Acts 9:1-22 - Jesus Calls Saul To Service

 Acts 9:1-22

Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them in shackles to Jerusalem. Now as he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.” The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like fish scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened.

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Message: Jesus Calls Saul to Service

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: 

I'm starting to see this conversion story in a new light. God chose this man for His service. He confronted him and the choices he had been making up to the point that Jesus got his attention. The Lord uses a man, Ananias, as a conduit to heal Paul of the loss of vision that Jesus had given him. Again, Jesus did not need to do any of this, but he chose to use these circumstances and these people to get Saul's attention. Ananias was alarmed by this because of the reputation that Saul had, being a person that had inflicted so much harm to his fellow disciples. Yet Jesus had a purpose in this. He would call a man who zealousy lived in opposition to God and how he would live zealousy for God.

It is interesting to hear messages like this, of a conversion that someone may have had from the darkness to the light. Hearing about these types of conversions was common when I was growing up in the Baptist church I attended during high school: conversions of people involved in a seedy lifestyle. Much of the presentation they gave was about their life before Christ, showing us the darkness of it but then how Jesus had changed them and they were a new creation living in service for Him. They were brought on the stage simply so we could hear and witness this incredible conversion. Most recently was the story of Brian Welch that I read, a lead guitar player for the hard rock group Korn and his life of drugs and then how Jesus suddenly shined a light on his life and he turned to Him. His conversion wasn't as quick as Paul though as it took him time to get off the stronghold that drugs had on his life. 

But the point of these conversions needs to be Jesus choosing these men to be His. It is also interesting that in Jesus confronting Saul he said to him, why are you persecuting Me? and yet Saul was not confronting Jesus directly but rather coming after His followers and upset that they were not obedient to the Pharisee law of the day. Yet, Jesus spoke to Saul that Saud was persecuting Him. Jesus views the persecution of His followers as the persecution of Him. 

This needs to remind that no person is out of the grasp of God. It encourages me to the hope that Jesus can change anyone. I must still believe this and focus on this. There are people in my life and they seem far from God or far from living in a way that honors Him and yet Jesus can get a hold of them and I need to be ready if Jesus uses me to help that person know Him. 

Promise: No sinner is beyond the grace of God. Our God is mighty to save. 

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for saving me. I was lost and not living for you and over the years I have even tried to live in ways that is not honoring to you and you pull me back. God you are so great and mighty and you save people everywhere at all times. Keep showing us these stories and encouraging us that you are a great God that can save everyone.