27 September 2026 - Peter van Breda - Paul's Testimony

Paul’s trials in Acts 22 through 28 show that chains, accusations, and hostile crowds never stopped God’s purpose. Paul had travelled through Cyprus, Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece, leading Jews and Gentiles to Christ. Yet the Spirit directed him back to Jerusalem, where the rest of Acts finds him standing before mobs, councils, governors, kings, storms, and eventually Rome itself. Every trial looked like a setback, but God kept moving Paul toward the place Jesus had promised: “You must also bear witness in Rome.”

Paul’s testimony before the Jerusalem crowd begins in their own language and with his own history. Paul had been zealous for the law, trained under Gamaliel, and determined to persecute Christians. Christ met him on the Damascus road, blinded him, and then gave him more than physical sight through Ananias. Baptism became a picture of a whole new orientation, a life turned toward the will of God. Paul’s old vision had been about destroying the church. God gave him a new vision to become a witness of what he had seen and heard.

Paul’s conscience before God and man becomes a serious call to keep short accounts with God. Paul knows there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. Christ removes condemnation from those under the blood of the Lamb, yet the judgment seat still reveals what was wood, hay, and stubble and what was done for the Master. A clear conscience does not mean sinless perfection. It means repentance is not delayed and nothing is left outstanding before God.

Felix, Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice all stand around Paul with power, pomp, and political authority. Yet Paul, the prisoner in chains, becomes the freest man in the room. Paul does not merely defend himself. Paul wants Agrippa, Festus, Bernice, and everybody listening to become Christians. His answer remains clear: “Short time or long,” may all become what he is, except for the chains. Paul’s conversion proves that nobody is beyond the reach of Christ, not the drunkard uncle, the brother on drugs, the sister far from home, or the boss in the big office.

Christ’s words to Paul hold steady through the storm at sea. Paul knows he will reach Rome because Jesus said he would testify there. The shipwreck on Malta does not cancel the promise. Paul’s calm leadership saves all aboard, and the storm puts a mature believer on display. The book of Acts ends in Rome, but the story does not end there. The promise still stands: “You shall receive power.” The barriers remain, but the Holy Spirit still empowers witnesses across every line of prejudice, fear, and comfort.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Keep short accounts with God [01:11:37] Paul’s clear conscience was not built on pretending nothing was wrong. Christ removes condemnation, but repentance keeps the heart soft and honest before God. Hidden sin, delayed confession, and unfinished obedience weigh down a life that should be free to serve. A believer can come quickly to the Father because the blood of the Lamb has already made the way open. [71:37]
• 2. Nobody is beyond Christ’s reach [01:24:01] Paul’s conversion stands as a living argument against hopelessness. The man who hunted Christians became the apostle who suffered for Christ, so no hard heart should be treated as beyond mercy. Persistent prayer refuses to let present rebellion have the final word. Christ’s patience is greater than the darkness surrounding any family member, friend, or enemy. [84:01]
• 3. Do not kick against the goads [01:26:46] The goads picture the painful resistance of a person fighting the Master’s direction. God’s call may confront age, weariness, sickness, fear, or a long list of reasons to step back. Yet disobedience does not bring peace; it only adds pain to the resistance. God still has work to do in and through those He has called. [86:46]
• 4. Storms put faith on display [01:29:46] John Wesley saw Moravian Christians calmly praising God while a hurricane threatened to swallow their ship. Their supernatural contentment showed him something he did not yet possess. Trials reveal whether faith is merely language for calm days or a settled confidence in God’s keeping power. Mature believers often preach most loudly by how they stand when they cannot control the storm. [89:46]
• 5. The promise of power remains [01:39:56] Acts begins with the promise that the Holy Spirit gives power for witness, and Acts ends with the gospel reaching Rome. That power confronts prejudice, crosses cultural lines, and sends believers toward people they would naturally avoid. The church cannot settle into little people groups when Christ has purchased people from every background with the same blood. The promise is still available, but it must not lie dormant.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [57:41] - Paul on Trial
• [61:59] - Paul’s Testimony Before Jerusalem
• [63:09] - A New Vision Through Ananias
• [65:17] - Resurrection and God’s Guiding Hand
• [66:54] - Called to Testify in Rome
• [68:58] - Paul Before Felix
• [71:10] - Keeping a Clear Conscience
• [76:33] - Festus, Agrippa, and Paul’s Appeal
• [80:57] - Almost Persuaded to Believe
• [83:07] - Nobody Beyond the Gospel
• [86:26] - Kicking Against the Goads
• [87:42] - Faith in the Midst of Storms
• [90:13] - Paul’s Leadership in Shipwreck
• [93:33] - Acts Continues Through the Church
• [95:30] - Power to Witness Across Barriers

1. What parts of Paul’s background does he emphasize when speaking to the hostile crowd in Jerusalem, and how does he connect that background to his changed life? [01:02:13]
2. What promise does the Lord give Paul after his appearance before the council, and how does that promise shape the rest of Paul’s journey? [01:07:06]
3. What subjects does Paul discuss with Felix, and what is Felix’s response? [01:15:13]
4. In Paul’s hearing before Agrippa, Festus, Bernice, and the other leaders, what does Paul want for the people listening to him? [01:21:40]

1. Why might Paul’s use of his own Jewish background and testimony have been a wise way to speak to a hostile Jerusalem crowd? What does this show about connecting the gospel to the people listening?
2. Paul was physically imprisoned, yet he spoke to rulers as a free man who wanted them to know Christ. What kind of freedom did Paul possess that Felix, Festus, and Agrippa did not? [01:19:21]
3. Paul connects a clear conscience with the coming resurrection and judgment. How does the assurance of forgiveness in Christ fit together with the call to repent quickly and live faithfully? [01:11:01]
4. Paul’s shipwreck did not cancel Christ’s promise that he would testify in Rome. How can a believer tell the difference between a hardship that has changed the path and one that has stopped God’s purpose? [01:30:53]

1. Is there something currently weighing on your conscience before God or another person—such as unconfessed sin, unresolved conflict, dishonesty, or delayed obedience? What would it look like to keep a short account this week? [01:11:44]
2. Paul’s conversion shows that nobody is beyond Christ’s reach. Who is one person you may have quietly given up on, and how can you begin praying for that person with fresh faith? [01:23:14]
3. Where might you be “kicking against the goads”—resisting something God has been pressing on your heart because of fear, weariness, age, sickness, comfort, or another reason? What is one faithful next step you could take? [01:27:02]
4. Think about a storm in your life that you cannot control. What are the people closest to you seeing in your words, attitude, and choices during this season? [01:30:06]
5. Paul wanted everyone in the room to become what he was in Christ, apart from the chains. Is there a family member, coworker, neighbor, or friend with whom you need to become more intentional about sharing your faith? What could a natural first conversation look like? [01:22:15]
6. The Holy Spirit gives power for witness across barriers of fear, prejudice, and comfort. Which people or communities do you naturally avoid, and what would it look like to take one step toward them with the love of Christ? [01:35:48]