“Chosen Instruments” (Acts 9:1-22)

Acts 9:1-22

Listen to Sermon

“Chosen Instruments,” Acts 9:1-22
Pastor Tom Johnson, May 5, 2019

Saul is “still breathing threats and murder” against Christians. Saul does not just dislike Christians or lack toleration for them. He hunts Christians. And he is thorough. He gets his hunting license from the high priest himself.  Saul’s plan to is to find out who these Christians are, break them down, bind their hands behind their back, and take them to Jerusalem as prisoners of a religious war. Saul believes he is an agent of God—to bring them to justice. Little does Saul know that Jesus is on his own hunt—breathing peace and life. Jesus’ plan is to pursue sinners. He wants to break them down in humility so he can lift them up. He wants to bind them with his love and mercy, so that we can know true freedom in the Gospel. And so the resurrected Jesus pursues Saul.

Jesus appears to Saul as a blinding light. Jesus knocks him off his high horse and off course so he cannot do his dirty deed. And as Saul is lying there on the ground, Jesus tells him that when you mistreat Christians, you mistreat the resurrected Lord of heaven and earth. We are the apple of his eye. Instead of binding Christians and carrying them to Jerusalem to drive out their faith in Jesus, Saul is bound by his blindness and is carried off to Damascus to drive out his unbelief in Jesus.

Then Jesus appears to Ananias in a vision. Ananias questions Jesus. “Why Saul? Don’t you know how much evil he has done to Christians in Jerusalem?” Saul was there when Stephen was stoned to death. Ananias wonders why he should go and embrace someone like Saul. Jesus tells Ananias that Saul will be a changed man. The good work that God had just begun in Saul will be brought to completion. Jesus tells Ananias, “Go, for he is an instrument of mine whom I have chosen to bring my name before the Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel.” “Go, Ananias, for I will make an enemy of the Gospel into a proponent of the Gospel. I will make a doubter of my power and authority into a believer and preacher of my power and authority.”

"Ananias restoring the sight of Saint Paul"
Pietro de Cortana (1631)

So, doubting Ananias steps out in faith. He goes to Saul and his first words are words of acceptance and faith in the resurrected Jesus who transforms lives—the one who chooses us to be his instruments. He addresses him as “Brother Saul.” Ananias shares the same love, grace, and peace to Saul that God shares with us.  God chooses Saul’s mouth to be his instrument to preach the Gospel. God chooses Ananias’ hands to be the instruments that heal Saul of his blindness. Both Saul and Ananias have to overcome their own doubts.

God challenges our unbelief with this story itself about people who are willing to suffer, be arrested, and risk their own lives for their faith. They trusted in Jesus who died for the forgiveness of their sins and rose again to bring eternal life. God challenges our unbelief that some people are too far gone to be redeemed. He wants us to pray and be hopeful for even our greatest enemies—to believe that God can transform those who even breathe threats and murder—what Saul will later call himself “the least worthy of all the apostles,” “untimely born,” and “the chief of sinners.” And so God chooses all of us to be the instruments of his peace, love and forgiveness. He uses our hands, feet, mouths, ears, and eyes and our whole being to be the instruments of what he is doing in the world. Jesus chooses the weak, the doubters, and the sinful. This is the work of the Gospel

This story is the story of how the persecutor Saul became the Apostle Paul. His changed name is a constant reminder of a transformed human being. At the end of our text, it says that Saul confounded people and “proved that Jesus was the Christ.”  He became “the instrument to bring Jesus’ name” that he was called to be. He not only realized that Christians are not liars or delusional but he realized that Christ has indeed risen from the dead. And not only that, that he continues to raise the dead, overcome doubts with the truth, and free those in bondage to sin. Our church’s name is named after this violent Saul transformed into Saint Paul or the Apostle Paul. Our call is the same as his. We are called and chosen to be instruments of Christ to carry his name into the world. Jesus calls us to extend and share peace and good news with the world. And why does he choose us who are weak, doubting, and flawed? Perhaps we will never know. But we should be encouraged. We are Saul and Ananias.

This is not just a story of two people who were transformed by the Gospel. It is the story and picture of the purpose of the church—the purpose of our church. God has gathered us together and chosen us to share Christ’s peace, love, and forgiveness. What a privilege and joy to be in a church that understands her mission—and one who understands that God gathers a rich diversity of people from every nation, tribe, tongue and people—we are a community who shares Christ’s peace just as Ananias shared it with Saul and Saul with the whole world. This is what God does. This is how we participate in what God is doing. We are God’s chosen instruments. God transforms our toxic breathing of threats and murder to the fresh and clean air of the Gospel—breathing peace and hope into our lives and the lives of those of us who are least worthy and the chief of sinners.