Sunday, February 10, 2013

From Acts to Revelation Part 63 – Paul's Defense



From Acts to Revelation
Part 63  – Paul's Defense
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

INTRODUCTION
Last week, we saw Paul arrested in the Temple, as he prepared to take the Nazerite Vow. Remember we spoke about perspective, and how God allows things in our lives we don't always understand, but He has a plan, and He is in control, even when it may appear to us otherwise.

After the Roman guards arrested Paul, and took him to from the Temple to a guards tower, he stopped the captain and asked if he may speak to the people who were still riotous over him being there.

The captain said yes, and in chains, protected by armed Roman guards, Paul turned to the Jews outside the Temple and spoke to them in Aramaic.

In looking at today's scripture, we will see who Paul WAS, who he has BECOME, and the fears of returning to the world as a NEW creation.

In parallel, we can look at ourselves, and see how important it is for us to remember who we were, who Christ has made us, and how we can be lead by His Holy Spirit to serve Him.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 22:1-21
“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”
When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
Then Paul said: “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. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 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.
“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
“‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 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.’
17 “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.’ ”


I.       WHO HE WAS (WE WERE)
a.      Paul begins his defense by explaining who he was
i.       I am a Jew, 
ii.    born in Tarsus of Cilicia, 
iii. but brought up in this city (Jerusalem).
iv.   I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.
a.      Gamaliel was a great Pharisee and leader of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.


b.     Paul then explains how zealous he was for God
i.       I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 

ii.    I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify.

iii. 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.


c.      This was who I was
i.       Paul begins his speech to the Jews with a description with distinction.

ii.    He gives details of himself, but in the light of past-tense, speaking of who he once was.

iii. This is the only way one can contrast who he has become in Christ Jesus!

iv.   If people do not know who you were, they may miss out on the power of Christ in who you have become.


d.     Who we were
i.       When speaking to non-believers, are you able to describe who you once were?

ii.    Are you able to give a detailed, yet tasteful, account of the person you once were? The person you were before Christ came into your heart and life?

iii. Can you explain, as Paul does many times in scripture, that you were as lost a sinner as there can be?


II.   WHO HE IS (WE ARE)
a.      Now that Paul has their complete attention, speaking in Aramaic
i.       He shifts from who he “was”, to who he has “become” in Christ, and how.

ii.    Saying, “...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?’”


b.     Next, we can see two things take place.
i.       FIRST, Jesus reveals Himself to Paul. Paul accepts Jesus as the Christ, and is saved, but blinded by the intense light of Christ.
a.      Why? For the second lesson in this verse.

ii.    SECONDLY, We see Christ give Paul a COMMAND.
a.      Remember, the Great Commission Jesus left to the Apostles in Matthew just before His ascension.
1.      Go into ALL the world

2.      Baptize in the name of Father (The Law that Condemns Sin), Son (The Law that Frees Sinners) & Holy Spirit (The Power of God to Serve Him).

3.      Afterwards, Teach them to OBEY all that I command!


b.     Paul was just schooled by Christ on the great Commission.


c.      Paul already knew the Father (Law Condemning Sin), and just accepted the Son (Law that Frees Sinners), and now must receive the Holy Spirit, so he may serve the Lord.


c.      So Paul OBEYED the Lords Command
i.       By doing so, Paul was HEALED
ii.    and baptized, receiving the Holy Spirit so he could serve the Lord
iii. Remember, OBEDIENCE is HOW we love the Lord!


d.     Now that Paul was Saved, Fully Baptized, and Obeyed Jesus' Command, Receiving the Holy Spirit and fully capable of serving, he could NOW be lead!
i.       And the Holy Spirit said to him, ““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.’”


e.      Who we are
i.       We MUST be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
a.      Knowing God's Law that condemns us because of our sin.
b.     Knowing and accepting the sacrifice Jesus paid for that sin.
c.      Being baptized in the Holy Spirit, so that we may be lead by Him, and serve the Lord.

ii.    This is Salvation, and obedience is the ONLY way described in the bible to “love” Jesus.


III.   RETURNING TO THE WORLD
a.      Paul was afraid of others reaction to him, now that he was transformed.

b.     He even feared retribution for the things he had done.

c.      God moved Paul to new surroundings.

d.     God will move us from where we were, to where we should be.
i.       Raising us up to be new creations.'
ii.    2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

CONCLUSION

We have seen in today's scripture the importance of acknowledging who we once were, and recognizing who Christ has made us, as well as recalling this to help minister to the lost.

Not only does this help in ministering to the lost, but it can strengthen our faith, seeing the strides we make as we grow closer to the Lord, and further from the past.

Although there are fears with returning to the world after salvation, we should remember that God will lead us through His Holy Spirit, and we must be ready, and willing to listen and OBEY, for this is HOW we love the Lord, and it is only through obedience to all He commands that we will be able to serve Him.

Want to learn more about Salvation and Getting Saved?    CLICK HERE!