Fly High - Acts Part 25 Series

2. Paul was sharing this story from his heart and the King saw it and it moved him.

iv. He could see that Paul believed that the Lord could raise the dead.

1. After listening to Paul’s story he could see that Paul himself was raised from the dead. Once trapped in a religion that committed murder and could care less about people with problems.

2. He most likely thought “This man does not act like the religious leaders that I know!”

3. This man has a passion for the Lord and it drives his life.

T.S. – We need to make sure that we share our story and the story after that with those we come in contact with in our life. Our story is like an unfinished book that is still being written and people are reading and waiting expectantly for the final chapter to be penned. We also need to realize that not everyone will understand or appreciate our story.

III. We need to realize that some will get it and others will miss it.

a. The King was impacted by Paul’s story.

i. It moved him – his comment to Paul was clear in revealing this “Keep this up much longer and you’ll make a Christian out of me!”

1. That’s the voice of someone who has been impacted by what Paul had said!

ii. Festus thought Paul had lost his mind listen to his comment, “Paul, you’re crazy! You’ve read too many books, spent too much time staring off into space! Get a grip on yourself, get back in the real world!”

1. Festus did not get what Paul was saying – He didn’t feel what the King felt – he did not have a clue.

2. He was clueless to things of God.

3. He was the one who was insane not Paul.

a. But Paul addresses him with respect – lets him know that the King gets the intent of what he said!

b. Prayer is a key with those individuals who cannot understand a conversion story. For some to see Jesus and get a revelation of Him requires a lot of intercessory prayer for people who are like Festus. The truth is if they don’t get prayed for they will continue to walk in darkness. We need to learn to pray for those who are blind to the truth.

i. Do you know someone like this then get Kathy Hoverman to pray for them because prayers make a difference.

ii. But don’t give up on them instead – pray!

1. Do the P.U.S.H. – Pray Until Something Happens!

2. Cymbala states, “Too many times when we are under stress or opposition, we hold strategy sessions, we ‘claim the promises’ in rote sort of way instead of praying them biblically. But God said we could ‘receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.’ Where? At ‘the throne of grace’ (Hebrews 4:16).

3. Abraham Lincoln wrote, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.”

4. This is the attitude we need to have in the church today to see a determination to PUSH through in prayer and see lives transformed.

a. To work through the hardships of life and come out on the other end with a Jesus victory!

b. This will not happen if we don’t learn the spiritual discipline of prayer.