Almost You Convince Me
Acts 26:27-30
27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”
28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
29And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
30When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them;
Prayer
This week I lamented. I was sorrowful all week because I really for the first time realized a terrible truth that there are many people, in fact too many to count, who are unsaved and they are going to hell. But preacher it is not our place to judge. I am not judging I am stating a fact that the Bible tells me. I heard on the radio this week these words. There are many ways to God and Jesus is just one way. That Brothers and Sisters is an incorrect statement, a false doctrine that Satan is trying to get even the Christian to believe. In fact the Christians who oppose that statement are ostracized by today’s society for being to radical, to fundamental, to unconforming and to unwilling to bend their principles to go along with everyone else. It is not about being conforming it is about being confrontational. Do we believe what the Bible teaches or do we believe what the world holds to right now and tomorrow. Those who believe that there are many ways to God are following a false teaching and therefore according to Jesus they are going to Hell.
As I watched the decadence this week on T.V., and listened to the sickness of society on the radio, and discussed with my students this week why drugs, alcohol and sex has such an attraction for them I realized that here even here in the belt buckle of the Bible Belt there are for too many lost souls in danger of going to hell if no one carries the Gospel to them. Every day someone who is lost dies and goes to hell around us. We may not know them, but we may have met them at the store, in the post office, on the street, at a ball game or in passing and we did not take the time to share Jesus with them. Many of us ignore these dead souls who are in our work place, on the street, in our neighborhoods and even in our very own families. Wait a minute maybe the word ignore is to harsh a word maybe the better word is overlooked them because we are to busy to realize that they are in desperate need of spiritual C.P.R. Yes those who are unsaved are dead. Their souls have not been quickened by the Holy Spirit and no matter what Buddha or Mohammad or anyone else says the Bible plainly tells us where there souls are going if they never ever have a true salvation experience with our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ. They are destined to go to Hell. There will be no second chances after death. Death is the dividing line of where you decide where you will spend eternity. If you die without Jesus as your Lord and Savior hell is your reward.
Now we are responsible for those people who are unsaved that God places in our path. God saved us to use us and He places people who are unsaved in our lives so that we can share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. But today we use excuses as to why we don’t share the Gospel. I don’t know what to say is the most commonly used excuse. But excuses want stand before God, because if we are willing to serve God will provide the words we need. Also we can study God’s word more and think about what it says and apply it to our life. Paul did this. Sharing the Gospel became so much a part of his life that even in court he shared Jesus with Agrippa.
Paul had been arrested. The Jews want him dead. They even tried to ambush him to kill him. Yet through all this Paul continued to find ways to witness for Jesus. Even though his life was in danger he still spread the Good News. Here Paul was before Agrippa and Paul instead of trying to get off was witnessing to Agrippa. The Bible does not record every word that was said but I believe that Paul worked the Gospel Message into the conversation. That is how I see Paul, a man who loved his master so much that he just had to talk about Him all the time.
Paul is being questioned by Agrippa and Paul is testifying of Jesus as being the Christ. He gave his own testimony as witness to Christ’s saving grace. He used Old testament phrophisies about the Christ to show that Jesus was the Messiah. Yet Agrippa says almost you convince me to be a Christian. Almost do you convince to accept Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior almost.
How painful almost to get a situation, but to miss it.
How vexing almost to catch a plane, but to be left at the terminal.
How sad almost to escape drowning, but to be engulfed in the water.
But, oh how above-all-things terrible to be almost a Christian and yet in the the lake of fire for eternity!
It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
May it not be said also that it will be trodden by millions of almost Christian!
Oh, be warned, then, against being an almost-er, for to be almost saved ist to be certainly lost!
Agrippa words must have broken Paul’s heart to hear. Just as they break our hearts to here today. And hear these words you will if you are witnessing for Christ. Almost will some see the light, get a glimpse of eternity, and yet something still continues to block their view
Paul’s response to Agrippa was I wished that you and all who have heard me today were almost if not persuaded to be Christians. You see Paul was glad they had heard the message. He knew that it did not matter about what happened to him what mattered was that the seed had been planted and someday it would be harvested.
When we don’t spread the Gospel we are like the farmer who does not plant any seed. Then when the time comes for the harvest he can’t understand why there is nothing to harvest and sell at the market. There is no income for him and his family that year. That Brother and Sisters is the situation that many Christians find themselves in today. They are not allowing God to use them because the feel inadequate and unable to say the right things to get these almost fence sitters of the fence. In reality all you have to do is plant the seed God will do the rest. If they still refuse the saving Grace that Jesus is offering them then it is their fault that they go to hell.
At least Agrippa and all who were with Him that day had heard the Gospel. They will not be able to say in the day of judgment “I have never heard of your gospel” And maybe what Paul said that day germinated and blossomed and later was harvested by another worker. We don’t know if any who were present that day later accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior but I believe that some did because the seed never goes unfertilized.
That is why today it is so important that we share the Gospel. Even if those who we talk too reject the Gospel, it will take root and grow. We may never harvest that crop but someone else may. We will be able to rejoice in God giving us the opportunity to plant the seed just like Paul did.
That is why it is so sad when a Christian fails to carry out the Great Commission. No one else is like you. You may be the only person who can reach a particular person. Sure other people can talk to them but not as effectively as you. God has placed them in your path for a purpose. You are uniquely equipped to plant that seed. They may not accept Jesus then and there. In fact they may rant and rave but the seed has been planted and God will send someone to harvest it.
We Christians need to set aside our excuses and become the servants that God wants us to be. For there is a world full of people who can not say almost you convince me to be a Christian if we don’t get out their planting and harvesting. How sad will it be on that day of judgment to hear someone say why did you not tell me. You knew me, you meet me, you had the opportunity to tell me about Jesus. If you had told me it would have made a difference. I had no way of knowing you were a Christian and you never shared your faith with me. Why, why did you not share Jesus with me. Today Brothers and sisters God is calling you to be His servants. He is saying come to me and let me use you to reach someone today. Surrender you life to me and I will make you a worker in Christ. The harvest is great and the call for workers is out will you answer that call today. God is saying come, come to me. Will you come or will you sit right there in that pew, will you be a worker for Christ. There is a lot of seed left to be planted and there is a lot of crop to harvest will you be a worker in the field or will you continue to sit on the bench. What will be your answer to God’s call? In a few moments we are going to have a time of prayer. Mrs. Simone is going to play a song while we all bow our heads to pray. If you want to declare yourself to be a worker for Christ come down here to the alter and get on your knees and surrender your all to God. But only do it if you really mean it. If you feel compelled to talk with me or you want me to pray with you just come to me and we will do that. As Sister Simone comes and play a song for us will you bow your head and pray for the Holy Spirits guidance in your life. Every head bowed every eye close. What will be your answer.
