Acts 26--A Model Witness

Sometimes applying a passage of the Bible to our lives is easy. Sometimes it is not as easy. Sometimes the point of the passage isn’t as easy to find. That is true of our particular passage. It is difficult to draw application partly because we are breaking up the story.

Here is the first key question we want to ask: “how does this chapter advance the purposes of the Biblical writer.” We say that because the writer could have written about anything. Why did he deem these details to warrant a place in his letter or story. This advances Luke’s plot in Acts by showing how the gospel is being witnessed to all the way to the ends of the earth (1:8). Also, it shows a model example of how to witness in response to accusation. Paul is not defensive. He simply tells his story with confidence. The confidence that is drawn from his faith is compelling to the point where Festus to the defensive.

The second question is this: “How does the purpose which was originally intended for an ancient audience transcend to today?” Just like Paul was grateful to have the opportunity to present the gospel to all corners of the Roman Empire, we should joyfully look for any and every opportunity to give witness to Jesus Christ in every corner of our lives. Then, when attacked, we need not get defensive but tell our story with the kind of confidence that expects God to be drawing our hearers just as he had drawn us.

Many tell their story with apology and the response is as you would expect. Let’s remind ourselves that we witness not with our own persuasive words but in the power of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor 1-2). We should not just expect God to empower our words but to lead them to hearts the people He is drawing to Christ.

There is a classic story about Charles Spurgeon and a conversation he had with a young pastor. The young man asked Dr Spurgeon how to preach so that people will come to Christ in response. Dr. Spurgeon asked the young man, “do you believe that every time you preach someone will come to Christ?” The young preacher sheepishly said, “no.” Spurgeon responded, “Well that is your first problem.”

“Expect great things from God, Attempt great things for God.” William Carey

Acts 22--On the defense

Paul is put on the defense. The beauty of our faith is that it has the perfect defense—our story. No one can dispute the facts of our story. Philosophy can be discussed. Theology can be discussed. History and its meaning can be discussed. But when God changes the direction of our lives (a la black swan sometimes?), there is no offensive argument that can thwart it.

There are a lot of details that Paul could have used in his story. He chose them well and told his story well. Here are a few things that we can see in Paul’s story that will help us when we tell our story.

1. Paul begins by building a bridge of empathy between himself and his hearers. Paul does this by describing that he was once very much like his opponents and describing his Jewish zealousness and training. This bridge shapes the rest of the story.

2. He roots his story in actual history—not his feelings or how he felt about this past. He essentially said, ‘I was going to do this, but God changed my direction, and I did something different.’

3. He described and witnessed to what God taught him.

4. He was clear in pointing to God as the author and main character of his own story. This puts people in a place where there opposition isn’t just to him but to God as well.

5. Paul is rejected for his story. Occasionally, the heart that is hard to God will resist hearing the work of God in the lives of other people. The resistance of the Jews accelerates and they ask for his life.

6. Though we do not see it here, we know it from experience and from the rest of Paul’s life. Though, he was initially resisted, Paul did not stop telling his story to whoever would listen.

Acts 3--The Story of a Changed Life

The title above is a link from the blog to this passage on www.BibleGateway.com. If you are reading this in an email, click the title to get to the blog and then click it again to get to the passage.

The people were filled with wonder and amazement. They were astonished and came running to see what had happened. The word on the street was that a man’s life had been changed. There was man who had carried a handicap from birth. But in the name of Jesus Christ, this man was healed. The crowds came running because to witness this miracle. This should do two things for us.

First, we should never underestimate the power of God. He still changes lives. We pray for healing because we believe that he still does that and we have heard authentic stories where doctors are baffled and fervent prayers are answered. This man who kneeled before Peter and John hoped for very little. He was hoping that he could get some money for food. God steps in and the next thing he knew, he could walk. We should never sell God short and trust in whatever our silver and gold can accomplish. God can change the hardest heart and can turn the bleakest situation into a demonstration of his power and grace.

Secondly, the many large and small stories of God’s work in our life are the platform from which people will hear the gospel. Have you trusted him as a parent and found peace? That peace is a platform for you to explain who Christ is to another parent who would like to have that. Has your faith given your courage to stand up to injustice at work? That faith gives you a platform to explain where your courage comes from. Has the love of God enabled you to look at your failure and sin and trust his grace so you can own it and repent? That is the work of the gospel in your life. That is your story. It is evidence of the living Christ that nobody can refute.

Tell your story! Witness to the goodness and grace of God in your life! Your story is unstoppable evidence that there is a real God in this world.