A Rendezvous on Straight Street
Acts 9:10-20
The Story is told of a man who realized his need for a Savior and drove 500 miles to a meeting where Billy Graham was preaching. He had great respect for Graham, and no disrespect or ill feelings toward any of the ministers in his own home town. His feelings were sincere, his ambitions where honest; and the outcome was eternal. He met Graham, got saved and for all we know has served the Lord from that day forth.
Now God could have done that for Saul. He could have saved him back in Jerusalem at the hands of Peter. He could have had him meet up with James, the Brother of the Lord Jesus Himself. He could have done a number of things, but he chooses to use Straight Street-which means leveled truth, the opposite of crooked, and Ananias, a man that appears on holy writ for one scene and is never heard from again; to affect the salvation of Saul.
To some Ananias may seem insignificant, but Paul mentions him later near the close of his public ministry in Acts 22, and that’s only an honorable mention. The name Ananias appears in two other places in Acts. First in Acts 5; where a man named Ananias, along with his wife, Sapphira, try to lie to the Holy Spirit about their offerings. Then Later around Acts 23, where the high priest named Ananias had those surrounding Paul to hit him.
The name Ananias means, “Graciously given by the Lord” But when we look at the men that bear that names in Acts only one seems to bear the character of one given graciously by the Lord; He is the one found in Acts 9. He alone acts like, lives like, and ministers like he has been graciously given by the Lord.
When we first meet him he’s mentioned as a “certain…” disciple. Not a particular disciple but a certain disciples; in other words not one of any special notice. You wouldn’t look at this guy as someone special; you wouldn’t see this guy with a great mass of people following. Matter of fact his ministry is only a few bible verses long.
No books are written about him. No sacred text bears his name as author. But if his life hadn’t have collided with Paul’s we wouldn’t have 2/3’s of the New Testament. We wouldn’t have an Apostle to the Gentile Church. We wouldn’t have the Roman road to Salvation. We would know little about the Rapture and Second Coming of Jesus. Thank God for Paul because He gives us all of this, but thank God for Ananias, and thank God for his rendezvous with Paul on Straight Street.
As with Moses and Joshua, Paul needed an Ananias; as with Elijah and Elisha, Paul needed someone like Ananias. Now I am sure that someone is thinking, well Paul had Barnabas, Silas and Timothy; yes he did, but that was after he met Ananias.
Before Paul could become the great church planter his conversion had to be made complete; He met Jesus on the Road to Damascus, but he met Ananias on Straight Street. The road to Damascus represents the pathway of salvation for Paul; but Straight Street represents that place where Paul get’s his marching orders. On the road to Damascus Paul find peace for his soul, on Straight Street he finds a reason to serve.
I want to suggest that just like Straight Street becomes significant for Paul’s life and Ananias becomes the tool God uses to exact Paul’s ministry and help him get his sight back, you and I need an experience on our own Street called Straight. Something unusual happens on Straight Street that becomes the spring board to Paul’s ministry and just maybe someone in here needs a rendezvous on a street called straight to be the motivation for their personal involvement in ministry.
There are three movements we see in this text that details the events of this life changing rendezvous:
I. The Ministry of Ananias: Vs 10-16
a. Appointed by the Lord
i. Non-specific “certain”
ii. Singular “disciple”
iii. Ananias “To him said the Lord”
1. Never do anything without God’s approval/appointment.
2. Without God’s approval/appointment nothing/significant can be done.
b. Guided by a vision. “In a vision…” something gazed at.
i. A vision is a picture of a preferred future.
ii. Jonathon Swift says that vision is the art of seeing things invisible.
iii. Can’t have a vision unless the Lord gives it to you by name. “Ananias”
iv. Can’t bring a vision to pass unless you answer in availability. “Behold I am here.”
v. Vision requires activity. “Arise and go”
vi. Vision assigned a destination. “A Street called Straight…”Leveled truth.
vii. Vision will take some searching. “Enquire…House…Judas…”
viii. Connects with people that pray. “One name Paul, He prayeth.”
c. Withstands an Obvious Debate. (13-16)
i. The Argument of Paul’s Past Life. “I heard…how much evil…”
1. He held the coats…Stephen (7:58)
2. Consented unto Stephen’s death (Give nod-Acts 8:1)
3. Made Havoc-church (Filth, waste, Soiled by insults-Acts 8:3)
4. Breathed (Threats-Slaughters-Acts 9:1) Rough Breathing.
ii. The Argument of Paul’s Previous Intentions. “Letters/bind…call/Name…”
1. He’s got legal/religious authority to hurt others. (Thinks/God a favor).
2. Bind-arrest/murder. (Some religious people can be mean/hateful)
iii. The Lord’s Counter Argument “Go your way/chosen vessel/suffer…name sake…”
1. The Lord doesn’t debate Paul’s past life/previous intentions; He uses him.
2. Ananias didn’t know Paul’s Present Repentance; he knew what he heard.
3. The Lord selected Paul for service/Ananias also; “Do your part…”
4. Ananias’ job was to minister to Paul; Paul’s was to “Bear…lift/carry…”
5. Ananias’s part was to assist Paul/sight-Paul’s/suffer for Christ.
a. Like Ananias we often debate-no debating God’s plans/best.
b. God’s plans-includes Paul’s writings…Ananias was part of that.
c. God’s plans-included Paul’s journeys…Ananias/part of that.
d. You may not be a Paul/May only be an Ananias-God’s plans best.
e. Paul wrote books-Ananias is only mentioned-but no sight for Paul.
f. Someone needs to know you may be what help someone see Christ.
II. The Restoration of Paul’s Sight. (Vs. 17)
a. Paul’s sight comes by way of a human touch. Ananias took action, went his way, laid his hands on Paul and something happen.
i. This action is the fulfillment of words to the song, “He touched me…” It was God’s touch, but Ananias’ hands. (Reach over to your neighbor and just touch em).
ii. John Townsend’s book. “Where is God” Chapter 7-on having compassion, “The God that Suffers with Me. Townsend says, “Connecting with others during trials makes the difficult times more bearable. Relationships and connection are the delivery system for grace, care, compassion, love, and understanding. So everybody needs to be touched every now/then.
b. Paul’s sight comes by way of a divine purpose. “Brother Saul…the Lord Jesus sent me…”
i. He sent me so that you might receive your sight.
ii. He sent me so that you might be filled with the Holy Spirit.
iii. He sent you and me to help someone else/the Ministry of reconciliation/Us-helping
iv. Which means that some of us came to help/some came to get help-all need help.
c. Paul’s sight is recognized as a miracle. (Vs. 18)
i. Scales fell from his eyes. (Physical/Spiritual) Amazing Grace-once-blind.
ii. Baptized. After having sight Paul was water baptized-Identification with Christ.
III. The Fulfillment of God’s Will in Paul’s Life. (Vs. 19-20)
a. Paul was strengthened=weak man/strong in Christ (Spiritual/Physical)
i. First there must be a spiritual transformation. (Paul’s Conversion/sight restored)
ii. Second there must be the meeting of physical needs. (Meal-nurturing body)
b. Paul remained at Damascus and preached Jesus. (This became Paul’s custom)
c. Prior to Salvation Paul was the chief legalist; at conversion he was the chief sinner, after full conversion he became the premier church planter.
On Straight Street two lives collide and the kingdom of Heaven is perfected because of it; the crucial question is what street are you on?
Paul went on from here and met Barnabas…continued to grow into what God wanted him to be.
Paul went separate ways from Barnabas and met Silas…continued to grow and serve the Lord.
Paul grew older and met Timothy and Titus and trained them…that’s when his growth was nearly complete.
Paul went on from there and met Jesus one day. Not for salvation, but for reward…
That’s why He said, I press toward the mark of the High call of God in Jesus Christ.
