Chosen By God

Thank you so much for joining us. As we take a look at the Book of Acts, we take things nice and slowly. As we look and see what God is doing in the big picture of expanding the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. My name is David Humphrey, and I'm the pastoral care and missions pastor here at United City Church in Umbeltexas. We're excited to be your church family while you're incarcerated, but we're gonna be even more excited when you get out and you can come and be a part of our church in person. We love you very much. Please grab your Bible and a journal, perhaps a pen, and be ready to take some notes and let's learn together through the Book of Acts. - Well, welcome to verse by verse. And like we said, we can take 10 verses and just study the whole Bible with 10 verses, can't wait. And so tonight we continue where pastor David left off last week, and that's Acts 9, where Saul hadn't literally seen the light on the road to Damascus. And often we describe Paul's Damascus Road experience of salvation, the radical one, as just that Damascus Road experience. We're gonna talk about that more later on. Some of us came, it was kind of like

we just kind of walked into it. I was, grew up in a Christian home and I was a baby in the nursery and just grew up knowing that the resurrected Jesus was a resurrected Jesus and that I needed to put my faith in him. I'm not sure at what point I did that. I think Lavon and I talked about that last week. And, but God saves us where we are, doesn't he? And he assures us of that salvation as long as we are walking with him. I have known people who have doubted their salvation along the way because they weren't walking with him. They weren't studying the Bible. They weren't meeting with other believers. And that's when you start having doubts when you're not attempting to grow in the Lord. But as Pastor David said last week, we're not going to count anyone out. And I just love that about these lessons. As we move through Acts, we're seeing that God is including everyone. First of all, who, the Jews. Remember, I asked one eight and you will be my witnesses to Jerusalem, Sumeria and Judea and Sumeria, thank you. And the ends of the earth. And so the ends of the earth, that's coming to the Gentiles. We're not there yet though. But here in Acts, the whole world is changing for the Jew and the Gentile. And for the Jew, these are radical changes.

A new way of thinking. Let's think about some of those things. It's moved from a law to Greece. It's transferred from Israel as God's chosen instrument to take his message to the world, to the church. And it moved from an age of waiting for an anticipated Messiah. He is here now. And the Jews are having a hard time with that. Are they still having a hard time with that today? They are, yes. And yes, we can go into that, but that's a whole different sermonist. And so it moves from the Jews from rejection of the Gentiles to the Gentiles' amazement at being accepted. Isn't that great? Do you remember when you were accepted into something and just part of something that you thought was great? Maybe it was or wasn't it? But you just felt accepted. It's a good feeling. But to be accepted into God's kingdom, His eternal kingdom, that is just the best. - And so we concluded last week's study on Acts 9. And for three days, Saul was without sight. And he neither of eight nor drank. Now, Saul is about to meet another Jew named Ananias. Where else did we hear about Ananias in Acts chapter five? Ananias, Isopara?

Yes, this is not that Ananias, of course, okay? This is the new, and I understand that his Hebrew name is what? - Ken and I, I think, who was one of the three of Daniel's friends. So, anyway, that's just a side note. So, Saul is going to eat after a bit, but he's not going to be eating of all of them, but with all the crabs, shrimp, and oysters, that will come later at Acts 10 or after Acts 10 after Peter sends those keys to the Gentiles there. And so, believing Jews are still kosher at this time, and they're actually still attending sacrifices. They're still doing the ritual cleansings and all of the Jewish things. They're remaining Jewishness. And Paul of all people, and I'm going to switch from Saul to Paul, the same person. He's going to write 13 letters of doctrine on all of these topics. It's just amazing the change in him. Remember the the Shema hero Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might. And then for I am the I am God and there is no other. I am God and there's no one like me. That's in Isaiah and numerous verses in the Old Testament about there is only one God. And so how are the Jews having trouble with this? The Trinity, the Trinity. Yes, exactly right. They say the Trinity is polytheism. Yes, the concept of the Trinity is polytheism. God to the Old Testament as you just read God declares himself to be one God

sitting and they can't comprehend and wrap their heads around the back that one God, one essence could be three different person. Exactly. Exactly. I'm going to steal some thunder here. Looking at verse 20 and X nine for next week Paul is going to be saying that Jesus is the son of God. And this was a problem because the Jews did not think or unbelieving Jews did not think that Jesus was God and Gamaliel who talked Paul early on did not teach him this. Paul is going to learn this through the Holy Spirit. And how did the Jews view in the Old Testament view the Holy Spirit? It's kind of a presence, right? Not part of the Trinity, but a presence of God. Like the clown that we talked about last week when they came out of Egypt. So but again, this is enormous for the Jews. The unbelieving Jews were expecting a Messiah, but they didn't expect him to be the son of God. And they expected him to be the Lord's anointed, which is what Messiah means, anointed one or in Greek Christ or Christos, which also means anointed one. And so then the Messiah could have been anyone could have been another Mother's is, another Elijah, another David. And when Paul enters the synagogue in Damascus, he doesn't just say Jesus is the Messiah. He says son of God, making Jesus equal with God. And the fact that Jesus is God cannot be denied. Of course, we know that. And this was considered blasphemy to the Jews, which is why a Stephen was stoned, right? They were saying he was declaring blasphemy. So we have numerous verses where in the Old Testament and in the Anuse Testament where Jesus says, I am, I and the Father are one. Before Abraham was born, I am. And Jesus could forgive sins. Jews had a real big problem with that. What are the Jews learning about the Holy Spirit? In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit, what did the Holy Spirit indwell you? No. No, no. It could come and went. Yes, right. And so in the New Testament under the New Covenant, when Jesus sent the Comforter the Holy Spirit, where does the Holy Spirit live? Isn't that comforting? That is just so comforting to know that the Holy Spirit is with us. And as I was looking through Scripture about the Trinity related to God and the Holy Spirit and Jesus and then I thought, well, what and what the Jews thought about all of that?

That's our thing. What did they think about the afterlife and demons and heaven and hell and that could send you on some rabbit trails and so, but we're not going to go there. It's not. But I will say that Paul does address all of these doctorate in his 13 letters. You know, when Paul wrote his letters, for the most part, most of his letters are doctrinal at the front at the beginning chapters and then application at the end of the chapters. And he just connects. He just connects. So we're going to go to our verses tonight, which are Acts 9, 9 through 19. And Paul, will you read nice and loudly verses 9 through 11, please? 9 through 11, please. Yes, thank you. And for three days, he was with outside and neither ate nor drained. And there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in the vision, Ananias, and he said, here am I, Lord, and the Lord said to him, rise and go to the street called straight and at the house of Judas, look for a man of carcass of Tarsas, named Saul, or Behold. - Okay, very key. Like Paul said earlier, we could make a sermon, not I, but Paul, could make a sermon just out of those verses. Okay, we've got some verses to cover though, so we're gonna march on. Who is Ananias? Do you know what his name means? They're Riverbat. Jehovah is our God is gracious. And he was just an ordinary disciple. Scripture doesn't identify him as a deacon of prophet pastor or evangelist or elder or apostle, any of those things. He, God chose to use just a regular guy like we are to reach this person, we're gonna come to know as Paul. And the whole world knows of Paul. Well, most all Christians know of Paul anyway. And many who are not.

And why would God use an ordinary disciple here? That's what he'd always do. Yes, exactly. - Because anybody. - That's right, that's right. He can use us, right? Yes, and yes, Nate. - You know, also, Denise, Paul is kind of on the downward trend now, God is taking everything away from him and working some, and he has to go to an ordinary person now who's gonna have knowledge that they'll win. - Yes. - And is part of that step down that Paul is going into so God can use him. Like he does a lot of us, he tears us down first so he can use us. And then begins to build us back up. - Exactly, it sounds like the military. - Exactly. (laughing) - Yeah. - Yeah. - I mean, do you remember who else Paul excited again? I'm sorry, like Blue Camp is what they do with the military. - Yes. - Right. - And he's our leader. - Yes, that's sometimes we have to be broken in order to be built up again. - So, yeah.

- It's kind of like salvation. You die to sin and then you're risen again. So, just like a seed, it has to die before it grows back. Love all these, these images, you guys are so, so supportive and knowledgeable. I'll say that. Who else did God use in an ordinary way to get the good news? I spread to everyone, do you remember? - So, what would it do? - The woman at the well, probably many more, but when, at Jesus' birth too, and that was a good one, Jesus' birth, who? - Jesus, what? - At Jesus' birth, when he was born, who were the first ones to spread the good news? The shepherds, right, the shepherds. And they were very low. Yeah, and socially. Another reason that God chose Ananias, just a regular old guy. Some may have claimed that Paul received the gospel, or this matters because if a well-known apostle had measured to Saul, some might have claimed that Paul received his gospel from man. Instead, God used a lesser-known believer to make clear that God's Saul's calling came from Jesus himself. He met him on the road to Damascus, yes. Ananias reminds us that God delights in using the ordinary,

and was an ananias available when God called? - Yeah, immediately. - Immediately. - Yes. Was he obedient? Even when the assignment was difficult? - Yes. - And we're gonna speak some more about that. He was ready to respond as a servant's heart, right? Anybody have trouble with that besides me? - That's repeat. - God did not have to use Ananias, but he chose to involve him because God works through his people. Remember the sermon on Sunday when you were here when Dr. Chris was talking about AI, and he said, you know, AI's out there, it's doing everything. He said, classes, but what did Dr. Chris say? I want to connect with the people. I want to connect with you. I want to connect with the Scripture. It's about connection. And we're gonna find this with how Jesus approached Paul and the connection that Ananias has with and solve during this time. Lord, what do you want me to do? Okay, next one, where is Tarsis? One thing I wish we had in here was a bath, you know. And I wanted to use PowerPoint and all those good things. But if you have Israel and then you have Turkey

coming up here, Tarsis is gonna be about right there, okay? And it was important because it was, it was the center of learning and culture, respected university and sizable Jewish community. Saul was born due in Tarsis. Tarsis was located in Asia Minor, which is what we talked about in southeastern China. And so with all these learning institutions there, we'll call a chance to learn there. Okay. And Straight Street, why is it called Straight Street, you know, in your studies? >> It's not that straight. >> It was straight, that's right, you know? >> And this was not the norm. This is not the norm because during that time. >> Yes. >> There probably weren't very many straight streets. >> There weren't, there were alleys and you went between houses and that kind of thing. And so they were all crooked. And so to have a straight street, that was odd. But this straight street was a main street and it had all the shops and businesses and those kinds of things. And we'll want you to learn more about that a little bit later. But this was a straight street that went from east to west. So kind of keep that in mind. We're going to talk about the house a little bit later on. Okay, so Saul is now in his third day of his blindness. He has not eaten or drunk anything and we can only imagine what's taking place in his heart. Verse 11 gives us an important clue when the Lord tells Ananias, "Behold, he is praying." And I noticed you read that rule out Paul, but we're going to get back to that verse in just a minute because it's really important.

Okay. Let's talk about the first century homes in Damascus because that's going to come up again next week when Paul is lowered in a basket. But I don't get there right now. First century homes in Damascus were often built in either Greco, Roman style, or as traditional courtyard homes. They were commonly made of mud brick stone. When I read this, I thought, I think I saw a lot of that in New Mexico when we were there, especially when it talks about the houses with the, not necessarily the flat roofs, but the interior courtyards, the strong outer walls, wealthier homes were usually designed inward around an open-air courtyard, which might include a small garden, a whale, or fountain supplied by water from the Barata River. That's a source of water even in Damascus Syria today. And it depends on the seasonal mountainous snow melts. So homes on straight street would have been a busy part of the city surrounded by merchants, travelers, just a busy, busy place. And we know the roofs were useful, what, sleeping, working, drawing food, prayer. So we don't have that today. We probably should, but we don't. So as some of these homes were built directly on the city wall, that will come up next week. So I won't go there. So, but let's go back even several more years before that. We're going to go back to Matthew 16. And let's review some background context before we dive further into tonight's text. And Paul's has some keys rattling around in his pocket. He's used a couple of them, but he's still got some more to use. And what were these keys for? Let's read Matthew 16. Paul, will you read that please? >> Sure. >> God, this is Matthew 16 starting in verse 13, 3 and 9, "Tick.

Now, when Jesus gave to the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked it to cycle. And if people say that the Son of Man is, and they said, some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets, he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Vargona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. But my Father, who is in heaven, and I tell you, you are Peter. And on this rock, I will build my church in the gates of hell, shall not prevail against him. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." >> Okay, thank you, Paul. Paul was given the keys of the kingdom by whom? But by Jesus. And some see that as it on this rock, either Jesus is pointing to himself. Some say on this confession that you have just made, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Either way, we see Jesus as a rock all through the Bible, don't we? And so Paul has the, sorry, Peter has been given the keys of the kingdom. What do these keys do? >> They open second. >> Keys open, they also walk, right? Well, for Peter's opening doors, first of all, what did he do? He opened the doors for the Jews to believe. And when we saw that in Scripture, and then when Philip went to Samaria and preached the gospel there, This is one church. We are one church. We meet and today we may have many denominations, but we are one church united in what? days Grace Christ the resurrection of Jesus Christ, right and so that that's what that's what brings us together and that's what other cults of the religions do not believe they do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ Let's see and so There is one key that Paul is going to still have to open. What is that?

Think kind of think ahead It's gonna come in Acts 10 - we've with he's opened the the keys of the kingdom to the Jews And now this is the Samaritans to the the Gentiles. That's us and that will come in Acts 10. We won't go there What was the most important question that Jesus asked Peter in Matthew 16 or that question? Do you say you just lay on something I eat or I'm sorry the question that Jesus asked Peter Who do you stay in there? Yes. Yes. Right. And what is was Peter's answer? I love that verse. You are the Christ the son of the living God. There is yes Yes, that's not a little me make a point of clarification Please look basically for the ex Catholics in the week. Please Well Hey, my wife's an ex-capped Verse 18 when when Jesus says that I tell you you are Peter and on this rock. I will build my church He is not talking about the rock Being creative not okay, and as you touched upon but I want to make sure people understand this okay The rock upon which he builds his church is the declaration Peter made that you are the Christ the son of the living God that is the rock okay There's so much miss The interpretation and this teaching about what the rock on which Christ built his church is I just always try to make a point when when we're on in this passage. Yes, make sure people Yes, yes, it is on Christ. That's all around I stand it exactly. Yes. Yes. I love that song That's my son's favorite song, but but you're right and about Peter goodness, he goes on just a little bit later and dies the nice Christ three times and other, you know Not not a perfect man by any means which none of us are and so we'll see In verse 15 that saw his call to take the gospel to the Gentiles and Peter opens that door in Acts 10 with Cornelius again, the theme of this whole thing don't leave anyone out and So that's that's what we're talking about here. Everybody's invited Paul will you read any comments or questions about what's going on now ever read all the Let's read some more passages because sin verses Paul will you read 12 through 14 now 12 through 14 at the litrons

If he has seen you in the vision a man named an ice come in and lay his hands off him So that the mic regained his sight But an an ice answered Lord I have heard for many about this man How much evil he has done to your saint of Jerusalem come here? He has authority from from the chief priest to bind all Who call on your neck? Thank you, Paul So what is ananias thinking about this assignment? Well, he said he get me he's gonna get me just let you know. This is there a guy's got a reputation God's got a reputation if you can think of the and I don't want to call it names that kind of thing culturally or What's going on in the world? Whatever, but if you could think of the person whom you would least go to? How would you think if God's Jesus said I want you to go to this person? We've got the please know where to go. That's scary since it's somebody else. Anybody else since somebody else Yes, let's yeah more than that cuz all the salt had been killing them. Yes So, I mean he's going to his death. He made me thinking, you know he's already killed many men and women and had the letters and that that's where he was going you're right and Let's say did we talk about I? Don't think we're there yet. Okay So the believers knew he had first cuted the church in Jerusalem and ananias understood that Saul had come with authority to arrest those Who called on the name of Jesus? So ananias's hesitation is understandable But he brought his fear directly to the Lord and in verse 13 ananias answered Honestly Lord and that's what God wants to be honest. Okay, of course. He knows or knows that anyway Exactly, you know, I guess that's where we need to be honest with others who do not know our hearts though, right? Ananias answered Who are the saints? The believers, saints are believers. Yes. And Paul, we ended a conversation last week. You're mentioning something about fear and Christians. Will we talk about Ananias? Do you remember what that was? When Areva and Ananias retort, if you will, to the Lord, he is obviously afraid of the assignment the Lord has just given him.

When we as Christians are given assignments, when God makes us aware of tasks that he has chosen us to do, oftentimes we're reluctant to do them for the same reason. We're afraid that we're afraid of failure. We're afraid we just would say the wrong words or do the wrong action or whatever, and instead of glorifying and exalting the Lord in what we do, that we fear that we're going to follow fire our face. And maybe instead of help be the vessel through which God draws someone to himself, just the opposite may happen because we mess it up. And as we'll go on in the passage this does further, we see that that is, let's just stop the case. We have nothing to fear when God gives us an assignment. As Christians, we are empowered by God's Holy Spirit as God empowers Ananias to do what would be for him a horribly frightening, difficult task to face this man that he knows beyond the shadow of a doubt has killed countless Christians, and present many, many more, so forth. And to extend the analogy just a little bit further, before we come to Christ, we're also equally reluctant because we're afraid. We're afraid of the surrender that we realize that we have to do. We have to give up ourselves in order to accept Christ's gift of salvation, and instead of living for ourselves, we have to live for him. And that is a scary proposition until we say yes. And think that, if you can remember before you were a Christian, you in some level were scared to death to face the fact that you were a sinner, and that you needed salvation, and you couldn't get it anywhere else except Jesus strikes. And then once you made the decision, once you surrendered yourself, one of your first thoughts was more than likely. Wow, that was easy. Exactly, exactly. Yes, what previous. Oh, yes. I guess piggybacking what he said is the fear from comes from us relying on ourselves in our power instead of just giving it to him. He will give us everything. Exactly. I agree doing it to work by him. Right. Right. Even though I kind of walked into my salvation seemingly, I was just afraid to go in front of the church and make that acknowledgement. I'm growing up in the church, but to make that acknowledgement, yes, Jesus is my Lord and the others. And a little bit of testimony to that when God called you in the fear factor. I just had a hard time this afternoon about thinking God, I'm just not prepared to teach this, and I had to come to groups with Denise, this is not about you, it's about the Scripture, and we are learning together. So here we are. So and sometimes we have to come to that. So it's God, it's what you want. It's not what I want. So but I'm glad to be here. You guys are great. I'd love to study the Bible together. I just feel ill equipped to teach sometimes God's

word to others when it's God's word, you know, especially all of you who know so much anyway. And here, you know, Saul has a dramatic experience, doesn't he? What kind of experience does Ananias have? Kind of a quiet and personal use of Paul. Yes, Albania. Yes. Didn't have to be blinded by the lie, just but he might have been frightened. But he was a beast. The words were sponsored, and it was not. Ananias, how stupid are you? You're fearful. It was not. I think he understood Ananias's and Ananias's fear. It didn't a little end because it, you know, it said, hey, you know, I right that's right and I think some some new Christians have that problem in that after they're saying they're still not good enough they're still not good enough that's where we need to come beside them and say it's the work of Jesus Christ on the cross not yours if you study your Bible your work is to study the Bible and be with believers pray but that's not what saved you okay your worst is not saved it was a work of Jesus Christ and they can just need to remind them of that probably especially in your ministry you know yep so so did God give an an eye specific instructions yes very go to a street call straight go to the house of Judas there's a special man's a specific man saw of Tarsus I saw was praying and the specific confirmations Saul has seen and a nice coming to lay hands on him in his own vision so I thought that was interesting have you ever received direction from God that felt this specific assignment oh yeah yeah we heard your testimony about the the prison ministry yes yeah let's just point in comes there done a lot I'm blessed that way very good you'll have to share some of those some cotton what is Paul how do you think Joseph would have felt if he had been told I'm talking about Joseph in the Old Testament who was up sit on the caravan to Egypt yeah how do you think he would have felt if he had been told okay your brothers are gonna put you on a caravan to Egypt you will be accused of molesting a captain's why you will spend some time in jail your dad will think your dad you will interpret a dream for the Pharaoh you will become second and command to the Pharaoh you will save Egypt from seven years of famine famine I'm sorry you will bring your entire family to Egypt one day I think Joseph would have felt all the light will overwhelm don't you think that's why God doesn't give us all of these

instructions sometimes so our sometimes it gives us a billboard we hope to see it isn't that the truth yes you sometimes said sometimes we get a billboard and we don't see it yes and there's a joke about that you probably know but I won't say it tonight so you are know that and what did Joseph say and he didn't get all this but he was obedient and what did he say in the into his brothers you meant it for evil not made later God didn't it for good that's right I love that that level of detail mattered because God was asking and I used to do something bold and dangerous right okay go back to verse 11 behold he is praying the Lord's words about Paul our soul are simple but powerful behold he is praying this show that a true change have begun in the heart of the man who had been famous for persecuting the disciples of Jesus saw had prayed before a religious Pharisee but now his prayers were different was all new to prayer oh no no describe that Paul what would he have been how would it have had the Pharisees pray during that time let me show you show us yeah um as well as supposed to probably know Pharisees were it was all about them okay we could care less about anything else they'd work the stage strong themselves on the time Pharisees whether they're praying the temple in which they would take the front row seat or they would actually stand on the elevated platform and pray the way I'm going to show you just a second or oftentimes in order to be seen by more people they would go to the busiest three-quarter make it fine okay yeah Karen's nodding I've told this about one of my classes member signs and they would pray something like this they would don't know about any no prostrate prostrate shouldn't oh God thank you for not making me like these other people thank you for making me better than them for I tied the night and then they would just you could rattle off these fake gun and bore the likely things they had actually done but it was all about but now they're not okay and one commentator put it beautifully today's um when I was studying this passage um Paul saw was very familiar with prayer however as you just said this prayer was different and this is the first time this prayer got heard it's yes so now he was broken and on board thank you Paul that's yes that's exactly right and he was uh waiting on

the Lord and he could now Luke 18, 9, Jesus describes them as praying like Paul Smith. God, I thank you that I am not like other men. That would be the Gentiles, right? And they love to pray standing in the synagogue so that everybody can see them, right? And they pray the lengthy prayers. But I love to hear a new believer pray. First of all, he or she doesn't think he can. And in Hebrews, 16 comes to mind that we don't come in judgment. But we come to the throne of grace with freedom. And we cast all of our joys and our weaknesses to God. How does a new believer pray? Think back. Or maybe when you're a new believer, how did you pray? Talk like they're talking to someone. Yes, conversation. Yes, right. And there was someone who was saved in Luke 18. God would be merciful to me, a sinner. Very thankful, right? Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for bringing this person in my life, just thanking. And many times a short prayer, but not necessarily, but like you said, a conversation with God. That's what prayer is. Yes, we're supposed to have that conversation all day long, aren't we? Yes.

So even the early disciples, who had been trained to pray in their teaching? Yes. They asked Jesus, teach us to pray. And they were Jewish. They knew they wrote ritualistic prayers, right? At the same time, God was also working on Ananias. So I was being humble. And humble, humble, you know, we hear, I don't want it. Will we get that coming being humble and humble? Yes. So I was being humbled and transformed. Ananias was being prepared to obey a difficult assignment. Ananias knew Saul by his past when God spoke of Saul's future. Saul had been known as a persecutor, but God called him as a chosen instrument. And this reminds us of God's grace, like we talked about, that God wants to use all of us, right? And yes, I was just thinking that prayer sometimes is just silent, where your beads still are listening to him. If that isn't where it is, I think that's necessarily you speaking. You still want to know that I am God? I'll have that on my wall in my breakfast room. Because I need that from time to time. I actually often sound yes. Saul had been known as a persecutor. Again, it reminds us that God's grace can reach anyone. Again, don't count anyone out. And God is gracious on both sides of the story. He was transforming Saul, and he was preparing Ananias to be part of that transformation.

Ananias did not pretend to be fearless. He was honest. He told the Lord what he had heard about Saul. But after hearing God's direction, Ananias went. Saul's life was about to change completely. And God chose Ananias to be part of that moment. His obedience reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear. It is trusting God enough to obey. I love the connection between Ananias and Saul, that connection. And you can think of relationships where you've maybe helped someone find Jesus, the connection there. How you came to that person, how that person came to you. Love that year. Paul, will you read 15 through 17, please? Sure. Excuse me. But the Lord said to them, go. Where he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show them how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. So Ananias departed and entered the house, and laying his hands on him, and he said, brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you that comes as sipping so that you may regain your psych and be filled with the Holy Spirit. An immediate or something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, thinking food.

It was strength. Yes. That's a beautiful passage of Scripture there. He would carry the statement to say, I'm going to show her how much she's going to have to suffer. I mean, yes, yes. He's going to carry that gospel to the Gentiles, the kings, the Israel. Some of those kings would have been King Arritus, Governor Felix, a couple of governors. Feistus, King Herod Agrippa, and then at the Roman Emperor Nero, where he would be be headed. Will you read many parts of that section of 2 Corinthians 11, 23? If you don't mind, I'm going to read the whole thing. Yes, please. It's only a verse. - Yeah, this is Paul writing to the Corinthians. It's like a great day as 11 starting in 22 through 30. Are they Hebrews? So on I, are they Israelites? So on I, are they offspring of Abraham? So on I, are they servants of Christ? I am a veteran, I am talking like a mad man with far greater labors, far more imprisonment with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews, the 40 lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with wrath.

Once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I was adrift at sea, on frequent journeys, and danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentile, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness. Do you see a pattern developing? Danger in sea and danger from false brothers in toil and hardship through many a sleepless night in hunger and thirst often without food in cold and exposure. And apart from other things, there is a daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches, who is weak? And I am not weak, who is made to fall? Scan I am not addicted. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show by wings. - Right, and Paul would have to give his testimony like this several times to prove his authority for what he was doing, that he had been called by God, that he was an apostle, he had spoken, Jesus had spoken with him directly, and he would use this again and again. He had gone to the kings, and now Paul could say, now say I am a child of the king. I love that about, I have to remind my grandchildren, you are a child of the king, and it's good to remind each other that we are children of the king. We don't have to, what my dad used to say,

don't run around like a chicken when you're a child of the king. And we have that first Peter 2-9, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness and to his marvelous light. And Paul was blinded by light, and several times in his letters, he uses the contrast of light and darkness to talk about how we came out of sin, but now we are a child of God, and how different that is. And he would carry this message to the Gentiles, the kings, everyone. Okay, I'm kind of rushing through here because I wanna have some room for a testimony if someone would like to. Paul would plant numerous churches throughout Europe, he would spend time with them, and he would love them. I love that about Paul, he not only planted the churches, even though he could only be with the church a few days or a few years, he loved the people, and he was always trying to connect with them. Again, that word connect is a key word. Paul, will you read 17 to 19, please? - Sure. - So anionized departed and entered the house, and laid his hands on to him, he said, "Brother Saul, "the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road

"by which you pained, has sent me "so that you may regain your sight "and be built with the Holy Spirit, "and immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, "and he regained his sight. "Then he rose and was baptized, "and taking food, he was strengthened." - Yes, and some talk about the scales, Nathan, you mentioned about the scales on Sunday. I think it was you talking about the scales that fell from his eyes. Some think that that might have been the problem with his eyes. We find in Galatians that Paul said, I would, or the people said, I would pluck my eyes out for you. And he talks about now, I would write this with a large hand, and when was Saul considered to be saved? Levon? Oh, you have your hand up? - No. - It starts with your hand up. (laughing) - When Ananias put his hands on Saul, right? The process had begun already. But when he laid his hands on him, that's kind of what was, Paul, is that what you got out of this or? No.

Okay, tell me. Sometimes when you're reading commentators, you have to fold them and walk away and run. - Yeah. - So, go ahead, Paul, go ahead. Saul's conversion was that Annotani is happening on the road to Damascus, but Jesus revealed himself, this has been, this is my opinion from my study. - Dent? are you, Lord?" "I am Jesus, and you are the one who you are persecuting." That acknowledgement was essentially his confession. And we'll see more of this in chapter 20, I'm not going to take time to go all the way back. But Paul asked two questions. One is in the first part of what we're reading now. Who are you, Lord? And then the second part indicates his conversion. And when we get to chapter 26, and we hear the story, no, chapter 22, and we get to the story again, Paul asked the second question, the second question, in addition to the first, which again, was, "Who are you?" The second question was, "What am I to do?" In other words, he had already entered into a heart that was a servant's heart. Those who are non-believers do not have servant hearts. But now, I'm not saying that there are people even in the church that go through the motions. But a true servant's heart is only given to those who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. So I believe that Paul's conversion happened on that road to Damascus because he allowed himself then to be led into the city. And what was he doing for three days?

He was fasting. He was praying. The first inclination that a new Christian asked that will confirm in his heart his salvation is the fact that when he comes to salvation, he starts conversing with the Lord. It's like when a baby is born, the first thing it does is cry because the baby realizes even though it can't communicate it either way, it needs something. When a baby Christian is born, the first thing we do is pray because we realize we need something. We don't know what it is, and that's the only way that we can ask. And that's where we need to come alongside that person and help them with their doubts. Remember, you pray. You remember, you accept, and remember this, and now let's do this. So let me help you. Yes. Thanks. Well, you follow me up. That's why in grown guys, they ain't going to finish the state. We're about to race. You have been saved for faith, and this is not your own good, this, that you. The great great great you have been saved for faith. This is not your own known subject of God and a resource of work so that no one may boast that we are at this work, and now we work. Yes. And the story is workmanship created in Christ Jesus, and have been works to us about the faithful, and prepared the fore, and that we should. That's right. That's right. Those three parts, justification, that's when we're saved, sanctification, that's our growth in the Lord, and then glorification, that is when we're made perfect one day, and we're eternally with, yes, just one, one aside, that, that word or where we are is, what was the word he is?

Workmanship. Workmanship. In the great, that word is masterpiece. Oh, I love that. Masterpiece. I did not know that bad. Oh, you can even spell it either. That's right. You know, some of the keys we have been given is to come alongside those who need Jesus, and to help them, and to receive those whom we thought couldn't be saved. And to open our hearts to that. And I was at prayer, the prayer time here, and some of the youth joined us during that prayer time, national prayer, and there was one young lady who, she just kind of begged us, our age group, to come alongside the youth and accept them, bring them to the table and invite them into your home, and they felt alone very lonely, and they're feeling this because of the media, all of these things. My mother, my, my, my dad's from Texas, well, they're, they're gone. My dad was from Texas. My mother was from Louisiana. My, my, my, my. Well, everybody says their gumbo is best. But when you make a pot of gumbo, you put the crabs in the shrimp and the oysters and just everything, you know, sausage and all of those things come together. And gumbo must be good for you because my mother lived to be 98. My dad lived to be 90. But my parents would always say invite everybody to the table, neighbors, everybody,

people we didn't know. And I remember growing up as a child, and I had four sisters and we thought, why do they have to move by all these people? But now, now I understand that. And that's what you do. And they invited everyone. That's what is happening here. We're all coming to the table. We will find that as we finish our study into acts, don't count anyone out. Talked about a Damascus Road experience and salvation earlier. Does any, we have maybe a coldness? Does anyone, did anyone have what you would consider a Damascus Road experience? And maybe someone like an anionized who came beside you during that time, anybody? All of us just kind of opened our hearts to Lord, right? Okay, right? Well, yes. - I think Saul of Tarsus is the most well-known example of God redirecting someone who was headed in the wrong direction. - And probably more than a few of us have been redirected. - Yes. (speaks in foreign language) Exactly, several times. Yes, and he keeps on and on, right? - In the conversion process, verse 17 there's,

and I can't really read it. His sevenies came here again and he filled the Holy Spirit. - Yes. - Is that the fact that you have been merged? - Yes. And what verses that again? - That's seven. - 17 of our past on my computers, sorry. - They filled the Holy Spirit. - Okay, and so yes, we talked about that. The Holy Spirit, and now he's filled with the Holy Spirit. Okay, thank you. See, that's why we have Bible study together, so we can learn from each other's. Thank you. Any other comments? - No one can boast. - That's right, so no one can boast. - Go into that. - Yeah, let me tell you, boy, I don't think your question was answers. And that is not where his conversion experience happened, guys. On the roads of Damascus, when he came to Christ, and to actually Christ came to him, which is always the way it is, Christ always initiates salvation, okay? We don't do that. We respond to his invitation. At the moment of salvation,

we are baptized in the Holy Spirit. In other words, we are gifted with the Holy Spirit. It dwells in us now, okay? Filled with the Holy Spirit is different. Filled with the Holy Spirit is when God's-- - Empowermentally-- - Empower us, and empowers us to do a task, okay? So when Ananias said, I've come here so that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit. I've come here so you will know what God's plan is for you, and that you can fulfill that plan. - That's right. - But in your scenario, when did he become a child of God? - He became a child of God on the road to Damascus, because when he asked the two questions, he said, "Who are you Lord, the Lord, who are you?" And then again, we'll see you later in Catholic 22, I believe it is, that he asked the second question, "What am I to do?" And that tells us that he was saved at that point. And then when he was led into Damascus, by his entourage, and scripture tells us that he's gone over tonight, that for three days he passed it, and he prayed. He came in with God, and then out. And we only do that when we were one of his children. - Yeah. - It just nourishes you describing when you went back down, the Holy Spirit in your key was, what?

The Holy Spirit had for me. - He was in dwelt at conversion. That salvation, yes. And then empowered by the, later by the laying on them. - Correct. - Yes, it called, talked to him, he called it in brother salt. - Yes, yes, we kind of rushed through that. I'm sorry, I'm glad you mentioned that. And how do you think Paul felt when, or Saul felt when, he said brother, just real special, right? - Yeah, absolutely. - Well, yes, he was special, accepted. Anything else? - We looked overlooked one small thing. First of all, Paul entered the house of Judas, not the Judas that was holomatry. But that Judas, I'm gathering, was not a believer. That is where the entourage took him first. And then he was taken. Father, thank you for your grace. Your love, your care, your salvation. You're watching over us moment by moment. We just feel your presence here and we're just so thankful that you want us to learn more about you and help us as we continue to study and help us as we go tell others, our families, our friends, and the world about you. Father, we have those in Houston at Prestige Learning Center, some with the around the soccer arenas. We have others going out on a mission field away from Houston, away from the States. And so Father, we're, and some of us are just, I won't say just, but we are here in our homes with our next door neighbors and everyone needs you. We don't want to count anyone out. And so we just pray for everyone to hear your word and to be open to your grace and your love and your salvation. And we give all this to you. In Jesus name, we pray, Amen. Thank you for coming. Thank you. Thanks again for joining us. Verse by verse through the book of Acts. I hope that you have

learned a lot more importantly. I hope that you'll apply these things to your life this week. Share it with a friend. Great thing for you to just have some discussion with the other people around you. Share the things that God is doing in your life. Again, remember the Bible is a book about God far more than it is a book about us. So let's learn about him. Let's grow to love him more and more. Here at United City, this is not the only thing that we have on the Pando app. We would love for you to follow some of our other content. Watch some of our worship services along with the music and the messages as well as podcasts. We've got a lot of great content we would love for you to to follow that. Also, if you would like to be in touch with us here at United City, the best way to do that is by writing us a letter. You can address that to prison ministry at United City Church. 1 9 9 0 1 Townsend Boulevard, Umber, Texas, 7 7 3 3 8. We'll read that. We'll pray for you and somebody will write you back. God bless you and we'll see you in the Word. [BLANK_AUDIO]