Paul on Trial — Part 2 — Almost Persuaded, Yet Altogether Lost

Introduction

Good morning Church. It’s good to see each and every one who has made it out today and we want to welcome all those who may be joining us online as well. Today, we will be picking up right where we left off last week in the Book of Acts.

Last week, we looked at Chapter 24 and we seen Paul on trial before a Roman Governor named Felix. And after hearing Paul’s defense, Felix found no fault in Paul and basically placed him on house arrest for two years if you will remember.

During that time, Felix even called for Paul on different occasions asking him of the gospel and his beliefs and if you will remember, one such time the Bible says after Paul spoke to him about the things of God, Felix trembled at Paul’s teaching and sent him away.

He would call for Paul again after this but we seen where Felix’s true reason for calling for Paul lie and that was in the hopes that Paul would offer Felix some amount of money to purchase his freedom.

What he didn’t know, is that Paul was right where he wanted to be and even more importantly, right where God wanted him to be.

He was in no hurry to leave Rome and what better place to be than in the center of God’s will telling the lost about Jesus!

So, at the end of Felix’s term as Governor, we seen that he was replaced by a new Governor named Porcius Festus.

And that’s where we are going to pick up this morning.

We are going to see this new Governor try to find his footing with the Jews and at the same time deal with this conundrum of a situation named Paul that he’s been left with.

He finds himself in a sticky situation not really knowing what to do with the hand he’s been dealt so he sends for some advice from King Herod Agrippa II. Porcius Festus calls for Paul to testify before Herod Agrippa II and its during this interaction we get the title of our message today…Almost Persuaded, Yet Altogether Lost.

Now, in order to get where we’re going, we have a lot we need to read through, so if you have your copy of God’s Word turned to Acts 25 Verse 1, would you say, Amen.

The Appeal of the Jews — (Vs. 1-6)

Chuck Swindoll — To borrow from Dr. Tom Constable’s earlier comment: The apostle had become a political pawn of men in a chess game run by God.

“Judgment Seat” — (bēma) — The word originally referred to a step or a stride but then came to be used for a raised platform such as the throne of a ruler where he presided over trials. In the New Testament it is used for both earthly magistrates and the divine tribunal from which Jesus makes His judgments. — (Word Study Bible)

In...

2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV 1900

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

The Accusations of the Jews — (Vs. 7)

The Answer of Paul — (Vs. 8)

The Appeasing of Festus — (Vs. 9)

The Appeal of Paul — (Vs. 10-12)

The Arrival of King Agrippa II — (Vs. 13)

King Agrippa the II was a slithery, slimy fellow is about the best way to put it. He was the son of Herod Agrippa the I and the great grandson of Herd the Great, the one who tried to kill baby Jesus if you will remember.

He was the last ruler of the Herodian Dynasty reigning over territories outside of Judea as a Roman client. — Wikipedia

He was a Jew by birth but a Roman by nature. He straddled the line between both worlds being brought up in Rome but trying to win the hearts of the Jews as a King. He’s the kind of fellow that reminds me of what Jesus told the Laodiceans in...

Revelation 3:15–16 KJV 1900

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

The Asking of Advice — (Vs. 14-27)

The Inquisition of Paul — (Vs. 1)

The Information Expounded — (Vs. 2-27)

“Repent” — (metanoeo) — It’s a verb compounded from meta, meaning “after,” and noeo, meaning “perceive, think,” meaning “to change one’s min,” “to feel regret,” or “to repent.” Although associated with the idea of “turning to God” (as here), the primary meaning of metanoeo relates to turning away from evil. — (Word Study Bible)

The Ignorant Reply of King Agrippa — (Vs. 28)

The Imploring of Paul — (Vs. 29)

The Inclination of King Agrippa — (Vs. 30-32)

Closing

As we come to a close this morning, the irony of King Agrippa’s final statement is the crux of this entire message.

Acts 26:32 KJV 1900

32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

The thing that King Agrippa failed to understand is that Paul had already made a personal appeal to one higher than Caesar and he was set free!

He was freed from the bondage of sin, shame, guilt, eternal damnation!

Here stood a man in bonds physically yet was a free man spiritually and one who was a free physically and yet a slave of sin spiritually!

One had inherited eternal life. And one, who had turned from eternal life and chosen eternal damnation!

Acts 26:28 KJV 1900

28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Almost persuaded, yet altogether lost!

This morning as we ask Doug, Johnathon, and Angie to come get us a song, I don’t know your heart, but God does.

God knows whether you have accepted His one and only Son, Jesus, as your Lord and Savior.

The Bible says in...

John 3:16–18 KJV 1900

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

This morning, if God has been dealing with your heart, telling you that you are lost and in need of being saved, please don’t make this same mistake that we’ve seen two weeks in a row now.

Last week, we seen Felix turn away the good news of Jesus and now this week, we see a man of pomp and stature; a man of power and prestige, also turn God’s Son away.

What I will tell you this morning is this…if somewhere along the way King Agrippa never surrendered to the call of God upon his life, this morning he’s in a place called hell awaiting that dreadful final judgment day when all those who have denied God and His Son shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to suffer for all eternity.

He’ll stand before God almighty and those fatal words will ring loud and clear…

“Almost persuaded, yet altogether lost! Depart from me ye that work iniquity. I know you not!”

The opportunity of salvation was knocking at Agrippa’s heart’s door and yet he denied the faith and remained an infidel.

The Bible says in Revelation 3:20

Revelation 3:20 KJV 1900

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

If God is speaking to your heart today, won’t you open that door and let Him in?

Don’t shut Him out like so many down throughout the ages have done and perished.

Open your heart’s door and invite the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in and give Him full control. Don’t hold anything back!

Give Him full control because I can promise you He can do more with your life than you can!