The Word This Week
Acts 9:20…
What have you done since you were saved?
The example of Saul of Tarsus is extraordinary – but then, his life had always been extraordinary.
We think, “Oh, I could never be like Saul of Tarsus.” That’s most likely true. But what path have you been on since you saved?
We recognize the individuality involved in every born-again life. Saul had a huge role to play in the Body of Christ. It was demonstrably unlike the calling Jesus placed on any other life.
But where would Saul have been without Ananias?
It turns out this simple man named Ananias also played one the most critical roles in Church history. Had Ananias done nothing, Church history may have been entirely different.
It would certainly have been a missed opportunity for Ananias.
It was Ananias who set Saul on the path to one of the most important lives in human history. Where would the world be today without Paul the Apostle, and his missionary journeys, and his extensive writings comprising much of the New Testament scripture, and defining the correct and essential doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ?
I could never replicate the life of the Apostle Paul. I don’t think very many could. It is more likely no one could. But each of us who are born again are capable of doing what Ananias did. Understanding it is quite often what might be considered the lesser things we do in the Body of Christ turn out to be the greatest thing of all. This was the case in Ananias being obedient to Jesus and going to meet with Saul to baptize Saul with the Holy Spirit and with water.
Saul immediately began to preach Jesus is Messiah in the synagogues of Damascus. It was Ananias who set Saul free to do that.
It is difficult to imagine Saul being a lone ranger Christian, (even with all his gifting and intellectual fortitude, and his newfound depth of understanding for the absolute necessity of God’s grace being received in every life.)
Saul, like us, needed the backing of the local church at Damascus to support his ministry outreach. Especially at the beginning. It was this little-known man named Ananias who provided that. And we never hear from Ananias again. Was what he did of utmost importance, even to us today? You bet it was!a
Pastor Bill
What have you done since you were saved?
The example of Saul of Tarsus is extraordinary – but then, his life had always been extraordinary.
We think, “Oh, I could never be like Saul of Tarsus.” That’s most likely true. But what path have you been on since you saved?
We recognize the individuality involved in every born-again life. Saul had a huge role to play in the Body of Christ. It was demonstrably unlike the calling Jesus placed on any other life.
But where would Saul have been without Ananias?
It turns out this simple man named Ananias also played one the most critical roles in Church history. Had Ananias done nothing, Church history may have been entirely different.
It would certainly have been a missed opportunity for Ananias.
It was Ananias who set Saul on the path to one of the most important lives in human history. Where would the world be today without Paul the Apostle, and his missionary journeys, and his extensive writings comprising much of the New Testament scripture, and defining the correct and essential doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ?
I could never replicate the life of the Apostle Paul. I don’t think very many could. It is more likely no one could. But each of us who are born again are capable of doing what Ananias did. Understanding it is quite often what might be considered the lesser things we do in the Body of Christ turn out to be the greatest thing of all. This was the case in Ananias being obedient to Jesus and going to meet with Saul to baptize Saul with the Holy Spirit and with water.
Saul immediately began to preach Jesus is Messiah in the synagogues of Damascus. It was Ananias who set Saul free to do that.
It is difficult to imagine Saul being a lone ranger Christian, (even with all his gifting and intellectual fortitude, and his newfound depth of understanding for the absolute necessity of God’s grace being received in every life.)
Saul, like us, needed the backing of the local church at Damascus to support his ministry outreach. Especially at the beginning. It was this little-known man named Ananias who provided that. And we never hear from Ananias again. Was what he did of utmost importance, even to us today? You bet it was!a
Pastor Bill