Please take a seat, open your Bible.
We've finished Acts Chapter 9 tonight in our journey through
the Bible, Acts Chapter 9, we did verses one through to 9:00
on Sunday and tonight we complete the passage and one of
my heroes will get to him. So let's verse 10.
Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus.
Damascus is Syria to the north of Israel named Ananias.
And to him the Lord said in a vision, and notice it says here
in a vision, Paul, it didn't say Jesus appeared to Saul on the
road to Damascus in a vision, Jesus actually appeared to Saul.
And here we're told this is different and said in a vision
calls his name Ananias. You know, the Bible says in John
chapter 10 what our shepherd calls us by name Ananias.
And he said, here I am Lord. This is to be our response every
time God speaks to us. Here I am Lord, what is it?
Here I am. So the Lord said to him, Arise,
go to the street called straight, inquire the House of
Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he's
praying. So when you pray tonight, guess
what? Guess who's watching?
God's watching you pray and listening, and in a vision.
And now he tells Ananias the vision that Saul is going to
have, hasn't had yet. And in a vision he has seen a
man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, that he
might receive his sight. Because remember, Saul was led
away. He saw the Lord.
He's LED away 3 days, three nights, blinded, alone, not
eating, not drinking. We're told he's not eating, he's
not drinking. What are we told that he's
doing? He's praying.
Now this is different, different for Saul in that he's praying.
Why? Because there's a Pharisee and
when we go to the Western Wall, you'll see them, they'll get a
prayer book, they'll go to the wall and put their shroud on and
the men will start rocking back and forward and they'll be
reciting prayer. So all Paul knows about prayer
previously is the recitation of prayer.
We had that many times in some traditional faiths, don't we?
You say, you know, three Hail Marys and four our fathers.
And I used to think as a kid, that's no big deal.
You just say, not being a Catholic, you just say Hail
Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary. That's three, four, our fathers,
our Father, our Father, our father.
And I thought, what's the big deal about that?
But there's a whole prayer that goes along with that.
That one recites. And so for the first time now,
Paul is praying to God, not reciting prayer.
It's a big difference. We introduced to this man
Ananias, and I say I was telling the guys earlier, he is one of
my heroes in the Bible when I first began reading the Bible.
And then I why is he a hero to me?
Because this guy did one of the most courageous acts in all of
the Bible because he went to a guy only because the Lord said
this is what I want you to do. This is where he is.
This is what this is what I want you to say to him.
And this guy that he sent to was the guy that was responsible for
the persecution of the every believer in Jerusalem, for the
death of many families, for the beating of many.
Ananias goes, I can't wait to get to heaven to meet a guy.
He's probably just sitting in 1/4 somewhere by himself and
say, is that guy, it's Ananias. I got to go and see him because
Ananias, you are one of my heroes.
His one moment in life, his one moment in life was to do this.
God records it. You know, so often we think, oh,
well, I've got to have years and years of doing this and this and
yeah. And we do, we, we serve the
Lord. But there are moments in our
life that God says, this is your moment.
He said to Esther, didn't he? For this very reason, for this
moment in your life. And you and I have those moments
or a moment in our lives where God says this is the sole reason
because you will speak to that person on that day and bring
them to Christ or pray for them. So Ananias, he just says to God,
he doesn't say no, but he just says, Lord, you do know this
guy, He's dangerous, dangerous to every Christian around.
And he says in verse 13, then Ananias says, Lord, I have heard
from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your
Saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from
the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.
They knew all about Saul was coming.
The Christians, the the network, the you know, the Grapevine it
that the Christians in Damascus knew Saul's on his way.
He's got letters. He's coming for you.
Ananias went his way. That's what I love.
He obeyed the Lord. So many people would go, you
know, I wish God, you know, and I say your life is about
obedience. The blessings only come when you
obey. Many people go.
I just wish God would use me. Well, I maybe God would say to
them, well, I wish you would just do one thing that I asked
you to do. The blessings come through
obedience. Blessings don't come with God.
No, Lord can't do that. There's no blessing in that.
And he entered the house. Can you imagine Saul?
Saul, are you Saul? He finds Saul, and Saul can't
see. He's alone, he's praying.
Saul doesn't know. But then the Lord had let him
know. Ananias is coming.
He's going to do this to you, Saul.
And he says this brother Saul. Notice that that's the greeting.
I remember being a new Christian going to church and for the
first time being called a brother, brother in the Lord.
I had never ever been called that.
I'd gone to church as a kid, but no one had ever said brother to
that brother Saul, the Lord Jesus Saul knows all about who
that is. Who appeared to you on the road
as you came. Notice you didn't say in which
you had a vision of no, he appeared to you on the road as
you came has sent me that you may receive your sight and be
filled with the Holy Spirit. Many people say, and I've often
said it in my terminology. Saul's conversion was on the
road to Damascus. But actually, actually this is
the, this is the moment of Saul's conversion because the
Holy Spirit fills him and he's placed into the body of Christ
Church. And immediately they fell from
his eyes something like scales. So all of a sudden Saul can see
and he sees Ananias. That's the first guy he's going
to see. And he received his sight at
once and he arose and notice what he did was baptised, was
baptised. You see, that's what, that's
what conversion when you know, when you're converted.
Isn't this what the Ethiopian eunuch said?
Well, what's now that I'm, now that I know who this is and
receive Christ, what's stopping me from being baptised?
That's salvation, That's true salvation.
Someone says, you know, I'm saying, well, I want everything
that I want to do, everything that the Bible says, we'll be
baptised. Well, let's, let's arrange.
I need, how soon can I be baptised?
And he was baptised. So when he had received food,
memory, he hadn't eaten for three days, he was strengthened.
Then Saul spent some time some days with the disciples at
Damascus. So he note this.
God wanted him to have some food.
You got to have something to eat.
Remember when Jesus raised the little girl, 12 years old, she
was dead. What did he say?
Do something to eat. He's going to be hungry.
You need to do that. Sometimes people get so
spiritual they forget about the physical food.
They wonder why they suffer. Well, are you eating right?
Are you eating right? And maybe you're not I'll
because of some spiritual problem.
You're I'll because you're not eating right.
Immediately he preached the Christ that's the Messiah.
Where? In the synagogues.
Why did he do that? Because Saul especially been a
Pharisee, he knew the Jewish custom.
Jesus used that as well because he took advantage of the custom
to be invited to speak. So anyone who wants to speak,
Saul, you away, I am and I'm on. Let me tell you about Jesus of
Nazareth and he starts. He is the Son of God.
Notice that's what he says preach the Christ in the
synagogue's that he is the Son of God.
So he identifies who Jesus is. Then all who heard were amazed
in my new King James it says amazed there in the Greek
language. That word some of you have
astonished is is the Greek word where we get our English word
ecstatic. They were ecstatic and said, is
this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in
Jerusalem, and he's come here for the purpose so that he might
bring them bound to the chief priest?
The Jews knew why he was there and this way isn't what he's
saying. They knew he'd come to town.
This Rabbi, this Pharisee of the Pharisees with letters, he's not
doing what we knew he was supposed to be coming here to
do. His life has changed, but Saul
increased all the more in strength.
Note that we'll stop there. Why?
Why is that written in there? Saul increased all the more in
strength. Does that mean you know, he hit
the gym straight after that went to Damascus gym every more in
pumped iron. No, as you serve the Lord, you
grow stronger. You're saved to serve.
Many weak Christians are in church because they're saved and
that's it, The writer of Hebrews says.
I'd like to give you more, but you're just babies.
You can't do it. You can't fend for yourself.
I've got to feed you. You still need the milk of the
Word because you're not serving. The moment you to dedicate your
life to service, you will grow stronger in your faith.
Note that that's what the Saul did, and he confounded the Jews
who dwelt in Damascus. Why?
Proving? How did he prove through the
Scriptures? See the scripture, the one who
Isaiah's talking about. That's what Philip did with the
Ethiopian eunuch. Who's this that I'm reading
about? Is it, is it who is it?
Is it the person or who? That's Christ.
So Saul has, is now unloading the Scriptures that speak of the
seed of Aaron, the blessing that's coming, the promise, the
Messiah. And he's saying all those
promises, Son of David, it's Jesus Christ, it's him.
He fulfils all the promises of Scripture.
Now it says now after many days were passed, the Jews plotted to
kill him. Just get your Bibles and take a
right and go to Galatians chapter 1 because this is where
Galatians 1 verses 13 through to 18 fit in here with the book of
Acts. Because after many days, this is
a period of around 3 years. Because as we go to the book of
Galatians chapter one, verse 13, Saul says, for you've heard of
my former conduct in Judaism, who I was, how I persecuted the
Church of God beyond measure, tried to destroy it, and I
advanced in Judaism beyond many of the contemporaries in my own
nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my
father's. But when it pleased God acts
Chapter 9, who separated me from my mother's womb called me
through his grace. So.
So why do you persecute me? To reveal his Son in me, that I
might preach him among the Gentiles?
Because that's what Ananias told him he was going to do.
I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I
go straight up to Jerusalem to those who are apostles before
me. But I went to Arabia and
returned again to Damascus. So Paul spends 3 years, they
believe in the area of Sinai where Moses received instruction
from the Lord and in that location many times in the
passages of the New Testament and letters.
Saul will tell you know, I wasn't told this by an I was
told this directly. This was revealed to me by God
and he went to school with the Lord.
The Lord instructed him in that period when he's away in Arabia
and it totalled with his time in Damascus three year period and
it's the period 37 to 39 AD now it says and the Jews plotted to
kill him. Paul or saw welcome to the
change. He was previously the hunter.
Now he is the hunted, but their plot, how they're going to kill
him became known to Saul and they watched the gates day and
night to kill him. The moment he comes in and goes
out, we're going to get him, kill him.
Then the disciples took him by night and led him down through
the wall in a large basket. You'll go, whoa, hang on a
minute. I thought God was looking after
us and everything he is. How did God deliver Saul?
He delivered Saul in a basket. He delivered soil in a basket.
Sometimes, you know, we, we want deliverance and we're looking
for some rush of the wind or, you know, we expect to see
someone special turn up on our doorstep with wings on their
backs. And I'm here to deliver you,
deliver you and help you. And all along along comes some
ordinary Joe Blow or someone who says something, tells you
something or gives you something, or something happens
to you and you are delivered. God uses the menial.
Don't go looking for all the the Cecil B De Mille and Hollywood
type things. That's what I used to do when I
was a new believer. And you, we get sucked down that
path of, well, you know, God going to speak to me.
This is me. God.
When I was a kid, it was Lauren Green who was God.
Later on during Star Wars, James Earl Jones, he became the voice
of God and everything like that. Now God speaks to you how?
Through the word of God someone gives you a verse.
So since I was reading this about you or sent you a text or
something, deliverance so often under your very nose, you're
ignoring the very basket of deliverance that God wants to
place you in, to lower you over the wall and set you free.
When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples.
So this is three years later. But they're all afraid of him,
did not believe that he was the disciple, but Barnabas took him
and brought him to the apostles. So here we have noticed how the
ministry of an individual in a church makes a massive
difference. First of all, we had Ananias.
If there was no Ananias, this wouldn't, we wouldn't be reading
this part Barnabas, son of consolation.
If there's no kindly, gentle, just wonderful man called
Barnabas, he says, hey guys, I know, I know you.
This is who he was and everything.
Let me tell you, this is who he and he, he, he joins the dots.
You and I can be an Ananias. You and I can be a Barnabas.
We can be in Andrew. We, we, we.
That's how the church works. That's why you're here.
You participate in the work of the Lord.
God uses you. And he declared to them how he
had seen the Lord on the road. Notice he's repeating and that
he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus
in the name of Jesus. He says, hey, Jesus, our Lord
appeared to him. He's called him.
He's spoken to him so he was with them at Jerusalem coming in
and going out and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord
Jesus and disputed against the Helenus.
Now another group, but they attempted to kill him.
When the brethren found out, they brought him down to
Caesarea. Caesarea is where it's our first
port of call. Those of you who've been to to
Israel on our tour, we head off in the morning, 1st morning,
where do we go? We go to Caesarea.
Why Caesarea? Caesarea was the harbour where
all the boats took off. That's where they take Saul and
send him out to Tasas. Then notice verse 31, the
churches throughout all Judea, and we're finding out now
there's churches in Galilee and Samaria had peace and were
edified that that doesn't mean persecution stopped.
It means that in spite of the persecution, they were strong.
They had the peace of God no matter what was going around.
They had the peace of God and walking and they were walking in
the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
They were multiplied. The churches were growing.
Why? Notice this is how church grows.
How Walk in the fear of the Lord.
That's what we need to have and in the comfort of the Holy
Spirit. So what is the recipe for church
growth from God? Comfort the afflicted and
afflict the comfort comfortable. Get the ones who are on their
perch, rock their perch, shake them up a bit.
Word of God does that. Those that need comforting, God
will comfort them and the church will grow.
Now it came to pass as Peter now, so he will revert to Peter.
He went through all parts of the country.
Then he also came down to the Saints who dwelt in Lyda or Lyda
however you pronounce it. It's 40 kilometres away from
Jerusalem. There he found a certain man
named Anneus or Anneus who had been bedridden 8 years.
He was paralysed, couldn't move. Peter said to him and notice
what he says here because Peter isn't Peter isn't just hey, I'm
the apostle Peter. Oh go on the air.
OK, rise. He's not doing that because
remember Peter has no gifting silver and gold.
Have I none. He he's not the one that that
does anything here. He says Jesus the Christ heals
you because what's happened again, God has spoken to Peter
given Peter the faith and said Peter, pray for this guy.
Raise him up. Peter, does that arise and make
your bed. Then he arose immediately.
So all who dwelt at Lidder and Sharon saw him and turned to the
Lord. Note again verse 34, who the
healer is. It's not Peter, Jesus is the
healer at Joppa. That's one of my favourite
places. Those of you who've been to
Joppa, Joppa's like the Fremantle markets by the
harbour, fishing boats every, it's, it's just can't wait to go
to Joppa. And so at Joppa there was a
certain disciple named Tabitha. Her name translated Dorcas.
Tabitha means gazelle or Dorcas means gazelle or deer.
This woman was full of good works.
A lot of people have their mind full of good works.
You know, probably I'm going to do that.
Oh, yeah. I'll get around helping that.
She no, she she did it. She was doing it.
She was serving and loving everybody and charitable deeds,
which she did, but it happened in those days that she became
sick and died. When they had washed her, they
laid her in an upper room, prepared for death at burial,
since litter was near Joppa, the disciples had heard that Peter
was there, and he sent, they sent two men to him, imploring
him not to delay hurry in coming to them.
Why would they do that? Obviously they're thinking,
let's pray. I think it's quite amazing
because otherwise you'd be gone. Well, yeah, he's got to prepare
the funeral and maybe Peter can do the funeral, you know?
No. Then Peter arose, went with him.
When he had come, they brought him into the upper room, and all
the widows stood by him, weeping, showing the tunics and
the garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
They're displaying all her love now, notices.
This should take you to Luke, to the raising of Gyrus's daughter,
because it's so similar. And I think Peter is copying
Jesus, what Jesus did with Gyrus's daughter.
Here Peter puts all those out of the room.
He kneels down and he prays, and he turned to the body, and he
said, Tabitha arise. And she opened her eyes, and
when she saw Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand,
lifted her up. And when he had called the
Saints and widows, he presented her alive.
Wow. And it became known throughout
all Joppa and many believed on the Lord.
So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a
tenor. We actually go to Simon's house.
There's only one location that Simon's house is going to be,
because to be a tenor, you're going to have water access to
water this house down by Joppa and it's got a flat roof.
The location area where Peter Murmur is going to have a vision
exchange 10 and that's where Simon did his tanning.
Now here's the interesting thing as we close It was forbidden for
a Jew to stay with a Tanner because a Tanner dealt with the
dead and he they would become unclean.
Yes, and so the law forbid that. But Peter, he's not worrying
about that. He's staying there because Simon
is born again and he's staying at this house.
And so it says back then he gave her his hand and lifted her up.
And when he had called the Saints, that's the first time
you see in the New Testament the term Saints.
And it's not because the Pope has allowed this to come
through. They've done certain miracles.
Now the word St there simply means set apart.
I want you to look at Chapter 9 here and see this is this is
church life. This is how God wants us to have
church life for us to be available like Ananias when God
says, hey, I've got a job for you.
Not easy and you got and you're not going.
I'm not doing that. And God speaks to you and by
obedience, blessing flows to the one that you're going to.
And this time it was saw and here we see Peter.
He's just preaching the gospel, but at places where he goes.
And this is how God works in our life.
You, you don't go out tomorrow, this week and go, you know, I'm
going to pray for this, but this is what's going to happen.
You go about your business sharing the gospel.
God has you as an open channel, an open vessel.
And he will say to you, as you are always in prayer, you're
always tuned into him, praying without ceasing.
You're connected to him. You're full of the Holy Spirit.
You've committed your day to the Lord before you start.
You're not thinking about yourself.
You're in tune with the Lord. And the Lord will speak and go.
Just go and ask that person if you can pray with them or give
that person a call. And that's how God works through
you and I and brings blessing to the church.
And it happens without, without, you know, great, you know,
beating your drums or look, oh, God's using me, you know, that's
what I'm doing. No, no, no, you are going about
your business serving the Lord. I pray that you will go about
your business serving the Lord and each day God will guide you
and lead you if you're receptive.
And you know what? He is speaking all the time.
The Bible tells us that God, His eyes roam to and fro throughout
the earth, looking for those whom He may use, who will stand
in the gap, who can be strong for Him.
The harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few.
Many are called, few are chosen. You want blessing in your life.
Go about your business as a believer tomorrow and this week
and all that you do and you'll be astounded how God will use
you.