Yes, I'm Trying to Convert You: A Reasonable Defense

We want to be shaped by it, we want to be faithful servants, effective witnesses of our Lord Jesus.

So to that end, we ask that you would address us, teach us, and by the power of Holy Spirit, change us this morning.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Acts chapter 25, starting verse 13.

Acts 25 · chapter mention

I'm going to be, it's a long passage, I'm going to jump around a little bit, so I invite you to your Bible's open.

Acts 25, verse 13.

Acts 25:13

Now when some days had passed, the Rippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.

And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying,

There is a man left prisoner by Felix, and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.

I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.

So when they came together here, I made no other way, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought.

When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evil as I supposed.

Rather, they had certain points to dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be a Bible.

Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding him.

But when Paul had a deal to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.

Then Agrippa said to Festus, I would like to hear the man myself.

Tomorrow, said he, you will hear him.

So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent man of the city.

Then at the command of Festus, Paul was brought up.

And Festus said, King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me,

both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

But I found that he had done nothing deserving death.

And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him.

But I had nothing definite to write to my lord about him.

Therefore, I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa,

so that after we have examined him, I may have something to write.

For it seems to be unreasonable in sending a prisoner not to educate the charges.

So the greatest party of religion, I've lived as a Pharisee.

And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,

to which our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly worship night and day.

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

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

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 tried to make them blaspheme.

And in raging fury against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

In this connection, I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and 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 goats.

And I said, who are you, Lord?

And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

But rise and stand upon 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

and 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.

Therefore, O King Agrippa,

I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem,

and 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.

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.

But Paul said,

I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus,

but I am speaking true and rational words.

For the king knows about these things,

and to him I speak boldly,

for I am persuaded that none of these things had escaped his notice,

for this has not been done in a corner.

King Agrippa,

do you believe the prophets?

I know that you believe.

And Agrippa said to Paul,

In a short time,

would you persuade me to be a Christian?

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.

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.

This is God's holy and authoritative word.

In the book,

The Insanity of God,

which is one of the books

that are on our 2022 Trinity Reads Book Challenge,

Nick Ripken tells many of the stories

that he has collected over the 20 years

of visiting and interviewing hundreds of believers

who live in areas

where there is intense persecution of Christians.

And at the end of the book,

Ripken makes the startling observation

that our persecuted believers around the world

do not ask us to pray

that their persecution would cease.

Instead,

they ask us to pray

that, quote,

they would be faithful

and obedient

through their persecution

and suffering.

Because Jesus taught

that persecution

will be the norm

and not the exception

for Christians.

And because 2 Timothy 3.12

teaches that indeed

all who desire to live

a godly life in Christ Jesus

will be persecuted.

Our brothers and sisters

in persecuted countries

believe that praying

for the end of persecution

is tantamount to praying

that people will no longer follow Christ.

Ripken notes that

even in countries

where it is most intense

and pervasive,

quote,

persecution is completely avoidable.

If someone simply leaves Jesus alone,

doesn't seek him or follow him,

then persecution

will simply not happen.

Beyond that,

even if someone

becomes a follower of Jesus,

persecution will likely not happen

if the faith

is kept private and personal.

If a person is silent

about their faith in Jesus,

the chance of being persecuted

is very small.

So if our goal

is reducing persecution,

that task is easily achieved.

First,

just leave Jesus alone.

Second,

if you do happen to find him,

just keep him to yourself.

The reason for persecution, then,

is that people keep finding Jesus

and then they refuse

to keep him to themselves.

Having said this,

Ripken asks a provocative question.

He says,

perhaps the question should not be,

why are others persecuted?

Perhaps the better question is,

why are we not?

Could it be that we are not persecuted

because our lives

are indistinguishable

from that of unbelieving

people in the world?

Could it be that we are not persecuted

because we have been silent

about Jesus?

When our brothers and sisters

in persecuted parts of the world

have shared Jesus

at the risk of being beaten,

ostracized, jailed,

and even killed,

have we kept Jesus

to ourselves

from the comfort

of our free western world?

In this passage,

we see the apostle Paul

on trial yet again.

And once again,

we see Paul

bear faithful witness

to Jesus.

Even in dire circumstances,

whenever he opens his mouth,

it seems Paul can't help himself

but to speak of Jesus.

And through Paul's example,

Luke reminds us

that we too are servants

and witnesses

of the risen Lord Jesus.

And we've been sent out

to open people's eyes

so that they might turn

to the light of Christ.

That's the main point

that Luke is making here.

So let's talk first

about how Jesus

is the resurrected Lord

and then secondly

about how we are his servants

and witnesses

in this passage.

So this is taking place

sometime between 58 and 60 AD.

It's when Porcius Festus

who replaced Antonius Felix

as the Roman procurator

of Judea.

And Paul is under trial again.

This time,

he is being interrogated

by King Agrippa.

Chapter 25, verse 13

tells us that Agrippa the king

and Bernice arrived at Caesarea

and greeted Festus.

The Agrippa mentioned here

in this passage

is Agrippa the second.

He is the great grandson

of Herod the first

who tried to kill Jesus

when he was an infant.

And the son of Herod Agrippa the first

who appears several times

throughout the book of Acts

as a violent persecutor

of the church.

So he's got quite the heritage here,

this Agrippa.

And Bernice that is mentioned here

is Agrippa the second's sister.

And also she happened to be

the older sister of Drusilla

who we know is the wife

of Festus,

Festus' predecessor Felix

that was mentioned

in chapter 24.

Agrippa the second

is a client king

appointed by the Roman emperor

to rule over the Jewish world,

over Jerusalem and Judea

and surrounding regions.

Because of this,

Agrippa was an expert

in Jewish affairs.

He was intimately familiar

with the controversies

of the Jews,

the theology of the Jews,

their politics, etc.

So he likely would have

been aware already

of the waves that Paul

was causing among the Jews.

And that's why later

in chapter 26 verses 2-3

Paul says this to Agrippa.

He says,

I consider myself fortunate

that it is before you

King Agrippa

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.

So this is a great opportunity

for Paul to be vindicated.

And given this background,

Agrippa's interest

in Paul makes sense.

And so when Festus

mentions that he is

holding Paul in prison,

he says immediately

in 25 verse 22,

I would like to hear

the man myself.

And Festus grants him

the wish.

But before Festus

gives the floor

to Agrippa,

he gives a summary

of the situation

of his assessment

of Paul twice.

First informally

in chapter 25

verses 14-21

and then again formally

during the official

proceedings in

verses 24-27.

And in both of those times,

Festus mentions

Paul's innocence.

He says in verses

18-19,

when the accusers

stood up,

they brought no charge

in his case

of such evils

as I supposed.

Rather,

they had certain points

of dispute with him

about their own religion

and about a certain

Jesus who was dead

but whom Paul

asserted to be alive.

So the Jews were,

as we've been following

in this story,

were falsely accusing

Paul of desecrating

the temple

and of starting a riot

and they were trying

to get a capital

sentence for him.

But Paul was not guilty

of any of those crimes.

He was innocent

and he was only claiming

that Jesus is

the promised Messiah

and that he died

and was raised

from the dead

and that all must put

their faith in him.

And so again,

in verses 24-25,

Festus summarizes,

the whole Jewish people

were shouting that Paul

ought not to live any longer

but I found that he

had done nothing

deserving death.

Paul's not guilty

of any crime

and that's how

believers should be

when they bear witness

in a hostile world.

We should be innocent

and yet we must bear

bold witness to Jesus.

So what then

was the reason

why Jews wanted

to kill Paul so badly?

Festus' assessment

was that it had to do

with the question

of the resurrection,

Jesus' resurrection.

And his conclusion

is consistent

with what Paul's

been saying all along

because he's been saying

from chapter 23 onward

every time that

it's because of his claim

that Jesus was raised

from the dead

that he is now

being persecuted.

It's with respect

to the resurrection

of the dead

that he was on trial.

And that's the point

that Paul emphasizes

again before Agrippa.

Look at chapter 26

verses 68 with me.

It says,

Paul says,

And now I stand

here on trial

because of my hope

in the promise

made by God

to our fathers

to which our 12 tribes

hope to attain

as they earnestly

worship night and day.

And for this hope

I am accused

by Jews, O King.

Why is it thought

incredible

by any of you

that God

raises the dead?

A consequence

of the fall

of humanity

because of Adam's sin

was loss of access

to the tree of life

as we know

from Genesis 3.

God had placed

the tree of life

in the Garden of Eden

for people to eat it

and to dwell forever

in his presence.

But because of Adam's sin

death came into the picture

as a penalty for sin.

And in all the genealogies

of the Old Testament

in Genesis, Numbers,

1 and 2 Chronicles,

Ezra,

we find the haunting refrain,

So and so lived

this many years

and he died.

And that raises

a huge theological question.

God, can you do anything

about death?

You promised Abraham

that his descendants

will be as innumerable

as the stars in the sky,

but who cares?

He's dead.

You used Moses

to rescue the Israelites

out of Egypt,

but he died

before he could even

enter the promised land.

You promised David

that one of his descendants

will reign on his throne

forever,

but what gives?

He'll never see it.

He's dead.

Yes, Lord,

you have done much

for your people.

You rescued them

out of their slavery

in Egypt.

You brought them

into a land

flowing with milk and honey.

You gave them a nation

and a kingdom,

but what about death?

People are still

falling like flies

left and right.

Can you do something

about that?

Can you undo

that?

some of us

have lost loved ones

recently,

and we continue

to remember

with sadness,

and we wonder,

why death?

death?

Yes, Christians

have been used

by God

in ancient times

and modern times

to raise the dead,

as prophets Elijah

and Elijah have done,

as apostles Peter

and Paul have done,

as Jesus himself did,

but all of those people,

even those who were

temporarily reanimated,

eventually died again.

Again,

death is

the most significant

consequence of the fall,

but can death

itself be defeated?

The prophets

of the Old Testament

picked up on this theme

and relate to us

what God promised

to do about death.

In Isaiah 25, 8,

it says,

He will swallow up

death forever,

and the Lord God

will wipe away

tears from all faces,

and the reproach

of His people

He will take away

from the earth.

Isaiah 26, 19,

Your dead shall live,

their body shall rise.

You will,

to you who dwell

in the dust,

awake and sing for joy.

In Ezekiel 37,

after God raises,

miraculously,

a valley of dry bones

and brings them

back to life,

He promises this,

Behold,

I will open your graves

and raise you

from your graves,

O my people.

I will bring you

into the land of Israel,

and you shall know

that I am the Lord

when I open your graves

and raise you

from your graves,

O my people.

In Daniel 12,

Daniel 12:2

verse 2,

perhaps one of the

most famous examples,

it says,

Multitudes who sleep

in the dust of the earth

will awake,

some to everlasting life,

others to shame

and everlasting contempt.

And this is Paul's point.

When numerous passages

of Scripture

point to this promise

of the resurrection,

that God is going to deal

with this problem of death

once and for all,

why should anyone

who believes

in the Word of God

find it unbelievable

that God raises the dead?

Paul's faith

in the resurrected Jesus

was rooted

in the Jewish Scriptures.

Contrary to being

someone who is anti-Jewish,

Paul is arguing that,

no,

I am being

a faithful Jew.

This is what I've been taught

in the Jewish Scriptures.

Jesus is the fulfillment

of the hope

of the 12 tribes of Israel.

And it's precisely

for proclaiming this Messiah

that we had all been waiting for

that you are not

persecuting me.

So Paul continues

in verses 22 to 23,

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.

Hosea chapter 6,

Hosea 6:2

verse 2,

prophesied specifically

that the Messiah

would die

and be raised

on the third day.

And he prophesied

that our resurrection

would be connected

to be wrapped up

with Jesus' resurrection,

the Messiah's resurrection.

And that's what Paul's saying

when he says here

that Jesus was the first

to rise from the dead.

That implies

that Jesus is not the last

to rise from the dead.

There will be others

who follow in his footsteps.

This is the idea

that Jesus is the first fruits

from the dead,

which Paul,

that's an idea

that Paul expands upon

in 1 Corinthians 15,

1 Corinthians 15:19–26

verses 19 to 26.

I think I have that

to project for you.

He says,

If in Christ

we have hope

in this life only,

we are of all people

most to be pitied.

But in fact,

Christ has been raised

from the dead,

the first fruits

of those who have

fallen asleep.

For as by a man

came death,

by a man has come

also the resurrection

of the dead.

For as in Adam

all die,

so also in Christ

shall all be made alive,

but each in his own order.

Christ,

the first fruits,

then that is coming

those who belong

to Christ.

Then comes the end

when he delivers

the kingdom to God,

the Father,

after destroying

every rule

and every authority

and power.

For he must reign

until he has put

all his enemies

under his feet.

The last enemy

to be destroyed

is death.

The idea of the first fruits

in the Old Testament

has to do with

bringing the first

of your produce,

the first fruits

of your produce

that you farmed

as well as the first fruits

of your livestock

as an offering to God

in thanksgiving.

And that offering,

the first fruits,

represented the rest

of the harvest.

It was a way

of acknowledging

that really all

that we have

is from God.

It's a good gift

from him.

And really all of it

belongs to him.

But we bring

the first fruits,

the best and the first

things that we have

bought,

we have brought

from our produce

as a way to honor God

and recognize

that it's all from him

and that it all

belongs to him.

And it's a pledge

of the harvest

that is to come.

We're saying

when we give

our first fruits

to God,

there will be

a harvest to follow.

This is just

the first fruits

that God's given

to us.

And in a similar way,

Christ is the first fruits

of the resurrection.

He's the first fruit,

first to be raised

from the dead.

And it's the resurrection

of Christ

that guarantees

his followers

future resurrection.

It's a pledge

for us.

just as when Adam

died,

when Adam sinned

and he died,

he was the first man,

he was the representative

of all of humanity.

And when he died,

he brought death

into all of humanity.

And similarly,

when Jesus,

the new Adam,

the representative

of all those

who pledged

their allegiance

to Jesus,

to him,

when Jesus is raised

from the dead,

that's the guarantee

that all those

who belong to him

will also be raised

from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15,

56 says,

the sting of death

is sin

and the power

of sin is the law.

It's because Jesus

paid the penalty

for sin

that we can be free.

Because if sin

is not dealt with,

death can never

be avoided.

Because wherever

there is sin,

there is death

because death

is the punishment

for sin.

And but by dying

on the cross

for our sins,

taking up our penalty

on the cross,

Jesus dealt with sin

once and for all

so that those

who believe in him

would no longer

be under the power

of death.

Jesus has paid

our debt.

That's what Paul

is proclaiming.

But in order

to be guaranteed

this resurrection,

we have to align

ourselves with Jesus.

Paul says that

in 26,

verse 18

of our book,

in the book of Acts,

that we gain a place

among those

who are sanctified

by faith

in Jesus.

By believing

that Jesus

is the Son of God.

By believing

that Jesus

is the Messianic King,

the Savior

of the world,

and that he died

for our sins

and was raised

from the dead

to give us

eternal resurrection life.

But this faith

is not

a mental assent

only.

It's a belief

that affects

our behavior.

That's why

in verses 18

and 20,

Paul uses

the language

of turning

and repentance.

Paul says

in verse 20

that he preached

that people

should repent

and turn to God

performing deeds

in keeping

with their repentance.

To repent

means to turn.

If you really

believe in Jesus,

there will be

deeds

that are in keeping

with our repentance.

Imagine that

your friend

is driving

and you're sitting

on the passenger side.

You have the GPS

in your hand.

he is going

in the wrong direction.

So you tell him,

hey,

you have to make

a U-turn.

You have to turn around.

And he keeps

driving

in the wrong direction.

So you tell him,

hey,

you made the wrong turn.

You have to turn around.

And he keeps

driving in the wrong direction.

And at that point,

you would wonder,

did my friend

hear me?

Is he ignoring me?

Does he think,

I don't know how to

listen to read the GPS,

not giving him

the right direction?

Because,

if he really heard him,

he would have

turned around.

In a similar way,

when we believe

in Jesus,

you turn

toward him.

You reorient

your life

around him.

Your purposes

and priorities

are realigned

with Jesus'

purposes and priorities.

And so,

if you say

you believe in Jesus,

but your life

gives no evidence

that you have,

in fact,

turned around,

it brings into question

whether you really

repented,

whether you really

believed.

And if you are here

this morning

and you have not

turned around,

if you're still

going in the wrong direction,

then you must

repent and believe

in Jesus.

think of how much

of your time,

your life,

how much of human

activity in general

is driven by

the desire to

prolong life

and avoid death.

All the health

precautions we take,

diets,

exercise,

medicine,

research,

even work.

We work ultimately,

right,

because we need to

earn money so that

we can buy food

to eat

because you can't

live without working.

But despite all

these efforts,

the world has

no answer for death.

The resurrected Jesus

is the only person

who has ever

solved

the problem of death

and he is

our only answer.

And this is why

it's imperative

that those who

have found Jesus,

those who are already

servants of Jesus

and must bear

witness to him,

tell everyone about

his death and

resurrection.

And that brings me

to my second point,

that we are his

servants and witnesses.

The gospel of Jesus

Christ is the good

news,

this is the best

news in all the

world and we are

responsible for

spreading it.

Paul describes his

mission of proclaiming

the gospel in

chapter 26,

verse 18 as

to open their

eyes.

Whose eyes?

He says in

verse 17 and 23,

that is to open

the eyes of both

Jews and Gentiles.

This would have

been surprising for

the Jews because

they didn't think

their eyes need to

be opened.

Well, they are the

chosen people of God

after all, but this

is what Paul

proclaimed, that

the Jews' eyes

also need to be

opened.

This is a good

lesson for us.

It teaches us that

sometimes even the

people who are very

religious and

spiritual, who seem

to think that they

have all the answers,

who have a religious

upbringing and a

spiritual heritage,

maybe even our

pastor's kids, are

lost.

Sometimes I think we

can be lulled into

thinking that people

who seem to be doing

well for themselves in

this world don't need

Jesus.

But that's not the

case.

Everyone is lost

apart from Jesus.

Everyone is a sinner

in need of a Savior.

So Paul says he was

sent out by Jesus,

quote, to open their

eyes so that they may

turn from darkness to

light and 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

him, in Jesus.

Everyone who doesn't

know Jesus is groping

about in the dark.

Do you really believe

that, brothers and

sisters?

Even the most

intelligent person you

meet, even the most

successful person you

meet, even the person

that appears to have

everything figured out

is hopelessly lost

without Jesus.

Do you believe that?

Everyone who doesn't

know Jesus is under the

power of Satan.

Even the most moral and

law-abiding person, even

the most prolific good

doer that everyone

seems to admire, is

ultimately under the

power of Satan.

Do you really believe

that?

And this is why we as

servants and witnesses

of the risen Lord Jesus,

we must open their eyes

to the light of Christ.

The fact that some

people don't want to

hear the gospel does not

make the gospel any less

of good news.

The fact that some

people don't believe the

gospel does not make it

any less of a good news.

It is the good news.

It is the only good news

of salvation.

It is what we have been

commissioned to share.

And that command, it is a

command.

It comes to us from the

highest possible authority.

In chapter 25, verse 26,

Festus refers to Caesar as

his Lord.

But Paul serves a

different Lord.

He addresses the risen

Jesus as Lord in chapter

26, verse 15.

He says, while he was

journeying to Damascus with

the authority and

commission of the chief

priests to persecute

Christians, he says in

verse 12 to 18, 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 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 goals.

And I said, who are you,

Lord?

And the Lord said, I am

Jesus whom you are

persecuting.

But rise and stand upon

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.

This is a scene out of

the throne room.

Because when you go into

the throne room of a

king, you fall prostrate

before them.

And so they all fall to

the ground when the light

shines that is brighter

than the sun.

And when you are

prostrate before the king,

only when the king says

you can rise up, you rise

up.

And that's what Paul does.

Jesus says to him, rise

and stand upon your feet,

for I have chosen you,

appointed you as a servant

and a witness.

Why did Paul do a complete

180 in his life?

Moments before he was

doing the bidding and

then going with the

authority of the high

priests to persecute

believers.

Why did he turn around?

Why is he now proclaiming

the Christ that he was

persecuting once in his

life?

Because he encountered

the risen Lord who has a

higher authority.

authority.

The authority of the risen

Lord overrode the authority

of the chief priests.

In the various spheres of

our lives, we listen to

people who have authority in

those respective spheres,

don't we?

If you're in the classroom,

you listen to the teacher.

If we're in at work, we

listen to our boss.

If you're a child at home,

you listen to your parent.

But here is Jesus who has

risen from the dead.

Here is Jesus who has

ascended to the heavens.

Here is Jesus who is

seated at the right hand of

God the Father himself,

far above all rule and

authority and power and

dominion and above every name

that is named.

Here is Jesus who speaks

from a light from heaven

brighter than the sun.

Only thing that can

possibly be is the

unapproachable light that

God himself dwells in that

we read early in 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 6:15

6 verse 15.

The risen Jesus is God.

He is the son of God.

He is the king of kings and

lord of lords whose

authority overrides every

other authority.

And his authority extends to

every sphere over the

entire cosmos.

So when Jesus tells us to do

something, we obey.

And this is why Jesus said to

Paul when he appeared to him

in verse 14, Saul, Saul, why

are you persecuting me?

It's hard for you to kick

against the goads.

A goad is a pointed stick that

farmers use to drive

cattle, prod them in the

direction that they wanted to

go.

So if you want them to go

this way, you press them this

way.

But if sometimes cattle will be

rebellious and they'll kick

against it, try going a

different direction.

But that's not a battle that

the cattle can win.

Because the more you turn and

the more you, there's only so

long can the cattle remain under

the pressure of that sharp goad

before it folds and starts to

follow the farmer.

So that expression was used by

the Greeks to refer to

resisting something that has

higher power, something that is

irresistible, ultimately

unavoidable.

Paul could not avoid his

commission, his call, because

God had called him to it.

The Lord Jesus, who had all the

authority, had commanded him to

it.

And so Paul says in verse 19, I

was not disobedient to the

heavenly vision.

He obeyed.

He followed Jesus.

He started proclaiming him

everywhere.

Most of us don't think twice

about obeying human authorities.

Right?

When the traffic cop tells us to

drive through a red light or stop

at a green light, even though we

are, that goes against everything

we have been taught in driving

school.

And it goes against the pattern

that we have come to be

accustomed to every single day.

We do what they tell us to do

because the cop's authority

overrides that of the traffic

light.

So when the Lord Jesus commands

us to go and tell people about

his gospel, it doesn't matter how

much peer pressure we face.

It doesn't matter what the law of

the land is.

We obey because it comes from a

higher authority.

This is why Paul was able to stand

up tall and bear witness to Jesus

even before kings.

Look at chapter 25, verse 23 with me.

It's a great scene.

It says, so on the next day,

Agrippa and Bernice came with great

pomp and they entered the audience

hall with the military tribunes and the

prominent men of the city.

Then at the command of Festus, Paul was

brought in.

Notice the star contrast.

Here's Agrippa and Bernice arrive with

great pomp in their royal regalia,

undoubtedly.

They're accompanied by military

tribunes, probably in their uniforms

and medals and everything that shows

who they are.

And then they're also surrounded by,

Paul's also surrounded by the prominent

men in all their pretenses of power and

luxury.

And then with utter simplicity, it says,

Paul's brought in.

Probably in his plain garb, prisoner garb.

Imagine yourself in Paul's shoes, how easy

it would have been for him to be overwhelmed

and intimidated.

A raid before him is a spectacular display

of earthly wealth, authority, and power.

And here he is, a lone prisoner.

But that's the thing.

Paul is not alone.

He says in chapter 26, verse 22, Paul says,

To this day, I have had the help that comes

from God.

And so I stand here testifying both to small

and great.

Because Jesus, who has all authority in heaven

and on earth, stands by him to help him.

Paul is able to stand up and testify both to small

and great without shrinking.

Sometimes as Christians, we're tempted to fight

fire with fire.

When the world's renowned scientists tell us that

science makes God obsolete, we point to prominent

scientists who believe in God.

When the world's philosophers tell us that God is dead,

we point to Christian philosophers who argue that God is

very much alive.

Oh, you have doctorates?

We have doctorates too.

Oh, you have experts on your side?

We have experts on our side too.

But then when we're outnumbered,

when we feel out-resourced,

when we are outdone,

when we are outlawed,

we shrink.

We shrink.

But we don't need to do that.

Because Jesus, the risen Lord,

has all the authority.

We can hold our heads up high and speak of Jesus

in any situation.

Not only when we have power.

Paul was bold and unapologetic in his witness.

In chapter 26, verse 27,

when Paul asks King Agrippa,

Do you believe the prophets?

I know that you believe.

Agrippa responds,

In a short time,

would you persuade me to be a Christian?

Agrippa is incredulous.

He's having a hard time processing the fact that

Paul is trying to convert him.

Paul, you're on trial here.

You're a prisoner.

And you only have a brief moment here

to defend yourself.

And are you spending that time

trying to persuade me to become a Christian?

During that time.

And Paul's response in verse 29 is amazing.

He says,

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.

Is that your heart

for your unbelieving neighbors and friends?

That they would become like I am?

That they would love Christ like I do?

They would know Christ like I do?

Is that your real heart?

How would you answer

if one of your friends or coworkers or neighbors

asked you point blank,

Hey, are you trying to convert me to be a Christian?

Well, no, not exactly.

I'm not trying to get you to change.

I'm not trying to proselytize.

I just want to share my perspective,

my opinion.

That's not Paul's response.

Paul's answer is an emphatic yes.

Yes.

I am trying to convert you.

Yes.

I am trying to convert you

and not you only,

but everyone who hears me.

Because I want everyone to be saved.

Billions of people

on Twitter,

on Facebook,

politicians,

religious teachers,

professors,

they're all trying to persuade us

to believe something

that they believe is true,

that they believe is good.

And it's nonsense that

it's only religious faith

that has to be relegated

to the realm of private opinion.

Even as a prisoner,

even during his defense speech

during trial,

Paul is evangelizing.

What about us?

In the book I mentioned

at the beginning,

The Insanity of God,

one of the believers

who had endured much persecution

in communist Russia

when he was still USSR,

says this to Nick Ripken.

Don't you ever give up

in freedom

what we would never give up

in persecution.

And that is our witness

to the power

of the resurrection

of Jesus Christ.

Let us not be silent

in times of peace

when our brothers and sisters

throughout history

and throughout the world

have spoken up

in times of great persecution.

Let's pray.

God, we pray

that you would shape

and define our reality.

That we would be,

we would see

and live with,

by faith and not by sight.

so that we can truly say

of all those who,

to all those who don't know you,

to God,

I wish that all of you

would be saved.

That all of you

would be like me

who knows Jesus.

to all of you

would be saved.

That we pray

that you would make us

a church

that shares the gospel

with unbelievers

every week.

To small and great,

to the poor and rich,

to the weak

and the powerful.

and we trust,

Lord,

that when we do,

that you will save.

Embolden us,

empower us

as your witnesses.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.