Paul's Trials

September 24th 2023

Series: Courageous Faith

Sermon Title: Paul’s Trials

Topic: Journey through the book of Acts.

Key Passages: Acts 25 & 26

Sermon Blurb: In today’s message we see Paul put on trails before some very powerful people. We will see how Paul uses that as an opportunity to share his journey to faith and DIRECTLY call them to faith as well.

Sermon:

Hello Family Church!

Family Moment –

Start with something personal from your family life recently to help people get to know you.

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Those of you who are new, or newer, to Family Church we are SUPER happy you are with us today!

We have been walking through the book of Acts as a church for the better part of the last two years….

Walking through it line by line and verse by verse….

And believe it or not we wrap that journey up this month!

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Last month we spent recapping Acts 1-24…

Today we will walk through Acts 25 & 26….

Then next week we will walk through Acts 27.

The following week Acts 28.

Then on the 24th, we will recap the entire book of Acts and what we should have learned on this journey….

Then on the 31st, it is EASTER SUNDAY!!!!

And we will celebrate Jesus who launched this thing we call church that the book of Acts was all about how they launched the church and reached people for Jesus!

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So that is where we are headed this month…..

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We have a LOT to cover today…so, let’s jump into the Bible today…

Grab your Bibles….

I hope you all brought your Bible to church!

Either paper version or electronic!

Open it up to

Acts 25

New Person Bible Connection:

And if you do not have a Bible, that is ok!

After service, we will give you an AMAZING leather-bound study Bible!

Just go to ADD YOUR CAMPUS PLACE and get one for FREE!!!

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As you are getting there, let me remind you…...

We have been reading about the journey toward the end of Paul’s life.

For the last several weeks, we have seen Paul going on trial after trail and no resolution happening…

Paul was in jail for years for no reason…

And you will even see at the end of chapter 26 today that the leaders will admit there is NO reason for him to be in the position he is!

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We ended last week with Paul in prison for two MORE years, and the governor who didn’t want to do anything with was case dying.

A new governor is now in charge, and he is going to pick up Paul’s case immediately….

And heads up….

We are going to read a LOT today…two whole chapters….

But there is some amazing stuff happening in the Bible that all goes together, and we cannot break it up….

So, let’s jump in!

Acts 25, verse 1

Acts 25 Paul’s Trial Before Festus

25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,

2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.

3 They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

Pause there…

They want to KILL Paul because they hate what he stands for.

They HATE that Paul is trying to lead people away from the LIES culture is teaching and toward the TRUTH of God.

And they do NOT want Paul to go on trail because they know they cannot prove any of the stuff they accuse Paul of.

They know it is ALL made up garbage….

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Just like we see happen all the time today…

Political leaders drum up garage about the opposing party ALL the time to destroy them….

Church…..

NOTHING is new under the sun!

Study history and you will find we just keep repeating the same stupid mistakes…

We keep using the same schemes thinking, THIS TIME IT WILL WORK!

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So let me give you a new flash here….

The devil keeps using the same old tricks to distract you and me.

The devil keeps using the same old tricks to draw us away from truth.

And the solution is really easy…..

STUDY THE BIBLE!

STUDY GOD’S WORD!

Because the Bible is the ONLY source of perfect truth!

The Bible is the ONLY perfect guide to life!

Politics is NOT the answer….

A political party is NOT the answer…

A person is NOT the answer…

An economic philosophy is NOT the answer…

GOD’S Word is the answer….

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But….I digress…..verse 4…..

4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

6 After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea.

The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him.

7 When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him.

They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.

Stop there….

Do you hear what it said?

They could NOT prove it…

Thousands of years ago….

People would throw out accusations to try and destroy people….

Because that is what the devil does!

The devil LOVES to accuse you and me of things to keep us from doing what God is calling us to do!

And sometimes it works!

I mean….Paul is in prison because of these people and their accusations and attempts to kill him!

So in part…..it seems their plan is working!

It might seem like the devil is winning!

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Just like in your and my life….

We can do something bad….

We sin…

We do something we KNOW we should not….

And then the devil constantly whispers in our mind…

How terrible we are…

How, because of what we did, no one will ever trust us.

How, God could NEVER use someone like us because of what we did in the past….

BUT see church….

That is the AMAZING part about Jesus!

Write this down….

When we accept Jesus, our past sins are washed away!

Repeat

Paul was a BAD dude years ago that did BAD things….

But God forgave him and God washed away all those past sins when Paul accepted Jesus!

And yes the devil wanted to stop Paul…..

But Paul kept following God and God did amazing things through Paul!

ADD something about you like this….

The same is true about me!

I am NO angel.

I was suspended from school in high school…

I was no perfect kid….

As an adult I spent a LONG time focused on Adam’s plan for Adam’s life and could have cared LESS for God’s plans for my life.

But God forgave me for all that.

And God has gone on to do AMAZING things through my life as I have followed God’s plans for me!

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So let me encourage you church….

Follow God’s leading in your life instead of listening to Satan’s diversions.

Repeat

That is what Paul is doing…. And let’s listen to Paul’s defense:

8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”

9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul,

“Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”

10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried.

I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die.

But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

Wow!!!

Not Paul gets to keep talking to more influential people!

To the emperor!

Paul’s dream is coming true!

And while it was his dream to share Jesus in Rome….

I doubt this is the way he hoped his dream would come true!

Festus Consults King Agrippa

13 A few days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king.

He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.

15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.

16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.

17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.

18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.

20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.

21 But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”

Now Paul gets to talk with the king and his wife!

Wow…God is using Paul’s trials to influence some powerful people!

Let’s see what happens…verse 23

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city.

At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man!

The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome.

26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him.

Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write.

27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”

Stop there….

Do you see what Fetus said in verse 25….

Sounds just like what Pilot said before Jesus’s death!

I find it so interesting that Roman leaders….

When Jesus was on trial…

When Paul was on trial….

ALL say the same thing….

I FIND NOTHING deserving of DEATH….

AKA it seems like a bunch of garbage just drummed up against someone whose religious views they do not like…

Sounds awful like today….

And the views so many people have of Jews and Christians…

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Let’s keep reading….

Acts 26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”

So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:

2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,

3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies.

Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.

5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.

6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today.

7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.

King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.

8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

Let me pause here to explain what Paul is saying, for those who are newer to church.

Paul is saying….

I am on trial because I believe what God said to the Jewish people.

That one day he would send a Messiah.

One day he would send a savior.

Paul is saying…

And I believe that….And Jesus was that person we were looking for!

And I, Paul, am on trial because I believe it was Jesus and they do NOT.

Paul is saying….

Anyone can look into my background and see I was one of the TOP Jewish leaders for a LONG time…

EVERYONE knows it….

No one denies it….

But I am on trial because I believe we found the Messiah and they do not….

That is what he was saying….and he continues….

9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem.

On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme.

I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

Stop there….

Paul says….

I was just like these guys as well in the way I wanted to STOP the movement I am a part of.

I was just like them!

Until….verse 12…

12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.

13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions.

14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,

‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.

16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.

17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them

18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God,

so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Stop there….

Paul says I was JUST like them…

Until Jesus appeared to me!

Until Jesus talked to me.

Until Jesus PROVED to me he was God!

Then my eyes were opened that I was wrong and Jesus was right!

So…verse 19….

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,

I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.

21 That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.

22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.

I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

Stop there…

Paul goes on to say…

That is why I have been doing what I have been.

Why I have been preaching about Jesus in Damascus…

Then Jerusalem..

Then Judea…

Then to the Gentiles…or the lost people…

This is why they want me dead….

Because I believe we found the messiah and they do not!

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.

26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him.

I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

BOLD Paul!

I love it!

Call out the king because you know he is a closet believer!

Love that boldness!

That is what some of you need!

Some of you need to get a little more bold in life!

Not be afraid to call out people who you know believe at your place of work but are afraid to say it!

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So, king Agrippa responds with….

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

The King says nice try Paul.

Not going to admit I am on your side….

Not going to admit I am on Jesus side…

So Paul says…

29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

Do you hear what Paul is saying…

I am PRAYING you can all become like me….

FREE people!

FREE because of Jesus!

FREE from your sins!

FREE from the bondage of the devil!

Here is the point Paul is making church….

When I accept Jesus, I become FREE from all forms of bondage!!

Repeat

That is what Paul wanted for them…

That is what Paul, and I, want for all of you!

Freedom!!!!

Freedom from all the things in life that keep you down.

And I can promise you church….

The freedom you get from Jesus is better than any:

Drug…

Drink…

Relationship…

Anything you can buy…

REAL…

FULL…

COMPLETE….

FREEDOM….

It is unlike anything else in the world….

And that can ONLY come through a REAL relationship with Jesus.

That is what Paul is saying right here…

And what you hear me tell you week in and week out here…

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I promise you if you are here…

Living your life for Jesus is the BEST version of your life…

Paul had to learn that….

I had to learn that…

And I am trying to help you all see that!

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Let’s finish reading this chapter…..

Verse 30…

30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them.

31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

They all realize Paul is an innocent man…

But Paul choose to appeal to Caesar and so to Caesar he will go.

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Let me share your life application with you today….

For those of you who are new, or newer, to Family Church.

We end our messages with a Life Application.

It is simply something to help you go home and process this message with someone else.

Something to help you continue to ponder how you can applies todays message into your life.

So here is what I want you all to spend some time processing and talking with someone about.

Life Application: This week think about how the hardships of life have made you who you are today.

How you could use the hardships in your life to connect with people and then lead them toward Jesus.

As a result of today’s message, I will ______________________________.

Prayer:

Make sure to do salvation call!

Communion Flow #2 – March, September

Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, is when followers of Jesus takes a moment to remember what Jesus did for us.

At Family Church, we believe the Table of the Lord is open to ALL followers of Jesus.

So, we practice “open communion”, which means you do NOT have to be a member of this church or attend a special class… in order to take communion.

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Also, if you have kids with you who have made Jesus their Lord and Savior, they too are welcome to participate if you as a parent think they are ready.

In Romans, we read about God’s goodness to us. The Apostle Paul writes this in Romans 3:

Romans 3: 23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.

Paul continues his thoughts in chapter 6...

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

God loves us so much, that He left His perfect heaven to provide the ONLY way for you and me to be forgiven of our sins and made right with God.

Jesus left Heaven to come to earth, and to give His life for us.

Jesus became the bridge for our sins and the substitution for our punishment.

Jesus took on our sins and He offers His righteousness to anyone who would believe.

And Jesus did this so that we can be forgiven our sins and enter His perfect heaven.

In His love and mercy, God has already established a means for you to be forgiven of your sins.

Jesus has already done the deed…

Jesus made the ONLY way for anyone to be saved from their sins.

When someone places their faith in Jesus, God performs a Divine Exchange...

In exchange for our sin, God clothes the believer in Jesus’ righteousness.

And what activates this, is faith.

Faith in Jesus.

Faith in Jesus’ perfect, sinless life,

Faith in Jesus’ willingness to die on their behalf.

And faith to invite God to forgive them of their sins and exchange Jesus’ righteousness.

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And that is why we take communion…. to remember Jesus and what He did for us!

We believe and confess that our Savior Jesus Christ has ordained and instituted the sacrament of the Holy Supper to nourish and sustain those who are already grafted into his family, into his church...

That God gave the act of Communion as a means of grace for nourishing and strengthening disciples of Christ.

Jesus instituted Communion on the evening He was betrayed.

In Mathew 26:26-28 we read,

Mathew 26:26-28, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,

‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,

‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”

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Now we are going to listen to a song and as you listen I want to encourage you to take a moment and reflect on what it means that Jesus was willing to sacrifice His body for you and shed his blood for the forgiveness of your sins….

Take a moment and thank Jesus for his sacrifice for you.

Take a moment to ask Jesus to forgive you of any hidden sin in your life.

If you have not given your life to Jesus…take a moment now and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and tell him you now submit your life to him…

And then after this song, I will explain how we will take communion…. together….

AFTER THE SONG ENDS…..

In the seat in front of you there is a cup the looks like this……

EXPLAIN HOW TO OPEN based on style….

Just so you all know, the bread is gluten-free…

Let’s first take and eat the bread of life and give Jesus thanks for sacrificing his body for us.

Scripture tells us then Jesus took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”

Drinking this cup symbolizes Jesus shedding his blood for our sins….

AND us asking Jesus to give you an increased portion of his Spirit to keep us away from sinning in the future!

Take and drink the cup in remembrance of Jesus shedding his blood for your sins.