We can learn a great deal from apostle Paul when it comes to sharing our faith. From this passage we learn we must have an earnest desire for the salvation of others, we need to look for common ground, and we need to point people away from religion to Christ Himself.
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Sharing Your Faith
Acts 21:37 – 22:21
If I were to ask you this morning, “What is the most difficult, intimidating and scary task that the Lord has given us as Christians?” what would you respond? I think, hands down, we would answer that it is sharing our faith with others. However, one of the easiest and most natural ways of sharing your faith is to give your testimony. At our recent baptism, I asked Kevin and Angela to share their testimony. A testimony is just another word for your “story” – your spiritual journey. If you have been born again, you have a testimony. It is a joy whenever we have an opportunity to share with others our testimony. Even if you are a brand new Christian, and don’t know the Bible very well, you can still share your testimony with others. In John 9 we read of Jesus healing a man who was born blind. The only problem was that Jesus did this miracle on the Sabbath, and so, of course, the Pharisees were all up in arms about this. They brought the healed man before them and began to grill him about who this Jesus was who had healed him. Of course the man didn’t know much about Jesus – he had only met him that very day. But he does know enough to say in John 9:25 “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” If you are a genuine Christian, you can say the same thing. At one time you were blind to the glory of Christ, but now you see it!
In Acts 22 we find Paul giving his testimony before a Jewish mob. He gives his Testimony in 3 sections: His life before conversion (22:1-5), The Circumstances of his Conversion (22:6-16), and His Commission after his Conversion (22:17-21). I’m going to take our time this morning, to pull out some practical lessons on sharing your faith with others, and in particular, sharing your testimony with others. If we are going to share our faith with others there are certain things we need: We need to earnestly desire their salvation; we need to look for common ground; we need to emphasize the inability of religion to save; we need to emphasize the sovereign initiative of God; we need to emphasize the supernatural work of God.
1. We Need To Earnestly Desire The Salvation of the Lost: 21:37-40.
Now, let’s remember the context of this passage. Paul has arrived to bring the gifts from the Gentile churches to relieve the poor brethren in Jerusalem. While he is there, James tells him that the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem have heard a rumor about Paul that he is anti-Jewish. They have heard that he is teaching Christian Jews outside Palestine, that they should reject the law of Moses, not circumcise their children or walk according to the customs. It is true that Paul taught all men that a man is not saved by keeping the Law, and it is true that he taught the Gentiles that they didn’t need to be circumcised or circumcise their children to be right with God. However, it’s not true that he taught Jewish believers that they should not continue to practice the customs and traditions of Judaism, such as observing the feasts and festivals, and various rituals. James tells Paul that he could get rid of these negative opinions the Jews in Jerusalem have toward him if he will just pay the expenses of 4 Jewish believers who are ending a Nazirite vow in the temple. So, Paul goes ahead with this plan, but there’s where the trouble starts!
While Paul was in the temple, the unbelieving Jews saw him there, and assumed wrongly that he had brought Trophimus, the Gentile, into the temple. This was a capital crime in Jerusalem, so these Jews were able to stir up a riot. They dragged Paul out of the temple, and tried to beat him to death. Fortunately for Paul, the Fortress Antonia was right next to the temple, and when the Commander saw that a riot was forming, he took some soldiers down to break it up. He bound Paul with 2 chains and then ordered him to be brought into the barracks, as the Jews screamed, “Away with him!” Now, that’s where we left off last week.
At this point Paul asked in Greek if he could speak to the Commander. The Commander was surprised that he could speak Greek, because he assumed that Paul was the Egyptian terrorist. Josephus, the Jewish historian wrote of this man as “an Egyptian false prophet” who had led thousands of his followers to the Mount of Olives, and promised them that when the walls of Jerusalem fell flat at his command, they would be able to break into the city and overpower the Romans. However, the Romans intervened, and the ‘dagger men’ were killed, captured, or scattered. The Egyptian disappeared, and now the Commander thought he had appeared again and was responsible for this temple riot.
Now, notice what it is that Paul wants to ask this Commander. In 21:39, Paul says, “I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” Now, why was Paul begging to be able to speak to the Jewish mob that wanted to kill him? We find the answer in Romans 9:1-3. Paul is saying there that he loved the Jewish people so much, and longed for their salvation so greatly, that, if it were possible, he would be willing to be accursed, and separated from Christ forever, if it only meant that they would be saved! Wow, what an incredible statement! Then, later in Romans 10:1 he says, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them (Israel) is for their salvation.” Paul always had this burning desire in his heart to see his Jewish brothers and sisters come to Christ. The only problem was that God had not called him primarily to minister to Jews, but to Gentiles. At this time in Paul’s life, he has been on 3 missionary journeys, preaching the gospel predominantly to Gentiles. But now that he has come to Jerusalem, and he has the whole city as his audience, he thinks, “This is it! My time has finally come. Commander, please give me an opportunity to speak to these people!”
Now, it’s at this point that I have a great admiration for Paul. Here he was, beaten, bruised, and half-dead. If I had just gotten bean up by an angry mob that were trying to kill me, but then was rescued, I don’t think the first thought on my mind would be to preach to them. I’d probably be thinking, “Praise the Lord, I’m safe! Get me out of here so I can recover from this great trauma!”
Life Application: Now, let me ask you a question – do you share Paul’s zeal for the salvation of the lost? If you want God to use you in sharing your faith, you must earnestly desire the salvation of the people you are speaking with. If you don’t really desire their salvation, don’t be surprised if your words fall flat when you share Christ with them. But, if you do really desire their salvation, it will cause you to cry out to God for their souls, to fast and pray for them, and even to weep at the thought of them perishing in their sins.
Charles Spurgeon once put it this way, “If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
Can you say “Amen” to that? Do you feel that way? Does your heart break for people that you know? Oh, God change us! Transform us! Give us a greater zeal for the salvation of the lost!
2. We Need to Look For Common Ground:
Notice how Paul masterfully builds bridges between himself and these angry Jews. Paul knows that he’s going to have to find a way to relate to them, and build credibility with them, if they are ever going to really listen to what he has to say. So, what does he do? He emphasizes their common spiritual heritage – their Jewishness. Paul really had much in common with these Jews, and so he is careful to emphasize it.
22:1 – “Brethren and fathers” – Paul begins very respectfully. He doesn’t say, “You mob of blaspheming religious infidels!” No, he addresses them respectfully as Jewish brethren, and Jewish fathers.
22:2 – “addressing them in the Hebrew dialect” – Paul had addressed the Commander in Greek, his own mother tongue. But when he addressed the Jews, he spoke in Hebrew, their mother tongue. This was just another little way Paul was building common ground with his audience. He was a Jew and spoke Hebrew, just as they did.
22:3 – “I am a Jew” – these are the very first words out of his mouth. We have our Jewishness in common. “Born in Tarsus of Cilicia” – a city known for its great learning. Paul is saying that he’s not stupid. He is enlightened and cultured. “Brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel” – and to go further, I was brought up here in Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, the city of God. Paul’s Jewishness was incontrovertible, since he was a disciple of Gamaliel, the greatest teacher of the day, and the leader of the school of Hillel. “strictly according to the law of our fathers” – here again Paul has identified himself with his audience. Both he and they had lived strictly according to the Law of God. “being zealous for God just as you all are today” – I lived just like you do. I was extremely zealous for God as a Jew. Well, how did he show his zeal for God?
22:4 – “I persecuted this Way to the death…” – Paul showed his zeal for God by persecuting Christians who differed from his own faith. He bound and put both men and women in prison – he was an Equal Opportunity Persecutor!
22:5 – “as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify” – if you doubt my word, just ask the high priest and the members of the Sanhedrin. They are still alive and can verify my words. Paul proved his zeal, by not only persecuting Christians in Jerusalem, but then tirelessly branching out to outlying cities, he went to Damascus to do the same there.
Life Application: Paul knew it was important to establish some common ground with those he was trying to reach. This is an important principle for us. If you want to reach others for Christ, it starts with having a deep burden for their soul. But then, you need to be a smart missionary and figure out how you can identify with and build bridges to this person. Paul did it by establishing their common spiritual heritage. How can you do it? Perhaps by focusing on the fact that you are both musicians, or both widows, or homemakers, or Russians, or both like the same TV show, or both like to go fishing, or both unemployed, etc. You get the idea. The list goes on and on. If you can’t think of anything else, you can always share that you are both sinners in need of a Savior. You want to win your friend, your neighbor, your workmate to Christ? Capitalize on what you have in common. You both like to fish? Go fishing with him and pray for an opportunity to share your faith. You both have small children? Get into a same group of Mothers and pray for an opportunity to share Christ with her. Once you have an earnest desire for his/her salvation, start asking yourself how you can identify with and relate to that person so that you build common ground to share the gospel.
3. We Need To Emphasize The Inability of Religion To Save:
Paul in 22:3-5 has just laid out how religious he was. He was a Jew, grew up in the holy city of Jerusalem, educated by the greatest teacher of the day, Gamaliel, lived strictly according to God’s Law, and was so zealous for God that he persecuted those who disagreed with his religious views even to foreign cities. Would you say Paul was a religious person? Would you say he was a VERY religious person?! Well, did all his religious efforts bring him into a saving relationship with God? Was he reconciled to God? Was he saved? No! It was the exact opposite! In verse 7 we find out that he was actually persecuting Jesus! In 22:14 Ananias tells Paul that Jehovah God had appointed him to know his will, see the Righteous One and hear an utterance from His mouth. That must mean that Paul did know His will before this time. Further in 22:16 Ananias exhorts Paul to arise and be baptized, wash away his sins, calling on His name. That must mean that prior to this time, Paul’s sins had not been washed away. What do you call a man who has not had his sins washed away, who doesn’t know God’s will, and is persecuting God’s Son? An unconverted, lost man!
In Jesus’ day, he often drew swords with the religious people. They were called Pharisees. They devoted their lives to learning and obeying God’s Law. Yet, in Matthew 23, Jesus says “Woe to you, scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites!” The word “woe” meant “intense grief or misery.” It was an expression of doom. These super-religious men were doomed! They were hypocrites! In 23:14 Jesus said they would receive greater condemnation. In 23:15 he calls them sons of hell. In 23:17 he calls them fools and blind men. In 23:27 he calls them whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. In 23:33 he calls them serpents, and asks them how they will escape the sentence of hell. Clearly, just because these men were religious did not mean they were saved and on their way to heaven!
Further, think about another Pharisee in John chapter 3 named Nicodemus. Jesus told this religious Pharisee, who was probably a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest ruling body in Israel, that he must be born again. Jesus said that unless he was born again he would never see or enter the kingdom of God.
Life Application: So, what bearing does all this have on sharing our faith? Just this – don’t ever assume the person you are witnessing to is saved, just because he is religious! Any person who does not trust in Jesus Christ is lost, according to John 14:6 and Acts 4:12. I know some of you are going to bristle when I say this, but I need to declare it boldly: Jews, and Muslims, and Hindus, and Budhists are lost! The only way a sinner can have his sins removed is through faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice. Remember, Jesus said that many enter the wide gate and follow the broad way that leads to destruction, and that few find the narrow way that leads to life (Mt. 7:13-14). Not only are all non-Christians lost, but even religious professing Christians may be lost. Notice, I said “professing” Christians. There is a difference between someone who professes Christ, and someone who possesses Christ. It’s the difference between life and death, heaven and hell. Notice Jesus’ own words in Luke 13:24-27. Jesus clearly says that there will be people who heard His teaching, and received communion who will be shocked to find out that they are excluded from the kingdom of heaven and Jesus doesn’t know them. Religion can not save! Only Jesus can save! When we are sharing our faith with religious people, we need to steer them away from religion and to Jesus. We need to get their focus off their church attendance, their tithes, their prayers, their Bible reading, and get them to trust in the Son of God who poured out His life’s blood for their salvation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph. 2:8-9). Religion is bankrupt as a Savior, and no one who trusts in their religion will be in heaven. They must have a saving covenant relationship with God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Point men and women to Him.
And not only is it important for you to know this when you are sharing your faith. It’s important for you to know this for your own salvation. Are you banking your salvation on your religious deeds? Repent! “Cast your deadly doing down, down at Jesus’ feet. Stand in Him, in Him alone, gloriously complete!” “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling, Naked come to Thee for dress, Helpless look to Thee for grace, Foul I to the fountain fly, wash me Savior, or I die!”
4. We Need To Rely On The Sovereign Initiative Of God:
Paul was not seeking for Christ, when He saved him. Paul was persecuting Christ! Paul was on his way to Damascus to beat and imprison Christians. Paul was utterly shocked when Jesus appeared to him and conquered his stubborn will. Jesus sought Paul – Paul did not seek Jesus. Jesus took the sovereign initiative in Paul’s conversion. Jesus is always first. No one will ever seek Jesus, before Jesus seeks Him!
Life Application: when you are sharing your faith, remember that it is God who makes men Christians, not them. This takes the pressure off of you and them. You can’t make anyone a Christian, and they can’t make themselves into a Christian. God Himself must take the initiative if anyone is ever going to be saved. You say, “Brian, can you back that up in the Word?” I’m glad you asked! Romans 3:10 says that there is none who seeks for God. Romans 10:20 says “I (God) was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” So, if no one seeks for God, how does anyone ever find God? Jesus gives us the answer in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws Him.” Again in John 6:65 Jesus says, “No one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” So, for anyone to come to Jesus in faith means the Father has drawn him, and the Father has granted him a gift. The New Testament elsewhere refers to this drawing of the Father as being “called.” It is an effectual, irresistible, all-powerful call of God that comes to God’s elect, enabling them to see the glory of Christ so that they turn from sin and embrace Jesus for all that He is, and all He has accomplished in faith.
When we really believe this, what will it do? It will cause us to give up trusting in the “free will” of the person we are witnessing to, and cast off all confidence in our witnessing techniques or power of persuasion. Ultimately, when all is said and done, none of this will bring anyone to salvation. God Himself, must draw near and reveal Himself to that lost person in sovereign grace. We need to realize this, pray for this, and trust in this!
5. We Need To See The Supernatural Work of God:
When Paul was converted, you see the supernatural work of God all over the place. In 22:6 Paul sees a very bright light at noontime. Then he hears a voice from heaven. Paul answers the voice, and the Voice talks back! The light is so bright that it blinds Paul. Later Ananias comes and supernaturally heals Paul of his blindness. Later, after Paul’s conversion, the Lord reveals Himself to him in a vision, and tells him to get out of Jerusalem because the Jews would not accept his testimony. Paul argues with the Lord, but the Lord insists that he go, because He will send him far away to the Gentiles (22:17-21). So Paul sees a supernatural light, hears a supernatural voice, has a conversation with this voice, is blinded by this light, then is healed from his blindness. There can be no question that the supernatural was involved in his conversion.
Life Application: So, was this only true in Paul’s conversion? Absolutely not! Whenever any sinner is converted, you will see the supernatural work of God. You may not see it in outward things like lights, voices, blindings, and healings, but you will definitely see a supernatural work of God going on inside that person. In 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, Paul writes that when someone is converted, God Himself shines in their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Until God supernaturally shines His light int a sinner’s heart and reveals to them the glory of Jesus Christ, that person is not saved. In other words, God must supernaturally change a person’s heart in order for a true conversion to occur. What that means, is that what we are looking for in a supposed convert, is not them trying harder to be good, or turning over a new leaf, or joining the church. What we are looking for is a person who has had a heart of stone, finding that they now have a heart of flesh. We are looking for a person who never cared very much for Jesus, now falling in love with Him. We are looking for a work of God that dramatically changes a person on the inside! And, when it happens, you’ll know it. When God calls someone, their heart supernaturally changes. This is what Angela and Kevin have recently experienced. Let’s never be content with someone making a simple profession of faith. We must see evidence of regeneration. You must be born again! The people we are sharing the gospel to must experience new birth! Let’s pray for that, and labor for that, and never be content until we see that!
Conclusion:
May God raise up an army of missionaries here at the Bridge! God has called you to be a missionary if you are a Christian. He has called you to share your faith with others. He has called you to bring the gospel to your family members, your neighbors, your friends, your workmates.
But what principles have we seen this morning in Paul’s conversion that will help us in this tremendous work? We’ve seen that when sharing our faith, we must earnestly desire the salvation of those we are speaking to; we must find common ground with them; we must emphasize the inability of religion to save; we must rely on the sovereign initiative of God, and we must see the supernatural work of God in their hearts.
God help us to be passionate about bringing lost people to Christ!
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