Supporting Roles #6: Ananias
CCEA
School of Discipleship
February
15, 2026
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it address the person who
is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid to die? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it
build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church
loved?
Welcome to our sixth class in our “Supporting Roles” series. This week we will look at Ananias of Damascus.
Homework
Read Acts 9:10-19; 22:12-16
Read: Romaine: “Ingredients” (10 pgs)
Did anything stand out to you? Would you like to share with the class?
For me:
On the first page …
“You are to leave after taking care of all the basic needs of the church
and everything is done that needs to be done. This often will mean leaving the
church grounds long after the Senior Pastor has gone home. You are to be a
Timothy.”
On page 13
“I learned some difficult lessons as a novice youth director. I was so
effective that the church finally had to throw me out. I thought that it was a
disaster, when in fact, it was a wonderful way for God to sandpaper my ego. My,
how you do learn from experience.”
On pg. 21 – sounds like our memory verses…
“Did Jesus look down on others? Was He too busy to serve? Then it behooves
you in that measure to be Christ-like. If you don’t have time to clean up the
sanctuary, set up chairs or know where the broom, brush or plunger for a toilet
are, give me one good reason why you don’t.”
Memorize:
(Mark 10:43–45
NKJV) —43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become
great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever
of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many.”
Keep working on your verses. Soon I will get you the form for you to use to
share your verses with someone outside of the class and have them sign it to
show you’ve done it. I’ll explain more in a week or two.
As I’ve done with the first two of our memory verses, I’d like to spend a
little time exegeting the last verse to perhaps help you as you memorize,
meditate, and chew on it…
Mark 10:45
:45 For even the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for
many.”
:45 the Son of Man
This is one of the titles of the Messiah.
He is the “Son of Man” because He is human (fully human and fully
God). Jesus had a human mother.
The title itself comes from the prophet Daniel.
Daniel had a vision of the throne of the Father (who is called the “Ancient
of Days”) and the great empires of the world leading up to the end of days.
Then the Messiah comes forward.
(Daniel 7:13–14
NKJV) —13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son
of Man, Coming with
the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before
Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all
peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
:45 For even
Jesus has talked about the “rulers over the Gentiles” and the apostles and
the way they should be leading.
The rulers of the Gentiles “lord it over” and “exercise authority” over
those they lead.
Jesus didn’t want His apostles to act like that.
…but … how about the Messiah? How about the anointed One of God? How about
the One who is not just King over Israel, but the Creator and Lord of the
Universe?
For even the Son of Man…
:45 did not come
Jesus wasn’t just “born”, but He “came” to our world.
He laid aside His glory in heaven and took on human flesh.
The old 50s “Superman” TV show started with these words…
“strange visitor from another planet who came to earth with powers and
abilities far beyond mortal men”
Yup. That’s not Superman. That’s Jesus.
:45 to be served … to serve
serve – diakoneo – to be a servant, to perform duties, render
assistance.
Jesus could have showed up and easily demanded everyone to serve Him.
But He didn’t come to be served.
He came to serve.
He came to “render assistance” to us.
:45 to give
The verb here is didomi, which means “to give”, but this really is
what “grace” is all about.
Grace is not a payment for what’s owed.
Grace is a “gift” that is “given”, even when it’s undeserved.
:45 His life
life – psuche – life, soul
Jesus doesn’t use the word bios, or biological life.
He uses a word that encompasses all that a person is that makes them alive.
:45 a ransom
ransom – lutron – price of release, ransom
A lot of us are watching the news about the kidnapping of Savannah
Guthrie’s mom Nancy. Supposedly a “ransom” has been asked for by the
kidnappers.
When a “ransom” is paid, a release is supposed to happen.
The ransom Jesus would pay “redeem” us (a related word) and makes us right
before God.
(Romans 3:24–25
NLT) —24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did
this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our
sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made
right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his
blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did
not punish those who sinned in times past,
He paid a “ransom” for our sins.
He paid a “debt” He didn’t owe because we “owed” a debt we couldn’t pay.
THIS is why Jesus came.
Not just to be a “servant”, but to “redeem” us.
:45 for many
As the immortal, infinite God, He laid down an “infinite” life to pay the
debts for ALL who would choose to receive His gift of forgiveness and eternal
life.
This is the “good news”. This is the
“gospel”.
But this doesn’t mean that the whole world is saved. A person still needs to “receive” the gift
that God offers.
(John 1:12 NKJV) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe in His name:
Have you received God’s forgiveness?
He’s already paid for it. You just need to receive it.
When you recite this verse to whoever you are going to do your final with,
pay attention here.
You have a chance to ask them the same question:
“Have you received God’s forgiveness?
Would you like to?”
He’s already paid for it. You just need to receive it.
Ananias of Damascus
His name
Ananias is a Hebrew name that means “Yahweh is gracious”
Another form of his name would be Hananiah, a common Hebrew name in those
days. Also the names Hannah, and Anna are all related.
There are several people in the Bible named Ananias.
There was a high priest named Annas (a version of the same name)
He was the father-in-law to the high priest Caiaphas, and Annas himself
also served as a high priest at one time.
There was the fellow in the early days of the church in Jerusalem who was
married to a gal named Sapphira.
These were the folks who pretended to give more to the church than they
actually had, and as a result of lying, they both dropped dead (Acts 5)
There was a high priest named Ananias who rebuked Paul when he was arrested
in Jerusalem (Acts 23:2-5)
(Acts 23:2–5 NKJV)
—2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to
strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will
strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to
the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?” 4 And those
who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” 5 Then Paul
said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is
written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”
I wonder if he was the reason that Paul mentioned his own friend Ananias as
he shared his testimony to the Jewish crowd on his arrest (Acts 22)
And then there was this fellow who lived in Damascus, which we will look at
today.
Acts 7
Back in Acts 7, a young man named Stephen was stoned for preaching Jesus.
One of the people who were there to watch it all was a man named Saul.
(Acts 7:58 NKJV) and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And
the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Acts 8
After the stoning of Stephen, Saul went on to stir up a great persecution
against the early church.
(Acts 8:3 NKJV) As for Saul,
he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and
women, committing them to prison.
Much later, Paul will look back on those days and describe himself…
(1 Timothy
1:13 NKJV) although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor,
and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it
ignorantly in unbelief.
I’d like to start our story by going back to when Stephen was arrested, put
on trial, and then stoned.
Stephen gave quite a magnificent message to the Sanhedrin about Jesus, but
the Sanhedrin didn’t want to hear anything about Jesus.
(Acts 7:54–8:3
NKJV) —54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they
gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he,
being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said,
“Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand
of God!” 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran
at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the
city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the
feet of a young man named Saul.
That young man Saul is going to be known as the apostle Paul one day.
59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out
with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had
said this, he fell asleep. 1 Now Saul was consenting to his
death. At that time
a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they
were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the
apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to
his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul,
he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and
women, committing them to prison.
So Saul is pretty fired up about these people who want to follow Jesus.
This persecution under the leadership of Saul is what finally gets the
church in Jerusalem to do what Jesus had asked them, and to go and preach the
gospel to other areas of Judea and Samaria.
Acts 9
Luke picks up Saul’s story in Acts 9.
:1 Then Saul, still
breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the
high priest
:1 still breathing threats and murder
Saul might have been one of the men that had originally debated with
Stephen.
(Acts 6:9 NKJV) Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the
Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia),
disputing with Stephen.
Saul is from Tarsus, the capital of ancient Cilicia.
And now in Acts 9, Saul is still being Saul. Out to stop the Christians.
:2 and asked letters from
him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way,
whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
So Saul has decided to take his Christian persecution circus to Damascus.
:2 Damascus
Damascus was an ancient city, and has been around since at least 2000BC. It
was and still is the capital of Syria.
There have been Jews living in Damascus since the time of King David,
around 1000 BC (2Sam. 8:5-6)
During the time of the Romans (and Saul, Acts 9), there were about 10,000
Jews living in Damascus.
Show Damascus Road map video
Damascus is about 130 miles north of Jerusalem.
The typical route from Jerusalem to Damascus would be to travel along the
coastal plain in Judea to Mount Carmel, then hang a right and head east through
the Jezreel Valley. At Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee, you would head north
towards Damascus.
There is an ancient street in the old city of Damascus called the “Straight
Street” running east to west (the yellow line). Keep that in mind for later.
Saul is getting close to Damascus when something happens.
:3 As he journeyed he
came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
:4 Then he fell to the
ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting
Me?”
:5 And he said, “Who are
You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is
hard for you to kick against the goads.”
:5 Who are You, Lord?
I find it fascinating that Saul is tuned in enough to call the light
“Lord”.
When Saul asks, “Who are you, Lord?” I imagine Saul was a bit shocked and
perhaps even a little afraid when the answer comes, “I am Jesus…”
:5 kick against the goads
“Goads” are sharp sticks used to poke at animals to guide them.
This was an ancient proverb, and the idea is that an animal would only hurt
itself more by trying to kick against the uncomfortable “pricks”.
It’s a picture of someone who is resisting authority in ways that
ultimately harms oneself.
Perhaps Saul’s conscience had been bothering him with what he had heard
about Jesus.
I wonder if some of what he had heard Stephen say about Jesus was bothering
him.
Sometimes we find ourselves knowing that the other person is right, but we
argue anyway just because we want to defend our position for no other reason
than we don’t want to admit we were wrong.
But instead of being led by the
pricking of his conscience, Saul had been “kicking” against his conscience by
persecuting the church. All Saul was
doing was hurting himself.
:6 So he, trembling and
astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said
to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
:6 Arise and go into the city
Saul isn’t given too many instructions, just the next step.
That’s often how God works, giving us just one step at a time.
:7 And the men who
journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.
:8 Then Saul arose from
the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by
the hand and brought him into Damascus.
:9 And he was three days
without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
:9 three days without sight
Proud arrogant Saul is now humbled, blind and dependent upon other people
to lead him.
“Paul was a great man,” said Charles Spurgeon, “and I have no doubt that on
the way to Damascus he rode a very high horse. But a few seconds sufficed to
alter the man. How soon God brought him down!”
Paul himself would write,
(1
Corinthians 10:12 NKJV) Therefore let him who thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall.
While Saul is waiting to find out what his “next step” is in Damascus, God
is working on someone else.
:10 Now there was a
certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a
vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
:10 a certain disciple …named Ananias
We now finally meet our fellow Ananias.
A fellow named Hippolytus of Rome (200AD) listed Ananias as one of “the
seventy” disciples that Jesus sent out in Luke 10:1-20.
(Luke 10:1–20 NKJV)
—1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent
them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was
about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest
truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord
of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way;
behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry
neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not,
it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating
and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.
Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they
receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the
sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out
into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which
clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom
of God has come near you.’ 12 But I say to you that it will be
more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 13 “Woe to you,
Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in
sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for
Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you,
Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he
who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” 17 Then the seventy returned with joy,
saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said
to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I
give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the
power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject
to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Yet other than that, he’s just “a certain disciple”
We’ve seen his name meant “Yahweh is gracious”
God didn’t ask someone named “Yahweh is angry” or “Yahweh is my judge”.
God used a man tied with grace.
When Moses met God on the mountain and asked to know more about who Yahweh
was…
(Exodus 34:6–7
NKJV) —6 And the Lord passed
before him and proclaimed, “The Lord,
the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means
clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
The word “gracious” (vs.6) in the Hebrew is hanun, the word at the
root of Ananias’ name.
Paul is going to find himself facing the true God, who is going to show him
mercy and “grace”.
Later in his life, one of Paul’s themes throughout his
epistles is the subject of “grace”.
Quiz Alert
Lesson
1. Grace changes everything
Pastor Chuck wrote a book with this as its title. It’s a commentary on the book of Galatians,
where Paul contrasts living by “grace” versus living “by the law”.
Grace is going to change Saul.
I love that the first man God chooses to help Saul is a man of “grace”.
In Hebrew, the root word for “grace” is a verb, hanan.
It depicts a heartfelt response of someone who has
something to give to one who has a need.
In Greek, the root is a noun, charis.
It’s related to the word for “joy” (chara), and can
be characterized as “making glad by gifts”.
Grace is the “unmerited favor” that God shows towards us.
It’s all the good that God does for us, which we don’t
deserve.
It is most demonstrated by Jesus dying on the cross for
our sins – something we didn’t deserve yet He still paid for our sins.
The man of grace (Ananias) is being sent to help Saul experience the grace
of God.
Ananias is an example of what Jesus taught,
(Matthew
5:43–45 NKJV) —43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You
shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to
you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate
you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes
His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the
unjust.
We serve a God of grace.
How do you react to people who strike you as cruel, hard, and mean?
Pay attention to what Ananias (Yahweh is gracious) does.
:10 the Lord said in a vision
In the book of Acts, sometimes God led people through visions.
Peter had the vision of unclean animals on a great sheet. (Acts 10:11-13)
(Acts 10:11–13
NKJV) —11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the
four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild
beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice
came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
Cornelius had a vision telling him to find Peter (Acts 10:30-32)
Cornelius and Peter’s visions would lead to the gospel going out to the
Gentiles.
(Acts 10:30–32
NKJV) —30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour;
and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me
in bright clothing, 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer
has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is
Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he
comes, he will speak to you.’
Paul had a vision that sent him to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10)
Paul’s vision would bring the gospel to Europe.
(Acts 16:9–10 NKJV)
—9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia
stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to
Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Paul had a vision in Corinth encouraging him not to be afraid (Acts 18:9)
(Acts 18:9 NKJV) —9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be
afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent;
But before those visions, this simple disciple had a vision about
Saul/Paul.
:10 Here I am, Lord
A bit of difference between Saul and Ananias. Saul said, “Who are You, Lord?”. Ananias said “Here I am, Lord”
It kind of reminds me of how little Samuel (“heard of God”) learned to
listen to God.
(1 Samuel
3:10 NKJV) Now the Lord
came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel
answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
How would you respond if God called your name?
:11 So the Lord said
to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house
of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.
:11 the street called Straight
We think we know where Ananias lived.
There is a place in Damascus called the “Chapel of Saint Ananias”.
The chapel is an underground structure 23 steps below street level, built
on the remains of a 5th-6t century Byzantine Church.
That gives us a high probability that this was the
location of the actual house of Ananias.
Show Straight Street Map video
We’re going to zoom in on the Old City of Damascus.
The Street called Straight is still an active street today.
It runs east-west through the Old City of Damascus.
A few blocks north of Straight Street is where Ananias lived.
Bab Sharqi is the gate on the east end of the street.
Bab Kisan is thought to be the gate where Saul will escape Damascus by
being let down through a window in the gate.
So Ananias is told to go a few blocks south of his house and…
:11 inquire … for … Saul
Quiz Alert
Lesson
2. Bridge builder
This Ananias wasn’t just a Christian, but a good law-of-Moses-abiding-Jew
as well. Later, in sharing his
testimony, Paul would describe Ananias:
(Acts 22:12 NKJV) “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having
a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,
This devout Jewish Christian will be an important link for
Saul.
Ananias kept the Law of Moses.
He had a good reputation among the Jews in Damascus.
Paul described himself before he became a believer as…
(Philippians 3:5–6
NKJV) —5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the
righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Paul had the highest of pedigrees as a Jew.
God used someone with a background like Paul’s to draw
Paul into the church.
It’s not uncommon for God to use people with specific backgrounds to reach
out to people similar to themselves.
God isn’t limited to using people with parallel backgrounds – God used a
clean cut raised-in-a-church man like Pastor Chuck to reach out to a generation
of hippies.
Yet at this point, Saul needs a good “devout” Jewish man to speak to him
further about Jesus.
God may want to use your past to reach people who are
going through what you’ve been through.
:11 behold, he is praying
It’s a “present tense”, meaning Saul was continually praying.
Jesus got Saul’s attention
Saul is responding with lots of prayer.
I think Jesus mentions this to help Ananias realize that God was at work
here.
:12 And in a vision he
has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so
that he might receive his sight.”
:12 seen a man named Ananias
So God is speaking to Saul in a vision just like He was doing to Ananias.
I wonder if Ananias was thinking, “God, did you have to give him my
name???”
It’s like the Lord is setting up Ananias for success.
Jesus is working both sides of the deal.
:13 Then Ananias
answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has
done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
:14 And here he has
authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
:13 how much harm
It sounds like Ananias might just be a little bit reluctant to reach out to
Saul.
Ananias has heard about Saul and what he’s capable of.
What if Saul is just faking it and is going to arrest and even kill
Ananias?
(Of course this is a silly statement. Jesus would know if Saul is faking it)
Quiz Alert
Lesson
3. Fear hinders
Sometimes our fears can keep us from doing the things we are supposed to.
It’s natural to be afraid.
It has been suggested that the most repeated command in the Bible is “Fear
not…”
There are some things we definitely should be afraid of or concerned for.
(1 Peter 5:8 NKJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about
like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
I’m not sure “fear” is the right word, but we should take
the devil’s threats seriously.
Yet often our fears are unfounded, based on half-truths or “what ifs”
(Proverbs
22:13 NKJV) The lazy man says, “There is a
lion outside! I shall be
slain in the streets!”
How many times have we been afraid of something that never
materialized?
Illustration
A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night his mother
told him to go out to the back porch and bring her the broom. The little boy
turned to his mother and said, “Mama, I don’t want to go out there. It’s dark.”
The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. “You don’t have to be afraid of the
dark,” she explained. “Jesus is out there. He’ll look after you and protect
you.” The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, “Are you sure
he’s out there?” “Yes, I’m sure. He is everywhere, and he is always ready to
help you when you need him,” she said. The little boy thought about that for a
minute and then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into
the darkness, he called, “Jesus? If you’re out there, would you please hand me
the broom?”
Sometimes our fears are unfounded.
The answer to our fears is look to God Himself.
Paul wrote,
(Romans 8:31 NKJV) What then shall we say to these
things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
David the giant killer said…
(Psalm 56:11 NKJV) In God I have put my trust; I will not
be afraid. What can man
do to me?
(Psalm 27:1 NKJV) The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I
fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom
shall I be afraid?
Isaiah wrote,
(Isaiah 12:2 NKJV) Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust
and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has
become my salvation.’ ”
This was D.L. Moody’s favorite verse. “I will trust and
not be afraid.”
He used to say, “You can travel to Heaven first-class or
second-class. First-class is, ‘I will trust and not be afraid.’ Second-class
is, ‘when I am afraid, I will trust in thee.’”
Either way, we need to trust God.
Illustration
Back in the 1800s there was a famous tightrope walker known as the great
“Blondin”.
In 1859 he made his first crossing of Niagara Falls on a
rope 1100 feet long, 160 feet above the water.
He would go on to cross the falls many times doing
different types of tricks – riding a bicycle, walking blindfolded, even
stopping once to cook an omelet.
The most daring attempt came when he announced he would
cross with another person on his shoulders.
The only person to take up his offer was his manager,
Harry Colcord.
It was a harrowing nightmare with various guy ropes
breaking, and Colcord having to get off his shoulders six times while Blondin
rested to gather his strength.
But they made it.
You don’t have to be a tightrope walker to get across the falls of
life. You just need to trust Jesus
enough to get on His shoulders.
Even though you might think it’s pretty scary to trust
Jesus, He’ll never drop you. Get up on
His shoulders.
He’s been across the “falls” many times. And He won’t drop
you.
(Hebrews
12:1–3 NLT) —1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of
witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us
down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with
endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates
and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross,
disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s
throne. 3 Think of all
the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and
give up.
Because He’s endured, you can too.
So back to our story … Ananias is a little concerned…
:15 But the Lord said to
him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles,
kings, and the children of Israel.
:15 he is a chosen vessel of Mine
We may think someone is dangerous, but sometimes God chooses “dangerous” people
to follow Him.
:15 Gentiles, kings, and … Israel
I imagine Ananias didn’t have a problem with God using Paul to reach
“Israel”. Or even “kings”…
But Gentiles???
There’s just one word to describe a good Jewish boy reaching out to
Gentiles.
Play Princess Bride “Inconceivable” clip
Up until this time, it is inconceivable that God would care about Gentiles.
I kind of wonder what Ananias thought when he heard that God was going to
send Saul to the Gentiles.
I can’t imagine what Paul would think when he heard about the “Gentiles”.
When Paul was later arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 21-22), he was explaining
to the crowd who he was.
Paul retells his experience on the road to Damascus, and meeting Ananias.
The crowd was listening intently to Paul until he recalls what Jesus would
say to him through Ananias…
(Acts 22:21 NKJV) Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to
the Gentiles.’ ”
Luke tells us how the Jewish crowd reacted.
(Acts 22:22 NKJV) And they listened to him until this word, and then they
raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth,
for he is not fit to live!”
Jesus goes on to say to Ananias…
:16 For I will show him
how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
:16 how many things he must suffer
Paul is not going to have an easy life.
Quiz Alert
Lesson
4. Suffering included
Some folks mistakenly think that when they accept Christ, all their
problems are over.
The truth is that often suffering is very much a part of the Christian
life.
Play Billy Graham video – “Decision”
https://youtube.com/shorts/aX5l35wEUtk?feature=share
Sometimes the pain we experience is simply because of our stupid actions.
That’s not the kind of suffering we’re talking about.
Play Porch_Pirates video
https://youtu.be/hLa_gS_yUCM
But if we are suffering because we have been following the Lord, then we
shouldn’t be surprised.
Two verses we looked at last week:
From Peter:
(1 Peter 4:12 NKJV) Beloved, do not think it strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing
happened to you;
From Paul:
(2 Timothy 3:12 NKJV) Yes, and all who desire to live
godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Paul will indeed go through much suffering. Here’s what he wrote to the
Corinthians (and this was not at the end of his life)
(2 Corinthians 11:24–26
NKJV) —24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times
I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of
robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the
Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in
perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
Paul suffered much.
The testimony of one person who is willing to suffer what is necessary can
be very powerful.
Illustration
Adoniram Judson, the renowned missionary to Burma, endured untold hardships
trying to reach the lost for Christ. For
7 heartbreaking years he suffered hunger and poverty. During this time he was thrown into Ava
Prison, and for 17 months was subjected to almost incredible mistreatment. As a result, for the rest of his life he
carried the ugly marks made by the chains and iron shackles which had cruelly
bound him. Undaunted, upon his release
he asked for permission to enter another province where he might resume
preaching the Gospel. The godless ruler
indignantly denied his request, saying “My people are not fools enough to
listen to anything a missionary might SAY, but I fear they might be impressed
by your SCARS and turn to your religion!”
In other words, his scars were a powerful testimony.
:17 And Ananias went his
way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul,
the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that
you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
:17 laying his hands on him
Remember that Ananias is just a
“certain disciple”.
He wasn’t one of “The Twelve”.
He wasn’t one of the “deacons” of Acts
7. (though he apparently was one of the “seventy” – Luke 10)
Notice that Saul will now be “filled with the Holy Spirit”
It happens through a relatively unknown disciple (Ananias) who lays hands
on Saul, not one of the apostles.
Did you know that you too can “lay hands on” someone and pray for them?
God can use you too.
Quiz Alert
Lesson
5. God uses ordinary people
You may not be a Greg Laurie or a Billy
Graham, but you can be an Ananias. All
it takes is a willingness to say, “yes Lord”.
Illustration
Dwight L. Moody’s conversion
As a young man of 18, Dwight L. Moody
found himself placed in a Sunday School class, led by a man named Edward
Kimball.
On Saturday morning, April 21, 1855, Kimball
‘decided to speak to Moody about Christ and about his soul.’ I started
downtown to Holton’s shoe store.’ When I was nearly there I began to
wonder whether I ought to go just then during business hours.’ And I
thought maybe my mission might embarrass the boy, that when I went away the
other clerks might ask who I was, and when they learned might taunt Moody and
ask if I was trying to make a good boy out of him.’ While I was pondering
over it all I passed the store without noticing it.’ Then, when I found I
had gone by the door I determined to make a dash for it and have it over at
once.’
He found Moody in the back part wrapping
up shoes in paper and stacking them on shelves.’ ‘I went up to him and put
my hand on his shoulder, and as I leaned over I placed my foot upon a shoe
box.” Looking down into Moody’s eyes he made what he thought afterwards a
very weak plea.’ Neither could ever recall the exact words, but ‘Kimball
asked him to come to Christ, who loved him and who wanted his love and should
have it.” There were tears in Kimball’s eyes.
‘It seemed,’ Kimball recorded, ‘that the
young man was just ready for the light that broke upon him, for there, at once,
in the back of that shoe store in Boston, Moody gave himself and his life to
Christ.’
Kimball slipped from the store a few
minutes after he had entered.
from pg 27 of Moody
Biography, John Pollock
I’ve got a link in my notes of a fellow
telling the story at the site of the shoe store…
Here’s the story told at the site of
Holton’s Shoe Store –
It has been estimated that Moody brought
over 3 million people to Christ.
You can even trace a spiritual lineage
from Moody to Wilbur Chapman, Billy Sunday, Mordecai Ham, and to Billy Graham.
God used a Sunday School teacher named
Edward Kimball to start something amazing.
God uses ordinary people.
When Peter and John were on trial
before the high and glorious Sanhedrin, they said some pretty powerful things…
(Acts 4:13 NKJV) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived
that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized
that they had been with Jesus.
“uneducated”
(“un-lettered”) and “untrained” (idiotes)
It didn’t matter. They had been with Jesus.
:18 Immediately there
fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at
once; and he arose and was baptized.
:19 So when he had
received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the
disciples at Damascus.
:19 Saul spent some days with the disciples
Quiz Alert
Lesson
6. Help the new believer
Ananias wasn’t the only one helping Saul. Others helped as well.
Helping a new believer can sometimes be the difference between someone who
falls away quickly, and someone who walks for a lifetime.
From Greg Laurie’s daily devotional, February 7, 2026:
Shortly after my commitment to Christ, I didn’t know a lot of Christians. I
wasn’t acclimating very well. I was in that awkward stage where I didn’t feel
totally comfortable with Christians, but I didn’t want to hang out with my old
friends either.
Then one day a guy named Mark came up to me and introduced himself. He
brought me to church and introduced me to other Christians. He told me what to
read and what it meant. I had so many questions, and he patiently explained
things to me. He helped me make that transition. He made a difference in my
life.
Every Christian can fill a similar role in the life of a new believer. That
prospect may seem daunting to some people because they don’t feel equipped to
disciple others. They convince themselves that it’s a job for “experts,” little
realizing that they are the experts whom God has equipped to fulfill that
responsibility.
Transparency is the key. You can introduce a new believer to the realities
of the Christian life, as opposed to certain idealized (and unrealistic)
portrayals of it. You can show a new believer the struggles, setbacks, and
victories—big and small—that come from spending time in God’s Word, engaging in
regular prayer, sharing your faith with others, and making daily choices that
honor God.
Maybe God hasn’t called you to be a preacher or to lead worship, but you
can be a friend to someone who has recently made a commitment to Christ. You
can hang out with them. You can show them what a real Christian is like in the
real world.
My friends, you don’t have to be a pastor to help a new believer.
In fact it’s probably better if you’re not.
Just let the new believer get close enough to watch how
you follow Jesus.
:20 Immediately he
preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
:21 Then all who heard
were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this
name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring
them bound to the chief priests?”
:22 But Saul increased
all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus,
proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
:22 proving that this Jesus is the Christ
Lesson
Intellect and Will
I’m sure that there are people who truly have an intellectual problem in
accepting who Jesus is.
But for most people, the real issue is their “will” or their “pride”.
Saul had heard all the arguments about who Jesus was. We already suggested that Saul had heard
Stephen when he spoke of Christ (Acts 6:8-10)
(Acts 6:8–10 NKJV)
—8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs
among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is
called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from
Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they
were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
Saul was from the area of “Cilicia” and was likely in
these meetings hearing Stephen speak.
Yet even though Stephen was presenting compelling evidence about Jesus,
Saul resisted the truth – not because Stephen was unclear, but because Saul was
unwilling.
Now that Saul has met Jesus on the road to Damascus, I wouldn’t be
surprised if he’s using the same arguments that Stephen was using.
But it wasn’t the power of the arguments that won Saul, it was meeting
Jesus and humbling his pride.
It’s not that we shouldn’t study and learn the intellectual arguments – I
believe God uses them. It plants
seeds. But when people reject the
intellectual argument we shouldn’t be disappointed. We need to recognize that some people are
just stubborn and proud.
:23 Now after many days
were past, the Jews plotted to kill him.
:24 But their plot became
known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him.
:25 Then the disciples
took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.
:25 through the wall in a large basket
Paul gives one more detail in writing to the Corinthians:
(2 Corinthians
11:32–33 NKJV) —32 In Damascus the governor, under
Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison,
desiring to arrest me; 33 but I was let down in a basket
through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.
Tradition in the ancient Christian church was that this “window” was in one
of the seven ancient gates of Damascus. This gate was later named “Bab Kisan”,
and it is still there today.
There is a church there called “The Chapel of St. Paul”, dedicated to this
event.
Saul escapes in a basket. I guess by
this time Paul was a “basket case”…
Quiz
From the lecture (10pts):
1. Grace changes everything
2. Bridge builder
3. Fear hinders
4. Suffering included
5. God uses ordinary people
6. Help the new believer
Homework
Assignment:
Read: 2Corinthians 7-8
Read: Romaine: Shade (11 pgs)
Memorize:
(Mark 10:43–45
NKJV) —43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become
great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever
of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many.”
This week I will be making the “affidavit” available for the final.
You will need to recite each verse to someone outside of class. Have that
person sign the affidavit.
You can do one verse at a time. You
don’t have to do all three at once.
Prayer/Blessing