What's In Your Testimony of Salvation?

the habits of our church, if you've been in our

church for any length of time, then you would

know that during the time of baptism, when we

do our baptisms, we ask those who are being baptized

to give a personal testimony. We ask them to

kind of go back to what life was like before

they were saved, that moment of salvation, and

then even the desires of their heart after salvation

to obey Christ. And we've been doing this now

as a church for eight years. In fact, the first

time we ever did it was over in Lake Sammamish.

Over there on the beach side, we were out there

in the water. and standing in the very cold water

there, baptizing different people who came to

know Christ. And after that, we moved it to the

backyard of Dave and Sherry Parsons' home in

O 'Poole, and we were there doing baptisms there.

And then we outgrew the backyard and we're blessed

to have this church. And then now in the summer,

once a year, we have our baptisms and we get

to hear these testimonies of God's grace. they

really are an encouragement every single time

we hear these testimonies. I mean God grabs a

hold of a sinner and transforms their life and

brings them into the light of salvation and we've

heard even stories of people who just grabbed

a Bible or were given a Bible and they read it

and they were saved. There are stories of people

standing at a mailbox and asking their neighbor

about God and right there the light goes on.

Testimony of of kids hearing from their parents

about Jesus Christ. Testimony of people playing

basketball out here in our parking lot and Jonah

saying, hey, you should come to church. And just

all of it is such an encouragement to hear these

stories because we get to see God at work in

the life of that unbeliever. Faithful testimonies

of how Jesus saves. And they're so inspiring

and they're so encouraging to all of us as it

unites us around the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Well in Acts chapter 22 in this passage this

Acts 22 · chapter mention

morning we get to hear the testimony of the Apostle

Paul. Now if you've been with us and you know

back in Acts chapter 9 we've already heard his

Acts 9 · chapter mention

testimony. Well, he reiterates it again here

in Acts chapter 22, and before we finish the

Acts 22 · chapter mention

book in Acts chapter 26, we'll hear it again

Acts 26 · chapter mention

a third time. What's different about this one

is that this is through the lips of the Apostle

Paul himself. In Acts chapter 9, it was through

Acts 9 · chapter mention

the narrator or the writer, Luke, telling the

story of what happened. Here, it is Paul himself

talking about it. And in it is a testimony of

grace. It's a testimony of forgiveness. It's

a testimony of newness of life where a man is

now given a new mission and a new purpose in

life. As we jump into this chapter, I want us

to think about your own testimony as you hear

Paul's testimony. I think we can learn some things,

even how to better communicate our own testimony

because of the testimony of the Apostle Paul.

I think it allows us even opportunity to sit

and think as we hear Paul and go, okay, what

is it? What was that moment? Who is it that helped

us? How was it that my life was transformed?

What was my life pre -Christ? What was that moment

of salvation? What is this newness of life? Am

I living in obedience to this newness of life?

Paul, even here in this chapter, in chapter 22,

uses his testimony as a gospel opportunity. There

may be some of you even this morning who are

discouraged about trying to share the gospel

with co -workers and you're trying different

angles and you're you're just trying different

ways Well, maybe it is that you just need to

share your testimony About how God changed your

life through the gospel This is exactly what

Paul does he's given an opportunity that he begs

to have Begs to speak to the people and what

does he do? He shares the gospel through His

own gospel transformation the own his own change

of his own heart and his own life So what we're

going to do then this morning is we're going

to take on this entire chapter chapter 22 and

you're thinking wow It's 2026 joe's doing something

different. He's got he's got a new mission in

mind here taking off bigger chunks Well, I just

want us to get the whole understanding of the

story here and I realize it's going to take some

time But I think it'll benefit us all So here's

what I want us to see first number one. I want

us to get the setting of this speech. What is

the setting? What's the context here to what

what's happening? Well Paul has finished I know

we got a dust off the cobwebs here Paul finished

his third missionary journey His desire was to

get to Jerusalem. There's a little bit of controversy

there over if it was the will of God or the will

of Paul for him to get to Jerusalem, but he makes

his way to Jerusalem. He believes in his spirit

that he needs to be there in Jerusalem, and he

gets to Jerusalem, and he meets with the elders

there, and James is there, the head elder is

there, and they say, hey Paul, we've got a bit

of an issue here. There's a rumor going around

that you are anti -Jewish law. You're anti -Jewish

customs It feels as though you're not on our

side anymore And so what we want you to do is

is we want you to take this These four people

here go and pay for their haircut get their head

shaved here Let them know that you're not against

the vows or the Nazarite Val. You're actually

not opposed to Jewish law and And the reality

was this is that Paul was against Jewish law

in regards to salvation. He preached hard against

that. The law cannot save you. Obedience to the

law cannot save you. But yet in in wanting to

obey his elders, he says, okay, I will I will

walk through this I will do this because I don't

want there to be disunity within the church I'm

not here to to to split the church over this

I can I can do this as Long as people know that

the law cannot save you He does not shrink back

from that at all Paul taught that salvation was

by faith alone in Christ alone and that the law

could not save you and so he does what the the

elders ask him to do but That was not enough

In verse 27 of chapter 21 when the seven days

were almost completed the Jews from Asia seeing

him in the temple stirred up the whole crowd

and they lay hands on him crying out men of Israel

help this man who is teaching everyone everywhere

against the people and the law and this place

He brings Greeks into the temple. He's defiled

this holy place a riot erupts in Jerusalem and

all eyes are now on Paul We need to arrest him.

In fact verse 31 of chapter 21 says that they

were seeking to kill him They wanted him dead

for speaking the truth All of Jerusalem was in

confusion and they grab him and they arrest him

Verse 35 when they came to the steps. He was

actually carried by the soldiers because of the

violence of the crowd They had to they had to

grab him and and take him away verse 37 as Paul

went to the went about To be brought into the

barracks. He said to the tree the tribune. May

I say something? And he said, do you know Greek?

Are you not the Egyptian? then who recently stirred

up a revolt and led the four thousand men of

the assassins out of out into the wilderness

and Paul replied I am a Jew from Tarsus and Cilicia

a citizen of of no obscure city I beg you permit

me to speak to the people When he had given him

permission Paul standing on the steps motioned

with his hand to the people and and when there

was a great hush He addressed them in the Hebrew

language. So here the Apostle Paul is saying

hey, let me have an opportunity here I know you've

seized me. I know you're taking me into prison,

but give me one opportunity here to speak to

the people a very Jewish dominant crowd, obviously,

being in Jerusalem, and he wanted to take this

opportunity to say, hey, I'm a Jew, let me speak

to the people. I'm not this person, this Egyptian

that you think I am that causes a riot. I'm simply

a Jew just like you. This opportunity that Paul

was given then, he began to speak to them in

the Hebrew language, probably... Even more specifically,

that is probably most likely Aramaic. This was

the common language of the Jews during that time.

And Paul was able to turn this situation into

something positive. In fact, one commentator

says this, readers expect hardship for Paul because

of the predictions of all the predictions. Paul

continually takes charge of the situation and

his custody does not truncate. his evangelistic

and missionary work, but rather offers new locations

and a new audience for his gospel proclamations

to continue. I love that. I was like, I'm getting

arrested. OK, can I just say one thing? I mean,

come on, I'm a Jew. I mean, just grant me just

one opportunity before you throw me in prison.

I'm hearing rumors you want me killed. Can you

just give me one opportunity? In fact, I'll even

speak in the language of the country. I'll even

speak in Hebrew. in Aramaic. Verse 22, he says,

brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I

now make before you. And when they heard that

he was addressing them in the Hebrew language,

they became even more quiet. Paul motions with

his hands, hey, I'm a Jew, let me speak to you.

They hear he starts speaking in Aramaic and Hebrew.

They become even more quiet and now they're really

on the edge of their seat. Well, they're all

standing with their fists up. Their fists are

now down and they're listening in. What does

this man have to say? Leads us to the second

point then is this, is the proclamation of Paul

verses six or actually verse three all the way

down to verse 17. Here's what he says, verse

three, I'm a Jew. Born in Tarsus of Cilicia and

been brought up in the city educated at the feet

of Gamaliel According to the strict manner of

the law of our fathers being zealous of God as

all of you are this day verse 4 I persecuted

This way to death binding and delivering to prison

both men and women as the high priest and the

whole council of the elders can bear me witness

From them I received letters to the brothers

and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those

who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem

to be punished Now this is the start of and in

verse 4 really down or you I could say in verse

3 all the way down to verse 21 This is a start

of a three -part testimony that I want you to

see there's three major parts here And you can

even be thinking through your own testimony as

you hear the testimony of Paul here. Number one,

the first part is this, life before Christ. Life

before Christ. He makes sure that they understand

this, that I, I was zealous. I was zealous of

the law. I grew up in a Christian home. I was

taught what was right from wrong. It was even

a strict manner of the law, he says. I was zealous

for God, for all the wrong reasons. I wanted

to obey the law. I was taught by the greatest

teachers, educated at the feet of Gamaliel. I

knew everything there was to know about the Old

Testament. Paul is very honest about his life

before Christ. He admits that he's a legalist.

He even says, as all of you are. He says, I was

highly educated. I was the one that knew and

understood the law. And you know what it did?

It caused me to hate Christ. It caused bitterness

in my heart. Verse four, I persecuted the way

to the death. I didn't have grace in my life.

I had a whole lot of legalism. I had a whole

lot of obedience to the law. In Philippians chapter

three, in verse four and following he says this,

Myself have reason for confidence in the flesh

also if anyone else thinks he has reason for

confidence in the flesh I have more circumcised

on the eighth day of the people of Israel of

the tribe of Benjamin a Hebrew of Hebrews as

to the law of Pharisee as to zeal a persecutor

of the church as to righteousness under the law

What is he saying? He is saying very clearly

that I tried to earn my favor with God. I was

zealous. I was under the law. I obeyed. I was

self -serving and self -saving. I wanted to know

God So that I can let people know how obedient

I am and how strict I am it was all about me

and my righteousness There's really only two

kind of people in this world There's only two

kinds of religion in this world one religion

is one that tries to save themselves And the

other one is the religion of believing that Jesus

Christ can be your only Savior. That's it And

Paul claims this I was in the one that I tried

to earn Favor with God by adherence to the law

and all it did was cause bitterness in my heart

And so I turned around and I persecuted Christians

because of it You'd go on and Philippians chapter

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

3 and you say but verse 6 but whatever gain I

had He says now I count it as lost for the sake

of Christ indeed I count everything as lost because

of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus

my lord for his sake I suffered the loss of all

things and count them as rubbish in order that

I may gain Christ and be found in him He gets

it not having a righteousness of my own that

comes from the law But that which comes through

faith in Christ the righteousness of God that

depends on faith. You would finally get it, but

it wouldn't be until Paul would spend his life

persecuting the church, persecuting Christ. The

righteousness that he thought he had pre -Christ

was no righteousness at all. It's all rubbish.

In regards to salvation, it was worth nothing.

His good works were not enough. Now listen, to

receive the good news of Jesus Christ, you must

be honest with yourself to say, hey, I recognize

this, I can't save myself. I could not do it.

I cannot earn my salvation. It doesn't matter

how strict, To the law to obedience it is to

to God that does not save me Salvation comes

by faith alone in Christ alone for his glory

alone And we have to be honest about the bad

news and the bad news is this before Christ you

and all of humanity is headed to hell Paul was

headed to hell and he was taking as many people

as he could with him Paul's heart was sinful

and sin -filled. It was wicked. It was Even in

his attempts to be righteous. It was wicked.

In fact in first Timothy 1 15 Paul says this

I am the worst of sinners He got it he could

not save himself This is where we all are If

you're a believer you once were there in fact,

I want you to see this in Titus chapter 3 Turn

Titus 3 · chapter mention

to Titus chapter 3 with me There must be an understanding

Titus 3 · chapter mention

in your salvation testimony that you were once

not saved You were once not saved in Titus 3

Titus 3:3

Verse 3 for we ourselves were once foolish Paul

writing of Titus including themselves we we ourselves

were once foolish disobedient led astray slaves

the various passions and pleasures passing our

days and malice and envy hated by others and

hating one another but When the goodness and

loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He

saved us. Not because of works done by us in

our own righteousness, but according to His mercy.

Listen, before you were saved, you were also

on a path headed to hell. Everyone was. It doesn't

matter if you grew up in a Christian home or

not, it doesn't matter if your parents are very

righteous. It doesn't matter the heritage of

your family. When you were born, you were born

destined for hell. And your testimony is just

as miraculous as the person that was was living

their life as maybe you'd think as a drug addict

or an alcoholic and their radical transformation

is just as radical as anybody else's in this

room. Because nobody here can save themselves.

Every salvation story is a miracle of God. Leads

to the second point then go back to Acts 22.

The second point then is this, life changed by

Christ. Verse six, as I was on my way and drew

near to Damascus, and here's Paul, minding his

own business. He's headed to Damascus to do what?

To find the Christians. You wanna say he was

headed to church? Okay, he's headed to church.

He's not headed to worship though. He might be

headed to church, but he's headed to church to

rip those Christians out of church and drag them

to jail He hated Christians he hated the way

I Persecuted this way to death. I was on my way.

Just minding my own business persecuting the

church I I was looking for Christians He was

not trying to honor Christ. He hated Christians.

He was trying to kill them. Great light shines.

We're from heaven and what? Suddenly, it's shown

around me. This is, in Paul's testimony right

here, verse six, all the way down, you can see

even to the rest of, all the way down to verse

21, this is Paul's but God moment. This is his,

but God stepped into my life moment. I was going

along this path. I was selfish. I was self -centered.

I wanted to only persecute people. I had a band

of brothers to do that with. I was even in cahoots

with the government to find the Christians to

go and persecute them. And I was going along

and doing it But God. But God had another plan

for my life. But God interjected and saved me.

But God turned my life around. And God had to

do it for Paul in this dramatic way. that would

get his attention, that would arrest his will

and show them that God is in control and Saul

here, Paul here, is not in control. Paul wasn't

looking to be saved. Paul wasn't looking to find

Christ. He was looking to find Christians, to

persecute them. Paul didn't have a desire for

God. Paul wasn't searching for God. In this God

moment, Paul was just minding his own business,

the greatest threat to Christianity at the time,

destroying church, ruining families, ruining

people's lives. But God came in and changed his

life dramatically. Arrested his soul. Changed

his life, his purpose. His eternal destiny. Theologians

call this fancy word monergism or monergistic.

It is the the single work of God in salvation.

It's not synergistic or it is the work of of

God and man kind of we're doing this together

kind of a thing until we figure this thing out

moment no this is God just saying Saul you're

saved. You're now mine. But God God chose him

God called him God changed him Paul did nothing

but respond to the work of God in his life and

had God not imposed Paul's will Paul would have

never been saved In fact look with me if you

would Paul wrote a book to the Ephesians turn

over to Ephesians if you would I want to show

you a couple passages here that they even help

us Understand this in even greater detail Ephesians

Ephesians 1:4

chapter 1 verse 4 says this even as he chose

us in him before the foundation of the world

that we should be holy and blameless before him

in love he predestined us for adoption to himself

as sons through Jesus Christ now here's the part

I want you to underline according to the purpose

of Paul's will. It's not what it says, does it?

It says according to the purpose of whose will?

Of his will. To the praise of his glorious grace

which he has blessed us in the beloved. Down

to the Ephesians chapter two. Verse 1 we are

dead in our trespasses sin in which you also

walked following the course of this world following

a prince of the power of the air That spirit

is now in the work of disobedience among whom?

We all once lived in passions of our flesh carrying

out the desires of the body who who who did oh

we all did We all carried out the desires of

the bind and the body and were by nature children

of wrath like the rest of mankind verse 4 but

who but God But God God was rich in mercy. God

has great love towards us, which he loved us,

that when we are dead, he made us alive together

with Christ by grace you have been saved. And

in that moment, Saul met the Savior and went

from being the hit man from hell to being the

holy man from heaven. From being a... Persecutor

of Christ to proclaiming Christianity a total

change of the heart and will a total picture

of repentance This was Paul Verse 10 he says

what should I do Lord? Rise go with me into Damascus

there you'll be told all it is appointed for

you to do and since I could not see The brightness

of light I was led by the hands to Damascus verse

12 and one ananias a devout man according to

the law well spoken of the Jews lived there came

to me standing by me and said to me brother Saul

receive your sight and at that very hour i received

my sight i saw him and he said the god of our

fathers appointed you to know his will to see

the righteous one and to hear a voice from his

mouth for you will be a witness for him to everyone

what you have seen and heard and now Why do you

wait, rise and be baptized and wash away your

sins calling on His name? Verse 16, notice this.

It says, rise, be baptized and wash away your

sins calling on His name. You're not saved through

baptism. Water does not save you. We need to

be clear on that. Baptism does not save you.

I want us to be clear on that. But there is there

a modifier to what He is saying. There, and what

modifies that sentence in verse 16 is the final

phrase, calling on His name. That's what saves

you. Calling on His name. In Acts 16 -32, when

the Philippian jailer asked Paul, what must I

do to be saved? Paul could have very well said,

hey, you need to be baptized. They didn't say

that. What did he say to the Philippian jailer?

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will

be saved as clear as a question as he could possibly

get as clear as an answer as you could possibly

get And in obedience You follow up in the baptisms

of water Romans 10 13 another book that Paul

wrote to the book to the Church of Rome said

whoever calls upon the name of the Lord Will

be saved. This is the message of salvation Paul

was saved by faith. That's how everyone is saved.

By faith, through the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

No one is saved apart from belief in Jesus Christ.

Peter said, there's no other name under heaven

by which we will be saved. Acts 412. Jesus said

I am the way the truth in the life. No one comes

of father except through me I Want you to notice

something here verse 12, there's a man Ananias

a devout man according to the law well spoken

of by the Jews. This was the man that came up

to To Saul Paul put his hand on him and he began

to help Paul understand the gospel he helped

him to To know the truth he was the one that

said in verse 14 the god of our fathers appointed

you to know his will to see The righteous one

and to hear a voice from his mouth. I think this

is important for us to understand even in testimony

those Who have helped share the gospel in your

life? Who was it who is it that that came into

your life and said let me explain what's going

on Let me explain the gospel. I mean, Ananias

had to go to a man who was persecuting the church

and say, okay, Lord, I'm going to obey you in

this. I hope I don't get killed. I'm going to

obey you in this. He teaches Saul the gospel.

Ananias had no idea that Saul would turn around

and become Paul. the greatest theologian and

missionary and church planter ever and the one

to write 13 New Testament books Ananias was just

being faithful to obey God and Paul mentions

him here so that the Jews know hey, he's a devout

man. He's well spoken of You can go and ask him.

This is exactly what happened in my testimony

and I think this is even important for us as

we as we contemplate and understand our our own

testimony that we know the people and we've thanked

the people who shared the gospel with us. Those

who've come in our life and said, hey, let me

tell you about Jesus. Let me explain the gospel

even further to you. Just this last Christmas

Eve, I just want to share an email that I got.

It was sent here to the office. It was actually

sent while I was standing right here at a Christmas

Eve in teaching, and I just share this email

to you by way of encouragement to you and in

no way want to offer or bring praise upon myself,

but I feel like it's important just for us to

understand and illustrate what I'm saying. About

20 years ago, Aaron and I were in college ministry

together. 20 -some years ago, we were doing college

ministry. Some of you are like, there's no way

you're that old. And I appreciate that. We're

not that old. About maybe even more than that

than 20 years ago. And we led a Bible study there

for five years. About 50 to 80 college students

in our Bible study at different times would come

and go. And anyway, a letter came through and

Paige, who works in the office, got it and she

forwarded it to me even that night. And I opened

it up and I read it and I just want to read it

to you. It says this, Merry Christmas Eve. I

don't have Joe Pemberty's email anymore, but

I wanted to reach out and thank him for his ministry

so many years ago. 20 years ago, during a college

group white elephant party, he came up and asked

me, are you happy? It caught me off guard, and

over the next 30 minutes or an hour, Joe asked

me many questions about sin in my life, called

me out on sin that had pervaded my heart and

thinking. I was ensnared and without a doubt

God used Joe to convict me and admonish me right

there, sitting outside of that Coca -Cola themed

house. He was so well used by my Savior to prune

sin from me and continue to shepherd me despite

my failing. I don't know what kind of year you're

having, Joe, but please know that God's work

through you is part of my testimony. and in the

way the Spirit worked that evening changed my

life. I don't know what happened to that bear

-shaped brownie pan that I won, but I do know

that I left that party broken, open, and no longer

strangled by that sin. I pray that your ministry

to your family and to your flock excels still

more. Merry Christmas I got to open that up on

Christmas and think back I Had no idea what I

was doing when I was 23 years old When was the

last time you think the person who shared the

gospel with you When's the last time you encouraged

that person who came alongside and said hey you

need Jesus You're acting out of line. That was

Ananias. He came in, obviously called of God,

just obeying God to come into his life and use

him. Each time he says, Ananias came in, Ananias

came in. It's important to realize, why is this

important? Because you didn't do it. The story

isn't about you. Your testimony actually isn't

about you. Your testimony is about God and those

who came into your life that God used to change

your life. Third part of this testimony, number

three. Life's mission for Christ. Now your life's

mission is for Christ. Look at verse 15. Your

sins calling on his name when I returned to Jerusalem

and was praying in the temple I fell into a trance

and saw him saying to me make haste get out Jerusalem

quickly because they will not accept your testimony

about me and I said Lord they themselves know

that in one synagogue after another I am prisoned

and beat those who believed in you and when the

flood or excuse me when the blood of Stephen

your Witness was being shed I myself was standing

by and approving and watching Over the garments

of those who killed him and he said to me go

for I will send you far away to the Gentiles

Paul now has a new Mission a new life entirely

changed Radically changed his purpose and mission

now is to get the gospel out to the Gentiles

He's a new man on a new mission building now

the kingdom of God. In Acts 9 and verse 15 he

says, go for he is a chosen instrument of mine

to carry my name before the Gentiles and to the

kings and to the children of Israel. He now has

a new purpose. Even in Ephesians 3, 8 he says,

I am the very least of all the saints. This grace

was given to me to preach to the Gentiles the

unsearchable riches of Christ. Paul's life, listen,

it was different once he came to know Christ

than it was before. He had new desires. He had

new obedience. All that information that he learned

as a child and and all that information that

that he grew up with and obeying the law now

it all made sense to him all of that isn't there

for for For him to obey in this strict manner

to obtain righteousness know all that that understanding

of the law was for him to recognize There's no

way I could obey the law to earn righteousness

to be saved He got it and now that obedience

to the law makes sense It's obedience to the

law so that he can fulfill his purpose in life,

which is to give God the glory as he shares the

gospel to the laws. He was changed. He was different.

Does your testimony include new desires that

are different from your old life? Are you different

than you were pre -Christ? What is your purpose

in life? Now notice this number three to wrap

it up here number three third major point here

is this we have now animosity from the audience

Alright, the last thing he says is he's gonna

send us to the Gentiles Well, they didn't like

that verse 22 up to this word. They listened

to him. They're all in they listened to him,

right? They raised their voices and said away

with such a fellow from the earth for he should

not be allowed to live They're shouting, they're

throwing their coats, there's dust flinging into

the air. One commentator said this in verse 22

where it says, there's dust flinging in the air.

One commentator says this, they couldn't find

rocks so they grabbed the dirt and threw it at

him. That's how upset they were. They ordered

him to the barracks, they want him flogged, they're

shouting at him. And he says this, is it lawful,

verse 25, is it lawful for you to flog a man

who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned? And when

the centurion heard this, He stopped for this

man is a Roman citizen Animosity has arisen They

want him dead They wanted Paul killed In fact

in verse 12 look at chapter 23 in verse 12 when

it was day the Jews made a plot and bound themselves

by an oath either to eat To not eat or drink

till they had killed Paul. That's how upset they

are. And here's the point I want to make in this.

Okay, you ready for this? Truth -tellers are

not wanted in a culture of liars. Truth -tellers

are not wanted in a culture of liars. That's

where we live. We should not be surprised by

this. They hated Jesus who spoke the truth. They

will hate all truth -tellers. They hated Peter,

they hated John, they hated Paul, they hated

Jesus, and guess what? Christian, they're gonna

hate you. Because you speak the truth about heaven

and hell and how to get there. You speak truth

about Jesus Christ. You speak truth about right

and wrong. And this is what Paul was doing. Simply

speaking the truth living out what he was appointed

to do by God They didn't beat him why because

he says he's a Roman Citizen now remember he

started out by saying what I am a Jew Right so

that gives him an opportunity to speak and he

comes to the end and he goes hey by the way I'm

also a Roman citizen. Oh wait. Well now we can't

beat you now. We can't flog you In Matthew 10

-16, Jesus says this, be wise as serpent and

innocent as doves. Right? He's even speaking

in the context of persecution. Right? We don't

just turn off our brains. No, we stay wise. We

stay innocent. Be wise in our evangelism. Paul

saved his own life by saying he's a Jew and he

saved his life again by saying he's a Roman citizen

both statements there are true verse 29 so those

who are about to examine him withdrew from him

immediately and the Tribune was also frayed for

he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and

that he had bound him He's like close up here,

I just want to Read this one quote to you. So

the last thought to put in your mind before we

go into communion. It says this Paul Was an extremely

rare individual. Yeah, you think It was uncommon

to find such an educated intelligent devout drew

Jew who was also a Roman citizen God would use

this unique background to use Paul in a special

way Even as he wants to use your unique background

and your testimony to use you in a special way.

Right? Hey, you've got a story to tell, believer.

You were saved by God through Jesus Christ. That

is radical. That is amazing. And it is a clear

picture of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And God

is going to use your background. God is going

to use your gifting. God is going to use your

story. for the glory of God as you share that

with the people around you. Well, we get an opportunity

to now take of the communion elements together

as a church, something that we love to do as

a church. I'm going to ask our deacons to come

forward. have Shay and the rest of the team come

up and lead us in worship and I Want us uniquely

this Sunday as we think about Communion and as

the elements are being passed we always want

you to just have an opportunity to have silence

and I want you to think about that moment that

God saved you and maybe it is you don't have

like a clear clear moment like the Apostle Paul

is but Would you just thank the Lord for the

gospel? Maybe it is that you even take this time

in communion to thank the Lord for the people

that he brought into your life to tell you about

the gospel Make this moment here as you hold

the bread and the cup in your hand about gospel

transformation that you are a Living example

of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's

not about you. It's about God. About his son,

Jesus Christ, and what he had done on the cross

for you. Just take a moment in the quietness

of your heart to meditate and think about those

things. Already said it to you, but in Acts 4

12 there is salvation in no one else For there

is no other name under heaven given among men

by which we must be to us would go on and write

a letter to the Corinthians talking about the

Lord's Supper in this moment that we're even

taking now as a church. They say this in verse

23 of chapter 11, for I received from the Lord

what I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus

on the night when he was betrayed he took the

bread and when giving thanks he broke it and

said this is my body which is for you. Do this

in remembrance of me. Church let's take the bread

in remembrance of the death. Jesus. After he

took the bread he took the cup and he said this

in the same way he took the cup after supper

saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance

of me for as often as you eat the bread and drink

the cup you proclaim the Lord's death. until

he returns. Church, in remembering the forgiveness

of sins that you have, the new covenant that

you have in Jesus Christ, let's proclaim the

Lord's death until he comes together. Lord Jesus,

thank you for the way that you have worked in

our hearts when we were dead in our trespasses

and sin. You made us alive together with Christ,

for by grace we have been saved. Not of ourselves.

It is the gift of God. Thank you, Lord. Lord,

thank you for the way you have shaped everyone

here and the testimonies that they have. All

unique, all different. But what unites us is

that God saves. What unites us is that it is

the power of God unto salvation And Lord, maybe

there's someone here who's thinking after hearing

this message that they're not sure about their

testimony Maybe they're going wait a minute.

I didn't I haven't thought through that Lord

would you by your spirit? Convict those hearts

and use this time in your word to soften and

draw those hearts to you even bring greater clarity

to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's in his name

we pray, amen.