07/07/24 // Create In Me A New Heart - Saul And Ananias // Dave Watmore

Create in me a new heart
Acts 9:1-18
Saul thought he was doing the work of God. He was sure that the law had to be defended from this blasphemous group.
Saul’s theology was that God would send a strong man to free them all from the occupation. To see Jesus die in weakness proved to Saul that this was a group of fools blaspheming his faith.
Saul thought that the law had to be defended and upheld. That was his god. He was in effect talking to a dummy not to a living God.
Legalism led him to conspire to the murder of Stephen in a similar way to David engineering the death of Uriah the Hittite in 2 Samuel. Saul has the same callous, hard heart. He has no remorse for Stephen's death but instead persecutes his fellow Jews who are preaching the love and grace of God and Jesus.
Saul comes up against the Truth, the Living God, and falls from his horse. The voice from Heaven says “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
The Father had chosen Saul. He had been selected by the Father to serve him and he could not escape the grace of God. First he must repent and be saved.
Saul thought he was doing good, upholding God but he did not know the love of the Father.
The grace of God is demonstrated immediately.
Saul had not done anything to merit the next act of kindness of his heavenly Father.
Saul is plunged into darkness because of his blindness, giving him time to think on the things he had been planning for the young church. Now he was weak. He’d lost all his human power and authority, helped by his companions who take him to a safe house.
A man who, hours before Saul wanted to arrest, comes and calls him brother. Lays hands on him in humanity and love. As he receives the prophetic word of God he is filled with the Holy Spirit. At that moment the scales fall from his eyes and he can see the Kingdom of God. He was blind but can now see.
Ananias is typical of us all. When the Holy Spirit speaks to him, he says “are you sure Lord?” Ananias’s experience and image of God is very different to Saul’s. His God is a god of Grace who will only do what is best for people. Ananias is the servant of God. Saul was using the “word of God” to create his righteousness by works.
Ananias calls Saul “brother”. Saul is now a child of God.
Romans 8:12-18
Saul could have put up an argument on the Damascus Road.
He didn’t go down the route of “I was only following the rules” “It wasn’t me that killed that man Stephen”
He could have come up with a God of his own imagination. Then it becomes like talking to a dummy.
No he knew he had come face to face with the risen Jesus.
God stood in the way, not to spoil the fun but because he loves you unconditionally. Jesus loves you so much more than you can ever love yourself.
David in Psalm 51 - David knew that he was coming to a God of mercy, a God who loved him even when he had failed spectacularly.
The response is “Create in me a new heart.” Psalm 51:4
Don’t let your presence leave me.
The Hebrew word for presence is also the idea to be face to face.
The name Saul means – pray for. Paul means – small, humble.
Questions;
1 Read the account of Saul’s conversion. How can you act more like Ananias in his response of faith and trust in God?
2 The voice from heaven said to Saul “why are you persecuting me and kicking against the goads?” Think of a time when Jesus goaded you before you conversion and a time when he is goading you now. Is it a gentle poke or a painful poke?
3 Psalm 51 gives us a great prayer for renewing our spirits. Don’t ask for a second chance ask for a new heart/spirit to be a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5 v 17.  Pray for a new heart and a bigger image of who God is. Repent if your image of Jesus is stopping you from asking him for help and waiting for Him to speak and then obeying him when you hear his voice.
4   How does knowing that the presence of God is the same as meeting him face