Your Witness | Acts 22 | Pastor Keith

Open your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 22.

Acts 22 · chapter mention

We finished on Sunday. Paul is saved from the mob by

the Romans and as he's been carried literally above the

heads of the Romans to the barracks, he asked the

commander, could he speak to the crowd?

Could he address the crowd? Funny, probably.

If you and I will get us out of here, please get us somewhere

safe because remember they had been beating Paul, they were

trying to kill him. Paul says no, no, no.

Let me, let me, if I may, I address the crowd in some verse

22. We pick it up and what we have

here is Paul's defence before the Jews, his testimony.

Paul is about to give his this is my life experience to this

maddened crowd that had bits of his skin under their fingernails

and bits of his hair, blood from his body on them, on their

fists. And he's about to give them his

testimony, a crowd that wants him dead Conall not like the

normal audience use the address, you know, and he starts off with

telling them that I'm one of you, I'm a Jew because he begins

to speak in Hebrew, Aramaic. And the crowd hushes when

they're oh, this God, he's he's Jewish.

And he's about to tell them something significant that we'll

learn of tonight, the power of our testimony.

He's about to tell them that God, Jesus Christ specifically,

has changed me forever. He's going to give his personal

testimony. He's about to tell them I am not

the same person I once was. You're going to actually use

those words yourself the next time you're sharing with mom,

dad, brother, sister, Co worker, stranger about Christianity.

The most powerful sermon that's people will hear is written in

shoe leather. Your shoe leather, it says in

2nd Corinthians 517. Therefore, if any man be in

Christ, he is a new creature. That's either true or not.

Old things have passed away. It's my old life.

Behold my new life. All things have become new.

All things. What we have today,

unfortunately is people where they've made a statement, but

there's been no change and thus the witness of the church has

weakened over time. Paul has 1 burning desire now,

which is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Is that your one burning desire? Oh no, I want to win a Lotto, I

want to go to Europe, I want to buy a caravan, travel around

Australia. Nothing wrong with any of those

things besides buying lottery tickets.

Paul has 1 burning desire. The the How Long I was Saved on

a Tuesday and remember it vividly in March 1977.

And that weekend we set up on a tour.

We set off on a personal testimony tour.

We went and visited every member of our family, both sides, to

tell them something's happened to us, we've changed who changed

us, what we are now and what we're going to be and everyone.

That's nice, good for you. But it was the one burning

desire. Remember the woman at the well,

she can go home and go, man, that was an experience.

And 1/2 meeting that guy, wow, she ran into the city.

Everybody, you got to come out and listen to this guy.

And Paul is about to witness his personal testimony with his

fellow Jews. Why is he going to do that?

Because he knows. And that's what happens when you

get saved. You know, family members, loved

ones, you know what? They're not saved.

There's a difference now. There's something that you have

to do now because you know what awaits those who aren't saved.

Paul knew that all Scripture now and he was a Pharisee.

He says he is a Pharisee of the Pharisees.

Every Pharisee knew Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,

Deuteronomy off by heart. They knew the law, they knew the

prophets, they lived them. They counted out seeds and

everything else for tithes and offerings.

Paul knew all these scriptures, but now all these scriptures he

knows point to one person, Jesus Christ.

That's what the Bible is. It's his story.

History is his story and he wants to share the Scriptures.

He wants to tell the Jews who know the Scriptures but don't

know the King or the author or the God of the Scriptures.

They know about the God of the Scriptures, but they don't know

the God of the Scriptures. In the beginning was the Word,

the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word

became flesh and dwelt amongst us, Jesus Christ.

He knew that the Scripture spoke of Christ as the King, King of

not only Israel but King of kings, but also that he was the

suffering servant. There was a purpose and a reason

why Jesus came, suffered and died on the cross.

Paul speaks as to how he was the persecutor of those who belong

to what was called the way followers of Christ.

Because Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life.

I was just like you, Paul said. And that's what how we can we

can talk to friends and people that you work with a stranger

about your faith. I was just like you and Paul.

Paul shares his personal testimony.

The most powerful witness you can give to someone else is to

share the changes God has wrought in your life since you

received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

Men and brethren, fathers, hear my defence which I make unto

you. And when they heard that he

spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more

silence. And he said, I am verily a man

which am a Jew. I'm like you, born in Tarsus

City in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of

Gamma Leal. Gamma Leal was the rabbi of

Rabbi. He's the greatest teacher of

Hebrews, taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the

fathers. I know the law.

I know better than you. I was zealous toward God.

I lived it as you all are this day.

You're living. I know you're living for God.

You're trying. And I persecuted this way these

followers unto death. I, I, I tracked them down until

they were killed, binding, delivering into prisons both men

and women. Paul was relentless, as also the

high priest does. Bear me witness.

You are the 1. You gave me the, the documents

that I was to take with me to Damascus and all the estate of

the elders, from whom I also received letters unto the

brethren. And I was on my way to Damascus

to bring them of the way which were bound unto Jerusalem.

I was going to chain them up, bring them back to Jerusalem,

put them in gaol, have them persecuted, have them put to

death, have them punished. And it came to pass that as I

was on this journey, as I made my journey and was come near to

Damascus, and it was noon now, noon in Damascus, it's bright,

it's dazzling. Suddenly there was this shone

from heaven even a greater light, far greater dazzling than

the noonday sun in Damascus, and shone around about me.

And I fell onto the ground stunned, heard a voice saying to

me, Saul, Saul, why persecutors thou me?

And I answered, Who are you, Lord?

And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecutors.

And they that were with me saw indeed the light, thou were

afraid, but they heard not the voice of him that spoke to me.

And I said, What shall I do, Lord?

The Bible tells us no man can call Jesus Christ Lord except by

the Holy Spirit. The fact that Paul acknowledged

Jesus as Lord shows us he had a genuine conversion on the road

to Damascus. His life was turned 180°.

That's called repentance about term, military term, from being

the enemy of Christ to becoming the bond slave of Christ.

What a radical change that is. And the Lord said unto me, Arise

going to Damascus, and there it shall be told you of all the

things which are appointed for you to do So here was the first

step. Go to Damascus.

You see, God only gave Paul the first step.

You'll notice with me in the Bibles, Paul would never have

gotten to the second step until he had taken the 1st.

It's something so many people lose sight of.

They come out for prayer. They went counselling about

something and you know they haven't done the first step.

First step is, are you saved? Do you know Christ?

No. He's praying about your marriage

and praying about this and being a better mother and a better

father, all that. Are you saved?

First, first step and then once you are saved, then the other

steps are are you living according to God's will,

according to his plan? Are you reading the Bible?

Are you praying? If you aren't doing those first

steps, you can forget all about all this other stuff down the

road because you're nowhere near that.

You see, we each discover God's plans by taking single steps of

faith. Book of Proverbs says the steps

of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

Why does it say the steps? Because God only tells you this

bit today. Do this today.

Don't worry about tomorrow. Do this today.

What you and I want. We want five years, 10 years

down the down the line. Well, where's this going to go?

What's going to happen? Hey, just do what I've asked you

to do today. Now Visions 210 says, for we are

his workmanship. Many of you know the word Greek

word poema, his work of art, what he's doing created in

Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained.

What that we should walk in them doesn't say run, make haste in

them doesn't. Doesn't God want us to walk

before him? You know, walking is just a

measured step, one step at a time.

God has planned your whole life. Psalm 139 tells us that.

Did you know that God has planned your whole life?

He's planned. He knew you'll be here tonight.

He says you're going to be here tonight.

I'm going to say this to you. You're going to listen, you're

going to take in some parts, some parts.

There are things that I need to say to you tonight because you

need to hear them tonight. That's why you're here.

God has planned your whole life, He said to young Jeremiah, who's

just a teenager. Chapter one, verse 5.

Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you.

And before you came forth out of the womb, I sanctified you.

That means I set you apart for a purpose.

And I ordained you. I've given you this mission, a

prophet to speak on behalf of me unto the nations.

What did Jeremiah say? I'm just a kid.

What are you talking about? You see, God doesn't care how

old you are. Then say ah, sorry, sorry

Jeremy, I'll wait to you. I'll wait to you've done your

thing, you know, growing up, gone through teenagers and you

know you've gone this and had your your backpacked around the

world. Then I'll then we'll talk.

No, Jeremiah, I'm calling you now.

Before I formed you, I knew you. Sadly, as a pastor, I think that

most people miss the the purpose of God for their existence

because one, they get caught up in the cares of this life, isn't

it? I think it's sinful, but isn't

it ridiculous that we are too busy for God?

Think about it. Isn't it ridiculous that we are

too busy to read, to pray, to speak, to honour, to worship the

King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Creator of heaven and

earth? Think about that.

People get caught up in the cares of this life and guess you

know how long this life is. It's just but a cloud, James

says. It's just but a vapour gone.

What then? And the deceitfulness of riches.

Well, I'll be happy if I just find a good fellow.

Good lady, get this good job, have this good car, get that

seat away. As long as I got that, I'll be

happy. No, you won't.

It's like people try and travel and, and do lots of things and

change locations and things to, to try and find a, a, a getaway.

And I well, let's sell the farm and let's move into the city or

let's sell the city house and move into a farm and, and let's

try this. You know, you take your problems

with you because you're the problem.

The only place that's changed is your environment.

The deceitfulness of riches things won't fix you.

And thirdly, the desire of other things chokes out what God would

have them accomplish for His purpose.

And that word choke means strangle.

So God has all this stuff. And what happens is is you kind

of you, you come into church and you got pots and pans and you

got, you know, businesses and things.

You got things on the stove in your mind.

What I'm going to cook for Mother's Day, who's coming or

what am I doing? I've got this plan.

I've got to fix that. The plumber's coming and I've

got all this stuff around me and I and I dragging into church

with me. God can't, He can't get near me.

He can't. He can't get near me because the

desire of other things is choking, strangling what God

would have them accomplished for His purpose.

God has a plan for you, and it's an amazing plan.

It's in that plan that you will find joy.

It's in that plan that you will find peace.

Apart from that plan, you'll grumble, you'll be angry, you'll

be upset, you'll be anxious, you'll be troubled, and that

will just continue on. And the more you get stuck in

with the cares of the world, the more angry, the more struggling,

the more things will fall apart. Things won't work.

The Lord has a plan for each of us.

Philippians chapter 3, verse 12 says, not as though I had

Philippians 3:12

already attained. Paul says about his life either.

We're already perfect, but I follow after if that I may

apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

He says I each day I want to serve him and grow and learn and

know how do we discover the how do we discover the purpose that

God has for our lives? Simple.

It's very simple, but it's difficult by yielding ourselves.

I beseech you, therefore, that you present your bodies.

What a living sacrifice. If you want to follow me, take

up the cross, deny yourself, deny yourself, take up the

cross. Jesus said seek ye first the

Kingdom of God, the first commandment.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind,

soul and strength. If you see this is where it's

at. That's why when people come for

counselling or something or or or want to be prayed for, the

first things we need to find out is how do you walk with God?

Because it's just, we're just banging our heads against the

wall. We're thinking of something

else. Try and try and down, down the

road a little. We yield ourselves.

And how do we yield ourselves? We walk by faith one step at a

time. Today do the will of God

tomorrow. When you pray for tomorrow, pray

God tomorrow help me to walk in your will.

Help me to know your will for me to do that tomorrow.

Help me to speak to the people I need to speak to.

Help me not to say the things I shouldn't say.

Guide me through your word as I read it in the morning.

Guide my steps. Go before me into tomorrow.

Lord, leave me. Guide me one step at a time so I

can always walk by faith and not by sight.

But I must take that first step. Have you taken the first step

Paul did on the road to Damascus?

Paul began his journey on the road and look at the difference.

He started off as a Saul and he ends up as a Paul took about

180° change on the road to Damascus.

He had set out plans, chains. Gang a posse with him, it says

on the road to Damascus, as he started says of Paul or Saul, he

was fiercely angry man snorting just get people.

Murder was in his eyes. He was going to get these people

he was going to have put to death.

And in his heart, he was livid about this mob.

The way man, he was angry again. He just wondered all men, women

should get them all, bring them back, bring them back in chains.

But now, as he came into Damascus, he's blind.

He's LED like a lamb. The anger, notice this, please.

The anger and hatred were all gone.

Wow. Because you see, when you have

the grace of God, what comes? Peace.

Maybe you don't have peace tonight.

The question is, do you have the grace now?

The peace of God ruled over his heart and soul.

He was a changed man, absolutely changed verse 11 when I could

not see for the glory of that light being led by the hand of

them that were with me. I came into Damascus one Ananias

A devout man. Notice how Paul now describes

Ananias. He doesn't say and Ananias he

was a Christian. He doesn't mention that.

He says he's remember he's, he's here as a Jews, devout Jews, and

one Ananias, A devout man, a godly man according to the law.

He was a godly man having a good report of all the Jews who dwelt

there in Syria, came to me, stood and said to me, Brother

Saul, receive your sight in the same hour I looked upon him.

Paul, in describing the godly man and servant Ananias, doesn't

say he's a believer. Instead he described Ananias as

a devout man according to the law.

Because this is the people he's trying to win.

He had a good reputation Ananias amongst his fellow Jews in

Damascus. All this was important to his

hears. And they're all going Oh yeah,

yeah, yeah, here, go on. And he's leading them.

Verse 14 And he said the God of our fathers.

Notice when he said the God of our fathers has chosen you, that

you should know his will and see that just one capitals and

should hear the voice of his mouth Speaking of Jesus, the God

of our fathers, John 1516 says You have not chosen me, but I

have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring

forth fruit, that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever

you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Here's the deal Paul is being told by Ananias.

God chose you, Paul, Saul, you're chosen.

Our God, the God of our fathers has chosen you.

If anyone today ever lacks self esteem as they call it, knowing

that Jesus has chosen you should forever take care of that

problem once and for all. Because when you realise you're

chosen by God, it takes everything.

Verse 15 For you shall be his witness.

This is what Paul is at the job unto all men of what you have

seen and heard, give your testimony.

That's what you ought to do, mine to do.

What have you seen and heard? What has God done in your life

chosen to be a witness to all men?

Paul would share his personal testimony with Felix.

Not the cat, but Felix, the Procurator of Judea.

Procurator was a Roman military position that had control over

entire countries. The procurator would under the

Roman system, any country under the Roman system, the procurator

ran the show. He was going to give.

He's going to give his testimony to Phoenix.

He's going to give it to this poor kid called Festus.

Festus got made a lot of fun of at school because his name was

Festus. Festus was the successor of

Felix as the procurator of Judea.

And then Paul would give his personal testimony to King

Agrippa. And then we believe because he

stood before Caesar, that Paul gave his personal testimony to

Caesar Nero before his death. So on another at least 4

occasions, Paul is going to tell people, this is what happened to

me. How many people have you told

what happened? What's happened to you?

How many people have you shared, this is my story, this is what

happened, this is what I used to be, this is what I was doing.

This is how I lived, how I believe now this is what I am,

this is what I do. Do you have a testimony?

You do if you've been saved by Jesus Christ and then Ananias

says to him, and now why Terrius, thee arise, be baptised

and wash away the thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord,

Ananias tells Paul or what are you waiting for?

You see we are saved. What for?

So we go, Jesus is coming, Jesus coming, let's meet together,

Jesus coming. We are saved to serve.

We are saved now to begin to do the good works that God has

prepared before the foundation of the earth, before your form

for you to do. So what is it that God wants you

to do? Each and everyone of you?

Baptism followed for Paul. Why?

Because I baptism was a public announcement.

What's happened in his heart that he did indeed believe in

Jesus Christ, that he was the Son of God.

That's why he was baptised. He's telling people by his

baptism. I'm a follower of Jesus now full

on if I am baptised but still ruled by my flesh.

And sadly, many people get baptised and there's no change.

I still live as they've been living.

But if I am baptised but still ruled by my flesh, then my

baptism was a hypocritical religious experience because I'm

still living after the flesh. Why?

Because the Bible tells us so. Romans 63 No, you're not that.

So many of us were baptised unto Jesus Christ, were baptised unto

his death. That means when we're baptised

we recognise we're dead. It's the old means finished and

talk about the old Keith, Bob, Harry, Jack.

That's not my life. Now that life is dead and

buried. That's why we go into the ocean

and we lower you back. It's a funeral and you come out

walking in the newness of life. Galatians 320 says, For as many

of you as have been baptised unto Christ have put on Christ.

Now you walk following Christ in his righteousness, covered by

his precious blood. The problem is we have a

Christianity Today that says come and go, please yourself.

Doesn't matter what you believe. You know you have a religious

experience. But we see no change and people

go, why should I follow bother going to that church?

Why should I bother being like that person?

Because they're the same as they've always been.

Their mouth is still the same, Their thoughts are still the

same, the way they raise their kids are still the same.

Their marriage is still the same, Their life is still the

same. John tells us the 1 John

shouldn't be. Paul told us in that first

scripture, we're new creatures in Christ.

We've been changed, old things have passed away.

We hold all things anew. Doesn't mean we're perfect, but

it means this. And John tells us, the 1 John

that we now no longer practise sin.

We slip up, yes, but it's not our habitual lifestyle anymore.

Verse 17 And it came to pass that when I was come again to

Jerusalem, even while I pray in the temple, I was in the trance.

Paul mentions this only once, doesn't write about this time in

any of his letters. Why?

Because he wants the word to be significant and not just this

time where he had God gave him a vision.

Paul's first trip back to Jerusalem after his conversion

experience. This was after his desert

experience as well where he had spent, remember three years in

Arabia, verse 18 and saw him Jesus saying unto me, make

haste, get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they will not

receive your testimony concerning me.

If Paul, Paul wanted to stay in Jerusalem, you know what he

wanted to give his testimony and God said that's not what I want

you to do and you can't go. No Lord, I got a better idea.

That's not what I want you to do.

And I said, Lord, they know that I am prison and be in every

synergy of them that believe in thee.

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was

standing by consenting unto his death and kept the raiment, the

clothing of them that killed him.

Paul is reminded he heard Stephen's message.

It was powerful. Verse 21 and Jesus said unto me

get depart move for I will send you their far hence unto the

Gentiles. So Paul have been going pretty

well so far. Crowds go hey, it's interesting

good story mate, mate, God appeared to him.

Wow, let's hear about this all so good.

Verse 22 and they gave him audience under this word and

then lifted up their voice and said because he said something.

All was going great until Paul mentioned the word Gentiles and

that just went I was like Chuck and petrol on a live fight just

went boom. Then the crowd went ballistic

dirt thrown in the air, death chance, kill him, kill him, grab

him, kill him, kill him and they were screaming.

Now the Romans had no idea what was going on.

Why? Because they can't understand

Hebrew or Aramaic. Only the Jews could.

They can only speak Latin. They've gone what what he just

said. And so they grab hold of him and

they gave him audience until this word, then lifted up their

voices said away with such a fellow from the earth.

But it's not fit that he should live.

Let's kill him. And as they cried out, cast up

their clothes and threw dust in the air, the chief captain

commanded him to be brought into the castle, bade that he should

be examined by scourging, that he might know why they why

they're carrying on as they bound him with thongs.

Paul said under the centurion that stood by.

You can imagine how Paul said this.

By the way, you know I'm a Roman.

What, because it was against the law to be even be bound by as a

Roman without a trial, and then to be whipped by a Roman?

Whoa, that's bad news. You couldn't do that.

Paul makes known I am a Roman citizen.

When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief

captain saying, take heed what you do.

Hey, this guy's a Roman. And the chief captain came and

said to him, tell me you a Roman?

Are you are you a Roman? He said yes.

And the chief captain answered, well, with a great son like

imagine him stuttering. I obtained this freedom and Paul

said I was freeborn. Wow, that means it's his parents

had earned something from Rome for them to be made Roman

citizens and straight away they departed from him, which should

have examined him. And the chief captain also was

afraid after he knew that he was a Roman because he had bound him

and on the Morrow because he would have known the certainty

wherefore he was accused of the Jews found in his bands command

the chief priests and all the council to appear brought Paul

down sitting before them he says, well, this is your job.

That's Part 1, Part 2. We get to on Sunday.

What's your testimony? When was the last time you

shared with a family member your testimony?

I did that with my dad wrote in a letter.

He got saved from that letter. He came to Christ because of

that letter I wrote down as a son to a father.

Dad, why don't you know this? I tried talking to him.

It wasn't the right way. What was the last time you sat

down, looked at your daughter or your husband, your mum, dad,

brother, sister, wife in the face and said, I want to tell

you what's happened to me and share the most powerful story of

how God changed you. That's why God chose you to be

his witness for you to share the most wondrous story of how God

change you and he planned a life for you before you were even

born. Father, we thank you for your

word. We ask now for your great grace

and mercy to lead us and guide us.

Help us to be witnesses, help us to share our testimony, help us

to to be willing to share it like Paul to share it with

people who perhaps aren't friendly toward us.

But Lord, they need to hear. We pray and ask for your grace

and courage to do that. This we pray in Jesus name.

Everyone said Amen, just to know you.