you Welcome to An Orderly Account with Pastor John Stewes, where, from the Book of Acts, we're learning how the Holy Spirit of God is filling the earth with the Kingdom of Jesus. All are welcome to join us for worship at Church of the King each Lord's Day at Kingdom Builder Books in Roseville. We celebrate family-integrated worship with the hearty singing of psalms and hymns, the proclamation of God's Word, and weekly communion. Go online to WaterlooAccount.com to learn more about us. Now, here's Pastor John Stoos. Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now. And when they heard he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. And he said, I am indeed a Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia. brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our father's law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering in prisons both men and women. As also the high priest bears me witness and all the council of the elders from whom I also received letters to the brethren and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. Now it happened as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon. Suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me, and I fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And so I answered, Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, and they did not hear the voice of him who spoke to me. So I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do. And since I could not see for the glory of that light being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. And then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me and stood and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And at that same hour I looked up at him. And then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know his will and see the just one and hear the voice of his mouth. For you will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." And now it happened when I returned to Jerusalem, when I was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and I saw him saying to me, make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning me. And so I said, Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, and I also was standing by consenting to his death and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him. And then he said to me, Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles. And they listened to him until this word. And then they raised their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live. And then as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust in the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks and said that he should be examined under scourging so that he might know why they shouted so against him. This is the word of the Lord. You see, Paul is not sugarcoating the sins of this crowd nor their leaders. He is appealing to them on what common ground he can find, calling them brethren and fathers. And we will see Paul go on to explain how he has been a faithful Jew and to call on them to do the same by repenting and turning to Jesus. Both the greeting and the language that he spoke it in, their native Hebrew, gets their attention. So we read in verse two, and when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. He has their rapt attention. I am indeed a Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our father's law and was zealous toward God as you all are today. The hardened Jews are obviously zealous for the wrong reasons. But Paul knows that there are also converted Jews in this city, thousands and thousands of them, we were told a couple of weeks ago, who are zealous for the right reasons. And he has now appealed to both groups. He does the same in explaining his past actions. telling the hardened Jews that he was as tough on the Christians as anyone, and showing the Christians that he has changed. In verse 4 we read, I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. Now, I think when he gets to this point in his speech, I can imagine that some of the unconverted Jews were beginning to wonder if they were picking on the right man. What are we killing this guy for? But the converted Jews were also wondering if they had been supporting the right guy. Is Paul really with us? Maybe our suspicions were right. Paul does not lead them to wonder. He immediately tells both groups that he is a changed man, because of his encounter with Jesus. And now it happened, we read in verse 6, As I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And so I answered, Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of him who spoke to me." Paul has politely addressed this crowd and is being somewhat subtle in his testimony, but he does not compromise. The name Jesus will divide this crowd, bringing suspicion among those who have rejected Jesus and comfort to those who are following him. An example that we must remember today as we witness. We go on in verse 10, So I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do. And since I did not see for the glory of the light being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus. Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me and stood and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And at this same hour I looked up at him. And then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will and see the just one and hear the voice of His mouth. Here, Paul again appeals to both groups, talking about Ananias as a devout Jew and mentioning the God of our fathers. Now, we know from Luke's account in chapter 9 that Ananias mentioned the name of Jesus again at this point. So, I guess someone could question and say, well, is Paul compromising at this point? Is he starting to water his testimony down? But I think he was justified because Jesus himself told many of these same Jewish leaders that Abraham saw Jesus and rejoiced. Paul knew that Jesus was the God of their fathers. So again, he brings comfort to the believing Jews and challenges those with stubborn hearts. He also gives us a Trinitarian text that I've not heard many use. And we will see that Paul pulls no punches as he continues to give his testimony. Paul is being subtle. Paul is doing what he can to get a hearing, but he will not compromise God's truth. In verse 15, we read, For you will be his witnesses to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. What a great comfort we have for those who struggle with sin, even in the Christian life. When we call upon the name of the Lord for salvation, we are baptized and know that our sins are washed away, not with the water, but with the very blood of Jesus which was poured out on our behalf. You see, it's troubling today to have both the Reformed and Baptist traditions not being very comfortable with using the language that Ananias uses here. And sadly, It takes away from the security that we should have as believers in Jesus. Our baptism is effectual because the work of Jesus is effectual, both on the cross and in our hearts. Paul did, in fact, arise and call upon the name of the Lord. And he could always remember that his sins were washed away, recalling how he was baptized with water. And that's true not only for those of us that were baptized as adults or young people, but those covenant children among us who were baptized when they had no clue what was going on. Because you see, as they grow up in the church, they're going to watch other children. We've got a long list again of the pregnancies, so we're going to have some more baptisms. And as our children grow and reach an age where they can hear and understand the proclamation that we make over that child of the gospel, they too know that they have been washed and given the name of Jesus and that their sins are forgiven. That's the confidence that we should have in the gospel. You see, The Apostle Paul will go on in his ministry to honestly refer to himself as the chief of sinners, and yet he did not struggle to know that he was forgiven. Each time that he approached the Lord in worship, he could confess his sins, as we do each week, and know that he was forgiven and ascended before God. in the righteousness of Jesus, wearing the white robes that God had given Him. Now, as He shares His testimony, He wants the Jewish Christians who are listening to be encouraged, as should we be, remembering their own baptism and what it means. And He wants those who have rejected the Messiah to repent of their sin, hoping that they too will arise and have their sins washed away in baptism as they call upon the Lord. Now, Paul next turns to a portion of his testimony that describes a trip back to Jerusalem shortly after his conversion. Now, most commentators try to fit this somewhere with his later visits, but I strongly think that with the context, he is continuing to share the heart that he has for his brethren, the Jews. That's why he's made this trip to Jerusalem in the first place. Remember, he had just written to the saints in Rome and said that he would be willing to be cursed in order to save his brethren, including those who tried to kill him this very day. Jesus had commissioned Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles. And he was willing to carry out that burden. We never see Paul arguing with the Lord about being the apostle to the Gentiles. But he also wanted to be used of God to save many of the Jews there in Jerusalem. We read in verse 17, Now what happened when I returned to Jerusalem was praying in the temple that I was in a trance and saw him saying to me, make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning me. Paul again brings comfort to the saints who were zealous for the law by showing that he was not afraid to go, even after his conversion, and pray at the temple. He certainly would also have the full attention of the other Jews at this point. In verse 19 we read, and so I said, They know, the Jewish brethren here in Jerusalem know, that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him." You see, what Paul does here is join with Abraham and Moses and other saints like Ananias, who seem to be unafraid, to argue with God. They were not being rebellious. They were not being arrogant. They were simply having honest discussions with God, which is something we can do as we interact with each other and with His Word. Paul was telling God, I've got a heart for my people, the Jews. And he is convinced from a human standpoint that he has a powerful testimony. Which he did. A testimony that he could share with them. And if he did, it would bring many of them to salvation. That's what was on Paul's heart. But you see, Jesus has other plans for Paul. And he reminds him of this in no uncertain terms. In verse 21 we read, And then he said to me, Depart. For I will send you far from here to the Gentiles." You see, Paul is giving the same message to both the sheep and the goats that are present in this crowd. And now the division will become clear. His commission will be seen as the sweet smell of life. to those converted Jews who are listening, as they now more fully understand the mission that Paul has been given, and how it is not in conflict with their being zealous for the law. On the other hand, the mere mention of the hated Gentiles is a stench in the nostrils of those who are being lost. as we see in the text. They listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live. The mob is back to being a mob. And as we shall see next week, the Roman commander still does not understand what is going on, and he will turn to flogging and trials to ascertain the truth. So what are the lessons that we are to learn from this account of Paul's testimony? Well, first and foremost, I think we must learn that it is OK, no, it is good for us to share our testimony. It is important to see that this will include both those inside and outside of the church. Our covenant children need to hear over and over again what Jesus has done for us. If we don't tell them, how are they going to know? As a bonus, it is good for us to remember what Jesus has done for us. It's good for us to remember. And of course, we must always be ready to share the Gospel with the lost. We see here in Paul's testimony a lesson that we have often seen in the book of Acts. The Gospel will divide. Telling our testimony will divide. There are some among us who have seen it divide our families. We know that it divides people in the world and sometimes it even divides people sadly in churches. But again, we need to remember that even though it is a reality that the gospel will often bring offense, we are not to be offensive. It's real easy. But we need to resist that temptation. And we need to think about the fact that the Apostle Paul did not begin this defense with the conclusion. He didn't begin by saying, well, let me tell you Jews how Jesus wants us to save the Gentiles. They'd have been throwing up the dust and tearing their clothes right at the beginning if he had started that way. Paul did get to that important point. He didn't compromise. but not before he gave a strong call to repentance, using his own life as an example and making sure that the many Jewish saints who were also there that day could see his continuing love toward God's people. There's a lot of trials and a lot of testimonies that lie ahead for us in the life of Paul. as Luke continues to present his orderly account. And at some points we might think that Luke is being a little repetitious. But I hope and pray that we never tire of hearing the good news. Our hymn of response this morning was written by a man who also had a powerful testimony. And through the singing of amazing grace, even in many secular settings, it has been shared many, many times around the world. John Newton had a rough, rough early life, and he ended up in rebellion as a captain of a slave ship at the height of the English slave trade. But you see, God had other plans, probably not plans we would have seen if we'd have met him in a drunken brawl as he was about to sail with a ship full of slaves. But according to one historical account, although he had some early religious instruction from his mother, that's there to encourage the moms, a mother who died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage while he was attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced what he would refer to later as his great deliverance. He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, Lord, have mercy on us. Later in his cabin, he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work in his life. For the rest of his life, he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power. Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. Tis grace has brought me safe thus far. and grace will lead me home. John Newton would go on to become a minister of the gospel. His hymn about his conversion, his testimony, if you will, has been a challenge and an encouragement to many down through the ages. May it comfort us this morning. And may it always remind us, along with the conversion of the Apostle Paul, that there is no mere man who is beyond the saving grace of Jesus. We need to remember that whenever we're tempted into thinking that any particular person that God brings across our path could not possibly be receptive to the Gospel. Thank you for listening to an orderly account from Church of the King in Roseville. Pastor John Stewes will continue to encourage you in this series next week at the same time. Church of the King welcomes any interested individuals, couples, or families to join us Sunday mornings at 11 for worship at Kingdom Builder Books in Roseville. We're a pro-life, pro-family church, preaching the word and celebrating communion each week. To learn more about us, visit us at orderlyaccount.com or call 916-451-5660. Mighty Lord, extend your kingdom. Be the truth with triumph crowned. Let the lamps that stid in darkness hear the glorious gospel sound. From our borders, from our borders, to the world's remotest bound. are the shades of night, that the great Emmanuel