Steadfast in Trials: The Power of a Testimony

Introduction:

Paul faced numerous trials in the last months of his ministry. He faced death threats from his people, trials because of his faith, and even imprisonment. But his testimony never once changed in the face of all the accusations he faced. He was able to stay steadfast in times of trial because he clung to his faith knowing that it was the truth given from God.

We can learn much from the trials that Paul faced in his final days, and one bit we can take home from all of that is that God has given each of us a personal testimony to the truth of the gospel, and clinging to that truth will help us get through any trials and tribulations that we may face.

Background:

In the latter part of chapter 21, Paul makes it to Jerusalem and they go to see James (Jesus’ brother) and the rest of the leadership in Jerusalem. They spent some time celebrating what God had done through Paul along his journeys, and after the celebration, he is warned by those who had been in Jerusalem that there were people looking to have him arrested for what he was allegedly teaching. Paul goes to temple to worship and is arrested by temple authorities under the premise that he was defiling the temple by bringing Gentiles into the temple because he had been seen hanging out with Gentiles earlier in the week. So, once again, the religious authorities get the people stirred up and they start to beat him up.

Paul then gets arrested and as he is being carted off to jail, he asks to speak to the crowd and speaks to them in Hebrew. This is seen in the first 21 verses of chapter 22 (and is the second of three of Paul’s recorded conversion experiences.) While he is in the middle of his testimony, Paul is basically interrupted by the crowd and people call for him to be arrested. Once Paul is hauled off to the barracks, he is strung up and ready to be flogged, and brings up the point that he is a Roman citizen being flogged without being condemned for anything, so this causes to Roman leadership to back off and figure out what they are going to do about the situation.

So, Paul will now go through a series of pretty much mickey mouse trials. First he is brought to the Sanhedrin, at this point, Paul shifts the heat from him and causes a debate between the Pharisees and Sadducees over nothing more that the resurrection of the dead. During this point, the tribune sees that Paul’s life is in danger so he takes him away from the situation and then through Paul’s nephew finds out about a plot to assassinate him. He then has Paul sent to Caesarea to quickly under heavy guard to go stand trial before Felix the governor. Paul explained the same exact thing that he had explained before and adds that the Jews have no proof of anything they are accusing him of. After that trial, he is basically put under house arrest (because he is allowed to have visitors freely but can’t go anywhere) and ends up being help captive for at least two years and when the new governor Festus comes in, the cycle starts all over again.

Festus hears the case, then Paul appeals to Caesar. After Paul makes his appeal, Herod Agrippa now enters the scene. After this meeting, still nothing could be asserted that could be proven that Paul was eligible to receive the death penalty, and Paul now faces a trial in front of Herod Agrippa in chapter 26.

Paul’s Background 26.1-11

Paul is brought before Herod Agrippa and presents his opening argument. In his opening argument, he lays out his background for Agrippa. Since Agrippa is familiar with the customs and laws of the Jews, he explains to Agrippa that he was a Pharisee and that those present could corroborate that story if they chose to. Basically what he tells Agrippa is that he is being brought to trial because of a diversion in beliefs. He turned from his Jewish faith (but not his heritage) because of his “hope in the promise made by God to our fathers” (26.6) (Meaning the promise of the Messiah). He closes the first part of his statement by saying in verse 8, “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” Basically what he is telling the Jews that if they truly believed in God’s sovereignty, why is it such a stretch to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. He then finishes his background by telling Agrippa that was was so convinced in his theology that he even persecuted the people that had placed their faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

Paul’s Conversion (26.12-18)

Luke writes here the third recount of Paul’s conversion (the second recount quoted from Paul himself). In this part of his testimony, Paul gets a little more detailed with his conversion and tells Agrippa that Jesus called him away from his people (the Jews) and to go to the Gentiles (v. 17).

Paul’s Obedience and Transformation (26.19-23)

Paul then explains that he acted in obedience to his calling by immediately preaching at Damascus and then to other places. We can see that his zeal for beliefs carried over from Judaism to Christianity, and that obedience to his faith was what caused friction between him and the other Jews, and the even in this particular moment he had help from God getting there, and that it was only through his faith in Jesus and his obedience to his calling from Him that got him to this point.

Paul’s Call for a Response (26.24-32)

After Paul finished his testimony, Festus calls him crazy. Paul responds verse 25 by saying, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.” He explains to Festus that Agrippa is familiar with the things he is talking about and that is what is allowing him to speak frankly about all of this, and he then calls for a response from Agrippa specifically in verse 27 where he says, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” To which Agrippa responds in verse 28, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And look at how Paul responds in verse 29, “Whether short long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am - except for these chains.” In the end, Festus and Agrippa decide that he has done nothing deserving of death, and Agrippa tells Festus in verse 32, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” Talk about bad timing...

Summary:

Paul’s testimony never changed in all of the trials that he faced. He never once budged from the truth. One person I watch said this about a personal revelation from God, “It is difficult to get people (like the Mormons) to budge from their belief in the book of Mormon because God has revealed it to me that this the word of God.” Our personal testimony is truth as we know it and it is revealed by God to us, and that makes it very difficult to prove or disprove, so what do we learn from the way Paul carried himself through all of these scenes?

The Impact of Paul’s Testimony for Us:

Paul’s testimony has a very valid impact for us and I want to submit to you a few things we learn from how Paul handled himself and his beliefs:

Be completely open about your life before you came to know Jesus Christ.

The only way to show someone how God has changed your life is to be completely open about your life before you came to know Jesus Christ. Some of us sitting here may not have been Christians all our lives, and we must pull from those prior experiences in order to have a valid testimony. We talk about how the gospel changes lives, but ultimately, people want to know what the gospel has done in YOUR life. Maybe you have been a Christian all your life and you don’t have prior life experiences without knowing Jesus Christ, that is ok. How about a time you fell away from the church completely? Maybe you never have, so what are your other struggles in life, and how has god helped you overcome those circumstances? People want to hear bout true life change and not just a bunch of religious mumbo jumbo.

Be open about how the gospel has changed you from your original life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

When the gospel takes hold of our lives, we become something new. We become a new creation. We are given a new identity in Jesus. For a believer that has been converted in their adult life, it is easy to see how the gospel has affected your life. Use that to your advantage in your testimony. Don’t be ashamed of who you were before, after all , that is what has made you who you are today. For those Christians that have been saved most all of their life, it tends to become more difficult to see what God has pulled you from. We must come to terms with our shortcomings and focus on how God helps us through those times in our lives. We must not be afraid to share those parts with others. This is the only way people will see how God can change a life and what He can do with a willing servant.

Freely share your transformation even if that means sharing your faults.

We all have our faults. Scripture is very clear in that department. We have all sinned, and there is not a single person that is righteous. We must come to terms with our shortcomings in our lives personally and not live as though we make no mistakes. This is what turns people off to the gospel and Christianity. When we live as though we have no sin and when we portray that our lives are perfect, that is when we become hypocrites. It is not hypocritical to be open about our faults and recognize that there are certain aspects in our lives that are contrary to God’s expectations. People want to see us address our own issues. This is the only way we can be relevant and real with others. If we cannot come to terms with ourselves and our shortcomings, then all we are is just another religious hypocrite. In order to show how we have been transformed, we must be open to addressing where we came from, how we have changed, and how we change on a daily basis. Otherwise our testimony means nothing.

The gospel requires a response in some way.

When we share our testimony, that is a form of sharing the gospel. It is not about memorizing a few verses of scripture. It is about sharing a life that has changed through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and how that transforms a persons thoughts and actions. When we share the gospel with someone, it requires a response in some way. Even not responding is an act of responding. We must always call for a response to a gospel presentation.

Conclusion:

Paul never once wavered from his testimony. No matter what situation he found himself in, his testimony never changed. Once we know what the gospel is capable of doing in our lives personally and how that has changed our lives, we learn to use that to the advantage of the gospel. Having a story that reinforces what you preach is far more powerful than any scripture or any prayer you might pray. Paul kept the same testimony no matter the situation but it was different lengths. There may be times you only have two or three minutes to share your story, yet there may be times when you have time to send conversing about what God has done in your life and through you. Find those powerful points and use them to solidify the message of the gospel.

Own your past. Whether it be good, bad, or indifferent, own it. Make it your own, and use it to undergird the teaching of the gospel.