Speaker: Senior Pastor Bill Hayden

Acts 9: 3-16 (NIV)
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?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.

6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7  The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see  anyone.

8  Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.

9  For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

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.”

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.

16  I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
 
Application:   
 Our view of ourselves and others is not what God sees. Only He sees the good and the bad.

 Acts 1: 1-8 (NIV)
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach
2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

  Application:
 The significance of our success doesn’t always equate to the will of God.  It’s only what we Commit to Christ.

Acts 7: 53-60, 8:1 (NIV)

53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,

58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

8:1 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day, a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Application:
The Lord doesn’t owe us an explanation for His decisions learn to trust in Him alone.

Ephesians 1:3-10 (NIV)

 3  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in  the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

4     For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

5     he predestined us for adoption to son ship through Jesus Christ, in accordance  with his pleasure and will—

6     to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

7     In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

8     that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,

9     he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

10   to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Application:
 
1.    Remember and Give the Lord praise every day for all that He has done for you.

 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 New International Version (NIV)

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Applications
1.  Honoring Him Begins In Your Heart Before It Is Seen
2.  Honoring Him Gives Reverence To His Authority
3.  Honoring Him Restores Broken Fellowship
4.  Honoring Him Gives Us a Deeper Sense Of Purpose

Romans 11:33-36 New King James Version (NKJV)
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
34 “For who has known the mind of the LORD?
Or who has become His counselor?”
35 “Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

1 Chronicles 16:29 New International Version (NIV)
29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

Applications
1. We bring Him glory when we are compliance with His Word.
2. We bring Him glory when we stand in faith.
3. We bring Him glory when serve one another.
4. We bring Him glory when represent him in loving, forgiving, and accepting others.

Joshua 1:9 NKJV

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid,

nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Applications:

1. Stop allowing your feelings to run ahead of God.
2. Trust in the only One who loves and understands.
3. When things don’t happen follow directions.
4. God put purpose in you that only He can bring to fruition as you trust Him.

Luke 2: 4-16 (NKJV)

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

Application
1.  The Darker Your Night, The Greater Will Be Your Light
2.  God Never Calls You to Do Something That He Doesn’t Qualify You to Achieve.
3.  When You Get To The End, God Steps In.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Applications:

1.     When The Unexpected Occurs Look To God.
2.     Our Plans Seldom Line Up With God’s Plan.
3.     When The Lord Speaks Listen And Obey.
4.     Your Sacrifice Will Never Go Unrewarded.

Luke 1: 26-38 NIV

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town
in Galilee,

27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Applications:

1.     God’s Favor is given from your devotion to Him.
2.     God’s Favor is given when you trust Him.
3.     God’s Favor will not exempt you from trouble.