Preaching the Gospel like Apostle Paul

AMC

7th October, 2012

Written by Rev Lau Hui Seng

Posted by Teresa Han

Acts 22:22-23:11

Main Idea: Following Apostle Paul’s commitment in preaching the gospel.

Objectives: a. To teach the congregation to follow Apostle Paul’s example of commitment to preach the gospel. b. To challenge the congregation to draw a difference between our Christian faith and others. c. To teach the congregation to emulate Apostle’s faith in preaching the gospel.

A. Introduction

- I am sure for those of you who try to evangelize or invite family members and friends and colleagues to come worship Jesus or evangelistic meeting or small group meeting, at times we felt disappointed and felt like we want to give up.

- When we face difficulties in reaching out and bringing people into the kingdom of God, we allow rejections, peoples’ excuses, peoples’ cold response, teasing of people or even sarcastic remark to disturb and discourage us. Apostle Paul’s attitude towards the gospel and Jesus must inspire us not to allow those rejections disturb us; and challenge us to remain faithful to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations.

- Let us look at how Apostle Paul responded to the persecutions in his days as he tried to preach the gospel. I had preached to you before (chapter 21:1-16) that despite the prophecy that he would be persecuted in Jerusalem he still went ahead. Apostle Paul greatly pronounced in 21:12b, “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” In fact, as prophesied, he was arrested in Jerusalem, beaten and his enemies tried to kill him.

- Today, as we deal with the passage, let us look at Apostle Paul’s attitude in advancing the gospel even in the midst of persecutions by the Romans, and the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees.

B. Apostle Paul’s attitude towards the Gospel

- Despite Apostle Paul facing physical suffering and persecution as mentioned in the last few chapters and this long passage, he kept his faith in Jesus Christ; and he still preached his new found faith. He was greatly committed to preach Jesus Christ. He used all ways and means to protect himself as far as possible and yet at the same time he was committed to preach the gospel.

- He used his Roman citizenship to avoid unnecessary physical flogging which could result in great pain and shortening of life. But he was not spared from the distress and beating of the Sanhedrin; and Pharisees. The commander wanted to find out from these two Jewish groups why they were accusing Apostle Paul. In front of the Sanhedrin, the great high priest ordered people to strike Paul at his mouth after he spoke in 23:1, where he address them as brothers, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience.” Take note of how in the midst of distress and tension, Apostle Paul is seeking opportunity to make friend with all his Jewish community hoping to find a common ground to bring the gospel across. He addressed them as brothers with the hope that they could communicate properly with him.

- After being beaten at his mouth, it looked like Apostle Paul became very angry with the high priest Ananias and he responded in verse 3, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

- After being told that Ananias was God’s high priest in verse 4, Apostle Paul toned down and became apologetic in verse, he said in verse 5, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.”

- His apologies helped to calm down the situation; and after noticing the presence of Sadducees and Pharisees, I believe he did not mean to create a conflict between the two, he just want to draw a clear line of what he believed between him and the others (Sadducees and Pharisees). He drew a line of difference between His belief in Jesus Christ, the gospel and their belief. Therefore, Apostle Paul said in verse 6, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.”

- Whatever the circumstance, it was Apostle Paul’s policy to preach Jesus Christ, the living God. It was his focus. He faced the risk of being killed but he was daring to do it because he was prepared to die for Jesus in the process of his mission in Christ.

- His untiring effort to defend the resurrection of Christ, preaching Christ was very much acknowledged by Jesus Himself as He appeared to Apostle Paul the following night and said to him in verse 11, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Personally, I feel that Jesus acknowledges my service in Him by His presence in my life by empowering me to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit and very much answering my prayers to do His will)

- At this stage you may ask why Apostle Paul perseveres in preaching the gospel despite the physical suffering from the persecution. Why he took all the trouble to bring the gospel to them?

- The answer is none other than he desired to complete God’s will for Him on earth. He had that great life transforming encounter with Jesus and Jesus gave him the life time mission on earth to bring the gospel to the Jews and Gentiles. Ananias, disciple of Jesus who healed the eye sight of Apostle Paul after he was made blind by bright light from Jesus received Jesus’ mission for Paul in a vision, Acts 9:15, 16, “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how he must suffer for my name.” (That is why I always believe that once you are sure of God’s calling for you or God’s will for you in doing something for you, you can trust Him all the way to carry you through to do His will or mission on earth) Apostle Paul was doing just that. We can emulate him.

- Then, still there is the next question: what protects Apostle Paul to maintain that conviction, that momentum, that motivation to preach Jesus Christ? You cannot deny that it must be due to that kind of FAITH he had in Christ. We need to emulate this faith very much. Unless we preach the gospel with Apostle Paul’s faith, otherwise, our preaching will hardly bear any effect at all.

- What kind of faith that Apostle Paul has in Christ? The answer is simply that He believes Jesus is the resurrected God of the universe, the true God, Almighty God. Otherwise, why he needs to risk his life; why he needs to preach?

C. Applications on how to preach like Apostle Paul

- My explanation of the passage today reflects Apostle Paul’s attitude towards the Gospel. I pray that his attitudes towards the gospel will be good examples to us; and by all means allow them to be absorbed into our lives and make them become part of our lives in Christ as we are united with Christ (as I preached to you last week). As we have resurrection power of Christ in us, we can share Apostle Paul’s attitude towards gospel in our lives.

- Firstly, we need to absorb Apostle Paul’s attitude of great commitment to the gospel. He has his own job as a tent-maker; he preached Christ all the time, despite the circumstances. Despite suffering in persecution, rejections and all kinds of ridicules, he persevere, he never gave up. Can you say that with him? As you listen to this word of God today, can you come to Jesus in humility and ask Him to grant you that attitude/ spirit of commitment to the gospel? Despite whatever future crisis/ hardship/ suffering/ challenges of any kind, your commitment to Jesus in preaching the gospel is not decreasing but ever increasing like that of Paul, can you?

- Secondly, in preaching the gospel, can you absorb Paul’s attitude of drawing a line of belief in the resurrected Christ with your transformed life in your work place, school, homes and the society at large? Can your life shows Christ’s teaching? Can your life say to others because of the living Christ inside me, I will do this (e.g., forgive someone who offended me; not take the corruption money or corrupt others; not enter into an adulterous relationship; not keeping hatred, jealousy, bitterness and anger against someone; not greedy; not pull down someone and you claim up the ladder of success; be a person of integrity)

- Thirdly, we need to absorb Apostle Paul’s kind of faith in Christ. Can you and I? Do you hesitate to say yes? Yes, no, why? I am afraid how humble, how powerful, how effective we are in witnessing for Jesus, how people are attracted to our lives and count on us to guide them and lead to Christ is depending on this FAITH! Without this faith, your prayers are just talking to the air; your praise and worship on Sunday is just some entertainment; your prayers before three meals will be mere rituals; your tithing or giving to church is just doing some good works which are not different from believers of any other faith; whatever your so called ministry is just some activity which keeps your time occupy and give you some meaning; but they all never end up with God, Jesus. You see why you must believe in this resurrected Christ 100%; 100%, not 50%, not divided loyalty? Failure to start this worship and belief in Christ, the rest is all human work. Jesus is not involved in your life.

D. Conclusion

- Are you taken off guard this morning? Is this Jesus whom we pray and worship ever live in your life or not? If so, then, it must show in your life and my life.

- Apostle Paul got the heart of the matter correct. That is Jesus Christ, the resurrected God, living God, no wonder he could preach with those triumphing and wining attitudes which become our examples.