Acts 22 - Paul's Personal Testimony
Notes
Transcript
A few years ago, I preached 2 messages in our Evangelism Series called, “The Power of Your Personal Testimony” “Evangelize Jesus’ Way”
This Passage in Acts took me back to those sermons.
In the Personal Testimony Sermon...we learned that Personal Testimonies are great because:
Why use A Personal Testimony?
It’s Biblical
It’s Powerful
It’s Encouraging
It’s Personal
It Works
How to Evangelize Jesus’ Way (The Woman at the Well)
1. Speak to people (Dialogue, break the ice, conversation, common bond)
2. Expect stumbling blocks
3. Steer the conversation to the Spiritual
4. Stimulate interest, Peak the curiosity
5. Establish a need
6. Introduce the law
7. Be ready for more objections
8. Introduce Jesus
When i put this together...those two previous sermons played out right befire my eyes.
This is a practical example of what we discussed during our evangelism study.
Last week we found Paul bound in chains. The prophecy of Agabus fulfilled. Now in Chapter 22… Paul gives his defense to the Jews that were trying to kill him.
Speak to People: Make a connection
“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”
And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said,
Paul created a common bond. He spoke their language.
Introduce the Law
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.
Another common bond...our zealousness, but also the law. I understand the law, I studied the law,
Stimulate Interest
“I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,
as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.
I too wanted to kill people that followed the Way.
Steer the Conversation to the Spiritual
“But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,
and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
“And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’
“And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.
He turns to the Spiritual. Bright light, flashed from Heaven. I heard a voice. Those around didn’t understand.
Why didn’t the men understand? Because it was spiritual in nature.
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
How to Evangelize Jesus’ Way (Paul)
What has Paul done so far:
Spoke to people (Dialogue, break the ice, conversation, common bond)
Introduce the law
Stimulate interest, Peak the curiosity
Steer the conversation to the Spiritual
What’s he got left to do?
Expect stumbling blocks
Establish a need
Be ready for more objections
Introduce Jesus
Introduce Jesus
“And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’
“And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.
“And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’
“But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.
“A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him.
“And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.
As he introduces Jesus...He also circles back to the Law...To a common bond. Ananias was well liked by the Jews...Devout man of the Law...If he accepted Paul, they should too!
Establish the Need
‘For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
You will be a witness for Him to all men...Why do men need a witness? They need a witness because theya re lost.
Expect Stumbling Blocks
“It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’
“And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.
‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’
“And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
They will not accept your testimony about Me. This is your stumbling block.
Back to the common bond. I was a persecuter of Believers.
And now the final straw...I will send you the Gentiles.
And the Stumbling Blocks Came...as did the Persecution
They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”
And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.
This had now become a capital offense. He must die for mingling with the Gentiles.
How to Evangelize Jesus’ Way (Paul)
What has Paul done so far:
Spoke to people (Dialogue, break the ice, conversation, common bond)
Introduce the law
Stimulate interest, Peak the curiosity
Steer the conversation to the Spiritual
Introduce Jesus
Establish a need
Expect stumbling blocks (And was ready for more stumbling blocks)
Paul evangelized Jesus’ way...and what happened.
They tried to kill him.
Paul’s evangelistic efforts to the Jews was UNSECCESSFUL.
A long time ago when I was witnessing to my Grandfather. I’ve told yall the story of how he walked away from me while I was talking about Jesus. Left me standing beside the truck.
I was so distraut about that. My pastor at the time gave me some very good councel...He said Steve...God does not call us to be successfull...He calls us to be obedient.
If my grandfather never accepted Christ...it would not be because I didn’t tell him. I told him. He knew. And it was his choice.
These Jews knew. they heard. and they rejected. Pauls hands were clean.
