Keep Sight of the Vision
Acts 9
(July 8, 2001)
Introduction
What’s the difference between “sight” and “vision?”
Last week we looked at the incident of Jesus healing the man born blind. Jesus restored the man’s sight, and used the occasion to show the Pharisees that they were blind spiritually.
But today I want to talk about vision.
Helen Keller, probably the most recognized blind person who has ever lived, once said, “What would be worse than being born blind? To have sight without vision.”
I’m convinced that the vast majority of our population today has no vision for their lives, their families, or their church.
I’m also convinced that there is not a single person who has ever committed themselves to serving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior whom God did not desire to give a glorious and gigantic vision of what could be, if we will only pursue His heart.
One definition of vision from the American Heritage Dictionary is “intelligent foresight.”
It’s not some wacky mental exercise. It is intelligent foresight, by which we look at what is possible to be accomplished with God on our side.
Our Scripture passage this morning deals with someone who received a vision from and God and it gave him a vision for himself and for ministry.
Please turn with me to Acts chapter 9, which can be found on page 777 of the Bibles in the seats.
The setting of the story is familiar to most, but please allow me to refresh our memories.
God had been moving mightily in Jerusalem, but now some persecution came down the pike and the believers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
God began using these people to evangelize these areas, and some of these episodes are recorded in chapter 8.
Chapter 9 begins by telling us that Saul of Tarsus was on a mission to arrest any and all Christians he could find. He was present at the stoning of Stephen, giving his approval as he watched.
Now he had been given authority by the high priest to round up and persecute Christians.
Saul was a Pharisee, one of those highly religious people who followed the rules of the law, and saw Jesus and His followers as a threat to the religion of Moses.
So here he was, out to stomp out Christianity.
Let’s begin reading in verse 1:
Meanwhile, 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. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 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."
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."
15 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."
17 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." 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.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 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?" 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
My purpose this morning is to help us strengthen our grip on our vision for this church. May we walk away from here this morning excited about what God can accomplish through this fellowship.
First let’s look at getting…
I. A Vision of God.
Last week I made the point that the Pharisees had a problem with letting their religion get in the way of seeing their need.
They knew the Law and the Prophets, yet they couldn’t see the Messiah right in front of them.
And now we have Saul, who of course, became the apostle Paul. God needed to get his attention, and get his attention He did!
As he was traveling, God made Himself known to Saul in a whole new way. Jesus introduced Himself and Saul would never be the same.
In verse 5 Saul asks the question, “Who are You, Lord?”
This encounter caused Saul to think long and hard about a number of things, not the least of which was his perception of this Jesus, whom he had earlier purposed to destroy.
Scripture doesn’t tell us this, but I have a feeling that during the three days he spent fasting and praying, God revealed to Saul how Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures that Saul loved so much.
This would help us understand how he was able to preach so powerfully about Jesus after just a few days after regaining his sight.
This new vision of God transformed Saul.
What do you think it could do for us?
I am praying that God would renew all of our hearts with a fresh vision of Him, starting with me.
Remember, Saul was familiar with Scripture, yet it took this dramatic vision from heaven to give him a fresh vision of God.
We need to approach God and His Scriptures with the same question as Saul, “Who are You, Lord?”
I dare you to ask the question. When you are having your devotions, ask that question as you read. When you are praying, as that question.
“Who are You, Lord?”
We need for God to give us a vision of Him that is outside of the little boxes we have made for Him. God is bigger than we know, and He is powerful to conform us to His image and advance His kingdom.
Second, getting a vision of God allows us to gain…
II. A Vision for us.
An encounter with God changes a person. We see how it changed Saul.
When we understand that God is a big God who loves us and wants to work in us and through us, we get a better sense of our purpose as individuals and as a church.
Did you know that this church exists for more than just meeting on Sundays?
We will get into what I see as our purpose as a church a little later, but what I want to show you here is that God sees in us the potential to turn the world upside down for Him.
And here’s the really great part: He will make us fit for the task.
We are more than just a bunch of warm bodies filling a building for our Sunday get-togethers.
We are His living, breathing Body, and He loves us beyond measure.
I am constantly reminded of God’s love for me and His desire for me to be more like Him so I can bring Him glory.
Now that’s and interesting thought, isn’t it? Have you thought of that recently? God loves you, that you know. He wants to work so that you are more Christlike. You know that, too.
But when was the last time you pondered the fact that you bring glory to God? God is already glorious enough, wouldn’t you say?
Yet He has arranged that in our little lives here on earth, we can bring Him glory. I don’t really consider myself a glory-making machine, how about you?
But we bring Him glory. That is just amazing to me.
But we need God to open our eyes to that possibility – we need a fresh vision of ourselves.
Verse 22 in our passage says,
Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
God worked in this guy to the point that before long his past as a persecutor was overshadowed by his power as a proclaimer of the truth.
You might be sitting here today wondering how God could use you to bring Him glory and advance His kingdom.
Maybe you think you are too young or too old. Maybe you think you lack the physical strength you think is needed. Maybe you think you don’t possess the right “personality traits” for ministry.
Guess what, folks? You are just the person God is looking for! That’s right. God doesn’t want someone who thinks he has it all together.
Listen to the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 –
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
You might think you are weak, but God says, “You’re perfect for me to use.”
Why is that? Because when we are full of ourselves, we have no room for God and His working in and through us.
Ask God to give you a new vision of your place in His family. I guarantee it will change your life. It is changing mine even now.
Lastly, I want to help us gain a…
III. A Vision for ministry.
In chapter 22 of the book of Acts, we find Saul, now Paul, arrested and speaking to the crowd. He describes his encounter with Christ, and adds a detail that we don’t see in chapter 9. Allow me to read a small portion of this chapter.
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.
" `Get up,’ the Lord said, `and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’
You see the detail? He asked two questions: “Who are You, Lord?” And “What shall I do, Lord?”
A renewed vision of God opens up a renewed vision for ministry.
God had not revealed everything to Saul about his future ministry, but He had told Ananias, if you remember in verse 15 of chapter 9:
“This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”
Guess what questions I think we need to ask God for what He would have for Aberdeen Wesleyan Church.
A few years ago, you adopted a statement of purpose that goes like this:
“Our purpose is to bring unchurched people into God’s family, and to offer worship that lifts up God, ministry that heals hurts, a home for fellowship, and instruction in Christian living.”
Over the next few weeks we are going to look at that statement of purpose as we explore how to put it into action.
The very fact that we have a statement of purpose tell me that you are people of vision.
And as we look at what we can visualize with God’s help, may God give us the vision to see the thousands out there who face a Christless eternity unless we bring them the Good News of the love of God in Christ.
Conclusion
What’s the difference between sight and vision? Allow me to illustrate by using our church here.
Anybody with sight can see that we have a church. They can see that we have worship services and Sunday School.
But it takes a vision to see beyond the building and the people. It takes vision to see that we aren’t just a bunch of people who go to church regularly.
It takes vision to see that within this Body of believers is the potential to be used by God to impact literally thousands of people in this area, and countless others around the world for Jesus Christ.
Anybody here know the population of Brown County? As of the 2000 census, it is just under 35,500.
It is the stated goal of our District Superintendent that the Wesleyan Church should be responsible for 10% of the population in a given area.
I’d say we have some work to do, wouldn’t you?
On the surface it might look rather overwhelming. And it is, if we were to try to do something like this on our own. But remember, we serve a God who is never overwhelmed, amen?
Get a vision for what would happen in our area if 10% of our population worshiped in Wesleyan churches in Brown County.
By the way, the issue isn’t ultimately the Wesleyan Church. You understand that, don’t you?
The issue is that the kingdom of God is advanced and God is glorified.
The issue is that we would have a tremendous impact on our county, our cities, our neighborhoods, and our homes.
Our area would be filled with healthier families, and that translates into healthier governments and schools, and everything else.
Under this model, we would have 10% of the doctors, lawyers, policemen, firemen, government officials, business owners, etc.
Obviously we don’t expect all the numbers to add up to a perfect 10 % of every segment of society, but can you imagine what the impact would be?
Most of you are aware that this building we are in is actually a transitional facility.
When this building was built, plans were drawn up that would turn this room into a fellowship hall, with a sanctuary off the east side of the building.
This current structure was built with another end in mind. There was a vision to build a sanctuary that would seat 300 people.
I pulled out those plans the other day and I decided that I would look at them regularly and pray that God would cause us to have to build sooner than any of us would expect by looking at us today.
I have posted them in my office, and if any of you want to look at them, you are welcome to do it.
We need to pray that God would fulfill the vision of your leaders who looked beyond what was here to what could be.
I would love it if we looked at those plans and decided to build a 500 seat or 1,000 seat sanctuary, and then decided where we needed to plant another church in the area.
Are numbers that important, Brian?
Yes! Because the numbers are not really numbers – they are people!!
People who need to hear that God has a plan for them that extends just living and dying. A plan that includes a place in heaven and a full life on earth.
And as more people come to know Christ, more will be equipped to reach others, and the results will be staggering to our puny minds and pleasing to Almighty God.
And the only thing standing in our way is our doubt – in ourselves and more importantly, in our God.
Invitation
As we close today, I want to issue two invitations.
The first is to those of you who have not yet taken Christ as your Savior.
I have already alluded to the fact that God loves you and has more in store for you than to just exist and then die.
God wants you to accept His free gift of eternal life in heaven. Christ paid the penalty for your sins on the cross, so that you can avoid the due reward for your sins, which is an eternity in hell.
His death on the cross made it possible for you to gain entrance to heaven, and you can have it starting right now.
If you want to know for certain that you will go to heaven when you die, then pray this prayer of repentance and surrender with me:
(Prayer)
My second invitation is for any who would covenant to pray regularly at least once a week for the ministries, outreach, and leadership of this church.
Ask God to give us wisdom and strength in Him to cast the net for the lost in our area. Pray that He would keep us from the evil one, keeping us safe as we seek to advance His kingdom. Pray that God would unleash the resources of heaven so that we can go forth with confidence in His provision.
And pray that God would unite us in heart, mind, and purpose so that dissension would have no place in our body. This is not to say we will always agree in how we should go about things, but that we agree that this is God’s will for us as a Body.
You have noticed that there is a card in your bulletin. On that card is a place to respond to either of these invitations.
In a moment, I am going to ask the ushers to collect those. If you asked Christ to be your Savior and Lord today, please mark that spot on the card.
I promise to contact you as soon as possible with materials to help you establish your walk with Christ.
And I will rejoice with you in your new life in Him.
If you are covenanting to pray regularly for our church and its ministries, please mark that as well.
I intend in the very near future to develop a prayer guide that you can keep in your Bible as a reminder for prayer.
I am very excited about what God will do as we seek to honor Him in our individual lives and as a church.
May God be glorified.
Please stand as we sing, Be Glorified.
