Waiting on our Road to Rome
Notes
Transcript
Waiting is a part of life.
There is nothing fun or exciting about waiting.
Paul spent 2 years in prison in Caesarea waiting. He was out of commission, out of the pulpit, and serving as Governor Felix’s personal spiritual conversationalist.
Felix ultimately rejected Christ because it was not convenient.
Finally 2 years, Felix got reassigned and was sent back to Rome and Porcius Festus became the new governor of the region in Caesarea so let’s resume in Chapter 25.
1 Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, 2 where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul. 3 They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way). 4 But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon. 5 So he said, “Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.”
Even after 2 years in custody, they were unable to change Felix’s mind, they took another crack at it with the new guy Festus.
6 About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7 When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove.
Acts 25:8–9 (NLT)
8 Paul denied the charges. “I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government,” he said. 9 Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?”
Acts 25:10–12 (NLT)
10 But Paul replied, “No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews. 11 If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!” 12 Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!”
PRAY
Paul Appealed to Caesar
Paul Appealed to Caesar
Paul did not want to go back to Jerusalem because God called him to go to Rome so Paul appealed to Caesar. This was Paul’s free ticket to Rome.
He wasn’t interested in going to a court in Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders wanted to kill Paul. So Festus decreed that Paul would stand trial before Caesar but he was unclear as to what charges to bring against Paul.
In vs. 13-22, King Agrippa and his sister Bernice came to pay their respects to the new governor Festus.
Festus told them about Paul, explaining that he wasn’t sure what to write to the emperor about Paul.
King Agrippa said, I’d like to hear the man myself.
So the next day, in much pomp and fanfare, with an audience of the prominent men and women of the city, Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.
Paul had another opportunity to share his Story again.
Paul had another opportunity to share his Story again.
This was an opportunity for Paul to share his story again to a captive audience.
Acts 26:1–3 (NLT)
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.” So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: 2 “I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, 3 for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!
4 “As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. 5 If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. 6 Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors. 7 In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope! 8 Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?
Paul recognized King Agrippa as an expert in Jewish customs and traditions so Paul presented his background before he encountered Christ.
The Jewish leaders and Paul have the same hope of the resurrection of the dead. That’s why the Jews zealously worship God, night and day.
The Pharisees knew Paul’s past.
Paul was part of the Jewish leadership, the same leadership that was condemning Paul.
Paul hated Christians and was willing to do everything within his power to eradicate them from the earth.
The Pharisees were not willing to acknowledge Paul’s past because there was an extreme change that took place in Paul after he encountered Christ.
Hopefully after encountering Jesus, we are not the same person.
Our values have changed. Our priorities, our goals, our desires… have all changed.
Before Jesus changed his life, Paul was an evil; bad man: violently opposing the name of Jesus, sending believers to prison, condemning Christians to death, punishing believers to try to get them to curse the name of Jesus.
The Jewish leaders, especially the Pharisees knew all this to be true.
Paul was a completely different man but they were too prideful to recognize that it was Jesus who changed his life completely.
Not everyone will appreciate the reality that God is changing your life. However, we aren’t serving people, we are serving Jesus.
Paul shared his back-story, just like he did in Jerusalem, he shared his back-story to King Agrippa as well.
But then he shifts his story to center around Jesus.
12 “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. 13 About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’
Jesus told Paul, “It is useless for you to fight against my will.”
Paul thought he was in the will of God, but Jesus quickly revealed HIMSELF to Paul and then he realized that he was actually working against God’s will.
How often we fight against God’s will because we are hearing the wrong voice.
It’s impossible to fight and win against God’s will.
It’s impossible to fight and win against God’s will.
Jesus revealed this truth to Paul.
Rest, be still and know that God has a wonderful plan for your life and live to worship Jesus everyday.
What is God’s will for your life?
Micah 6:8 (ESV)
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Do… Love… Walk
Justice… Kindness… humbly with your God.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
If we are going to know God’s will for our life, we must not conform to this world.
Listen for God to speak… know HIS Word… be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Live by faith. Trust and know that God has a much better plan then this world has for us. Don’t fight against God’s plan but surrender All to Jesus.
Then you will be able to discern what God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will truly is. It begins with surrender.
Paul had to surrender…
Acts 26:15–18 (NLT)
15 “ ‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.
17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’
Jesus confronts Paul with a decision; ether keep doing it your way, or completely surrender to God’s Way.
Jesus confronts Paul with a decision; ether keep doing it your way, or completely surrender to God’s Way.
Paul choose to surrender.
We must make a decision, to completely surrender and faithfully obey.
Jesus tells Paul to get on your feet and then I will show you the next steps.
Jesus said, I’m going to speak to you things that you are to share with the people.
I’m going to share with you words about the future that I also want you to share with the people.
Don’t hold back.
We need to hear from Jesus before we can speak words of life to the people around us.
We need to hear from Jesus before we can speak words of life to the people around us.
Jesus said not everyone will accept my message or my calling on your life. People are going to resist the message I will give you but as you obey me, I will protect you.
I am sending you to the Gentiles to point them to Jesus…
Jesus has the words to open their eyes… to take them out of darkness, and to free them from the power of satan.
Jesus has the words of life, freedom and power through the Holy Spirit.
I am sending you to Jews and Gentiles to tell the Good News to everyone so that everyone can have an opportunity to receive salvation and forgiveness from their sin.
This wasn’t just Paul’s calling, it’s our calling as well.
19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.
Paul told Agrippa that he was obedient. He went to Damascus, then to Jerusalem, Judea, and finally to the Gentiles preaching the same message of Jesus.
Repent, turn to God and produce the fruit of repentance through obedience.
This is still the same salvation message as it was before.
21 Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22 But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”
Paul was compelled to share this good news, even to the Gentiles. The Jews reacted violently to Paul’s mission to reach the Gentiles but God protected him all the time.
God was faithful to HIS promise.
Even though they tried to kill Paul many times, even though Paul was arrested, he saw this as an opportunity to testify about Jesus, from the least to the greatest.
At this point Festus chimed in…
24 Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”
To the world may think we are insane or crazy but hopefully because we are that compelled to share the Gospel with the world.
Paul may have been crazy passionate about Jesus. Paul saw his life as not his own but as an offering belonging to God.
Paul was radically changed by the power of Jesus Christ and was led by the Holy Spirit to fulfil God’s Mission.
Our Faith in Jesus can sometimes appear insane because logic isn’t always connected to our faith.
Festus represents the individual who thinks he is too intelligent to listen to Jesus.
Festus represents the individual who thinks he is too intelligent to listen to Jesus.
“I’m not convinced,”
“I’m too smart to believe that junk.”
No sensible, modern-day person could believe in a resurrection.
Festus was led by reasoning instead of faith.
Jesus’ death and resurrection were proven facts.
Christianity makes sense. It gives real answers to real questions about real life now and beyond this life.
Those who reject Christ have never looked closely at Christ or the Gospel. Or they read the Gospel from a cynical or jaded viewpoint.
Festus thought it was about studying and reading more instead of surrendering, obeying, and responding in faith.
25 But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth. 26 And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do—”
28 Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”
Agrippa represents those individuals who heard the gospel but decided that it wasn’t worth responding to personally.
Agrippa represents those individuals who heard the gospel but decided that it wasn’t worth responding to personally.
Like Agrippa, the problem is not really that the gospel isn’t convincing or that they don’t need to know God personally; it is that they choose not to respond to the Gospel.
Maybe it seem like too great a price to give God complete control of your life but choosing to resist the truth is an even greater price, spending eternity separated from God.
Pride will kill anyone who thinks himself above needing a Savior and these three powerful rulers should warn us against pride and indifference to Christ.
All 3 leaders had an opportunity to receive Christ but rejected HIM.
Paul replied to King Agrippa’s excuse not as a debater but as an evangelist with a tender heart.
29 Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”
Paul had a tender heart for the lost souls in need of finding the Savior.
Paul explained that it didn’t matter to him whether it took Agrippa a short time or a long time; he prayed that Agrippa, along with all who were listening, would become just like him, except for the chains.
Paul wanted them to find the Messiah who had found him that day on the road to Damascus.
He wanted them to know that Jesus was needed by everyone—from the lowliest to the king and governor… we all are in desperate need of our Savior Jesus Christ.
He was saying, “Take it from the one who used to hunt Christians in the name of his religion; there isn’t a soul that’s too far away to be found by this Savior.”
The timing wasn’t important but it was the fact that a clear presentation of the Gospel was presented. The seed has been planted and it’s God who does the work to draw them to salvation.
Acts 26:30–32 (NLT)
30 Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. 31 As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.”
Did Paul make a mistake asking to appeal to the emperor? He could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.
Paul didn’t see this as a mistake because God called Paul to go to Rome. Paul saw the waiting as more opportunities for God to use him to be a witness for Jesus.
Even if we are not at our destination God still has greater things for us to do.
Take Away:
Are we surrendered to Jesus’ will and plan for our life?
Are we hearing from Jesus and stepping out in obedience?
Are we being a witness for Jesus even to those who choose to reject the Gospel?
Are we allowing pride to keep us from receiving the Gospel?
