Evangelism Tells a Story
The Mission of FBC Afton • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
ME: Intro
ME: Intro
I am a big sports fan,
I love watching most sports,
I love playing most sports,
And I love learning about new sports.
One thing you notice with sports,
Almost regardless of the sport:
Football, baseball, soccer, hockey, basketball,
Even water polo,
There are essentially two sides:
Offense and defense, right?
But it is not just in sports,
It is also in military strategy,
Business ventures,
And so much more.
So many things in this world demand offense and defense.
And generally, whether it is a battle or a sport,
In order to succeed,
You must be effective on both offense and defense.
All this is true when it comes to making disciples.
More often, making disciples demands that we take the offensive.
We must go and make disciples.
But also, the Bible tells us to be ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks for the reason for the hope that is in us.
There are times when unbelievers will start gospel conversations with us.
Just yesterday, I was at my grandparents house with a dozen members of my family for lunch,
Because my sister, brother-in-law and nephew were up visiting from Long Island.
While we were all gathered in the living room after lunch,
I was asked what I was preaching on tomorrow.
I was shocked!
I have spent so many hours with all these family members,
And almost never get open invitations like that.
But this was an opportunity for me to give a defense,
A reason, for the hope that is in me.
This is the idea of evangelism.
When you are giving the reason for the hope that is in you,
It should not be an impersonal thing about hope in general, right?
It is giving the reason for the hope that is in you.
So, it is telling God’s story by telling your story.
Because, as we see demonstrated in our passage this morning,
Evangelism Tells a Story.
By the time we come to Acts 21:17-22:21,
The Apostle Paul has spent the past decade of his life going on the offensive to make disciples.
He has been travelling long distances to share the gospel to strategic people in strategic ways at strategic places.
But in our passage this morning,
Paul is playing defense.
Really from this passage forward,
The narrative of Acts shifts with Paul giving five defense speeches over the next several chapters.
So, the next several weeks may feel somewhat similar,
Even slightly repetitive.
But this is what Paul’s life as a Christian resulted in.
The need to repeatedly give the reason for the hope that is in him.
Therefore, allow this repetition to solidify this need for you as well.
You need to be prepared to give the reason for the hope that is in you.
Because as a Christian,
You won’t always be on the offensive.
There will be times when God opens a door by having an unbeliever prompt the need for you to be on the defense,
To give the reason for the hope that is in you.
Slide
So, as we look at this first example of Paul on the defense,
What we see is...
Hospitality in Jerusalem (21:17-26)
Hostility in Jerusalem (21:27-36)
Honesty for Jerusalem (21:37-22:21)
Tell God’s story by telling your story, even to your enemies.
WE: (21:17-26)
WE: (21:17-26)
Let’s backtrack a little bit to see what led up to our passage this morning.
In Acts ch. 19, it says the apostle Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem.
This sense of holy oughtness from the Spirit drove the narrative of Paul’s journey over the next couple chapters.
After a riot in Ephesus had quieted down,
The pace of Acts really started to pick up with Paul’s desire to get back to Jerusalem.
So, first, Paul hurries from Ephesus to Macedonia,
Then to Greece,
Then back through Philippi in Macedonia,
Then to Troas,
Where we have a brief account of God miraculously bringing a young man back from the dead through Paul.
From there, Paul went to Assos,
Mitylene, Samos, and Miletus.
Then the pace paused again for a brief moment,
Where Paul shared heartfelt words he believed would be his last words to the Ephesian elders.
Then, after leaving Miletus,
Paul went to Cos, then Rhodes, then Patara,
Then to Phoenicia, Syria and Tyre,
Where disciples were telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
But he continued to Ptolemais then Caesarea,
Where Paul was again urged not to go to Jerusalem.
But Paul could not be persuaded because he was ready to die in Jerusalem if it was God’s will.
So, in vs. 15 of ch. 21,
It says Paul and his companions finally go up to Jerusalem,
Slide
Which is where our passage picks up in vs. 17,
With Paul, Luke, and many others arriving in Jerusalem.
After basically two full chapters feeling Paul in this constant hurry to get to Jerusalem,
He finally arrives.
Where the narrative slows down once again to see what happens while Paul is in Jerusalem.
Just to forewarn you,
We are stopping this morning at a bit of a cliffhanger,
Only looking at the first half of Paul’s time in Jerusalem,
To get an idea of why the Spirit led Paul here.
And Lord willing, next week,
We will look at the second half of Paul’s time in Jerusalem.
So, let us look first at vs. 17,
Where Paul and the others first arrive,
And we see they are greeted with warmth and gladness.
The disciples in Jerusalem were hospitable in welcoming Paul and his team.
Remember, Jerusalem was the starting point of the church back in the early chapters of Acts.
But as the narrative of Acts and the church spread from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth,
We learn how Jerusalem remained a rather hostile place toward the church.
Even many of the believers in Jerusalem are still struggling to separate some of their Jewish tradition from what it means to be a member of the church.
But not all of them.
As we see here,
Initially, the reunion with Paul is one of gladness and joy.
It has been so many years that he has been travelling to far off lands with sporadic reports of what all God has been doing.
So, they missed him!
But they are also anxious to hear from him about the work God has been doing throughout the known world.
Slide
And giving this report seems to be one of the reasons Paul was compelled to go back to Jerusalem.
Because the last time he was in Jerusalem was in ch. 15,
Where the Jerusalem council met to make a decision regarding what the law demanded of non-Jewish believers.
Therefore, in vs. 18-19, he gathers James and the other elders at the church in Jerusalem to give a follow-up report since that council met.
James, we saw back in ch. 15, was a prominent figure in Jerusalem.
And here, it continues to show that he is a key leader in Jerusalem.
So, Paul goes on to tell James and the other leaders all the details about what God had been doing through him among the Gentiles.
What must have it been like for this church to have a missionary come and share with them all God had been doing on the field?
Well, actually, it was probably like the missions conference we just had.
One of the parts of the conference was hearing field reports.
Having missionaries share with us what God was doing through them among the culture He has called them to
So, we are able to get a sense of what it was like to be in the room with these guys here in vs. 19,
To picture what it was like to hear Paul give his field report.
Slide
Then, what happens in vs. 20?
Well, just like the disciples initially welcomed Paul with gladness.
When they learned of what God had done through Paul among the Gentiles,
They rejoiced and gave glory to God!
But then, this moment of praise quickly shifts to what may be an example of spiritual competitiveness.
Because after Paul tells them about all the Gentiles getting saved.
They tell Paul to look at the thousands of Jews in Jerusalem who believe in Jesus also.
And, they think they are taking it a step further,
These Jewish Christians are zealous about strictly observing the law of Moses.
This zeal they are referring to is not just something the people are enthusiastic about.
This zeal is talking about a fervent,
Borderline militant,
Advocacy for keeping the law.
Slide
So, the tone of praise that began in vs. 20,
Has now shifted to a word of warning in vs. 21.
Because this large number of Jewish Christians that are apparently in Jerusalem resent the Gentile Christians.
Why?
Because the Gentile Christians were not observing the law that they have so diligently sought to keep.
And rumor has it Paul was teaching Gentiles to forsake the law,
But even worse, he was also teaching Jews to disregard the law as well.
Now, it is true that Paul did teach that Christ fulfilled the law.
But Paul was not encouraging Jews to outright forsake the law,
As he is being accused of.
He had no objection to the Jews continuing their customs,
He just made sure they understood that they did not need to keep the law as a means for salvation.
Slide
For example, Paul wrote in Gal. 5:6,
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
We have seen how Paul was always careful not to offend unbelievers unnecessarily.
He always maintained a flexibility based on his audience,
Showing how the gospel was always the highest priority to him.
Slide
He explains this thoroughly in 1 Co. 9:19-23,
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
Slide
So, this has been Paul’s MO.
But it has led to accusations against him.
And clearly the believers here in Jerusalem care for Paul.
They received him with gladness,
They rejoiced at the work he was doing among the Gentiles.
But not everyone feels the same way they do.
In fact, this large number of Jewish Christians are filled with resentment.
Where does this resentment come from?
Well, even though they are wrong,
It is not that difficult to understand where this resentment comes from.
Imagine for a moment,
We are having a 5-star meal catered after service today.
Now, remember, we are only imagining.
I don’t want anyone coming to me after service asking, “Where’s the food!?”
So, we are imagining this meal after service.
But only the people sitting on this half of the room will get to eat right away,
In fact, they can to go back for seconds if they want.
Meanwhile, this side of the room has to wait in a line going into the back room.
Because one at a time, each person will spend 2 minutes washing their hands in the ceremonial sink back there.
And no one from this side of the room can begin eating until all of you wash your hands in the ceremonial sink.
So, now picture yourself, standing in line,
Smelling the food, watching everyone from this half of the room eat all that delicious food.
And by the time you finally get to go,
All the food is cold,
And only the crusty edges of every dish is left.
Now, if you are in that situation,
How are you feeling about the other half of the room?
Most likely, you are feeling pretty similar to the way these Jewish Christians are feeling.
Now to take it a step further,
Imagine, after I told this half of the room they could go ahead and eat,
You hear that I was sneaking around while you were in line,
Whispering to some of the other people in line that they don’t have to wash their hands,
Just go over and grab some food.
In that scenario, you would likely ready to give me a piece of your mind, right?
Well, that is like what is happening here.
These Jewish Christians heard that Paul was telling some Jews to forsake the law,
To just go and eat without being ceremonially clean.
Slide
So, once these Jewish Christians find out Paul is in Jerusalem,
They are going to want to give him a piece of their mind.
And the disciples who care for Paul know that there is no doubt they will find out Paul is here.
So, they work out a solution to have Paul demonstrate respect for the law,
And his Jewish identity.
They are hoping their plan will put to rest those rumors,
And show that what the people are hearing about Paul is wrong.
But it will require Paul to do exactly what they say.
Because, vs. 25 seems to indicate that the letter from the Jerusalem Council in ch. 15 will not help defend Paul here.
So, what is the plan?
Well, they have these four guys who are under a Nazirite vow,
Which is explained in Numbers 6.
They tell Paul to take these 4 guys and purify himself with them,
And pay for them to get their heads shaved.
Why?
Because a Nazirite vow requires the person under the vow to let his hair grow.
According to Num. 6:18,
Once the vow is over,
He would shave off his hair,
Dedicate it to God,
Then burn it with the sacrifice for the fellowship offering.
This vow is part of the law that these Jewish Christians are zealous about.
Which, ironically, Paul already seemed to be doing back in Acts 18:18,
Where it said he cut his hair because he was under a vow.
But here, the plan is that Paul is going to pay for these guys to get their hair cut,
Then go with them to the priest,
And participate in the purification ritual along with them.
And by doing this,
The Jewish Christians will not believe the reports they heard about Paul.
Because he is publicly demonstrating himself as a law-abiding Jew.
To the Jew, he is becoming a Jew.
To those under the law, he is putting himself under the law.
Slide
Why?
That he might reach some with the gospel.
Perhaps, in a specific way, he sensed this was part of God’s plan.
At the very least,
In a general sense,
This gets at the heart of why Paul wanted to get back to Jerusalem.
To reach some with the gospel.
To evangelize the people there,
Including the Jews who were zealous for the law.
Therefore, he placed himself under the law that he might reach those who are under the law.
GOD: (21:27-36)
GOD: (21:27-36)
Slide
As Paul seeks to do this,
The hospitality in Jerusalem quickly changes to hostility in Jerusalem.
He is so close to publicly showing himself as a law abiding Jew.
In vs. 27, he is near the end of the seven days of purification when some Jews from Asia spot him.
There is no indication that these Jews were Christians.
So, they were most likely non-believing devout Jews.
And it says in vs. 29 they saw him with Trophimus, a Gentile, back in Acts 20:4.
It is highly unlikely Paul actually brought Trophimus into the temple.
I mean, he was in the process of trying to fulfill the Jewish law.
He did not flaunt his Christian liberty.
But the accusation came from the assumption that Paul brought Trophimus into the temple.
Which, even if that was true,
Trophimus would have been the one who was guilty of disobeying the law,
Not Paul.
But this type of logic does not matter to these zealous Jews.
Slide
When they see Paul,
They do not care that they see him participating in a purification ritual.
Because they do not see a law abiding Jew,
They see red!
They see a guy who taught against the law,
They see a guy who defiled the temple,
They see a guy who did things that were ritually unacceptable.
So, they get all the other Jews in earshot stirred up,
Crying out to them to help grab Paul and arrest him.
It would be like Paul was standing in line with this half of the room,
Waiting for the food,
When someone shouts,
“Hey! This is the guy who let that half of the room eat all the fresh hot food!”
“Let’s get him!”
Slide
Naturally, vs. 30 shows, that this stirs everyone up,
And just as Paul was repeatedly warned about on his way to Jerusalem,
He gets seized and dragged out of the temple.
The gates get closed behind him,
Leaving him in the outermost area of the temple.
Slide
With Paul isolated in this outermost part of the temple,
The Jews try to kill him by beating him to death.
During this time in history,
Roman soldiers would be stationed in the fortress outside the temple.
One of the primary reasons for them being stationed there was to put an end to disturbances.
So, once again in Acts,
God sovereignly uses the Roman authorities to intervene and spare Paul’s life.
Vs. 31 says that word of all the chaos and confusion makes its way to the tribune of the cohort.
He is basically the commander of this regiment of soldiers stationed outside the temple.
It says he quickly responds by taking his troops and running down to the uproar.
When they arrive,
The crowd stops beating Paul to death.
Slide
In vs. 33, it is not rocket science for the commander to figure out who is at the center of this uproar.
The guy that everyone is trying to beat to death.
So, the commander arrests that guy,
Likely chaining him to two soldiers.
As this is happening,
he turns to the crowd to try and figure out who this guy is,
And what he has done to get everyone so worked up.
Slide
Unsurprisingly, the commander could not get any reliable information from a mob.
Just like the riot in Ephesus,
Everyone is just shouting different reasons for being there.
Likely because they don’t even know why they are there.
The mob mentality just took hold of them,
They were swept away like a tidal wave,
And they just jumped into the violence unaware of their own reasons for it.
And this was a crazy mob!
Because even with the soldiers protecting Paul,
They still ended up needing to pick him up and carry him to the barracks.
The people were following the soldiers as they were carrying Paul out,
Shouting to get rid of him!
This echoes the crowd that was shouting for Jesus to be taken away in Luke 23:18.
YOU: (21:37-22:21)
YOU: (21:37-22:21)
Despite the hostility Paul received in Jerusalem,
He was still adamant to share the Hope for Jerusalem,
The same hope for the ends of the earth.
Slide
Remember, at the start of our passage,
To the Jews Paul became a Jew.
Now, after getting beaten up by a mob of Jews,
He is being arrested by a Greek,
So, what does he do?
To the Greek, he becomes a Greek.
In vs. 37, he speaks to the commander in Greek.
Which is clearly a surprise to the commander.
Because the commander thought Paul was a Jewish rebel from Egypt.
Records written by the Jewish historian, Josephus, talk about this Egyptian who had claimed to be a prophet.
He started a revolt with four thousand militant Jewish nationalists three years earlier,
But the Romans shut that down quickly.
So, the Roman commander here suspected that Paul was that leader.
Slide
Paul responds in vs. 39 that he is not the Egyptian,
Then goes on to beg the commander to let him speak to the Jews,
Why?
Why would Paul want to speak to the Jews?
Does he just want to give them a piece of his mind for beating him up?
Of course not,
He already demonstrated a desire to evangelize the Jews by placing himself under the law.
And now, despite getting beaten by this mob that wanted to kill him,
He still wanted to evangelize to them.
And since evangelism tells a story,
Paul tells God’s story by telling his story.
And as Paul reveals in his story,
He is not that different from this violent mob,
Except for Jesus Christ.
The commander, likely not knowing what Paul is planning to say,
Gives Paul permission to speak,
Perhaps hoping Paul will calm the crowd.
Here is where we see Paul’s desire in going to Jerusalem is to evangelize the Jews here.
So, in vs. 40, Paul stands on the stairs in the temple area,
The crowd quiets,
And he begins to speak.
But he does not speak in Greek,
As he did for the Roman commander.
He speaks to the Jewish crowd in Hebrew.
Specifically, speaks to them in Aramaic,
The most common spoken language among Jews in Palestine.
Once again,
To the Jews, Paul is becoming a Jew.
To clearly communicate the gospel to them.
Slide
In ch. 22, Paul goes on to demonstrate what 1 Peter 3:15 says,
He is demonstrating what 1 Peter 3:15 says,
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Paul gives his defense, vs. 1 says.
What is his defense?
It is his story.
It is the reason for the hope that is in him.
He tells his own people his story of how God saved him in Christ.
This is Paul’s retelling of what happened to him in Acts 9 with some added personal details.
Slide
First, Paul begins in vs. 3 by sharing a number of important facts about himself.
He says he is a Jew from Tarsus.
Which was an important city on the eastern Mediterranean coast just north of Cyprus,
The chief city of Cilicia.
Known as a wealthy and intellectual center.
It seems Paul spent his youth there,
Likely up to the age of 13.
Then he went to Jerusalem.
So, Jerusalem is like a second home to him.
Then he name drops the person he learned under,
The respected Gamaliel,
Who taught him the strict manner of the law.
Back in Acts 5:34, Gamaliel is described as a teacher of the law who is held in honor by all the people.
This is who Paul learned the law from,
And it resulted in Paul being zealous for God just as they are.
Paul is a very intentional speaker.
He chooses his words with purpose.
Back when Paul first got to Jerusalem, he was told that the Jewish Christians were zealous for the law.
Paul was saying the same is true for him,
But then takes it a step further.
Not only was he zealous for the law,
He was zealous for the Lawgiver!
He was zealous for God!
Paul is affirming their zeal for God and the law as an okay thing.
In fact, he is telling them he has shared that zeal,
He has been where they are,
He knows the way they are thinking and feeling.
He is connecting with them on an emotional and mental level.
Slide
In fact, he continues in vs. 4,
Telling them he did the same thing they are doing.
He persecuted Christians to death,
He bound up men and women and threw them in jail.
He knows the way they are thinking and feeling right now.
He was not just a passive participant,
He actively persecuted Christians,
He actively opposed Christianity.
And if they don’t believe him,
He says in vs. 5,
Just ask the high priest,
Ask all the elders.
They gave him written permission to go and do these very things.
They can prove that what he is saying about his past is true.
He is saying that he would be smack dab in the middle of the mob with them.
Slide
As he begins to say in vs. 6,
He was on his way to Damascus to do what they are doing right now,
When suddenly an intense light from heaven flashed around him.
So, he can relate to this crowd,
He was right where they are,
But then, this incredible thing happened to him.
He has the crowds attention now.
Slide
He has a conversation with a voice coming from the light.
Back in Acts 9:7, it says that Saul’s companions could see the light,
And they heard the voice,
But they could not see anyone.
However, Paul says here in vs. 9 that they did not hear the voice.
So, his companions could hear the sound of the voice,
But Paul’s point is that they could not understand the voice.
Slide
Ch. 9 does not include the second question Paul adds here in vs. 10,
Which says,
“What should I do, Lord?”
He intentionally includes this question,
Because it is the beginning of Jesus leading Paul.
And even though he was the only one who was blinded by this encounter,
He obeyed Christ and was led by hand to Damascus.
Slide
Where Ananias met with Saul.
And what an appropriate person he was to meet Saul.
Here you have Saul, this Hebrew of Hebrews.
But look at how it describes Ananias in vs. 12,
A devout follower of the law,
A man who had a good reputation among the Jews.
God intentionally chose this man who was like Saul,
And like the Jewish crowd here to give Saul’s sight back.
Slide
As Ananias says in vs. 14,
“The God of our fathers appointed Saul to know His will.”
Paul, the well-respected Ananias, and these zealous Jews all serve the same God of the OT,
The God of their fathers.
Paul is planting the seeds in this crowd,
That the message he preaches comes from the same God they serve,
The God of their fathers,
The God of the OT.
Slide
As Paul is telling his story of being saved by Christ,
He is intentional to include how Ananias immediately had him get baptized.
And I love the way Paul retells it.
Because baptism is the natural next step for a person who trusts in Christ,
Ananias asks Paul, “Why do you wait?
Get up and be baptized!
Remember, baptism is an outward sign of an inward transformation.
The NT teaches it as the natural next step for everyone who trusts in Christ.
So, if you have put your trust in Christ,
But for one reason or another you have not been baptized yet,
I echo what Ananias said to Paul,
Why do you wait?
Be baptized.
When you are telling God’s story by telling your story,
Baptism is a part of your story.
Just as Paul demonstrates for us here.
Slide
The remainder of our passage this morning are added details that were not included in ch. 9.
In vs. 17-18, Paul shares about a vision he received from Christ,
Warning him to get out of Jerusalem quickly because the Jews will not accept his story.
Slide
This vision includes an ironic dialogue,
Where he expresses how he thinks this dramatic reversal would be a powerful story.
Paul tells how he had imprisoned and beaten Christians,
He approved of the stoning of Stephen,
He even watched over the clothes of those who killed him.
So, once again,
Paul is telling this crowd who beat and imprisoned him,
This crowd who wanted to kill him,
That he knows what they are thinking and feeling,
He has been where they are,
He has done the same thing they are doing now.
Yet, God still commanded him to get out of Jerusalem quickly.
Because they would not accept him.
Slide
So, Paul concludes in vs. 21,
However, he did not conclude by choice.
His story gets interrupted in the verses that follow,
And Lord willing, we will look at that next week.
WE: Conc.
WE: Conc.
For now, we are going to pause at a bit of a cliffhanger,
As we close the first half of Paul’s time in Jerusalem with application.
The narrative had been building to this point.
The accusation against him was related to his teaching against the law,
And dishonoring the temple by bringing a Greek into it.
So, Paul evangelizes the very crowd that tried to beat him to death.
He tells God’s story by telling his story, even to his enemies.
By the end he tells them that the God they worship commanded him to leave Jerusalem,
The God they worship commanded him to go far away to the Gentiles.
So, the things they are accusing him of came from God.
Slide
And despite all their violence toward him,
He still shares God’s story with them by sharing his story.
And we are called to do the same.
We are called to share God’s story by sharing our story.
You don’t have to travel to far off lands to do this.
Paul was sharing his story in Jerusalem,
At his second home.
So, share your story right where you are at.
Share your story with those who may respond with hate or even violence.
Just remember, you are telling God’s story by sharing your story,
Because your story is God’s story.
It is God’s story of saving you.
It is the reason for the hope that is in you.
Pray.