Text: Acts 25:13-26:32, Title: Strange…A God That Can Raise the Dead, Date/Place: NRBC, 8/23/09, AM
A. “…well my plan is to convince people that all they have to do to get to heaven is to be a religious person.”
B. Background to passage: Recap briefly how we here. One of the responsibilities of a new ruler who is sending someone for trial in Rome, was to include an explanation of the charges and proceedings leading up to the trial in Rome. But being new to Judea, and really not understanding the charges or the culture around them, Festus just didn’t know what to write (v. 27). So when Agrippa II and his sister Bernice came to town to greet the new ruler, Festus seized the day for some local input. Agrippa II was the only surviving son of Agrippa I who was struck down in Acts 12 for stealing God’s glory. He was part Jewish and ruled the territory to the north of Judea once give to Philip after the death of Herod the Great. His reputation was one of piety in religion, incestuous sexual immorality, and expertise in Jewish/Roman relations. And he had probably heard of the stir in the region over the Christians, and maybe over Paul, so he wanted to hear him speak. (One of the dangers of being a powerful speaker is that people may hear, and be entertained without believing (this happened between Ben Franklin and George Whitefield.) And since this wasn’t a real trial with attorneys and all the legalities, Paul seized the opportunity to share the gospel
C. Main thought: We are going to take this sermon in two parts, and this morning’s part will be Paul’s convers.
E. Walking in Newness of Life (v. 19-23)
1. Paul then explains his life change following his encounter with Jesus. He says that he acted in obedience. Immediately he began to preach that Jesus was the messiah to those in Damascus and Jerusalem. He did spend some time in Nabataea Arabia in study and preparation, but again this was obedience. Then He began proclaiming Christ among the Gentiles. No one had to tell Paul to be in church or to read his bible or to pray. It was born from a transformed heart. And his message was that they must turn and become obedience to their new Lord, and bring forth fruit that is befitting of repentance. Of course, he became the church’s first missionary, spread the gospel all over the world at the time, and eventually took it to Rome. And because of his labor, the largest known world empire became “Christian” in about 200 years.
2. 1 Sam 15:22, Rom 1:5, 6:4-6, 7:9, 15:18, 16:26, Acts 6:7, Luke 3:8-9, 1 John 1:6, 2:3-4, 2 Cor 5:17, James 2:14,
3. Illustration: "The old nature must be cast aside as a complete wreck, and good for nothing, and the man made a new creation in Christ Jesus. But willing as we may be to admit this truth, few lessons are harder to learn." “Revival: The Gospel of Addition.” In it, Patrick Morley said the following, “The American gospel has evolved into a gospel of addition without subtraction. It is the belief that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior… A changed life is one that has added Christ and subtracted sin, that attracts a world weary of worn-out words. Obedience is the proof.” Story about the employee and the unbelieving boss after the employee got saved, story about the church that did a Tithing Demonstration Sunday, and the offering was 6X the usual, tell about Larry Whitehouse getting mad because I preached from Matt 7:21 about the possibility of people in the church really being lost, had a pastor tell me this week that he has asked people to step down from leadership positions because of things that they posted on Facebook exposing their true selves in pictures,
4. Obedience is a solid evidence of genuine faith. Those who bear no fruit are cut away and cast into the fire. Fruitless Christians may be false Christians. This doesn’t mean that you must be perfect since conversion like “sinless since ’64,” but that the process of sanctification and transformation should be on a steady track toward the image of Jesus Christ. We have a great portion of the church today that has no fruit, is not transformed, still spiritually dead (although outwardly religious), having no desire for spiritual things, simply carrying out the status quo, that probably really aren’t saved. And we are so scared to tell them that, but Jesus, Paul, Hebrews, Revelation, James and John are really clear. This is not to make you doubt unnecessarily, but simply to proclaim a genuine gospel, that will not produce people simply inoculated to Jesus. Down here you must first convince people that they really don’t know Jesus, whereas in the north that is not where the battle lies, and the lifestyles are the same. And they say that dumbest things to try to defend or justify their family members who give absolutely no evidence of belief, especially at funerals. We must stop soft-selling the gospel, and get it right! If there is no change, there was no Jesus! Don’t believe what you want in spite of the bible. Warn your children, grandchildren, fellow church members, coworkers, fellow student.
F. Those Walking in Darkness (v. 24-32)
1. The response of Festus and later Agrippa was indicative of their darkened state. The normal thought for a Roman that heard of someone who was dead, resurrected, then commissioned Paul as an ambassador, is that he must be crazy. And Paul argues that his words are truth, regardless of how insane they sound. And he also says that there is a logic about them. He is probably referring to the predictive prophecy previously spoken of. Then Agrippa very sarcastically asks if Paul really thought that he would become a Christian (in the NT the word was used in a derogatory fashion) in such a short time? He caught on to what Paul was doing. For Paul had backed him into an intellectual and social corner in front of his Roman and Jewish buddies with the question about him believing the prophets. But he refused to submit. He counted the cost personally and politically and didn’t judge Christ worthy of the sacrifice.
2. 2 Cor 4:3-4, Isa 6:10, 2 Thess 2:9-12,
3. Illustration: NO MATTER WHAT A number of years ago, there was a newspaper account of a speech given by the president of a well-known university to a group of influential businessmen and civic leaders. The president told of a recent experience which he, his audience, and the newspaper reporter found humorous. The president was shopping during the Christmas season and happened to pass by a Salvation Army volunteer, standing by a "donation kettle" and ringing a bell. As he paused to make a donation, the woman volunteer asked this educator: "Sir, are you saved?" when he replied that he supposed he was, she was not satisfied. So she pursued the matter further: "I mean, have you ever given your full life to the Lord?" At this point, the president told his audience, he thought he should enlighten this persistent woman concerning his identity: "I am the president of such and such university, and as such, I am also president of its school of theology." The lady considered his response for a moment, and then replied, "It doesn’t matter wherever you’ve been, or whatever you are, you can still be saved." I was looking over the visitor list for the last couple of years, and wondered how many of those who didn’t stay or join found somewhere else, and how many ever received Christ who rejected him on numerous occasions at NRBC,
4. Think about it: a dead man, come back to life, commissioning people to further his cause! When a tenderized heart hears the gospel, it responds in repentance and faith. To choose not to decide is to decide against Christ. To refuse in to reject. And if you reject Christ you will never see heaven according to the scriptures. And reject Christ they did, and we never hear of them coming to know him later. We should all be bold enough with the gospel that people will know that we want them to be saved. It is OK if others know that we want them converted. Be reminded that all dogs don’t go to heaven but only those who by faith sell out their lives to follow Jesus in the way. We are to work at relational evangelism, but if you never get around to sharing the gospel, it is not evangelism. Note here what success in evangelism looks like: sharing. It is not your job to convert people, but to be faithful with the message. The gospel is the power of God, and can convert people, we are simply required to be faithful with the message.
A. Closing illustration: THE BIG BLACK DOOR An Arab chief tells a story of a spy who was captured and then sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. This general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment for execution drew near, the spy was brought to the Persian general, who asked the question, "What will it be: the firing squad or the big, black door?" The spy hesitated for a long time. It was a difficult decision. He chose the firing squad. Moments later shots rang out confirming his execution. The general turned to his aide and said, "They always prefer the known way to the unknown. It is characteristic of people to be afraid of the undefined. Yet, we gave him a choice." The aide said, "What lies beyond the big door?" "Freedom," replied the general. "I’ve known only a few brave enough to take it." Tell about Laura Mantilla, Victor, and Ander with whom we shared the gospel with in Peru.
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
• Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
