The Road Nearly Missed – Acts 9.10-19

In the days and times of ranchers along the US Border being worried about the invasion and drug war spilling into their lands, there is an account of one DEA agent and a rancher named Rance. This agent came onto his land stating that he was in search of a cartel leader who was seen fleeing onto his spread, and that he didn’t have time to obtain a warrant. Rance thought this over a bit and then decided to allow the agent to search, save a 10 acre plot just over the rise. He’d check that himself.

Being told that there was a place that he was not allowed to go did not sit well with the agent, being full of himself. He flashed his badge in his temper and stated that he could begin his search anywhere he wanted, and because Rance didn’t want the plot searched, that was precisely where he would begin his search. Now Rance did try to object, but the agent wouldn’t let Rance voice a word before storming off to the forbidden field.

It wasn’t too long as Rance was packing feed into the back of his ranger that he began hearing the screams of a man desperate. So Rance drove on over the rise to where the screams were coming from only to find the agent running straight towards him. And gaining on him was Rance’s Cracker bull. It would be interesting to see who got their prize first, the agent seeking the safety of the fence, or the horned bull seeking the agent.

Rance couldn’t help himself. He stood up on the ranger, cupping his mouth, hollered, “Show Ole Jack your badge! Tell him of your great authority!” Ever feel that way in your Christian walk?

Sometimes it becomes easy to mistake what looks to be a peaceful route. We find too late that the path we took is full of trials, struggles and pain. But these times for us is not near as plentiful as the times that we think that a path that is full of trials would really be a more peaceful path. Some might call them missed opportunities.

This morning, we are going to look at a road nearly missed by Ananias. His role in the Scripture is just here. He has a dialogue with God, then keeps and appointment and then that is the last we see of him. Yet he did his part. And he teaches us something about seeing roads we normally would not consider. Let’s read his story:

So here is the set up: Saul was coming to town to start a Christian train to destroy the Church. (Again, this is my speculation of his unspoken plan.) Ananias knows this, and he was probably taking a break from packing his “bug-out bag” in case he had to leave in a hurry. And then it happens. God shows up and talks to Ananias. What is the first lesson that we learn?

Look at the World from God’s view. No, I’m not talking about the horrid Bette Midler song, “From a Distance”, which says the world looks a lot better than we see it. It really looks a lot worse. God’s saw our sins. He saw our spite, our lusts, our lies, our greed. He saw us all filthy, but still He sent Jesus to be our redeemer, to shed his blood to make us clean, to restore us to His fellowship. This is better than the ultimate facebook friending.

Seeing the World from God’s view shifts us from seeing labels we put on others, or the so-called judgment calls. Instead of seeing the Satan-spawned enemy of the church, Ananias would see a man repentant of his evil. Instead of seeing the drug user, we see the man running from his pain. Instead of seeing angry old troll, we see the woman missing abandoned by her family. We see ways in which we can show God’s mercy and grace to those who need it most. Besides, Paul reminds us that we, ourselves, were no better before Christ. But mind you, seeing the world as God sees it will not keep us from missing the road.

Ananias would learn another lesson, that he wasn’t called to be the first person to share the Gospel with Saul. How many people, after Saul met Jesus on the road, came to Paul during those three days and shared the good news with him? We really do not know. Maybe just Jesus gave him the Gospel, and perhaps others came by. The point is, we do not know, cannot know. Not even Adee do. Only God knows. Just as you or I might be called to visit that angry old troll, we do not know the work that God has already done in her. She may be ready, may even be waiting for someone to friend her, to talk to her, to see past the wall she has up around her heart.

Now since I am on this point now, I’d like to take a side note: Here is this man meeting with his God. How would you feel if God spoke to you? Would you be in awe? Would you fear? Not Ananias! No, here he is arguing with the Creator of the Universe! He is more concerned with his physical safety more than the event of talking with his heavenly Father! Doesn’t it sink in; did it ever sink in that he was talking to the Lord, to the God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Hello!!

No. I changed my mind here. This isn’t a side note. This is the third lesson. The first is that see the world from God’s view. The second lesson, God knows. Lastly, do not be afraid.

Do not be afraid of someone God wants you to talk to. If we have changed the way we look those around us, seeing the world a place full of hurting people, then we can better do the mission that we have been called to do. Now let’s be real here as well. Not everyone we talk to will accept the message that we have. But if we never talk to anyone, then some may not hear the message they need. Be you the first person to share Jesus, or the Nth person, it matters not. What matters is that you do talk. Too often, people let the fear of talking to others stop them from talking to others. We assume people know what we stand for because we have little emblems on our vehicles, or church signs in our yards. We leave it at that, and figure if our neighbor was interested, then he can make that first move. But what is there to fear?

Do we fear how they will perceive us? Oh, you’re a Christian, and look what you did. You’re such a hypocrite!

I’ll be honest. I sometimes blow it big. Sometimes I blow it small. But too often, I blow it. I mess up. Last night, power went out for a few hours. Boys were in the parking lot with one of the neighbor kids. He brought along a bunch of flashlights. A few times, he kept hitting me in the eyes with the light. I became short with him. Hopefully, not too short. He did stay another half hour playing until I had to tell him to go home because I was taking the family to get something to eat. Power came on at 9.40 pm. Went out due to a lady having an accident up on Main Street.

Ok now that lesson on fear is done, let’s look at the second half of this lesson. Being a dad, I will tell you, I love when my kids light up as they see me enter the room. Right now, (Flower) becomes especially glowing when I enter the room, all smiles and giggles for me. I love that they love me like that. I love that when my older boys come to show me something they did, (Little Duder) quickly does something to show me that he did. They feel that I am quite approachable. They know that they can battle me in squeak wars and call me silly. They call me, Papa. So what does this have to do with fear?

Do we have as casual a relationship with our Heavenly Father as Jacob, who wrestled with God; as Jesus did, as did apparently Ananias? Here he was arguing over a simple task, go heal a blind man. Our Father is approachable. He wants us to light up when we think of His Love for us. He paid the price, brought us back from exile so that He can spend time with us.

Ok, so I made a mistake. There is a fourth, final lesson here: If God gives us an assignment, He will give us the power to carry it through. Was Ananias selected because he was known for being able to give blind people his sight? Not that history recorded. God gave him the power to heal Saul, specifically. For that matter, was Sampson someone who resembled Dr. Banner or the Hulk? I tend to think that he looked like Dr. Banner, ordinary strength of any man, not even a warrior’s, because the Scripture says that the power of God came upon him. Perhaps as he was performing the feats, he looked more like the Hulk.

Maybe this lesson is why we fear telling others about Jesus. We don’t realize that God gives us power, the same power, as he told the Church in Ephesians 1, the same power  that raised Christ from the dead. He will not give us more than what we can handle.

I suspect that if I continue looking, I might find a few more lessons. Perhaps you might look at this sometime later today and find another lesson I missed. Bring it tonight. But the greatest lesson is the 3^rd, fear not. For when we are right with the Lord, as apparently Ananias was, then we will not miss the roads that lead to saved souls. Don’t nearly miss it.