Do you make a difference? - Acts 9:10-22

Near the end of his Life the Apostle Paul wrote, “6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”[1]  As Paul looked back on his life there was visible evidence of the impact he had made on Christianity.  As a result of his missionary journeys (which in and of themselves are legendary) Paul started at least 14 different churches all around the Mediterranean Sea which helped spread Christianity throughout the ancient world.  Along the way Paul mentored and trained numerous missionaries, pastors, and church leaders like Timothy and Titus.  It is impossible to calculate the number people that were converted to Christianity as a result of Paul’s efforts, but it seems probably hundreds possibly thousands of people came to know Jesus as their savior because of Paul’s ministry.

Paul made a visible impact on the Church.  Have you?  Many of you have spent your life in the church, ample time one might think to make a difference.  Over the course of your life, you have given hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars to the church, sufficient amount one might think to make a difference.  You have spent thousands of hours in worship and countless thousands more in prayer, extensive enough one might think to make a difference.  You have cooked cleaned decorated, maintained repaired landscaped, participated volunteered and served both the ministry and the ministers of Messiah since 1985, plenty of activity one might think to make a difference.  Over the years this church has grown; membership has increased, and the building has been expanded.  Yet when you sit back and try to see what impact you personally have made on the ministry of Messiah, do you see that you have made a difference?

Sorry to be such a Debby downer.  Based on what I have said so far you would think my sermon text for this morning was from the book of Ecclesiastes “2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?”[2]  The answer, “nothing!  It’s nothing but a chasing after the wind.”  I don’t mean to depress you, it’s just, if you are at all like me, it is hard to see the impact you have made on the church; difficult to see if you have made a difference.  If you are like me, you don’t identify with a guy like Paul who made such a visible impact on the church. I think that is why I am drawn to Ananias. 

My sermon text for today is not from Ecclesiastes it’s from Acts 9:1-22. In your Bible this section of Scripture is entitled “Saul’s Conversion”.  However, as I said, I am going to focus our attention on verses 10-22.  Instead of focusing our attention on Paul, I am going to focus our attention on Ananias.  Three years ago, I preached on this same text.  Three years ago, I focused on verses 10-22.  Three years ago, I focused our attention on Ananias.  But when I sat down to study this sermon, I completely forgot about the sermon I wrote three years ago.  In part I am sure because I did not write that memorable of a sermon, it probably also has something to do with me getting old, but I think it is also because Ananias is so easy to forget.

Poor Ananias.  He was actually a really good guy.  Luke identifies Ananias as “a disciple”.  Paul himself described Ananias as “a devout observer of the law” who was “highly respected by all the Jews living there”.[3]  Ananias went to church, said his prayers, gave his offerings, and participated in the ministry in Damascus.  Ananias was a good Christian man and was well liked by his friends and family.  However, there wasn’t anything about his life that might catch the attention of an historian; nothing extraordinary or exciting like Paul that might make anyone notice him or remember him, which is why Ananias is a footnote in the history of the Christian church.  Basically, Ananias is a more famous version of me!  Ananias is a more famous version of you. 

Ananias hardly merits a mention, which is too bad because without him, humanly speaking, there would be no Paul.  Jesus appeared to Ananias in a vision and told him “11 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.”  That’s a pretty big ask.  Saul was a scarry dude.  Saul had already overseen the stoning of Stephen, but the death of that disciple wasn’t enough to satiate Paul’s thirst.  Luke began this chapter by telling us, “1 Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”  The reason Saul was in town was to persecute and imprison people like Ananias, and Ananias knew it.  “13 “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.””   This was a scary thing that Jesus was asking Ananias to do.  Jesus knew Ananias was scared, but there was a point and a purpose to the scary thing Jesus was asking Ananias to do.  Jesus was going to use Ananias to make a difference in Saul’s life.  Jesus explained, “15 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.”

Ananias trusted Jesus and did the scary thing Jesus asked him to do.  He went to Saul’s house, placed his hands on him prophesied the name of Jesus to him and suddenly Saul was able to see and was baptized, and almost immediately started “20… preaching in the Synagogue that Jesus is the Son of God.”.  Luke tells us “21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?””  I image they asked Ananias, “what did you do!?!”  to which Ananias probably answered, “Nothing.  I simply did what Jesus told me to do and said what Jesus told me to say.”  And that, my friends, is the last we hear of Ananias.  From this point on it is all Saul all the time.  I mean Saul starts going by the name Paul, but pretty much from here in Acts to the first verse of Revelation the rest of the bible focuses on Paul’s missionary journeys and the letters Paul wrote to the mission churches. 

Ananias doesn’t get much attention; he is a footnote in the history of the Christian church and is easily forgotten.  But Ananias made a difference.  Because Ananias trusted Jesus and did what Jesus told him to do and said what Jesus told him to say Ananias got to see all the amazing things Jesus accomplished through His chosen instrument, Paul.  What joy that must have brought Ananias to see that all the churches that were started, all the leaders that were raised up, and all the people who were saved happened because God used Ananias to make a difference in one man’s life.   

Now you might say, ‘that is all well and good for Ananias, but what about me?  What impact have I made on the ministry of Messiah?  What difference has all my worshiping, praying, giving, participating made in anyone’s life?’  Jesus can and someday will answer that question better than me, but I will share with you one example of at least one way you have made a difference.  Last Sunday Thomas Cash Reineke was baptized.  Some of you who were here to see it told me it brought tears to your eyes and a smile to your face as you watched that young man walk away from the baptismal font as a freshly washed child of God strutting with his chest out.  After the service Cash signed that he was my friend.  Do you know how it happened; I mean the chain of events that led to Cash’s baptism?  Well, his mom Melissa brought him.  She brought Him because she learned in Bible Information Class that Baptism is for all people, including people like her son Cash.  How is it that Melissa was in Bible information Class?  Her daughter Allison invited her. Allison had recently taken the class and thought her mom would enjoy it.  How did Alison hear about the class?  Her then boyfriend, now fiancé Johnny Baehman brought her.  Johnny and Allison were introduced to each other by Allison’s cousin Paige.  Paige is the wife of Drew Hiltzheimer.  All four of them; Johnny and Allison, Drew and Paige attended bible information class together.  Why would Drew want to bring his wife and Johnny want to bring his future wife to Bible information class? I suppose there are several reasons but one of the reasons likely has something to do with the Christian examples they saw from some of Messiah’s O.G.s like the Frendahls, Beckmans, Bohlmans, Mcmillers.  Probably also something to do with the encouragement they received when they were in the teen group the Hardings taught.  Probably has something to do with the faithful foundation Tre, Kelly, Lisa, Leah and their other Sunday School teachers built.  Probably has something to do with the law and the gospel that pastor Zahn preached from this pulpit.  How is it that these young men were exposed to such examples, encouragement, foundation, and preaching?  Well, their moms and dads brought them.  Terry and Tre, Pam and Paul trained their children in the way they should go.   How is it that Cash was baptized?  You.  God used you to bring about Cash’s baptism.  Your parenting, your teaching, your encouraging, your examples, your invitations, your support, your prayers.  God used all of those things so that one more soul could be claimed as a son of God.  This is but one example of the things that God is doing through you.  One example where the dots can easily be connected.  If you aren’t looking for it, you don’t see it.  You might be tempted to think it was a happy coincidence or chance that brought Cash to the font.  But if you look at it with eyes of faith, you see that Jesus has a point and a purpose for everything he asks you to do and say.  If you look at it with eyes of faith, you see how God used you to make a difference in one man’s life. 

I tell you this because the devil wants you to be discouraged.  The devil doesn’t want you to see the impact you are making on the church.  The devil doesn’t want you to see the difference you are making in the lives of other people.  But, by the grace of God you already have, you are, and you will make a difference.  Cash’s baptism happened because a series of people did what Jesus told them to do and said what Jesus told them to say.  I wonder what Jesus has planned for you and you and you.  I wonder what great things Jesus will accomplish through your children and your children and your children!?!  I wonder what future impact will be made on the ministry of Messiah because this group of people gathered here today choose to trust Jesus and do what He tells them to do and say what He tells them to say!?!  You may never be as famous as Paul, you might even be less of a footnote than Ananias, but I can tell you this with absolute certainty, when you trust Jesus and do what He tells you to do and say what He tells you to say, you make a difference.  Amen.  

[1] 2 Ti 4:6–7

[2] Ec 1:2–3

[3] Acts 22:12