SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE ABOUT THE LORD

PROCLAMATION

“As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, ‘May I say something to you?’ … ‘Please let me speak to the people.’ … Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd.  When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: …”  Acts 21:37-40 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here Luke records that the apostle Paul, after making several stops along the way while travelling to Jerusalem, finally arrived there.  When he arrived, the people there warmly received him. (Acts 21:17)  The next day, he met with the elders and gave them a detailed report regarding what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. (Acts 21:18-19)  After seven days, some of the Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the temple.  They stirred up the crowd and the people seized Paul. (Acts 21:27-29)  They dragged him out of the temple and began beating him in order to kill him but were stopped by the Roman soldiers. (Acts 21:30-32)  Paul was arrested, for his own protection, and taken to the soldiers’ barracks, but he still wanted to speak to the people. (Acts 21:33-40)

 

APPLICATION

Even though the people had dragged him out of the temple and beaten him, the apostle Paul still wanted to tell his story about Christ to the people who had just tried to kill him.  During good times and difficult times, in bad situations, and to non-receptive crowds, believers should not shy away from speaking up for The Lord God.  Believers are called to witness for The Lord, (Isaiah 43:12) to tell others about His goodness towards us.  No one can tell our individual personal story, regarding what The Lord has done for us, better than we can.  We need not be ashamed or afraid to speak, even to people that we do not know.  Jesus said that if we deny Him before men, He will deny us before His Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:33)

 

ACKNOWLEDGE CHRIST AND HE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE YOU

PROCLAMATION

“Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown before My Father in heaven.”  Matthew 10:32-33 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle Matthew.  After Jesus saw the multitudes that were following Him, He had compassion on them. (Matthew 9:36-38)  He gathered His disciples together, gave them the authority to heal the sick and to cast out demons.  He gave them instructions to govern their behavior, and then he sent them out in pairs among the people. (Matthew 10:1-20)  He told them that not everyone would welcome them and that some would hate them. (Matthew 10:22)  Jesus told them not to be afraid of those that hate them. (Matthew 10:26-28)  Then He told them how valuable they are to God, The Father. (Matthew 10:29-31)  He made it clear to them that whoever should deny Him before men, that He would deny them before His Father in heaven.  Jesus, The Christ, said anyone who welcomes them, welcomes Him, and anyone who welcomes Him, welcomes His Father who sent Him. (Matthew 10:40)  He also said that anyone who welcomes a prophet or a righteous man, even to just give him a drink of water, will be rewarded. (Matthew 10:41-42)

APPLICATION

There is a reward for openly confessing Christ, and there is a penalty for denying Him.  Christ will acknowledge us or disown us before God in heaven depending upon our acknowledgement of Him before men.  If we confess and believe we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10)  This confession implies the receiving of His Holy Word (Mark 8:38), and the obeying of His commandments. (Luke 9:26)  Kindness shown to a man of God or to a righteous believer will be rewarded, even if the act of kindness is only a small seemingly insignificant act.  Therefore it is a good idea to practice random acts of kindness towards the people of God.  The world will know that we belong to Him by the way that we treat one another. (John 13:35)  No man has seen God but they see us, and He dwells within us and His love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)  When men see our good works and our acts of loving-kindness, they see the light of Christ within us and God will be glorified. (Matthew 5:16)