Acts 22:12-21 

¹² “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. ¹³ He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. ¹⁴ “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. ¹⁵ You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ ¹⁷ “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ ²¹ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

Introduction

Have you ever been puzzled why God is silent even with our seemingly very noble prayer requests? You’ve been faithful yet God allows your love ones to struggle. For those who are praying for healing, why does God allow sickness?

In John 11:1-4, ¹ Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Did not Lazarus die as a result of his sickness? Why did Jesus say that Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death? Jesus brought Lazarus back to life after all. So, Lazarus’ death was part of the drama but it’s not his end. That miracle must have Martha and Mary and the disciples grown stronger in their faith. God allows us to experience hardship to have our attention be focused to Him, and to help us grow stronger in our faith in Him.

The Lord made Paul blind and gave back his sight again. A prominent man named Ananias was the Lord’s instrument to give back Paul’s sight and His instruction to Paul.

1.  Indirect

¹² “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. ¹³ He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

¹⁴ “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. ¹⁵ You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

The Lord commanded Paul indirectly through Ananias. Did Paul listen to Ananias because Ananias was the Lord’s instrument to give back his sight? Paul has described Ananias as a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all Jews. Paul was testifying before an angry crowd. Did Paul try to keep the crowd to be attentive to him when he mentioned that his experiences involved distinguished individuals? Did Paul himself believe that the Lord spoke through Ananias because Ananias was prominent?

We prefer to listen to individuals who are prominent, famous, or speakers with distinguished achievement, don’t we? We are more curious what famous speakers say.

Paul believed what Ananias told him because the Lord made him believed. Paul described Ananias as a significant individual because he wanted the crowd to understand that he received instruction from a respectable individual.

The Lord could have enabled Paul to believe anybody but a respected Ananias was chosen because the Lord has designed that Paul would testify to the people of Jerusalem. God knows the inclination of our hearts. He sends messengers we would listen to.

Samuel

When God spoke to Samuel the first time, Samuel did not recognize the Lord’s voice. In 1 Samuel 3:4-10, ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. ⁶ Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” ⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

⁸ A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Why did the Lord need to call Samuel a couple of times? If God can make anyone hear him very clearly, why did He call Samuel many times?

Most of times, we are not very attentive to the Lord’s call. We may hear God’s voice but we keep focusing on something else. We need to keep praying that God would raise church leaders who are prayerful. God may send messengers but how many church leaders heed God’s voice immediately when He speaks through the Lord’s messenger?

Samuel did not immediately recognize God’s voice but he listened to the instruction of Eli the priest. Paul heeded the instruction of the Lord’s messenger, Ananias because he spent time praying. In Acts 9:11, ¹¹ The Lord told Ananias, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.

Pharisees were expected to be knowledgeable of the Scripture but they could not recognize the voice of God. Paul did not rely upon his Pharisaical education to know the will of God. He was very prayerful. God spoke to Paul indirectly and directly.

2.  Direct

¹⁷ “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance  ¹⁸and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately,  because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

²¹ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

The Lord instructed Paul indirectly through His messenger, Ananias, and Paul obeyed Ananias’ instruction. But when Paul claimed that God spoke to him directly, the crowd became were enraged. [We will talk about that part next Wednesday.]

If a preacher say, “God told me to tell you something,” how would you react? Do you easily believe when a speaker claims that God spoke personally to him or her?

Barak

Barak missed the privilege to become a prominent leader of Israel because he was hesitant when he heard an instruction from the Lord’s messenger.

In Judges 4:4-9, ⁴ Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. ⁵ She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. ⁶ She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. ⁷ I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

⁸ Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” ⁹ “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 

It’s not clear why Barak did not follow the instruction of Deborah immediately. Was it because Deborah was a woman, or was it because Barak was just hesitant to obey?

The Lord allowed Barak to have hesitation of heart to teach us that if we do not listen and ignore God’s instruction directly or indirectly, we will regret our action. Like Barak, those who prefer otherwise instead of following the Lord’s instruction would surely miss the reward prepared and inclusive to the Lord’s instruction.

Like Paul, those who would heed the Lord’s direct or indirect instruction would surely harvest the reward prepared to the obedient disciple. In Ephesians 1:17, ¹⁷I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

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Paul teaches what he personally experienced. He never hesitated to obey the Lord because he was very prayerful. What instruction, direct or indirect, have you received from the Lord? If you have Christ’s Spirit in your life, you have the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. In 1 Corinthians 1:24, ²⁴but to those who God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

When we allow Christ to reign as Lord of our life, we allow God’s power and wisdom to work in us. Keep praying and don’t stop until you sense that the Lord is truly in control of your life. You’ll know His will for you more clearly. Are you called as church leader, pastor, or missionary? May You hear God’s voice clearly.