Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1838
“And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.” Acts 9:10.
There was a time when Christian people thought it idle to send missionaries to the heathen, but that time only survives in regretful memories. We remember reading that in a Scottish assembly, a Moderate minister, famous in his day, talked of the proposal to send missionaries to the heathen as the greatest absurdity to which he had ever heard! One who was of another mind cried out, “Reach me that Bible”—and when the Bible was opened and he began to point to its teachings, the quibbler was silenced. Are there any such quibblers yet afire? If there are, they are wise enough to hold their tongues! No reviewer in our day would dare to sneer at “consecrated cobblers,” for they remember Carey and tremble in their shoes! Brothers and Sisters, we are to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. This is our Captain’s orders and it would be treason to disobey! We have acted negligently towards this commission far too long! It is high time that we awakened from our sinful slumbers. May many a man and woman among us be called to mission work and may the rest be eager to help them by their generous gifts.
What subjects have risen before me while thinking of a discourse upon missions! Many grand and exciting themes have tempted me. The coming of the Lord, the conquest of nations to His sway, the reign of peace, the overthrow of falsehood and all manner of glorious topics invite me! But something less ambitious has won my thoughts. It lies upon my heart not to speak of things upon a great scale, above our present power, but to talk of practical matters within the reach of common Christians. I shall not, therefore, treat of the Millennial reign, but of the kingdom of Christ in your soul and mine—and of how we can increase His dominions and cause His Kingdom to come with power! I had rather speak five words to practical purpose than 50,000 for oratorical effect.
I have selected my text that we may see what can be done by private Christians and learn how we can personally serve the Lord and become links in the great chain of His gracious dispensation. The mass of us cannot go abroad as missionaries, but we can all be messengers for Christ in our own city. We cannot all preach, but we can all pray! We cannot all give money, but we can all fill the treasury of supplication! The question for each one to ask, is—“Lord, what would You have me do?” What can I do with a household about me? What can I do, who can only take rank as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, without special office in the Church?
It seems to me that Ananias may serve as a typical person and that his history may furnish us with many useful lessons. Brethren, I shall invite you, this morning, to think about this good Ananias, to whom the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias, and he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.”
I. First, let us think a little about THE MAN. He is described as “a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias.” We hear of him this once and we know nothing more about him. He comes forward at a critical point in Paul’s life— executes for him a very useful office—and then disappears. The good soldier was sent upon special service by his Captain and, when he had fulfilled his commission, he retired to his ordinary place in the ranks. Who was this Ananias?
We remark of him, first, that he was simply a private person. He is not described as pastor, or evangelist, or even as deacon or elder of a Church—yet this private person, obscure in life and without special distinction in the Church, was the channel for communicating the Holy Spirit to the great Apostle of the Gentiles! For the time being, he became one of the most important persons in sacred history! The Lord did not send to Paul for the opening of his eyes and the comforting of his heart, an Apostle, lest any should have said that Paul received his commission second-hand from those already in office. The Lord did not send to him any man of distinguished position or eminent gifts, lest it should be concluded that Paul received the Gospel at his hands. The great Apostle could say in later days, “I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ.”
It was necessary that instrumentality should be used, but it was wise that such instrumentality should be of the most ordinary kind, lest any power should be ascribed to it and lest it should arrogate to itself credit for the Apostle’s conversion and later life. I see, therefore, in many of you, dear Brothers, special qualifications for certain uses, even qualifications which your being Church officers, or preachers, might take from you your very obscurity and lack of glittering talent may be a fitness for peculiar service. There is a special work for you to do who are private Christians and I trust you will be prompt in the doing of it.