Sr. Pastor-Teacher: Rev. Mark A. Cain 

SERIES:  THE STUDY OF THE BOOK OF ACTS

CHAPTER 23:  THE PLOT AGAINST PAUL'S LIFE

TEXT (L74):         Acts 23:12-24

Memory Verse— "...the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. "     Acts 23:12

The Principle of Momentum Testing

1. Momentum testing is designed with two things in mind (1) The opportunity to apply the Bible doctrine you have learned and (2) to accelerate your spiritual momentum.

2. No believer attains spiritual maturity apart from momentum testing (Js. 1:2-4).

3. Spiritual growth results from perception of Bible doctrine (BD). But spiritual growth accelerates from the application of BD to the various categories of testing in life.

4. All categories of testing in the plan of God are designed for blessing. Therefore, whether adversity or prosperity, God's plan is designed for your good (Rom. 8:28).

5. Paul's test in Acts 23 comes in the form of People Testing and System Testing.    

6. People Testing comes in two categories: (1) In wanting to please the object of your personal love, you find yourself becoming a different person and doing things you would not normally do. (2) In personal hatred, the object of your antagonism or irritation has control of your life or happiness unless you advance spiritually.

7. System Testing is when you function in an organization composed of people under the command of other people functioning under a policy which is designed to fulfill a specific objective. Your system testing could be either good or bad regarding the authority, policy, and objective of the system merely because people are involved.

8. The advancing believer need not allow system testing to contribute to his own failure (Acts 23:5). If you are treated unfairly, God has a purpose in it. No testing of the advancing believer is an accident. His objective is to accelerate your growth.

9. The world is not fair because Satan is the ruler of this world. Satan lacks integrity. Integrity comes from truth, Bible doctrine in the soul, which Satan opposes. As the enemy of truth Satan can only be unfair. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."(1 John 4:4). 

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