Life Ministries

“Blinded By The Truth”
 Acts 8:1-3 and 9:1-22

    This may be the most dramatic story of the transforming power of God to be found in His Word…the story of Saul, a zealous persecutor of the church - who became Paul, a zealous, traveling, evangelistic, missionary for Christ…when he was “blinded by the truth” and it transformed his life.

    Before I get into the story of Paul, I want to recognize someone else in this story who also had a close encounter, his name is Ananias. We need to realize that Ananias was a person just like you and me. He was just a “lay person” who attended church regularly; said his prayers; lived his life for God; and, probably had a family and a job to attend to. I don’t think his life was one of a dramatic series of adventures as he sat around each day waiting for instructions from God! While he may have been a leader in his synagogue, we only know him because he was obedient in doing what he felt God was calling him to do. However, also like us, he was reluctant at first - and even a little fearful… Let’s set the scene;
    Ananias has probably just finished his prayer time. Perhaps seeking God’s direction; praying for his family; praying for his church; He may even had been praying about this man Saul, who was on his way to Damascus to persecute the church. Rumors were probably flying around town about Saul, and how he was arresting believers and putting them in prison…and, even standing by as some were killed… I think he was just finishing up his prayer time, when God calls to him in a vision… How did Ananias know it was God speaking to him? You already know that I am going to answer that question for you, don’t you?
    I have found three ways in which we can tell that God is truly speaking to us. First, we have to realize that God told him to do something specific. It was a direct revelation with a clear direction. God isn’t “wishy-washy” at these times. We don’t have to try and guess what he wants, He will tell us directly and specifically.
    Now, we already have God’s “general” will for our lives in His Word; He wants all to come to a knowledge of salvation; He wants us to be his witnesses; He wants us to be holy; He wants us to worship Him and him alone; He wants us to pray; and, in order to become Christ-like, we are to follow all of the “one anothers” in His Word. All of these He has already given to each one of us in His Word. So, if God speaks to us about something specific He wants for us, it will not be in generalities; He will give us a definite direction.
    In our story, God did not come to Ananias and tell him to pray for the sick or the blind; that someone, somewhere in the world might be healed…He said “Go to the house of Judas; to a man from Tarsus named Saul; lay hands on him that he might receive his sight”…very specific instructions. The same is true for you and me. I don’t think God will speak to me and say; “Fred, I want you to be my witness”…He already said that in Matthew 28:19… But, he may say to me; “Fred, I want you to go and speak to that man working at the counter, and share with him about Jesus.”
    Second, when God speaks, it will not only be specific, it will be out of the ordinary…sometimes even difficult. “Ananias, go and speak to Saul, the killer of Christians, the persecutor of the church”...Or, Noah, I want you to build an ark”…Or, Abraham, I want you to leave your homeland”…Or, Moses, I want you to go before Pharoah”…Or, Gideon, I want you to take this army of 300 men and go fight the entire Philistine army!” Would you trust God and be obedient if He called you to do something out of the ordinary today?
    Third, When God speaks, it will always align with His character and His Word. He will never ask us to do anything that is contrary to His nature. God would never speak to me and tell me not to preach against sin, it goes against his Word; and it goes against His nature!
    God had a plan. Ananias was just a small - but not insignificant - part of that plan. Saul, who would become known as Paul, would play a much larger role in God’s plan to redeem the world. But, first, he would have to have an encounter with Ananias.
    Now, about Saul…Saul was born in the Greek city of Tarsus and was educated in the Jewish synagogue there, So, he could relate to the Greek people. He was also the son of a strictly orthodox Jewish father, who was a Pharisee. Saul himself grew up to become a Pharisee. So, he could easily speak to those deeply rooted in their Jewish faith. He was educated as a Rabi by Gamaliel in Jerusalem. So, he could relate and speak to the well educated. He spoke both Aramaic and Greek. So, he could relate to people in their own language. He also was a Roman citizen, and it saves his life at one point, but also causes other Roman citizens to listen to him. Saul was not just a “go-to-church every week and mind-your-own business” kind of a person…He was passionately serious about his belief in God. He was what they called a “zealot”. He knew the scriptures forward and backward. However, he did not know God.
    Saul was a religiously active person who was dead wrong about his beliefs. It can be a frightening thing when people think they know all about the Bible, but they don’t know God! Saul had a religion but he did not have a relationship.  All that was about to change… He was about to have a “close encounter of the Divine kind” with Christ, that would change not only his life, but yours and mine forever. What would our Christian life be without the Epistle letters of Paul?
    And, next we will find out the answer to that question… when we hear; “the rest of the story” as Paul Harvey would say.  For today, I would say; “You don’t have to be a Paul or a Moses or a Joshua or David for God to speak to you… You may be an Ananias.