SERMON: STORMS, SHIPWRECKS, AND SNAKES (Acts 27-28:16)

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 27:1-12

 

Acts 27:1When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

 

3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

 

9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

 

            -- this morning, we are continuing in our journey through the Book of Acts – when we left off last week, we looked at the sad state of King Agrippa – who heard the gospel – who believed the gospel intellectually – but who could not be persuaded by Paul to take that final step, where one puts their faith in Jesus for salvation, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life

            -- Agrippa tells Paul that he was almost persuaded, but as we talked about last week, being almost persuaded – almost believing – almost having faith in Jesus – just means that you are totally lost and bound by your sins and death

            -- and even though both Agrippa and Festus agreed that Paul was innocent of all the charges the Jews had brought against him, Paul’s appeal to Caesar stood firm – and in this next section, we read of Paul’s final journey to Rome

 

            -- I’ve entitled this message, “Storms, Shipwrecks, and Snakes,” which I thought was especially fitting given that this weekend is the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene – and as we’ll see in this passage, just like the sailors here discounted the threat of severe weather, I remember the local forecasters saying that Helene was going to not be a major threat to our area – but that it should make landfall as a lower category hurricane, bringing mostly high rain and some strong tropical storm-force winds with it into Valdosta

            -- but they were wrong, as we all know – Helene was a storm of historic proportions – and we are still recovering from the damage she brought – and while we were not shipwrecked, we did experience the wreckage of our homes, our forests, and our community – and we experienced the snakes and the scammers and those who follow catastrophe, seeking to inflict even more harm on those reeling from the storms of life

            -- so, let’s look now at Paul and how he handled the storms, shipwrecks, and snakes that threatened him on his final journey to Rome

 

 II.  THE STORM (Acts 27:1-26)

            -- look back with me now at Acts 27:1, and let’s start our study there

 

Acts 27:1When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

 

3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

 

9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

 

            -- the decision was made by Festus and Agrippa to send Paul on to Rome, at his request – so they placed him in the custody of a Roman centurion named Julius, along with several other prisoners

            -- Paul’s innocence was obvious, as he was afforded luxuries probably not available to the other prisoners – he was allowed to go into port and meet with friends there – Christians who Paul knew from his three missionary journeys – so that they might provide resources to help him on the journey

            -- the journey was slow, because the winds were against them – it was late in the year – after the Day of Atonement, which is in September – and so, the ship had a difficult time making its way along the coast

            -- they switched ships in Myra, but their slow passage continued – finally, they made their way to a place called Fair Havens, where a decision awaited them – should they continue on towards Rome? – should they overwinter in Fair Havens? – or should they seek another place to overwinter and wait for better weather in the spring?

 

            -- Paul was a theologian – a missionary – an Apostle – he was not a sailor – so, when Paul warned the men that it would be dangerous to proceed with their journey at this point, no one listened to him – you see, they did not understand that Paul had something they did not – Paul had the counsel of the Holy Spirit – and even though Paul was not a sailor, the Spirit impressed upon him the fate that would come if the ship continued on

            -- Julius listened to Paul, but paid more attention to the pilot and owner of the ship – for they had experience – they were sailors – and they knew their ship and they knew the waters they were sailing

            -- finally, a vote was taken – and Luke tells us here that since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to sail on – hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there in a harbor in Crete

 

-- every day, we are faced with decisions and choices that we have to make – according to the statistics, the average person makes over 35,000 decisions a day – from what we will wear – what we will eat – where we will go – what we will do – what road we will take – the list just goes on and on

-- that is why some psychologists have said that we are overly stressed from the sheer number of decisions we are faced with daily, what they call “decision fatigue” – there are simply too many choices before us, and it is stressing us out

-- do you remember buying toothpaste 25 years ago? – it was simple – you only had a handful of brands, and they all did the same thing – your choices really came down to Crest, Aquafresh, Colgate, Arm & Hammer, and Aim

-- but have you looked at the toothpaste aisle now? – every brand has multiple types of toothpaste – this one for sensitivity – this one with a different flavor – this one with a different means of preventing cavities – this one to brighten your teeth – this one for tartar control – this one is fluoride-free – this one is natural -- this one does multiple things – the list just goes on and on – and to try to make a reasoned choice is difficult – and that’s for toothpaste

-- now think about everything else that you face on a given day, not to mention the big choices in life – such as who we will marry – where we will live – what career we will choose – what political candidates or what party we will follow – the choices are endless and overwhelming

 

-- so, when confronted with decisions like this, how do you determine what is the right course of action? – do you rely on what the experts say, like the pilot and the owner of this ship? – do you rely on the word of God and what the Spirit impresses upon you? – or do you rely on majority opinion? – do you just follow the crowd and do what they do?

-- it is always better to rely on God’s word above anything else, and Paul’s counsel to Julius here will show the wisdom in doing that as we move forward

-- however, in this case, Julius followed the crowd – he went with what the majority of the people on that ship told him was the best course of action – but as we will see, that didn’t turn out well – so, keep that in mind – just because it’s popular – just because the crowd says this is right – just because the world tells you this is the way to go – doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do

-- verse 13-26

 

Acts 27:13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

 

21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

 

-- not long after they began to sail again, the ship was hit with a Nor’easter – just like the storm that is hitting the eastern coast this weekend – Nor’easters are similar to a hurricane – with strong winds – driving rain – and dangerous conditions

-- these little ships that sailed in the Mediterranean Sea in the 1^st century were just flimsy, wooden vessels – they were not built to the same standard as today’s ships – and they couldn’t survive major storms like this

-- the sailors did everything they could to keep the ship from breaking up – they ran ropes underneath it to hold the hull together – they threw cargo overboard and even the tackle they needed for sailing – after they had done everything in their power, they finally lost all hope of being saved

-- this is what happens when we make choices and live life in our own power and our own strength – we will fail – and the men on that ship were facing the consequences of their decision to press on even after Paul counseled them not to

-- John Wayne supposedly said, “Life is hard – It’s harder if you’re stupid” – and ignoring God’s word and God’s direction in our lives is stupid – we will suffer the consequences of our decisions, just like these men did

 

            -- so, why do storms come upon us? – certainly, nothing happens to us that God doesn’t allow, even if He didn’t ordain it in the beginning – and the Bible tells us that God uses these storms to help grow us and mature us in the faith – but God is not the author of all the storms we see in life

– some storms happen because we made bad decisions and we are suffering from the consequences of our actions – some storms happen just because we live in a fallen world – and we’re catching the effect of a creation that has been cursed or we’re caught up in the consequences of someone else’s sin

-- and some storms happen because Satan is trying to keep us from doing what God wants us to do

 

-- in Luke 8, Jesus is in a boat with His disciples – they are heading across the Sea of Galilee and are making their way to the Gentile region of Gerasenes – Gerasenes was where Jesus found the man possessed by a legion of demons – and where He healed this man, casting the demons from him into a herd of pigs

-- Satan did not want Jesus in Gerasenes – he did not want Jesus to interfere with what he was doing in that region – and as Jesus is in the boat with His disciples heading to that place, a major storm came up in the sea and threatened to overwhelm the little boat Jesus and His disciples were in

-- the disciples in the boat that day included Simon Peter and Andrew – James and John – seasoned fishermen – seasoned sailors – used to sailing in storms on that very body of water – but when that storm hit their ship, even these seasoned sailors lost hope – they feared for their lives – and they cried out to Jesus, who was sleeping on a cushion, for help

-- Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm and calmed it – it is interesting to note the words that Jesus used – in Luke 8:24, we read that Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters – He “rebuked” them, implying this was something wrong – this was something out of the ordinary – this was not a normal storm

-- that’s why many believe, including me, that Satan created that storm that day to keep Jesus away from Gerasenes – and I believe that Satan was the source of this storm that is threatening the boat that Paul is on in the Mediterranean

-- remember, Satan has tried already to keep Paul out of Rome and to keep Paul from preaching the gospel – he had raised up opposition to Paul and the gospel in almost every town Paul preached in – he had raised up the Jews to arrest Paul and have him tried by the Romans

-- when that failed, he tried to offer Paul the easy way out – the temptation to be released from prison and declared innocent in Jerusalem – but Paul said “no,” because he knew God wanted him to go to Rome

-- and when Paul appealed to Caesar, despite his innocence being recognized by Felix and Festus and Agrippa, Satan has brought a storm against this ship as another scheme to keep Paul from standing before Nero and preaching the gospel in Rome

-- and while the sailors and the soldiers may have feared for their lives, Paul represented peace in the eye of the storm – for God had promised him through an angel that he would stand trial before Caesar and that no one on that ship would be killed – and Paul’s faith in God saw him through

 

III.  The Shipwreck (Acts 27:27-44)

            -- but Satan was not done in his attempts to keep Paul from Rome – if the storm didn’t do it, then Satan reasoned a shipwreck would

 

            -- verse 27-32

 

Acts 27:27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic[c] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

 

-- while the sailors may have made a bad decision to press on towards Rome, they were still seasoned men who knew their business – and as the ship is being pushed on by the storm, they quickly discern that they were approaching land – it was just a feeling they had, based on experience and skill

-- they started taking soundings, which proved them right – by measuring the depth of the water using weighted ropes with marked lengths, they quickly determined the sea was getting shallower and shallower -- they were heading towards shore – which could be disastrous, if the ship crashed into rocks or was broken up by the pounding waves

-- just like these men became aware of a change in their condition – that something was different – God uses spiritual soundings in our lives to give us a sense of a change in our condition or an indication of what we should do – through the Holy Spirit – through prayer – through circumstances – through the church – and through His word – God speaks to us and lets us know if we are going the right way or whether we need to make a change in course

-- in order for us to discern these changes and the call of God in our lives, we have to become seasoned Christians – we have to stay in His word and stay close to Him in prayer – so that we can discern when He is making a change or calling us in another direction

 

            -- verse 33-44

 

Acts 27:33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

 

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.

 

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.

 

-- Paul stands up before the sailors and the soldiers and encourages them to eat something – why does he do this? – they’re in the middle of a storm – the ship is being driven towards shore, where the chance of shipwreck and destruction are very real – so, why take a moment and eat?

-- it’s a demonstration of faith – Paul had been told by God that no one on that ship was going to perish – that all of them would live – and he stands up now and encourages the men to eat based on that promise – because men who are going to die don’t need food – but men who are going to live, do

-- so, Paul takes the bread – gives thanks to God – eats the bread, feeding himself physically and spiritually – and then shares it with the rest of the men on that ship

-- his faith and his trust in God were contagious – and the men began to believe and ate based on the promise God gave to Paul

 

-- when daylight came and the sailors saw a bay with a sandy beach, they decided to run the ship aground – they cut loose the anchors and untied the ropes that held the rudders and pointed the bow at the sand – the ship ran aground on a sandbar and the waves began to break the ship apart

-- all of the men began to abandon the ship to swim to shore – but the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners first – Julius stopped them, because he had become convinced of God through Paul – that’s not to say he was a believer in Jesus – but he believed God had spoken to Paul – and based on Paul’s direction, he commanded the men to spare Paul’s life and the lives of the rest of the prisoners

            -- Satan’s second attempt to stop Paul from getting to Rome didn’t completely work – he was shipwrecked, but he was spared by God and all the men on that ship made it safely to shore

 

III.  The Snake (Acts 28:1-16)

-- look at Chapter 28:1-6

 

Acts 28:1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

 

-- so, when the storm didn’t work and the shipwreck didn’t work, Satan tried one more thing to keep Paul from getting to Rome

-- as the day dawned on the survivors of the shipwreck, they found themselves on the island of Malta, about 60 miles south of Sicily – the islanders came and built a fire, and Paul lent a hand, gathering brushwood to keep the fire going

-- when he put the wood he had gathered on the fire, a venomous snake came out and bit him – the islanders were certain Paul was going to die, because no one survived a bite from these snakes

-- isn’t it ironic that Satan used a snake as his last attempt to keep Paul from Rome? – we first see Satan in the form of a snake in the Garden of Eden, where he successfully tempted Adam and Eve to sin by causing them to doubt God’s word

-- but Paul remains true to the Word and trusts in the promise from God that he would stand before Caesar in Rome and preach the gospel – God protects him from the venom of the snake, to the amazement of the islanders

 

            -- skip down to verse 11, and we’ll finish up there

 

Acts 28:11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

 

            -- Paul and his companions remained in Malta for the next three months, finally heeding the Spirit’s counsel to Paul to not sail at that time – they waited for the season to turn, and when the weather improved for sailing, they found a ship that had wintered in the island and booked passage on it for Rome

            -- it’s interesting here that Luke describes the ship in such detail – he tells us it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux – as we discussed when we looked at the story of Apollos earlier in the book of Acts, Alexandria was a city renowned for human wisdom and intelligence – it was a center for education, with a major library – and so, Alexandria represented human wisdom and knowledge, as opposed to Godly wisdom and knowledge

            -- the twin gods, of course, represented the pagan religion that was centered in Rome – and by describing the figurehead in such detail, Luke is setting up the purpose of Paul’s travel to Rome in the first place – for his arrival in Rome would be a battle between the spiritual forces of evil and the truth of the gospel of Christ, as well as a battle between man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom

 

            -- not long after the Alexandrian ship set sail, Paul arrived in Rome, just as God had ordained – he was given freedom there as he awaited his trial before Caesar, although a Roman soldier remained with him as a guard

           

IV.  Closing

-- let me close by sharing with you the story about a boy who entered a grocery store and asked the saleswoman for a box of Tide detergent --The saleswoman was puzzled and asked why he wanted a box of Tide -- The boy said that he was going to wash his cat.

-- The saleswoman said, "Young man, you should not wash your cat with this kind of soap." -- However, the boy insisted that it would be okay.

            -- A few days later, the boy returned to the store and the saleswoman asked about the cat.

            -- "Oh, he died," said the boy -- The saleswoman said, "Well, son. I warned you not to wash your cat with Tide detergent."

-- The boy replied, "The soap didn’t hurt him. It was the spin cycle that got him."

 

-- the Apostle Paul has certainly been in a spin cycle throughout the Book of Acts as he tried to faithfully preach the gospel of Christ and convince others to put their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior

-- and here, as the Book of Acts comes to an end and Paul is trying to make his way to Rome, he gets hit with a triple spin cycle consisting of a storm, a shipwreck, and a snake

-- but despite everything Satan throws his way, Paul persists through the power of the Holy Spirit and by standing on the promise that God has given him

 

-- all of us are going to get hit with the spin cycles of life as we go through this world – sometimes it’s storms – literal and spiritual – sometimes it’s shipwrecks, as life seems to go off the rails – and sometimes it’s snakes – those people who come into our lives to harm us and cause us to turn away from God

-- the answer to surviving the spin cycle is clear – we do what Paul did – we persist through the power of the Spirit – we stand on our faith – we trust in the promise – and we press on, knowing that God is with us and that in all things, He will work for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose

-- so, as we close, let me encourage you to face the storm without fear – to stare down the threats of shipwrecks and destruction – and to stand against the world and the snakes that threaten our walk with Christ

-- let us set our faces resolutely towards the throne of God – and let us put our faith and trust in the One who has promised to never leave us or forsake – but who promises to see us safely home

-- let us pray

 

SERMON: ALMOST A CHRISTIAN?

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 26:12-28

 

Acts 26:12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

 

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

 

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

 

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

 

25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

 

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

 

-- Since the 1940s, the Ad Council has been the leading producer of public service announcements – but over that long history of encouraging public action for the good of the nation and its citizens, the ads called, “Don’t Almost Give,” have proven to be the most powerful and memorable of all

-- these haven’t been aired in a while, but most of us are of an age where we probably remember them – there was one ad showing a man with crutches struggling to go up a flight of concrete stairs -- The narrator says, "This is a man who almost learned to walk at a rehab center that almost got built by people who almost gave money." -- After a brief pause, the announcer continues: "Almost gave. How good is almost giving? About as good as almost walking."

            -- Another ad showed a homeless man curled up in a ball on a pile of rags – the only thing he had to cover himself from the cold winter night was a ratty bed sheet -- The narrator says, "This is Jack Thomas. Today someone almost brought Jack something to eat. Someone almost brought him to a shelter. And someone else almost brought him a warm blanket." -- After a brief pause, the narrator continues: "And Jack Thomas? Well, he almost made it through the night."

            -- and, finally, there was an ad showing an older woman sitting alone in a room, staring out a window. -- The narrator says, "This is Sarah Watkins. A lot of people almost helped her. One almost cooked for her. Another almost drove her to the doctor. Still another almost stopped by to say hello. They almost helped. They almost gave of themselves. But almost giving is the same as not giving at all."

            -- Each ad ends with a simple, direct message: "Don't almost give. Give."

 

            -- the old cliché says, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” – and this implies that a lot of people almost did something good – they had a good thought – they had an idea of how they might help – but in the end, they did nothing

            -- “almost people” – those people who “almost” commit to doing something or being something – never change their lives or the lives of those around them

            -- and with social media, it has become all too easy to be “almost people” – people who see an injustice or a crisis or a disaster and who comment on social media, “This is not right – someone should do something” – but that’s all they do

            -- they almost reach the point where their caring turns into action – but they seldom do – and so nothing ever changes

 

            -- as we are continuing on in our sermon series on the Book of Acts, we find ourselves confronted with the most famous “almost person” in the world – King Agrippa

            -- and as we’ll see, his failure to do something with what has been shared with him lives in infamy and stands in stark contrast to the Apostle Paul, who heard the same word calling him to salvation but who took action on the message he received

            -- Agrippa was almost persuaded, but in the end, he walked away from Jesus

            -- so, let’s look at this passage together now and see what we can learn from Paul’s trial before Festus and King Agrippa

 

II.  Scripture Lesson -- Acts 25:9-12 and Acts 26:12-28

 

Background and Context

            -- as this passage opens, we find Paul still imprisoned in Caesarea – if you remember what we have studied, Paul had been taken from Jerusalem to Caesarea by the Roman commander Lysias to save him from the Jews, who were going to try to kill him in an ambush when he appeared before the Sanhedrin

-- Paul stood trial before Governor Felix, who found Paul to be innocent of any charges deserving of death – but because he was trying to curry favor with the Jews, Felix kept Paul confined in Herod’s palace, although he gave him quite a bit of freedom and allowed Paul’s friends to visit him and meet his needs

-- when last we left off, Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus as the Governor over this region of Judea – but instead of freeing Paul, he left him imprisoned for Festus to decide his case

 

-- as soon as Festus took office and visited Jerusalem, the leading Jews met with him and pressed him to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem for trial – but Festus disagreed and told them that they could follow him to Caesarea, where he would hear Paul’s case and determine if there was enough evidence to condemn Paul

-- a couple of weeks later, we see Paul standing again before the Roman governor – on trial because of his faith – as we have discussed over the last few weeks, the Jews had originally had Paul arrested because they alleged he was not following the Jewish law and was teaching Jews to do the same – but this charge did not hold up in the court of law

-- instead, Paul demonstrated that the whole controversy hinged on his faith in the resurrection of Jesus – and how this resurrection proved Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah

-- these leaders of the Sanhedrin were primarily Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead and they adamantly refused to accept Jesus as Messiah – so they kept pressing the issue, first appearing before Felix and now before Festus

-- once again, they asked Festus to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, because they were planning on killing him while he was being moved back to the city – but Festus didn’t know this – and so, he asked Paul if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there

 

-- look at Acts 25:9-12

 

Acts 25:9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”

 

10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

 

12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

 

-- I want you to see that there is more going on here than just a decision on where Paul is going to stand trial – when Festus asks Paul if he was willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial there, Paul tells Festus that he has done nothing deserving of death – and he does something amazing here – he tells Festus , “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried – I appeal to Caesar”

-- and, upon hearing this, Festus responds, “You have appealed to Caesar – to Caesar you will go”

-- it is obvious that Paul has done nothing wrong – the Roman Commander Lysias saw this – Felix and his wife Drusilla saw this – and now Festus has seen this – everyone is in agreement that Paul is innocent of any charges and should be freed

-- in a concession to the Jews, Festus says, “We’ll go back to Jerusalem and try you there in your home” – this would be a way for all the Jews to see the truth of Paul’s innocence – no one would ever doubt him again – no one would ever try to oppose him again

-- but Paul refuses and appeals to Caesar – why?

-- because this means Paul has to go to Rome – remember what the Lord told Paul when he was in prison in the Roman barracks? – “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome”

 

            -- after Jesus was baptized, He was led into the wilderness where He was tempted by Satan to take up His position as ruler of this world without having to go to the cross – that was such an attractive option -- that would have been the easy way – that would have let Jesus become King on earth and rule from Jerusalem and make everything right now

– He wouldn’t have been persecuted – He wouldn’t have been beaten and put on the cross – He wouldn’t have been put to death – this scenario from Satan looks like the perfect answer – it was the easiest and simplest way for Jesus to get what He was supposed to get – what He was destined to get

-- but that wasn’t the plan – and to take that short-cut would have caused Jesus to bypass the cross – He would not have died for our sins – He would not have conquered sin and death by giving His own body and own blood for us – He would not have shown the world His power over death once and for all in His resurrection

-- what looks easy – what looks right – what seems to make perfect sense – isn’t always the right choice – as the cliché says, “All that glitters is not gold”

 

-- and what we see here is Satan dangling that same false hope and choice before Paul – he’s offering Paul the easy way out – “Hey, you’ve been in prison, but now you can go back to Jerusalem and you will be vindicated – you will be proven innocent in a court of law by the Romans – you’ll be set free and you will have even greater opportunities to preach the gospel in Jerusalem – maybe one day you’ll even go to Rome – this is the path – this is the answer you are looking for”

-- but Paul saw this open door for what it was – a temptation from Satan that would divert him from what God was calling him to do – yes, he could have gone back to Jerusalem and served God there, but that wasn’t what God had called him to do – God was calling him to more

-- so, in order to get to Rome as God intended, Paul appealed to Caesar – and he used the Romans and their justice system as the means by which he would get to Rome

-- and that is why it is so momentous that Paul appealed to Caesar, even though Festus was trying to release him

 

-- a few days after this trial, Festus was visited by King Agrippa and his wife Bernice – King Agrippa was the great-grandson of Herod the Great – that means that Agrippa was ethnically Jewish and understood Jewish laws, customs, and religious debates – although, there is no evidence that he was a practicing Jew

-- and I want to pause here for a second to talk about an issue that has been in the news this week – the singer Macklemore was scheduled to be the opening act on Ed Sheeran’s new tour – during the first leg of that concert, Macklemore shouted, “Free Palestine,” and called the war in Gaza a genocide

-- immediately, people accused him of antisemitism, and he was dropped from the tour – and Ed Sheeran has tried to walk a tightrope all week to keep himself out of trouble politically and socially

-- and just like with Macklemore, throughout this whole conflict in Gaza, a lot of the people who spoke out against Israel or condemned their actions there have been accused of being antisemites

-- but here’s what I want you to know – antisemitism is hatred toward the Jewish people – it is the persecution and discrimination against people simply because they are Jewish – and this can take the form of verbal attacks or physical attacks – this is the simple definition from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance

-- but pay attention to what it says – it is hatred towards the Jewish people – the people – the people who are ethnically Jewish – that is not the same as the Government

-- to speak out against the actions of the Israeli Government without hatred directed towards the Jewish people is not antisemitism – the government can be critiqued, judged, applauded, or spoken against – that is not antisemitism

-- and so, what Macklemore shouted on stage was his opposition to the actions of the Israeli government – that was not antisemitism

-- so, don’t confuse the two – hatred towards Jews – persecution of Jews – verbal denigration and physical harm to Jews – that is wrong, wrong, wrong – those are antisemitic actions

-- but speaking out against Government policies, even by the nation of Israel, is not antisemitism

-- sorry for the derail here, but noting that Agrippa was ethnically Jewish made me think about the controversy of this week

-- let’s get back on track

 

-- when King Agrippa and Bernice come to visit Festus, he had Paul brought before them so they could hear Paul’s story themselves

-- knowing that Agrippa was ethnically a Jew and familiar with the Jewish traditions and cultures, Paul begins by sharing about his background as a Pharisee and persecutor of Christians

-- let’s look now at Acts 26:12, and pick up Paul’s story as he shares about his experience on the road to Damascus

 

Acts 26:12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

 

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

 

           

            -- Paul begins by talking about the reason why he was on the road to Damascus – and this is not only a reminder of who Paul was before he came to Christ, but also evidence of his Christian faith

-- the man who stood now before Festus and Agrippa was not the same man who started on that journey to Damascus -- his life had been irrevocably changed -- his passions had been redirected -- and his life was now eclipsed by the shining light of Christ that met him at that place

            -- Paul had an experience with the living Christ that changed his life forever -- Jesus told Paul that He was going to use Paul to open the eyes of those living in darkness -- to help them see the light of Christ -- the truth of the gospel -- and to help them turn from the power of Satan -- from being held in bondage to sin -- to living with God

            -- the word "gospel" means "good news" -- and here we see the good news of Christ clearly spelled out -- this is the reason why we are here this morning -- our gathering on Sunday mornings in worship is a proclamation of our belief in the mystery of faith: Christ has died -- Christ is risen -- Christ will come again

            -- this is what we believe -- this is what Paul is saying here to Festus and Agrippa -- Jesus came and died in our place to free us from the bondage of sin -- He rose on the third day to free us from the chains of death -- and He will return in glory to bring us to heaven

 

            -- verse 19-23

 

Acts 26:19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

 

            -- I want you to see something right here -- in verse 19 Paul says he was "not disobedient" to the vision he received from heaven

-- that means that Paul had a choice on that road to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him -- he could either be obedient by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior and going out to witness to others – or he could be disobedient and turn his back on Jesus

            -- when Jesus appeared to Paul on the road that day, Paul was probably the least likely of all those alive to believe and to accept Jesus -- he not only didn't believe Jesus was the Savior, but he was actively killing those who were Christians -- yet, he says that he made his choice there on that road and he accepted Christ and he never looked back -- and, even now, about 20 years later, Paul could stand before Festus and Agrippa and tell them the very moment he made that decision -- the instant his life changed forever

            -- our lives are determined by the choices we make -- who we are today is the result of choices we have made in the past -- and who we are going to be in the future is based on the choices we make from this point on

            -- salvation is a choice and that choice has to be made by you and you alone -- Paul chose to say yes to Jesus on the road to Damascus -- and we have to choose to receive the gift of salvation and choose to walk in obedience to Christ -- every day when we wake up, we have to make a decision to follow Jesus -- in salvation and in obedience to His word

 

            -- verse 24-28

 

Acts 26:24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

 

25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

 

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

 

 

            -- in Paul’s testimony to Festus and Agrippa, we are introduced to the four types of people in the world

 

-- first, there are the Sauls – the people who are like who Paul was when he set out on the road to Damascus -- these are the ones who hate Jesus and want nothing to do with Him or His followers -- who actively persecute Him and are opposed to the church and to His word

-- in reality, there aren't many people in our country who are like this -- I've met a few -- I've talked with a man who was actively trying to get the Bible banned in America -- he wanted to see all the Bibles burned -- and, of course, there are a few atheists who are militant and who not only don't believe in God but are opposed to those who do -- but, these are few and far between here in America

-- in other countries, these people are more prevalent, especially in countries hostile to Christianity, like the Muslim countries

 

-- second, there are the Pauls as he was after his experience on the Damascus Road -- these are the ones who have experienced the risen Christ and who have made a choice to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior and be obedient to His word – these are the ones who have been changed through the power of grace

-- looking around this room, this is us -- this is the church of Christ -- the true believers who know Jesus -- who have a relationship with Jesus -- and who are trying to live for Him in this world today

-- true, many of us need to mature -- we need to grow stronger and deeper in our faith -- but our faith is real none-the-less – we are similar to Paul because we are Christians, saved by grace and believing in faith in Jesus

 

            -- third, there are those like Festus -- these are the people who don't believe in God or anything spiritual -- these are the ones like Jesse Ventura, the former Governor of Minnesota, who made fun of Christians and said they were weak and idiotic because they believed in God -- they think we're out of our mind for believing in a supreme being

            -- they're not actively persecuting Christians -- they're not attacking us -- they just don't believe and don't understand those who do believe – they think we’re insane, just like Festus thought of Paul

 

            -- finally, there are the Agrippas -- the ones who have some sort of spiritual belief – who are cultural Christians – who may have grown up in church or attended with their parents or grandparents – those people who say they believe in God or some supreme power -- but who don't really accept Jesus as their Savior – they just believe in a concept of God and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus

            -- they're not necessarily opposed to Christians -- they're not necessarily opposed to Jesus -- in fact, most of them will tell you they like Jesus – but they like the idea of Jesus as the friend of sinners and not the Jesus who calls them to do better

            -- people like Agrippa remind me of that old Doobie Brothers' song, "Jesus is Just Alright with Me" -- they sing about Jesus being their friend and being "just alright" with them, but being "just alright" is not the same thing as being completely alright

            -- people like Agrippa and the Doobie Brothers have never come to the point in their lives where they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- where they have made a choice to follow Jesus

            -- King Agrippa gave us a good description of what to call these type of people in verse 28 -- these are the "almost" Christians – these are the “almost people”

            -- Agrippa says here that he was "almost persuaded" -- almost convinced -- by what Paul said -- he almost believed, but he wasn't there yet

 

III.  Almost Persuaded

 

-- Let's talk for a moment about that word, "Almost" -- what does "Almost" mean?

      -- the word "almost" means not quite there -- it means just slightly missing the mark

      -- we often use the word "almost" in sports and in games and in school -- we say things like "I almost won" -- "we almost beat them today" -- "I almost passed the third grade"

      -- it means close, but not quite there – Ohio State almost beat Texas this year, but that just means they lost

 

      -- but you know, no matter what we're talking about, "almost" doesn't cut it -- it means you failed, and you're just trying to make yourself sound better

      -- do you remember what you used to say as a kid when you were playing a game and someone said they "almost" beat you or they got close to beating you? -- "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades" -- in other words, "almost' doesn't cut it

      -- and, if you think about it, the reason why "almost" doesn't cut it is because there's really no such thing as an "almost" anything, even though we say it all the time

      -- actually, you either you are or you're not -- either you won or you didn't

      -- you can't be "almost" pregnant -- either you are pregnant or you're not

      -- you can't be "almost" married -- either you are married or you're not

      -- think about it like this -- a cloud is 100% water -- a watermelon is 92% water -- you could say that a watermelon is almost a cloud -- it only missed by 8% -- but that doesn’t change the fact that a watermelon is not and never will be a cloud – even if it has almost the same amount of water that a cloud does

 

            -- so, what does it really mean when Agrippa says here that he was "almost" persuaded -- that he was "almost" a Christian?

            -- we've got to remember that the context of this passage isn't about grades or sports or games -- it is about the state of a man's soul

-- to be almost a Christian is to be totally lost -- to be almost a Christian is to be on your way to Hell -- as Adrian Rogers says, "you're either a saint or an ain't -- there's no other choice"

-- and, as Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Almost persuaded to be a Christian is like the man who was almost pardoned, but he was hanged -- like the man who was almost rescued, but he was burned in the house -- A man that is almost saved is damned.”

 

            -- an almost Christian is someone that is not saved -- someone who has never made the choice to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior

-- they can look like a Christian -- they can talk like a Christian -- they can come to church every Sunday and know the words to every hymn -- they can be a good old boy or a good old girl -- but if they have not received forgiveness for their sins from Jesus, they’re not almost a Christian -- they are totally lost

 

            -- John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist denomination, once admitted in a sermon that he had spent the early part of his life as an "almost Christian " -- he said that he had the appearance of Godliness -- he followed all the rules -- he went to church -- he read the Bible -- he prayed -- he took communion -- he ministered to the poor and to chose in prison -- he gave to the church financially

-- but he had never actually received Jesus as his Lord and Savior -- he had never actually asked Jesus to save him and forgive his sins -- he had never trusted in faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross or in the power of the resurrection over sin and death

            -- he looked holy on the outside, but he was not truly saved -- he was "almost" a Christian, just like King Agrippa

 

            -- Jesus continually warned about the dangers of being an "almost Christian" -- in Matthew 13, Jesus shared the parable of the wheat and the tares -- Tares were one of the curses a farmer had to struggle against -- they were a weed called "darnel" -- they were poisonous, and if you ate them it would cause dizziness and sickness -- so you didn't want them in the field with your wheat

-- but the problem was, when they were young, they looked just like wheat -- it was impossible to tell one from the other -- and by the time that you could tell the true wheat from the imposter, their roots had become intertwined and you couldn't pull up the tares without hurting the wheat -- so the owner of the field told the servants not to pull up the weeds but to leave them until the harvest at the end when they could be separated from the true wheat and burned

-- When His disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable, He told them that the wheat was the Christians and the tares represented those who did not accept Him -- the "almost Christians"

 

IV.  Altogether Christians

            -- so, what's the alternative to being an "almost Christian?" -- it is to be an "altogether" Christian

            -- an "altogether" Christian is someone who has stood on the Damascus Road like Paul -- faced with a choice on whether to believe in Jesus or not -- and who has said "Yes" to Jesus --when this happens, an "almost" Christian is transformed into an "altogether" Christian

 

            -- an "altogether" Christian is someone who believes in and has experienced the transforming power of Jesus -- they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and just like it says in verse 18, their sins have been forgiven and they will live with Jesus in Heaven forever

 

      -- an "altogether" Christian is characterized by three things: Faith, Hope, Love

            -- Faith in Christ -- trusting that they will go to Heaven simply because Jesus died for them

            -- Hope in Eternal Life -- hope in the resurrection because of the empty tomb on Easter morning

            -- Love -- love for God and Neighbor as they become examples of the transforming power of Christ in their lives

 

            -- what does it take to be an "altogether Christian?" -- simply saying "Yes" to Jesus' offer of forgiveness and life

            -- as it says in Romans 10:9-10 -- If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

            -- Agrippa didn’t do that – and Agrippa went to his death an “almost” Christian – totally lost

 

V.  Closing

-- let’s bring this to a close -- many years ago, a man named Walter took his friend Arthur to see some land in the middle of nowhere -- this was open ranch country where cattle were idly grazing.

-- Walter explained to Arthur that he had a dream for developing this area -- He told his friend that in time the area would be surrounded by restaurants and hotels and convention centers

-- but he told Arthur, his plan would take all of the money he had, and he needed others to come alongside him and donate their money to help develop the surrounding area and make his dream come alive -- He wanted his friend to have the first opportunity to buy into this project.

-- Arthur was almost persuaded to give Walter some money -- But he thought to himself, "Who in the world is going to drive twenty-five miles into the middle of nowhere for this crazy project?" -- He told Walter that he would think about it and make a decision later.

-- "Later will be too late," Walter cautioned Arthur. -- "You'd better move on it right now."

-- And so, Art Linkletter turned down the opportunity to buy up all the land that surrounded what was to become Disneyland. -- His friend Walt Disney tried to talk him into it. -- Art was almost persuaded, but in the end chose not to say "Yes"

 

-- Life's like that -- King Agrippa had the opportunity to accept Christ and become a Christian -- He was almost persuaded by Paul that day -- but he turned it down

-- Judas had one of the greatest opportunities in all history to become a follower of Jesus -- but instead, he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver

-- The two thieves who were crucified with Jesus also had the opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life -- one accepted – but the other didn't.

 

            -- Life offers all of us many opportunities -- We all have the opportunity to become followers of Jesus and to be a part of what God is doing in the world today -- we all have the opportunity to become an "altogether Christian" and to lead others to make that same choice in their lives

            -- we can't forget why we are here -- we can't forget why Paul was standing before Agrippa and Festus

            -- we are not here to just enjoy the fruits of Christianity and the graces of God -- we are here to pass on His message of life and love to others -- to share with them the opportunity to become altogether Christians -- to persuade them to make the choice Agrippa would not make

 

            -- so, as we close, let us pray for all of those who are “almost Christians” -- let us pray that they would be open to Christ and to His offer of salvation and forgiveness -- let us pray that they would make the choice to become altogether Christians

            -- and let's pray that God would lead us to make the choices in our lives that will influence others for His kingdom

            -- let us pray

 

A Watchman Calls

 I read this section from Ezekiel this morning in my daily readings. It is the call of Ezekiel to be a watchman to warn the nation of Israel to turn from their ways so that they might be saved:

 

Ezekiel 33:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’

 

7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

 

10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of[b] them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

 

Given everything that is going on in our world today, from wars and rumors of war, unprecedented heat waves, flooding, and natural disasters, plagues and diseases previously eradicated becoming common, the threat of human extinction from rogue AI, and the political, social, and economic turmoil, I can't help but believe that God is calling out to us to turn and repent from our sins and return to Him.

 

So, echoing the call of God to Ezekiel, let me encourage all of you to open your eyes -- to see with eyes of faith -- the hand of God moving in this world and calling us back to Him.

 

Let us turn back to Him, while we still can. Let us lay aside all the sins and everything that is hindering our walk with Christ and let us return to Him in true faith and belief.

 

There is still time, but I fear it is fleeting. Today is the Day of the Lord. Today is the Day of Salvation. Today is the day you need to return to Him.

 

SERMON: THE GOSPEL ON TRIAL (Acts 22:30-24:27)

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 22:30-23:11

 

Acts 22:30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

 

Acts 23:1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

 

4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

 

5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’[a]”

 

6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

 

9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

 

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

 

            -- since the officially sanctioned church in China is nothing more than a political arm of the Chinese Government and pastors are restricted in what they can preach from the Bible, the true church in China exists in hidden, small communities of faith that are known as part of the underground church

            -- these underground churches consist of only a handful of members in each community – they don’t travel together – they meet in homes and basements and hidden locations – they meet behind locked doors – and they change their meeting times and days to keep the Chinese government from noticing them

            -- I read about the time that one of these underground churches was having a worship service – they were huddled in a small, closed room – the door was locked – and the believers quietly praised God so that their neighbors would not hear

            -- when suddenly, there was a booming sound at the door and it was kicked open – armed Chinese soldiers filled the room – and the people huddled together in fear – the leader of the soldiers announced, “Anyone in here who is not a Christian or who is willing to recant their faith may leave” – at that pronouncement, several of the people there jumped up and rushed out into the night air

            -- after they had left, the remaining members looked at one another in the knowledge that their lives were about to end or that they were facing imprisonment and torture – the leader of the soldiers walked to the open door, closed it, and locked it behind him

            -- he turned around and faced the group and said, “Now that we have gotten rid of all the unbelievers, let the true church worship God together,” – and he fell to his knees and lifted the group up in prayer

 

            -- what do we do when our faith is under trial? – what do we do when we are faced with persecution or legal action because of our belief in Jesus?

            -- these questions are everyday occurrences in the lives of so many of our brothers and sisters scattered across the world – for they face the threat of persecution, imprisonment, torture, and even death on a daily basis – they live in the knowledge that their faith may put them on trial at any moment – but still they persist in their steadfast belief in Jesus as their Lord and Savior

 

            -- this is exactly the situation in the passage that we are looking at this morning from the Book of Acts, as we are continuing in our sermon series through this book

            -- as we looked at last week, the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul have ended, and Paul has come to Jerusalem at the prompting of the Holy Spirit to deliver an offering to the saints and to share the good news of the Gentiles who had turned from paganism to true faith in Jesus through Paul’s sharing of the gospel over the last twenty years

            -- but here in the sunset of Paul’s ministry, life was not a bed of roses – or maybe it was – because the thorns were still there, and we’re going to see Paul get pricked by thorns in this passage – as the persecutions – the trials and the tribulations that he experienced on the mission field – have followed him into Jerusalem and into the temple of God

            -- our passage this morning spans from Acts 22:30 to the end of Chapter 24 – and addresses Paul’s arrest by the Romans and his trials before the Sanhedrin and Governor Felix

            -- and if you back out of this passage and look from it as a whole, you will see it reflects the same pattern that Paul experienced throughout his missionary journeys – first, the gospel was preached to the Jews, who then rebelled against the word and against the messenger – and then, the gospel was preached to the Gentiles – as we look at this passage, you will see the same exact scenario play out, just on a larger scale

            -- so, with that long introduction, let us turn back to Acts 22:30 and let’s see what we can learn from God’s word about sharing the gospel, the threats and the dangers that come against those who do, and how we should respond in the face of hostility or unkind audiences

–but, before we do so, let me remind you also that even in the face of trials and tribulations – even in the midst of dangers and persecutions – God is still with us, as He was with Paul

– no matter what you are going through – no matter what our country or this world is going through -- God is still on His throne – He is still in charge – and if He allowed these things to happen to us, then it is for His glory and good will ultimately come from it – if not in this life, then in the next  

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (Acts 22:30-24:27)

            -- look back now at Acts 22:30 and let’s read the first part of that verse

 

Acts 22:30a The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.

 

            -- stop there – this sentence captures the heart of this entire passage – the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews

– in other words, God is about to use Paul to share the gospel to both the Romans and the Jews, for that is the reason Paul was on trial – and this time, God is going to have Paul speak to the leaders of both nations – the Jewish Sanhedrin and the governors, kings, and the very emperor of the nation of Rome

-- this verse reminds us of what is important – like we mentioned last week, we can get hung up on things that are not important at all – we can spend our time arguing over nonessential items and miss the big picture of sharing the truth of Jesus with a world longing for truth and life and light

-- for instance, the story is told about the time Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, threatened Rome with his army and how the leaders of the church at that time -- rather than providing wise counsel or advice to Rome -- chose instead to gather in conference to argue about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin

-- and while this story is probably not historically accurate or true, it does paint the picture that we are talking about here – too often we spend time arguing over nonessential things like angels dancing on the head of a pin while Rome burns down around us

-- we need to stop getting upset over the little things – even the little injustices or personal violations that we face – and instead focus on the big picture – which is sharing the truth of God’s word with all those around us – just as Paul is being given an opportunity to do in this passage

 

-- verse 30

 

Acts 22:30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

 

Acts 23:1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

 

4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

 

5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”

 

 

-- at the request of the Roman commander, Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin – the Jewish ruling council that oversaw all aspects of Jewish life – religious, political, social, cultural

-- the commander wanted to find out why Paul was being beaten by the Jews the day before – as Paul is brought before them, he looks around at this group of Jewish leaders and proclaims that he has fulfilled his duty to God in all good conscience – in other words, Paul is saying that he has been a true and faithful Jew and followed the law, just as we talked about last week

-- this was the crux of the issue that caused the Jews to rush Paul out of the temple in the first place and to begin beating him – they believed that Paul was living contrary to God’s word and was teaching others to do the same – so, Paul’s proclamation here was a direct refutation of the charges against him – and it infuriated the high priest and the members of the Sanhedrin

-- the high priest ordered him struck and then Paul rebuked him for doing so – when we share the gospel with others – when we try to live for Christ as the Bible directs – we are going to get struck by this world

-- as Jesus told His followers, the world was going to hate them because of Him – in John 15:18-19, He said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

-- the world is always going to lash out and strike true followers of Christ – the same way the Jews struck Paul in this passage

 

-- when Paul was told that he had insulted the high priest, he said he did not realize that he was the high priest – and that can mean several different things – first, it could simply mean that Paul didn’t physically recognize him – most scholars agree that Paul had poor eyesight – it could be that he didn’t see the high priest’s face clear enough to know who he was

-- or it could mean that Paul didn’t recognize the high priest from a spiritual standpoint – that the high priest was not acting like a man of God when he had Paul struck or when he had Jesus put on trial or when he used politics and political scheming to gain personal power

-- it could also be a jab back at the Jews because they were still clinging to the law and man’s appointed high priests instead of Jesus – who the Bible says in Hebrews is our High Priest who made sacrifice for us once and for all – never to be repeated again

 

-- verse 6-10

 

Acts 23:6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

 

9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

 

 

-- Paul was a brilliant man and his skills in debate had been honed to a sharp edge over twenty years of presenting the gospel to hostile groups across Europe and Asia – and knowing that the Pharisees and Sadducees were already at odds – and knowing that his position on the resurrection was not that different from what the Pharisees taught – he used that as a wedge to divide the Jewish council and make the case that the whole controversy revolved around whether the resurrection of Jesus was true or not

-- the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, so they could not accept Jesus risen from the dead – the Pharisees believed in a future resurrection, so they could accept Jesus’ resurrection as believable, even if they had not reached the point of accepting Him as their Messiah yet

-- so, Paul was able to move the Pharisees closer to the truth, while scoring points in his legal favor – when Paul shouted that the whole issue was about the resurrection, the Sanhedrin erupted in chaos – arguments and physical fights broke out – and several attacked Paul

-- the Roman Commander was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by the crowd, so he had his troops go into the midst of the fight and pull Paul out and take him back to the barracks, where Paul was imprisoned

 

-- verse 11

 

Acts 23:11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

 

-- Paul was no stranger to prison – we have seen him thrown into jail multiple times in the Book of Acts, and this is not different – but Paul must have been questioning the situation in his mind – to what end was this imprisonment? – was this the end of his ministry?

-- but the Lord Himself came and stood near Paul in the middle of the night and spoke to Paul’s wavering heart – “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome”

-- God was with Paul even in the midst of this trial – and God had allowed this to happen, so that Paul might be sent to Rome, where he would testify to the leaders of Rome about Jesus and the good news of salvation and eternal life through Him

-- for Paul, this act of grace from Jesus was like a drop of water on a parched land – Paul’s desire had been to go to Rome – to the heart of the empire – to the very seat of power on earth in his day – to carry the gospel

-- in Acts 19:21, Paul wrote, “I must visit Rome also” – and in Romans 1:15, he wrote to the church in Rome that he was eager to preach the gospel to those who were in Rome

-- Paul’s plan to reach Rome to preach the gospel certainly didn’t include prison, but God is using this situation and turning it to the best – fulfilling both Paul’s desire to go to Rome and bringing glory to God’s name, at the same time

 

-- following the disturbance in the Sanhedrin, a group of zealous Jews – probably either belonging to the sect of the Sadducees or the Zealots – came to the chief priests and elders and told them they had taken a vow to kill Paul

-- they concocted a scheme to have Paul taken from the Roman prison back to the Sanhedrin, and they planned on killing him while he was enroute – Paul’s nephew heard about this and told Paul – who, in turn, sent the boy to the Roman commander

-- when the commander heard about this, he decided to send Paul out of Jerusalem – not only for Paul’s safety – but also for pragmatic reasons – first, he didn’t want the death of a Roman citizen on his record, because that wouldn’t go well for him – second, he could curry favor with the Roman governor and promote himself as a loyal Roman citizen and superior commander, at the same time – and third, he could stop the riots within his own jurisdiction

 

-- so, the commander wrote a letter about Paul and the issue to Governor Felix and sent Paul by night with a strong Roman escort, almost 500 people – seventy horsemen, two hundred soldiers, and two hundred spearmen – to Governor Felix’s palace in Caesarea

-- they stopped for the night in Antipatris, which was a town located about 30-40 miles northwest of Jerusalem near the Mediterranean Sea – and then the horsemen carried Paul on to Caesarea

-- skip down to verse 31-35

 

Acts 23:31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. 33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

 

 

-- when Paul arrived in Caesarea, the Roman soldiers passed on the letter of introduction from Commander Lysias to Governor Felix – Felix was the governor for the region of Judea from 52 to 60 AD, so this gives us an idea of when Paul was brought before him

-- Felix asked Paul what region of Rome he was from – and when he heard Paul was from Cilicia, he agreed to hear his case – Felix was not the governor over Cilicia, but Felix had the authority to handle cases involving Roman citizens within the regional sphere of jurisdiction that included Cilicia and Syria -- so, Felix chose to hear the case himself rather than transferring Paul to a different regional ruler

-- he had Paul transferred to Herod’s palace to await trial -- Herod's palace was originally built for Herod the Great, but was now used as the home and office for the Governor of Judea – Governor’s homes and offices were called praetoriums, so you may see this in some translations of the Bible

-- there were several praetoriums scattered throughout the Roman Empire for the various regional governors, with praetoriums in Rome, Ephesus, Jerusalem, Caesarea, and other places

-- so, Paul was held there until his case could be heard, which would occur as soon as his Jewish accusers came to Caesarea

 

-- Governor Felix was not a Jew, but his wife Drusilla was – and Felix was familiar with the Christian faith – which Paul and the early Christians called, “the Way” – they took this name from Jesus’ proclamation that He was the Way and the Truth and the Life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him

-- so, when the Jews showed up in Caesarea with their lawyer Tertullus and begin to make their case before Felix, he already has a foundational understanding of the situation – he was not a Christian – but he knew enough about the faith and the differences between Judaism and the Way to grasp what was going on

-- the Jews presented their case and then Paul gave his statement about the incident – pointing out that he had done nothing wrong and that there was no legal grounds for him to be in chains – the true issue was spiritual and revolved around the truth of the resurrection of Christ, which Paul proclaimed as the gospel and which the high priest and the elders steadfastly opposed

 

-- skip over to Acts 24:22-23

 

Acts 24:22 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.” 23 He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.

 

-- after hearing both sides, Felix didn’t make a decision one way or the other – and as we go forth to share the gospel and live our lives for Christ in the world, we need to be aware that this is going to be the same response from so many we speak to

-- people are going to ride the fence – they are not going to make a decision one way or the other – but are going to try to keep one foot in the world and one foot in heaven

-- that’s why polls show confusing statistical trends among Americans – for instance, about 70% of Americans believe there is a literal heaven – and about 60% believe they will go to heaven when they die

-- but at the same time, only about 20% of Americans attend worship services weekly – and almost 60% have never attended a worship service

-- so, we say we believe in heaven and we think we are going to go, but we don’t go to church and are not Christians in any real sense of the word

-- by and large, we just won’t commit to the truth – we are indecisive – fence-sitters – just like Felix – we won’t make a decision for or against Jesus

 

-- Felix apparently did get the idea that Paul was innocent of any real charges, though – because he had him moved from a prison cell to a home where he would be under guard, but with some freedoms – he also allowed Paul’s friends to take care of his needs – although that wasn’t simply an act of grace on Felix’s part – it was also pragmatic, since Paul’s friends would be responsible for providing Paul’s food, clothes, and any necessities – it was a common way for the Roman government to keep people as prisoners without having to provide them with anything to keep them alive

 

-- verse 24-27

 

Acts 24:24 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” 26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.

 

27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

 

-- Felix routinely would have Paul come before him and Drusilla and speak to them about his faith in Christ Jesus and the beliefs that led to him being arrested – Paul spoke truth to power – sharing with Felix and his wife the truth about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come

-- the Spirit was working on Felix’s heart – and he was convicted and became afraid – but, once again, he wouldn’t take that step of faith that would lead to freedom and salvation and eternal life in Christ

-- when Paul’s words became too much – too real – too convicting for him – he would send Paul away until a later time – we also read that he was hoping that Paul would bribe him to get out of jail – but Paul wasn’t going to do that, because he was fulfilling the promise that God had given to him – that he would preach the gospel to the Gentile leaders, even in Rome

-- after two years passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus – this would have been in 60 AD – but even as Felix left office as Governor, he refused to release Paul because he wanted to grant a favor to the Jews – this was simply Felix’s way of keeping the peace, because he knew the Jews would react harshly if he turned Paul loose

 

-- so, we come to the end of today’s passage with Paul in jail because of the gospel and his belief in the resurrection – and we will pick up the story of the gospel on trial next week as we move on in the final chapters of the Book of Acts

 

III.  Closing

            -- what can we learn from this story of Paul that we can apply to our lives today?

 

            -- first, Paul’s story reminds us of the calling that all of us share – we began this study in the Book of Acts focusing on Christ’s command in Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”

            -- just like Paul, we are called to share the good news of the gospel with all we come into contact with – as Christians, we can do no less

            -- evangelism – the sharing of the gospel with others – has been described as one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread – with that Bread being the Bread of Heaven

            -- everyday, you tell a story about the gospel to others – sometimes, you do so in words – but most often, you do so with your life – how you live – what you say – what you spend your money on – where you spend your time – how you treat those around you – these are all part of the gospel message you are sharing – and we need to be mindful of who we are and who we are called to be in Christ

 

            -- second, Paul’s story reminds us that the world is generally hostile to the truth of the gospel – the Bible tells us that this world is under the control of the prince of the power of the air – Satan himself – and Satan uses his authority in this world to spread evil and to confront the truth of God’s word and God’s people where he can

            -- if you are living for Christ, you will always find yourself in conflict with someone or something – the world and Satan hates Jesus and the people of Jesus, and so they will always be opposed to Him and His word and His people

            -- sometimes this takes the form of ridicule and mockery – sometimes it takes the form of legal action – sometimes it takes the form of persecution and imprisonment or even death

            -- but be aware it is a reality of being a follower of Jesus – as Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:12, “do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” – persecution and opposition are not strange, but normal for the people of God

 

            -- third, Paul’s story reminds us that God redeems our trials and tribulations and uses them for His glory – Paul did not intend on getting arrested when he went to Jerusalem, but it happened – and God allowed it to happen and used it to get Paul before kings and queens and Gentile rulers, eventually Nero himself

            -- no matter what trial or tribulation you face, know that God has not abandoned you – God is with you and God will take care of you – and He will use your trials to bring glory to His name

 

            -- Christ calls us to carry His message to the world, regardless of the cost – and He promises to be with us – to never leave us or forsake us – but to empower us through His Spirit to be who He has called us to be and to do what He has called us to do

            -- so, take heart in the name of Christ – stand firm in the faith – and carry His message of life and hope to this world – for that is our calling

            -- let us pray