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A Recap from Sunday’s Sermon

Preaching Text: Acts 9:1-19

The word “disciple” in the New Testament literally means “learner, student or apprentice.” Fittingly, Jesus’ followers are called disciples. While we never graduate from being his students, we can be used in other people’s lives to help them grow as fellow disciples. This was the case with Ananias and the Apostle Paul’s conversion.

While on the way to persecute the church in Damascus, Paul is confronted by Jesus, who temporarily blinds him. Jesus instructs him to wait in the city for further instructions, which will involve a disciple named Ananias. Jesus asks Paul why he is persecuting him. The question teaches us that Jesus so identifies with his people that to hurt them is to hurt him.   To interact with them is to interact with him. If you want to grow in Christ and experience more of him, it can happen through intentional interaction with his body, the church. 

Christ is learned through other Christians.

When you have a spiritual experience, whether positive (like feeling God’s presence) or negative (like struggling with a temptation), your maximum learning will occur when you process this with another Christian.   In Acts 9, Paul processes his experience with Ananias and receives a warm welcome into the church, complete with baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit (v. 17-18). The Lord, whose presence is in his disciple, Ananias, encouraged Paul through their interaction.   Christ often speaks to his people through his people. God’s kingdom is found in a network of relationships among believers. In this fellowship, we are called to live and bring others. That’s what making disciples is all about.            

Taking it home: The Anglican baptismal vows ask, “will you seek and serve Christ in all persons…”. Pray for the Lord to direct you to another person in whom you could seek Christ. This may be to receive the Good News or to share it.