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10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
Acts 9:10-19
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
Acts 9:10-19
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 9:10-19
18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
Acts 9:10-19
FEAR NOT
THE VISION
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
Acts 9:10-19
Ananias literally gets a vision from God.
And the Lord said to him, ‘Rise up and go to the street
called Straight.’
God gives two visions, one to Ananias and one to Saul. And the
vision to Ananias is, “Do you see this guy named Saul? He’s over on
Straight Street. He’s praying, he’s blinded, he’s waiting for you to
come, and to lay hands on him, and pray over him that he might be
healed.”
Then God similarly gives a vision to Saul as he’s praying, “A guy
named Ananias is coming.” Pretty specific. “You’re actually going to know his name. And
he’s going to pray over you and you’re going to receive your
sight.” So, God gives a vision to both.
Now, in this, see that our God is a miraculous and a supernatural
God.Not everybody gets a vision.
These are rare. These are unusual. These are occasions
where God needs to give revelation.
God can do anything and some supernatural things he does, but
not all the time, and we can’t make him do those things. He’s free to do as he wants, when he wants, how he wants, where he
wants. He’s God. That’s his jurisdiction.
What they both received is a vision.
WHAT IS A
VISION?
TO DISTINGUISH IT FROM A DREAM
A dream is when you’re asleep and you see
something.
Vision is like a dream. The difference being you’re not
asleep, you’re awake. And these are the days before screens, and it’s kind of like—a vision is kind
of like seeing something on television or on a screen.
You’re seeing something happen, unfold before you. God is
revealing things to you visually. And you’re not asleep like a
dream, you’re awake and you’re seeing something.
WAS IT FROM THE LORD
OR NOT?
How do we know whether it’s a vision from the Lord
or not from the Lord?
1 “Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether or not they are from God.”
1 JOHN 4:1
HOW DO YOU
TESTTHE
SPIRITS?
Two very simple ways of testing the spirits.
CHECK IT BY THE WORD OF GOD
1
CHECK IT BY THE PEOPLE OF GOD
2
The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture, and the Holy Spirit indwells God’s people, and so if you want to know whether
or not it was the Holy Spirit, check with God’s word, check
with God’s people.
And since the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture, if what
you’re hearing or seeing contradicts what God is saying,
then you know it’s not true.
God doesn’t change his mind. God doesn’t contradict himself.
HOW WOULD
YOU RESPON
D?
THE VENTUR
E
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
Acts 9:10-19
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
Acts 9:10-19
Ananias is fearful. Are his fears grounded in reality? There are times that your fears and my fears, they’re not grounded in
reality.
Sometimes our fears are founded in reality; his are
founded in reality.
There are texts of the Bible that are prescriptive. They command
everyone everywhere. There are other texts that are descriptive. They
explain something specific for one person in that instance. It’s
describing a specific call to Ananias, and he’s afraid.
This is where God is a Father, and he’s patient, loving, gracious,
and kind to get his kids into the place that he needs us to be. He’s going to allow Ananias to articulate his concerns and to
work this through.
You need to know that God is like that, that God loves you with a
fatherly affection. And it doesn’t mean that defiance or rebellion is good, but it means if you don’t at first agree, that God the Father
wants to work it out with you and get you into the place of obedience.
CHRISTIAN
SUFFERING
But to be a Christian is to be sent, and what causes us not to go is that we’re fearful of what
could happen to us negatively as a result of proceeding forth to talk about Jesus, and so they both need to overcome their
fears.
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 9:10-19
We need you to know this about Christian suffering. It’s part of just Christian
living.
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
Philippians 1:29
It says if you’re going to believe in Jesus, you’re also
going to suffer for your believing in Jesus.
What he’s talking about here is a particular kind of suffering that comes because you love Jesus,
because you serve Jesus, because you speak of Jesus, you’re going to suffering like Jesus. When you’re suffering,
God is not punishing you.
Jesus was already punished on the cross in your place for your sins, so when you’re suffering don’t assume wrongly it’s like
karma. We believe in grace, not karma.
That’s not true. Jesus already suffered in your place, and it
would be unjust for you and Jesus to both suffer. Jesus already
suffered. That penalty and price was paid and you don’t need to
suffer as well.
But it does mean that though Jesus has suffered for you, if you
love him, and serve him, and speak about him, some people
will hate you because you belong to him and they ultimately hate
him.
And you’re going to suffer. You may lose a relationship. You may
take some hits to your reputation. You may be one who
is affected at work. You may even lose your job. And if you’ve been a Christian for a while, in some ways, you’ve already suffered.
This is nothing that we seek, but it’s something that we accept,
and that God will use even suffering to make us more like Jesus and to give us a greater
love and affection for Jesus because we have caused him to
suffer for us.
THE VISIT
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 9:10-19
18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
Acts 9:10-19
Ananias overcomes his fears and obeys his God.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
TRANSFORMS
SINNERS
God is faithful, and he protects Ananias, and he saves and heals
Saul.
If you obey God, it’ll be amazing. It’ll all work out. I’ll be great”.
Saul gets healed, filled with the Holy Spirit, becomes a great
pastor, writes books of the Bible, does massive evangelism and church planting, lots of people
get saved. It works out great and Ananias has a great story to tell
his grandkids.
And Saul receives three things.
HE RECEIVES THE HOLY SPIRIT
1
HE RECEIVES HEALING2
HE RECEIVES HELP3
In receiving the Holy Spirit, it comes through the laying on of hands. So the Holy Spirit, He is
God. He lives in God’s people. He empowers us for life and
ministry.
So here, Ananias is filled with the Spirit, and he is laying hands and
praying over Saul, and Saul receives the Holy Spirit, and one of the things that happens to him
is he’s healed.
EVIDENCES
OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT
Some of you are going to speak in tongues, some of you are
going to get visions, some of you are going to get dreams, some of you are going to speak the word of God boldly, some of you are
going to deeply love God’s people with God’s love.
All right, there are lots of evidences. There are evidences
that someone has the Holy Spirit, not just an evidence, and if you don’t have that evidence then you don’t have the Holy Spirit.
Why does God call Ananias to go lay hands and pray over Saul? Is it because God needs Ananias to go lay hands and pray over Saul?
No, it’s because God wants to use this opportunity to teach
Ananias something about himself, and he wants him to be
there to love and encourage Saul, and he wanted Saul to hear this word from a fellow Christian,
“Brother.”
God doesn’t need to send Ananias, and he doesn’t need to
send Saul, but he sends them both because he wants them to
join him in his work. That’s ministry.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.
James 5:14
What every new Christian needs is a Christian filled with the Holy Spirit to come alongside, and to be a friend, and to walk, and to pray, and to encourage, and to
give answers, and to come alongside.
Sometimes God is going to burden you to pursue somebody, to pray for them, to encourage
them, to feed them, to help them, to be there for them, and
that’s what it is.
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 9:10-19
Here’s where we’ll start: Brother.” Brother. “You’re part of
the family. If the Father has adopted you, you’re brother.” So
much love, and grace, and mercy, and compassion, and
forgiveness here.
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
Acts 9:10-19
And that is that the Holy Spirit transforms sinners
into sent saints.
And when we’re talking about “saint,” we’re talking about your
identity. When we’re talking about “sent,” we’re talking about
your activity or your ministry.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John1:8
We are all sinners. We sin in our thoughts, we sin with our words, we sin with our
deeds, we sin with our feelings, we sin with our
motives.
So, we’re all sinners by nature and choice, but is our primary identity as a
Christian sinner? You are a sinner. God is holy, you are
unholy.
THE CROSS
This is where it all comes down to Jesus and it all
comes down to the cross of Jesus.
What happens on the cross is something that the great Protestant reformer Martin
Luther calls, “The Great Exchange.”
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21
So, here’s what happens on the cross: Jesus took your place, and
he put you in his place. Many Christians are more familiar with
the fact that Jesus took their place than the fact that Jesus
also put them in his place.
The result is that Jesus was condemned and died to pay the
penalty for your sin, and in putting you in his place, you are
seen as holy, righteous, blameless, pure, faultless,
accepted in the sight of God.
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
FORGIVEN
SINNER MADE SAINT
The difference in identity between a non-Christian and a
Christian is the difference between identity as sinner and
identity as forgiven sinner made saint.
Because you have a new identity as saint, you can have a new victory over sin in Christ. As a
sinner, God saw you as you were, but as a saint, God sees you as
you are in Christ.
FAITHWORKS CHRISTIAN CHURCH GLOBAL
Presented By:Pastor Vetty Gutierrez
FCC Main San Mateo, Rizal, PH 4PM Afternoon Worship Service,
January 24, 2016Website: http://faithworkschristianchurch.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Faithworks-Christian-Church-Global-292363410916567/
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