Paul Shares His Testimony

Word to the church

Over the past week, I have been made aware of a few question regarding the book that Mrs. Brittney is using in our teen girls breakout group on Wednesday nights.

Lies Young Women Believe, is one of the best resources available for young women in their teen years.

My wife has taught through this book multiple times during the 8+ years that we worked with teenagers.

Mrs. Brittney did not make this decision on her own, she submitted the book to me for approval before she began teaching it.

Here at the Baptist Tabernacle, we are not interested in producing a generation of nominal Christians who will stumble through adolescence at best ill-prepared to take an informed stand for God or at worst actively rebelling against Him.

The concept of training a child in the way that they should go demands that preparation take place prior to a child facing a path.

We do not believe that it is helpful or healthy to wait until the world has had the first word on a matter before we address an issue with our children.

That includes the issues that make us uncomfortable as parents.

This book deals with the issues of self-harm, sexuality, relationships, and other matters that every teen will face.

I believe, having read the chapters in question, and having spoken to Mrs. Brittney about her approach, that the subject material will be dealt with in an appropriate way.

Now, as with any ministry in our church, no one is being forced to participate.

We don’t force people to put their babies in the nursery.

We don’t force people to sign their kids up for Awana.

We do not force anyone to put their kids in the youth group.

It is your responsibility, as a parent, to make that decision for your family.

However, it is my responsibility to shepherd this church.

That responsibility applies to your family, other families, and the families of our staff.

Should you determine that your child is not ready to receive this information there are two things that you need to do.

Refrain from acting as a discouraging force to the ministry of Clarence and Brittney Nettles.

It is a serious matter for you to undertake the role of producing strife, discord, and murmuring within this body.

Do not assume that you know what’s best for the lives of everyone else’s teenager.

Maybe your child will be the exception and they will never be faced with the issues dealt with in this book.

I know for a fact that there are young people in that class who desperately need the material that is being presented.

I also know that if they are not presented with a biblical answer to these issues at church, they will not get it anywhere.

Please don’t stand in the way of those who are simply trying to help prevent some teenagers from accepting lies that will ruin their lives.

Please don’t be a discouragement to the young couple that moved across the country, away from their families to come here and invest in the teens of this church.

Paul gets one chance to address the Jews in Jerusalem.

He is being shoved into the castle by the Romans, he doesn’t know what the future holds, this may be his only shot.

After receiving liberty from the captain, and quieting the people, Paul’s mind must have been racing.

What does he say with this big of a crowd?

He has so many messages.

Fulfilled prophecy.

The need for a savior.

He knows the stories of every character in the Old Testament and how they point to Jesus.

Paul does none of this.

Instead, Paul takes a different tact.

He knows that there is something at his disposal that will carry more weight with his audience.

He has to make a connection with them and where they are in that moment.

He has to illustrate to them that he knows what they are going through; he’s been there himself.

He has to demonstrate for them the supernatural nature of the change that took place in his life.

What could he say that would accomplish all of this?

The answer is his testimony.

By sharing his own testimony, Paul removes their ability to argue interpretation with him.

His testimony is not a matter of interpretation, it’s a matter of experience.

This happened to him.

Paul’s testimony is broken into three parts.

He addresses the people, that moments ago were trying to kill him, with surprising respect.

It’s not immediately apparent when he calls them men.

But, then, he goes on and calls them brothers and fathers.

This is surprising.

The people were also surprised to hear him speaking to them in Hebrew.

Most of them would have, like Paul, spoken both Hebrew and Greek.

Hearing him speak Hebrew causes them to be even more quiet than they had been previously.

As Paul gets into the first part of his testimony, he reminds his captivated audience what his life was like before he met Jesus.

He informs them of his Jewish heritage.

He was born in Tarsus, but he was raised in Jerusalem.

He attended the very best Torah school that a young Jewish boy could attend.

Gamaliel was universally recognized as a faithful and orthodox teacher of the law.