18.8K
Downloads
331
Episodes
Southside Church of Christ, Lexington, KY
Episodes
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Acts 21:37-22:11
37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. 38 "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" 39 Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." 40 Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: 1 Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." 2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of your are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 8 " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. " 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 " 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. " 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. (NIV 84)
37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. 38 "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" 39 Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." 40 Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: 1 Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." 2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of your are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 8 " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. " 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 " 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. " 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. (NIV 84)
FROM THE LESSON
Dagger men - the word translated "terrorists" or "assassins" in Acts 21:38 is literally the word for "dagger." This was a group of violent Jewish revolutionaries who received their name from their practice of carrying daggers under their cloaks. They were trained to stab someone to death and then slip away unnoticed.
Not the right time - stop letting circumstances determine the right time and instead start trusting the Lord to make the time right.
The content of Paul's witness - there are two parts in this text.
1 Verses 1-11 - Paul is a witness to His experience of Jesus Christ
2 Verses 12-21 - Paul is a witness to His obedience to Jesus Christ
2 Corinthians 4:4-6 - “The god of this age – that is Satan – has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as the risen Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For it is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness” and God made his light shine into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Dagger men - the word translated "terrorists" or "assassins" in Acts 21:38 is literally the word for "dagger." This was a group of violent Jewish revolutionaries who received their name from their practice of carrying daggers under their cloaks. They were trained to stab someone to death and then slip away unnoticed.
Not the right time - stop letting circumstances determine the right time and instead start trusting the Lord to make the time right.
The content of Paul's witness - there are two parts in this text.
1 Verses 1-11 - Paul is a witness to His experience of Jesus Christ
2 Verses 12-21 - Paul is a witness to His obedience to Jesus Christ
2 Corinthians 4:4-6 - “The god of this age – that is Satan – has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as the risen Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For it is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness” and God made his light shine into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Icebreaker - have you ever been told that you have a doppelgänger? Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? Share an example or a story with your group.
2 If you had to rate on a scale of 1-10, your willingness to be a witness, how would you rate yourself? Discuss your answer with the group. Stop and pray for the Lord to give us the willingness to witness.
3 Before you share your experience, you must first connect with your audience. Read Acts 22:1-5 and make note of all the ways Paul connects with his audience. Where do you already have a connection with your audience? List out people in your life who do not know Jesus who you already have a connection.
4 How would you describe your conversion experience? Try to put it into your own words. How would you answer these questions: How have you encountered the glory of Jesus Christ? How have you experienced the grace of the risen Lord Jesus?
1 Icebreaker - have you ever been told that you have a doppelgänger? Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? Share an example or a story with your group.
2 If you had to rate on a scale of 1-10, your willingness to be a witness, how would you rate yourself? Discuss your answer with the group. Stop and pray for the Lord to give us the willingness to witness.
3 Before you share your experience, you must first connect with your audience. Read Acts 22:1-5 and make note of all the ways Paul connects with his audience. Where do you already have a connection with your audience? List out people in your life who do not know Jesus who you already have a connection.
4 How would you describe your conversion experience? Try to put it into your own words. How would you answer these questions: How have you encountered the glory of Jesus Christ? How have you experienced the grace of the risen Lord Jesus?
Comments (0)
To leave or reply to comments, please download free Podbean or
No Comments
To leave or reply to comments,
please download free Podbean App.