Truth Seeking, Risk Taking, Joy Bringing

Acts 9:1-19

About six years ago when I read Walter Wangerin’s book, Paul: A Novel, I fell in love with Paul. I had always viewed Paul as a cold, hard intellect who used his debating skills for the gospel. But after reading this book, he became flesh and blood to me and reading his letters became a new experience. I read them differently and with more interest because of how I viewed him.

The novel is written from the perspective of people around Paul. Here is one example narrated by Barnabas who later accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey. You need to remember that it was forbidden for Jews to eat pork. This is an account of the first time Paul tasted this previously forbidden meat.

About five years ago, shortly after I had invited Saul to Antioch, we were crossing Herod Street when suddenly he turned aside to one of those cook-shops that sell roasted meats by the slice. We had been discussing freedoms. I was telling him of the two times in my life when I’d felt such a glad rush of freedom that I thought I would explode. The first was when I sold my land and all my possessions, and laid the proceeds at the feet of the apostles. I panted as I did that, experiencing a physical lightness, as if I could float like thistledown.

My second discovery of freedom came more gradually, here in Antioch, where the Apostles had sent me to exhort the Antiochene believers in faithfulness. The great majority of believers were Gentiles. Already when I came, distinctions were disappearing. No longer were there :God-fearers” and “proselytes” among the Gentiles; no longer non-Jew and Jew, higher and lower, freeman and slave. Everyone who followed Christ as Lord was the same as every one else, equal – a family! Even the Romans noticed our amazing unity. They classed us and named us “Christians.” Pretty soon all the laws that had separated Jews from Gentiles also became as nothing to me, and that was my second experience of the lightness of freedom.

I told Saul that it caused in me such a giddiness – such a physically tickling joy – that laughter was always bubbling just below my throat. Always, always! is what I was saying to Saul – when suddenly he turned aside to a cook-shop, raised one long finger, and pointed at a piglet revolving on a spit, its fat flaring in the coals below.

“One small portion, please,” he said.

A woman with huge arms cut him the smallest of portions and laid it on a green leaf and accepted his penny for her food.

I fell silent. I had never seen this before. And though I delighted in our new freedoms, what Saul was doing seemed as risky as stepping off a cliff.

He pinched the pork in its folded leaf and with two delicate fingers pulled off a greasy piece. He carried the meat to his mouth, crossing his eyes as it came. He put out his tongue and touched the bit of pig to the tip of it, where it stuck. Then, scarcely breathing, Saul drew the meat into his mouth and chewed and chewed and swallowed it. He blinked rapidly – checking, it seemed, his vitals inside. Then he grinned and plucked at my sleeve and began to laugh. A gasping sort of laughter, like a man who jumped but did not drown.

The little Pharisee had eaten pork.

Wangerin’s book helped me to use my imagination to picture Paul as he traveled from place to place and preached and was beaten and got up to preach again. I am eager to come into heaven and hear Paul speak firsthand of his experiences.

We come in our preaching through Acts to the account of Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. I preached in December in the series of sermons on birth experiences about his conversion so I want to take a different look at this account this morning. (If you want to see the sermon from December you can go to our church website and read it there.) https://www.rabatchurch.org/sermons/2007_12_23.html

There are four main characters in this account from Acts 9. In order of appearance they are: Saul, Jesus, Ananias and the Holy Spirit. This morning I want us to look at three of the four: the truth seeking of Saul, the risk taking of Ananias and the joy bringing of the Holy Spirit.

Saul was a truth seeker. Hear his testimony as he defended himself after being attacked by Jews in the Temple in Jerusalem, 19 years after the event. (Acts 22:3-10)

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. ⁴ I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, ⁵ as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. ⁷ I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

⁸ “ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ⁹ My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

¹⁰ “ ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

When he was confronted with the truth that Jesus had risen and was who he had claimed to be, Saul did not continue in the direction he had been going. Saul did not continue to persecute followers of Jesus. Saul submitted and redirected himself toward the truth he had discovered. What shall I do, Lord?

Can you imagine watching the news one night and hearing that Osama bin Laden had become a Christian and was broadcasting evangelistic messages to his followers, encouraging them to turn to Jesus? How could such a thing be possible?

Is Osama bin Laden a truth seeker? If Osama bin Laden were confronted with the reality that Jesus is Lord, would he continue as a radical Islamicist? or would he begin to pursue Jesus with the same dedication he now has to his Islamic cause?

If this seems too extreme for you, how different is he than Saul was?

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul described himself as zealous for the traditions of his fathers.

Galatians 1:3-4

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

When Saul went from house to house, dragging off men and women who were followers of Jesus to prison, he did so because he was absolutely convinced in the truth of what he believed. His name struck terror in the hearts of the followers of Jesus. When Saul came back to Jerusalem from Damascus, he tried to join the disciples but, Luke writes in Acts 9:26,

they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.

Among those who are antagonistic toward the gospel of Jesus are truth seekers. And, in fact, it is more likely to find a truth seeker among those opposed to the gospel than among those who are quietly indifferent or uninterested.

My oldest sister became a Christian in her freshman year of college in 1964. She came home at Christmas telling us all about what she had discovered. She had all the enthusiasm of a new believer and she expected we would all turn and follow what she had discovered to be true.

Instead we rejected and ridiculed her. I was the worst. There were nights she went to bed crying because of the things I said.

She had five siblings and two parents and thought I was the least likely in her family to turn and make a commitment to follow Jesus. But I was the first.

Underneath my ridicule I was thinking and what she said influenced me more than I allowed her to know.

Truth seekers can often be antagonistic to Jesus because they are not yet aware that he is the truth.

There are those who are simply angry and do not want to dialog about what is true and any discussion will be fruitless. But I am attracted to those who are antagonistic to the gospel of Jesus but are willing to talk about it.

I often tell people that religion is meant to be a pursuit of truth, not a competition for truth. My goal is not to have Christianity win when I die. My goal is to be with God when I die. So if someone comes along and disagrees with me that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, then I want to talk with them and explore together how it is we can come to God. I want to be a truth seeker and that is what led me to Jesus who is the truth.

Who do you know who is antagonistic to the good news of Jesus? Don’t be discouraged. Pray that they will see through you, through others or through the revelation of the Holy Spirit that Jesus is Lord. Be patient in discussing the pursuit of truth. Don’t be defensive about what you have discovered to be the truth.

Paul urged the Colossians (4:5-6)

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Peter wrote in I Peter 3:15-16

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

If they are truth seekers, they will turn and begin to use their energy and creativity and intelligence in service to Jesus, the truth they discovered.

Saul was a truth seeker. Ananias was a risk taker.

Ananias was one of the leaders of the followers of Jesus in Damascus. How do I know this? Look at the gifts Ananias had and how confidently he used them. This is the mark of a leader. It had been about three years since the resurrection of Christ. How long the community had been in Damascus we don’t know but it had been there long enough that it had grown to the point that Saul heard about it and wanted to put an end to it.

Ananias had heard about Saul, what Saul had been doing in Jerusalem and that Saul was coming now to Damascus to arrest followers of Jesus.

You can imagine that when the believers in Damascus heard about Saul’s impending visit, they began to fast and pray. Some probably prayed that Saul would somehow be detoured and turn around and go back to Jerusalem. Maybe somebody prayed he would be attacked by robbers or wild animals. Did anyone pray he would meet Jesus on the road and have a change of heart?

What did Ananias think when God told him to go to Saul on the street called Straight?

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.”

Was he excited that the Lord spoke to him and eager to jump up and do what he had been asked?

“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

Are you sure Lord? Are we talking about the same Saul? Isn’t there someone else I can go visit?

Who wants to walk into a lion’s den? When you know someone has come to arrest you and take you to prison where you might be killed, would you go to that person? It’s simply too risky.

Saul had arrived in Damascus. It was time to run and hide, not time to go and seek.

But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

And then Ananias went to the house of Judas where Saul was staying and did what the Lord had asked him to do.

How did Ananias feel as he walked to Judas’ house to go to Saul? Was his heart pounding as he approached the door to knock? Did he walk past the door a couple times before he had the courage to stop and knock?

It may be that he was anxious, but when he came to Saul, he did not hesitate.

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.”

How risky was it for Ananias to go to see Saul? As I have thought about it, the greatest risk was not going where God told him to go, the greatest risk was being certain it was God who had spoken to him.

When the angel told Zacharias his wife would have a son, Zacharias questioned how this could be because of his and his wife’s age, the angel took away his speech for not believing what he had been told. In this case, in the vision Ananias received, the Lord was patient with him and when Ananias questioned the wisdom of what he was being asked to do, the Lord reassured him.

I think God was patient and reassured Ananias because he understood the risk involved for Ananias and it had to be clear that Ananias knew it was the Lord speaking to him.

Ananias was a risk taker. This does not mean he did not have some anxiety as he obeyed, but he was confident the Lord had spoken to him and so he went with boldness to Saul. When we are confident God has directed us to do what we are doing, the risk is not really that great.

I want to throw in a word of caution. There are Christians who get an idea and then go out and do something unwise or foolish and believe they are doing a great thing for God. A couple years ago a group of foreigners were visiting Marrakech and after Bible Study and prayer decided they would go out into Djamaa El Fna, the big square, and hand out Bibles. They were arrested and sent out of Morocco.

Being bold when God directs is wonderful. Being bold when it is just your idea is foolish.

Don’t be afraid to obey God’s leading, but be sure it is God who is leading and then your action will not really be that big of a risk.

Saul was a truth seeker, Ananias a risk taker and the Holy Spirit is a joy bringer.

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.” 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.

I want to read Walter Wangerin’s account of this in his book, Paul: A Novel. This account is written from the perspective of Judas who owned the house where Saul was led when he came blind into Damascus.

Ananias entered my house and passed me by and went to him and placed his hands on Saul’s shoulders.

“Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

I watched the two men touching each other, and I saw the crust on Saul’s eyes crumble and flutter down his white cheeks like fish scales, and then he was blinking, and then he was seeing.

My eyes wide open, I watched Saul bow his head, shining, shining with a strange white fire! Ananias began to unwind the bandage I had given him.

Ananias was saying: “You, Saul, are a chosen instrument of the Lord’s, to carry his name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. And the Lord will show you how much you must suffer for the sake of his name.”

Sight and light and a giggling joy in Saul! And he was beaming on Ananias. …

The two men walked back into my house, Saul on his own feet leading the way.

They went into the atrium where my little fountain trickled into a shallow pool. I did not follow. I didn’t move, still standing by the open door. But I heard water splashing, and I heard the voice of Ananias say: “I baptize you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” – and then that high voice of Saul, hooting: “Jesus Christ is my Lord!” – and then laughter.

With all his heart, soul and mind, Saul had served and protected the Torah, the law God gave to Moses. This was his pure and sincere devotion to God. When he discovered that Jesus had risen from the dead and was who he claimed to be, it shook him to the core of his being.

His mind raced with the new information that Jesus was Lord and he stumbled into Damascus considering the implications of this. Saul did not speak. His mind went back, over and over again, to who he had seen in the noonday sun. If Jesus had been resurrected, then what were the implications? What about all that he had understood?

Then he had a vision that a man named Ananias would come to him to restore his sight. While he was thinking this over there was a knock on the door and there he was! Saul had been knocked off his feet and this was an aftershock, keeping him spinning.

As Ananias prayed for him, his eyes began to see and as he received the Holy Spirit he began to understand and make sense of all the questions he had been asking himself since that moment on the road outside Damascus.

The joy of seeing with eyes and heart and the beginning of understanding filled him with joy that bubbled up from within.

Maybe that day but certainly the next day he began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus Christ was Lord. But we will come to that in a couple Sundays.

I remember the joy and delight that was my experience when I first began living my Christian life in 1971. I can remember sitting in Park Street Church, I can remember where I was sitting, on the right hand side of the balcony. I remember my astonishment at how much I enjoyed singing hymns that had bored me to tears when I was growing up. I remember the enthusiasm I had to read the Bible and learn from it.

The Holy Spirit brings us joy when he comes into our lives and as we seek a deeper experience of the Holy Spirit more joy awaits us.

This is a wonderful story and it continues. God is still revealing himself to truth seekers. Pray for those who come to mind who are antagonistic. Pray that they will see the truth and turn to it.

Jesus is still leading risk takers to speak out for him. Pray that they will have discernment to know that it is God who is leading them to take risks for his sake and pray that their message will find fertile ground.

The Holy Spirit is still bringing joy to lives. Pray that your own experience with the Holy Spirit will deepen so joy will bubble up from within you.