Jesus Christ … my Lord

Theme: 'The God in believe in ...'
Text: Acts 9:1-19

Topic: ‘Jesus Christ … my Lord’

According to the Bible, when it comes to Jesus, to call him, ’Lord’, means much more than simply showing him politeness or respect.
What does it mean for you, to call Jesus, ’Lord’?

It is interesting to note the change in the thinking of those who followed Jesus, as their knowledge of Him developed:

At the outset, Jesus was given the title, ’Lord’, as a polite form of address, like ‘sir’. This would have been how a rabbi, like Jesus would be addressed. It clearly had a more personal emphasis when used by his disciples, calling him ‘my Lord’ or ‘our Lord’ (Greek mari, maran)
But it is clear from the New Testament, that it was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead that proclaimed that Jesus was the Lord of lords, the Lord of all.
See what Peter says in Acts 2:34-36. Jesus is seen as the Lord over every authority and power.

Do you have a belief in Jesus, not just as the Lord, but as your Lord of lords?
For all of us, I guess, it is a journey which takes us from knowing about Jesus, to knowing Him personally, and on to living under His authority and rule.
Where are you on that journey? Lets look at one person’s journey: Saul, who later became known as Paul

Most people would begin that journey in a position of indifference or neutrality towards Jesus. This was clearly not where Saul began:

(Read Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-2)
Why was Saul so hostile and threatened by Jesus, who had been crucified, and by the Church of Jesus? What do you think personally challenged him about the person of Jesus? (See Philippians 3:5-6; Galatians 1:13-14) Are any of you able to share any experiences of feeling threatened by the gospel of Jesus before you came to Christ? What was being challenged in your life?

(Read Acts 9:3-9)
What do you think Saul’s mental state was as he drew near to Damascus? Do you think he was happy, fulfilled, at peace, content, assured, certain? Do you think he felt strong and in control of his life?
Describe, in simple terms what happened next to challenge everything in his life. What effect would it have on Saul, that he alone in the group, heard the voice (the others just heard a sound), was laid flat on his back on the ground, and was blinded?
Describe the impact this sequence of events would have had upon his feeling of power and authority, his self-confidence, his convictions about Jesus?

Think about the conversation between Saul and Jesus: would the fact that Jesus addressed him by name be comforting or terrifying to him at that moment? When Saul is told it is Jesus who is speaking to him, whom Saul had supposed to be dead, how do you think that made him feel? Would the fact that Jesus identified Himself with the Church that Saul had been persecuting have surprised Saul? How do you think Saul felt when he was given the command by Jesus in v6, when he had been used, all his adult life, to being the one who gave commands and controlled his life?
Why do you think he did not eat or drink anything for three days?

According to Paul’s testimony in (Acts 26:16-18), this was the time in his life, when he not only came to believe in Jesus as his Saviour, (coming to Him as a humbled, helpless sinner), but also when he came to follow Jesus as the Lord of his life and future. What were the implications of that for Paul’s future plans, and what are the implications for our future plans if we would know Jesus as our Lord?

(Read Acts 9:10-19)
Saul was not the only man whom Jesus challenged about His Lordship over his life.
Describe what kind of disciple you think Ananias was as the Lord spoke to him. What do you think his initial reaction was to the command to go and heal Saul of his blindness? How was this command every bit as much a challenge about the lordship of Jesus in Ananias’s life, as were the words that we have seen addressed to Saul by Jesus?

Can you think of people or situations that you find hard to pray for or feel love towards? Do you think Jesus feels like that towards them? How surprised must Ananias have been by Jesus’ plans for Saul? How much do you think our sense of pride and our tendency to pre-judge people may stop us from praying for others and believing that the Lord can work in their lives and situations?

Picture the moment of encounter described in v17-19.
How do you think both men felt at this point?
What impact do you think the words of greeting which Ananias used would have had upon Saul?
In what ways would the use of the title, ’the Lord’, have been significant for both Saul and Ananias?
Baptism is a mark of entering and belonging to the Church of Jesus. Describe the emotions you think Ananias and Saul would have felt at this point.

‘The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t come to an end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work within us.’ (A.W.Tozer)

Could that be true of you or me?

Maranatha : Come our Lord