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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want to talk to you a little bit about testimony. Testimony. Not yours. mind. But the Apostle Paul, you can learn a lot by watching what somebody else says and does. And so the Apostle Paul is a wonderful person to learn from. Just about everything that he’s ever done in his life, even before he trusts the Lord, was used by the Lord. And so just because Because if you didn’t trust the Lord for 20, 30 years after you were born, all those things that you went through, lessons you learned can still be used.

If sometimes you’re trying to figure out how can I use it? And I’ve watched over my own personal life that a lot of stories and so forth that I tell. And I used to watch some of the school teachers cringe when I would tell the students how caught off the dog’s tail, you know, things like that. And the teachers were saying, because they could see what was coming. But I love watching them, you know, when they cringe and all that.

But there’s reasons, there’s stories. And so as you study the Bible, you’ll find out that you learn how to interject some of their experiences. Now experiences are, they’re costly, they’re not cheat. You’ve got to pay great prices to get good stories. You may not know it, but all of your troubles that you’re having, all your problems, and those are illustrations for you later. But they come across better when it happened to you. And so you can tell your stories of what God did for you and what He brought you through.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Acts, the book of Acts, in chapter 8. And Sunday school we’re going through the book of Acts. We just finished talking a little bit about Philip and the revival that he left and how God used him. But right before that we were talking about Stevens and how that God had used Stephen. He just preached this one good sermon. Now there may be others we don’t know. But he was stoned to death.

And so he says here in Acts in chapter 7, show it a look at this real quick. In Acts chapter 7 after Stephen had finished preaching, says in verse 54, when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he’d been full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said, Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord, cast him out of the city and stoned him and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus received my spirit and he kneeled down and cried with a lot of boys, Lord lay not this into their charge and when he had said this, he fell asleep.

And Saul was consenting unto his death, and I believe that chapter should end right there. But persecution began. God wanted the message to get out. So far they were still in Jerusalem. And so the apostles were staying there in Jerusalem, but great persecution scattered the rest of them and they went everywhere preaching the word of God. So he makes a statement in verse 1 and at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles.

Devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul he made havoc of the church entering into every house and hailing men and women and committed them to prison. Before Saul trusted the Lord, he was a bad man. But in the Jews religion, he was a good man. I guess you could say it depends on your perspective. He thought he was doing God a favor doing everything that God wanted him to do. He talked about the zeal that they had for the Lord.

He ought to know. He had great zeal, great fervor for the Lord. And so, chapter nine verse one. breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. When unto the high priests desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus. Suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.

And this is when Saul saw the light and when it wrote that song I saw the light. But Ananias was no doubt one of these that were in the synagogue that had trusted the Lord and believed in the Lord. And so here’s the Lord gonna send Ananias to come alongside Paul and it’s amazing that Saul was going there to get him and then the Lord sent him to get Paul. So it’s amazing how quickly some things can turn around, but the great persecution began and the Lord says, why are you persecuting me?

You’ll see when you persecute the body of Christ, you’re persecuting Christ. You and I are the body of Christ. When people persecute us, they’re persecuting the Lord and He takes it personally. That’s why always be careful how you treat one another because we are the body of Christ and we are to love each other as God says. Now I just want to kind of give you a couple things to look at because it’s deals with this man’s testimony and how greatly God used him even the things that he had done before he was ever saved.

And so I remember listening to Ray Stanford give his testimony. How many times I’ve heard about him flying over Munich and the bombs of the motors went out and he went down and he could drink enough beer to sink the whole city and all kind of stuff there. And he would tell the same story over and over again. And when you heard it, you didn’t heard it. He goes again and again and again tells the same story. Well a lot of time when I give my testimony I tell him a little bit about my dad he was a bootlegger, he’s been mostly like in chain gain and so people listen to it and they hear that and one day I was gonna be gone from the ranch out there in Colorado I was gone, be out for a week or so and so Bob daily was gonna speak for me in ranch so he gets in

ranch and he says you know how yank he always say you that you know you got to do the hand gesture blah blah blah blah he says I don’t agree with him. Veddy was sitting there she didn’t know what Bob is going to do. Bob says let this hand represent you and me and then he starts off with my daddy was a boat laggard spent most of his life in the chain game. You got to give your own testimony though don’t try to make it more glamorous than what it is.

Well Your mind’s not exciting. Well, it may not be as exciting, but it ought to be truthful. And I started giving my testimony how that I was so ugly that, well, you know, they say to beauty of skin, to heat, but ugly and it goes clean to the bone and I had bone trouble. But you give part of your testimony, but you don’t tell everything all the time exactly the same way. Now we have, even in the book of Acts, where at three different occasions Paul gives his testimony and each one he says something a little bit different.

It’s not that they contradict each other, it’s just that he only has to bring out certain things because of who he’s talking to and what it’s about. So in your testimony, you find out you call out certain things that you need based upon who you’re talking to. And so this is what happened here. But I do want you to see this. Look in Acts in chapter 22. chapter 22, you’ll notice Scriptures talking about Paul and having to give his defense.

But he does make this statement, he says, I speak in more languages than they all. And I want you to see that verse, look first of all there at Acts chapter 21 and verse 37, where Paul says Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the cheap captain, And may I speak under thee who said, can’t thou speak Greek? And then you look down there in chapter 22 and verse 2, and when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue, now, so this was an educated man.

He could speak in different languages. How many doesn’t really say, but he says he could speak in various languages. And he talks about his education and who he was and where he came from. But notice what he says in verse 39 of chapter 21 where he says, but Paul says, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia. Now when you got the coast of Israel and you follow the coast on up and you got the Mediterranean Sea and there’s an island called Cyprus and there’s another one on further over but you you have the coach when he gets up there to the top.

Right in that area is what we call the Solisia. And this is where it is. And this area up through here is what we call Galatia. It’s also the Asia Minor area. And so when Paul was preaching the gospel and he went to Galatia, and Antioch, Lystra, and Iconium, and so forth, there were these cities that were there. but he was in from that same area, but he was born in Tarsus. And he says that his dad was also a Pharisee.

So Paul was a son of a Pharisee. So he was raised in all this stuff. So he knew what was going on. And then he says here in verse 39, a citizen of no main city and I beseech these, allow me, suffer me, permit me to speak unto the people. So Paul is going to get his opportunity, his chance. Now look what he says in verse three, I am verily a man which Emma Jew born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamelio and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers and was zealous toward God as he all are this day.

And he was talking about in the day when he was lost. He was zealous toward God. He worshiped God. He followed the law. He did all these things, but he was just lost. But he knew what it was like to be in that condition and what they were going through, because now they think they’re doing God a favor if they take somebody like Paul and have him killed. And this is what they were going to do. Notice what else he says here in verse four.

and I persecuted this way unto the death.” Paul says that. Binding and delivering into prison both men and women, as also the high priestess bear me witness in all the estate of the elders from home. Also, I received letters onto the brethren and went to Damascus to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem to be punished. He was a bad man. and Anayas later on in chapter 9 of the book of Acts didn’t want to go see him.

He says, Lord, you know who he is like Lord, you don’t know about this guy? The Lord’s are when it told him to go see him. So these are important. Look in verse 25 of chapter 22. And it says, and as they bound him with Thong’s, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned because you can scourge this guy, but he knew a little bit about the law.

It is important for God’s children to know a little bit about the law. Paul used that and he says, I am a Roman. So the chief captain says, so you’re a Roman. and he says, I paid a great price for my citizenship. Paul says, I’m a freeborn. It means that his dad evidently had to buy his freedom, but Paul being born of a free man, then he was freeborn. He’s a Roman. And because he was a Roman, there’s things you couldn’t do to a Roman.

They had certain rights. Paul knew what his rights were, and he appealed to that. So he says here in in verse 26, when the centurion heard that he went and told the chief captain, saying, take heed what thou doest. For this man is a Roman. He’s a Jew, he’s a Roman. Then the chief captain came and says unto him, tell me, Arthur Roman, he said yes. The chief captain answered with a great sum I obtained this freedom. Paul says I was free-born.

Then straightway, or immediately, they departed from him, which should have examined him, and the chief captain also was afraid after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. And so now, there is command, and he commands the chief priests that they’re going to be listened to this year, and also look here in verse 30. On the moral because he would have known the certainty whether he was accused of the Jews. He loosed him from his bands and commanded the chief priests and all their counsel to appear and brought Paul down and said him before him.

So, see, Paul later is going to have to, well, the Lord promised him, you’re gonna have to testify and witness before kings and so forth for my sake. As he said in chapter 9 of the book of Acts, I’m going to show him what great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. And suffer, Paul did. Now you’ll notice in verse 6 of chapter 23, but when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, the other was Pharisees, he cried out in the council, men and brethren, I am a Pharisee.

Why? split the boat. He wanted the Pharisees to agree with him instead of all of them being against them. Maybe only half of them would be against them, didn’t it? Cause no small stir. He says, I am a Pharisee. Now get the next part. The Son of a Pharisee. Not that he was, he’s the son of a Pharisee. So he’s been around for a while and he knew all about this stuff. Now look down in verse 11. Paul’s in hot water is going to be given a defense of why he’s doing what he’s doing.

And because he’s a Roman, he could appeal to Caesar, which is what he did. So the Lord had promised him, I’m going to send you to Rome. So he already knew he was going to Rome. But there was some people who would determine that take his life. So trouble is brewing. You notice in verse 11 and the night following the Lord stood by him and said, be of good cheer. Yeah, right.

Be of good cheer, Paul. Got some good news for you. For as thou have testified of me in Jerusalem, but listen, when Paul testified, it wasn’t always with everybody giving him a standing ovation, going on applause. And glad to hear him. He suffered, but he was still doing what God wanted to him, just because the results weren’t like he wanted or what we would desire because everybody doesn’t always agree he had to face the music. There’s consequences. And he says, as thou has testified here in Jerusalem, guess what?

So must thou bear witness also at Rome. Even though you’re going under house arrest, you’re on your way to Rome. Yay! God promised. Now, if God told him, you’re going to Rome, do you think that if Paul does what he’s supposed to do and God said what he wanted him to do? Do you think that there’s a possibility it might just happen?

Good possibility. You ever think about maybe you are invincible in the hands of God until God’s through with you? Can God keep you alive? Can God allow somebody to take your life? Well, yes. Since we don’t know which one is going to be, we’re supposed to rejoice always regardless. Now look what he says in verse 12. Now, when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they wouldn’t either eat nor drink till they had done what?

Till they’d kill Paul. Now look how many people did this and they were more than 40 which had made this conspiracy. So there’s 40 men had gotten together, shorn oath they will not sleep or eat what was that dare oath they’re not gonna eat nor drink I guess they could sleep eat nor drink until they kill Paul now so far in your Christian life how many people do you know has taken a no fight God for you you have anything to complain about if you really want to take and serve such a heart wait a minute look what some of these guys went through you really want to be like Paul, you want God to use you like Paul?

Well, you’ve got to pay the price of a man like Paul too. Look what else he says. In verse 14, N, they came to the chief priests and elders and says, we have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will neither eat nothing until we have slain Paul. And so the chief priest says, don’t do that. Now that I didn’t say that. Now therefore in verse 15, therefore ye would they counsel signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you tomorrow as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him.

And we, or even ever he come near are ready to kill him. Now it just so happens by a coincidence. You see Paul had a sister and Paul had a sister who had a son who just happened to hear what was said. So you look what he said in verse 8, and when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their line and weight he went and entered into the castle and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, said, bring this young man unto the chief captain for he hath a certain thing to tell him.

And he took him and brought him to the chief captain and says, Paul the prisoner, call me into him and ask me or prayed me to bring this young man unto him, unto thee, who had something to say unto thee. Then the chief captain took him by the hand and went with him aside privately and asked him, what is that thou hast to tell me? And he says, the Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou would bring down Paul tomorrow into the council as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly.

But do not thou yield unto them for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men which have bound themselves with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. And now are they ready looking for a promise from thee. So the chief captain then let the young man depart and charged him, see thou tell no man that thou have shown these things to me. Just a coincidence that somebody accidentally overheard just happens to be Paul’s nephew, just coincidence, huh?

At the right time, the right ears heard the right thing, did the right thing, and yet Here’s Paul, totally at the mercy he has to trust the Lord to get him through it. So look what he says in verse 23. He called unto him two centurions saying make ready 200 soldiers to go to Caesarea. And horsemen three score and ten and spearmen 200 at the third hour of the night. 470 Roman legionnaires are ready to move at night to take this one man safely through.

Now, do you believe God was watching over this? Didn’t God say, hey, I’m going to bring you all the way to Rome? And there was a time when Paul was a little on the scares. He didn’t hurt so much. Beat up so bad. And Lord says, it’s going to be okay. You’re going to make it. When you read the last part of Acts and he gets in this great big old ship and then there’s a shipwreck and all the things that happen.

And because of Paul, he saved everybody’s life. They would call the shipites. Number they were used of the Lord. But God can watch over you and bless and move in strange and mysterious ways. You just be found faithful and serve in the Lord. You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. All kinds of things can happen. It’s just like, for example, I had some news that Jesse was driving his car and somebody else decided to drive his car for him and hid him from the side.

But you realize how quickly something could have happened? Very bad. But it just happened to the car. No big deal. Just a car. Jesse’s more important than the car, so we’re thankful that the Lord watched over him, protected. But you don’t know how serious Satan takes your dedication. He may take your dedication more seriously than you do, because he’s going to do everything he possibly can to stop you, and he doesn’t care how he has to do it. Take your Bible and look in the book of 1 Timothy 1, 1 Timothy 1.

an interesting scripture here that lets you get an idea of the way Paul was. And maybe a little bit of an idea why God chose to use him in the way that he did. Now of course, God couldn’t make Paul trust him. God didn’t make Paul serve him. Paul agreed with the Lord. He did believe on the Lord. And he did decide to serve the Lord. And he says, I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high column.

You see, there’s more than just salvation. Salvation is a great thing. That’s what gets you into the kingdom of God. But you were not there yet in just as far as we’re not in heaven. We’re still here and there’s so much that God wants us to do. But look in 1 Timothy chapter 1. He tells us about all these bad things and the law is not for the righteous man, but the law is for the ungodly and the unfaithful and all that kind of stuff.

Then he says there in verse 11, according to the glorious gospel, the glorious gospel is the gospel of perfection. You see, if the gospel cannot make you perfect, the gospel isn’t any good. If the gospel cannot prepare a man for eternity, it can’t prepare you at all because your works can’t do it, but grace can. And so this is why when we talk about when you trust Christ as your Savior, you’ve got to be perfectly going to heaven. Well, evidently trusting Christ as your Savior makes you perfect in Christ.

So he says, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was, and here’s those words, committed to my trust. Paul says, I have been entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak. Not as pleasing men, but God which tried their heart. Now, where is that verse found? Have you ever heard that verse before? Verse Thessalonians 2-4, very, very good. Alright, now notice what he says. In verse 12, and I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

See, you be found faithful. God will put you in the ministry. You just do what God wants you to do. there be found faithful. And now notice what verse 13 says, here is his resume. Now does he have the resume that’s fit for a missionary? I bet if the Apostle Paul was here today and went around and tried to raise the missionary support, they wouldn’t even let him in the church. I mean he wouldn’t qualify you. I mean you got what kind of a, you did what?

Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor injurious but obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly as an unbeliever, an unbeliever. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptations or mean worthy for everybody to accept that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. Look what he has done. Look how he has lived and he can save the chief.

He can save all the Indians, right? Now, notice He even refers to that as an example. How be it for this cause I obtain mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering for a pattern to them who should hear after they leave on him to life everlasting. If God can save a man like Paul, God can save anybody. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr.

Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man.

The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. And we will be changed.

Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.