Acts 26:1-32

Good morning, church. It's good to be with you on this Lord's Day, away from the doldrums of work and regular life to come together to sing and proclaim the glories of the Lord and the truths of the Lord.

What an encouragement it is to be with you. Today, our text for this morning is Acts 26. So as you get there, you will see that this chapter is right in the middle of an ongoing story.

To better understand what's happening with the three main characters, speaking characters in chapter 26, they are Paul, the apostle of Jesus, Festus, a Roman governor, and Agrippa, a Rome-appointed king.

We'll back up to Acts 21 and do a quick flyover up to Acts 26.

So, you can flip through and follow along if you'd like to.

So, in chapter 21, Paul goes to Jerusalem, meets with the church elders there, and tells them about the great work that the Lord is doing among the Gentiles.

After about a week of this, of Paul being in Jerusalem, some influential Jews stir up a crowd against Paul based on some assumptions of his actions that actually were not true.

So, this crowd that they stir up brutally beat Paul to the point where he has to be carried away by the soldiers back to the barracks.

And then on the doorsteps of the barracks, Paul turns back and he asks to address the crowd that has just beat him.

That address starts in chapter 22.

Paul tells them about his former life and about how God dramatically transformed his life by the righteous one, that is, Jesus.

He started to share about his commission to the Gentiles.

But the crowd erupted again at that idea and the soldiers take him back into the barracks.

And the tribune, whose name was Claudius Lysias, who was in charge of the soldiers, continues his assessment of the situation.

His assessment and plan drastically change when he learns of Paul's Roman citizenship at the end of chapter 22.

That piece of status that Paul possessed made a lot of what had been done illegal as well as what the tribune was planning.

Either way, the tribune wanted to further understand why this ruckus happened in the first place.

So, he takes Paul to before the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin.

And that's, we get to chapter 23.

So, after being unjustly struck by the servant of the high priest of the Sanhedrin, Paul tactfully makes the issue before the council about the broader concept of resurrection.

This causes a big disagreement between the two parties of the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

And that disagreement gets chaotic enough that the soldiers pull Paul out of there altogether.

And so, right after that chaotic scene, we get Acts 23, verse 11.

Acts 23:11

The following night, the Lord stood by him, Paul, and said,

Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.

After this command and inherent promise, Luke tells us about a group of 40 Jews that plan to assassinate Paul.

Thankfully, the Lord ordained for Paul's nephew to hear about the plot and notify Lysias.

Lysias regarded the threat as credible and then dispatched about half, or likely half, of the Roman soldiers in all of Jerusalem to ensure Paul's safety.

Lysias sends Paul to Felix, who is the governor at the time and the predecessor of Festus that we'll see in chapter 26.

Paul presented his case first before Felix, and they conversed regularly for about two years.

Luke tells us some detail about their conversation in verse 25 of chapter 24.

And as Paul reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said,

Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity, I will summon you.

These certainly would be alarming topics for anyone to discuss if they were not secure in Jesus Christ.

Felix did not hand Paul over to the Jews, but he did keep him in prison for two years in Caesarea.

Felix was then succeeded in the governorship by one of our characters today, Portius Festus, or just Festus.

This brings us to chapter 25, getting the final pieces in place for our events in chapter 26.

So there's this new governor, Festus, and the Jews petition him to bring Paul back to Jerusalem from Caesarea

so that they could kill him on the way, as was their original plot.

Festus agrees to renew the trial, but the Jews would have to come with him to Caesarea.

He would not send Paul back to Jerusalem.

The Jews allege and do not prove serious charges.

Then Festus asks Paul if he wants to finish the trial in Jerusalem.

Paul declined and appealed to Caesar for judgment, as was his right as a Roman citizen.

Then we are introduced to our other character, Agrippa.

In chapter 25, Festus is seeking Agrippa's counsel,

admitting that Agrippa has a better understanding of Jewish culture.

Festus lays out the case, and Agrippa says that he wants to hear from Paul directly.

So they set it up.

Everyone comes into this new audience hall to hear what Paul has to say.

Chapter 25 ends with Festus giving an opening summary,

essentially saying that he wants to know what to write as he sends Paul along to Caesar.

So that's our quick flyover.

So with all that context, we will finally have our characters, Agrippa, Festus, and Paul, all together.

And that brings us to today's text in chapter 26.

Before we start into chapter 26, please join me in a word of prayer.

Dear Lord, thank you for this recorded testimony of your faithful followers,

that we can see the testimony of Paul and his faithfulness,

that we can be encouraged to go and do likewise,

that we would be bold in the face of trials of various kinds,

whether that's legal, like as Paul is going through here,

that's familial or personal.

But Father, whatever it may be,

may those trials help us to spread your gospel, your truth for your glory.

Please bless this time.

And it's in your Son, Jesus' name that I pray.

Amen.

So our first section, verse 1 through 11,

we're going to be looking at Paul's ancient hope and deadly ambition.

But first, we're going to start with verse 1 through 3 with his initial address.

So Agrippa said to Paul,

You have permission to speak for yourself.

Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense.

I consider myself fortunate, that is before you, King Agrippa,

that I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews,

especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews.

Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

So first, Agrippa opens the floor and gives Paul formally the floor to make his defense.

Then Paul addressed Agrippa before beginning some of his own personal history in the subsequent verses.

Paul's tactful word selection about Agrippa is well worth noting.

Agrippa was known to be a sly politician, as the Jews were his to politically oversee.

He would know the culture and current events very well.

Paul is not affirming in any way a genuine faithfulness within Agrippa,

but Paul is grateful that the Lord has put him before a man familiar with the situation and the Jewish culture than Festus.

For a little extra context, Agrippa is the great-grandson of Herod the Great.

So he is in that chain.

His full name is Herod Agrippa II.

So we've seen other Herods throughout the gospel,

first that sought to kill Jesus,

and then actually with Herod and Pilate oversaw his trial for his crucifixion.

So this is now a descendant of those Herods.

So next we see Paul's pharisaical foundation starting in verse 4.

My manner of life from my youth spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem is known by all the Jews.

They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify,

that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee.

So Paul describes the pertinent information of his upbringing.

He grew up in the most strict party of Judaism as a Pharisee.

Not only is Paul describing his upbringing in these terms,

he is saying that it is a known fact that the Pharisees are the strictest,

by anyone that would be willing to tell the truth.

In Acts 25, 7, just right before this,

Luke tells us that many false charges were brought against him by the Jews.

Verse 7 says this,

When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him,

bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.

Paul's implication here in verse 5,

that these Jews may not be the most honest and truth-telling,

certainly has some support.

So Paul tells Agrippa that he was taught about something beautiful within that strict upbringing,

the hope of resurrection.

Let's continue in verse 6.

This is not the only time in Acts that Paul references this promise made to the Jewish people.

This is not the only time in Acts that Paul references this promise made to the Jewish fathers.

In Acts 13, 32 through 35,

Paul says to those in the synagogue of Pisidia,

And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,

this he has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus.

As also it is written in the second psalm,

You are my son, today I have begotten you.

And as for the fact that he has raised him from the dead,

no more to return to corruption,

he has spoken in this way,

I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.

Therefore, he says also in another psalm,

You will not let your holy ones see corruption.

So in rapid succession,

Paul quotes Psalm 2, 7,

Isaiah 55, 3,

and Psalm 16, 10

to support his claim to the Jews of Pisidia.

Paul's claim to Agrippa is that this hope of the resurrection

is a central point of the Jewish faith.

It is what all 12 tribes hope to attain,

worshiping earnestly night and day.

Paul also makes it the central point of the conflict in the trial.

He says at the end of verse 7 into verse 8,

And for this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king.

Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

The force of this rhetorical question

is why so many faithful Christians argue,

formulate, and defend the existence of God.

If an all-powerful, eternal, all-knowing, perfect creator God exists,

what could possibly prevent him from raising the dead?

The boulder in front of Jesus' tomb was clearly not enough.

There are many philosophical arguments to dispel disbelief in God,

that they are seeking to answer fundamental questions.

The cosmological argument,

how do we get here in the first place?

The fine-tuning argument,

even if all this stuff was here,

how did it get so precisely arranged to allow our lives?

The teleological argument,

what is the purpose of everything?

Where are we going?

The moral argument,

what is the foundation for objective moral values and duties?

And there are more than that.

The argument from contingency,

the ontological argument.

And then there are specific formulations of these arguments,

more than the mere questions that I have just raised.

And then beyond the philosophical,

there is historical, prophetic, and archaeological evidence

that build cases as well.

And then in addition to the individual persuasiveness of any of these arguments,

there is also the cumulative case,

each argument building on top of the other,

further proving the foolishness of our sinful hearts that say there is no God.

Psalm 10.4 says,

In the pride of his face,

the wicked does not seek him.

All his thoughts are,

there is no God.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10, verses 3 through 5,

2 Corinthians 10:3–5

In Romans 1, 19 through 20,

Paul writes,

Christians should know very well how to point to creation

and show these attributes,

God's eternal power and divine nature,

which God has made plain.

Now, it's certainly impossible for all of us

to know every detail of creation

that showcases God's power and nature.

For example,

Katie Dome would most likely be far more equipped

to describe to you

God's wise design for beautiful flowers than I would.

But we all have our focuses

and those things that we can point to

to show and tell others

about God's wise creation and perfect power.

Through Christ,

God has rescued us from our sin and darkness.

Now, God has chosen that the church

would continue to be his vessel

to tell the world that he is real,

they are hopelessly dead in their sin,

and that Christ's life, death, and resurrection

are sufficient to restore them

to new and unending life.

So this hope of resurrection Paul has

was not God's promise

that his people had possessed

for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Paul tells Agrippa

that this ancient hope's true fulfillment

is why the Jews have sought this trial against him.

This brings us, continuing now,

to verse 9,

seeing Paul's deadly ambition.

I myself was convinced

that I ought to do many things

in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth,

and I did so in Jerusalem.

I not only locked up many of the saints in prison

after receiving authority from the chief priests,

but when they were put to death,

I cast my vote against them,

and I punished them often in all the synagogues,

and I tried to make them blaspheme,

and in raging fury against them,

I persecuted them,

even to foreign cities.

Paul will be the first to tell us

that earnestness,

that convincing,

that convinced that he was doing the right thing,

is not the litmus test for truth.

There are plenty of examples in our present day,

and all throughout human history,

of people being zealous for undeserved,

to even horrific causes.

Celebrities, sports teams, politicians,

climate alarmism, false religions,

cults, and abortion

are all reasons

people will get very worked up

to defend their position

and attack the other.

wholly convinced

that their side of the issue

is the correct one.

Now please hear me clearly,

I am not advocating

that the correct position on any topic

is whatever is in the exact middle

of the extremes.

It's always a grievous evil

if a human baby is killed

no matter its stage of development.

Cult leaders that twist scripture

and abuse their followers

in the name of Jesus

need to be stopped,

and the Lord will judge them

and hold them to account.

But here,

in this section of verses 9-11,

Paul does not spit upon his accusers.

He sympathizes with them.

He very clearly says

that he did what they are now doing,

zealously persecuting the church,

chasing them from town to town.

And from this place

of telling his accusers

that he stood where they stood

and did what they are doing,

he tells them

of God's miraculous mercy

towards him.

So that goes into our next section,

Paul's empowered obedience.

We'll go from 12-23,

reading first,

just 12-18,

where we'll see that Paul

was transformed for a purpose.

In this connection,

I journeyed to Damascus

with the authority

and the commission

of the chief priests.

At midday, O King,

I saw on the way

a light from heaven

brighter than the sun

that shone around me

and those who journeyed with me.

And when we had all fallen

to the ground,

I heard a voice saying to me

in the Hebrew language,

Saul, Saul,

why are you persecuting me?

It is hard for you

to kick against the goads.

And I said,

who are you, Lord?

And the Lord said,

I am Jesus,

whom you are persecuting,

but rise and stand up

on your feet,

for I have appeared to you

for this purpose,

to appoint you

as a servant and witness

to the things

in which you have seen me

and to those in which

I will appear to you,

delivering you

from your people

and from the Gentiles

to whom I am sending you

to open their eyes

that they may turn

from darkness to light,

from the power of Satan

to God,

that they may receive

forgiveness of sins

and a place among those

who are sanctified

by faith in me.

You may have noticed

that this account

that Paul gives

of his encounter

with Jesus

on the road to Damascus

is a bit different

than the account

Luke narrates

in Acts 9.

After reading

some different opinions

as to why

I am most persuaded

by the position

that Paul is giving

a truncated account

to King Agrippa

to focus on his mission

to the Gentiles

and the gospel itself.

Paul focusing in

on these two aspects

would have the most relevance

in the case

that Agrippa was hearing

in relation to the charges

that were being brought

against Paul.

Another view

that can be complementary

to that,

to what I just said,

is that Paul here

is recalling specific details

that did occur

in the original events

but they were just not

duplicatively recorded.

So coming back

to verses 12 and 8,

12 through 18,

excuse me,

Paul opens this section

by connecting it

to the previous,

in this connection.

That pharisaical zeal

that he had

in persecuting the church

is what fueled him

to travel to Damascus.

He was doing so

with the authority

and commission

of the chief priests

and he had a distinct purpose

that he firmly held.

He carried this banner

of purpose and zeal

with white knuckles

on his way to Damascus

to root out more followers

of Jesus

that he thought

were blasphemous

and dangerous.

And there,

in the midst of his enmity

toward Jesus Christ,

Jesus meets him.

Jesus asks him

why he was persecuting.

Who are you, Lord?

Paul says in response,

the white knuckles

released.

And then Jesus tells Paul

his divinely appointed purpose.

I'll read again.

This is in verse 16.

And the Lord said,

I am Jesus

whom you are persecuting,

but rise and stand up

on your feet.

For I have appeared

to you for this purpose

to appoint you

as a servant and witness

to the things

in which you have seen me

and to those in which

I will appear to you,

delivering you

from your people

and from the Gentiles

to whom I am sending you

to open their eyes

so that they may turn

from darkness to light,

from the power of Satan

to God,

that they may receive

forgiveness of sins

and a place among those

who are sanctified

by faith in me.

So let's pull out

some specifics

of Paul's purpose

that is being spelled out

to him.

Part one,

get up.

You got to get ready

to go somewhere.

Part two,

Paul will be a servant

of Christ

and a witness

to what Jesus has done

and what Jesus will do.

Part three,

Jesus is sending Paul

to the Gentiles specifically.

And I'll answer it here

kind of a part two and a half.

Jesus tells Paul

that he's going to need

to rescue him

from the Gentiles

who are his specific

mission field.

I think to many of us

that would be a

not super encouraging note

that, hey,

you're going to these people

and I'm going to have to

save you from them

because they're going

to try to kill you.

But that is part

of the testimony

of Jesus

caring for his missionaries,

his disciples.

And then part four,

Paul is going

to the Gentiles

so that they may turn

from darkness and Satan

to light and God

and receive forgiveness

of their sins

and receive a place

and inheritance

among God's people.

This is the radical idea

that by faith in Christ,

the Gentiles will be grafted

into the people of God

and receive an inheritance

with the rest of God's people.

That by faith in Christ,

the promises given

to the faithful in God

can be expanded out

to include the formerly

faithless Gentiles.

Agrippa would have known

that Paul was ministering

with Gentiles.

That was one of the core

accusations against him.

And Paul's focus

in this account

is that his purpose

was directly given him

by the Lord.

It is this divine appointment

that Paul has in mind

as the hinge

to go into verse 19

where he says,

therefore.

So now we'll see him,

Paul being supernaturally

empowered for that purpose.

Let's start in verse 19.

Therefore, O King Agrippa,

I was not disobedient

to the heavenly vision,

but declared first

to those in Damascus,

then in Jerusalem,

and then throughout

all the region of Judea,

and also to the Gentiles

that they should repent

and turn to God,

performing deeds

in keeping with their repentance.

For this reason,

the Jews seized me

in the temple

and tried to kill me.

To this day,

I have had the help

that comes from God.

And so I stand here

testifying both

to small and great,

saying nothing

but what the prophets

and Moses said

would come to pass,

that the Christ

must suffer,

and that by being

the first to rise

from the dead,

he would proclaim light

both to our people

and to the Gentiles.

So Paul says,

he did it.

I was commanded

to go to the Gentiles

and I did it.

It was divinely commanded

to him

and he was obedient

to that.

And he did what

Jesus commanded him to do.

He went to those

in Damascus,

Jerusalem,

Judea,

and the Gentiles

to tell them to repent

and turn to God,

followed by faithful works

that follow true repentance.

And it is because

he was faithful

to this divine injunction

that the Jews

first seized him

and tried to kill him

and have brought him now

through this trial process

spanning over two years.

Verse 22 and 23

are so beautiful.

I'd like to read them again.

To this day,

I have had the help

that comes from God.

And so I stand here

testifying both

to small and to great,

saying nothing

but what the prophets

and Moses said

would come to pass,

that the Christ

must suffer

and that by being

the first to rise

from the dead,

he would proclaim light

both to our people

and to the Gentiles.

So Paul gives

all the credit

to the Lord

for bringing him

to this point

that he could testify

before such a group

of people.

This section ends

with Paul saying

that he is not saying

anything new.

Again,

this is the ancient hope.

It is only the fulfillment

of what Moses

and the prophets said.

And the Christ did suffer,

he did die,

and he did rise

from the dead

to proclaim light

to the whole world.

The uninterrupted

and unchallenged reign

of death

since Adam

came toppling down.

This is the greatest news.

Paul had to say it.

We must feel

not just the same command,

but the same need.

So our last section,

starting in verse 24,

we see Paul's

faithful invitation.

And sadly,

the first response

we see

is an immediate dismissal.

Verse 24,

And as he was saying

these things

in his defense,

Festus said

with a loud voice,

Paul,

you are out of your mind.

Your great learning

is driving you

out of your mind.

So the Roman governor,

Festus,

interrupts Paul

to tell him

and everyone present

that Paul

has gone insane.

He has read

and studied too much

and has broke his brain.

He's lost it.

But Paul does not turn back.

He calmly doubles down

on the claims

that he has made.

Let's look at verse 25.

But Paul said,

I am not out of my mind,

most excellent Festus,

but I am speaking

true and rational words.

This is an excellent example

for us to learn from.

When we share

the truth of Christ,

the gospel,

we will often be

dismissed,

reviled,

and persecuted.

This should be

no surprise.

This is the example

that we see

in the prophets,

Jesus,

and the apostles.

And all of those

instructed us

to expect dismissal,

revilement,

and persecution

and to endure it.

So what we see

here from Paul

is exactly how

Peter instructed

the church

to conduct ourselves

in 1 Peter 3,

14-17.

But even if you should

suffer for righteousness

sake,

you will be blessed.

Have no fear of them,

nor be troubled,

but in your hearts

honor Christ the Lord

as holy,

always being prepared

to make a defense

to anyone who asks you

for a reason

for the hope

that is in you.

Yet do it with

gentleness and respect,

having a good conscience,

so that when you are

slandered,

those who revile

your good behavior

in Christ

may be put to shame.

For it is better

to suffer for doing good

if that should be

God's will

than for doing evil.

When we look at Acts 26,

we can see every aspect

of this instruction

being lived out by Paul.

He is not scared

of his accusers.

He is honoring Christ,

and he is giving

a defense

for his hope

of resurrection

with gentleness

and respect,

even after being called

insane.

Next we see

the direct question.

So Paul

transitions his address

back toward Agrippa

in verse 26.

For the king knows

about these things,

and to him

I speak boldly.

For I am persuaded

that none of these things

has escaped his notice,

for this has not been done

in a quarter.

So he made

the transition

back to Agrippa,

and he asked him

this direct question

in verse 27.

King Agrippa,

do you believe

the prophets?

I know that you believe.

It is worth the time

to make clear

exactly what Paul

is asking Agrippa,

because the interjection

of Festus

could make us lose

some of the precision

of the question.

So back in verse 22

and 23,

Paul says that

the prophets and Moses

said that the Christ

would come,

suffer,

and rise from the dead.

This was the last thing

Paul said before

Festus' interjection.

And now,

following up on that statement,

Paul asks Agrippa

if he believes

what the prophets said.

Does he believe

that the Christ

has come,

suffered,

and has now risen

from the dead?

I know that you believe,

is the follow-up

on the question

in verse 27.

Agrippa was known

to put his Jewishness

on display

for the people.

He oversaw them

and wanted to be sure

that he was seen

as,

or at least thought of

as a faithful Jew.

However,

if we see

some of his grandparents

and his fathers

before him,

there is not a chain

of faithfulness there

and that does not change

with the life

of Herod Agrippa II.

Agrippa was known

to be in an ungodly

relationship

with his sister Bernice

who is attending

this council

as Luke records.

It would be likely

for a man

in Agrippa's

political position

to live a life

of moral compromise

as well.

You scratch my back,

I scratch yours,

regardless of

any kind of justice.

Those points aside,

Agrippa likely

would have liked

to say that he

followed the Torah.

Yeah, no problem.

I follow the law,

no problem.

But as we know,

when it came down to it,

he refused to submit

his life

to the wisdom

and righteousness

of God.

So we read

in verse 28

his answer to Paul.

And Agrippa said to Paul,

in a short time,

would you persuade me

to be a Christian?

So I understand

from the ESV study note,

footnote,

and others

that the original Greek

of this verse

is complicated.

Maybe TJ or Zach

could explain better

why it is so complicated.

Regardless,

it's debated

whether Agrippa

was truthfully

or earnestly

saying something

to Paul like,

you almost persuaded me

to be a Christian

in this short time,

or something more

sarcastic reading as,

did you really think

that you could persuade me

to be such a Christian

in a short time?

Either translation

is ultimately

a rejection

of Paul's

question and invitation.

Personally,

I do favor

the sarcastic reading

in light of Paul's

wordplay

and punny answer

in verse 29.

And Paul said,

whether short or long,

I would to God

that not only you,

but also all

who hear me this day

might become

such as I am

except for these chains.

Instead of returning

any sarcasm,

I picture Paul here

saying this

with an honest smile.

Whether it's short or long,

I want everybody

to be as I am

except for these chains.

So next we see

a cold departure.

Luke records

a short epilogue

to our primary drama

in these last few verses,

starting in verse 30.

Then the king rose

and the governor

and Bernice

and those who were

sitting with them.

And when they had withdrawn,

they said to one another,

this man is doing nothing

to deserve death

or imprisonment.

And Agrippa said to Festus,

this man could have been set free

if he had not appealed

to Caesar.

So the council,

primarily Festus and Agrippa,

agreed that Paul

had done nothing

to deserve further imprisonment.

So they show some pity

that he should have taken

an option

that would prolong

this process

and now he has to go

to Caesar

and be imprisoned

any longer.

They're saying,

well, that's too bad

for this guy.

But these men

think that they should

pity Paul for this

but they do not know

what God told Paul

in Acts 23, 11.

I read it earlier,

I'll read it again.

The following night

the Lord stood by him

and said,

take courage

for as you have testified

about me in Jerusalem

so you must testify

also in Rome.

The Lord is still working

but these men

are blind to it.

They've rejected

the clear gospel

and they do not know

the plan and will

of God.

So what should we make

of all of this

in light

of the rejection

of the gospel

that we see here?

I think there are

three truths

that those in Christ

can apply from this text.

Before we walk through

those points of application

for the believers,

I think there are

a couple points of application

for non-believers

to first consider.

Number one,

do not dismiss

the gospel

without consideration

like Festus.

every part

of our sinful flesh

wants to see

and hear the gospel

and dismiss it

as crazy talk.

Second,

do not give

lip service,

mere talk

to God's kingdom

like Agrippa.

Genuinely

and fully

commit your life

to the Lord.

God's kingdom

and the first

of the three

aforementioned truths.

It brings God glory

for the gospel

to be proclaimed.

Oftentimes,

we can get caught up

on results

and numbers.

Now,

of course,

results and numbers

in this case

refer to,

they certainly matter

because they refer

to humans

which God loves.

But as we go,

as we share

the gospel

with coworkers,

neighbors,

family members,

children,

anyone which

the Lord brings,

we should know

and believe

that God is glorified

in the proclamation

of the gospel

because we are telling

others

of his holiness,

his mercy,

goodness,

justice,

and love.

The proclamation

of the gospel

as Paul has done here

in Acts 26

also demonstrates

for the hearers

God's ancient plan

for salvation,

thereby showing

his wisdom,

power,

and faithfulness

to accomplish

that plan.

What great

aspects of the Lord

that we can proclaim

as we share

the gospel faithfully

and that brings

him glory.

The second truth

that we can know

and apply

is that we ought

to desire

for all people

to become faithful

disciples of Jesus Christ.

When Paul responds

to Agrippa's

rejection and dismissal

by saying that he wishes

that Agrippa

and all others present

would become as he is,

I would put forth

to you

that he does not

merely mean

that people would

make professions

of faith,

but rather

that they would

all become

fervent,

determined,

sharers of the gospel

of Jesus,

that they would

become faithful,

fruitful members

of Jesus' church,

as he is,

except for the chains.

Lastly,

we must prepare

to share the gospel

well.

We must know

who God is,

what we have done

to separate ourselves

from him,

and what Christ

has done

to restore us

to him forever.

Last week,

we sang a song

together,

The Horse That Draws

the Plow.

It is a sweet

and faithful prayer

to our Lord.

This is its final verse.

Lord,

make your servant

hopeful

as the horse

that draws the plow.

He bends his shoulders

to the ropes

and churns

the stubborn ground.

His toil will yield

a harvest rich,

although he knows

not how.

Lord,

make your servant

steadfast

as the horse

that draws the plow.

We ought to work

diligently

in this preparation.

We ought to make

the time

to study God's word

well,

individually,

and communally.

We ought to make

the time

to pray

fervently

for the lost

in our lives,

for our focus,

for our boldness.

We ought to be

steadfast

in our ministry

to those in our lives,

our family,

friends,

and children.

And we can know

that we do not

labor in vain.

we trust

in a rich harvest,

though we may not know

how.

Join me in prayer.

Let's go.