The Last Word

Text: Acts 25:1-26:32

Central Idea of the Text: Paul’s final stand gives him one last chance to tell his story before the King and his court.

Proposition: The believer is to seek open doors and platforms where they can share the story of what God has done for them.

Purpose: Every hearer must prepare to share the story of Christ in them.

I was sitting at home, minding my own business one evening. All of a sudden, my cell rings, and it’s the alarm monitoring company, the one that keeps a watchful eye on our fire sprinkler and alarm system at the Family Life Center: “We’ve got an alarm pull at 1407 Courthouse. The Fire and Rescue has already been alerted.” Not again, I’m thinking. Just two weeks ago, one of the alarms got pulled, and it resulted in the fire crew getting called to the building for a false alarm. So I throw my shoes on and rush to my car, flooring it down to the FLC. But this time, as I jog into the building, not only are the alarms going off, but the sprinklers are spraying water everywhere in the youth room. Oh no, I say as I walk to the control panel, getting covered in water.

Suddenly, I sit up in bed suddenly. I GOTTA GO TO THE BATHROOM. I stagger through the house in a hurry in time to barely make it to the toilet on time to relieve my filled-past-capacity bladder. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that my brain had to literally set of a fire alarm to get my body to wake up and go! But the thing is, when the pressure has built up, that stuff has got to go somewhere.

As we get to the end of last week’s text, we have to feel a similar pressure for Paul: He’s gotta get out of here. He knows God has promised him that he will see Rome, but after 2 years of sitting in prison in Caesarea, with Felix wasting his time on a regular basis and waiting for a bribe, it’s time to sit up, get up, and get out. As we look at today’s text, we have a lot to cover, so I will preach it and we will read it in portions and summarize parts where we can, simply for the sake of both time and clarity. But as we do, let’s pray over our reading and study of God’s word:

Almighty God, God of the fathers of our faith, and God of Luke (this book’s author), we are grateful to hear a faithful and accurate account today about Paul’s final plea and final words before he departs for Rome. Lord, give us clarity and consistency in our living and our words. As we hear from this example of Paul, may we take note on how we can make every word and every opportunity count for Christ. He is our Lord and Savior as a church, and I pray that he would be the Lord and Savior of someone new in this place who has yet to call upon his name. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

So as we get to the Word of the Lord for us this morning, we start in Acts 25. We noted last week how utterly worthless Felix was as a governor, and he we ought not be like him. But as he came to the end of his reign, he was replaced by a new Governor named Festus. Festus, in coming into this new role and understanding the poor leadership and lack of respect in Palestine for his rule, seeks to undo the damage that has been done and exhibit reforms that are needed. Part of that is that he must figure out what to do with Paul. He can’t be infinitely held here, and his trial has stalled out. He is a Roman citizen, so respect and a resolution are in order. He wants to treat Paul right, and get on the good side of the Jewish leaders. So we read in Acts 25:9 “9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?””

Now before we even read Paul’s response, knowing what has happened in this previous FOUR chapters with Jerusalem and the Jews, what do you think Paul’s answer is gonna be? “Oh yeah, Festus. I’d love to go back there. I’m certain I’ll get a super fair trial, as they spit in my face and tear me limb from limb.” We all know if the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem would have had their way, Paul would have been dead long ago. So look at Paul’s response in Acts 25:10–11 “10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” In other words, “Heck no, I ain’t going back to Jerusalem.”

Paul knows that his options are few, and his time is running out. The Lord has promised him Rome, and he has an appeal that would take him to Rome. He will take that by appealing to Caesar. Festus responds in verse 12: “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”” The remainder of chapter 25 explains and sets up what happens in chapter 26, which is where I want to spend our remaining time today. But it focuses us in on the arrival of Agrippa & Bernice, before whom Paul will make his final stand in his native land and give his final testimony. But before he stands and speaks to them, we should note who these people are.

Agrippa is the Agrippa II another Herodian king in the long line of Herodian kings. He is the great-grandson of Herod the Great, the Herod we read of in the Christmas story. The Herodian kings were appointed by the Emperor, and so Agrippa was appointed by Nero, an infamously crazed and Christian-hating Emperor. The governor in this case, Festus, is appointed over policing and military by the emperor, while the King, Agrippa, is appointed to the region to make the outlying parts of the Roman Empire feel like they have some autonomy, when they are just being ruled by a puppet king. It is that puppet king who would work the Jewish system and appoint to elect the high priest that he thought would be fittest for the position. And this figurehead king arrived with great pomp and circumstance, along with his bride who is also his sister Bernice, and who were both siblings of Felix’s wife Drusilla. Talk about nepotism, right? It is this incestuous king Agrippa who was charged with reigning over the Jews and keeping them in line. Perhaps you start to see the very visible signs of the corruption in the system.

But Festus says to Agrippa: “Hey, I have this case I can’t crack. Do you think you could listen to Paul and help me get to the bottom of his case? The Jews hate him, I can’t see what he’s done wrong. Since you are the true “king of the Jews”, maybe you can make some sense of what he is saying.” This background, and the remainder of chapter 25 help us see how Paul comes to stand where he stands in this chapter 26 moment and who he is standing in front of.

So now Paul is faced with it: His final trial. His final opportunity to tell his story on in his native land in the presence of the king of his native people. It’s been a while since Paul has had a public audience. He’s about to stand in front of the governor, the king and his “wife”, the military tribunes and other prominent men of the city. A large, influential, intimidating crowd. Will he be rusty, or fall down, or blow his opportunity? No, Paul will not throw away his shot. He will use this platform and microphone to tell a familiar story, and to set the example for every believer to use their words rightly … the opportunity arises.

When Opportunity Arises … Remind people who you would be without Jesus. (v 1-11)

Make sure you have your Bible open here with me now as we read and follow along with Paul’s Acts 26 speech and the responses to it. [Read Text]

Acts 26:1–11 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.

This morning, as we look at each portion of Paul’s testimony, I want us to see how he takes full advantage of making Jesus’ name great. He starts here: by talking about himself. Now when a person generally talks a lot about themselves in their testimony, it generally revolves around all the things they did for Jesus and all the things that make them great to God. But Paul’s reason for talking about himself is to help his gathered audience understand where he would have been, if it were not for Jesus. Look at what he said in verses 4-5. He’s known the Lord God of Israel from when he was very young. He’s been educated in the scriptures. He was even studying to be and has lived as a Pharisee. They know God’s law and live it very boldly and proudly for all to see. As a Jew, he has a ton of good marks to his name. He has a lot of street cred and he was doing it all at the center of Judaism in Jerusalem. He’s a who’s who among the religious and the Jews.

At the same time, as a member of the Pharisees who believe in a Resurrection, he was judging the resurrection of Jesus to be a fake and a fraud. And so he went to the other extreme, seeking to arrest and punish those who were part of The Way. He chased them from Jerusalem and to many foreign cities. He would not stand for his God being mocked and blasphemed. At this point, do you think that Paul was proud of who he was before he met Christ? No, he wasn’t. I’m certain that he found it shameful. BUT, at the same time, the darkness needed to be displayed so that the light could shine all the brighter. What Paul had known previously as shame was now part of a greater salvation story that God was telling through him.

This is important to note, because it reminds us that who we were without Jesus IS a part of our stories. If there has been key short-comings failings that have contributed to our finding Christ, then we ought to speak of them and make them a part of our story. Our story of salvation is not one that makes much of us, it is to make much of Christ. The only thing we contributed was our sin. I think Paul would have agreed Johnathan Edwards, the pastor who spearheaded the first Great Awakening in America. He once wrote: ““You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” I believe this to be true. Ephesians 2:8–9 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Our story we share must reflect the deficit of our sin, which in turn displays our need for a savior. Which leads to what Paul shares next:

When Opportunity Arises … Declare the Greatness of Jesus. (v 12-23)

Listen to the pivot now, as Paul does not glory in his sin, but in his Jesus. [Read Text]

Acts 26:12–23 ESV

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.”

This is now the third time in full that Paul shares his testimony as recorded in Acts, sharing it with the Jews in 22, with Felix in 24, and now before Festus and Agrippa. While it is a retelling of a story that we’ve heard now multiple times, we should not let our eyes glaze over and disregard it. In this retelling, Paul is turning from this story being about him, both his pride in his Jewish roots and his passion that led him to persecute the church, and turning toward the one that the story is truly all about: Jesus his Savior and Lord.

He starts by noting Christ’s intervention: Paul notes that Jesus did something quite abrupt and miraculous. He appeared to him in a light and voice from heaven. It stopped Paul in his tracks and he fell on his face. Paul didn’t know who it was at first, but he knew he couldn’t go a step further toward Damascus to persecute Christians. Jesus questions him: Why are you persecuting me? Paul questions who he is. Christ clarifies: I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Without Christ’s intervention directly in this moment, Paul may have continued on his way, passionately working against Jesus. But Jesus has every intention of getting Paul’s attention and his heart.

He continues by noting Christ’s Message: Paul gives the most plentiful account here of the words of Christ in this passage. I do not think that he was adding to his message, but he was basing what he shared on the audience who is before him. To this audience, he shares the message of a Jesus who places a choice before him: “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, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you.” This is a command that calls for a complete 180. You were killing and imprisoning those who serve me, Jesus says? Now you will be one of them. I have plans for you. Without these words, Paul would be blinded and aimless. But with these words? Paul’s life receives its new direction and purpose. The words of Jesus are words of life to Paul.

He concludes by noting Christ’s Lordship: Paul finally notes that these would not be empty words to Paul, but that he would hear and obey them. He says in verse 19: “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” Why be obedient to the vision? Because he knows that he has been wrong. Jesus is alive! Jesus is risen! and Jesus is Lord! And if Jesus is Lord in life and death, how can Paul help but obey. So Paul obeys in his return to Ananias, his baptism, and in now his message that he says he would take “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.” Why has this Gospel message been spreading like such a wildfire and is now see as such a threat by the Jews? BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST HAS LIT IT.

In this regard, Paul’s story is ALL ABOUT JESUS. Jesus intervened. Jesus spoke. Jesus is Lord. Everything else has flowed from that. In Christ, our stories become about him, about his life, his power to transform, and his cause to call others to faith. Friends, if your faith story is simply a story about the things you’ve done, the churches you’ve attended, the accomplishments that puff you up, then perhaps you need to consider that your God may not be your Jesus, it may be yourself. For Paul, he was nothing without Christ, and so Christ sits at the center of the action in his story: Everything that is different about me is because of Jesus, every command that has informed my actions for eternity has come from Jesus, everything that I have sought to accomplish has been dedicated to Jesus. The story of Jesus must radically transform the story of us.

When Opportunity Arises … Seek the Open Door to Bring Someone to Jesus.

At the close of this account and Paul’s time in Caesarea, we note that his work is not done:

Acts 26:24–32 ESV

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.”

Festus, hearing Paul’s words, believes that he is nuts. Paul could have just lived his life contently as a Jew and Pharisee. Why rock that boat?! Because Jesus had rocked it. It was no ghost he saw. It was the living Jesus. He was not crazy. He seemed crazy to one who did not believe, as Festus was. But to the other who is listening in Agrippa, who knows the Jews, and who appoints their high priests, he perceives something different: “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” He sees Paul’s earnestness, hears words and a faith story motivated from the heart. Agrippa knows that Paul is not simply telling this story for his own benefit, or so that he could play the get out of jail card free card. Even in a moment like this, he is looking to change a mind, to win a heart, to bring someone to Christ. Agrippa perceives it: “Are you talking to me?” Paul says “Absolutely, I am.” “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.” Paul is in every moment always closing for Jesus. He’s always posing the question: Who do you say that Jesus is?

I would just ask the church this morning: Is this the mindset that we have? I think that often we are not. We have learned from our culture to agree to disagree. We have learned that you can have your truth and I can have my truth. We can live and let live. I do my thing. You do yours. It’s all good. But, friends, we should not let living by the golden rule (doing to others as you would have done to you) run cover for a lack of true love of neighbor in giving them a clear call to follow Jesus. If you believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and yet do not share that with the person who does not yet know or follow Jesus, can you say that you have truly loved them? If we have neighbors that are deceived by lies, worship false idols and are lost in sin, then the most unloving thing that I can do is NOT warn them, tell of my hope, and invite them into this new life I have found. It may be the largest sin of the modern church that we leave this call to tell our story to as the work of the pastor, the work of the evangelist, rather than viewing it as the work of every disciple. Paul is setting the example of faithful witness. Where are you church? Where is your boldness? Where is your witness?

Summary/Invite

This morning, the final retelling of Paul’s story in this book is meant to move the needle on our story. When we have opportunity, we must remember who we are apart from Jesus. We are sinners who have been shown grace and mercy. When we have opportunity, we must speak of Jesus and make much of him! Without him, we would be nothing. When we have opportunity, we ought to call others to join in our hope and follow Jesus as well.

We’ve covered a lot of ground this morning, but with a very simple message. Come to Jesus. And it comes this morning with an urgency. The Gospel message is a message for today, for this moment, calling you to respond. Who do you say that Jesus is? It presses in on you. And ultimately, the Gospel call that comes to each individual is a call to action. The book of Acts is about action and calls for Action. For a Sunday to go by, and there not have been a call to follow Jesus, a response from someone who heard it, a dry day in the baptistry, a “have a good week” response to leaving church without repentance and obedience? That is to some degree a wasted Sunday, and a wasted opportunity for someone. We have a good and faithful church, but we waste too many opportunities to respond to Jesus Christ, or to await the response, rather than going about our business or day.

Friend, I don’t want you to waste this opportunity today. I want you to know that the God that Peter and Paul served, is the same one that I preach to you this morning. The God of the universe who created you, is also holy, above you, and you are separated from him because of the stain of your sin. The sins that we have each committed, Christ came and lived perfectly, so that he could sacrifice his life in our place. Because he died, those who believe in him may live. And because he rose, we can know that in him we have the promise of eternal life.

To respond? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today. Turn from your sin. Confess Jesus as your savior. We desire to walk with you to obedience in Baptism, which is to obey Jesus … doing what he commanded. Being buried in the water with him and raised to walk in new life.