AWKWARD OBEDIENCE
(Acts 9:10-19)
1. Life has its awkward or distasteful moments. A recent Time article read:
2. "Have economic times gotten so bad that some of the dead are going unburied? Several large counties across the country are experiencing unprecedented increases in the number of unclaimed deceased - not only because the dead people could not be identified, were indigent or were estranged from their family, but also apparently because more people simply cannot afford to bury or cremate their loved ones. The phenomenon has increased costs for local governments, which have to dispose of the bodies."
3. When God told Ananias, a devout Jewish Christian, to seek out Saul of Tarsus, the great persecutor and hater of the church, it was awkward and distasteful.
4. I mentioned that, apart from Jesus, Paul most important man Christian history.
5. We don’t know what Paul looked like; it doesn’t matter. But this past week, they discovered a 4th century painting of Paul. (show painting of Paul)
6. Paul left his mark not in the art world, but in our Bibles, 13 books
7. Despite the anointing Paul had, not a loner; could depend upon others -- team player.
8. Some of us, in this nation of rugged individuals, are weak when it comes to team play.
9. We somehow think that God’s commands are really just suggestions
10. The opposite attitude is one of submission: "yes, here I am Lord" perspective.
Main Idea: The Body of Christ functions best when individual believers have an attitude of "yes" toward God.
I. Submitting To God’s WILL Before We Know It Can Lead in Surprising Directions (9:10-19)
A. Ananias Was Called to An AWKWARD Task (10-14)
1. Ananias was not a leader, just a disciple; this was the greatest time of his life
2. The HS works independently from the apostles; an obscure layman lay hands upon the greatest of all the apostles
3. Also note the “double vision” here; both Ananias and Paul had visions
4. Ananias answers, literally, “I am here.” Did God really misplace him?
5. What a contrast to Adam and Eve who tried to hide from God, or Saul, who had to ask, “Who are you, Lord?”
6. How like the young lad Samuel, who said, "Speak, for your servant hears."
B. God’s Will, However, Was Purposeful and CLEAR (15-16)
"…my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles…"
1. Similar to what happens between Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10
2. A double vision, Peter questions God, objection overcome, and Peter obeys
3. awkward, uncomfortable, stressful, uneasy, distasteful; outside his comfort zone.
C. Ananias OBEYED (17)
1. Ananias goes to Straight Street, which is still the main east-west thoroughfare in Damascus! He goes to the home of a leading Jew named Judas, who was probably quite perplexed!
2. Note that Ananias calls Paul “Brother.” We are saved at the point of belief; Paul’s eyes were not yet healed, he had not yet received the Holy Spirit, and he had not yet been baptized; but he is already a brother in the Lord.
D. Ananias was BLESSED (18-19)
1. He lays hands on Saul
2. Scales fall off his eyes
3. He is filled with the Holy Spirit
4. He then follows Jesus in Believer’s Baptism
5. Ananias provides food for Paul to end his 3 day fast
The Body of Christ functions best when individual believers have an attitude of "yes" toward God.
II. Notice the COORDINATION Between Believers
A. Paul was BLESSED through Ananias
1. A balance in Scripture between leaders and laymen
2. The "priesthood of all believers" and the Reformation
3. This was Paul’s first friendly Christian relationship
B. The Church would be Mega-blessed by PAUL
1. But Ananias would have fellowship, participation with Paul
2. Laymen develop leaders and leaders develop laymen
3. The word "collaboration" is defined as, "to work jointly with others or together"
C. The Church is a Two-Direction Body: VERTICAL and Horizontal
1. God saved Paul without human intervention, but God set things up so that Paul needed another to continue
2. God speaks to us but the Word also provide a blueprint for Body Life & church
3. God has ordained it so that you are incomplete apart from a church body, and a church body is incomplete apart from its individuals…lots of people don’t get this.
4. He wants you to have a "Yes" attitude not only toward Him, but toward His body, the church. You cannot love Jesus and hate the bride He loves so much.
D. RELATIONAL Probation is part of life
1. Ananias would not have trusted Paul if God had not given him a vision
2. Others gave Paul a chance, at first from a distance
3. Trust is not meant to be immediate; trust is earned through faithfulness
4. When I came to Highland Park Church 26 years ago, I did not expect you to trust me; I expected you to give me a chance to earn your trust
E. Christianity is not practiced in CONTROLLED environments
1. Ananias felt awkward about approaching Paul; it was outside of his comfort zone
2. We are all different people in different environments; our goal is to be consistently Christian in character;
3. It means our attitude remains "yes" toward God.
III. Consider Your PLACE in this Pattern
A. What are your spiritual GIFTS? What comes easy to you that is not so easy for others?
A man is pulled over by a police officer for a broken headlight. The cop looks in the car and sees a collection of knives on the backseat. "Sir," he says. "Why do you have all those knives?"
"They’re for my juggling act," the man replies.
"Prove it," says the cop.
The man gets out of the car and begins juggling the knives just as two men drive by.
"Man," says one guy. "I’m glad I quit drinking. These new sobriety tests are hard."
[source: Reader’s Digest]
B. What ministries do you HAVE?
If you witness, our church is evangelistic; if you show compassion, our church is compassionate; if you are friendly, we have a friendly church.
C. Do You Have a "YES" Attitude toward God?
With a lot of things, I start off with a "no" attitude. It’s my nature. But if you give me time, I will often come around. But God demands I have a "yes" attitude toward Him. D. Are you willing to be in UNCOMFORTABLE Situations for God?
• I do my best to avoid uncomfortable situations, but God brings them my way--often. They age me, but they are part of serving the Lord
• I do not believe God wants me to seek out those situations… Ananias was not looking for trouble; he had nothing to prove.
• Many of you have been in some humdingers. Let me mention one of mine.
• My story of Gangs in Chicago and Omar…
E. Where do you stand in the grace vs. GULLIBILITY continuum?
• Some of you struggle with being gullible. You are gullible in the name of love. We must practice "tough love." We need to learn from Jesus to make things a bit hard, not easy. "If you want to follow me, deny yourself and take up your cross."
• Others of you would not accept Saul of Tarsus as a true believer no matter how he proved himself.
• Sometimes a wait and see approach is best. Trust and credibility are earned.
• But a "yes" attitude allows another to gain credibility.
The Body of Christ functions best when individual believers have an attitude of "yes" toward God.
CONCLUSION
1. Saul said yes to God, Ananias said yes to God, will you?
2. Yes about salvation.
3. Yes about following the Lord daily with an emphasis upon time in the Word.
4. Yes about participating in church life, collaborating with others.
5. Yes about your attitude.
6. Yes about being stretched beyond your comfort zone.
7. Yes about the way your treat your wife or rear your children or handle your money or make decisions
8. Yes about pulling out the stops & surrendering your life to Jesus Christ our Lord.
