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0:20 Hello, I'm John Eldridge again, author of Wild at Heart, and I am sitting in for Joby and Kyle this week. 0:28 Yesterday, we looked at the story of Saul, who will become the Apostle Paul, whose writings and preaching will end up changing the world. 0:41 I want to pick up the story and look at another character because we are wondering how God works in the lives of men. 0:52 So we'll go back into the book of Acts in chapter nine and pick up with a little bit of yesterday and on into the story of Ananias. 1:02 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. 1:06 They heard the sound but did not see anyone. 1:08 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. 1:14 So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 1:17 For three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything. 1:23 Now, in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. 1:28 The Lord called to him in a vision. 1:31 Ananias. 1:33 Yes, Lord, he answered. 1:36 The Lord told him, Go to the house of Judas on Strait Street, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 1:47 In a vision, he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight. 1:56 Lord, Ananias replied, I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem, and he has come here with authority from the chief priest to arrest all who call on your name. 2:12 But the Lord said to Ananias, Go. 2:15 This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 2:24 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. 2:28 And then Ananias went to the house and entered it, placing his hands on Saul, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 2:46 Again, there are so many wonderful things in these stories of God interacting in the lives of men. 2:54 First off, Ananias is just a guy. 2:56 He's not the chief priest, he's not even a priest. 2:59 He's not in the apostles. 3:02 He, for all we know, wasn't even in the inner ring. 3:05 He's living in a foreign country, in a foreign city. 3:08 And I love this because this ordinary guy gets in on the story of God. 3:14 He has a friendship with Jesus. 3:17 Notice the conversational relationship they have, friends. 3:22 This is really beautiful. 3:24 And Jesus comes to him and says, Hey, I need you to do something for me, which is really beautiful. 3:30 Jesus doesn't just do it himself. 3:32 And then I love how Ananias pushes back. 3:36 He's like, wait, what? 3:37 This, no, this is not a good idea. 3:39 If I go to this guy's house, I'm going to get arrested. 3:41 He's probably going to kill me. 3:43 I love the ability of Ananias to bring everything he is. 3:50 Okay, so this is what we're after today: the ability to bring everything to Jesus, your objections, your fears, your anger, your loneliness. 4:02 Because if you don't bring your whole life to God, you're going to take it somewhere, right? 4:09 You're going to go to your medications, you're going to try and have somebody come through for you in ways that only God can. 4:16 And even you get to bring your frustration with God to God. 4:24 Why didn't you answer that? 4:26 I don't understand why this relationship blew up. 4:29 How come I can't get my career together? 4:31 You are invited to bring this to God. 4:35 And what I want to point out to you is in the stages of Christian discipleship, and as men, we are growing in our life with God towards friendship. 4:49 You're going to see it in the life of Paul, of course, over the years. 4:53 He ends up having a very deep friendship with Jesus. 4:57 You see it here in the life of Ananias. 4:59 We're going to explore it in the life of David. 5:02 You see, in John 15, Jesus says, I no longer call you servants. 5:06 You know, all that language about, oh, I just want to be a good servant of the Lord. 5:11 Well, that's not what Jesus says. 5:12 He says, I don't call you servants anymore. 5:15 I call you my friends because I'm letting you in on what I'm doing. 5:20 John 15, right? 5:22 This is what he does with Ananias, and this is what he's inviting you into. 5:26 And so as we close today, here's what I want to leave you with. 5:31 Jesus, what are you talking to me about these days? 5:38 What are you wanting to have a conversation with me about? 5:42 Is it my marriage? 5:45 Is it my fears? 5:46 Is it my career? 5:48 What are you speaking to me about, Lord? 5:51 Would you help me hear you and tune in to our friendship?