About

Lord, I Want to be Like Ananias Dane Rada 2/2/2020 When I was a kid ***tell the story of always wanting to be the Thing when playing Superheroes*** I think we all, regardless of our age, still have someone we look up to, Or hold as an inspiration. Maybe even someone we ascribe to be like. I have heard, countless times, Christians say which disciple they want to be like, Or whose faith they would like to mirror. And the disciples are indeed rocks of our faith, That we should look to be like. I mean, they spent time with Jesus, learning at His feet; They preached the Gospel of Christ in power and walked in the power of the Holy Spirit. Page 1 of 11 Lord, I Want to be Like Ananias Dane Rada 2/2/2020 And I so terribly want to do that. I, with all my heart, want to walk through this life like that... Sitting at the feet of Christ, listening, learning. And walking in the power of the Holy Spirit at all times. You know? Walking around like someone that has the Spirit of God in them. There are other giants of the faith in the Bible that people look at and think, man...I would love to be that person. Like Daniel. Daniel worshipped God, and stayed strong in His belief in God, And God saved him from the lion’s den. Page 2 of 11 Lord, I Want to be Like Ananias Dane Rada 2/2/2020 Or how about Meshach, Shadrach, and Abnedigo? They had such a faith that Christ saved them from the furnace. There are so many. There are so many faithful believers and followers of Christ. There are so many we haven’t heard of; There are so many who may only be mentioned once or twice in Scripture. But if I could say there is a person in Scripture whose faith I would like to mirror, (And I do not say this lightly, because I am not one for trying to be someone else...) It would be Ananias. We read about Ananias this morning in Acts 9. Page 3 of 11 Lord, I Want to be Like Ananias Dane Rada 2/2/2020 Listen to that passage again ***READ ACTS 9:10-19*** So what is happening here? This is just after Christ blinds Saul on the road to Damascus. Saul is a Pharisee - a very well educated Jew in the Law. Saul has been going around persecuting and killing those who follow Christ. And Christ stops him on the road one day and actually confronts Saul about this. Saul, why are you persecuting me, etc. etc. And Christ blinds Saul. Now let’s pause here for a minute. When we think of Christ operating in our lives, blinding us is never an option. Page 4 of 11 Lord, I Want to be Like Ananias Dane Rada 2/2/2020 Is it? We always think the Christ is going to do all the good things for me, And we never think Christ may actually give me a hinderance...a thorn in my side... To get my attention; to cause me to listen to Him. But look what Christ did here! Christ took Saul’s sight so Saul would stop and listen to Him. In fact, in the passage we just read, Christ tells Ananias that Saul was praying to Christ even now. We get so caught up in having an easy, trouble free life, And we make that our goal. We are missing it. Page 5 of 11 Lord, I Want to be Like Ananias Dane Rada 2/2/2020 That is not the goal. That is not the end game. A trouble free life is nice and comfortable, but it isn’t necessarily what Christ has planned for me. Amen? Jesus suffered and bled and died for me, and tells me in His Word that I will have trouble in this lif