Acts 9:1-9
"What wilt thou have me to do" in 99?
In Acts chapter 9 we have the miracle of Saul’s conversion. Paul’s conversion was perhaps the greatest event in church history after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Note his deadly enmity against the church (1a). Then I observe his driving energy against the church. Bitterly determine to weak vengeance on the believers. He was as an angry animal whose very breath was dangerous. Some have said that Paul’s madness and obsession to destroy Christianity was driven by a desire to gain favor with the authorities. Paul was the fierce enemy of the church. However on the road to Damascus, Paul had a forceful encounter that changed his life forever. There was the light from heaven and the Lord from heaven that Paul that left an impact upon him. He was never the same again.
Verse 6 presents Paul as he puts the Lord on the throne of his heart. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" The Lord answered him and told him to arise and go into the city of Damascus and more directions would follow. "Lord. what wilt thou have me to do" was not just the response of Paul’s heart on the road to Damascus but it was constantly the heart throb of Paul. Now, I know that the Lord has a perfect will for every born again child of God, and many of the specific things in that will I do not know. However, there are some general things that I believe God wants us all to do in 1999. What would the Lord have us to do in 1999?
I. He would have us to GROW
We have a duty with regards to the Scriptures.
I Peter 2:1,2
Word is indispensable for salvation (Romans 10:17)
sanctification (John 17:10)
Word is needed to conceive
cleanse
complete
Must grow in the Word of God.
How is physical health maintained?
A. Avoidance of that which is harmful
negative) MUST lay aside certain things that would hinder our appetite for the Word of God.
"malice"-- ill will towards. Vicious nature which is bent on doing harm to others.
"guile" -- craftiness
"hypocrisy" -- deception in putting on a front
"envies" -- resentful begrudging of the blessings or success that someone else has
"evil speaking" -- speaking against another person by slander or defaming of character
SIN IN THE LIFE DESTROYS ONE’S APPETITE FOR THE WORD OF GOD.
B. Assimilating of that which is useful
(positive)
When children are sick, they just don’t eat. When a Christian is spiritually sick, they have little or no appetite for the eternal Word of God. A spiritually healthy Christian is a hungry Christian!
See II Peter 3:18. It is impossible to maintain a spiritual status quo, if you don’t grow, you will retrogress. To grow their must be adequate nourishment, and spiritual nourishment is found only in the Word of God.
II. He would have us to GO
A. Mark 5:19
B. Luke 14:23
C. Mark 16:15
GO.....
Why?
Where?
What?
Psalm 126:6 "He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."
III. He would have us to GLOW
Matthew 5:14-16
A light can do many things. It shines in the darkness. It may guide as it does on the runway of an airport. It also welcomes (Luke 8:16). Most of us are familiar with the advertisement of Motel 8 that says we will leave the light on.
God has saved us to shine for him. Lights are lit that something else may be seen by them. God wants us to show men Christ in our lives. The world always takes its conception of Christianity from the people it comes in contact with.
Our presence and influence in every walk of life should be invaluable in helping souls to live. The words of Jesus were not only a compliment, but they also constitute a challenge.
Men do not light a lamp and put it under a bushel. The bushel is a unit of measure used in business. Christians are not to allow the claims of business to douse their witness for Him,
but rather we are to use our business as a means of sharing the Saviour with others. Men put a lamp on a stand so that it will give light to all in the house.
Oh, that this year our lives would shine so that men could see the Father’s redeeming and transforming power. Oh, that this year men could see in our lives the redemptive and transforming grace of God in our lives.
Philippains 2:15. What a faint light the world receives from most Christians.
IV. He would have us to SOW
Since there will be no salvation apart from the Word of God that the Holy Spirit uses, God would have us to SOW the Word this year. See Luke 8: 4-8. Our task is to sow and leave the increase with God.
All kind of excuses for not sowing (Ecclesiastes 11:4). Don’t wait around for ideal circumstances to sow. See verse 6. Guarantee if we would only sow more, then we would reap more. Don’t sow, you cannot reap.
The problem is a sowing problem. "He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." Reaping is in direct proportion to our sowing.
VI. He would have us to SHOW
Psalm 92:1,2
Manifest the Lord in our trials in the day and in the night. Glorify Him in the fires of affliction. Show the sufficiency of His grace. Show the sufficiency of His strength in our lives. Luke 8:39. Our lives should show forth the work of God.
I Peter 2:9. The gospel doesn’t need better salesmen but better samples. We are to be a living advertisement for God. Walking testimony for the grace of God.
Manifest a satisfaction with Jesus Christ. Not showing it if we are constantly depressed, discouraged, and defeated.
VI. He would have us to KNOW
I Thessalonians 4:13, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren." There are some things that God would have us to know.
A. Know about salvation
I John 5:11 "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." One who sincerely received Christ into his life, need never doubt his salvation. "I know who I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
B. Know about suffering (Romans 8:28)
No need to faint in times of suffering and trial because we are to know that God is at work in our life. He is working for our good and His glory.
C. Know about security (2 Corinthians 5:1,8)
D. Know about seasons ( II Timothy 3:1-5)
Know about the character of the last days. Our actions are based on our knowledge. And God wants us to be a people of knowledge.
Conclusion:
Parents, we are unfair with our children when fail to let them know what we expect or want from them. What we expect from our children must be clearly understandable. With knowledge comes direction, purpose, and goal. God is not unfair with His children. He has laid out plainly in the Bible what He wants from us in 1999. God would have us to grow, go, glow, sow, show and know. Knowing what God would have us do, should motivate us to get things in order that are out of order.
