September 15, 2014
Morning Service

Acts 22

 

            We left the Apostle Paul getting ready to address a group of the Jews that were wanting him killed.

Act 21:39-40  But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.  (40)  And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

 

Acts 22:1-21  Paul gives his testimony of how he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.  Acts 9.

 

Peter said this:  1Pe 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

 

Sanctify means to be set apart.  In this case Peter is saying God must be first in your heart, and foremost.  Notice he says be ready to give an answer to those who ask you of the hope that is in you.  He doesn’t say cram it down their throats, but let them ask you, then you tell them.  With meekness, and fear.

 

This is what Paul is speaking to these people about.  However, his testimony also includes him receiving authority from Jesus to preach this gospel that he preaches.

 

What I would like for us to understand this morning is the importance of your testimony.  No devil in hell can take away your soul saving experience with God.  We all have a testimony.

 

There’s the dramatic, or deliverance type of experience.  Where maybe God has delivered you from drugs, alcohol, a life of turmoil, etc.  Our God will deliver.  We just need to call on Him for help, and He will help us.  THIS IS MY TESTIMONY.  When I called on God, He heard, and delivered me from a life of destruction, to a life of peace, joy, and contentment.

 

Then there’s the testimony of growing up in the church, and at an accountable age you chose to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.  Just as meaningful, and powerful as the dramatic conversion.  Still an opportunity to tell of the hope that lies within you.

 

Your conversion experience, and testimony is something you know about, and hopefully is very important, and meaningful to you. 

Our testimony should glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.  Pointing people to Him, and what He will do for them if they will only call on Him.  It also should line up with the Word of God, and the experiences of other conversions we find in the Bible.  This will strengthen, and confirm your faith.   Remembering that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, ( Rom. 10:17) and without faith it is impossible to please God.  ( Heb. 11:6 )

Paul tells how he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.  We should know where it was we met Jesus, and made the decision to become a disciple.  Some in a revival, some in Sunday school, maybe in the work site, maybe while fishing, or just admiring the creation.  But we all should be able to testify of the time that we made the choice to serve God.

 

Paul also tells of his commission to preach the gospel.  As we study the Word of God we also will see that Jesus calls us to do certain things in the church.  We all should accept the challenge of sharing the gospel with other people.  There is definitely a judgment day coming, and we should do all we can to help people be prepared to stand before God .  We all will be fearfully humble on that day.  Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord of Glory, the King of Kings, and the great I Am, the Almighty God.

Paul is hoping that they will believe his testimony.  He has nothing but a changed life to show them, and if they didn’t know him before his conversion, they might not accept what he is saying.  You and I have the Bible to back up our conversion experience.  But we also should have a changed life that is guided by Almighty God.

 

Our decision to become a Christian is one of the most important decisions you will ever make.  Our Bible tells us that because we have chosen to follow the teachings of Jesus, we will live with Him in eternity.  But it’s not only then, but now we have a better life.  We mentioned it Wednesday evening that Jesus said, “Joh 10:10  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” 

 

Well Paul has given his testimony let’s see how they accept it.

 

Act 22:22-30  And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.  (23)  And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,  (24)  The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.  (25)  And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?  (26)  When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.  (27)  Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.  (28)  And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.  (29)  Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.  (30)  On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

·         They didn’t accept Paul’s testimony, and they might not accept yours either, but remember you told them because they ask you.

 

We will see this evening how Paul deals with the Jewish leaders.  No doubt Paul remembers what Jesus told him concerning all the people that he would share this gospel with.

 

Almighty God, let it be said of us, as it was of John the Revelator, “he bare record of the Word of God, and had the testimony of Jesus Christ.”