SERMON OUTLINE:
Background: Meet the Cast:
• (1). Festus, the Roman Governor.
• (2). King Agrippa.
• (3). The Apostle Paul.
Outline: Scan the section:
• (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:
• While clearing out his loft, a man found an old cardboard box hidden among the rafters,
• When he opened it up, he saw it was an old eastern lamp.
• He started to clean off the dust and cobwebs,
• When to his amazement a genie suddenly appeared before him!
• The genie granted the man three wishes,
• And so, the man said, that is easy.
• "For my first wish, I would like a billion pounds."
• The genie snaps his fingers, and the man has a bank book in his hand,
• Inside it has all the right information!
• "For my second wish, I would like my football team to be the greatest in the world."
• The genie snaps his fingers,
• And the man has a newspaper in his hand revealing news of his team’s success.
• "For my final wish, I would like to be irresistible to every woman on the planet."
• For the last time, the genie snaps his fingers,
• And the man finds himself turned into a box of chocolates.
• TRANSITION: Most of us if not all of us like chocolate,
• I like the quotation that says,
“Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands,
And then to only eat one of the pieces.”
• I like what the quotation says because it is so true,
• And also, because it fits in with my sermon this morning.
• On paper we have two chapters of Acts to look at, chapters 25&26,
• But like the chocolate quotation I am going to leave some chunks uneaten!
• I am going to skip over chapter 25, which is a little repetitious of chapter 24,
• That we looked at last week.
• And I have decided to focus on chapter 26.
If you want the outline for chapter 22 it is, simple.
• The apostle goes from Felix the governor of Judea and Samaria,
• To the Roman Procurator Festus.
• Paul (who was Roman Citizen) appealed to Caesar (vs 1-12)
• Paul’s case was heard by King Agrippa - we will meet him today (vs 13-27)
• Paul stood before Agrippa and his wife Bernice (vs 23-27)
• So, your homework is to read and look at the chapter,
• And we will have a few discussion questions on that passage on Thursday evening.
• But this morning we are going to look at chapter 26.
Ill:
• Photo: I saw this picture post on Facebook, 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 (you fill in the blank) when you can live for a king?”
• That is the challenge of the Christian faith,
• Quote: C.T Studd
• Charles Thomas Studd, better known as C. T. Studd, was a British missionary.
• He was born in 1860, into a family of wealth and privilege.
• He became a famous English cricketer (as well known & popular as David Beckham),
• But gave it all up to become a pioneer missionary.
• He spent his life serving in China, India, and Africa.
• He wrote a well-known poem called, ‘Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past.’
• And I would like us all to read it together,
• I will read the verse if you can collectively read the refrain.
“Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill.
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervour burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
__ extra stanza __
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”
• TRANSITION: If we change it slightly.
• “Why live for (you fill in the blank) when you can live for a king?”
(a). Background: Let’s 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,
• Who 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.
Now have you noticed the common thread with The Herod’s?
• All of the Herod’s appear to be rogues and rascals and murders.
• And this Herod was no different.
• King Herod Agrippa II,
• Would make a perfect reality TV show for today’s media,
• 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.
• Yep, you heard right, his biological sister,
• But they are living and sleeping together as man and wife.
• To make matters worse,
• Bernice was married before to a man called Polymon,
• But she ran away from him.
• To have this incestuous relationship with her brother Agrippa.
So, this is the happy couple, the king & queen the apostle Paul has to stand before.
• So, it would take courageous,
• And it would be unpredictable as to how they might react.
(2). Festus, the Roman Governor (vs 24).
• It was the Emperor Nero himself,
• Who 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.
• We met his predecessor last week - a man called Felix,
• But Felix made a number of bad decisions that cost him his job.
• It was Felix who had the Apostle Paul in prisoned two years earlier.
Festus is a typical high-class Roman of his day.
• He first appears in the previous chapter #25.
• According to chapter 25 and verse 2,
• Festus is the ‘new kid on the block’ taking over from a man called Felix.
The opponents of the apostle Paul.
• Put pressure on the new governor, the new kid on the block,
• They demand that Paul be handed over to them.
• They want to ‘deal with him’ because they hate his message that Jesus is the Messiah!
• They hate Paul because he used to be one of them, a Pharisee,
• Yet he now preaches another gospel, another message and they cannot handle it.
(3). The Apostle Paul (vs 1).
• Hopefully by now you all know who Paul was!
• He was born Saul of Tarsus 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 constant trouble with those who did not like his message.
• Remember that the apostle Paul is on trial, but he has had done nothing wrong.
• Because the religious Jewish leaders’ 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.
• People may not like your message, but they cannot deny a changed life!
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.
Notice Paul’s down to earth phrases in his testimony:
• “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:
• Just over a year ago I was a witness to a stabbing,
• I went to a police station to give a statement of what I saw.
• The police officer and go over my story several times, and 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!
• Every Christian is a witness, every Christian has 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!
• Therefore, you have not received, “Forgiveness of sins”
• You have not been “Sanctified” that is set apart and belonging to God.
Note: this is 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”
Remember 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 person of Jesus Christ.
• 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?”
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=Gx0uR9IGp41yqS3tmXcSjAWWBUmKugTl
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/ASb0myA31ds
