Acts 21:27-22:29 The Seed of a Simple Testimony
Good morning! Today we are going to look at Acts chapter 21, verse 27 to chapter 22, verse 29. Page 931 in the pew Bibles.
One of the things that I love the most about studying the Scriptures is examining the examples we are given of faithfully following the Lord. The Apostle Paul is definitely one of my favorite examples. We get such a full treatment of his life before he met Jesus and the change that the Lord wrought in him and what he did afterwards in service to Jesus.
Paul had no resources that are not available to us, he did have training and experience but so can we if we’ll avail ourselves to it.
We are going to look at a long piece of Scripture this morning but rather than pulling it apart word by word I’d like to consider its implications and our responsibilities when it comes to the example that we see in it.
First, let’s pray.
27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”
37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” 40 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:
22:1 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”
2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.
12 “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
I know that was a big bite, I hope you’re all still with me.
What we have in these verses is not a well-rehearsed speech given by Paul, not a painstakingly researched doctoral thesis. Paul used one of the most powerful tools in any Christian’s toolbox. He simply gave his testimony.
Paul was lost, headed his own way but Jesus intervened. Paul was blind and the Spirit, through Ananias, gave him sight. The Father gave him new purpose and sent him to share the gospel with the Gentiles.
What might give you pause when we consider this particular example of the sharing of one’s testimony is that it doesn’t appear particularly successful. Where are the people who were convicted? Where are the ones who put their faith in Jesus?
The answers to these questions may be what make this particular example an encouragement to us when it comes to sharing our own testimonies with unbelievers. There weren’t any.
By all accounts this was an unsuccessful attempt at evangelism. Paul had everybody’s attention, they listened to what he had to say up until the point when he said something they didn’t like.
This may be familiar to you if you have any experience sharing the Good News of Jesus with anyone. They may listen politely for a while until they start to get uncomfortable with what you’re sharing and put up their defenses.
There are really only two things that I would like for us to consider about this account and how it relates to sharing our own testimonies.
The first is, no one can argue with a changed life.
Paul clearly outlined what his life was like before he met Jesus. He was very religious, he was well educated, he was well connected, and he was very zealous for the traditions of his people.
But then he met Jesus and everything changed. Jesus gave him new life, He restored his spiritual eyesight, He connected him to a new family, and He gave him new purpose. This is exactly what happens to every believer.
You may not have been a persecutor of the church before you met Jesus but you were in fact dead in your sin and He gave you new life and washed away your sin with His own blood.
That makes you a miracle! You were lost and now you’re found, you were blind but now you see!
The second thing to consider from this account is that it was not a failure, Paul’s testimony and attempt to win the crowd for Christ was not a failure on his part. And the reason that it wasn’t a failure, and the reason that your past attempts to win people to Christ that seemed to have flopped, is that no matter how good or bad our gospel presentation or testimony goes off, we are not responsible for the condition of that hearts that hear it.
We are responsible to sow the seed but we are not responsible for the condition of the soil that it falls on.
: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Eunice Vincent who first shared the gospel with me when I was little has long since passed away but she was fruitful and cast the seed of the gospel in me and who knows how many others so that I, in turn, could sow the seed of the gospel in others.
And that’s the mark of fruitfulness, what once was soil is now a sower. Not that you have to become a vocational minister or career missionary, but that you faithfully sow the seed that was planted in you on whatever soil you are around.
The soil that the seed falls on does not reflect the skill of the sower. Robert Jamieson wrote, “The great general lesson held forth in the parable of the sower is, that however faithful the preacher, and however pure his message, the effect of the preaching of the Word depends upon the state of the hearers’ heart.”
The question each of us must answer for ourselves is: what kind of soil am I, and what am I doing with the seed that was sown in me? Am I, like Paul, faithfully sowing the seed regardless of it falling all over the beaten down and hard-packed path?
Sow the seed of your testimony and trust the Lord with the results.
Amen.
