ACTS of the Apostles, Part 2
Monday, September 19 ACTS of the Apostles, Part 2 Learning How to be Daring and Dynamic
Read Acts 22:1-21 Focus Verse: Acts 22:1-2 “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. And he said…
Paul, speaking in Hebrew, captivates his audience by telling his story. He broke it down highlighting three different aspects of his life and ministry.
He told of his story “before”: He explained he once was a persecutor of the Way, to the point of having people arrested and bound, and even killed. He had been a leading rabbi in his day and piled up his Jewish credentials as he spoke to this crowd. Letting people know he was a jew just like them and a respected one at that probably got their attention. After familiarizing himself with them, he moved into part two-
The conversion: He told them how God literally stopped him in his tracks, he saw His glory and heard His voice. God then blinded him (again, literally). God changed his heart, making him now a trail blazer for the good news of Jesus.
Part three: His special calling Paul told them that Jesus had been very specific with him and given him a calling to do exactly what he was doing. He desperately wanted his Jewish family to experience the same gracious encounter with Christ so that they too would receive him and spread his name. He was completely sold out for Jesus in every way and as we are learning, evangelized with just about every breath he took. What about us? We all have a story of how Jesus entered our lives and we we were changed. It doesn't matter if it is dramatic like Paul’s or not . Our personal testimony will continue to reach people time and again. It is not our responsibility in how it will be received. We can think of ourselves as the messengers, not the converters. God just asks us to be willing to speak our own personal story.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this story that is unfolding before our eyes. What an inspiration Paul is. What about us? Our stories may not be nearly as exciting as Paul’s. Will you change our hearts and make each one of us willing to spread our testimonies among the people we encounter? Help us not to worry about the results and just trust you will take care of all of that. Help us to see all we have to do is be willing to open our mouths and tell the personal story we know best. Amen
Reschedule Post
Post Now