Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts Series #40

Back to the Beginning: When Church was Church

*Listen to My Defense*

*Acts 21:17-40; 22:30*

 

As we work our way through the book of Acts and the story of the early church and the spread of the gospel throughout the world, we reach a turning point in the story today.

Paul, against the wishes and judgment of other believers, but under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, goes to Jerusalem.

This will be a turning point because from this moment on Paul will be in chains for the rest of this book.

This is a lengthy encounter but I want us to read it all and then I want to give you some admonitions regarding sharing your faith, sharing a witness for Jesus Christ.

READ and TELL the Story from* Acts 21:17-40; ch 22*

 

Wherever he was, whatever the circumstance, we find one thing about Paul … he is willing to speak up

 

We get a word here today about HOW to

 

*1.

Speak So They Can Understand*

 

When Paul spoke to the Romans, he spoke Greek, when he spoke to the citizens of Jerusalem he spoke Aramaic.

This may seem like a little thing, but there is something that we need to learn and apply here as we share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Share the gospel in a way that people can embrace it with their heart and soul.

When Paul spoke Greek he got the attention of the Roman soldiers, when he spoke Aramaic he gathered the attention of the residents of Palestine.

We have Southern Baptist Missionaries in Central America that are going to tribal people groups.

These people speak Spanish but that is NOT their primary language.

So our missionaries are learning their HEART language and presenting the gospel to these people who are mostly aural learners and illiterate.

So they STORY the gospel to them in THEIR heart language

 

We can and need to do the same thing.

Do you present the gospel the exact same way to teenagers as to senior adults?

Do you present the gospel the exact same way someone from the inner city as someone from the farmland?

Speak so they understand, in their heart language

 

But while you adjust your methods to speak so they understand, you still must …

 

*2.

Speak the Truth*

 

You need not apologize for, be ashamed of, nor shrink back from the witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is the TRUTH.

Some would say that the Word of God “contains” the Truth.

That is an ERROR.

This scripture, 66 books, Genesis to Revelation, IS the Truth.

It IS the Word of God, it IS breathed out by God to us, through the apostles and prophets who were led along by the Spirit of God to record exactly what God intended.

You do not have to enlarge upon it, make it say something it doesn’t say, sensationalize it, just proclaim it.

Deut.

32:3b-4 /Oh, praise, the greatness of our God! 4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect and all his ways are just.

A Faithful God wo does no wrong, upright and just is he./

John 1:17 /For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ/

 

John 1:9 says that Jesus was … /the TRUE LIGHT that gives light to every man …/

 

Be not ashamed of it, because it is the POWER of God FOR SALVATION of all who believe.

Proclaim the Word of God, the Promises of Scripture, the consequences of sin

 

Speak for understanding

Speak the Truth and …

 

*3.

Speak with your Life *

 

  *A.

When your* *voice* *can’t* be or *won’t* be heard

This is NOT the only way to “speak” – I am NOT giving you an excuse to LIVE and NOT speak, but your life does speak

 

*  B.

LIVE* so your *voice* CAN be heard

If your actions overshadow your voice you will NOT be heard

 

Paul could TALK about following God no matter the cost, he could TALK about being committed to the gospel, but he put his actions where his mouth was

He lived a life of love and proclamation of the truth

 

How this must have challenged and encouraged those who were WITH Paul as they watched him

How it must have challenged those watching this unfold

Perhaps, like Centurion at the cross, there were those in the crowd that said, “surely Paul serves the true and living God.”

Peter wrote in 1 Pe 2:12

/Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us./

4th admonition

*4.

Speak of your Experience*

 

*  A.

Tell your* *story*

1 John 1:1-3

/That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim … 3 we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.

And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ/

 

Share how you came to understand your need for God

Tell how you received him

Tell what he has done in your life since

 

 

Be sure that they understand the process of embracing Christ so they could do it for themselves

 

You should be able to share your witness in 3 minutes or less

 

 

*5.

Speak of a Common Need*

Paul spoke to people on their level.

He connected with them.

As he spoke to the Jews … he stated his case for being in the same boat, the same desire

 

V3-6 shows how he related to them

 

He was born a Jew, born in an important city, but raised in the most important city, Jerusalem.

He didn’t just grow up in Jerusalem, he was educated by the greatest teacher of the day and one of the greatest in Jewish History.

Gamaliel was not just a Rabbi, “teacher”, he was one of only 7 teachers ever given the title of Rabban, which means “our teacher”.

It was to say he was the National Religious authority and leader of Israel.

Paul had been taught right, he knew the ways of the law.

He was zealous for God

He persecuted Christians

He had the authority of the Sanhedrin

 

As a Jew of Jews, Paul knew that they knew that he understood their need.

\\ Their need was to fulfill the law, and pray for, long for, the coming of the Messiah.

So, Paul pointed them to the Truth to Jesus Christ

 

In Athens they worshipped the Unknown god and he pointed out that he HAD a name and it was Jesus.

Czech Republic … I was speaking with the Regional Mayor, kind of like a district governor.

I asked him about the needs of his people.

He recounted how they had been oppressed and afflicted for 50 years under Communism.

How they were poor and needed economic development and so he was too busy to seek God, though he claimed to believe in him.

He told me that he was busy seeking the influence of Prague and the national government for his people

 

I replied that it was interesting, to me, how and to whom Jesus came.

I told him, Jesus didn’t come to Rome, or to Athens, or to Alexandria, the great influential cities of the day.

No, instead he came to Jerusalem.

He was born into a people who were poor, afflicted and under the oppression of an outside government for many years.

He went to that kind of people and didn’t tell them to look to Rome, but to look to God, to follow him, to receive Salvation through Christ and Christ alone

 

Speak of a Common Need … All the world needs Christ, they just have to see and feel, and confess that need

 

6th Admonition

 

*6.

Speak with Authority*

* *

*  A.

Know your Legal rights *

They assumed Paul to be nothing more than a terrorist starting riots by subversively attacking Roman authority.