https://youtu.be/OBHJktRnQhw

A Changed Heart                                                                              Acts

21:37-22:22

Recap:

At this point Paul is grabbed by the people and they are beating him and accusing him of going against what they believeNews get the commander and he ran down with soldiers and rescues Paul from the people who are trying to kill himThe commander arrests Paul and put him in chains- Remember Paul had been shown by the Spirit that this was going to happen-Yet he chose to still goPaul is carried by the soldiers because the crowd kept following him shouting “Kill him”Paul speaks to the commander “May I say something to you” – Note his tone of voiceThe commander is astonished “You know Greek? – I thought you are a rebel that lead 400 men of assassinsPaul says – no sir, I beg you, allow me to speak to the people He gets permission and he gesture to the people, and when the people were quiet, he spoke to them in HebrewAm a Jew born and educated under the Gamaliel – one of the most prestigious rabbis He persecuted Christians – to chain and deathHe was on his way to Damascus to prosecute Christians but a great light hit him and he became blind This was the great transformation moment – He is rendered blind and lead to a man name Ananias Ananias prays for Him and there Saul is transformed to Paul Paul returned to Jerusalem and he has a vision that tell him to get our Jerusalem because they would not accept himPaul is sent out of Jerusalem because his time to preach to the Jews was not yetThe crowd raised their voice even more so, could not have any of what Paul was trying to tell them

What compels a man who

had everything to loose take what would be an opportunity to defend himself and

give a testimony of a life changed.

A changed Heart!

A changed heart:

Not Demanding

Acts 21:37 – “Then as Paul

was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak

to you?””

Here is a man who just

faced death in the hands of a crowd, yet he has the composure to use kind words

I wonder, what our

attitude looks like when we have been going through stuff?

What happens when we are

squeezed?

He doesn’t stop there but

when given the opportunity to speak to the crowd here what he says

Acts 22: 1-2 – Brothers

and Fathers, listen to my defense before you

Paul calls these guys

brothers and Fathers – WHAT???

These are the same word

that Stephen used before he was stoned to death

Acts 7:2 And he

said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our

father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,

Paul also uses the word

“Defense” – which in Greek is apologia, - apology- a formal defense of the

one’s past life or action

He also speaks as Jew to

the Jews – to gain a common ground

Pastor Crystal preaching on how Paul did the customary thing, in order to be able to reach people

Do we do everything we

can to lay a common ground so that maybe there can be a softening of the heart,

that others may receive Christ

I fail at that in my

home, I fight to win- even though I am not been sentenced to death…

How am I going to

overcome what’s out there if in my own safety I can’t speak or behave in
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