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1. Man Down and Needs a Medic

    Acts 9:1-20

    a. Paul was struck down on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9)

i. Not because God wanted to kill him, but to get Paul out of his own way

ii.Ananias asks for understanding; what God is asking sounds crazy (Acts 9:13-16)

iii. God responds with further clarification

2. “Immediately”

     Acts 9:20

      a. Paul’s immediate response is very similar to several others in the Gospels

i. The Leper – Mark 1:40-45

ii. The Demon Possessed Man – Mark 5:1-20

iii. The Deaf/Mute Man – Mark 7:31-37

iv. The Two Blind Men – Matthew 9:27-31

v. The Samaritan Woman at the Well – John 4:1-42

       b. Your Testimony is your greatest tool

3. From the Accused to the Ambassador

      a. Characteristics of an Ambassador

i. Represents a foreign land within the receiving country (Heaven to Earth)

ii. Familiar with the culture, social norms, and local economy (peace with all)

iii. Well versed in the receiving country’s politics and significant historical events (times and seasons)

iv. Effectively communicates with people of various cultures and backgrounds (light of the world)

v. Understands the receiving country’s laws, though not condemned by those laws (you are a new creature)

vi. Seeks to advance the interests of their country while residing in the receiving country (spreading the Gospel)

vii. Resilient and able to cope with the challenges of working in a foreign land (steadfast)

      b. The Biblical description of an Ambassador for Christ

i. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

1. God is making his appeal to the world through us

2. We are to become the righteousness of God (the example of the Kingdom on earth)

ii. John 17:15-18

1. You are not of this world because Christ is not of this world

2. As Christ was sent into the world, so are you!

4. The Name of God is Now Upon You

      Acts 9:15

      a.
Name (Greek: onoma) = everything that encompasses a person’s reputation (rank, authority, hobbies, interests, deeds, exploits, etc)

      b. Exodus 20:7

i. Name (Hebrew: šēm) = reputation, fame, glory

ii. Vain (Hebrew: šāv') = worthless conduct, emptiness of speech

      c. We are written letters, in the flesh, from God to the world

i. 2 Corinthians 3:3

ii. What kind of story are you writing?