Almost doesn’t count
Acts 26:28-29
We all have probably heard the saying, “Almost doesn’t count unless it is with horse shoes, hand grenades, 750 pound bombs, or Nuclear weapons. Now I can understand the horseshoes. You almost make a ringer. You throw the horseshoe; it hits the peg then bounces off. You almost made a ringer. But I never did understand the hand grenades, or the bombs and who knows about the Nuclear weapons. I almost blew up something???
But today we read about something just as confusing. King Agrippa said, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian”.
What a shame to almost accept Christ. It is as confusing to me as the grenades and the bombs. Why would somebody do the right things, and live the right life, only to almost make it into Heaven?
It’s like jumping off the bridge on Bridge Day and almost wearing a parachute. You still get the same results. It is either you are, or you are not. You shouldn’t want to think you are going to heaven. You should know that you are. And His desire is for you to know that you are saved.
1 John 5:12-13, He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Either you’ve got it, or you don’t. You are either saved, or you are lost. Some one who is almost saved is just as lost as someone who never shows any desire to be. So why are there people who almost make it to heaven?
Many people hear the truth
King Agrippa heard Paul’s testimony. He heard Paul recount his conversion on the road to Damascus. He heard how the light from Heaven came and how he found out that Jesus was the Son of God. He found out that Jesus was who He said He was and that He did what He said He did and how He wanted Paul to be the one to tell others how to get from the darkness to the light.
Trust me, King Agrippa heard the gospel. He heard the truth. And yet he chooses to wait. The NIV Bible says it like this; “Do you think in such a short time that you can persuade me to be a Christian?
He must have thought he had more time to make that decision. And that is still true today. Many people think some day… I will get saved. Teens think they want to have some fun first. Then young men and women want time to start their family first. Then they get caught up in all the things that kids get into and don’t have the time for God. Then they grow up and with grandkids and work and everything else they forget about God. They almost became a Christian.
So many hear the truth then simply don’t respond to it. Then…
Many think they are good enough
Many think that the way to heaven is just to make sure the good out weighs the bad. The problem is that we can never be good enough. It only takes one sin to keep us from spending eternity in heaven with God.
Matthew 7:22-23, Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.
Now I don’t know about you but that sounded like a bunch of good deeds. And Paul himself told King Agrippa that before accepting Christ, he was a very religious man.
Acts 26:4-6, My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They know me form the first, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I have lived a Pharisee.
Paul told King Agrippa that he was a very righteous man. He was a good man. But just being good doesn’t cut it. There are going to be a lot of good people who go to hell. And if you think that God would not send a good person to hell; you are right! They send themselves by trying to build their own way to heaven when Jesus said, “I AM THE WAY, I AM THE TRUTH, I AM THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME”.
It is not what you do for Him, it is what He did for you. Being good will almost make you get to heaven because you think that you are good enough to get there by themselves.
Then finally, people almost make it to heaven because…
Many think they just have to believe in God
Many will think, well I believe in a supreme being called God and because of that, I will get to heaven. Paul even insinuated that the King knew about God.
Vs.27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.
But it is more than just believing
James 2:19, You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble.
Believing in God is good but simply believing in God will almost get you into heaven. You not only have to believe. You have to receive. You can say the words, Jesus come into my heart; but you have to receive the words to make Him do so. I not only believe in God but I believe that He lives in my heart. Believing is not receiving. And believing will almost get to heaven.
So how about you today? Do you KNOW or do you THINK you will go to heaven? Are you like King Agrippa and think, almost you persuade me to be a Christian? You don’t have to be 99% sure, you can be 100% sure today.
2 Corinthians 6:2b, Behold, now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation.
Like King Agrippa you have heard the truth today. And if you leave here without knowing for sure then you can almost make it to heaven.
Maybe you are here today and you know you are saved and where you are going; do you have the same heart like Paul had in verse 29.
And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also ALL who hear me…”
Do you have that desire to reach the lost? Many of you may have family or loved ones who have not accepted Christ and you might have ALLMOST witnessed to them but then you thought that would make them uncomfortable. If you love them then you should want them to know about Christ and who else has the better relationship with them. Many think that the preacher ought to tell them. But many look at the preacher as a hired gun who is paid to tell them.
But Paul did not have just a desire for his friends and family. He had a desire for ALL to become a Christian and they should be your desire too. It may mean you doing something that you have never done before, but after ALL He has done for you, isn’t that the least you can do for Him.
Let’s pray.
