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Review: Last week we looked at how:
- Faithful ministry relies on EXAMPLES (Acts 20:18-21): Paul commended his example of living for the Audience of One, God, of suffering for the sake of the gospel, and of having a ministry rooted in Scripture.
- Faithful ministry requires an EVALUATION (Acts 20:22-23): Paul wanted the evaluation of his ministry to show faithfulness.
- Faithful ministry has realistic EXPECTATIONS (Acts 20:24-27): There would be uncertainty and there would be sufferings; but he trusted God in all of that.
- Faithful ministry resolves to be [fully] ENGAGED (Acts 20:28-32): he challenged the elders to watch out for the sheep and fight off the wolves.
Title: “Witness”
Text: Acts 22:6-21
Memory verse: Acts 22:15, “for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.”
Theme: Believers must share their faith story with others.
Introduction: In this week’s lesson Paul shares his conversion testimony when he was on the Damascus road, and he shares about his life of ministry and suffering. Paul shows the power of simply sharing our testimony. When a witness is called to testify in a courtroom, they have to make sure it’s accurate.
Opening Discussion Question: Lifeway’s “Acts 13-28 Leader Guide” asks, “For what reasons would you doubt the credibility of a witness? What makes personal testimony a powerful tool when witnessing for Christ?”
Answer: Credibility can be doubted if the witnesses story doesn’t line up factually or if they appear to be lying. Personal testimony is a powerful tool when witnessing because you can’t deny a transformed life by Jesus.A great lead-in to sharing with others is, “May I have your permission to share how Jesus changed my life?”
Context: Paul meets with the Jerusalem elders, and they celebrate all God was doing, but they warn him that a rumor is spreading that Paul was telling Jews that the law was useless, which wasn’t so. He agreed to participate in ceremonial cleansing to dispel the rumor.While Paul was in the temple a group of Jews accused him of defiling the temple by bringing along a Gentile, he was dragged out, and beaten. In the outer court, he was rescued and pulled away from the mob by a Roman soldier, and then addressed the crowd with his permission.In Aramaic, he shared his testimony, Jewish upbringing, commitment to the law, his radical salvation story on the road to Damascus,calling to ministry and specifically to reach the Gentiles, and that set them off, and it was pandemonium again.The Romans were going to whip him, but he summoned his Roman citizenship to their attention, and they handed him temporarily off to be tried by the Sanhedrin, who only plotted to kill him, so he was relocated to Caesarea.
Main Points:
- God’s intervention in Paul’s conversion (vv. 6-9)
- God’s instruction for Paul’s care (vv. 10-16)
- God’s intention for Paul’s calling (vv. 12-21)
Lesson:
- God’s intervention in Paul’s conversion (vv. 6-9)
- A. Radical conversion (v. 6)
“6 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.”
Explanation: This was a significant, life-altering event in Paul’s life. If this was the last thing he ever shared, it would be his testimony of conversion on the road to Damascus.
Application: It should be important to us that we share our testimony.
- B. Relatable conversion (vv. 7-9)
“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 understandthe voice of the one who was speaking to me.”
Explanation: He related the details to his audience. He includes a detailed account for validity. He gives the time, and what was said, and explains it in vivid detail. He even shared this in Aramaic, remember, and he would reference his Jewish upbringings and how he was a persecutor of the church to connect to his Jewish audience specifically.
Application: Sharing details and relating to the audience, the listener, can be helpful when we share our testimony as well.
Discussion Question: “How would you describe your initial encounter with Jesus?”
Transition: Believers must share their faith story with others. God’s intervention in Paul’s conversion was radical and relatable. Second,
II. God’s instruction for Paul’s care (vv. 10-16)
- A. The instruction’s man: Ananias (vv. 10-13)
“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.”
Explanation: Paul highlights that his response was submitted to God and that he called him Lord out of respect, which Jews understood. Immediately he was instructed and he obeyed. This was a humbling experience because Paul had to be guided due to his temporary blindness. He points out the devoutness/the devotion to God in Ananias, the man God led Paul to, in order to be cared for and receive his sight. Paul had to wait for clear directions on how to serve God, and he was about to receive them.
Application: We need to allow others to speak into our lives, to let them care for our discipleship and growth. Ananias exemplifies this willingness. We need to be recipients of it, and we need to give this investment to others. We need to! If you’re not discipling someone—helping them think and act like Christ on a regular committed basis-you need to seek God, identify someone, and begin.
- B. The instruction’s mission: The Gentiles (vv. 14-16)
“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.’”
Explanation: Paul was to be the apostle to the Gentiles! He uses the wording of “The God of our ancestors.” and highlights to his Jewish audience that he saw “the righteous One” when he was given this apostolic role. He highlights his baptism to express once again the high priority God places on publicly declaring that we’re saved once we have been saved.
Discussion Question: “How can we prepare ourselves to share our personal testimonies with others?”
Transition: Believers must share their faith story with others. God’s intervention in Paul’s conversion was radical and relatable. Second, God’s instruction for Paul’s care as a young believer happened through God’s man stepping into his life and God’s mission being given.
III. God’s intention for Paul’s calling (vv. 17-21)
- A. Redirection (vv. 17-18)
“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.’”
Explanation: God expressed his intention for Paul’s life’s calling to reach the Gentiles through a vision, and it is noteworthy that he was praying when this happened, and it was similar to the vision-calling of Isaiah (6:1-13). There would be opposition.
Application: Sometimes in the path of obedience God will call us to do hard things.
- B. Rejection (vv. 19-21)
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.’”
Explanation: Although Isiah was called to stay and preach despite the opposition and persecution he faced, Paul was instructed differently by God to leave and escape the coming persecution. Paul wanted to stay and prove his conversion to them since he had previously been a persecutor of the church, but God wouldn’t allow it. Although he had truly experienced God’s grace, his participation and assent to the stoning and martyrdom of Stephen still left a mark on Paul’s life. God’s response is an imperative “Go.” He was beginning the next season in his faith journey. And as Paul is wrapping up the sharing of his testimony with the crowd there, the mob ignited yet again at the mere mention that God was available for the Gentiles, and Paul was whisked away to safety by the Roman soldiers.
Application: There’s a very powerful and simple truth here. When God says “stay” we need to stay; when God says “Go” we need to go. His marching orders are the best. His “No’s” are just as good as His “Yes’s.” There’s also a great encouragement here. Think about it. Paul the apostle was the most amazing and gifted preacher with the most powerful testimony on the planet, and he was still rejected when he shared the gospel. Know that rejection will come, but stay faithful to verbally share the gospel.
Doctrine: Our key doctrine for this week is the doctrine of evangelism and missions.
Lifeway says, “It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.” They cite John 20:21 and 2 Corinthians 5:11-15.
John 20:21 says, “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
2 Corinthians 5:11a says, “11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others…”
Page 128. Evangelism and missions are crucial requirements for our faith practice. If God has saved you, you have a responsibility to share that Jesus died for you, rose for you, exchanged your sin for His righteousness, and has changed your life with others.
General Outline Acts 22
Review: Last week we looked at how…
- Faithful ministry relies on EXAMPLES (Acts 20:18-21): Paul commended his example of living for the Audience of One, God, of suffering for the sake of the gospel, and of having a ministry rooted in Scripture.
- Faithful ministry requires an EVALUATION (Acts 20:22-23): Paul wanted the evaluation of his ministry to show faithfulness.
- Faithful ministry has realistic EXPECTATIONS (Acts 20:24-27): There would be uncertainty and there would be sufferings; but he trusted God in all of that.
- Faithful ministry resolves to be [fully] ENGAGED (Acts 20:28-32): he challenged the elders to watch out for the sheep and fight off the wolves.
Title: “Witness”
Text: Acts 22:6-21
Memory Verse: Acts 22:15, “for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.”
Theme: Believers must share their faith story with others.
Opening Discussion Question: Lifeway’s “Acts 13-28 Leader Guide” asks, “For what reasons would you doubt the credibility of a witness? What makes personal testimony a powerful tool when witnessing for Christ?”
Main Points:
- God’s intervention in Paul’s conversion (vv. 6-9)
- God’s instruction for Paul’s care (vv. 10-16)
- God’s intention for Paul’s calling (vv. 12-21)
Lesson:
- God’s intervention in Paul’s conversion (vv. 6-9)
- A. Radical conversion (v. 6)
- B. Relatable conversion (vv. 7-9)
- God’s instruction for Paul’s care (vv. 10-16)
- A. The instruction’s man: Ananias (vv. 10-13)
- B. The instruction’s mission: The Gentiles (vv. 14-16)
- God’s intention for Paul’s calling (vv. 12-21)
- A. Redirection (vv. 17-18)
- B. Rejection (vv. 19-21)
Doctrine: Evangelism and Missions
John 20:21 says, “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
2 Corinthians 5:11a says, “11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others…”
Caleb Walker 
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