Almost Persuaded
There were seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia. They had been on a 16 day mission and were just 16 minutes from landing. They were almost home. Almost.
As the shuttle was entering the atmosphere something went terribly wrong. Later studies indicate that some of the heat shield may have been damaged even as they were taking off. But they almost made it. Almost. That “almost” was not enough and 7 lives were lost.
There is an invitation song by Paul Bliss that we used to sing when I was growing up entitled Almost Persuaded. Listen to the words:
Almost persuaded now to believe; almost persuaded Christ to receive.
Seems now some soul to say, “Go Spirit, go thy way; some more convenient day
on thee I’ll call.”
Almost persuaded, come, come today. Almost persuaded, turn not away!
Jesus invites you here, angels are lingering near, prayers rise from hearts so dear,
O wandr’er come.
Almost persuaded, harvest is past! Almost persuaded, doom comes at last!
Almost cannot avail; almost is but to fail. Sad, sad, that bitter wail,
“Almost but lost!”
I read in the memoirs of his life:
It was just before Christmas in the mid 1870’s, and Mr. and Mrs. Bliss were busy getting presents for their children. One day as Paul Bliss was on the street he noticed a little girl, poorly clad, standing in front of a toy-store window, gazing intently and longingly at the dolls displayed in the window. He stopped and kindly and earnestly said, "Now just pick out the one that you want, and you shall have it. I will go in and buy it for you." He would have been delighted to do so, he said - had already done it in his own mind - but the child looked around at him with a painful expression of distrust and unbelief, and, gathering her shawl over her head, hurried away, not heeding his repeated assurances that she could have a doll if she wanted it. "That is just the way sinners treat Christ," he said. "I was grieved that the little one wouldn’t let me do for her what I wanted to, and that she distrusted me, when I just wished with all my heart to make her happy. I think I understand a little better how the Lord feels at our unbelief of His precious promises."
Our study in Acts brings us to the 26th chapter. Here we read of Paul’s defense before King Herod Agrippa and governor, Festus. This is the third time in Acts that we read of Paul’s conversion. It is his testimony. In it he not only tells how he became a Christian, but by implication, he extends the gospel to those who hear him. While there are others present to hear this defense, Luke records only the reactions of the governor, Festus and king Agrippa. One is obviously not interested, but the other responds in such a way as to leave you wondering.
Look at what is happening here: Paul is a prisoner, under Roman guard, and has been that way for over two years even though his accusers, the Jews, have nothing substantial to charge him with. As a Roman citizen he has certain rights and protections that have kept them from being able to kill him. Above and beyond all that is on the surface, God has a plan. Paul is going to go to Rome and preach the gospel there. This is another testimonial time along the way. Notice, each time Paul presents how he became a Christian he gets a response. In Acts 22 the Jews wanted to kill him. Here before Festus and Agrippa Paul gets a mixed response. There is something persuasive in his words. Something very compelling about it that demands some sort of response. You have to either believe that Paul is crazy or that he is telling the truth.
What is it about this speech that makes it so important that God makes special plans for it to be heard more than any other conversion in the Bible? We have it told three times just in the book of Acts. Paul will tell it in part again and again in the epistles as he defends the gospel and appeals to his listeners to be faithful to Christ.
Let me suggest a few things about this that make it a powerful presentation.
First, it is true. Paul will say things like, I’m telling the truth, I’m not lying!
1 Tim 2:3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time.
7 And for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Romans 9:1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,
5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
The truth he tells is not just some factual information about God and Jesus that we need to know. This truth involves Paul’s very heart and character in full agreement with God’s heart and character.
What happened to Paul actually happened. It is a historic event within real time and space. He actually met the risen Christ and was changed by this meeting.
The second thing that makes it persuasive is Paul’s passion about the truth. You can hear it in his words. Jesus Christ is more than a religious figure for Paul. Jesus is more that a spiritual security blanket. Jesus is Lord of life and Savior of the world. He is closer than any other relationship and has complete ownership of our eternal destiny. But Jesus can be denied. God preserves the human responsibility and right to make the choice of faith or not.
This is not some academic matter, or factual matter that has no connection with the rest of our lives. Salvation is a relationship issue! It centers on whether or not we fear and love the one who made us and who paid in blood for us to know and love him.
How many of us believe that there is a place called Paris, France? Most of us would agree that this is true, but this fact, and whether I believe it or not, has no bearing on how I make decisions about day to day issues. I don’t say, “Oh, I’d better not do that because there is a Paris, France!” Or, “I’d better be doing this, because there is a Paris, France!”
No! This fact, true as it may be, has little else to do with my life than exist. But, listen to me now… The truth about Jesus has far reaching impact on every aspect of my life, because Jesus either does or does not have a saving relationship with me. That is, I am either a follower of Christ or not. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you are truly a Christian just by coming to church and doing things that look like a Christian while you are here. We may not be able to tell, but God knows his own and he separates the sheep from the goats. They may be in the same herd, but they are headed for different eternal habitations. A Frenchman may visit Washington DC every week an never become an American!
In the same way, what Paul shares with us is more than a visit with Jesus, it is a commitment to Christ, heart, mind, and soul. The passion of relationship is powerful in his presentation.
Third, Paul’s gospel presentation is personal. It is true, it is passionate, and it is personal.
Let me just ask the question? Do you see Paul as having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Anyone who would deny that, is either blind or simply stubbornly refusing to admit the obvious. Yes! It is the personal part of this presentation that comes across the strongest! Paul’s very identity is caught up in Christ. For me to live is Christ! I want to know Christ! Jesus Christ is so personal to Paul it is obvious that who Paul is has been swallowed up by who Christ is. At least that is Paul’s goal.
Now let me offer a warning here. And let me be very clear about it. All the passion and personal nature of Paul’s presentation would be worthless if it were not true. Passion and personal make for convincing and convicting, but truth makes for reality. There are suicide bombers that are passionate and personal about their false faith. Such will have no saving grace. Satan knows that we can be passionate and personal about a lie. It is one of his chief tools of deception and destruction. We want to be passionate. We desire personal relationships. But in the end, these are worthless without truth.
Let me offer another warning. Because of what I just said about the danger of deception with passion and personal relationship, some have tried to take these out of the equation of salvation. Some well meaning Christian teachers have seen the damage of deception with people who are filled with passion and personal but missing the truth. They have thus concluded that persuasion from passion and personal relationship to be the problem and have thrown the baby out with the bath-water. Seeking a rational religion of facts and faith founded apart from feeling, some have gone to the extreme of saying that personal testimony is wrong.
Excuse me? What of our examples in scripture? Didn’t Paul tell his testimony? Didn’t Paul preach Christ from passion and personal relationship? Didn’t Paul tell us what happened to him and how Christ personally impacted his life? Didn’t Paul say, Phil. 4:9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.
Listen. If we are to do what the Bible says, we will tell others not only the scriptural facts about Jesus Christ, but also the impact he has made in our lives. If we are to win the lost for Jesus, we must show the world what Jesus means to us as well as call them to come follow him.
When is the last time you told someone how much Jesus has impacted your life?
Listen to Isaiah: 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
Rev. 12: 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.
11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.
How does the Bible say that these Christians overcame Satan? Two things: the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Does that say anything to us today?
I hear about the blood of the Lamb, but where are the testimonies of those who have been saved by him?
Are you persuaded yet? Let me tell you what Jesus has done for me…
