Scripture Text: Acts 9:3-19

In Acts 9, we read about Saul's trip to "Straight Street." It tells the story of a man who got lost in religion and how he finds his way back to the living God.

How do we get to Straight Street and live there?

Acts 9 tells the tale of two men who follow God's leading to a location known as "Straight Street."
The first person was Saul of Tarsus
1. He was a person of faith.
2. His love for God is strong.
3. He had a good deal of education;
4. His faith was sound, and he loved serving God more than anyone else in his time.
5. But chapter 9 tells the story of how he was wrong.
6. He was lost in darkness and sin.
7. The devil tricked him. On the way to Damascus, he changed his mind, and this is the story of how he got to Straight Street.

The second man is a divine messenger, Ananias.
1. The Holy Spirit filled him. He was in touch with God.

Finding your way to Straight Street is what today's Bible passage is about. The only street named in the Bible is this.
It's called "Straight Street" because it means a certain way to walk with God. It means living in a way that is in line with God's will. Not only does it mean seeking God's will, but it also means being ready to do it no matter what. Straight Street is where the Christian life comes into reality; it's where we find the full Christian life.

In Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV), it says, "Enter through the narrow gate. Because the gate to hell is wide and the road to destruction is broad, and many people go through it. But the gate to life is small, and the road that goes to it is narrow, and few people find it. Following the narrow path is very important if we want to live our lives the way God wants us to. We need to find Straight Street if we want to know His will, His calling, and His power and be successful in this life. You can only find value in life on Straight Street. You can only grow closer to God on Straight Street.

Acts 9:1–3: At that time, Saul kept making death threats against the disciples of the Lord. He asked the high priest for letters to send to the synagogues in Damascus so that he could keep any Way's followers there as slaves and bring them to Jerusalem. As he got closer to Damascus on his way, Saul was going through life. Following his dreams, he was living his life. He worked as a Pharisee, which was a good job. He had a good education and learned from the best teacher in all of Jerusalem. He was successful; he did better than everyone else his age. He was born into a good family and was a Roman citizen. He was religious and felt a strong need to follow the rules and please God. He was determined and knew how to get where he was going. However, Saul was completely in the dark. He was tricked into believing that everything was fine. He didn't have any connection with God at all. He had nothing to do with God's will and was actually working against God's will and Kingdom. He was sure he was better than most people the whole time.

There may be a lot of people today who are like Saul. You might feel fine. You might even think you're better than most people. You've done well. You have a lot of knowledge. You come from a good home. Even though you say you are religious, you are not following God's plan for your life. Even though you are saved, you are not living the life God has planned for you. You are on your life's journey, going where you want to go and taking your own path. You are building your kingdom, but you don't care about God's kingdom at all. You are on a trip, just like Saul, and you need to find your way to Straight Street, a place where new things can start.

What brought Saul to the straight street?

When he got close to Damascus on his trip, Acts 9:3–5 (NIV) says, "All of a sudden, a light from heaven flashed around him." I asked, "Who are you, Lord?" Saul inquired. He said, "I am Jesus, who you are killing."

Revelation is the first thing that you need to do to get to Straight Street. Revelation is when God stops your trip and gives you light. That's when God comes into our dark times and helps us see the truth. Jesus always brings a lot of light and helps us see ourselves as we really are (Phil. 3–. Now Saul knew what kind of person he was. It hit him for the first time that he wasn't living his life in line with God's will. He wasn't doing what God wanted him to do. He not only realised how lost he was, but he also realised who Jesus really is. Jesus told Saul who he was. Saul saw Jesus, the son of God, for a split second. The Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, the Bright and Morning Star, the Great I Am, the Alpha and Omega, the Eternal God, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. He saw the Lord. The person of Jesus was shown to them directly. You need your own discovery in order to get to Straight Street. You can't get there by riding up on someone else's. To get to Straight Street, you need to know that you are lost and have a close encounter with Jesus.

Being humble is another way to get to Straight Street (1 Peter 5:6) in the light of Christ. All of Saul's schooling was for nothing. His family's history wasn't important. The things he did didn't help. His faith and zeal were not real. Christ was his only hope. He was stuck and couldn't change. He wasn't able to make things better in his life. God told him where to go, but he had no idea how to get there (James 4:6; Isa. 57:15).

What did Saul do to get to Straight Street? By discovery, by being humble, and by giving up everything." He asked, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" while shaking and being amazed (Acts 9:6). Then the Lord told him, "Get up and go into the city. There, I will tell you what you need to do."

We get too busy with our own work, like building our own kingdom, all the time. When we were saved for the first time, we often said, "Lord, I'll do anything." After a while, we start to act like professionals. Giving our lives to serve God is something we do very well. We're sure of everything... I've already done that. I've paid my dues. I don't think God wants me to work in the nursery... I have too much to offer, grownups! God wouldn't want me to clean the house... I've learned too much to be taking out the trash.

Many things you do in the name of the Lord may be good, but are they what God wants you to do? Have you recently heard the Lord's voice telling you what to do? Are you willing to give up your rights and plans for his? Have you asked God the same thing that Saul did that day? What do you want me to do, Lord? If so, are you observing all of them? Or have you already thought about what he will say? If you heard Him, are you following what He said? It's no longer okay to obey only half-heartedly. No holding back at all! Have you given your business over to the Lord, or are you building your own kingdom on your own? Do you keep valuable things down here, where they will rust, rot, and catch fire? Are you after a degree or God? Are you subject to God's plan for your life, or are you just going to school to make money so you can live a good life? If you're single, are you looking for God's will and surrendering to it, or are you looking for a partner and then hoping to get back on track with God? As an elder, minister, usher, Sunday School teacher, or church member, have you given up everything and are you ready to follow Him? God isn't interested in titles; He's interested in submission.

To get to Straight Street, you need to realise how lost you are and how much Jesus loves you. You also need to be humble before God, give up your will and plans for His, and walk in blind obedience. Take a look at Ananias in Acts 9:10–14. He did what Jesus told him to do even though he didn't understand why: he went to the Straight Street to see Brother Paul and pray for him. He went to Saul even though he knew and told Jesus that Saul was a dangerous man who could kill him. Yet he said, "Yes, Lord!"!

There are times when God tells you to do something that doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense that God would tell you to do it, no matter how hard you try. Noah built an ark in the middle of nowhere when it hadn't rained yet, even though it didn't make sense. If he hadn't, he and his family would have been lost. God didn't have to tell Joshua to walk around Jericho seven times and then blow the horns. If he hadn't, the walls would still be there, and they would have lost. Moses didn't know why he crossed the Red Sea, but Pharaoh would have taken them back as slaves if he hadn't. God often tells you to do things that don't make sense. To obey God in the way that He wants, we must have complete trust in our Master.

Also, before you can get to Straight Street, you have to be ready to die for yourself. Luke 9:9 (NIV) He didn't eat or drink anything for three days, and he was blind. This is a picture of giving up the things that are made of flesh. It's a picture of giving up our rights, our way of life, and our bad habits.

We can also get to Straight Street by praying. 9:11 (NIV) 11 "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying there," the Lord told him.

Prayer is very important. Prayer is how we talk to God. It's where we admit it. Our place is where we get the tools we need to fight the enemy of our soul. It's our only way to get help. God, help us pray more in our own lives, with our families, and at church. Let's promise God every day that we will spend valuable time with Him. Let's promise to pray as a family. Let's agree to pray together. Each of us will get to Straight Street through prayer. Our family will get to Straight Street through prayer. Our church will get to Straight Street through prayer.

How do we get to Straight Street and live there so that our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ can start over?

Brethren, to sum up, the answers to this question are:
1. We need to know where we stand with God right now! ... and we need a new look at Jesus.
2. We need to be humble in front of the Lord and walk in a humble way.
3. We must give up everything and fully trust in the Lord's plans and will.
4. We have to walk in complete obedience.
5. We have to die to self.
6. We need to hope.

What happens when we get to Straight Street?

Luke 9:12 (NIV): "He had a dream that a man named Ananias came up to him and put his hands on him to heal him and... bring him back to Light (Jesus Christ) John 8:12. We must leave the darkness behind and walk into the light of a fresh start with Jesus Christ.

God bless you.

If you want to give your life to Jesus Christ right just say this short prayer now: "Lord Jesus, I come to you now. Take over my life and make my world a better place. I leave the devil behind and enter the Kingdom of Light. Thank You for forgiving me and saving me today. In the name of Jesus, I pray.

Congratulations!!!

“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV).

Peace!


Also read: https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/straight-street-nick-s-panico-sermon-on-evangelism-202020?page=6&wc=800