SUNDAY - JULY 13, 2025 "Are You Sure, Lord?" Acts 9:10-25

Welcome to DeSoto Hills Baptist Church.

Our Sunday morning services are weekly at 9 and 10 30 am.

You're listening to an audio recast of this past week's service.

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God bless.

If you have your Bibles this morning, we're going to continue in the book of Acts.

We're going to be in Acts, chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

As you saw this morning, the title of the sermon is Are you Sure, lord?

And I don't know if you've ever actually said those words, but you probably thought them at some point.

God, you sure about this?

You know, and Scripture is full of moments like that.

Scripture is full of moments just like that.

You know, abraham, you're going to have a kid.

God, I'm 99.

You sure about that?

Yep, this is how I'm going to do it, abraham, you're over 100 now, and the one child that you have, who is a child of promise, I want you to offer him as a sacrifice.

Lord, you sure about that?

Yep, just trust me.

Moses.

Hey look, I know you committed murder and you fled Egypt because of Pharaoh and you don't really want to go back, but I want you to go back and I want you to stand in front of Pharaoh and you don't really want to go back, but I want you to go back and I want you to stand in front of Pharaoh and I want you to tell him.

God said let my people go.

Are you sure about this?

Hey Moses, why did you bring us out here, god?

Why did you bring us out here?

There is a sea in front of us and Egypt is closing in.

You sure this is the way?

Hey Joshua, I want you to march around Jericho once a day for seven days, but on the seventh day I want you to do it seven times and then I'm going to give Jericho in your hand.

We're not pulling our swords, nope, just take trumpets.

Lord you sure about this?

Hey Jesus, I want you to go down to earth and I want you to be born of a virgin and placed in a manger, in a stable, and you're going to be the king of the world.

Lord you sure about this?

The Scripture is full of us and full of people saying Lord, are you sure about this?

You know, last week we looked at Saul and we looked at Saul's conversion, how Saul was an enemy of God and through God calling Saul and Saul responding in faith, we saw a man go from being an enemy of God, a persecutor of church, to being a devoted follower of God.

And today we're going to look at the life of Saul.

But we're going to look at another man named Ananias.

We don't know much about Ananias after chapter 9, but we know that we're going to see today that Ananias played a vital role in the conversion of Saul, and we're going to see him do this, and we're going to see God tell Ananias to minister to Saul, and then we're also going to see how Saul immediately faced severe persecution right after his conversion.

And you say, grant, okay, this is a specific story.

This is a specific story about particular people, about specific people.

How does this address us?

Well, here's how it does.

Because, listen, I don't know about you, but there are many times in my life where I don't understand how god's working, and then sometimes I don't even see god working, but I'm still called to trust god and obey him, just like we're going to see them trust God.

So we're going to look to answer that question what was Ananias' and Saul's reaction to God's working?

When they see or don't see God working, when they doubt how God is working, they still respond.

And how did they respond in this?

So this morning we're going to read Acts, chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

We're going to start reading in verse 10 and read down through verse 25.

So, if you're able this morning, I invite you to stand with us as we give honor to the reading of God's Word, chapter 9, verse 10.

Now there was a disciple at Nabascus named Ananias.

The Lord said to him in a vision, ananias, and he said here, I am Lord.

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.

But Ananias answered Lord, I've 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 priest to bind all who call upon your name.

But the Lord said to him go, for he is a chosen instrument of my, 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.

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.

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 was with the disciples at damascus and immediately he proclaimed jesus in the synagogue, saying he is the son of god.

And all who heard him were amazed and said is not this the man who made havoc in jerusalem of those who call upon his name, and has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?

But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that he, that Jesus, was the Christ.

When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul.

They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night, led him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.

Let's pray together, god.

We are so thankful for your word.

God, we are thankful that you have revealed yourself to us and, god, we pray that this morning, by your power, you will show yourself again to us and change our lives.

We love you and Jesus.

It's in your wonderful name that we pray.

Amen, you may be seated.

We love you in Jesus.

It's in your wonderful name that we pray.

Amen, you may be seated.

So again we ask the question what was Ananias' and what was Saul's reaction to God's work?

Well, let's begin with Ananias.

We see him right here in verse 4 or verse 10.

We see him for the first time.

And here's Ananias' first response to God's work he questioned God.

He was a disciple that questioned God.

We see it right there in verse 10.

It says now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias.

He was a disciple.

He was a follower of God.

He was someone, not just a follower of God, he was a follower of Jesus.

He had heard Jesus.

He was a follower of God.

He was someone, not just a follower of God, he was a follower of Jesus.

He had heard Jesus.

He was a follower of Jesus.

That's the basis of what disciple means.

Remember, when we talk about the apostles, that's the 12.

We're talking about disciples here, followers of Jesus.

If you don't know it, if you're a believer, you are a disciple of Jesus.

Ananias was a follower of Christ.

He was a disciple of Jesus.

Ananias was a follower of Christ.

He was a disciple of Jesus and God came to him and gave him some very clear instructions.

Now I love how he responds.

God came to Ananias in a vision and said Ananias, and his first response was here, I am Lord.

Reminds me of somebody else.

You remember Samuel, way back in the book of Samuel, when God came and called him and Eli the priest told him to say hey, respond, here, I am Lord.

That's how Ananias begins, and it was a good beginning.

But then God gives him very clear instructions.

Listen, I'm going to be honest with you.

There are times in my life that I wish God would speak to me this clearly.

There are times in my life that I wish God would speak as clearly as he did to Ananias here.

But he tells him exactly what to do.

He tells him in verse 11, 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 a vision of a man named Ananias.

Come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.

Ananias doesn't have to wonder what he's supposed to do.

Go exactly to this house of this man on this street.

You're going to find this man and he's going to be praying when you get there and you're going to lay your hands on him and pray for him.

Very clear.

But Ananias, he wonders, he questions.

Listen, and before we give him too much of a hard time, listen.

I just said.

There are many times in my life where I wish God would just speak this clearly to me.

I said it to people this week, more than one person this week.

You know, I want to do exactly what God wants me to do.

I just wish he would come and he would speak so clearly and so directly to me that I would know and look, I would not hesitate, I'm there Wherever he wants me, I'm there.

That's where I want to be.

But listen, while I know there are specific things that you are praying about and I know there are specific situations in your life that you are praying about that you are looking for clarity and you're looking, many of you are just looking God, just tell me exactly what to do, and that's where I am, that's where I want to be, and we wonder why God won't do that.

But listen, I need you to hear me.

This morning, god has told us what he wants us to do.

I know I've said this often as we've been going through Acts, but it's crucial.

It's crucial that we understand this.

In Acts, chapter 1, verse 8, jesus is leaving his disciples.

Acts 1:8

He's going to ascend to heaven for the final time, and here's what he tells them you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

Listen, sometimes I wonder, as we are wondering for clarity for this specific purpose, if maybe what we should do until we get that clarity is just do what he's already told us to do.

And what he has already very clearly, very plainly, very distinctly told us to do is be witnesses in Jerusalem, judea, samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Church.

Hear me, let's be those witnesses.

Let's do those things we see in IS.

He was a disciple with clear instructions, but he was a disciple with obvious questions.

Listen, and I don't blame him, I don't blame his questions.

Here he comes and God says look, this is what I want you to do.

And listen to his response in verse 3.

He says Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.

And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.

Listen, he knew why Saul was in Damascus.

Saul was in Damascus to arrest people, just like him.

He knew why Saul was there.

But listen, there's a phrase here.

There's actually two that I want us to see in his question.

First one is this it's at the beginning of 13.

And if you're not careful, we'll read right over it.

But here's what he says in verse 13.

But Ananias, but Ananias, but Ananias.

See, what Ananias is doing is focusing on Ananias.

He's focusing on where he is.

And again, before we give Ananias too much of a hard time, listen, we go there often.

God, I know you want me to do this, but I just can't.

God, I know I'm supposed to be serving, but I, god, I know I'm supposed to be doing this, but I, I call it the but I syndrome, and if we're not careful, we get there really quickly.

God, but I.

But I have this issue, but God, I have this problem, but I have done all of these things in my past, but I just don't know how.

But I'm not wired that way.

But I Ananias.

Here he begins his questions and his focus is but Ananias.

It reminds me of another place in Scripture where there's a but there.

Don't laugh at that.

Ephesians, chapter 2.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

Ephesians, chapter 2, the first three verses.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

What Paul is telling us about is how we are dead and we are hostile to God.

We are children of wrath.

Oh, but look at verse 4.

Ephesians, chapter 2 verse 4 says this but God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

Ephesians 2:4

But, god, you want to know the cure for the but I syndrome?

It's.

But God, let's stop focusing on but what I can't do and what I can accomplish.

But look and see.

But what God has done.

God has made me alive.

God has made Saul alive.

God has made Ananias alive.

God has given Saul everything that he needed to be alive.

God has given Ananias everything that he needed to be alive.

And go and minister to Saul.

But God, see, when we get down and listen, we will.

You live there.

I've lived there, we've seen that.

But, god, I've heard that this and this.

But I've heard that this and this, but I've heard, is another reason.

That's a huge reason for excuses that we make all the time.

But I've heard, but God, I but I've heard this and but God, I've heard that, listen, we've got to stop focusing on what we've heard and what we think and know God, and know that he has made us able and he will make us able and he will do what we need to do.

Ananias was a disciple with a clear instructions.

He was a disciple with obvious questions.

He questioned God's work.

Not only does he question God's work, but he questions God's instrument.

There is not a world.

Ananias cannot imagine a world.

He can't imagine a world where God could use Saul, saul, the guy who was persecuting the church, the guy who was arresting believers, the guy who was, who was taking, who had, who agreed with Stephen, Stoning Saul.

And I just can't imagine a world where God is going to use Saul.

But look with me with verse 15.

We read it last week, looking at Saul's conversion.

But look at it again and let me remind you what God said.

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, saul was a chosen instrument by God and instead of questioning God you can use so-and-so or you can't use so-and-so, or how could you use so-and-so and how could you do this?

Instead of questioning that, we need to look and we need to see God moving and we need to not doubt His instruments, but just go with it, because Scripture, just like we talked about Scripture, is full of moments of, are you sure, lord?

Scripture is full of people and God using people that we never would have imagined.

He questioned his instrument and while Ananias had a question for a specific person Saul, my question here I have a question here.

My question is verse 16.

Why would he say this?

God says to Ananias in verse 16, I will show him.

He says I will show Saul how much he must suffer for my name's sake.

Now listen, saul is recently converted I mean within days and God says Ananias, I want you to go to Saul and I want you to lay your hands on him so that he may regain his sight.

He's seen it happening.

I want you to do this.

Ananias says God are you sure?

Yes, just go, he is my chosen instrument.

And then God says I'm going to show him how much he must suffer.

Really, I thought we're trying to get people to sign up.

We want people to sign on that dotted line saying, yeah, I'll follow, take care of all my needs and wants.

And while I believe god takes care of all of our needs, there are times of suffering and there are times of struggle and there are times that we're going to go through that we don't understand and that are hard, but those are times that God uses to draw us close to Him.

Those are times that God uses to build our character, to teach us dependence upon Him.

Saul is going to learn that, ananias is going to learn that.

We need to learn that and we need to trust Him.

Now we come to one of the best parts of this story.

While Ananias questioned God's work, and while Ananias questioned God's instrument, you know what he did he obeyed.

While he had questions, he still obeyed God.

Look at verse 17.

So Ananias departed and entered the house.

He went Listen, and I'm not telling you it's bad to have questions.

We are people and we're going to have them.

We're going to have questions.

The problem is not the questions.

The problem is are we still going to obey or not?

What Ananias does is he still obeys, even with the questions.

God hadn't really answered his questions, but he got up and he went.

We have got to trust God so much that we obey.

What I love also in the story is he doesn't just obey begrudgingly.

You know what I'm talking about.

If you haven't done it, you've seen people do it.

I've seen people do it.

I'm not going to name their names because they will get embarrassed.

I've seen people do it.

I need you to do this.

Oh, I just did it.

Can't somebody else do it?

Okay, not what he does.

He gets up and he goes and listen to what he says.

He comes to Saul and he lays his hand on him and listen to what he says.

He comes to Saul and he lays his hand on him and listen to what he calls him Brother Saul.

Now, that's big Listen.

Listen, brother is not the name like we use here and just call hey, brother, so and so how you doing?

It's not common there.

This is a title that Ananias has given Saul, because Ananias is trusting God.

Ananias believes that God knows what he's doing.

Ananias believes what God has told him to do.

So he goes to Saul and it doesn't matter about Saul's past because God has saved him.

It doesn't matter about Ananias' past, because God has saved him and because God has saved both of them, they can come together and he can say you are my brother, brother Saul.

He obeys, not begrudgingly, but he goes and says, brother Saul, and then here's what he happens.

He is allowed to see God work.

's what happens.

He is allowed to see God work.

See what happens, 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.

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.

He saw God work.

He saw Saul regain his sight.

He saw Saul, this persecutor of the church, follow God and pledge his loyalty to the one he was persecuting through baptism.

He saw God work.

Listen now we don't need to misunderstand this.

Sometimes we obey God and we don't get to see the fruit like he does.

Paul tells us that In 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians, chapter 3,.

1 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

Paul writes this in verses 6 through 9.

He says I planted, apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

We are God's fellow workers.

You are God's field, god's building.

Here's what Paul is saying to the Corinthians.

Listen sometimes I come in and I plant a seed and I leave, and then, after I leave, apollos comes and he teaches you and it waters the plant and Apollos leaves, and then God comes in and guess what?

That person gets saved and they bear fruit and Paul doesn't get to see it and Apollos doesn't get to see it.

But it doesn't bother Paul, because the glory isn't his or Apollos, it is God's.

And what Paul is called to do, what Apollos is called to do, is trust and obey.

Listen, sometimes we do get to see fruit and it is amazing.

But sometimes the call is not for us to get to see the fruit, the call is for us to trust God, and Ananias is doing that.

But let's swift gears real quick.

Let's swift gears and see Saul real quickly.

This morning, saul, he hangs out in Damascus for a few days and then it goes and in verse 20 it says immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogue, saying he is the Son of God.

Saul immediately goes to the synagogue, to those people who say Saul has come to arrest people, he's on our side, and he immediately goes and he says hold on, wait, not anymore.

Jesus is the son of God.

And it tells us that it confounded the Jews.

They were confounded by what Saul was saying.

But instead of hearing and listening and going, you know what.

He was on our side and he was adamantly on our side.

He was on our side so much he would do things that I wouldn't do.

And instead of seeing a change in his life and saying maybe I need to hear this, their hearts had been so hardened against Christ that, instead of responding with trust, they plotted.

They plotted to have him murdered.

Their hearts were so hardened.

But you know what Saul does he obeys.

And we don't see it here.

What we see happening here is Saul learns of their plan and some of his disciples take him and lower him out a window because they're watching the gates, and he escapes and gets out.

But do you know how I know Saul obeys?

Read the rest of Acts.

He becomes Paul and he gives everything for the sake of Christ and counts anything else rubbish.

Listen, I don't know where you are today.

I don't know if you've ever trusted Christ as your Savior.

I don't know if anybody could say of you you are a disciple.

But I need you to hear this this morning God came and saved Saul and had an intended purpose for Saul from the beginning.

Jesus came and he lived a perfect life and he died on the cross and he arose to offer Saul life, so Saul could do what Saul was called to do.

And Jesus has done the same for you.

God created you with a purpose in mind.

Listen, and His will is going to be accomplished.

But he sure wants you to be a part, but if you are not a follower of Him, you can't.

Jesus has come and he has lived and he died and he arose to offer you life as well, a life that was meant to be lived, a life with purpose, and it is offered to you today.

If you've never trusted Christ as your savior today, let today be the day of salvation.

Or if you have, listen, but you're having trouble trusting and obeying, listen this morning, in just a moment, we're going to have a hymn of invitation.

I invite you to come and kneel at this altar and cry out and repent from your lack of faith and trust and obey.

Maybe this morning you're looking for a church home.

The church is such a blessing because God has given us each other to help us.

He's given us each other for those moments when we just say, god, I don't understand to have another believer come alongside and say, grant, it's going to be okay.

Listen, it happened to me this week.

This week, I had to do something that I really just didn't want to do, and it was hard.

I struggled doing it and I told a brother about it.

I said listen, this is not something I ever want to do again.

And he said I know I've been praying for you.

And he sent me a verse of scripture that listened, said thank you, it's what I needed.

That's why we have the church, not because we're perfect and not to be perfect, but to help each other grow in our relationship with Christ.

This morning, if you're looking for a place to help you grow in your relationship with Christ, we invite you to come to DeSoto Hills.

We would love to walk that path with you.

So I'm going to pray for us.

As I'm praying, they're going to come and then we're going to sing a hymn of invitation.

If God's leading you to make a decision today, we invite you, during that song, to come forward.

Let's pray God, we love you.

During that song, to come forward.

Let's pray God, we love you.

Thank you for who you are and for what you've done in our lives.

God, you are so good to us.

Jesus, you came and you offered your life as a sacrifice, and you arose and offer that life to me, god, and I pray for those who don't know you this morning that you will give them the faith that they need to trust you, god.

But for those of us who have trusted you with our life, but trusted you for our salvation, but right now are finding it hard to trust you with everything else, god, give us the faith that we need to not just trust but to obey God, and when we don't know what to do, help us just do what you've already told us to do.

God, we love you, jesus.

It's in your wonderful name that we pray, amen.