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Sunday Morning 2024  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  35:18
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After this week, I will be honest, it was hard to even think of what text to preach today. I thought about having someone else preach, just to give my mind a rest. But then, one thing kept coming to my mind about what uncle had said throughout his illness. He kept telling us that he was fine, he knew where his faith in God was, and that either way (through healing or death) he was a winner. But, he was concerned about some of his friends saying he knew they were good people but didn’t know if they had the same confidence that he did of their salvation. That got me to thinking more and more about his life, the legacy that he leaves, but most importantly the faith that he had that sustained him through his life. I then immediately thought of the apostle Paul. Paul tells young Timothy to be instant in season and out of season
2 Timothy 4:2 ESV
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
and while he was speaking of preaching and teaching the Word, I think we need to take a closer look at our Christian walk, and the faith that we have so that we, too, are ready in season and out of season to live our lives for Christ with such faith that NO ONE has doubt when our time on earth is done. You know, Paul lived life with full passion for the Lord. If there is anyone I could call a role model, the apostle Paul would have been it. We read of a fire that is in Paul that can’t be extinguished, and I wish for that type of drive, that fire, the excitement of the Gospel in my life too. But, more importantly, I desire it for you. I want your lives to be enriched and the excitement to be there. Too often, we sit like totem pole statues rigid, and unmoveable when we should be running and shouting about what God has done in our lives. Even towards the end of Paul’s life, though, his desire for all to know Jesus as their personal Savior never slacked. Towards the end of Acts we find Paul in Cesarea, having been taken into custody by Felix for preaching the Gospel. Accusations had been placed against Paul by some elders and he is described as a plague. Paul then presented his case, defending himself, stating that he “took pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man”. Felix, though, instead of making a decision decided to take Paul into custody to wait until Lysias came to decide the case. After hearing the Gospel, Felix became alarmed, but still kept Paul in prison as a “favor” to the Jews. After two years, Felix was succeeded by Festus and after no action had taken place against Paul for that two year period the chief priests and some of the Jews went to Festus and pleaded their case against Paul. Within the next week or two he went to Cesarea and had Paul brought before him. False accusations that could not be proven were brought against Paul, and then he argued his defense. When Festus realized he would be unpopular if he ruled in favor of Paul, he asked whether he would want to tried as a Jew. An appeal was made to be tried in front of Caesar.
Festus then pleaded the case before king Agrippa and a trial was set for the next day. We will pick up the story here in Chapter 26:
Acts 26 ESV
1 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: 2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. 4 “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? 9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” 24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” 30 Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Look closely again at verse 28 and let’s look at some different translations:
Acts 26:28 NKJV
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
Acts 26:28 CSB
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”
After hearing the Gospel Message proclaimed, after hearing how God had transformed the apostle Paul, King Agrippa was moved to the point he makes the statement “almost”.
Paul had laid out his testimony, even to the point he was asking the King to make a decision, to decide whether or not he would accept Jesus as Savior. Agrippa avoids the question, but makes one of the saddest statements in scripture “almost”. Paul, you almost persuaded me to become a Christian. Agrippa was moved, but was not moved to the point he would accept Christ. I truly think he feared what others (the Jews) thought about him than he did what God would judge him for.
You “almost” persuaded me...
Today, I want you to know that Paul’s testimony says it all today also. All we do is nothing compared to what Jesus has done for each and every one of us. He died on the cross in place of us, so that we did not have to be concerned with where we would spend eternity. I am afraid, though, that many who even “attend” church regularly might still only “almost” be persuaded but have never fully asked God to forgive them of their sins.
Don’t be an “almost” Christian. Today is the day that you, like king Agrippa, must make the decision. Will you accept Christ as your personal Savior? If so, the altar is open, please come.
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