Exposition of Acts: Forged by God
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A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
I. ONE USED OF GOD TO CHANGE A MAN
A. CALLING
>>1. ORDINARY MAN
Acts 9:10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
(also I Cor 1:26-39)
>>2. OUT-OF-ORDINARY TASK
Acts 9:11-12 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 Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”
B. CHECKMATE
>>1. OBJECTIONS
Acts 9:13-14 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to Your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
>>2. OVERCOMING
Acts 9:15-16 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for 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 him how much he must suffer for the sake of My name.”
C. CONVERSION
>>1. OBEDIENCE
Acts 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
>>2. OCCURENCE
Acts 9:18-19 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. For some days he remained with the disciples at Damascus.
(also I Tim 1:13,16)
Now the story changes from Ananias to Saul. Ananias did the work God called him to do, then drifts back into obscurity.
II. ONE USED OF GOD TO CHANGE THE WORLD
A. CONFOUNDED
>>1. OCCASION
Acts 9:20-21 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Isn’t this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this Name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?”
(also Jn 5:17-18; Mt 26:63-65; II Cor 5:17)
>>2. OWN UP
Acts 9:22 But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.
B. CONFUSION
>>1. OPPOSITION
Acts 9:23-24a When time had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul.
(also Gal 1:15-18; II Cor 11:32-33; Acts 9:16)
>>2. OUTWITTED
Acts 24b-25 They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
C. COUNSEL
>>1. ORDER
Acts 9:26-27 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, Who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
>>2. OPENNESS
Acts 9:28-30 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and debated against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.