legacy 5 - endorse - ptr. vetty gutierrez - 4pm afternoon service

Endorse

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

Acts 9:10-19

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.

Acts 9:10-19

16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 9:10-19

18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.

Acts 9:10-19

FEAR NOT

THE VISION


Acts 9:10-19

Ananias literally gets a vision from God.

And the Lord said to him, ‘Rise up and go to the street

called Straight.’

God gives two visions, one to Ananias and one to Saul. And the

vision to Ananias is, “Do you see this guy named Saul? He’s over on

Straight Street. He’s praying, he’s blinded, he’s waiting for you to

come, and to lay hands on him, and pray over him that he might be

healed.”

Then God similarly gives a vision to Saul as he’s praying, “A guy

named Ananias is coming.” Pretty specific. “You’re actually going to know his name. And

he’s going to pray over you and you’re going to receive your

sight.” So, God gives a vision to both.

Now, in this, see that our God is a miraculous and a supernatural

God.Not everybody gets a vision.

These are rare. These are unusual. These are occasions

where God needs to give revelation.

God can do anything and some supernatural things he does, but

not all the time, and we can’t make him do those things. He’s free to do as he wants, when he wants, how he wants, where he

wants. He’s God. That’s his jurisdiction.

What they both received is a vision.

WHAT IS A

VISION?

TO DISTINGUISH IT FROM A DREAM

A dream is when you’re asleep and you see

something.

Vision is like a dream. The difference being you’re not

asleep, you’re awake. And these are the days before screens, and it’s kind of like—a vision is kind

of like seeing something on television or on a screen.

You’re seeing something happen, unfold before you. God is

revealing things to you visually. And you’re not asleep like a

dream, you’re awake and you’re seeing something.

WAS IT FROM THE LORD

OR NOT?

How do we know whether it’s a vision from the Lord

or not from the Lord?

1 “Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether or not they are from God.”

1 JOHN 4:1

HOW DO YOU

TESTTHE

SPIRITS?

Two very simple ways of testing the spirits.

CHECK IT BY THE WORD OF GOD

1

CHECK IT BY THE PEOPLE OF GOD

2

The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture, and the Holy Spirit indwells God’s people, and so if you want to know whether

or not it was the Holy Spirit, check with God’s word, check

with God’s people.

And since the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture, if what

you’re hearing or seeing contradicts what God is saying,

then you know it’s not true.

God doesn’t change his mind. God doesn’t contradict himself.

HOW WOULD

YOU RESPON

D?

THE VENTUR

E


Acts 9:10-19

Ananias is fearful. Are his fears grounded in reality? There are times that your fears and my fears, they’re not grounded in

reality.

Sometimes our fears are founded in reality; his are

founded in reality.

There are texts of the Bible that are prescriptive. They command

everyone everywhere. There are other texts that are descriptive. They

explain something specific for one person in that instance. It’s

describing a specific call to Ananias, and he’s afraid.

This is where God is a Father, and he’s patient, loving, gracious,

and kind to get his kids into the place that he needs us to be. He’s going to allow Ananias to articulate his concerns and to

work this through.

You need to know that God is like that, that God loves you with a

fatherly affection. And it doesn’t mean that defiance or rebellion is good, but it means if you don’t at first agree, that God the Father

wants to work it out with you and get you into the place of obedience.

CHRISTIAN

SUFFERING

But to be a Christian is to be sent, and what causes us not to go is that we’re fearful of what

could happen to us negatively as a result of proceeding forth to talk about Jesus, and so they both need to overcome their

fears.


Acts 9:10-19

We need you to know this about Christian suffering. It’s part of just Christian

living.

29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,

Philippians 1:29

It says if you’re going to believe in Jesus, you’re also

going to suffer for your believing in Jesus.

What he’s talking about here is a particular kind of suffering that comes because you love Jesus,

because you serve Jesus, because you speak of Jesus, you’re going to suffering like Jesus. When you’re suffering,

God is not punishing you.

Jesus was already punished on the cross in your place for your sins, so when you’re suffering don’t assume wrongly it’s like

karma. We believe in grace, not karma.

That’s not true. Jesus already suffered in your place, and it

would be unjust for you and Jesus to both suffer. Jesus already

suffered. That penalty and price was paid and you don’t need to

suffer as well.

But it does mean that though Jesus has suffered for you, if you

love him, and serve him, and speak about him, some people

will hate you because you belong to him and they ultimately hate

him.

And you’re going to suffer. You may lose a relationship. You may

take some hits to your reputation. You may be one who

is affected at work. You may even lose your job. And if you’ve been a Christian for a while, in some ways, you’ve already suffered.

This is nothing that we seek, but it’s something that we accept,

and that God will use even suffering to make us more like Jesus and to give us a greater

love and affection for Jesus because we have caused him to

suffer for us.

THE VISIT


Acts 9:10-19

18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.

Acts 9:10-19

Ananias overcomes his fears and obeys his God.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

TRANSFORMS

SINNERS

God is faithful, and he protects Ananias, and he saves and heals

Saul.

If you obey God, it’ll be amazing. It’ll all work out. I’ll be great”.

Saul gets healed, filled with the Holy Spirit, becomes a great

pastor, writes books of the Bible, does massive evangelism and church planting, lots of people

get saved. It works out great and Ananias has a great story to tell

his grandkids.

And Saul receives three things.

HE RECEIVES THE HOLY SPIRIT

1

HE RECEIVES HEALING2

HE RECEIVES HELP3

In receiving the Holy Spirit, it comes through the laying on of hands. So the Holy Spirit, He is

God. He lives in God’s people. He empowers us for life and

ministry.

So here, Ananias is filled with the Spirit, and he is laying hands and

praying over Saul, and Saul receives the Holy Spirit, and one of the things that happens to him

is he’s healed.

EVIDENCES

OF THE HOLY

SPIRIT

Some of you are going to speak in tongues, some of you are

going to get visions, some of you are going to get dreams, some of you are going to speak the word of God boldly, some of you are

going to deeply love God’s people with God’s love.

All right, there are lots of evidences. There are evidences

that someone has the Holy Spirit, not just an evidence, and if you don’t have that evidence then you don’t have the Holy Spirit.

Why does God call Ananias to go lay hands and pray over Saul? Is it because God needs Ananias to go lay hands and pray over Saul?

No, it’s because God wants to use this opportunity to teach

Ananias something about himself, and he wants him to be

there to love and encourage Saul, and he wanted Saul to hear this word from a fellow Christian,

“Brother.”

God doesn’t need to send Ananias, and he doesn’t need to

send Saul, but he sends them both because he wants them to

join him in his work. That’s ministry.

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.

James 5:14

What every new Christian needs is a Christian filled with the Holy Spirit to come alongside, and to be a friend, and to walk, and to pray, and to encourage, and to

give answers, and to come alongside.

Sometimes God is going to burden you to pursue somebody, to pray for them, to encourage

them, to feed them, to help them, to be there for them, and

that’s what it is.


Acts 9:10-19

Here’s where we’ll start: Brother.” Brother. “You’re part of

the family. If the Father has adopted you, you’re brother.” So

much love, and grace, and mercy, and compassion, and

forgiveness here.


Acts 9:10-19

And that is that the Holy Spirit transforms sinners

into sent saints.

And when we’re talking about “saint,” we’re talking about your

identity. When we’re talking about “sent,” we’re talking about

your activity or your ministry.

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

1 John1:8

We are all sinners. We sin in our thoughts, we sin with our words, we sin with our

deeds, we sin with our feelings, we sin with our

motives.

So, we’re all sinners by nature and choice, but is our primary identity as a

Christian sinner? You are a sinner. God is holy, you are

unholy.

THE CROSS

This is where it all comes down to Jesus and it all

comes down to the cross of Jesus.

What happens on the cross is something that the great Protestant reformer Martin

Luther calls, “The Great Exchange.”

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

So, here’s what happens on the cross: Jesus took your place, and

he put you in his place. Many Christians are more familiar with

the fact that Jesus took their place than the fact that Jesus

also put them in his place.

The result is that Jesus was condemned and died to pay the

penalty for your sin, and in putting you in his place, you are

seen as holy, righteous, blameless, pure, faultless,

accepted in the sight of God.

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

FORGIVEN

SINNER MADE SAINT

The difference in identity between a non-Christian and a

Christian is the difference between identity as sinner and

identity as forgiven sinner made saint.

Because you have a new identity as saint, you can have a new victory over sin in Christ. As a

sinner, God saw you as you were, but as a saint, God sees you as

you are in Christ.

FAITHWORKS CHRISTIAN CHURCH GLOBAL

Presented By:Pastor Vetty Gutierrez

FCC Main San Mateo, Rizal, PH 4PM Afternoon Worship Service,

January 24, 2016Website: http://faithworkschristianchurch.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Faithworks-Christian-Church-Global-292363410916567/

legacy 5 - endorse - ptr. vetty gutierrez - 4pm afternoon service

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