SERMON OUTLINE:
Background: Meet the Cast:
• (1). Festus, the Roman Governor.
• (2). King Agrippa.
• (3). The Apostle Paul.
Outline: Three Key Points::
• (1). Paul saw the light (vs 1-16)
• (2). The Gentiles need the light (vs 17-18).
• (3). Festus & Agrippa rejected the light (vs 24&28)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Photo: I saw this picture post on Facebook recently, and it struck a chord.
• Under a Burger King sign is a noticeboard that reads,
• “Why work for a clown when you can work for a king?”
• TRANSITION: If we change it slightly.
• Although the pun has gone, there is a good challenge there for us.
• “Why live for a (you fill in the blank) when you can live for a king?”
(a). Background: Meet the cast
• Let’s meet the main characters involved in this passage:
• There are three of them that we need to know.
(1). King Agrippa (vs 1).
• Or to give him his full title, King Herod Agrippa II.
• Herod was the name of a family and clan
• e.g., In England we would say, from the House of Windsor or the House of Stuart.
Note:
• The Herod family and clan in the New Testament.
• Were often opponents to the things of God.
e.g., 1:
• His great grandfather, was Herod the Great,
• He ruled all of Palestine.
• He was the Herod who killed all the baby boys in Bethlehem.
• Shortly after Jesus was born (Matthew chapter 2 verse 16-18).
e.g., 2:
• His great uncle, King Herod Antipas, ruled in Galilee.
• He beheaded John the Baptist (Mark chapter 6 verses 14-29).
• This same uncle.
• Was the Herod that was in Jerusalem on the Passover when Jesus was crucified.
• He interviewed Jesus before sending him back to Pilate (Luke chapter 23 verses 6-12).
e.g., 3:
• His father, King Herod Agrippa I, is found in Acts chapter 12.
• He ruled all of Palestine.
• He was the one who had James the apostle executed.
• And he was the one who put the apostle Peter into prison.
Note:
• All of the Herod’s appear to be rogues and a rascal.
• And this Herod was no different.
• King Herod Agrippa II,
• Would make a perfect reality TV show for today’s media channels,
• Or the perfect plot line for one of today’s TV soap operas.
• The reason being, alongside him on the throne was a lady called Bernice.
• Bernice was actually Agrippa’s sister.
• Bernice had already been married to her uncle and she had deserted him.
• Bernice was also married a man called Polymon and she run away from him.
• Now Bernice is living in an incestuous relationship with her brother Agrippa.
• So, they are biologically brother and sister,
• But they are living and sleeping together as man and wife.
• So, for the apostle Paul to stand before a Herod & Bernice as God’s representative.
• Would be a courageous thing to do.
• There was a name for people who upset royalty – victim!
(2). Festus, the Roman Governor (vs 24).
• Many of you have already met Festus in the previous chapter 25.
• Festus is a typical high-class Roman of his day.
• According to chapter 25 and verse 2,
• Festus is the ‘new kid on the block’ taking over from a man called Felix.
• It was the Roman Governor Felix.
• Who had the Apostle Paul in prisoned?
• But Felix has been moved on and replaced by a new Governor called Festus.
• In chapter 25 and verse 2 before Festus he has time to unpack his suitcase,
• The Jews were in to see him, putting pressure on him regarding the apostle Paul.
• And they are demanding Paul be delivered over to them.
• The Jews of that city hate Paul,
• Because Paul had been one of them!
• But now he was preaching the good news of Jesus!
Ill:
• Over lockdown I have regularly gone up to speakers’ corner on a Sunday afternoon,
• It is a hive of activity between the good, bad, weird and ugly.
• The bulk of people there are representing Islam or Christianity.
• But there are a couple of people who the crowd really hate,
• And I mean hate, aggressive, abusive language and at times violence.
• The ones who are hated are the Moslem converts to Christianity.
• TRANSITION: The Jews hate the apostle Paul because he used to be one of them,
• Yet he now preaches another gospel, another message and they cannot handle it.
The Emperor Nero has made Festus the new Governor of Syria and Palestine.
• He has been brought in as a fixer.
• To try and clean up the mess his predecessor had left behind.
• His predecessor was a man called Felix – who made a number of bad decisions.
(3). The Apostle Paul (vs 1).
• Paul was born Saul and at one time was an opponent of Christianity.
• He was determined to destroy all Christians and their false message!
• But one day he met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.
• And the persecutor turned preacher.
• And his preaching got him in trouble with those who did not like his message.
• It even caused riots to break out!
• Quote: Tony Campolo:
• “When Paul preached it was followed by a riot,
• When we preach it is followed by a cup of tea!”
• Remember that the apostle Paul had done nothing wrong.
• But because the Jewish people of that city did not like his message – they reacted badly!
• As a result, Paul was put in prison.
(B). Outline: Scan the section:
• Now having met the three main characters,
• Let me divide the chapter up into three sections, three headings.
(1). Paul saw the light (vs 1-16)
Notice: The method Paul used each time in witnessing.
• On 3 separate occasions between chapters 24 and 26:
• The apostle Paul would stand before different audiences to defend himself,
• And often he stood alone!
• Remember the audience that he stood before was made up of unbelievers,
• Many of whom were hostile and rude.
• And each time he spoke he simply shared how his own life had been changed,
• By the risen, glorified Lord Jesus Christ
• ill: chapter 26 verses 4-18.
Question: Why did he share his testimony?
Answer:
• Because one of the most convincing,
• Unanswerable argument on earth regarding Christianity is one’s personal story.
Notice Paul’s down to earth phrases:
• “I was a Pharisee” (vs 4-11).
• “I saw a light” (vs 12-13).
• “I heard a voice” (vs 14-18).
• “I was not disobedient” (vs 19-21)
• “I continue to this day” (vs 22-32)
• The key verse I want you to note is verse 16.
• The apostle Paul was called (as we all are), to be a witness!
““Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.”
Ill:
• One of my favorite New Testament characters is the blind man in John chapter 9.
• When questioned by the religious leaders, nobody believed his words,
• But they had no answer for his changed life.
• “Once I was blind but now, I can see”
• That is what a witness is, they simply tell what they saw!
• Give proclamation to their story.
Ill:
• I spent an hour at Hyde Park Police Station last week.
• Don’t worry I had committed no crime.
• But I witnessed what happened to Hatun Tash.
• She is a Christian evangelist who was stabbed by an offended Moslem.
• I sat down with a police officer and went over my story several times,
• As he typed it up.
• His questions to me were simple,
• “Explain what you saw” and then he only interrupted for further clarity.
• TRANSITION:
• That is what a witness is, they simply tell what they saw!
• We care all witnesses; we all have a story worth sharing!
(2). The Gentiles need the light (vs 17-18).
“I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.””
Ill:
• The word, “Gentile” means, “Nations,”
• The term Gentile doesn’t really describe who someone is,
• But rather who they are not i.e., they are not Jewish.
• A Gentile is one belonging to any nation or people group,
• Other than the Jewish people group.
When Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus (Acts chapter 9):
• And turned his life around even giving him a new name, ‘Paul.’
• He said to him in verse 15 of that chapter, that he was called for a reason…to be a,
“Chosen instrument to proclaim [his] name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel”
• Paul then spent the rest of his life preaching the gospel,
• And making disciples among Gentiles as well as Jews.
Gentiles and Jews both need ‘the light’ we both need to be saved!
• According to verses 17&18 if you are not saved,
• You are in spiritual “Darkness” not light!
• You belong to “Satan” not God.
• You have not received, “Forgiveness of sins”
• You have not been “Sanctified” that is set apart and belonging to God.
Note: the good news of the gospel.
• You can be “in the light”
• You can belong to “God’s kingdom”
• You can have your “sins forgiven”
• You can be “sanctified” that is live a life that pleases God!
(3). Festus & Agrippa rejected the light (vs 24&28)
“At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defence. ‘You are out of your mind, Paul!’ he shouted. ‘Your great learning is driving you insane.’”
“Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’”
FESTUS REJECTED THE MESSAGE:
• Because he thought that Paul was foolish, that he had lost his senses.
• We would say, “lost his marbles” or “gone mad”
• But Festus was a proud Roman and his stumbling block was the resurrection,
• As a Roman he knew all about crucifixion,
• He knew that anyone nailed to a cross never survived,
• He knew that when you are dead you are dead.
• So, he listened to Paul until he mentions the resurrection of Christ,
• But in verses 24-25 he rejects the message and calls Paul a mad man!
“At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defence. ‘You are out of your mind, Paul!’ he shouted. ‘Your great learning is driving you insane.’”
• TRANSITION:
• Like many people today, Festus was ignorant about the Old Testament,
• And ignorant about the facts concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus.
• So, when uninformed people hear that, “Jesus has risen from the dead”
• Like Festus they think, or they say, “You are nuts, mad!”
Now notice how Paul replied to Festus (vs 25-26a).
“I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied. ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things.”
• Paul says what happened to Christ did not happen in secret.
• It was not hidden.
• Even the king knew all about it.
• Therefore, Paul reminded him of the prophesies. Jewish scriptures,
• And the events that had swept through the Jewish community.
AGRIPPA REJECTED THE MESSAGE:
• In verse 27 we read:
• “’King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.’”
• This is an important passage of scripture,
• Because it tells us how Paul went about witnessing to Agrippa.
• He gave King Agrippa the facts,
• Although sharing a testimony is subliminal.
• The Gospel is based in facts, historic events that can be tested.
• Quote: There is an old statement that says,
• “Facts come first, then comes faith and finally the feelings.”
Paul stood before King Agrippa and presented the truth of God about Christ.
• Twice in this chapter (vs 3 & 26)
• Paul tells Agrippa that: “He was familiar with these things”.
Question: “What things”?
Answer:
• The things concerning Jesus Christ.
• Just look at verses 20b & 23:
“I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds”
“The Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."
• Paul’s message was a message of repentance from sin,
• And a belief, a faith in the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• He presented the truth of God about Christ to Agrippa,
• Yet sadly Agrippa rejected that truth.
Ill:
• Photo: we started with this picture post from Facebook.
• Under a Burger King sign is a noticeboard that reads,
• “Why work for a clown when you can work for a king?”
• TRANSITION: What did Agrippa put before King Jesus?
• What about you?
• “Why live for a (you fill in the blank) when you can live for a king?”
