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WHAT A NEW CHRISTIAN NEEDS

ACTS 9:1-19

Do you have a sounding board in your life? My wife is my best sounding board. She is my fiercest critic and staunchest supporter. That's a pretty good combination. Perhaps you are the sounding board for someone else. Is there someone who comes to you on regular basis asking your advice or input? Do you know that can be very holy work? When done from a Christian perspective, it's called giving spiritual direction. It can involve simply listening to another person, which is critical ministry in these days of noise. It means naming God in another's experience. It might mean pointing to God's principles that give guidance for a particular decision. It could mean giving judicious suggestions as the person tries to discover the best course of action and discover the will of God. It certainly involves prayer.

Nearly every great Christian leader across the centuries has had a "spiritual director." Tonight, let's think about the ministry (or art) of spiritual direction based on this story from Acts.

We often focus on the first part of this text, the conversion of Saul. It's a dramatic episode and grabs our attention. But the events following Saul's conversion are also significant.

There are several features of the story of Ananias and Saul that become teaching points for us in thinking about the ministry of spiritual direction. One is that God clearly orchestrated this whole thing. This relationship was not in the thinking of Ananias or of Saul. It was the result of God's specific call to Ananias to become involved in Saul's life.

There is also the reality that Paul apparently wasn't expecting any help and Ananias was terrified when the Lord gave him this directive. Saul's reputation preceded him as a persecutor of Christians, and Ananias really wanted nothing to do with him. But God's vision of Saul was much different from Ananias's. The Lord says to Ananias, "This man [Saul] is my chosen instrument" (v. 15).

It's remarkable, then, what happens when Ananias obeys the Lord in spite of his concern. His whole vision and attitude toward Saul change. In verse 13 he calls Saul "this man." In verse 17 he calls him "brother." Think of what must have happened in Saul's heart when he heard this mature Christian call him "brother." Saul knew that in spite of his terrible sin, he would be accepted and loved by the grace-filled Christian community.

Through Ananias's act of obedience, and through his ministry of presence with Saul, the soon to be great apostle is renewed and receives strength. One wonders how much of Paul's effectiveness as a Christian and missionary was related to Ananias's obedience to offer opportune spiritual direction at a time of great disorientation for Saul.

There are significant lessons to be learned for any disciple who wants to take seriously our responsibility to new Christians. Clearly, God desires to use mature Christians in the lives of new Christians to nurture and teach them. There are many biblical examples of this. In fact, Paul will eventually become this kind of "spiritual director" for Timothy and others.

In order to do this work, we must be available. We should ask the Lord for "eyes to see" those around us who are in need of mature spiritual direction. We should ask the Lord to place in our hearts a deep love and concern for those who come behind us in the Christian journey.

I have been deeply blessed as a father to watch a number of mature Christian men come alongside my then teenaged, and now young adult son, to be a significant influence in his life. I suppose that most of what he has learned about the way of Christ has come from me and his mother, but the influence of those other "spiritual directors" has been vital.

I wonder how much of Paul's effectiveness as a Christian and missionary was related Ananias's obedience to offer timely spiritual direction at a time of great disorientation?
When God moves on you and transforms your life, it can be overwhelming. We need help to sort it all out. We need help to move beyond initial Christian experience and into a deep and mature journey with Christ. Gladly, Christ has given us the church to fill that purpose. Most likely you were "discipled" by a mature Christian at some point. Who in your life can you identify that might need that kind of ministry? Who might need it from you?