a great defense 1 15-12 sermon

Acts 22:1-22

Tallapoosachurch of ChristJanuary 15, 2012

Acts 22:1 NKJV "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now."

Defense: “apologia,” is a verbal defense, speech in defense, or a reasoned statement or argument (Thayer).

Acts 22:2 NKJV And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:

1 Peter 3:15 NKJV But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

You Lose with a Poor Defense

1. If you have a poor defense a jury will find you guilty and you be punished according to the law.

2. If you have sinned, your defense before God is lousy. (But all have sinned; Rom. 3:23).

3. Paul had a poor defense before God.

Paul’s Poor DefenseActs 22:3-5 NKJV "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 fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. (4) I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, (5) 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.

Paul’s Poor DefenseActs 22:6-10 NKJV "Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. (7) And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' (8) So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' (9) "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’s Poor DefenseActs 9:5 NKJV And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

1 Timothy 1:15 NKJV This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

Paul’s Poor DefenseActs 23:1 NKJV Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”

Paul’s Poor DefenseMatthew 7:21-23 NKJV "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' (23) And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Acts 22:10-11 NKJV 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.' (11) 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.

Acts 22:16 NKJV And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

Acts 2:36-39 NKJV "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (37) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Acts 2:36-39 continued (38) Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Romans 5:8 NKJV But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16-17 NKJV For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Acts 22:22 NKJV 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!”

Isaiah 59:2 NKJV But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

Romans 6:23 NKJV For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ezekiel 3:18 NKJV When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.

1 John 1:7-9 NKJV But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.