The Journey. Life On Trial. Your Witness Please.

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.