“Close [enough] Only Counts in Horse Shoes and With Hand Grenades.” How many have you heard or used that statement before? I remember hearing that a lot as I was growing up. For instance, I was often instructed to pick up every piece of trash, stick and stone from the yard before mowing so as not to damage the lawn mower, house or vehicles in the driveway. Without fail, just as I would go to get the lawn mower out of the garage, my step-father would ask me if I got EVERY PIECE OF TRASH, EVERY STICK AND EVERY STONE picked up. I would often reply, “Close enough!” and he would reply “Close enough only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades!” and then he would make me walk the yard again until I was able to say that indeed every piece of trash, every stick and every stone had been picked up. I never knew what that saying meant when it was said to me repeatedly. It was only when I got older that I began to understand that it meant that you do not have to hit the mark perfectly with a horse shoe or hand grenade to get the job done but when it comes to trash, sticks and stones in the yard “close enough” just doesn’t cut it! Today we are going to look at the testimony of two individuals in the Scripture that were “CLOSE BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH” when it comes to salvation in Jesus Christ. We will find that they had ACCESS TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS, KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS, FRIENDLINESS TOWARDS/TOLERANCE FOR THE GOSPEL OF JESUS, but WERE NOT SAVED BY THE GOSPEL OF JESUS.
ACTS 24:22-27, 26:19-29
CONTEXT: Paul has been radically saved by Jesus and is busy in the ministry that the Lord had given to him among the Gentiles. He is preaching the Gospel, planting churches and encouraging the believers. Because Paul was preaching that Jesus is the only way of salvation many of the Jewish religious and societal leaders were offended and sought, with all their might, to shut him up and shut his ministry down. Ultimately, the leaders of the day had Paul arrested and because he perceived that his life was in jeopardy he made an appeal that his case be heard before Caesar. Paul had this right because he was born a Roman citizen. Because he had made this appeal, Paul was handed off to the differing heads of authority until ultimately he was taken to Rome where he would plead his case before Caesar. It was in this time of being “handed off” to these differing heads of authority that Paul encounters two men—Felix and Agrippa.
FIRST, THEY BOTH HAD ACCESS TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS. The SPIRITUAL CLIMATE AND CULTUER OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE was much like ours today. As a culture they TOLERATED ALL RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL BELIEFS. The #1 goal of the Roman Empire was to ensure the PAX ROMANA, which is the peace of Rome. The leadership of the empire knew that one of the ways to insure their existence, as an empire was to make sure that everybody was happy and at peace. Therefore, Rome was an empire where anything goes; what is right for you does not necessarily have to be right for me and that is fine; truth is relative; all religions were affirmed; and on and on we could go. The culture was such that as long as what was going on was not causing a disruption among the people then Rome was fine with it. Rome did not respond to Jesus when He was ministering among the people and proclaiming the Good News. They could have cared less about the message or the Messenger. They responded to the uproar that ensued because of the religious leaders’ objection to Jesus’ message and ministry. Paul is not under arrest in the eyes of the Romans because he is preaching Jesus; he is under arrest because his preaching of Jesus offended a few (see ACTS 24:2b-5). THE GOSPEL OFFENDED A SMALL PORTION OF THE POPULATION AND BECAUSE THEY WERE OFFENDED THEY WANTED TO MESSAGE SILENCED AND WOULD EVEN CALL UPON THE POLITICAL LEADERS IF NECESSARY. Is it not the same today? The claim is that we are a tolerant culture/society/nation but when a small percentage of people get offended by or are opposed to Christianity they take their claims to the highest courts and officials seeking to have laws established and rules enforced that reveals that those who wave the “tolerant flag” are some of the most intolerant of all. Both Felix and Agrippa lived in a world where they had access to the Gospel.
SECOND, THEY BOTH HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS. Furthermore, both Felix and Agrippa had knowledge of the Gospel. Paul did not waste the opportunity that was before him even though the circumstances surrounding him at the time were not ideal. Felix, along with his wife Drusilla, entered into several days of conversing with Paul about things like righteousness, judgment and the “Way” (aka Christianity). It is no doubt that during these conversations Paul was adamant about proclaiming Jesus to Felix and Drusilla. They had knowledge of the Gospel.
When Paul found himself pleading his case before King Agrippa he dared not waste the opportunity before him to not only defend himself from the false accusations made against him but to share his salvation experience and even call King Agrippa to a point of decision regarding the Jesus. Paul’s entire defense is a defense for his ministry and the necessity of Jesus for salvation and 26:1-24.
I believe that it is a warranted assumption to conclude that both Felix and Agrippa knew the Good News of Jesus Christ. IT WASN’T ONLY THAT AGRIPPA AND FELIX HAD ACCESS TO THE GOSPEL, THEY HAD FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOSPEL.
THIRD, THEY BOTH WERE FRIENDLY TO/TOLERANT OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS. Felix the governor expresses his friendliness to/tolerance of the Gospel in the way he treats Paul. At this point it would be expected that Paul would be treated as a common law breaker who has been arrested. That is not the case. Paul experienced the favor of Felix and is granted uncommon liberty and visitation. Likewise, King Agrippa was not harsh towards Paul because of the Gospel. He was tolerant of Paul’s conviction regarding the Gospel though himself not believing the same.
FINALLY, THEY WERE NOT SAVED BY THE GOSPEL OF JESUS. Felix trembled in fear as he heard the Word of God through Paul. He had access to the Gospel. He had knowledge of the Gospel. He was friendly towards and tolerant of the Gospel. Yet at a particular point in his encounter with Paul, the Gospel alarmed him. It is striking that this man, one who had the power of life and death over Paul because of his position, trembled in fear because when discussing judgment with Paul was hearing from the One who has the power of life and death over all. It is clearly evident that God the Holy Spirit was dealing with about his need for salvation in God the Son—Jesus Christ—and his response is revealing about his response to Jesus. He left Paul in haste never receiving God’s grace in salvation though trembling at the thought of God’s power over life and death.
King Agrippa responds a little differently than Felix. King Agrippa did not respond fearfully but flippantly. He simply “shrugged off” the call to salvation that Paul was making after presenting the Gospel to Him. King Agrippa affirmed Paul’s beliefs and convictions regarding Jesus and His Gospel but rejected it for himself. Paul’s truth could be Paul’s truth but King Agrippa had a “truth” all his own. He access to the Gospel. He had knowledge of the Gospel. He was friendly towards and tolerant of the Gospel but refused to accept the Gospel thus rejecting the grace of God in salvation.
THE ALMOST CHRISTIANS. The clear and concise point I want to make sure that we all get here today is that, like Felix and Agrippa, there are a lot of people who have access to the Gospel; knowledge of the Gospel; and may even be friendly towards and tolerant of the Gospel but unless there is a positive response to the call to make a decision about the Gospel, there is no salvation. Felix and Agrippa were ALMOST CHRISTIANS. THEY WERE CLOSE…BUT CLOSE ONLY COUNTS IN HORSE SHOE AND HAND GRENADES.
• THE GREATEST SUPERBOWL OF MY TIME. Super Bowl 34 is one of the most memorable football games of my generation. It was between the St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans. TIME WAS RUNNING OUT AND IT ALL CAME DOWN TO ONE PLAY. One play that could have sent the game into overtime. One play that could have changed the course and direction of both franchises. The Titans player was sprinting towards the end zone. He ALMOST MADE IT. HE WAS SO CLOSE…but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Are you close? There are throngs of people around us and maybe even here today who are basing their salvation and eternal hope upon their access to, knowledge of and friendliness towards the Gospel but have never been changed by the Gospel because there has never been a moment of life-change where a turning away from sin and self and a turning to Jesus in complete and absolute faith and surrender. If this is you please know that this illustration of the Super Bowl game is a picture of your life. The clock on your life is running down. You are running towards eternity, HOPING FOR HEAVEN, BUT WITHOUT JESUS YOU JUST WON’T MAKE IT.
WHEN THE WORLD THINKS YOU ARE “CRAZY” KEEP ON BELIEVING. KEEP ON SERVING. KEEP ON LOVING. KEEP ON PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS! 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18 reminds us that to those who are in a state of unbelief the message of the Cross is foolishness. It doesn’t make sense. It seems like a fairy tale to be chronicled with the likes of Rapunzel, Snow White and Robin Hood. However, to those who believe the message of the cross is a message of power whereby God saves those who believe.
