Being Ready To Share Your Testimony Series

BEING READY TO SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY

ACTS 21:37 – 22:21

BACKGROUND

Pauls missionary journey is now coming to an end

After a lengthy trip by ship to different places, his mission is to encourage the disciples across the land

He meets with many of the Apostles and disciples

All of them caution him not to go to Jerusalem for fearing that his life would end

But Paul’s statement in chapter 21:13 –“I am ready not only to be bound in Jerusalem but also to die for the name of the Lord Jesus”

Now that’s a pretty bold statement to make, but Paul knows what his life mission is

So, Paul and his companions arrive in Jerusalem and word tells us that the disciples received them

One day however, some Jews saw Paul and attacked him and caused the entire city to turn against him

Their charge against Paul was that he was teaching the people to stop following the law of Moses and turn to Christ

Just imagine that the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was in this city

Thousands of people got saved, miracles took place, and the first church of Christ was started here

Missionaries went out from this place following the promise of Jesus that they would witnesses here in Jerusalem, then Judea & Samaria, then the ends of the earth

The Apostles spent years here evangelising this city and one would think that majority of the people would have received and accepted the truth

But unfortunately not the Jews and many others in the city

The word tells us in chapter 21, that the crowd beat Paul with the aim of killing him but the Roman troops managed to stop the beating and arrested Paul

The commander of the troops had Paul kept in the barracks (temporary place)

The city was in total uproar against Paul and his message

This really reminds of Jesus and how the people were also in uproar against Him and shouting “crucify Him”

I almost see Paul in the similar situation with people shouting “away with him “meaning kill him

Now imagine with me if you in this situation, what would you do? And will be on your mind?

For Paul, Jesus is on his mind and testimony he carries of saving grace

If you are on your death bed, what will you want the last words of your mouth to be?

Paul shares his testimony of saving grace

1. HE CAME DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL

In the midst of this riot and the people wanting to kill him, Paul wants to talk to them

He receives permission from the commander to speak to the people

He motions his hand to get the crowd quiet and amazingly they do settle down

What happens next is amazing

He addresses them in the Hebrew language

But why does he do this, in order that the people can identify with him

It’s interesting enough to also see that when he addressed them in this way, the word says that the crowd became silent

I’ve often seen that when a white person speaks zulu to a zulu person the person gets excited

Why, because the white person is identifying with them in their own language

How do you think that conversation go? It would be a healthy conversation because they both conversing in a similar language

I feel that as Paul started off this way, he not only shocked the crowd but he also grabbed their attention to what he is about to tell them

APPLICATION

Paul could have easily chosen to speak any other language that he knew and came with all high wording, but he would have lost the crowd and opportunity to speak to them

We need to be a people who are aware of the people we come into contact with

Addressing people in their mother tongue wins you favour

When we do that you will find the people easily receive you and are willing to hear what you have to say

We should stay away from having fancy and intellectual words, but let your words welcome people

2. SPEAK OF YOUR PAST

Paul used this opportunity to share his past with them

Notice he didn’t just rush into the gospel and bible bash the crowds present

No, he started off by telling them where he comes from

Pauls past is amazing

• Grew up as a Jew in Tarsus

• Was thought under a very respectable person named Gamaliel. He received the best education

• He was eager to serve God under the law

• He persecuted those who believed in Christ – killed, tortured and put them in prison

• He was on his way to Damascus to capture and put into prison believers in that place