Paul's Defense Before Bernice & Agrippa

Oh, there has water back there. Good. If you guys need water during the next half hour, whatever, please feel free to get up and or stand in front of a fan or something. You guys are sitting sitting pretty down here. Well, I just realized yesterday that jill, could you wave your hand? That's my sister back there. Everyone. Jill shimmelski. Many of you know she not only start celebrating Christmas in September, August, September, prior September, but she also celebrates half Christmas. Yesterday was half Christmas, so Merry Christmas, everybody. Does that help cool you down at all? I'm thinking about snow. I mean, maybe not. I guess that makes today half Boxing Day. Core, did you get a tree yesterday at all? No, spirit, brother. Not too bad. You guys, what I want to do today is just enjoy Jesus Christ with you. Enjoy the gospel of Jesus Christ with you. I was thinking this past week about how much I really haven't been enjoying the gospel. Like I think I've been invited to as a Christian enjoying and basking in the gospel and salvation of Jesus Christ for the Scriptures talk repeatedly about how much a lived reality the gospel is. So, in other words, salvation or our response to the gospel is not just a one time past justifying conversion events. It's much more holistic than that. It's a lived reality. And the Bible talks a lot about this when it talks about like a theme, like perseverance, this is the idea behind it. Or like Paul says at the end of his life, I've run the race or I've finished, or I've finished the race or I fought the good fight. So when he says those words, he's thinking this idea. When the Bible talks about our response to the gospel, it's like we as Christians constantly look to the cross every day, constantly take my sin Jesus away from me. Give me the Holy Spirit, give me victory over sin that characterizes the Christian life. It's a constant look into Jesus. So salvation has the power of God in our life now, and not just in the past, so that now it's like a holding in our breath before the end. No, now. Today is the day of salvation, Paul likes to say. And so when we think of gospel messages or gospel presentations, maybe you guys are familiar with those. They're not just for the yet to be saved, not just for the unbeliever. Certainly they're for them as well, but they're for the Christian as well, because when we hear them, it becomes a part of our sanctification, are part of our holiness process becoming more like Christ when we hear them and when we respond to them. And today we'll be one of those. And so what I want to do wherever you're at in your spiritual journey today, if you felt like you've enjoyed the gospel, maybe it was just like a few minutes ago in worship where you felt like I really enjoyed the gospel right then. Maybe it's been a few months, but keep that question in mind when we go through the text this morning. When was the last time you enjoyed the gospel? Really enjoyed it and bashed in it, thought about it, dreamed about it. Let it change your life wherever you are today, whether it's been just a few minutes ago, like I said, or a few months, I want to enjoy the gospel with with you all this morning. And I want to respond to that gospel with you all. Freshly to enjoy the gospel, we have to look at Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is the gospel. You can't talk about the gospel without talking about Jesus. It's inextricable they are the same thing. Jesus Christ embodies the good news of salvation and we'll talk more about that as the morning goes on. Just a little recap you guys, before we go into the text. If you want to pull out to your sermon inserts, you can see I couldn't even fit half the passage on it. So Paul out a Bible as well, or the first part of it will be on screen if you want to follow along, but we're going to spend the most of our time in that part that's on your sermon insert. So I'm just going to read up to that point to begin and then we'll talk more about Jesus Christ in the rest of the passage once we get to that point. So again, open a Bible to Acts 25 23 is where we're going to start. Chapter 25, verse 23. We're going to go all the way through chapter 26, but just a quick recap where Core has been these past few weeks. Paul is on trial, he's been in prison, he's appealed to Caesar, so he's appealed to Rome. He's going to go to Rome. But the Roman governor at this time, who is Festus, a Roman governor, festus does not know much at all about Jewish custom or really why this guy is on trial at all. So he's going to have King Agrippa, a client king over Palestine during that time, who is more familiar with Jewish custom here, paul, who is this guy? Is he really guilty of what he's been accused of by these Jews? How is he guilty of him if he is? So he can write the emperor, write Rome about this guy, so when he sends them to him, he at least has something to say and we're going to read about that here too in a second. But that's what's going on. Basically his whole passage is Paul's defense, what he says before these two, two men and others as well, but mostly Agrippa, the client king, and Festus, the Roman governor over Palestine during that time. So read with me, I'll start in 25 23, and like I said, we're going to read through 20 611 and then we'll start making I'll start making some more comments after that about the rest of it. So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice, Bernice's, Agrippa's sister, actually 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. 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. Serious charge. But I found that he had done nothing, deserving death. And as he is himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. But I have nothing definite to write to my Lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after we have examined him, I may have something to write. Okay, again. So this is why Paul's before Agrippa now, for it seems to me unreasonable in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him. So Agrippa said to Paul, you have permission to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense. Here we go, paul's defense. I consider myself fortunate, that is before you, King Agrippa. I'm 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. My manner of life for my youth, spent from the beginning of 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 lived I have lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial because of my hope and 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 the Jews. O King, why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? Okay, so a little irony here. We're going to come paul revisits this in a second. But there's irony here. He's on trial for the very things that Jews had been waiting for for centuries they've been hoping in this very thing the fulfillment of the promises of God, as we read in the Old Testament, as they were fulfilled in Christ. And granted, they were fulfilled in a different way than they had expected. But still Paul is on trial for these very things. So there's irony here. But again, we'll come back to that in the second half of the passage, verse nine. 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. Verse twelve. In this connection, I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priest at midday. Okay, Paul's going to go into his testimony here. What has made him turn from a Pharisee, a strictest part of the Jewish religion at this time, to a follower of the way, as Axe likes to call it, a follower of Jesus Christ, a Christian. 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 gods. And by the way, that's just a Greek expression meaning it's hard for you to fight against God. So Jesus saying, it's hard for you to fight against God. And I said, who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. A couple of things about those past few verses. This is not one of my main points, but notice here that Jesus says you're persecuting me when you persecuted your people. Why are you persecuting me? And he says again, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. So again, in other words, when Paul went after Christians, even to foreign cities, he was really persecuting Jesus. Well, why is this? Because Christians are Christ's body. We talk a lot about that metaphor here at Hope Committee. We talk about spiritual gifts. We are the body of Christ as Christians. And so when we suffer, actually Christ is being persecuted right along with us. Or maybe you could even say it's actually Christ himself who is being suffering. We are the body of Christ. Remember Paul in Philippians three? He says, I want to share in Christ's sufferings. And so this idea of when we talk about salvation, we talk a lot about sharing in Christ. When we share in Christ, we share not only in his resurrection, in his life and death as well. And so we suffer along with Him so that we might attain the resurrection from the dead just like he did. So we can share in that too. But it's expected that the Christian will suffer because we share in Christ and we have a relationship with Him so close that we share in everything Christ, that everything happened to Christ on earth. All right, read with me verse 16, just the first two words. This is my first point this morning. But rise. Jesus is full of grace. The first thing we learn about Jesus Christ? Is he's full of grace? Just look at these two words for a second. Many of you maybe in in talking to Pastor Steve, either in dialogue or maybe from the pulpit. I can't remember if he said this from the from a sermon or not, but he always talks about how he wants to give his greatest butts in the Bible sermon. Have you guys heard this before? He says there's so many good butts in the Bible and he wants to give. And this is one of them. This is one I mean, I think this is one of them. He hasn't gone through them with me, but this is one of the of the great of the great butts, the great conjunctions there. But rise. See, look at this in context. Jesus said, I am the resurrected one. Not only have you persecuted my people, but you're actually persecuting me in the process. I'm the resurrected one. I'm the Lord God, and you're persecuting me. And I mean, Paul wants you thinking, I'm done, I'm blinded here, I'm fell to the ground, I'm toast, it's over, right? I'm persecuting god. But what does Jesus say? But rise. Get up. You see the grace in that statement? It reminds me a lot of Jesus's last words on the cross. In Luke 23 34, he says, forgive them, for they know not what they do. They know not what they do. How appropriate is that for Paul? He had no idea he was actually persecuting God. When he was persecuting, he thought he was doing God a favor, right? As a pharisee persecuting. These followers of this sect he thought was not of God, but he was actually persecuting God. And like Jesus says, they know not what they do. So it was true for Paul. But Jesus says, get up. Rise. I have something for you to do. I'm extending my forgiveness to you as well. And how appropriate is that to us as well. This is the grace of God that God that he has extended to us. This is the kind we are like Paul, and we do not know the gravity of our sin. We don't understand it. Like that song we sang. It's cool, Tim, wherever you are. And Michael, by the way, how cool is how sovereign God isn't picking songs. The themes that are oh, there you are. Yeah, sound like you're right down here. How sovereign God isn't picking themes and songs that go with the sermon. But if we really understood how grave our sin is and how serious it is, we don't understand it. We don't understand how much it cost that Jesus Christ is on the cross, lived a perfect life, but he still died, that we may have life. John 525 this will be on a slide as well. This is one of my favorite verses in all the Gospels. Jesus says, I tell you the truth, that time is coming and is now here right now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who here will live. He has called us from the tombs. We are dead in our sins, and we have no right to stand before Him because we are dead in our sins, but he has made us alive by his grace, by his grace alone. Jesus Christ is full of grace, as expressed here to Paul in this passage. Let's keep going. 16, verses 16 to 18. Read with me. Jesus also speaking. 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'm 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. My second point, what I want to point out about what we learn about Jesus Christ here is that he is victor. He is the capital V victor. And one of the major theories or biblical ideas of atonement. When I say atonement, I mean what Christ accomplished for us on the cross is called in Latin, Christus victor, which just means Christ as victor. Other ones you might be more familiar with are like a substitutionary. Atonement, meaning that Christ took our place on the cross. That is something Christ did for us. He took our place and he also rised in our place. He was raised for a justification, like Paul says in Romans. But also this is another major biblical theme is Christ as victor. He is the fulfillment of all that God did as warrior in the Old Testament. Christ is now the fulfillment of that, and he has come to as our hero, to fight on our behalf and save us from our enemies. So he has defeated three things for us satan, sin, and death. He has defeated those things for us. Are we enjoying the gospel yet, brother? He has destroyed Satan, sin and death on our behalf. He has come as our hero to rescue us. Known again, verse 18, to open the rise so that they may turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. So when the Bible talks about that, this is the idea behind it, this idea of atonement, that he turns people from the dominion of Satan, which by which we were being held prisoner, to God. He delivered us from the camp of the enemy. What I want to do now is watch a video clip from Lord of the Rings. But unlike Corps, I actually liked the movie that we're going to show. And John, you do too. I got some back so just a little preview to this. I'm sure most of you have seen it. Basically, this is a fantasy, classic fantasy tale of good versus evil. And basically we're going to watch a clip of a battle scene between humans and elves. They are being surrounded. This is the end of The Two Towers film, by the way, the battle of Helms Deep. For those of you have seen it, the humans are being surrounded by these orcs and they have no hope. They've lost this battle. They're about to be destroyed. And we're going to watch them talk about this in their barracks before they're going to ride out in a blaze of glory just for the sake of it, for glory. But they sure they have no hope. They're going to die. But then we're going to watch what happens after that and try to see the gospel, try to see Christ as warrior king in this passage. And, yeah, we're all set. Pick out the Jesus figure. Guys, I don't know really much else how else to respond to that clip other than to say that is what God has done for you. In Jesus Christ, you were surrounded by sin and by death and by Satan. You had no hope. And Christ came to your rescue as warrior king, as your hero. And he still does this on a daily basis. This was accomplished on the cross when he died and was raised up, he defeated death on your behalf, but it's still happening as well. Anyone else notice other biblical metaphor in that passage? Say again? Light stand the light. Sure. The rising of the sun, the dawn in the Old Testament is metaphor for the fulfillment of God's, the hope of Israel, the fulfillment of God's purposes, the dawn good. And the direction east east in the Bible is a direction of significance, a significance of hope. The temple faced east. The tribe of Judah from which Jesus came was on the east side of the temple when they when they camped around it. So significant direction. Also we saw, I think in one of the it was either in the psalm we read or in one of even in one of the songs we read. Again, being surrounded by your enemies, a common a common song, a common picture we get in the psalm being surrounded by your enemies, but then being delivered by God from the hills. Where does our help come from? From the hills, right? From the Lord. Psalm 121, Revelation 19. The white horse, the rider and the white horse, whose name is the Lord of Lords and king of kings, Jesus Christ. That is not just a future passage, by the way, that talks about the war that is being waged right now on our behalf. I believe also in the future, of course, too. But look at one Corinthians 1554 to 56. Death is swallowed up in victory, o death, where is your victory, O death? Where is your sting? The sting of death is sin. The power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So we get the victory, you see, he gives it to us, he hands it to us. Just like his grace, the victory he is one, he extends to us to receive. He gives us the victory. Exodus 15 Three the Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name. Significant. This happens right after the Exodus pride, the capstone event for the history of Israel that foreshadows what God is going to come to dulu and deliverance for us, not from a physical enemy, but from a spiritual enemy, being sin and being Satan. But to push this analogy just a little bit further, and in light of my first point as well, when we talk about grace and victory in Jesus Christ, this is extended only to those who believe, not to everybody. The Bible talks a lot about believing and believing that Jesus Christ is who he is and did what he did and making that a part of our life. Believing, having faith in the person of Jesus Christ. So it'd be like those who don't receive this, it'd be like, again, to push analogy further, after Gandolf came down the hill and ended the war, it'd be like people running away with the Orcs, like, well, why in the world would you do that? The victory is yours in Christ, right? But to those, salvation is not for those who run away and don't receive Jesus Christ, who run away with the Orcs, it is not for them, but only to those who bend the knee and call Jesus Christ Lord and God. That is who he is. The only salvation, the only truth, the only way. John 318 says, whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Paul talks a lot about belief as well. That is the way we become saved as we repent and believe in Jesus Christ. 20 619 to 32 follow along with me again in your sermon outlines. Let's read the rest of the passage. Therefore, 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 to the Gentiles too, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds and keeping with their repentance. For this reason, the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I've had that 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 rise from the dead, he would proclaim lights both to our people and to the Gentiles. So again, the irony here Paul saying, all I'm on trial for here is what the Jews were hoping it why are they why are they accusing me? They missed it. They didn't see the fulfillment, which was Jesus Christ. 24 and as he was saying these things in his defense, festus said with a loud voice, paul, you're 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, by the way. It's true and rational that Christ rose from the dead. We live in a time and in a nation where these things have been called not true and rational. But for Paul they were completely true and completely rational to believe in Jesus Christ, that he said who he was and he did what he did, said he was going to do, that this is true, all that it says it is true and Jesus Christ rose from the dead, that the resurrection of Christ really happened. 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 corner. One of the great apologetic verses of the Bible. And when I say apologetic, I mean Christian defense Verses this was done publicly. Many people saw Christ died, and many people either saw or could not deny the fact that Christ rose from the dead. This was not done in a corner. It was done publicly for a reason. We can believe this really happened because it was done publicly. We can know it's true because it was done publicly and because it was written and because it says it really happened. King Agrippa 27 do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe and notice king Agrippa can't deny the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. He can't deny it. He just says and Grippa 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 are sitting with them. And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, this man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment. And Aggregate said to Festus, this man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. Third and final point, you guys, I want to make is Jesus Christ is ruling in his church. This is what we learn about Jesus from this passage. He's ruling in his church. He was then during Paul's day, in the early church, throughout the Book of Acts, and he is today, right now. I know it all similar to this passage, and the way I want to defend this is not all similar. This passage is to the accounts of Jesus trial in the Gospels. I have a slide for this. Both show compassion to their enemies. Read about how Paul says, I would to God that not only you, but all who hear me would become as I am. Jesus Christ shows compassion to his enemies as well. Forgiving them, both claim to speak truth. Both are falsely accused. There's irony in both situations. You talk about the irony in this passage. If you've taken Mark study, you talk a lot about the irony that there is in the account of Jesus's trial and death and resurrection. Both are accused by Jews. Both are tried and are judged by a Roman governor, a pilot being before Christ, of course, and now Agrippa and Festus, both are declared innocent. You can't find fault in them, just like Christ, so was Paul. And this isn't just a neat little coincidence. This really happened. And the author of the Book of Acts wrote this way to show that it is really the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ within his church that is spreading the word. So we see a lot of things that are repeated in Acts that were first acted out or lived out by Jesus Christ. A lot of miracles, a lot of things that were said, a lot of the prophecy that's repeated was first done or spoken by Christ. Now it's lived out in a very similar, if not identical manner in the Book of Acts to show that the early church is really doing what Christ did, and it's Christ within them, living within them, that is actually allowing the church to expand to the ends of the earth. Major point of theology in the Book of Acts, you guys, is that it is the Holy Spirit is the main character. Pastor Steve, I'm sure talked about this a year and a half ago, or whenever we started two years ago, whenever we started this book, that the Holy Spirit, God is the main character. This isn't a passage about how you share your faith. This is a passage about Jesus and seeing, learning about him and seeing how he is at work, being true to his promises, spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth so the kingdom of God cannot be stopped, period, because God is the one making it expand through us, through the preaching of the gospel. Jesus Christ is ruling his king over this earth, and the kingdom of God just expands and expands and expands until the consummation when he returns to set up rule for good and to destroy the enemy of God once and once and for all. But that's a truth. What we can do is choose how to respond to this. And we've seen this passage, a few different responses to the gospel. And again, I want to invite us all to respond to these truths of. Fresh today. If you're a Christian, afresh, if you're not a believer here today, I want to invite you to respond to this for the first time. These facts, these truths, these historical truths respond to this way of salvation. There's the next slide. These are the different responses we see to the gospel. That Jesus or that Paul proclaims on trial. The Jews were just rejected outright. Festives thinks it's crazy. You've lost your mind. Paul Agrippa couldn't deny that it was true, but refused to believe it. And Paul was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, so he believed it and received it, made it a part of his life, committed himself to it. So really simply, the question that I want to leave you all with is how are you responding to the gospel today and in subsequent days? Make that a question you you ask yourself every day. How are you responding to the gospel, to the Christian? You're called daily. Remember, we started today. You're daily called to respond to the gospel. It's a part of your race. It's a part of your fight. It's part of the war. It's part of what you hope. And it epitomizes your Christian life. Looking to Jesus Christ in everything. Everything you do with a mind and heart. Also know that as Christians, you will encounter you put that last light up Beltha. You'll encounter one to three. When you either preach or live out the gospel. You'll encounter one to three. People are objected outright. People will think it's crazy. Doesn't make sense. How could you believe that? And you'll encounter people that they couldn't deny. It's true. I can't deny your testimony. Maybe they'll say, all right, you know, I can't deny this book. It's an amazing book. There's nothing like it, but I can't receive it. I don't want to give up my old way of life. I can't receive it. Or they're just not there yet. Maybe they're still processing. But you'll encounter all three of these kinds of people. So do the Christian. In light of what we talked about grace, are you living in God's grace? Maybe some of you today are thinking, I don't think I'm worthy of God's grace. Look at Paul. Think of the example of Paul. Persecuting the church of God, persecuting God himself. But rise grace is extended to him. God wants to extend his grace to you. Nothing you've done is out of reach of God's grace. Victor, he has given you the victory over sin. Remember, you have the victory. You can choose not to sin anymore because you have the Holy Spirit. The rest of the world cannot. They are bound by sin. They are prisoners to sin. And they have no hope of being released apart from Christ to the yet to be saved. The unbeliever here today, if you're not a Christian or if you know someone who is, this is important also to know on their behalf. You were also called to respond to the Gospel. The Bible talks about how we are either for Christ or against Him. We're either his friend or his enemy. There is no middle ground. There is no such thing as being an agnostic or just being whatever. And that being safe, that's dangerous. It's actually being an enemy of Christ. Whether that person realizes it or not, he or she is an enemy of Christ by just being in the so called middle ground. So to those of you who are not Christians here today, how are you going to respond to the gospel you're invited to? And I hope you see that this is God speaking directly to you. I'm not really telling you this. This is God speaking to you through his word. He has revealed Himself to you, just like he did to Paul. He is the word. He has spoken His Word you and giving you a chance to respond simply by believing and repenting from your sin. You too can have salvation. One last comment. Michael Devro is going to pick up with this next week, but Paul's going to Rome, so we see the so something else we learn about Jesus too, as he's sovereign, because Jesus Christ said this would happen back in chapter 23. He said, just as you've been my witness here, so I want you to be in Rome. And so Paul's appealing to Caesar, he's being sent there by the client King and the governor is totally in God's control because the gospel back to Acts One eight. It was supposed to go to the end of the earth. Now the Emperor is going to hear the gospel. The capital of Gentile world is going to hear the gospel, have a chance to respond to it. Really cool. And so next week we're going to see how Paul gets there. In light of the song we sang over offering during offering, his truth keeps marching on. It cannot be stopped. The kingdom of God is expanding and again we are called to respond to it. I want to just invite you to be prayed for today as well, whatever's going on in your life. Liz Johnson and Jesse Splan will be here to pray and I'll be down front after the service if you want to be prayed for. I'd love to hang and pray with you or just pray by yourself in the pews and ask God, how can you change your life in light of what we've seen about Jesus in Acts today? So let me pray. Father, we thank you that you are the one and only. The Bible calls you the one and only because no one is like you. No one has lived a life like you. No one has died, though he was perfect. No one has raised himself from the dead like Christ because you are God, Jesus, and we give you the glory today. We thank you for being our hero, for extending grace to us for being our warrior king, for using us to preach and spread the gospel through word and deed. And we ask God that you just speak to us right now as to how we can respond to the gospel today through as we worship in song and fellowship afterwards. In Jesus. In Jesus name. Amen.