Learning From Paul’s Testimony
February 4, 2024
I want to be clear how we got here: Paul came to Jerusalem against his fellow disciple’s advice. In every town he was warned about what awaited him there. In Caesarea the prophet Agabus took his belt tied his hands and feet and said: “this is what will happen to the person who owns this belt.” Compelled by the Spirit
Last week, we left the Apostle Paul standing on the barrack steps. Paul had been falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the temple, Paul was beaten and almost killed, rescued by the romans, arrested, double chained. After all these people had put Paul through, he asked and got permission to speak to the people.
Paul here is trusting the promise made by Jesus in Matthew 10:19-20 “When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
There are three main parts to an effective testimony: BEFORE HOW AFTER
- BEFORE– share what your life was like before Jesus.
- HOW– share about how Jesus saved you.
- AFTER – share about how Jesus has changed your life.
Every follower of Jesus has a story of grace to tell. The details are different, but we’re all saved by God’s grace and our testimonies are a direct reflection of the indisputable, life-changing power of the gospel.
BEFORE. The best way to begin your testimony is talk about what your life was like before Christ saved you. Listen to how Paul did it in: Acts 22:1-5 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” 2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
HOW. Paul spent the bulk of his testimony time on how he came to faith in Christ. Listen to: Acts 22:6-16 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. 12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. 14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
Paul wasn’t searching for God or on a path to learn more about Jesus. Paul didn’t find Jesus, Jesus found him. JOHN 6:44
Once we’re saved by the Lord, we must serve the Lord. A person doesn’t receive salvation until they come to a place of surrender, and within that surrender there must be a willingness to do God’s will. And what is that will? Vs15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. If you’re a born-again believer, you’re called to be a witness.
AFTER. After sharing what he was like before meeting Christ and explaining how he met Christ, Paul described how his life had changed in: Acts 22:17-21 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 “Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.”
Paul described a time when he wrestled with obeying the Lord’s will. When he returned to Jerusalem after his three years in Arabia, he went to the temple to pray. The Lord had made it clear he was to get out of Jerusalem quickly, but Paul thought he could make an impact there because these religious people knew how his life had changed. In this part of his testimony, Paul demonstrated authenticity because we all think we have better ideas than God does. But God will lead us and guide us into a place where we can produce the most fruit for the kingdom of God. “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.”
Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Psalm 71:15-16 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long—though I know not how to relate them all. 16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
Psalm 107:1-2 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,..”
- Listen to this example from Psalm 40:9-10 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know. 10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.
- 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
- Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,…”This verse celebrates the power of our testimony as a tool in fighting against the devil.
- The Samaritan woman in: John 4:39 “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony,..”
To know Jesus is to have a testimony of how we came to know Him. Our personal story matters; the personal details of how we came to Jesus matters. The changes Jesus has made in our lives matters.
One of the most effective things that we have to offer this world is a personal testimony of what God has done for us. Revival will not come to America by powerful preachers, (though it may start that way) but it will only spread when the body of Christ starts telling the story of what Jesus means to them and what He has done in their life.
Before I read this understand: not responsible for the outcome-accept-reject
Sometimes things don’t go well when you share your testimony, as Paul experienced in: Acts 22:22-24 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!” 23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.
They had cast off their own garments to prepare for throwing stones and flung dust up in the air, which symbolized throwing stones and was a gesture of absolute rage and indignation reserved for punishing blasphemers.
Acts 22:25-30 we see what happens next: As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.” 27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. 28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”
“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. 29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. 30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
Did it work? Paul will next appear before the Sanhedrin, then before governors Felix and Festus, then King Herod Agrippa and later journey to Rome where he would witness to Caesar himself.
To all Christians: 1 John 5:9-12 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
When we believe God’s testimony about His Son Jesus Christ, He gives us a testimony! And He expects us to share it. People need to hear what God has done in our lives. Your testimony can help change people’s lives for all eternity.
God expects us to speak up, even if people don’t respond in a positive way. They didn’t always believe Paul’s testimony, and they won’t always believe ours. Some people will respond positively, and some won’t.
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