Good morning, church. It's good to be with you on this Lord's Day, away from the doldrums of work and regular life to come together to sing and proclaim the glories of the Lord and the truths of the Lord.
What an encouragement it is to be with you. Today, our text for this morning is Acts 26. So as you get there, you will see that this chapter is right in the middle of an ongoing story.
To better understand what's happening with the three main characters, speaking characters in chapter 26, they are Paul, the apostle of Jesus, Festus, a Roman governor, and Agrippa, a Rome-appointed king.
We'll back up to Acts 21 and do a quick flyover up to Acts 26.
So, you can flip through and follow along if you'd like to.
So, in chapter 21, Paul goes to Jerusalem, meets with the church elders there, and tells them about the great work that the Lord is doing among the Gentiles.
After about a week of this, of Paul being in Jerusalem, some influential Jews stir up a crowd against Paul based on some assumptions of his actions that actually were not true.
So, this crowd that they stir up brutally beat Paul to the point where he has to be carried away by the soldiers back to the barracks.
And then on the doorsteps of the barracks, Paul turns back and he asks to address the crowd that has just beat him.
That address starts in chapter 22.
Paul tells them about his former life and about how God dramatically transformed his life by the righteous one, that is, Jesus.
He started to share about his commission to the Gentiles.
But the crowd erupted again at that idea and the soldiers take him back into the barracks.
And the tribune, whose name was Claudius Lysias, who was in charge of the soldiers, continues his assessment of the situation.
His assessment and plan drastically change when he learns of Paul's Roman citizenship at the end of chapter 22.
That piece of status that Paul possessed made a lot of what had been done illegal as well as what the tribune was planning.
Either way, the tribune wanted to further understand why this ruckus happened in the first place.
So, he takes Paul to before the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin.
And that's, we get to chapter 23.
So, after being unjustly struck by the servant of the high priest of the Sanhedrin, Paul tactfully makes the issue before the council about the broader concept of resurrection.
This causes a big disagreement between the two parties of the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
And that disagreement gets chaotic enough that the soldiers pull Paul out of there altogether.
And so, right after that chaotic scene, we get Acts 23, verse 11.
The following night, the Lord stood by him, Paul, and said,
Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.
After this command and inherent promise, Luke tells us about a group of 40 Jews that plan to assassinate Paul.
Thankfully, the Lord ordained for Paul's nephew to hear about the plot and notify Lysias.
Lysias regarded the threat as credible and then dispatched about half, or likely half, of the Roman soldiers in all of Jerusalem to ensure Paul's safety.
Lysias sends Paul to Felix, who is the governor at the time and the predecessor of Festus that we'll see in chapter 26.
Paul presented his case first before Felix, and they conversed regularly for about two years.
Luke tells us some detail about their conversation in verse 25 of chapter 24.
And as Paul reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said,
Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity, I will summon you.
These certainly would be alarming topics for anyone to discuss if they were not secure in Jesus Christ.
Felix did not hand Paul over to the Jews, but he did keep him in prison for two years in Caesarea.
Felix was then succeeded in the governorship by one of our characters today, Portius Festus, or just Festus.
This brings us to chapter 25, getting the final pieces in place for our events in chapter 26.
So there's this new governor, Festus, and the Jews petition him to bring Paul back to Jerusalem from Caesarea
so that they could kill him on the way, as was their original plot.
Festus agrees to renew the trial, but the Jews would have to come with him to Caesarea.
He would not send Paul back to Jerusalem.
The Jews allege and do not prove serious charges.
Then Festus asks Paul if he wants to finish the trial in Jerusalem.
Paul declined and appealed to Caesar for judgment, as was his right as a Roman citizen.
Then we are introduced to our other character, Agrippa.
In chapter 25, Festus is seeking Agrippa's counsel,
admitting that Agrippa has a better understanding of Jewish culture.
Festus lays out the case, and Agrippa says that he wants to hear from Paul directly.
So they set it up.
Everyone comes into this new audience hall to hear what Paul has to say.
Chapter 25 ends with Festus giving an opening summary,
essentially saying that he wants to know what to write as he sends Paul along to Caesar.
So that's our quick flyover.
So with all that context, we will finally have our characters, Agrippa, Festus, and Paul, all together.
And that brings us to today's text in chapter 26.
Before we start into chapter 26, please join me in a word of prayer.
Dear Lord, thank you for this recorded testimony of your faithful followers,
that we can see the testimony of Paul and his faithfulness,
that we can be encouraged to go and do likewise,
that we would be bold in the face of trials of various kinds,
whether that's legal, like as Paul is going through here,
that's familial or personal.
But Father, whatever it may be,
may those trials help us to spread your gospel, your truth for your glory.
Please bless this time.
And it's in your Son, Jesus' name that I pray.
Amen.
So our first section, verse 1 through 11,
we're going to be looking at Paul's ancient hope and deadly ambition.
But first, we're going to start with verse 1 through 3 with his initial address.
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 is before you, King Agrippa,
that 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.
So first, Agrippa opens the floor and gives Paul formally the floor to make his defense.
Then Paul addressed Agrippa before beginning some of his own personal history in the subsequent verses.
Paul's tactful word selection about Agrippa is well worth noting.
Agrippa was known to be a sly politician, as the Jews were his to politically oversee.
He would know the culture and current events very well.
Paul is not affirming in any way a genuine faithfulness within Agrippa,
but Paul is grateful that the Lord has put him before a man familiar with the situation and the Jewish culture than Festus.
For a little extra context, Agrippa is the great-grandson of Herod the Great.
So he is in that chain.
His full name is Herod Agrippa II.
So we've seen other Herods throughout the gospel,
first that sought to kill Jesus,
and then actually with Herod and Pilate oversaw his trial for his crucifixion.
So this is now a descendant of those Herods.
So next we see Paul's pharisaical foundation starting in verse 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.
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.
So Paul describes the pertinent information of his upbringing.
He grew up in the most strict party of Judaism as a Pharisee.
Not only is Paul describing his upbringing in these terms,
he is saying that it is a known fact that the Pharisees are the strictest,
by anyone that would be willing to tell the truth.
In Acts 25, 7, just right before this,
Luke tells us that many false charges were brought against him by the Jews.
Verse 7 says this,
When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him,
bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.
Paul's implication here in verse 5,
that these Jews may not be the most honest and truth-telling,
certainly has some support.
So Paul tells Agrippa that he was taught about something beautiful within that strict upbringing,
the hope of resurrection.
Let's continue in verse 6.
This is not the only time in Acts that Paul references this promise made to the Jewish people.
This is not the only time in Acts that Paul references this promise made to the Jewish fathers.
In Acts 13, 32 through 35,
Paul says to those in the synagogue of Pisidia,
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,
this he has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus.
As also it is written in the second psalm,
You are my son, today I have begotten you.
And as for the fact that he has raised him from the dead,
no more to return to corruption,
he has spoken in this way,
I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.
Therefore, he says also in another psalm,
You will not let your holy ones see corruption.
So in rapid succession,
Paul quotes Psalm 2, 7,
Isaiah 55, 3,
and Psalm 16, 10
to support his claim to the Jews of Pisidia.
Paul's claim to Agrippa is that this hope of the resurrection
is a central point of the Jewish faith.
It is what all 12 tribes hope to attain,
worshiping earnestly night and day.
Paul also makes it the central point of the conflict in the trial.
He says at the end of verse 7 into verse 8,
And for this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king.
Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
The force of this rhetorical question
is why so many faithful Christians argue,
formulate, and defend the existence of God.
If an all-powerful, eternal, all-knowing, perfect creator God exists,
what could possibly prevent him from raising the dead?
The boulder in front of Jesus' tomb was clearly not enough.
There are many philosophical arguments to dispel disbelief in God,
that they are seeking to answer fundamental questions.
The cosmological argument,
how do we get here in the first place?
The fine-tuning argument,
even if all this stuff was here,
how did it get so precisely arranged to allow our lives?
The teleological argument,
what is the purpose of everything?
Where are we going?
The moral argument,
what is the foundation for objective moral values and duties?
And there are more than that.
The argument from contingency,
the ontological argument.
And then there are specific formulations of these arguments,
more than the mere questions that I have just raised.
And then beyond the philosophical,
there is historical, prophetic, and archaeological evidence
that build cases as well.
And then in addition to the individual persuasiveness of any of these arguments,
there is also the cumulative case,
each argument building on top of the other,
further proving the foolishness of our sinful hearts that say there is no God.
Psalm 10.4 says,
In the pride of his face,
the wicked does not seek him.
All his thoughts are,
there is no God.
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10, verses 3 through 5,
In Romans 1, 19 through 20,
Paul writes,
Christians should know very well how to point to creation
and show these attributes,
God's eternal power and divine nature,
which God has made plain.
Now, it's certainly impossible for all of us
to know every detail of creation
that showcases God's power and nature.
For example,
Katie Dome would most likely be far more equipped
to describe to you
God's wise design for beautiful flowers than I would.
But we all have our focuses
and those things that we can point to
to show and tell others
about God's wise creation and perfect power.
Through Christ,
God has rescued us from our sin and darkness.
Now, God has chosen that the church
would continue to be his vessel
to tell the world that he is real,
they are hopelessly dead in their sin,
and that Christ's life, death, and resurrection
are sufficient to restore them
to new and unending life.
So this hope of resurrection Paul has
was not God's promise
that his people had possessed
for hundreds and hundreds of years.
Paul tells Agrippa
that this ancient hope's true fulfillment
is why the Jews have sought this trial against him.
This brings us, continuing now,
to verse 9,
seeing Paul's deadly ambition.
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 I tried to make them blaspheme,
and in raging fury against them,
I persecuted them,
even to foreign cities.
Paul will be the first to tell us
that earnestness,
that convincing,
that convinced that he was doing the right thing,
is not the litmus test for truth.
There are plenty of examples in our present day,
and all throughout human history,
of people being zealous for undeserved,
to even horrific causes.
Celebrities, sports teams, politicians,
climate alarmism, false religions,
cults, and abortion
are all reasons
people will get very worked up
to defend their position
and attack the other.
wholly convinced
that their side of the issue
is the correct one.
Now please hear me clearly,
I am not advocating
that the correct position on any topic
is whatever is in the exact middle
of the extremes.
It's always a grievous evil
if a human baby is killed
no matter its stage of development.
Cult leaders that twist scripture
and abuse their followers
in the name of Jesus
need to be stopped,
and the Lord will judge them
and hold them to account.
But here,
in this section of verses 9-11,
Paul does not spit upon his accusers.
He sympathizes with them.
He very clearly says
that he did what they are now doing,
zealously persecuting the church,
chasing them from town to town.
And from this place
of telling his accusers
that he stood where they stood
and did what they are doing,
he tells them
of God's miraculous mercy
towards him.
So that goes into our next section,
Paul's empowered obedience.
We'll go from 12-23,
reading first,
just 12-18,
where we'll see that Paul
was transformed for a purpose.
In this connection,
I journeyed to Damascus
with the authority
and the 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 up
on 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
that they may turn
from darkness to light,
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.
You may have noticed
that this account
that Paul gives
of his encounter
with Jesus
on the road to Damascus
is a bit different
than the account
Luke narrates
in Acts 9.
After reading
some different opinions
as to why
I am most persuaded
by the position
that Paul is giving
a truncated account
to King Agrippa
to focus on his mission
to the Gentiles
and the gospel itself.
Paul focusing in
on these two aspects
would have the most relevance
in the case
that Agrippa was hearing
in relation to the charges
that were being brought
against Paul.
Another view
that can be complementary
to that,
to what I just said,
is that Paul here
is recalling specific details
that did occur
in the original events
but they were just not
duplicatively recorded.
So coming back
to verses 12 and 8,
12 through 18,
excuse me,
Paul opens this section
by connecting it
to the previous,
in this connection.
That pharisaical zeal
that he had
in persecuting the church
is what fueled him
to travel to Damascus.
He was doing so
with the authority
and commission
of the chief priests
and he had a distinct purpose
that he firmly held.
He carried this banner
of purpose and zeal
with white knuckles
on his way to Damascus
to root out more followers
of Jesus
that he thought
were blasphemous
and dangerous.
And there,
in the midst of his enmity
toward Jesus Christ,
Jesus meets him.
Jesus asks him
why he was persecuting.
Who are you, Lord?
Paul says in response,
the white knuckles
released.
And then Jesus tells Paul
his divinely appointed purpose.
I'll read again.
This is in verse 16.
And the Lord said,
I am Jesus
whom you are persecuting,
but rise and stand up
on 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,
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.
So let's pull out
some specifics
of Paul's purpose
that is being spelled out
to him.
Part one,
get up.
You got to get ready
to go somewhere.
Part two,
Paul will be a servant
of Christ
and a witness
to what Jesus has done
and what Jesus will do.
Part three,
Jesus is sending Paul
to the Gentiles specifically.
And I'll answer it here
kind of a part two and a half.
Jesus tells Paul
that he's going to need
to rescue him
from the Gentiles
who are his specific
mission field.
I think to many of us
that would be a
not super encouraging note
that, hey,
you're going to these people
and I'm going to have to
save you from them
because they're going
to try to kill you.
But that is part
of the testimony
of Jesus
caring for his missionaries,
his disciples.
And then part four,
Paul is going
to the Gentiles
so that they may turn
from darkness and Satan
to light and God
and receive forgiveness
of their sins
and receive a place
and inheritance
among God's people.
This is the radical idea
that by faith in Christ,
the Gentiles will be grafted
into the people of God
and receive an inheritance
with the rest of God's people.
That by faith in Christ,
the promises given
to the faithful in God
can be expanded out
to include the formerly
faithless Gentiles.
Agrippa would have known
that Paul was ministering
with Gentiles.
That was one of the core
accusations against him.
And Paul's focus
in this account
is that his purpose
was directly given him
by the Lord.
It is this divine appointment
that Paul has in mind
as the hinge
to go into verse 19
where he says,
therefore.
So now we'll see him,
Paul being supernaturally
empowered for that purpose.
Let's start in verse 19.
Therefore, O King Agrippa,
I was not disobedient
to the heavenly vision,
but declared first
to those in Damascus,
then in Jerusalem,
and then 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.
So Paul says,
he did it.
I was commanded
to go to the Gentiles
and I did it.
It was divinely commanded
to him
and he was obedient
to that.
And he did what
Jesus commanded him to do.
He went to those
in Damascus,
Jerusalem,
Judea,
and the Gentiles
to tell them to repent
and turn to God,
followed by faithful works
that follow true repentance.
And it is because
he was faithful
to this divine injunction
that the Jews
first seized him
and tried to kill him
and have brought him now
through this trial process
spanning over two years.
Verse 22 and 23
are so beautiful.
I'd like to read them again.
To this day,
I have had the help
that comes from God.
And so I stand here
testifying both
to small and to 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.
So Paul gives
all the credit
to the Lord
for bringing him
to this point
that he could testify
before such a group
of people.
This section ends
with Paul saying
that he is not saying
anything new.
Again,
this is the ancient hope.
It is only the fulfillment
of what Moses
and the prophets said.
And the Christ did suffer,
he did die,
and he did rise
from the dead
to proclaim light
to the whole world.
The uninterrupted
and unchallenged reign
of death
since Adam
came toppling down.
This is the greatest news.
Paul had to say it.
We must feel
not just the same command,
but the same need.
So our last section,
starting in verse 24,
we see Paul's
faithful invitation.
And sadly,
the first response
we see
is an immediate dismissal.
Verse 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.
So the Roman governor,
Festus,
interrupts Paul
to tell him
and everyone present
that Paul
has gone insane.
He has read
and studied too much
and has broke his brain.
He's lost it.
But Paul does not turn back.
He calmly doubles down
on the claims
that he has made.
Let's look at verse 25.
But Paul said,
I am not out of my mind,
most excellent Festus,
but I am speaking
true and rational words.
This is an excellent example
for us to learn from.
When we share
the truth of Christ,
the gospel,
we will often be
dismissed,
reviled,
and persecuted.
This should be
no surprise.
This is the example
that we see
in the prophets,
Jesus,
and the apostles.
And all of those
instructed us
to expect dismissal,
revilement,
and persecution
and to endure it.
So what we see
here from Paul
is exactly how
Peter instructed
the church
to conduct ourselves
in 1 Peter 3,
14-17.
But even if you should
suffer for righteousness
sake,
you will be blessed.
Have no fear of them,
nor be troubled,
but in your hearts
honor Christ the Lord
as holy,
always being prepared
to make a defense
to anyone who asks you
for a reason
for the hope
that is in you.
Yet do it with
gentleness and respect,
having a good conscience,
so that when you are
slandered,
those who revile
your good behavior
in Christ
may be put to shame.
For it is better
to suffer for doing good
if that should be
God's will
than for doing evil.
When we look at Acts 26,
we can see every aspect
of this instruction
being lived out by Paul.
He is not scared
of his accusers.
He is honoring Christ,
and he is giving
a defense
for his hope
of resurrection
with gentleness
and respect,
even after being called
insane.
Next we see
the direct question.
So Paul
transitions his address
back toward Agrippa
in verse 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 quarter.
So he made
the transition
back to Agrippa,
and he asked him
this direct question
in verse 27.
King Agrippa,
do you believe
the prophets?
I know that you believe.
It is worth the time
to make clear
exactly what Paul
is asking Agrippa,
because the interjection
of Festus
could make us lose
some of the precision
of the question.
So back in verse 22
and 23,
Paul says that
the prophets and Moses
said that the Christ
would come,
suffer,
and rise from the dead.
This was the last thing
Paul said before
Festus' interjection.
And now,
following up on that statement,
Paul asks Agrippa
if he believes
what the prophets said.
Does he believe
that the Christ
has come,
suffered,
and has now risen
from the dead?
I know that you believe,
is the follow-up
on the question
in verse 27.
Agrippa was known
to put his Jewishness
on display
for the people.
He oversaw them
and wanted to be sure
that he was seen
as,
or at least thought of
as a faithful Jew.
However,
if we see
some of his grandparents
and his fathers
before him,
there is not a chain
of faithfulness there
and that does not change
with the life
of Herod Agrippa II.
Agrippa was known
to be in an ungodly
relationship
with his sister Bernice
who is attending
this council
as Luke records.
It would be likely
for a man
in Agrippa's
political position
to live a life
of moral compromise
as well.
You scratch my back,
I scratch yours,
regardless of
any kind of justice.
Those points aside,
Agrippa likely
would have liked
to say that he
followed the Torah.
Yeah, no problem.
I follow the law,
no problem.
But as we know,
when it came down to it,
he refused to submit
his life
to the wisdom
and righteousness
of God.
So we read
in verse 28
his answer to Paul.
And Agrippa said to Paul,
in a short time,
would you persuade me
to be a Christian?
So I understand
from the ESV study note,
footnote,
and others
that the original Greek
of this verse
is complicated.
Maybe TJ or Zach
could explain better
why it is so complicated.
Regardless,
it's debated
whether Agrippa
was truthfully
or earnestly
saying something
to Paul like,
you almost persuaded me
to be a Christian
in this short time,
or something more
sarcastic reading as,
did you really think
that you could persuade me
to be such a Christian
in a short time?
Either translation
is ultimately
a rejection
of Paul's
question and invitation.
Personally,
I do favor
the sarcastic reading
in light of Paul's
wordplay
and punny answer
in verse 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.
Instead of returning
any sarcasm,
I picture Paul here
saying this
with an honest smile.
Whether it's short or long,
I want everybody
to be as I am
except for these chains.
So next we see
a cold departure.
Luke records
a short epilogue
to our primary drama
in these last few verses,
starting in verse 30.
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.
So the council,
primarily Festus and Agrippa,
agreed that Paul
had done nothing
to deserve further imprisonment.
So they show some pity
that he should have taken
an option
that would prolong
this process
and now he has to go
to Caesar
and be imprisoned
any longer.
They're saying,
well, that's too bad
for this guy.
But these men
think that they should
pity Paul for this
but they do not know
what God told Paul
in Acts 23, 11.
I read it earlier,
I'll read it again.
The following night
the Lord stood by him
and said,
take courage
for as you have testified
about me in Jerusalem
so you must testify
also in Rome.
The Lord is still working
but these men
are blind to it.
They've rejected
the clear gospel
and they do not know
the plan and will
of God.
So what should we make
of all of this
in light
of the rejection
of the gospel
that we see here?
I think there are
three truths
that those in Christ
can apply from this text.
Before we walk through
those points of application
for the believers,
I think there are
a couple points of application
for non-believers
to first consider.
Number one,
do not dismiss
the gospel
without consideration
like Festus.
every part
of our sinful flesh
wants to see
and hear the gospel
and dismiss it
as crazy talk.
Second,
do not give
lip service,
mere talk
to God's kingdom
like Agrippa.
Genuinely
and fully
commit your life
to the Lord.
God's kingdom
and the first
of the three
aforementioned truths.
It brings God glory
for the gospel
to be proclaimed.
Oftentimes,
we can get caught up
on results
and numbers.
Now,
of course,
results and numbers
in this case
refer to,
they certainly matter
because they refer
to humans
which God loves.
But as we go,
as we share
the gospel
with coworkers,
neighbors,
family members,
children,
anyone which
the Lord brings,
we should know
and believe
that God is glorified
in the proclamation
of the gospel
because we are telling
others
of his holiness,
his mercy,
goodness,
justice,
and love.
The proclamation
of the gospel
as Paul has done here
in Acts 26
also demonstrates
for the hearers
God's ancient plan
for salvation,
thereby showing
his wisdom,
power,
and faithfulness
to accomplish
that plan.
What great
aspects of the Lord
that we can proclaim
as we share
the gospel faithfully
and that brings
him glory.
The second truth
that we can know
and apply
is that we ought
to desire
for all people
to become faithful
disciples of Jesus Christ.
When Paul responds
to Agrippa's
rejection and dismissal
by saying that he wishes
that Agrippa
and all others present
would become as he is,
I would put forth
to you
that he does not
merely mean
that people would
make professions
of faith,
but rather
that they would
all become
fervent,
determined,
sharers of the gospel
of Jesus,
that they would
become faithful,
fruitful members
of Jesus' church,
as he is,
except for the chains.
Lastly,
we must prepare
to share the gospel
well.
We must know
who God is,
what we have done
to separate ourselves
from him,
and what Christ
has done
to restore us
to him forever.
Last week,
we sang a song
together,
The Horse That Draws
the Plow.
It is a sweet
and faithful prayer
to our Lord.
This is its final verse.
Lord,
make your servant
hopeful
as the horse
that draws the plow.
He bends his shoulders
to the ropes
and churns
the stubborn ground.
His toil will yield
a harvest rich,
although he knows
not how.
Lord,
make your servant
steadfast
as the horse
that draws the plow.
We ought to work
diligently
in this preparation.
We ought to make
the time
to study God's word
well,
individually,
and communally.
We ought to make
the time
to pray
fervently
for the lost
in our lives,
for our focus,
for our boldness.
We ought to be
steadfast
in our ministry
to those in our lives,
our family,
friends,
and children.
And we can know
that we do not
labor in vain.
we trust
in a rich harvest,
though we may not know
how.
Join me in prayer.
Let's go.