2014.09.14.Sermon.The journey. Life on trial. Your witness please.
William Akehurst, HSWC
Recap
Finishing with Joy – Acts 20. The vision. Seeking direction. God prepares us to do HIS Will.
Doing God’s Will – Acts 21
Committed to HIS Will – Acts 21 (...to be continued...)
Today...
LIFE ON TRIAL. YOUR TESTIMONY - YOUR WITNESS – Acts 22
LIFE IS A TRIAL. “Your witness please…”
CHAPTER 22
JFB Commentary: Acts 22:1-30. PAUL'S DEFENSE FROM THE STAIRS OF THE FORTRESS--THE RAGE OF THE AUDIENCE BURSTING FORTH, THE COMMANDANT HAS HIM BROUGHT INTO THE FORT TO BE EXAMINED BY SCOURGING, BUT LEARNING THAT HE IS A ROMAN, HE ORDERS HIS RELEASE AND COMMANDS THE SAMHEDRIM TO TRY HIM.
MHCC: Paul's account of his conversion. (1-11)
Paul directed to preach to the Gentiles. (12-21)
The rage of the Jews, Paul pleads that he is a Roman citizen. (22-30)
CALL TO WORSHIP:
I WILL DECLARE WHAT HE HAS DONE IN MY LIFE
Psalms 66:1,2,4,5a,8,16 [call to worship]
1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:
2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
5a Come and see the works of God:...
8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
DO YOU KNOW THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING?
Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
BE READY AT ALL TIMES TO SHARE GOD’S TESTIMONY IN YOUR LIFE
2 Timothy 4:1-2
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
1 Peter 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:
An analytical look of a life-changing event and it's spiritual impact
THE JOURNEY. LIFE ON TRIAL.
YOUR WITNESS PLEASE…
Thinking back to the old Perry Mason TV series, every episode ended up in the courtroom, with the questioning back and forth of the lawyers towards the witnesses.
As the evidence was examined, the witnesses gave their testimony of whatever was on trial. When the attending attorney was through with the witness, they would turn the witness over to the opposing side to be examined with those resounding words…“Your Witness please…”
Paul’s life is on trial. While not yet in a court of law, Paul asks to speak to those who have persecuted him. And when he does, he speaks in their native tongue, proclaiming the testimony of CHRIST to all who would hear.
KEY POINTS:
1. Our life is always on trial. We too must bear the testimony of our lives before others.
2. What is that testimony? It is who CHRIST IS, in us.
3. The Capital One commercial slogan. You know it… “What’s in your wallet?”
Let's put it this way...What’s in your heart?
4. Does CHRIST make a difference in your life?
5. Do you have a testimony of how CHRIST changed your life? Is there a difference?
6. Does your life speak?
7. Does the Testimony of CHRIST speak through your life, mouth, actions and reactions to those around you?
PAUL SPEAKS IN THE JEWISH SACRED HEBREW LANGUAGE
Acts 21:40 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 22:1-30
1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
I PERSECUTED THOSE WHO ACT LIKE ME. BUT I NOW KNOW THE TRUTH AND AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THE TRUTH.
PROOF ONE 3-5 WHO I WAS, WHERE I CAME FROM
Paul wants the people to know his zeal. He appeals to the records or the memory of high priest and Sanhedrin, Gamaliel, as testimony to the fact. One of the most exasperating things about self-righteous rebellion against God is that it can appear in the guise of zeal for God.
Paul's zeal was real !
3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED – THE TESTIMONY – “I saw the light!"
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
PROOF TWO 6-11. WHAT HAPPENED THAT CHANGED IT ALL
Paul's enlightenment concerning his guilt led to enlistment in Christ's cause.
This divine intervention and revelation prompted Paul to realize his guilt and know that he was under judgment. His response to this divine revelation was, What shall I do, Lord?.
The Lord did not answer directly but called for trust and allegiance as he directed Paul to the city.
Paul's blindness was another sign that something supernatural had indeed happened to him on the Damascus Road. Luke's words, brilliance of the light (doxa tou photos, "glory of the light") leaves little doubt that this is the splendor of the exalted Lord Jesus appearing from heaven.
Paul knew his direction was to change. It had to. And he knew that only the LORD could lead him. At that moment, he knew personally what it would be to fully rely on the leading of the LORD.
We too must be willing to answer the LORD with those same words. What shall I do LORD?
6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
PROOF THREE 12-16. EYEWITNESSES. THE ALIBI.
Scene three, Damascus. Paul's conversion initiates the calling to preach the universal gospel.
Paul's witness to all this was Ananias, whose piety according to the law was known by all the Jews of Damascus. Ananias, a man of such renowned piety, was also the Lord's instrument and mouthpiece for equipping Paul in the first steps of his newfound faith and mission.
The acted parable of the Lord's saving work, moving from blindness to sight, was completed as Ananias stood beside Paul and said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight!".
Ananias used the messianic title the Righteous One (Jer 23:5-6; 33:15; Zech 9:9; Acts 3:14; 7:52). This points to the heart of the gospel: the risen, exalted Jesus of Nazareth, whom Paul sees, is the vindicated victim of an innocent death. And Paul was destined to hear from the voice of CHRIST'S mouth, the gospel message, to which he was called to bear lifelong witness. This revelation of the gospel would both fulfill and supersede the document of promise, the law.
Paul's responsibility was to be Christ's witness to all men of what [he had] seen and heard.
Paul is a model for all those who become disciples in answer to the call of those who are fulfilling their Lord's commission (Mt 28:18-20).
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
PROOF FOUR 17-21. THE DIFFERENCE, A NEW DIRECTION
Paul remained loyal to the LORD's holy place, exercising piety in worship in the temple upon his return to Jerusalem and continued to practice piety towards the temple even after his conversion.
But it was a divine calling to share the gospel beyond the Jews who would reject the Messiah they were seeking. Therefore, he was sent to the Gentiles by divine command.
The message of the gospel needs to go to those who have never heard it before.
17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
WHEN HE MENTIONS THE GENTILES, THE JEWS CONDEMN HIM AND DESIRE HIS DEATH
22 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.
OUR LIFE ON TRIAL - our testimony
1. WHO WE WERE AND WHERE WE WERE HEADED
2. THE ENCOUNTER AND CHANGE WHEN CHRIST ENTERED OUR LIFE
3. EYEWITNESSES OF THE CHANGE
4. OUR NEW DIRECTION
THESE PROOF POINTS CREATE OUR TESTIMONY.
TO WHOM HAVE YOU PLEADED YOUR CASE TO LATELY.
ITS YOUR LIFES JOURNEY.
SHARE THE HOPE OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED TO.
…to be continued…
NEXT TIME…
GREAT JOB PAUL. PAUL TESTIFIED OF CHRIST IN JERUSALEM, NOW ONWARD TO ROME.
Acts 23:11
11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
