Hope Brighter Than The Sun
Notes
Transcript
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.)
Have you ever asked someone this question:
“Do you think you’ll go to heaven when you die?”
It’s a simple question—but it reveals a lot.
And more often than not, the answer sounds something like this:
“I hope so.”
Not certainty.
Not confidence.
Just… I hope so.
And if we’re honest, many people—even in church—are quietly carrying that same answer in their hearts.
“I think so…”
“I’m trying…”
“I hope I’ve done enough…”
But here’s the reality:
There are two very different kinds of hope.
There’s a kind of hope that says, “I wish.”
And there’s a kind of hope that says, “I know.”
There’s a hope that is uncertain…
and there’s a hope that is unshakable.
Most people, when they say “I hope so,” mean:
“I want it to be true… but I’m not sure.”
That’s a wishful hope—
Uncertain… fragile… never quite settled.
But the Bible talks about another kind of hope.
Not a wish.
Not a guess.
Not a “maybe.”
But a certain hope—
Evangelist Rico Tice describes hope this way:
“A joyful expectation for the future, based on true events from the past, that changes everything about how you live in the present.”
That’s not a hope you’re trying to earn.
That’s a hope you can actually have.
A hope that moves you…
from “I hope so”…
to “I know so.”
John Bunyan captured this tension so powerfully in his famous book: Pilgrim’s Progress.
The main character, Christian, is on a journey to the Celestial City. But as the story begins, he’s not confident—he’s burdened.
He’s carrying this massive weight on his back—this heavy, crushing burden that he cannot remove.
And so he sets out on a journey.
He tries different paths.
He listens to different voices.
He works. He strives. He keeps going.
All the while believing that somehow, if he just keeps moving…
if he just tries hard enough…
he’ll finally be free.
But no matter what he does— the burden stays.
It isn’t lifted by effort.
It isn’t removed by sincerity.
It doesn’t fall off through striving.
And that’s where so many people are today.
Striving— Trying— Hoping.
Still carrying the weight.
Still unsure.
Still saying, “I hope so.”
And that raises a deeper question—one we all have to answer:
Are you still striving for hope… or living in the light of it?
And in our passage today, the Apostle Paul stands on trial.
But what’s surprising is this:
He says he’s not on trial for a crime…
He’s on trial because of his hope.
And in our text today, Paul is going to do something that every Christian is called to do.
He’s going to explain that hope.
He’s going to defend it.
He’s going to give a reason for it.
Which is exactly what the Apostle Peter calls every believer to be ready for.
In 1 Peter 3:15, he writes:
Always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…
That word defense—it’s a courtroom word.
It’s where we get our word apologetics.
It means to give a reasoned explanation… a clear answer
And that’s exactly what Paul is about to do.
He’s going to stand before rulers, authorities, and skeptics…
And he’s going to give a reason for the hope that he has.
So let’s turn to Acts 25 and watch how Paul makes his defense.
Scripture
We’re going to pick up in verse 13 and read all the way to the end of chapter 26. If you need to use a pew Bible, you’ll find today’s text beginning on the bottom of page 1110.
As you’re turning there, let me briefly orient us — especially if you’re visiting or newer to the Bible.
The book of Acts tells the story of how the risen and ascended Jesus continues to work through His people by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And Acts shows us how the good news about Jesus spread from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
And at this point in the story, the Apostle Paul has been arrested for preaching about the resurrection of Jesus.
He’s done nothing wrong—but he’s been falsely accused by the Jewish leaders, and now he’s been caught in the Roman legal system for over two years.
When we come to Acts 25, Paul is still a prisoner.
A new Roman governor, Festus, has just taken office. The Jewish leaders are still pressing charges against Paul—but they can’t prove anything.
And because Paul is a Roman citizen, he has appealed his case to Caesar.
This is where we ended last week.
And this creates a problem for Festus.
And this is where we pick up today beginning in 25:13.
I invite you to stand with me if you are able out of reverence for God’s Word and follow along with me as I read...
Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.
And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix,
and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.
I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.
So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought.
When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed.
Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them.
But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”
So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him.
But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write.
For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”
So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
“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,
especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews.
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.
And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,
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!
Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
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.
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.
“In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
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.
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.’
And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
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
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.’
“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
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.
For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
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:
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.”
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.”
But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.
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.
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”
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.”
Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them.
And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.”
And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
This God’s Word!
Prayer
Father, help us to see the beauty of Christ in Your Word today and may it revive our souls and cause us to live with unshakable hope. — AMEN.
Intro: Formal (give context to passage, setting the scene, big idea)
That’s a long passage—but let me draw your attention to what’s happening, especially at the end of chapter 25.
Paul is brought before King Agrippa and Bernice with great pomp and ceremony.
King Agrippa is a petty king under the authority of Rome.
He is the recognized ruler over the Jewish people, which means he understands their religious controversies—but his power ultimately comes from Rome, so his loyalties are divided.
And his family history is significant.
His father is the Herod in Acts 12 who ordered the execution of the Apostle James and imprisoned Peter.
His great-uncle is the Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded.
And his great-grandfather is Herod the Great, who, fearing the birth of Jesus, ordered the killing of all the male children in the Bethlehem area.
This is a family long opposed to the purposes of God.
And Bernice, his sister, stands beside him—no stranger to controversy and scandal, with a reputation that raised more than a few eyebrows.
Now picture the scene.
Agrippa and Bernice enter with great pomp…
along with military tribunes…
and the prominent men of the city.
The room is filled with power, prestige, and influence.
Elegant robes.
Political authority.
A true public spectacle.
And then there’s Paul.
Standing there in chains.
But here’s the great irony:
Paul is the most free person in that room.
And though they think they’ve gathered for a trial…
Unknown to them, they have actually been gathered by God…
To be a congregation.
Because they are about to hear the gospel!
Because this is a fulfillment of a prophecy of Jesus from Luke 21:12
…You will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.
And remember what Jesus said of Paul in Acts 9:15
He is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings…
But there’s a strange problem at the center of all of this.
Festus, the Roman governor, admits that he doesn’t actually have a clear charge against Paul.
Because the real issue isn’t political or criminal.
It’s theological.
It’s about Paul’s belief in the resurrection of Jesus.
And the hope that stands or falls with it.
So Paul is given the opportunity to speak.
To make his defense.
To give a reason…for the hope that he has.
And as he begins to tell his story, we’re brought right back to the question we started with:
Are you still striving for hope… or living in the light of it?
Because what we see in Paul’s story is a journey.
A movement…
from striving for hope…
to being confronted by a hope brighter than the sun…
to living in the light of it…
So, that others may ultimately receive it for themselves.
And here’s the truth at the center of it all:
The hope God promised is found in the risen Christ, received by grace, and lived out through obedience.
And we’re going to follow that journey together in four movements:
Striving for Hope
Confronted by Hope
Obedient in Hope
Responding to Hope
So let’s begin where Paul begins…With a life spent striving for hope.
Striving for Hope
Striving for Hope
Look with me at Paul’s words in verse 6…
Now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,
So first, we need to ask: What is this hope?
Paul calls it “the promise made by God to our fathers.”
That should take us all the way back to God’s promise to Abraham—
That one of his descendants would come…
and through him, blessing would go out to all the nations of the earth.
Now notice something very important.
Paul calls this: “my hope.”
Not just a hope.
Not something he’s working toward.
This is a hope he possesses. — Right now.
And in verse 7, he contrasts himself with the rest of Israel:
Our twelve tribes hope to attain [it], as they earnestly worship night and day.
Do you see the difference?
Paul says: “I have it.”
They say: “We hope to attain it.”
That’s the difference between:
“I know so”…
and “I hope so.”
They were striving for what Paul says he already had.
How?
By, “earnestly worshiping night and day”
In other words:
Trying harder.
Doing more.
Hoping that maybe… eventually… they would be worthy.
And that’s exactly why Paul was on trial.
Because to say “I already have this hope”—
Not because of what I’ve done,
but because of Jesus—Was deeply offensive.
And then Paul says something honest about his past.
In verse 9, he says: “I myself…”
In other words:
“I used to be just like them.”
Paul wasn’t always someone who had this hope.
He was once someone who was striving for it.
And look how far that striving went.
He says he was convinced he was right.
Deeply religious.
Completely sincere.
He threw Christians in prison.
He voted for their execution.
He says in “raging fury” he pursued them—even to foreign cities.
Why?
Because he believed that if he could just obey enough…
just do enough…
just be zealous enough…
Then maybe—
Maybe—
He would be worthy of God’s blessing.
Worthy to have this hope.
And here’s the reality:
That same kind of striving didn’t end in the first century.
It’s alive and well today.
Even in churches.
There are so many who are:
Trying to be good enough…
Moral enough…
Religious enough…
To serve enough…
Give enough…
Pray enough…
All in the hope that one day… they might finally have peace with God.
That’s why when you ask someone:
“Are you a Christian?”
And they say: “I’m trying to be.”
That’s an example of striving.
Or when you ask: “Do you think you’ll go to heaven one day?”
And they say: “I hope so.”
That’s uncertainty.
And to live in a state of uncertain “I hope so,” is exhausting!
Because how much is enough?
When do you know?
When have you finally done enough to rest?
And you don’t even have to be religious to feel this.
Because every human heart longs for the same thing:
Rest.
To know:
“I’m okay.”
“I’m accepted.”
“I’m not going to be rejected.”
For some, that’s about God.
For others, it’s about themselves.
They just want to be able to live with themselves and lie down at night and say:
“I’ve done enough. I’m not a failure.”
That’s what Rocky Balboa was chasing in those old boxing movies.
The reason he kept getting up…
Taking blow after blow…
Pushing himself past the limit…
Was so that he could prove to himself:
“I’m not a bum.”
That’s what striving sounds like.
We’re all chasing something that will finally let us rest.
Something that will finally say:
“You’re enough.”
But here’s the question: Do you have that?
Or do you only hope to have it?
Or are you still striving…
Like Rocky…
Like Paul once was…
If so, you need to see what happens next to Paul in our second movement…
Confronted by Hope
Confronted by Hope
In verses 12–18, Paul tells us how he moved…
from striving for hope…
to actually possessing it.
How he finally found rest for his soul.
Peace with God.
An end to all his striving.
Paul says that on his way to Damascus—to persecute more Christians—
He saw a light from heaven…
brighter than the sun.
And it knocked him to the ground.
That light blinded him physically…But here’s the irony:
For the first time in his life—he could finally see.
And in verse 18, Jesus explains what’s happening.
Yes, it’s Paul’s commission…
But it’s also a picture of how anyone comes to have this hope.
First, Before anything else…
your eyes need to be opened.
To see that apart from Christ:
You are in darkness
You are under the power of Satan
Now, that’s not how we naturally think about ourselves.
We like to think:
“I’m a pretty good person.”
“I’m doing my best.”
“I’m trying.”
But the light exposes something deeper.
It shows us:
That all our striving…will never be enough.
And it’s only an attempt to find rest for our souls apart from God.
And with your eyes opened, you can finally see the futility of your striving.
No amount of effort…
No amount of religion…
No amount of good works…
Will ever erase your sin
or make you right with God.
But how does one have their eyes opened?
For Paul it was an encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus — It was that blinding hope — brighter than the sun — that finally opened his eyes!
And for Paul, having his eyes opened was not something that he sought out — Instead this hope came looking for him and stopped him right in his tracks!
Today, most people won’t and shouldn’t expect a dramatic encounter like Paul experienced. But this doesn’t mean that Christ is not still active in opening eyes!
Paul says in verse 23 that Christ, being risen from the dead, would Himself proclaim this eye-opening light to people…
And He does this today through His people when they proclaim the gospel to others!
This why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5…
We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.
In this profound way all Christians are co-laborers with Christ in His mission to open eyes and reconcile people to Christ!
So, with your eyes opened to your need to be saved, the second thing we see in verse 18 is that you must respond: You have to turn.
That’s what the Bible calls repentance.
It means:
You stop going one direction…
And you turn and go the other way.
You turn:
From darkness → to light
From Satan → to God
From self-rule → to surrender
Because at the core of our problem is this:
We’ve been living as if we are in charge.
As if we know better than God…
How to live…
How to be happy…
How to define our lives.
But that’s the lie.
That’s the deception.
That’s the power of Satan you must turn from —
Convincing us that we can live without God and still have the peace and rest our souls long for.
Now, with eyes opened, and having turned from darkness to light, the third thing we see in verse 18, is that we must receive the forgiveness our of sins.
And this is where everything changes.
Because forgiveness is not something you earn.
It’s something you receive.
Striving earns.
But forgiveness is a gift.
As Paul says in Ephesians 2:
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
You don’t work for this hope.
You don’t clean yourself up for this hope.
You don’t prove yourself worthy of this hope.
You receive it.
By grace. Through faith.
Because Jesus has already done everything required.
He lived the life you could not live.
He died the death your sin earned you.
And He rose again in victory—
So that you could be forgiven…
and brought into the light.
And I have to believe that there are some here today…
Who are right where Paul was on that road.
Maybe not on your way to persecute Christians—
But on your own path.
Living for yourself.
Striving.
Trying to build a life that finally gives you peace.
And maybe you didn’t expect this today.
But you showed up to church for whatever reason…
But being confronted by hope was not on your Bingo card!
So, if right now your eyes are being opened—
And you know, more clearly than you ever have before:
That you need Christ.”
That you cannot save yourself.”
That you cannot keep striving like this.”
Then don’t wait.
Don’t push this off.
Turn.
Turn from darkness to light.
Turn from living life on your own terms.
Surrender to Christ.
And receive by faith — The forgiveness of your sins.
Because Jesus has already paid in full…
Everything your sin demanded.
And He rose again—
So that you could move…
from “I hope so”…
to “I know so.”
And this is the hope Paul now possesses.
But it’s not a hope that sits on a shelf to collect dust.
It’s not heavenly fire insurance you claim one day when you die.
It’s a hope that changes everything about how you live now!
This is exactly what Paul shows us next. in our third movement…
Obedient in Hope
Obedient in Hope
The hope that confronted Paul that day…
Didn’t just convert him—
It commissioned him.
That’s what Jesus says in verse 16:
I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness…
Paul’s encounter with Christ wasn’t just about what he was saved from—
It was about what he was sent into.
And that’s why Paul says in verse 19:
“I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision…”
Paul understood something that we often miss:
He wasn’t just converted—
He was commissioned.
And so what did he do?
He proclaimed Christ.
Everywhere.
To everyone.
Calling people to repent and turn to God.
But notice—he doesn’t stop there.
At the end of verse 20, he says:
… that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
In other words: Paul wasn’t just making converts.
He was making disciples.
Because real repentance…
Real faith…
Real hope…
Produces a changed life.
Not a perfect life—But a different life.
A life that begins to move in a new direction.
A life that joins Jesus in His mission.
So don’t miss this:
The same hope that saves you… sends you.
If you’ve been brought out of darkness into light—
You’ve been sent to help others see.
Which means following Jesus is so much more than:
Attending church
Checking a box
Doing your religious duty for the week
It means stepping into a life of purpose.
A life of mission.
A life of obedience.
So let me ask you: Where are you living this out?
Where are you intentionally engaged with Christ…
In the work of opening blind eyes?
Not someday.
Not in theory.
Right now.
Because Paul could say: “I was not disobedient…”
Can you?
What “deeds in keeping with repentance” are present in your life?
Who are you helping move…from darkness to light?
And let me make this very real for us as a church family.
Right now, we have a need for Children’s Church teachers.
In the coming weeks—including Easter Sunday—
We will have children in this building who need to hear about Jesus.
This is not just a logistical need.
This is a gospel opportunity.
There are little eyes that need to be opened.
Little hearts that need to hear the hope of Christ.
So let me ask you:
Could you step into that?
Could you serve?
Could you help tell a child about Jesus?
Because this is what it looks like…
To live in the light of the hope you’ve received.
Not just believing it…
But obeying it.
And now, as Paul lives out this hope…
As he proclaims it boldly…
We begin to see something else:
Not everyone responds the same way.
Which brings us to our final movement…
Responding to Hope
Responding to Hope
Now, for those of you keeping track—
Paul has brought up the resurrection three times in this passage…
And not casually—but at key moments.
Including his own encounter with the risen Christ—
Where he spends five verses recounting the words Jesus spoke to him.
Because for Paul, the resurrection is everything.
It is the foundation of his hope.
If Jesus is not alive—
Then this hope collapses.
But if Jesus is alive—
Then everything changes.
And that’s why the resurrection confronts us.
It doesn’t just inform us—
It demands a response.
And in verses 24–29, we see three different responses to this hope.
First, in verse 24, Festus interrupts Paul with a loud voice:
“Paul, you are out of your mind!”
Festus hears about the resurrection…
And he writes it off as nonsense. Why?
Because it doesn’t fit within his worldview.
It sounds irrational.
Unscientific.
Impossible.
This is the pride of intellect.
And we still see it today.
People say:
“I just can’t believe that.”
“That’s not reasonable.”
“That’s not logical.”
But Paul responds in verse 25:
I am speaking true and rational words.
In other words—
This is not blind faith.
The resurrection of Jesus is rooted in history.
An empty tomb.
Eyewitnesses.
Transformed lives.
And yet—here’s the reality:
For many, the issue is not really a lack of evidence…
It’s resistance of the heart.
Because if Jesus is alive—
Then you are not in charge.
And you are accountable.
And so some reject the hope.
Not because it’s unreasonable—
But because it’s uncomfortable.
Next, Paul pivots to Agrippa, and points out the very public nature of the resurrection. This was not a conspiracy cooked up behind closed doors.
Anyone could see that Christ’s tomb was empty…
No one has produced a body…
And hundreds of people claimed to seen the risen Christ at great cost to their livelihoods and even their lives…
Then Paul presses Agrippa boldly.
Agrippa knows the Scriptures.
He knows the prophets.
He understands exactly what Paul is saying.
But he can also see where this is going.
Because if the prophets are true…
And Jesus fulfills them…
Then he must respond.
And so Agrippa responds in verse 28:
“In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”
And this is nothing more than a clever deflection.
He doesn’t deny the truth—
He just won’t act on it.
Why?
Because the cost is too high.
His position.
His power.
His reputation.
So he chooses to delay.
And this is still common today.
Not outright rejection—
Just avoidance.
“I’m not ready.”
“Maybe later.”
“Not now.”
But listen carefully:
I’m not advocating for hastiness or taking a blind leap of faith.
It is commendable to count the cost.
But at some point you need to know that:
Almost persuaded… is still lost.
And at the end of the day… To know the truth and continue to avoid and delay is no different than rejection.
And finally we see Paul’s response.
And instead of becoming defensive or discouraged…
He becomes evangelistic.
He says in verse 29:
“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…”
Do you hear his heart?
Not bitterness.
Not frustration.
But loving patience and desire
Paul wants them to have what he has.
We need to learn from Paul here: that when sharing Christ we must avoid coming across as salesmen and instead share with people as satisfied customers who want them to have the incredible hope for themselves!
Now notice Paul’s comment about time. This shows us his patience— but for Paul this is also deeply personal.
Remember whatJesus said to him in verse 14:
“It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
A goad is a long poll with a pointed tip used to drive oxen in a particular direction.
So, what we learn here is that for some time, Paul himself had been resisting.
Pushing back.
Rejecting.
But Jesus kept pursuing.
Until one day— His eyes were opened.
And that should give us hope.
Because there are people in your life right now—
Who are resisting.
Who seem hardened.
Who seem far away.
And the temptation is to give up.
But don’t.
Because you never know when—
In God’s perfect timing—
The light will break through.
So keep praying.
Keep loving.
Keep sharing the light of Jesus.
Because the same Jesus who pursued Paul…
Still pursues hardened people today
And still opens eyes!
And now the question comes back to you.
Which response will be yours?
Will you reject it— Like Festus?
Will you delay and avoid it— Like Agrippa?
Or will you receive it with great joy—
And live in it— Like Paul?
And let it moves you…
from “I hope so”…
to “I know so.”
Conclusion/Response (Gospel & Repent/Believe)
Remember John Bunyan’s Pilgrim…
He carried a burden he could not remove by striving.
And maybe that’s where some of you are today.
Still trying.
Still carrying the weight.
Still saying, “I hope so.”
But Paul’s story shows us a better way.
He strove for hope,
Was confronted by hope,
He became obedient in hope,
and then called others to respond to hope.
So here is the question one last time:
Are you still striving for hope… or are you living in the light of it?
Because the truth is:
The hope God promised is found in the risen Christ, received by grace, and lived out through obedience.
So don’t leave here clinging to an uncertain “I hope so.”
Come to Christ, and by His grace, move to a settled, joyful, and unshakable:
“I know so.”
Prayer
Father, we praise You for the hope that is ours in Jesus Christ. Thank You that because He died and rose again, our sins can be forgiven, our striving can end, and our hearts can rest in Your grace. For any here today who are still in darkness, would You open their eyes and draw them to Christ even now. And as we sing, cause us to marvel again that such grace would reach even us. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Closing Song: And Can It Be
Closing Words:
Church, I love that song.
“My chains fell off, my heart was free…”
That’s reality for everyone whose hope is in Christ.
So as we close, let me speak to you in two directions.
If you are here today and you know you are still striving…
still carrying the weight…
still saying, “I hope so”…
You don’t have to leave that way.
Turn to Christ today…
receive His forgiveness…
and walk out of here able to joyfully say, “I know so.”
We would love to help you take that step.
After the service, there will be people up front here who would love to pray with you and help you take that step.
And for those who have already received this hope—
What is your next step?
If you’ve never been baptized—step into obedience.
If you’re not meaningfully connected—pursue membership.
If you’re not growing—let us help you find a discipleship group.
If you’re not serving—find your place in the mission.
Because the same hope that saves you… sends you.
Now church, as you go this week—
Remember:
There are people all around you…
Striving.
Searching.
Still saying, “I hope so.”
And God has placed you in their lives…
To shine the light of Christ to them
And help them move…
from “I hope so”…
to “I know so.”
Now receive this benediction…
BENEDICTION: Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Amen. You are sent.
