Acts 9 verses 1 to 19a

As we continue our look at the book of Acts, we read today about the Apostle Paul’s journey from darkness to light. This describes how in his spiritual blindness Paul encountered Jesus – the light of the world – and then of course went on to become an ambassador of that light - particularly to the Gentiles.

So in the first few verses we meet Paul as Saul - who despite his tremendous knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures and despite being a devout Jew – is still spiritually speaking in the darkness and is actually fighting against the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob – the very one he believes he is serving.

Saul’s problem is that he had religion - but he didn’t yet have a relationship with God. He knew all about Judaism but he didn’t know the God of his forefathers.

And it is the same for many people today. They may be very religious and morally upright people - but they may not know God; they may know lots about the bible but they may not have encountered its author.

I like the analogy of radio waves which like God are all around us and which we can’t see.

You can explain to someone how a radio works and describe all the stations you can listen to, but until that person actually listens to a radio with a functioning aerial – they won’t be able to hear it for themselves.

This is why Jesus said that unless a person is born again he or she cannot see the kingdom of God. Until we are brought spiritually alive by the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Jesus – God will remain unknown to us.

Until the Holy Spirit puts our spiritual aerials in place as it were – we cannot know God and we will remain spiritually blind.

Saul’s life however is about to change dramatically as he encounters Jesus on the road to Damascus. A bright light from heaven flashes around him and he falls to the ground.

He realises that it is God speaking to him and asks - “Who are you Lord?”

But then he gets the shock of his life.

Instead of a congratulatory remark on his wonderful work trying to stamp out those pesky Christians he finds that he has been persecuting the one who is speaking to him.

“I am Jesus who you are persecuting.”

Those very people that he has been doing his best to stamp out and oppose have been telling the truth all along. Jesus really is risen from the dead and is both Lord and Messiah.

The reason that Jesus tells Saul that it is him who he is persecuting - is because Christians are Jesus’ physical body in the world.

Jesus is alive in the world today in the bodies of those men, women and children in whom his spirit – the Holy Spirit - lives.

We are his hands and feet, and we are his voice to those around us.

This is why Jesus says in Matthews gospel – what you do to the least of my brothers you do also to me.

There is a sense then in whatever we do to our brothers and sisters in Christ we do to Jesus.

And of course those like Saul - who attack Christians are actually attacking Jesus himself.

After this encounter with Jesus, Paul loses his sight for 3 days.

Why is this? Well it’s an acted parable. Saul despite his religious zeal, has been living his life in spiritual darkness and God gives him 3 days with no distractions - to think about and reflect on his life up to that point.

He needs some to time to get things straight in his head and to make sense of the life changing encounter he has just had.

We might think it was OK for Saul – to have such a special encounter with Jesus. We might even be a bit envious and think well I’ve been coming to church for years but 

I’ve never experienced anything like that.

However the change that Saul needs to make in his life to follow Christ is probably 

harder than the change many of us would need to make.

Becoming a follower of Jesus will involve a complete change in the direction of his life. His enemies will become his new family and many of his old friends when they see the change that has occurred in him will probably become his enemies.

And of course it’s the same for us although probably to a lesser extent. When we become Christians we become part of the family of the Church and sometimes we may find that some of our friends and even family members may dislike our new found faith.

No wonder Paul needs 3 days to rationalise in his mind all that has happened to him albeit as a blind man.

However God does not intend him to remain blind for long and his new family is on hand to help him in the shape of a Christian called Ananias.

Ananias has a vision and God asks him to go and lay his hands on Saul and pray for him so that he may receive his sight.

Quite naturally Ananias is slightly bemused by this request so he shares his doubt’s and asks God if he has heard him correctly.

God re-assures Ananias that he has heard him correctly and so he is obedient.

And sometimes we may believe that God is asking us to do things that from a worldly or even rational point of view might seem a little bit unusual or even unwise - but if we truly believe that we have heard God we should step out in faith and be obedient to what He is asking us to do.

A few years ago a friend of mine managed to become a partner in the Law Firm he was working for. This was something he’d worked hard towards for several years.

Soon afterwards however he felt that God was calling him to become a Vicar so he left his job and he went off to study theology in Oxford.

He now runs a very lively Church in Gloucestershire and preaches in prisons.

From a worldly point of view it seemed unwise to leave his job but God had other plans for him.

Because Ananias has heard God correctly and does what God asks, he is successful. 

He lays his hands on Saul and Saul receives his sight and is filled with the Holy Spirit.

And when we do what God asks us to do – we too will be successful. It will work out.

He may ask us to do something specific like he did with Ananias or he may call us to a particular role or task. Whatever it is – if God asks you to do something he will equip and enable you to do it.

So if God prompts you to pray for someone or to tell someone about Jesus – it will be effective.

If God asks you to perform a particular role in the church or to do some work for Him – He will be with you in it and He will always enable you to do what he has asked you to do.

For instance, quite often when I preach I look at a passage and think oh my goodness, what on earth am I going to say about this?

But by the grace of God - I always seem to manage to find something to say.

I am very conscious though, that without God's help, I’d really have very little to offer.

So Ananias’ obedience completes Saul’s journey from spiritual darkness into the light of Christ.

His physical eyes are opened but more importantly the eyes of his heart have been opened and he recognises Jesus as both Lord and God.

I think Paul’s conversion is very encouraging for us because as he says in his first letter to Timothy he was one of the worst of sinners – someone who actively attacked Christians – but God still loved him and saved Him.

Sometimes people today may think they are beyond God’s love and forgiveness because they’ve done terrible things – but God will forgive everyone who truly repents - whatever it is they’ve done.

There is no sin that is beyond God’s forgiveness except the unforgiveable sin – blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - which is rejecting or ignoring Jesus sacrifice of himself on the cross.

The reason it’s called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is because the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of our sin and our need to repent - and if we steadfastly ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit and refuse to repent and believe in Jesus – we put ourselves beyond forgiveness by rejecting the only one who can save us.

Every other sin of mankind can be forgiven.

I heard the story of a Christian lady who’d had an abortion, and who became convinced that God could never forgive her for what she’d done, even though she was sorry.

This lady spent several unhappy years fearing she was beyond God’s love but then one day she visited a pastor and shared her fear.

The pastor explained to her that God had forgiven her the moment she’d said confessed her sin and said sorry to Him - and for all these years she’d been carrying an unnecessary burden of guilt and fear.

He explained to her no doubt - that that was why Jesus had died for her. He himself had born her sin in his body on the cross and he had been punished in her place.

He loved her so much that he was pleased to give his life for her.

Sometimes as parents when our children are sick or ill we’d like to carry their sickness ourselves. We’d like to be ill in their place. Well that is how God feels about us.

We all do wrong things but God wants to carry these for us and this is why he died on the cross for us.

His heart is not to punish us but to save us. But if we reject his offer of salvation there is no more He can do for us and we will have to pay the penalty for our sin ourselves.

So whatever you’ve done – however bad you may think it is - if you turn to God in repentance and confess your sin – He will forgive you. He longs to forgive you.

As we look at this passage we need to recognise that like Saul – many of us are also on a similar journey of faith – hopefully from darkness towards light.

Some of us may not yet have encountered Jesus – the light of the world – but the important thing is that we continue our journey and continue to seek him.

As God says in the book of Jeremiah – “you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

So if that’s you – continue coming to church, keep praying, keep asking questions and read the gospels.

God wants you to find him but He will only come into your life and reveal himself to you when you really want Him to.

He will always respect your free will.

He may well not reveal Himself to you dramatically like he did with Paul. Sometimes 

He does, sometimes He doesn’t

Christians are a bit like snowflakes; each person’s conversion experience is different according to what is appropriate for them.

It may well be a gradual process and you may struggle to put your finger on the actual time you came to believe.

It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that you come to believe.

Some of us may have already encountered Jesus - but then we must continue our journey and share the good news of the forgiveness we have found with others – as 

Paul did.

Let’s close with a time of prayer.

Jesus is present with us now by his spirit.

Perhaps there is a desire in your heart to know Jesus for yourself or perhaps you have a burden of guilt and you’d like to know God’s forgiveness.

In a few moments of quiet share your need for forgiveness with God and if there is anything that you’ve done that you particularly regret – tell him you’re sorry.

And now in your own words thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you and taking all your sins upon himself.

And finally in your own words invite Jesus into your heart and life and ask him to make himself known to you.

Amen