320 He is coming to harass the church. 253 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:07,000 So Ananias was aware that he was on dangerous territory and yet 254 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,800 he didn't move. Isn't that what we get from 255 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,720 this? And here he has authority, but 256 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,000 that didn't diminish his dedication. 257 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:21,160 His devotion was not deterred. It was not diluted. 258 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,040 And so you have this disciple. Yes, but all men. 259 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:30,000 Did he love Christ? He was willing to be arrested 260 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:31,680 for Christ. He was willing to die for 261 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:35,200 Christ, surely. So he was devout according to 262 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,480 the law, yes, but this law was so real to me. 263 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,680 It was so good to him, it was so cherished by him that when there 264 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:45,640 was persecution against it, he was willing to dig his heels and 265 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:51,520 Damascus and stay put. A disciple, Simply put, a 266 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:55,080 disciple who is devout, who loved the Lord, who loved God's 267 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,240 law, who loved Christ to this extent. 268 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,840 And so listen, that's what you have to be encouraged by, 269 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:03,600 because you, you can achieve this. 270 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:09,000 You can walk in this. Businessman mother who stays at 271 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,200 home with her children. You can be devout. 272 00:17:12,319 --> 00:17:15,319 And as you walk in that devotion to the Lord, you make yourself a 273 00:17:15,319 --> 00:17:17,079 greater candidate for his service. 274 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,040 But it's not just that there's a second thing. 275 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,920 He was devout, but he was also ready. 276 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:26,520 So look here at verse 10 again of our main text. 277 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,600 Now, there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. 278 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:36,480 The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias, and he said, 279 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:43,520 here I am Lord, here I am Lord. What a response for your name 280 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,120 being called. Here I am Lord. 281 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:50,040 Now you would think, well that would be the obvious response if 282 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,000 you're visited by Christ and a vision, right? 283 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:55,080 What else are you going to say? But I don't believe that this is 284 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:59,560 just a spontaneous submission. I believe that Ananias had this 285 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:02,200 yielding this in his heart instilled in him. 286 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:05,200 How do we know that? Because we just learned that he 287 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:07,080 was a devout man according to the law. 288 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:10,800 And so he was already committed to the written word of God. 289 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:14,320 So that when God came in a supernatural way, he came to a 290 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,560 man who already was willing to do all that the Lord said. 291 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,880 And you have many people who want experiences with the Lord. 292 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:26,920 They want subjective kind of ecstasies and and testimonies. 293 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,560 But here's a question for you. How responsive are you to what 294 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,360 God had already told you in His Word? 295 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:36,800 How does your heart move according to what He has said 296 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:41,320 already in the scriptures? Because you and I have no reason 297 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:45,400 to expect anything more if what we've been given is not honored 298 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,640 and loved to begin with. So Ananias was devout according 299 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,920 to the law. God saw a man that when the word 300 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:56,320 was heralded, when it was read, when it was studied, his heart 301 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:58,480 was ready to do anything that the Lord said. 302 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:03,800 And so this man would receive further instruction because he 303 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:08,040 was a ready man. Some of the greatest servants in 304 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,840 the Scriptures have been people who responded like Ananias did 305 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:12,280 when they were visited by the Lord. 306 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:18,400 Abraham, here I am, Genesis 22 Isaiah says, Whom shall we send? 307 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,840 What did Isaiah say? Here I am, Lord, what? 308 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:23,360 Send me. You know what I love? 309 00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:26,120 About that, he didn't even know what the job description was 310 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:29,520 yet. Whom shall we send? 311 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,400 I'll do it. I don't know what it is, but I'm 312 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,520 ready. OK, good. 313 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:36,120 I want you to preach. And nobody's going to ever 314 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:38,720 listen to your sermons. How long, Lord? 315 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:41,120 He asked later on when he did it. 316 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:45,280 Here I am, Lord. He was a devout man. 317 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:49,280 And he was a ready man. He he maintained a posture of 318 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:53,000 servanthood. Whatever the Lord say, I'm going 319 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,680 to do it. Now I've mentioned this so many 320 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,360 times, but we are creatures of repetition, so I like some of 321 00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:01,360 the apostles in their letters and not ashamed to repeat 322 00:20:01,360 --> 00:20:06,360 certain things. David was a man after God's own 323 00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:07,600 heart. Is that not true? 324 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:10,080 Do you even know what that means though? 325 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:14,000 What does it mean for David to be a man after God's own heart? 326 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,000 The Lord qualifies that the Holy Spirit tells us exactly what it 327 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,000 means, and I want you to see it quickly before we come back to 328 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:25,400 this text in Acts 13. Look at Acts 13 and notice here 329 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,760 what the Bible says about David being a man after God's own 330 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:35,800 heart in verse 22. And when he had removed him, he 331 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:39,120 raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and 332 00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:43,280 said, I have found in David the son of Jesse, a man after my 333 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,240 heart. If it's if it ended there, it 334 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,040 could mean a million things what it means to be a man after God's 335 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:51,200 heart. But we're told exactly what it 336 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,840 means. Who will do all my will. 337 00:20:56,120 --> 00:21:00,040 So if you want to know if you're a woman, if you're a man who has 338 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,560 a heart after God's heart. That will be recognized by how 339 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:05,400 you respond to the revealed will of God. 340 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,520 Whatever you discover, whatever is learned, whatever is new, 341 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,840 whatever is something that you've forgotten about, is now 342 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:17,000 an object of remembrance. Are you willing to do it? 343 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,000 Ananias was a man who was willing to do what the Lord told 344 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,600 him. So he was devout and he was 345 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,680 ready. But let's come back and realize 346 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,760 that the Lord understood that this man, though he was devout, 347 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,560 though he was ready, was a man. Still look at verse 11 of Acts 348 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:38,040 9. He almost preemptively wants to 349 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,960 reassure Ananias from this dangerous task that it's going 350 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:45,600 to be OK because he understands the reluctancy of any Christian 351 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,440 Christian concerning Saul and encountering him. 352 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,160 And the Lord said them rise and go to the street called straight 353 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:53,400 and at the House of Judas pause there. 354 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:58,960 Isn't that amazing? The Lord knows your address and 355 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:00,840 he knows the members of that household. 356 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,760 But notice what the Lord tells Ananias to comfort him. 357 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:09,480 He says in the House of Judas, look for a man of Tarsus name 358 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:18,560 Saul, for behold he is praying. You know, the word behold is 359 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:23,400 pause whatever you're doing and look at this for a second. 360 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:30,120 Behold, he is praying as though Paul praying was a spectacle. 361 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:37,080 And he wants to blanket this man's soul and he wants to 362 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,320 console him out of all the things he could have said. 363 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,200 He says, don't worry, Ananias, Paul is praying. 364 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:47,120 Do you know why that's important? 365 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:52,160 Because it tells us one of the one of the marks of true 366 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:56,640 conversion. According to Jesus, one of the 367 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:01,720 indications that a person has truly changed is that they pray. 368 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:05,040 But wait, wasn't Paul a Pharisee? 369 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,040 He was a Pharisee, didn't Pharisee. 370 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,800 So he was probably more inspirational among the 371 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:12,760 Pharisees in his prayer life than anybody. 372 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,520 But you remember what Jesus said generally about the prayers of 373 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:19,200 the Pharisees. Vain, self seeking, 374 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:25,280 hypocritical. But now that Paul met Christ and 375 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,320 his heart was changed, it's as though the Lord is saying, ah, 376 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:33,840 now he's really praying. Now he's really praying. 377 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:39,240 Charles. Spurgeon said that prayer is the 378 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:43,400 Holy Ghost autograph on the heart of a regenerated soul. 379 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,240 And what I love about Acts Chapter 9 is you see the change 380 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:53,280 in what Paul does with his breath, saying, what do you 381 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,120 mean? Look at here verse one of Acts 382 00:23:55,120 --> 00:24:00,040 Chapter 9. But Saul still breathing threats 383 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,200 and murder against the disciples of the Lord. 384 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,640 That's how we find palm Acts before he comes to Christ. 385 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,320 And then you read here in verse 10 and 11 that he's no longer 386 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,800 breathing threats. He's breathing sighs of 387 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,200 adoration and love and petitions to the Lord. 388 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:21,240 When you meet Christ, one of the things that will happen in your 389 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:27,240 life is that you will know a longing and a practice of 390 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:30,520 communing with the Lord. He is born. 391 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:34,520 One of the things that I'm sure doctors look for, I'm no doctor, 392 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:39,600 but I know this to be true, is one of the vital signs of a 393 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:44,160 healthy baby is what it cries. The baby cries. 394 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,400 That the lungs are. Working right, it's no different 395 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:51,480 in the new birth. If a person is born again and 396 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:56,080 there's no cry, there's something not right, something's 397 00:24:56,080 --> 00:25:01,160 wrong. And so a born again person will 398 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:06,960 supernaturally have this instinct to lift up their voice 399 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,640 and seek the Lord. Will the flesh challenge that? 400 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:11,680 Yeah. Will there be days where you 401 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,560 don't want to seek the Lord? I'm aware of that. 402 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:18,880 But you can at some point in the beginnings of your walk, 403 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,760 recognize this shift that you now want to know the Lord and 404 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:28,320 you know him in this thing called prayer Ananias. 405 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:33,240 You can go and see Paul, who is at this time known as Saul, and 406 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,560 not have to worry about a thing. He's a change man Why? 407 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:40,440 Because he's seeking me. He's inquiring of me, he's 408 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,680 communing with me. And I love this about the Lord 409 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:49,920 because before Paul preached the sermon, before Paul established 410 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,360 the church, before he made any disciples, he prayed. 411 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,000 And so soon after his conversion, the God of heaven 412 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,800 and earth heard him. He didn't wait for Paul to 413 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:04,520 perform anything or to to build his resume and his rapport. 414 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:08,640 No, the moment he was changed, while he still had scales on his 415 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:14,120 eyes, he was seeking the Lord. I hear that man and he knows the 416 00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:17,240 exact GPS location of where those prayers are coming from. 417 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:23,440 This thought moved me years ago when I was flying and I looked 418 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:26,360 out the window and I saw the city of Chicago as I was taking 419 00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:28,760 off to another state. And I began to see all these 420 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:30,720 different homes and all these cars. 421 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,320 And I thought to myself, how many people are here? 422 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:36,600 Like, what does the Lord see from the heavens? 423 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:41,000 And yet when a man prays, he knows the exact house, the exact 424 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:48,880 St., the exact room he's in. Behold, he's praying, he's 425 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:52,680 praying, he's he's actually praying and a nice you can go 426 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:56,520 now. And so he's ready to go and meet 427 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,280 this man because the pulse of a regenerating work of the Holy 428 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:03,640 Spirit is identified by real praying being offered and not 429 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:05,560 public prayer. May I add, this was Paul 430 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:11,840 praying, praying privately alone, and that's what we're 431 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:13,840 supposed to learn from his conversion with all true 432 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,600 conversions. You will no desire to actually 433 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,040 lean in and seek the Lord. So what happens? 434 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:24,840 Look at verse 13 now, but Ananias answered, Lord, I've 435 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,400 heard from many about this man about how much evil he has done 436 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,200 to your Saints at Jerusalem. It says though, the moment he 437 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,520 heard Saul of Tarsus, he didn't, he didn't even hear the behold, 438 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:37,960 he's praying part Saul of Tarsus gulp. 439 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,640 That's all he heard. It was ringing in his ear. 440 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:45,040 The Lord said, Behold, he is praying Saul of Tarsus. 441 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,680 That's all I heard, Lord, and here's what here's what 442 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,080 encourages me about this man. Was he devout? 443 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:52,480 Sure. Was he ready? 444 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:54,440 Absolutely. But he was human. 445 00:27:55,880 --> 00:28:00,920 He had real fears. And we have to be merciful to 446 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,640 imagine the Lord visiting you and saying, I want you to go 447 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,600 travel to this place and one of the ISIS leaders is there ready 448 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:08,800 for you to lay hands on him and give him instruction. 449 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:13,360 So let's be kind to Ananias way of principle here. 450 00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:16,840 You have a man who has genuine hesitations and he's able to 451 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:19,880 verbalize that. And the Lord is so compassionate 452 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:24,160 to hear him out. So even in our weakness and 453 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:29,600 obedience communicate your weakness, your your your reasons 454 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:33,560 why the Lord is so much more tender than you can imagine. 455 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:39,040 So he says, Lord, I've heard many from many about this man, 456 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,040 how much evil he has done to your Saints at Jerusalem. 457 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:45,120 And as we read earlier, he's here and he has authority to 458 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:52,040 kill us in a sense that I hear Saul of Tarsus and. 459 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:55,840 I must mention something here. This is just me because I can't 460 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,160 ignore certain things that are brilliant in terms of Nuggets of 461 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,480 revelation. Look what he says here about the 462 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:05,880 Christians in his region. Lord, I have heard from many 463 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:09,760 about this man, how much evil he has done to your Saints at 464 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:12,040 Jerusalem. This is the first time in the 465 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:15,440 book of Acts the word Saints is used to identify Christians. 466 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:19,880 Do you know what the word Saints means in the original? 467 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,760 It's the word hagios. And it means most holy thing, 468 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,840 most holy thing. And I want to bring this up just 469 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:30,400 just kind of as a just, we're stepping over here a little 470 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:31,600 rabbit trail and we'll come back. 471 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:35,880 There are some, actually many in the world who believe that 472 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:41,680 sainthood is only achieved by certain out of the ordinary, 473 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:45,720 remarkable Christians. But what you read here is that 474 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,200 Saints, that word is applied to all believers. 475 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:54,640 All Christians are Saints, not just a select few that you 476 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:57,320 Revere and dare I say, do more than Revere. 477 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,440 All of them are Saints. And then even in this we have 478 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,480 the qualifications for saintliness. 479 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,000 What is it? Look here and here. 480 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:12,840 He has authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on 481 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,560 your name. So who's a St. 482 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:19,800 According to the Holy Spirit, any person who calls on the name 483 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:22,120 of the Lord to be their righteousness. 484 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,680 So we are Saints by faith. We are made the most holy by 485 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,960 faith. What an amazing thing. 486 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,720 Yes, you, you are a St. according to the Scriptures. 487 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,400 And so he says here, Lord, Are you sure? 488 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:41,640 This man is here to destroy us. This man is here to harm us. 489 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:46,200 And in this very same passage we learn in Paul's conversion, 490 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:51,160 something about our conversion, that we are also Saints because 491 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,440 of faith. And the Lord says, I'm sure. 492 00:30:55,840 --> 00:31:00,440 And he says in verse 15, go, for he is a chosen instrument of 493 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:04,280 mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the 494 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,560 children of Israel. Look at that phrase there for a 495 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:09,440 moment. But the Lord said to him, Go, 496 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,240 for he is a chosen instrument of mine. 497 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:16,640 The idea of God sovereignly choosing makes some people very 498 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:20,080 nervous, and it makes other people very happy. 499 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:27,840 There is no doubt here that the Lord said, I have prepared for 500 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:34,960 this man a certain task, that he will walk in, that he will 501 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:40,440 perform, that he will honor. And as much as God has appointed 502 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:45,880 a will, not just for Paul but for each of us, you have to also 503 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:50,560 understand that that sovereignty does not nullify personal 504 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,960 responsibility. So look at this phrase again. 505 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:58,240 He is a chosen instrument of mine, right? 506 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:00,600 OK. But again, there's two other 507 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,480 places where Paul's testimony is mentioned. 508 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:07,200 And I want you to look at Acts 26 and notice what Paul says 509 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,320 about his response to this revelation that he has been 510 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:21,110 given a task as an apostle. Look at Acts 26 and look at 511 00:32:21,110 --> 00:32:25,630 verse 19. Actually, let's read beyond 512 00:32:25,630 --> 00:32:28,150 that. Let's go beyond 19 and let's 513 00:32:28,150 --> 00:32:30,470 just get the context here. Acts 26. 514 00:32:31,910 --> 00:32:37,350 Look here at verse 16. This is the Lord speaking, but 515 00:32:37,350 --> 00:32:39,550 rise and stand upon your feet, for I've prepared. 516 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:43,960 To you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and 517 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:47,440 witness for the things in which you have seen me and to those in 518 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:49,600 which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people, 519 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:52,680 from the Gentiles to whom I'm sending you to open their eyes 520 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,200 that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of 521 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,600 Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and 522 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,480 a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. 523 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,600 Verse 19. Check this out. 524 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:10,920 Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly 525 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:15,320 vision. The God chosen for a work. 526 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:18,520 Yes, the God prepare for him a ministry absolutely. 527 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,200 The Paul have a choice, you better believe it. 528 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:27,480 He did have a choice and he says here I was not disobedient to 529 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:31,080 that vision. Does God have a call for your 530 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:33,360 life? Yes, according to Ephesians 210, 531 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:38,000 he has prepared for each of us a work that we should walk in 532 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:39,800 them. It's prepared, but you got to 533 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,800 walk in it. You got to walk in it. 534 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,320 And so Paul here says, I chose to walk in it. 535 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:50,560 Was he knocked down by that vision? 536 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:53,120 Did he have an amazing, credible, supernatural 537 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:54,840 experience of Christ? Yes. 538 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:58,960 With all of that said and done, he still was at a threshold and 539 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:02,680 he had to make a decision. Will I obey this or will I turn 540 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:05,360 my back on this? And he says to Agrippa, I'm 541 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:06,800 going to obey this. And I did obey this. 542 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,280 I wasn't disobedient to this vision. 543 00:34:11,639 --> 00:34:13,400 I think that's an important remark to make. 544 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:17,159 He's chosen, but he has a choice. 545 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:27,159 Look at verse 17 of Acts 9. So Ananias departed and entered 546 00:34:27,159 --> 00:34:33,679 the house and laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, 547 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,480 Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, 548 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:39,760 has sent me to you, that you may regain your sight and be filled 549 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:44,080 with the Holy Spirit. I wish there was a little like 550 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:49,639 video clip of Ananias hearing from the Lord and the Lord 551 00:34:49,639 --> 00:34:52,280 saying I know he solitizes but go, go go. 552 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:53,560 He's a chosen instrument of mine. 553 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,560 What did this man look like? Did he walk? 554 00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:01,840 Did he walk around that street called straight a few times 555 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:04,040 before he walked in? There's no sense of that. 556 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:08,440 He he obeyed. He obeyed the Lord and he had 557 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,600 this boldness and he had this courage and he walks into this 558 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:16,280 place and notice this again. Don't read your Bible too fast. 559 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:20,320 What are the first words of Ananias when he meets Saul? 560 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:26,600 Brothers Saul. Wow, brothers Saul. 561 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,480 Just a few verses ago, he was like, this guy wants to murder 562 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:34,160 us. He's changed, He's praying, and 563 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,320 he believed that. And when he saw Saul listen to 564 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,960 this, before Saul's eyes would even see, remember the scales 565 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:43,520 were falling off his eyes After this, you know where the first 566 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:47,240 one of the first words he heard a person that he was determined 567 00:35:47,240 --> 00:35:57,160 to kill calling him brother. So Acts 9/22/26 really details 568 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,440 for us the supernatural nature of Paul's conversion, but within 569 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:03,360 it are other supernatural occurrences, including this one. 570 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,600 Paul experienced Christ in a miraculous way, but there's a 571 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,960 miracle within the miracle in the story, and it's in the life 572 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:16,520 of Ananias because what Ananias shows is what a relationship 573 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:20,840 with Jesus Christ can do to us and how we view others. 574 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:25,240 Paul teaches us how Christ can save anybody. 575 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:31,120 Ananias shows us how we, because of Christ, can love anybody. 576 00:36:33,240 --> 00:36:44,200 Brother Saul, if you are a devout, ready man who loves the 577 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:50,680 Lord, not only will you know potential moments of obedience 578 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:54,680 and service that will exhilarate your life and bless others, but 579 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:59,600 you will know a heart change in ways that you never thought was 580 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:02,920 possible. There is so much hatred in this 581 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:04,960 world. It's nauseating. 582 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,680 It's nauseating. And if it's going to, if it's 583 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:11,320 going to be anywhere, let it be out in the world. 584 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:16,640 But God help us in the church. Only Jesus Christ can work in a 585 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:21,000 heart so powerfully where you can look at the person who had 586 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:23,520 governmental permission to hurt you. 587 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:28,440 And you say you're my brother because of Christ, because you 588 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:30,240 repented and put your faith, now you're my brother. 589 00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:36,840 You can't love like that without Jesus. 590 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:41,080 You can't. And if you want to see miracles 591 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,280 in your marriage, miracles in your relationships, miracles 592 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:47,400 even with your enemies, listen. We're living in a world where 593 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:54,080 Satan is creating a sense of divide unlike any other time in 594 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:57,280 recent history. Because Satan knows if he can 595 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:01,840 divide, he can conquer. And the antidote to that is 596 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:03,760 Christ. So working in our hearts that we 597 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:10,920 can look at others and called them brothers, sisters Ananias 598 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:13,080 went and he called them brother Psalm. 599 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:17,760 And he lays hands on him. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. 600 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:20,320 And he was filled with the Holy Spirit. 601 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:24,640 Look what happens here verse 18. And immediately something like 602 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,760 scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. 603 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:32,560 Then he rose and was baptized and taking food, he was 604 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:37,080 strengthened. So there was no waste of time 605 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,960 here. Ananias obeyed the Lord, and now 606 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:43,280 Saul is ready to obey the Lord. And one of the first few things 607 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:45,160 that you do when you want to obey the Lord when you first get 608 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:45,840 saved. It's OK. 609 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:49,400 Where's some water? I got to get wet and publicly 610 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:52,000 declare my faith in Christ. But notice this interesting 611 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:52,560 phrase. Here. 612 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:54,160 We're told that he was strengthened. 613 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:56,040 This is speaking about physical strength. 614 00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:58,960 But it doesn't end there with Paul. 615 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:01,400 When you read down here, you realize that there was another 616 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:04,720 strength that he experienced. Look at verse 22. 617 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:08,440 But Saul increased all the more in strength. 618 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:13,640 But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the 619 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:17,320 Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the 620 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:18,920 Christ. That's not speaking about a 621 00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:21,600 physical strength, that's speaking about a spiritual 622 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:25,640 strength. So yes, I mean, he was, he was 623 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:27,320 detained and confined for a few days. 624 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:29,120 So he needed some physical nourishment. 625 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,000 But shortly after that, he, he tastes and he now invests in 626 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,800 another kind of nourishment for his soul. 627 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:39,840 He, he was strengthened spiritually. 628 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:43,800 And can I tell you why he was strengthened spiritually? 629 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:48,000 Can I tell you why he gave that dedication to his spiritual 630 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:52,000 strengthened state? And vigor because Ananias told 631 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,000 them something. See Ananias is very brief here 632 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,800 in Acts 9, but when you go to Acts 2022, he elaborated more 633 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,520 according to Paul and look what he says to to Paul in Acts 22. 634 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:09,880 Look at verse 14 and he said, the God of our fathers appointed 635 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:17,360 to you to know his will to see the righteous, wanted to hear a 636 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:22,160 voice from his mouth. That appointment that Paul had, 637 00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:24,960 yes, it was a unique as as an apostle, but let me give you a 638 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:30,400 thrilling thought this morning. We all have been appointed to 639 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:33,680 know his will, every single one of us. 640 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:38,480 And I wonder like Paul, if you are investing in discovering 641 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:42,600 that. See, Paul wasn't just focused on 642 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:44,400 the material. Paul wasn't just focused on his 643 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,280 physical condition. Paul realized that there was 644 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:52,080 something else. There was more to this life. 645 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:55,720 And it's going to require my participation, my willingness to 646 00:40:55,720 --> 00:40:57,560 know it. I've been appointed to know it, 647 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:01,480 but it's required something for me to unfold it and to realize 648 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:06,280 it. And so Paul asked two questions 649 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:09,280 when he met Christ. And some of you've heard me say 650 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:12,040 this before, but I can never shake it off because what? 651 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:16,400 Paul asked when he met Christ is something that a true believer 652 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:21,120 will ask when he meets Christ and will continue to ask, ask he 653 00:41:21,240 --> 00:41:26,200 as he walks with Christ. And this is where we're almost 654 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:30,600 ending in Acts 9. Paul asked two questions. 655 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:32,480 Excuse me, It's actually in this chapter in Acts 22. 656 00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:33,960 So you don't have to go back and forth anymore. 657 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,080 Look back here, verse eight of Acts 22. 658 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:40,600 This is when Paul met Christ for himself before he encountered 659 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:44,840 Ananias. The Lord meets him, stops him in 660 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:47,200 his tracks. And verse 8 and I answered, 661 00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:49,280 here's the first question, who are you, Lord? 662 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:54,040 And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are 663 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:57,480 persecuting. Listen, when you first get 664 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:01,880 saved, you will ask that same question, not just in the 665 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:05,120 moment, you will always ask it, Who are you, Lord? 666 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,080 Can I ask you? Are you asking that? 667 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:15,320 Is there anything in your heart today, this weekend we say there 668 00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:18,360 is a yearning in my life to know the person of Jesus Christ. 669 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,640 I know he saved me, but I I want to savor him now. 670 00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:30,200 I want to know who he is, how he thinks, how he feels, what's his 671 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:33,280 will. Is there anything in you that 672 00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:38,120 says I'm on that journey? Or was it something of the past? 673 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:40,920 Was it something momentary? But it's dissipated and it's 674 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:44,000 evaporated because you're now more concerned about 675 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:49,240 strengthening your bank account more than anything else and 676 00:42:49,240 --> 00:42:54,160 strengthening your relationships that are not necessarily even 677 00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:55,640 godly relationships to begin with. 678 00:42:56,760 --> 00:42:59,400 Strengthening your security and your provision to come. 679 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,840 Strengthening the future of this or the future of that. 680 00:43:02,240 --> 00:43:05,040 Here's a man who tells us that when you really meet Christ and 681 00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:08,200 taste of His glory, you will want to know more of Him. 682 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:11,280 You can't exhaust him. Who are you, Lord? 683 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:14,160 But that's not the only question. 684 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:17,520 Verse nine. Now those who were with me saw 685 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:19,800 the light, but did not understand the voice of the one 686 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:22,080 who was speaking to me. And this is the second question 687 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:25,320 in verse 10. And I said, What shall I do, 688 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:29,720 Lord? And the Lord said to me, rise 689 00:43:29,720 --> 00:43:32,880 and go into Damascus, and there you'll be told all that is 690 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:36,280 appointed for you to do. That's the second thing. 691 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:37,280 Pause. And that's the second thing a 692 00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:40,520 true believer will ask. After he meets Christ, not just 693 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:41,920 who are you? But what do you want me to do 694 00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:44,640 now? What's my purpose? 695 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:46,840 What's my gift? What church do you want me to be 696 00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:48,720 a part of? Where do you want me to go? 697 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:50,520 Where do you want me to say stay? 698 00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:51,800 Lord? I've been doing this for this 699 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:52,960 long. Do you want me to change? 700 00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:54,280 Lord? I've been serving in this way. 701 00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:58,440 Do you want me to shift? What do you want me to do, Lord? 702 00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:00,840 And let me say this boldly. I know it's the morning session, 703 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:05,040 but I can't help it. I'm sorry if you have never 704 00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:07,000 asked. Who are you, Lord, and what 705 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:09,240 shall I do, Lord, You've probably never met Christ. 706 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:14,200 You haven't. You've heard about him, You've 707 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:16,920 probably been moved by others who've spoken of Him. 708 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:19,880 You probably like the songs that sing about Him. 709 00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:25,560 But you haven't met him. If you've never asked, who are 710 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:27,960 you? And you've never asked, What do 711 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:32,880 you want me to do? Now let me qualify by saying 712 00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:35,680 it's possible for somebody to meet the Lord and be in a season 713 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:37,920 in which they're not interested in those things. 714 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:40,320 And that's where you need a fresh touch from the Lord to 715 00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:42,840 come back to those things being priority in your life. 716 00:44:43,960 --> 00:44:45,760 But if you've never. Inquired. 717 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:49,560 And you have the audacity to call yourself a born again 718 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:51,120 Christian? Reconsider. 719 00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:53,960 Reconsider. It's impossible. 720 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:57,760 It's impossible to meet him and not ask these things. 721 00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:03,600 Who are you, Lord? What do you want me to do? 722 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:09,560 And that's what Paul shows later on, that this thing lived in him 723 00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:12,760 beyond Acts chapter 9/22/26. Can I show it to you? 724 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:15,240 Look at Philippians with me, please. 725 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:26,240 And look at chapter 3 and look at verse 8. 726 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:34,120 Unlike many who as the years go by lose interest in those 727 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:36,680 questions, for Paul that only intensified. 728 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:40,880 Indeed, I count everything as lost because of their surpassing 729 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:45,040 worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for His sake, I've 730 00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:48,280 suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish. 731 00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:51,560 You know what that word rubbish is in the original dung. 732 00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:57,800 If you don't know what dung is, look it up later and count them 733 00:45:57,800 --> 00:46:00,200 as rubbish. In order that I may gain Christ 734 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:03,200 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that 735 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:05,200 comes from the law, by that which comes through faith in 736 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:08,960 Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith that I 737 00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:10,800 may know Him. Verse 10. 738 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:12,400 Well. Paul. 739 00:46:12,840 --> 00:46:15,680 You knew him, You met him. You saw him with your own eyes, 740 00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:16,800 you heard him with your own ears. 741 00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:18,720 But you don't understand. There's more. 742 00:46:19,440 --> 00:46:23,000 There's so much more to know, verse 10, that I may know him. 743 00:46:23,160 --> 00:46:26,600 So listen, if Paul met Christ in such a significant supernatural 744 00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:30,520 way and still after years says I'm still on this quest to know 745 00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:34,520 him, what right do we have to be content where we're at with 746 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:39,760 Christ? No, right, The lovely believers 747 00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:41,800 here. And I've already talked to a 748 00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:45,000 handful of people with amazing testimonies here, but I've yet 749 00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:47,320 to hear anybody who has a testimony like Paul's. 750 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:49,920 It would actually concern me if somebody had a testimony like 751 00:46:49,920 --> 00:46:54,680 Paul's with all the wonderful testimonies here. 752 00:46:54,680 --> 00:46:57,120 Please understand that Paul Trump's it all. 753 00:46:57,240 --> 00:47:00,040 And he needed that testimony in order to be a true apostle. 754 00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:03,600 But listen to this. He saw Christ, he heard Christ, 755 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:05,800 experienced a touch from Christ, and years down the door he goes, 756 00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:10,240 I still need to know Christ. So why is it that we're content 757 00:47:10,240 --> 00:47:12,840 with our boredom with Christ? Something's wrong. 758 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:17,320 Something's wrong. That I may know in verse 10 and 759 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:21,200 the power of His resurrection, and may share his sufferings, 760 00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:24,720 becoming like Him in his death, That by any means possum, I may 761 00:47:24,720 --> 00:47:27,040 attain to the resurrection from the dead. 762 00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:28,600 And here's the humbling part. Look at verse 12. 763 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:31,480 Not that I've already obtained this, huh? 764 00:47:33,440 --> 00:47:37,240 Not that I've already obtained this or I am already perfect, 765 00:47:37,240 --> 00:47:42,800 but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me 766 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:45,680 His own. So this is a very 767 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:49,680 straightforward, simple, simple sermon and the sermons to come. 768 00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:52,360 There's going to be a lot of cross referencing, but I just 769 00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:57,000 want to ask you if you've been asking those questions recently, 770 00:47:57,960 --> 00:48:01,760 who are you, Lord, what shall I do? 771 00:48:03,520 --> 00:48:07,360 Because you as a Christian have been appointed to know who He 772 00:48:07,360 --> 00:48:13,240 is, to know His will. You know what's so amazing? 773 00:48:13,680 --> 00:48:17,880 After Acts 9 by way of narrative, you never hear of 774 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:23,520 Ananias again. He disappears, but he is forever 775 00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:28,760 connected to the world evangelizing ministry of the 776 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:32,120 Apostle Paul. And also, is He attached to the 777 00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:35,480 fact that He played a role in a man who would write most of the 778 00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:40,480 New Testament? So knowing his will may not 779 00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:44,080 necessarily mean having this grand, spectacular, 780 00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:46,800 internationally recognized ministry. 781 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:52,200 You might be a disciple who will be hidden in plain sight for 782 00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:56,960 most of your life, but have momentary times of obedience. 783 00:48:57,120 --> 00:49:00,720 If you yield to Him that can make an impact beyond what you 784 00:49:00,720 --> 00:49:05,840 can imagine. Do not disqualify or 785 00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:10,400 underestimate how you remaining devout and ready to do the will 786 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:15,000 of the Lord can cause something that can change the world. 787 00:49:15,640 --> 00:49:21,800 Ananias is evidence of that. Ananias, Paul is praying. 788 00:49:22,080 --> 00:49:26,200 You can go to him, and later we're going to discover the 789 00:49:26,200 --> 00:49:31,200 amazing prayer life of Paul that will surely add fuel to your 790 00:49:31,200 --> 00:49:33,560 fire. In that same practice, let's 791 00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:34,800 seek the Lord together, shall we? 792 00:49:45,080 --> 00:49:51,080 But we thank you for allowing us to get a glimpse of a man who 793 00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:57,680 did not deserve to be saved, but was wonderfully snatched from 794 00:49:59,240 --> 00:50:02,240 the domain of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of 795 00:50:02,240 --> 00:50:05,920 your beloved Son. But we also thank you that in 796 00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:10,360 his story is another story of a man who is simply a disciple 797 00:50:11,040 --> 00:50:15,240 reminds us that if we simply focus on our devotion and are 798 00:50:15,240 --> 00:50:19,320 constantly ready to do what you will, that you can recruit us at 799 00:50:19,320 --> 00:50:24,160 any moment to do wonderful things below whatever, whether 800 00:50:24,160 --> 00:50:29,360 it's wonderful or not. Help us simply be consumed with 801 00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:35,680 the personal intimate passion to know who you are and to do 802 00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:39,600 whatever it is that you want us to do, whether it's praised or 803 00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:42,200 overlooked, whether it's public or private. 804 00:50:42,200 --> 00:50:46,320 Help us, Lord, find delight again in that pursuit. 805 00:50:47,320 --> 00:50:49,760 And so, Lord, we just ask that even this conference would be 806 00:50:49,760 --> 00:50:54,960 used as recalibration to asking who are you, Lord, and to 807 00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:58,400 seeking you about what we shall do. 808 00:50:59,000 --> 00:51:02,960 And we trust that as we do that, you're going to be faithful to 809 00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:06,040 answer. We love you and we look to you 810 00:51:06,040 --> 00:51:09,160 and we honor you in Jesus name, Amen. 811 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:11,360 Amen. The priest thing can come.