1. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest ^2. and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ^3. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ^4. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

I love this here. Ananias wants to try to catch God up on some things.

Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for the gift of this scripture and the story of how you spoke to Saul, long ago. Father, help us today to realize you would speak to us, if we will simply allow you to do so. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

I love this story. The dramatic encounter of Jesus coming to Saul that day on the road when Saul was out to do the followers of the Way in. You know, look at the verses 1 through 4. God sometimes confronts people directly or dramatically. Isn't it amazing how that happens? Now why in the world would God confront this one who was working against Him to lead a movement for Him? Its because God deals in potentials. You see God did not just see him that day the way he was, but God saw him for what he could become. I mean who else to organize a worldwide movement for God other than the one that was organizing a movement against God. God sees our potential and deals with us in our potential.

You know I love this time of year in my job, because we're working with the college orientation as the Freshmen that will be here in a few weeks come. We get to have a Coke booth and we are involved with them. I love to watch them walk by and talk to them and think about what this one may be one day and to look at that one and think that gal or that guy may be our BSU president in four years. You know, that student may be in Israel next summer and go on down the line and to think about potentials. God in His people deals in potential. Some of you remember Keven Inmann who came here as a Freshman, bright eyed. He sat in my office, he'd been here about a month. Keven is BSU Director at Ouachita now. Keven came in after he had been here about a month as a Freshman and I began to talk to him. I said, "Keven what do you want to do with your life while you're here?"

And he said, "You know, I want to be like Janea." And he talked about one of our senior students who was such a sharp mature Christian students. And I saw that he had the potential and he was open to God work in his life. Four years later I sat in the same office talking to another freshman. I asked him what he wanted to be like and do in his life. And he said, "I want to be like Keven." You see God deals in peoples potentials and he sees in us things that we don't even see in ourselves. And one of the things that I think has made this a great church, and I really believe that this is a great church. This church has invested in the potentials of others.

I got a wonderful letter this week from Jason McCall and many of you would remember Jason as he was growing up in this church. When Jason was growing up and in high school, the main thing he had on his mind and that was to be number one pole vaulter in Arkansas. And he became that. During his senior year, the Youth Minister at that time decided they were going to have share groups for the junior high students lead by the senior high students. So he asked different seniors to lead the groups. He asked one of the senior girls to lead one of the groups. He said, "Now I want you to get another senior partner. Now think about it and get someone to help." She said she wanted to ask Jason. They said that Jason was not that involved, he didn't come. But she said that she wanted to ask Jason. Jason said yes, and never missed a time. He went on to college, got called into the ministry and went on to graduate from the Seminary and today is doing a ministry on a campus in Texas. God sees and deals in potentials. And when we do and be what wants us to be, we deal in potentials too. And if God that day and could look at Saul and see that Saul could become the great missionary Paul, that wrote more books in the New Testament than any anybody else. Think what he sees in other peoples lives and what he could see and do in your life, for God deals in potentials.

And I really believe that God speaks to us often in unexpected ways. And it doesn't sound like the voice of God when we first hear it. One of our guys shared with me that he came here to ASU to play Division I sports, It had been the goal of his life, like so many junior high and senior high kids. He had worked his whole time to play college athletics on a Division I level. His Freshman year he was red shirted, but he was a part of the team and all that was going well. He went home for the summer, lifted weights, he ran and did all the things you do to get ready. He came back at the beginning of his sophomore year and his coach called him in and said, "I've got bad news for you. There's really not going to be a place for you on the team. We recruited some Junior College players, that we didn't expect to get, some people have come along. The reason I'm talking to you now is, I can help you transfer to another school where you can play and you can realize your dream there."

He said he walked out of that office, broken hearted. Everything he'd worked for had come to an end he thought. And he said that that within the next day or two, he remembered that just a few weeks before he had said, "God, I know that I need to involved in some more Christian stuff, and I know that I don't have time to do it, help me to find the time and a way that I can do somethings on this campus that I feel like You are leading me to do."

That day when the coach said that to him, he didn't say, "Oh, thank you God, I know that this is a message from you." But over time he realized God had spoken to him that day in a very direct and confrontational way.

I was visiting with some students a few weeks ago, and one of our guys who has been involved in all kinds of mission trips this summer. He has gone with different churches and different ones, just been involved in a whole variety of mission experiences. And I said, "What's lead you to do this?" Because he's worked his work schedule around and everything like that. He said, "You know, I applied for the Jamaica team." Every three years we take about 30 to 40 people to Jamaica and do all kinds of ministry things down there. And we have so many students apply that we can't take them all. So we have to do applications. He said, "So I got turned down, I didn't get picked. And I was angry, I was angry at you. But I decided that there might be some reason that I didn't get picked, so maybe what I need to do is to start to get my life what it ought to be." So that day he got the letter that he was not picked for the Jamaica team, he didn't feel like it was a letter from God. But God used it and spoke to him about where he ought to be. You see God speaks to us in all kinds of ways and through all kinds of people.

Oh, I'm not saying that anytime you get bad news, that's a word from God, but I do say that God uses voices that sometimes would surprise us to help us realize that God is speaking to us and calling us to our potential.

Now let me ask you a question, Do you think that God sometime speaks and we don't answer? Does God sometime speak and we don't hear? Look at, if you would, verses 5 and 6. It fascinating to me, God doesn't tell us everything at one time. Had you noticed that? He'd struck Saul down. Saul was listening. I think God could have said anything he wanted to then. But he didn't tell him everything at one time. Why is that? Well, quite simply, sometimes, we aren't ready to receive it all. Sometimes we are not at the point that we can handle everything that God's got for us. You know people say all the time, I don't know where I'm going next, I don't know what's next. And I really believe God speaks to us in a time when we are ready to handle it. We want to jump from A to Z immediately.

You know one of the fun things in my work is I get to be involved with a lot of students as they get engaged, as they are figuring out their life together. They come in and I get to do premarital counseling with some of them, and I get to stand about right here, and perform the wedding ceremony for many of them. As much as I love meeting with them before they get married, I really like talking to them after them have been married a while. One of the girls came in, they'd been married about a month. And I said, "How is it going?" She was talking about it and said, "I want to tell you something," she started shaking her finger at me, "I want to tell you something you need to tell people before they get married." And she told me. And I said well, I told you that. She said, "I know that, but you've got to really tell them."

Its kinda like the guy that came in after they'd been married about a month. I said, "Tell me what you've learned." He said, "Guys and girls are different." You see, the deal is, she was ready to hear. God knows when we are ready to hear. And that's at the point God speaks to us. And that's why God doesn't tell us everything at one time. God didn't tell Saul everything. Saul wasn't ready to receive it at that point.

You know, I first felt the call to the ministry when I was in high school. I thought I was going to be a coach. At that time I had grown up in a small church. All I knew was that God called preachers, missionaries, and maybe two or three song directors. I knew that I wasn't supposed to be a music director. But I didn't have a clue. See, at that point I couldn't say that God was calling me to be a BSU Director, to work with college students. I'd never seen anything like that. I wasn't ready to respond to that. God speaks to us as we are ready to respond and to hear. Now you notice Saul was more than ready in three days. One of the things I want to say to you is that if you haven't been hearing from God what you think you need to hear, are you doing what you need to do to get ready to hear from God? God speaks to us at the time that's right and that we are ready to hear.

Now I love it in verse 7. Look at verse 7. It says, "The men with Saul heard the sound." It doesn't say they heard the words, it says they heard the sound. Now, several things I want to raise for you. Did they accept Jesus, too, that day? The scripture doesn't say that they did. Now part of what I think that means is that God speaks differently to different people. God was speaking to Saul that day. Oh, I think God, at some point spoke to them and called them. But God speaks to everyone in some way, but that day, He was speaking to Saul.

Do you think they heard the words or just the sounds? I was really fascinated by that when I realized it says, "they heard the sound." William Barkley, the great New Testament scholar says, and he is the only one I find that says this and it is only supposition on his part, but very interesting. Barkley says, "Saul had been wrestling with God, since the stoning of Stephen." You are aware there of the story that Stephen was stoned because of his service for the Lord and supposedly Saul was one of the instigators of that and perhaps even held the cloaks of those that were stoning Stephen. Barkley, the great New Testament scholar, supposes that that day Saul began to hear God speak to him. And Barkley goes on and supposes that as the result of that, that's the very reason that Saul decided to launch this mission to get out there and destroy the Christian church. That his response to his doubt and fear, suddenly, about what he had given his life to was to redouble his efforts against it. Now I say that for two or three reasons. One of the things is, that we need to realize that those folks who speak most loudly against the faith, may be trying to reassure themselves. And they may be at the point that they are ready to hear and it may be that God has already begun to speak to their lives. You see, Saul was ready to hear the words that day. Those men had not been having the same experience that Saul had had. God had not brought them to that point yet.

You know, I see that sometimes happen in our programs. We sit very, very close to each other these days, obviously. And sometimes I'll see in one of our worship program, a student sitting here, and God is obviously dealing with that student. And right beside him, is another student, just an inch or two away, who is laughing, cutting up, that doesn't even know anything serious is going on. How can that be? Sometimes God is calling one persons name that day. God was speaking to Saul that day.

You remember when Moses turned aside to see the burning bush, and God called to him out of the burning bush? And called his name, "Moses!" He didn't say, "Hey, you!" He didn't say, "Dear Occupant." He didn't say, "To Whom It May Concern." But, he said, "Moses!" And just like God spoke specifically to Moses that day, that day he spoke to Saul and called his name. Other people were not involved in that transaction. It was a transaction between God and Saul.

Look at verses 8 and 9. Saul was blind for three days, and they led him into the city. Have you ever thought about what that meant to him or all of us, the fear of losing our sight? But here was Saul, he was one of the powerful men of his day. Even after Saul became a believer, when you read in there--I mean, Saul was full of himself. He believed in himself, he believed he was in total control of his destiny. And that day Saul as these servants picked him up and led him by his hand, because he could not see, Saul lost his, I can do it myself attitude. One of the most self-sufficient men you'll ever see, realized that his life was not in his control. I wonder if you have come to that point in your life today? Oh, sometime, its the death of a parent. Sometime its when the last child leaves home. All kinds of different things, when we realize I'm not in control of my life, and that we need God to be a part of our life, because we can't do it all.

Someone asked me recently, "Why do you think the ministry on campus, what you do, has grown so dramatically the last few years. If you had to say only one thing, what would you say?" Well I think there are different reasons, I honestly do and a combination of things. But I think if I had to say one thing, I'd say, a few years ago we began to do a specialized ministry just for freshmen. We tried to aim at the needs of freshmen and to do some things to particularly help them. Let me tell you why. I won't speak for others, but when I was a high school senior, I knew 98% of the world's knowledge. And I've dealt with a lot of other high school seniors. And the question is, do they know 98% or 100% of the world's knowledge? Sometimes I felt like we ought to put high school seniors in charge of the world. I mean we can take care of things. At the same time, sometimes that freshman year is so cataclysmic, and I'll see one and that in April couldn't care less and September will sit in Bible study and take most note and ask the best questions. Because they have had one of those confrontational kind of experiences where they realize, I'm not in control of my life and what I can do by myself is not enough. You see that day Saul realized in over a three day period, he realized that all that he was, was not enough. And he was a lot. And I wonder about you, if you have come to that point in your life yet, that you realize that all you are, and all that you have is not enough.

Oh, but then I love it in verses 10 through 16 where he talks about Ananias. Ananias kinda sneaks into the story here. We kinda forget that Ananias is there. But did you notice, You can almost see Ananias sorta saying, "Who me?" And looking around. "God, you gotta be calling somebody else." One of the things you have got to realize, God uses people that are not the powerful, the rich, the famous, And today in our society that is so become caught up in celebrity and all that, we think that if we are not somebody of note, that God can't use us. See there was a lesson here for Ananias that God could use him anyway He chooses. And there was a message here for Saul.

Isn't it interesting why Ananias was trying to catch God up on what is happening. "God, you don't realize that Saul is coming here to do us in." Isn't it interesting how we want to explain things to God? "Now, God, you don't understand this, so let me tell you." Well, that was what Ananias was doing. He said, "Now let me, God, show you here." But you know what he did? He got up and he went. Sometime we don't understand it all, but sometimes we know God is sending us, and we've got to get up and go. And you notice what he said when he got there--he put his hand on him and said, "Brother Saul." I don't know if he said that because he believed it or if he hoped that might spare his life with Saul. But he put his hand on Saul and said, "Brother Saul." Never forget that God puts people together for His good and their good. And God might be calling you to do something, and you say, "I can't do that in my own." But maybe He is going to bring your Ananias to you, or maybe you are someone else's Ananias.

But the question that struck me most of all as I read these verses is, what if Ananias had not gone. Had you thought about that? What if Ananias had not gone? You notice it says in the scripture that God says, "I have already told Saul in a vision that you are coming." Some will say that settles it. Ananias didn't have a choice, he had to go. I believe we've always got a choice, I believe we've always got a choice. God calls us and its up to us whether or not we respond or surrender to that or not. So what if Ananias had not gone, would God have gone back to Saul and said, "Saul, here's second vision, we've got to update things a little bit. Ananias can't make it. I'm sending somebody else." Or would Saul still been there waiting for Ananias who wasn't available to come? Did Ananias have a choice? Oh, yeah. Ananias had a choice, just as you have a choice what to do with your life.

You know, if we are honest, really, really honest, deep down in ourselves, we have to say that sometimes God's will is thwarted. Sometimes God's will is not done, because somebody didn't respond when their name was called. If we were all real honest, we would all have to say that there's been a time that God called our name, and I didn't respond. What if Ananias had not gone. But Ananias did go and Saul received the message.

Once again, three things happened that day on that road to Damascus. Saul realized that what he was doing was wrong. There may be some of you here today, that you have been confronted today, by God with the reality, that there are some things in your life that are wrong. And you have got to walk away from those. In a congregation of this size, I would say there are some of you here today who have never accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. And you would say, today is my Damascus Road and I realize I can't make it without God. And today is the time of making that experience and making that commitment. Or some of you might be like Barkley supposes that Saul was that day. You have been fighting and running because you knew God was calling and speaking to your life. Or some of you may be here, and God is calling you to a mission, and He's got your name written on something and you know He has already told somebody that you are coming. And you have got to decide if you are going to go or not.

Arlis Dickerson
July 25, 1999