Acts 9:32-43 CHRIST AS LORD As the movement of the believers in Christ rapidly grew there were people from all walks of life who found out following the Lord Jesus Christ involves new life. Paul, the persecutor became a trailblazer for God. He knew his calling and pressed ahead with confidence in God right from the time he said, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" His life for the Lord included three missionary journeys, pioneer labors that opened up new work and new assemblies were planted as a result of his efforts in Asia Minor and in Europe.
Ananias was a willing man who God could trust with a very important task. To go to the well-known persecutor and take the initiative over such a high-profile person who was in opposition to the spread of the Gospel, wasn't just an act of courage but was an act of faith. He was willing to do what God said and acted in spite of his fears. "Behold, I am here, Lord," are the words of a committed man. What a blessing came as a result of Ananias just obeying the Lord! No doubt he was a leader of the Lord's people living the in local area of Damascus. Later in the chapter we read again of Barnabas who was not only an encourager but was a man of discernment. He could sense truth in another person. He must have made it a point of communicating with Saul and learned how he "Had seen the Lord in the way." He too was a leader in the local area and had influence enough to introduce Saul to the assembly and they received him as a participant in the work there in Jerusalem.
The apostle Peter moved from being a fisherman and a follower of the Lord while He was on earth to being a builder of saints and assemblies. He knew the need of connecting with the saints of God and passed through all quarters to encourage and feed the sheep and the lambs as the Lord had instructed him. The work of an Itinerant teacher was important then as it is now. God's people had to be instructed as to the mind and will of God.
Another willing worker for the Lord in the sphere of service God called her to was Dorcas. She was a worker for the Lord and met the needs of the saints in spite of obscurity. She was full of good works and well known in the local area for her "Good works and alms deeds." Not everyone is willing to work behind the scenes and leave the public accolades to others. Often, we are satisfied with giving a small percentage of our time, talent and goods, and think we have done a wonderful thing that people should notice. Not many are “full” of anything. Usually we live way below our potential. I have heard it said to people, “You are full of nonsense” or other phrases that indicate some personality or character trait that is negative. There are others like Stephen, who were full of faith, full of the Holy Ghost and full of power. Some times it is indicated that there were those who had some godly Christ-like characteristics. The Lord Himself was here “full of grace and truth.” I think Dorcas stands alone as one “full of good works.” This epitomizes the intention God has for His people – “a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” If that were the case of all of us, the whole world would take notice of the Gospel rather than the people. Paul wrote Titus to tell the believers at Crete “to be ready to every good work.” Then they were to “maintain good works”; and again “to maintain good works for necessary uses.” Good works accompanying the work of the Gospel, has always been the intention of God. It is the wise man and woman that patterns their life after Dorcas who perhaps wasn’t fully appreciated until after she died.
We don't know too much about Simon the Tanner, but we do know he was a hospitable man. In the local assembly such people are needed to assist those who teach the word of preach the Gospel. They may not be well known or seriously thought of but their hospitality is not only remembered by those to whom it was shown, but by the Lord for whom this service was done.
Jesus is Lord whether we want Him to be or not [Col.1:16-18]. You control very little of your life – only the small but important part called “your will. Some of the reasons we do not want to acknowledge Him as Lord are that He may ask us to do something we do not want to do. Nobody likes the cross; nobody likes to deny himself and nobody likes to die. We like to think we know what is best for us. A child left to himself will probably hurt himself. Mature adults left to themselves, do hurt themselves. It is wisdom to acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord. We may not like what we are called to do and for a moment are not sure God has our best interest at heart. But if God wanted to make it hard on us, can you imagine what He could do? Those people then owned Him as Lord of their lives and did what they did as to the Lord and not to men.
What it means to acknowledge Him as Lord, Mat.6:19, is it means we understand the needs and frailties of people – ourselves included. It will also testify we want the Lord and His name honored – not ours. We can, with integrity, say it is God’s kingdom we are seeking to build – not our own Sunday School, church, missionary program. When we are actually involved in finding God’s will and doing it we will surrender all we are and have and hope to be to Him. We are willing to commit ourselves to Him without holding anything back and we are willing to confess our sin to Him, and forsake those things that are sin and lead to temptation. Submitting to the Lordship of Christ means we are willing to admit honestly, our need of God.
Jesus wants to be Lord so He can guide us to safely move ahead or to hold us back. Lordship involves real commitment. Peter was a successful fisherman who honestly wanted to submit to Christ and His Word obediently, humbly and joyfully. To live for Christ is our response to the One who "saved others, Himself He cannot save." Mk.15:31. "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it" Mk. 8:34. Why should a person to make such a strong commitment? Life is a vapor. Jas. 4:14. Time is so short. Eternal things are God, His Word, and eternal souls. Everything else is going to burn. 11 Pet.3:10. There are things we can properly do but not live for. Commitment to the Lordship of Christ is the only thing that counts when it comes to service for the
Lord. 1Cor.15:58. "Be steadfast..." This labor is not in vain. How do you make this commitment? Leave the others and step out alone. Lu.9:23, "If anyone would come after Me.." Be a true disciple. Ananias had a hard task but was willing to obey the Lord no matter the consequences. Christ was willing to die for this very reason. Not for a selfish purpose but that "...that He might be Lord" (truth established) Rom. 14:7-10. God has determined that Jesus is both Lord and Christ, Acts2:36. Saul of Tarsus had it right when he said, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" Acts 9:4-6.
“Father, help me to give credit where credit is due, both privately and publicly. Also, challenge me to apply myself to the whole wide-open area of good works, Amen.”