2nd Sept 2010

Acts 9:1-19 – Saul’s Conversion

• “Where Vision comes from really"
• So this morning I am again reminded of one of the key things I teach:
• Vision comes from a conversation of awkward questions.
• This passage alone does not teach that but blended with so many other stories from the Bible; it helps to give another facet of that principle.
• Saul asks the High Priest if he can go and take prisoner the followers of Jesus outside of those in Jerusalem.
• On the way, He receives not his vision, but a lack of vision.
• His blindness is used to get his attention. He gets a vision of God before He gets a vision of what to do for God.
• After he is made blind, God asks him some awkward questions.
• He asks God one or two back [also see other retellings later in Acts]
• At the same time; Ananias is in Damascus and also receives a ‘vision’. I’m not sure what that looked like but again he argued a little with God – or at least protested.
• In both cases I am sure that we are just reading the ‘minutes’ of their discussions.
• Here is the process that we usually receive vision from God;
1. Something gets our attention [sometimes it is a complaint we have]. Or similarly, we have some kind of encounter with God.
2. We ask God an awkward question.
3. He asks us an awkward in return.
4. As the conversation of awkward questions progresses over time His vision for our lives becomes clearer in our minds.
5. The minute we stop asking the awkward questions or the minute we stop allowing God to ask us His… the conversation stops.
6. When the conversation stops, our vision runs out or stalls.
• I need to keep that conversation going.
1. When was the last time the Holy Spirit asked me an awkward question?
2. Did I pursue it?
3. Did I ask any back?
• We need to be encouraged that God has no problem being asked. It seems he desires it. It’s part of our relationship. It allows Him to reveal His purposes for us.
• I’ll pray today for more awkward questions to ask God.
• Because I love Him.