Closing Argument ("On Trial" series pt 7)

Thank you for joining our broadcast here at Cross Connection. We're continuing in a series called "On Trial." We're looking at Paul the Apostle in the book of Acts, specifically Acts chapter 26, as he presents his final arguments before King Herod Agrippa II, a notorious figure from the first century. God had something He wanted to communicate to Agrippa through the Apostle Paul. As the ambassador of Jesus, Paul stands ready to share the good news of the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, open your Bible to Acts 26 if you have one and join us. All right, everybody, stand up and let's open our Bibles to the book of Acts. If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one.

We will actually begin a few verses earlier in Acts chapter 25 to provide some context. Acts 25, verse 23 states, "So the next day, when Agrippa, who was the King of the region of Judea, and Bernice, his sister, had come with great pomp and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, Festus commanded Paul to be brought in."

Festus said, "King Agrippa and all the men who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me at Jerusalem and here in this city, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. I have nothing certain to write to my Lord concerning him; therefore, I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place, I may have something to write. For it seems unreasonable to send a prisoner and not specify the charges against him."

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself."

Father, we ask that You would open our eyes and our hearts to be able to hear from You and receive from You today as we look into Your Word. Lord, we believe that this is inspired by You, that Your Word is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.

The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is useful for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. We, who believe in You and follow You, pray that we would be ready and equipped to face the challenges You have prepared for us this week.

God, we ask that this time we have set aside this morning, the next 40 minutes or so, would be a time where You are speaking and transforming us. Lord, may Your grace, mercy, and peace work within us in such a way that it shines to others. Speak to us as we look at this passage of Scripture. We pray for this and ask it in Jesus' name. All God's people agreed, saying, "Amen." You can be seated.

In our last five studies in the book of Acts, we have been walking with the Apostle Paul through a series of six hearings. That is why this series has been called "On Trial." I apologize; I do have a bit of a cold.

We have been following Paul as he has gone through these six hearings. The first one took place before a crowd of Jewish men in the city of Jerusalem. After that, there was a trial before a Jewish religious council in Jerusalem. This same Jewish religious council followed Paul down to the city of Caesarea, about 60 miles from Jerusalem, where Paul appeared before the Roman Governor Felix and the Jerusalem council.

Then there was another hearing where Felix called together his wife, Drusilla, and Paul for a private hearing. Following that event, we saw another hearing before the Jerusalem council after Felix had left. Two years later, a new governor, Festus, came in, and now we have the sixth and final hearing of Paul. This time, Governor Festus, the Roman governor of Judea, has called Paul before the Judean King, King Herod Agrippa II.

Paul is going to stand before King Herod, who is the ruler over that area of Judea. Although he is a vassal king with limited power, it is primarily a ceremonial position in the nation. Paul will stand before this king, his sister Bernice, and all the influential figures of the region.

Brokers of Judea in the city of Caesarea at that time were gathered for a significant meeting. When we left our study last time in Acts 25, Paul was escorted into this auditorium. As he came before this large gathering, it was filled with the who's who of the region; all the power brokers and important people were present, and Paul was now going to speak to them.

This gathering, as we just read, was very purposeful. It was called because Festus, upon coming into power and surveying the various issues in Judea, found that one case still lingered from the previous administration: the case of a man named Paul. Paul had already appealed to go to Caesar, as he was a Roman citizen and had the right to appeal his case to the emperor of Rome, Nero. Now, here was Paul in a kind of limbo state. Festus looked over everything and realized there was no case against him.

Festus had a hearing with Paul and the Jewish Council from Jerusalem, but again, there was just no case. This was one final opportunity for Festus to try to come up with some sort of justification for sending something to the emperor. He wondered what he could include in the case file when he sent it up to Rome. He expressed to Agrippa, as we just read, that he hoped Agrippa could help him write something because he was in a bit of a predicament. There was no real case against Paul; the only thing the Jewish religious Council had against him was that they didn't like him. However, that is not a prosecutable offense.

This is a good thing because, for us, there are probably some people who don't like you and don't like me, and we are glad that such feelings are not prosecutable offenses. Yet, the Roman officials, Felix first and then Festus, trying to placate their constituency, had held Paul in Caesarea for two years. He had been detained there for two years, and nothing had come of it.

Now, in about the middle of the year 60 A.D., nearly 2,000 years ago, Paul was escorted into this room. This was six years before Paul would experience martyrdom; he would be executed for his profession of faith. It was about ten years before the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed, and the temple would be destroyed by Titus. So, things were very tense.

Tension was high in that part of the world at this time in history, in the year 60 A.D. Paul comes in as a fulfillment of a word that God had foretold about a quarter-century before. Twenty-five years prior, the Lord said this in Acts chapter 9, verse 15. He spoke to Paul through a spiritual man by the name of Ananias, saying, "You are going to be my chosen vessel to bear my name before Gentiles, Kings, and the children of Israel."

Now, twenty-five years later, here Paul stands before prominent Gentile officials, before the King of Judea, and before many people from the nation of Israel. He is bearing witness in this whole scenario. He has come to bear witness of Jesus before these individuals. You can be certain that if you seek and serve Jesus, you will also find yourself in situations that you never could have imagined. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can imagine.

As you seek and follow the Lord, He will take you into circumstances where you find yourself thinking, "I had no idea that I would ever find myself in this place, serving God in this way." If you seek and serve Him, I am certain, as I have shared before, that when Ananias, twenty-five years before this, said to Paul, "You are going to bear the name of Jesus before Kings and before prominent Gentiles," Paul probably thought, "Well, that's pretty far out. I don't know if that will really happen." But now it has happened, and God has brought him into this.

Along the way, as Paul has been journeying with the Lord, and as we follow the Lord as representatives of King Jesus and His kingdom of heaven, we need to make sure that we, number one on your outline if you have your sermon guide, seek permission to speak of Jesus. We see that in verse 1 of Acts chapter 26. It says, "Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'You are permitted to speak for yourself.'" So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself.

It is interesting that Paul did not need to speak before this hearing. When word came to him, as he was in a cell in the city of Caesarea, it probably came from one of the Roman guards. They said, "Listen, King Agrippa would like to hear you."

From you, would you come and stand before him? Paul could have declined because he had already appealed his case to Caesar. He no longer had to profess his case before the rulers in Judea; his case was already being directed up to Caesar. He had previously declined an opportunity to speak back in Acts chapter 25, right around verse 10, where Festus asked if he would agree to go up to Jerusalem to be heard and judged there. Paul responded, "No, I have appealed to the emperor." So, he could have declined here as well; he could have said, "No, I elect not to speak." Yet, given permission to speak, Paul said, "No, I'll take that opportunity."

Paul gladly took it, and I love that it says in verse 1 that Agrippa said to him, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Paul stood and spoke for himself, but while doing so, he oriented the entire testimony toward Jesus. He was given an opportunity to speak for himself, and yet he directed the conversation ultimately to the Lord Jesus. We should take note of this; it is important for us. We should seek every opportunity to be permitted to speak of Jesus. We should take those open doors when they come. No, Christians should not always be silent and wait for an opportunity. We shouldn't follow the old adage, "Don't speak unless spoken to," but we should seek opportunities when someone gives us an open door to talk about the importance of who Jesus is.

Why is that? Sadly, and I think some of you will recognize this, there are some Christians who think they are bold witnesses for Jesus when, in reality, they are just obnoxious loudmouths. It may be just a small minority, and perhaps that small minority has given the rest of us a bad name. The reality is that there are some people who can't help but leave their two cents about everything they think with individuals who are not necessarily open to receiving it. Therefore, we need to be careful not to promote that concept. We need to seek opportunities and open doors when there is a right time to speak, when there is a permissible opportunity to speak.

I think it's good to remember the words of the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, in Proverbs chapter 17. You may have read...

This one before Proverbs 17:27 says, "He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit." I love this one. Verse 28 states, "Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace." I heard one preacher say one time, "Better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." He who holds his peace is counted wise. Even a fool is counted wise when he keeps his mouth shut.

When he's given an opportunity to speak, then he speaks. But when we are given that open door and that opportunity to speak, we should walk through it. We see that Paul did just that. Given the opportunity, he now seizes the moment.

I guess the only question that comes to mind is, what does such an opportunity look like? What does it look like when someone gives us practically permission to speak? Well, I suggest to you that it could be very simple. It could be something like this: You're with a group of co-workers on a break. They're talking about some sort of thing that's happening in the world, and then they turn to you and say, "Well, don't you go to church? You're a Christian, right? What do you think?" In that moment, you're given an opportunity.

Or maybe you're speaking with some neighbors out in front of your house, and someone is sharing their view on the world, their philosophy. They say something like, "Well, you know, I don't think it's all that wrong to..." fill in the blank. "I don't think it's all that wrong to abort a baby. I don't think it's all that wrong to live with your girlfriend." Then they turn to you and ask, "What do you think?" There you are, given a permissible opportunity to speak.

Yet, I know that some of you right now are thinking, "I'm not ready for that. I don't even want that to happen." Some of you have been in that situation before, where eyes turn to you, and they say, "Well, you've got a fish sticker on your car. You go to that church, don't you? What do you think?" And you go, "Oh, I plead the fifth." You wonder, "What do I say in that moment when given an opportunity to speak?"

Well, might I suggest that the Apostle Peter's counsel is very important? He gives it in his first letter, 1 Peter 3:15, where he says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer."

Sanctify the Lord Jesus in your heart and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is within you, with meekness and fear. Sanctify the Lord God in your heart. You may ask, "What exactly does that mean?" It sounds very spiritual, but what does it mean?

The Psalms say that we are to hide the word of God in our hearts. They also say that His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. I would suggest that if you take the time to read the Scriptures, even if it's just a chapter a day or maybe just three, four, or five verses a day, you will begin to put God's word into your heart. As you study to show yourself approved, as a workman or workwoman who is not ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, as Paul said to Titus in 2 Timothy 2:15, you can be ready.

Immediately following that, in 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is useful for what?" It is useful for doctrine, which means it is useful for teaching. It is also useful for reproof, to rebuke someone and say, "No, that's not the way you should live; that's not the right thing." Furthermore, it is useful for correction, indicating not only that something is not the way but also showing what the right way is. Lastly, it is useful for instruction in righteousness, teaching how to maintain a right walk so that the person who wants to follow God will be ready to do good works.

In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul tells us that we need to preach the word and be ready in season and out of season to convince, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering and teaching. You may say today, "I don't know if I would be ready when the permissible opportunity comes." I would encourage you to read your Bible, maybe just a chapter a day. Commit to doing that to put God's word into your heart so that when the permissible opportunity arises—and it will come, perhaps even this week—you are ready to speak.

Whether you like it or not, if you are a Christian today, God has made you an ambassador of Jesus. You are a representative of Him and His kingdom. Whether you thought that was what you were signing up for or not, that is what you signed up for when you said, "I want to follow Jesus as Lord." If you are not a believer today, you do not have that requirement; you are off the hook, if you will. But if you are a Christian, that is what God has called you to. He has called you to be a representative of Jesus so that when someone turns to you and says, "Well, you believe in that Jesus thing, don't you?" you are not left like Peter on the night that Jesus...

Paul was betrayed, saying, "I don't know the man, I don't know the man." Some of you experience the same thing, where you run away, weeping bitterly in your heart, thinking, "Oh, I should have spoken up, I should have spoken up." I would say you can speak up if you take the time to study to show yourself approved, rightly dividing the word of Truth. Put it into your heart so it's ready and accessible, so that the Spirit of God can draw it to the surface.

In verse two, Paul sees this opportunity. He says, "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because you are an expert in all the customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore, I beg you to hear me patiently."

Point number two on your outline: the curiosity of non-Christians should be met by the courtesy of Christians. It is important to recognize the crowd that Paul is speaking to as he stands before Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice. He is standing before a man who lacked morality and had even less character. He is also standing before a woman who, although history tells us was beautiful on the outside, made true the statement that beauty is only skin deep. She was a wicked, immoral woman as well.

Although she was the sister of Herod Agrippa, history tells us that she was living in an incestuous relationship with him. So, Paul is not standing before the most religious and righteous people—far from it. In fact, he is standing before King Herod Agrippa II, whose father was the very man who had killed the Apostle James. His father was also the one who sought to kill the Apostle Peter. Paul is standing before the very man whose grandfather gave the decree and command to kill all the children two years old and under in the city of Bethlehem when Jesus was born. His father was the same man who gave the decree to crucify Jesus. So here he stands.

Before this man, what does he say? Well, he says, "Agrippa, I am blessed." That's what it means when he says, "I think myself happy." I am blessed to be able to give a defense of myself before you because you are an expert in the matters of all things Israel.

The curiosity of non-Christians should be met with the courtesy of Christians. I'm not sure if you know this, but many non-religious people perceive Christians to be arrogant, self-righteous, and annoying. It's a reality. Many non-Christians perceive Christians to be arrogant, self-righteous, and annoying. How many of you once thought that too? Be honest; many of you did.

Now, again, it may be a very small minority of people that have given Christians a bad name, but there are some who think that perception is grounded in some measure of truth and reality. There are some Christians who are self-righteous, arrogant, and rather annoying. I thought it would be interesting the other day when I went on the internet and used one of the search engines. You know how, when you type in a search criterion, it starts to fill in the blanks of things that have previously been searched? I put in "Christians are," and the first suggestion was "annoying."

I think it's important that we endeavor not to be the kind of Christian that proves that perception right. As I said in a message about five weeks ago, when we're interacting with people who do not believe in the things that we believe in from the Bible, we should acknowledge the intelligence of those we are speaking to. This is very similar; we need to be courteous to those who are curious.

Here was King Agrippa II. Although he is an immoral man and lacks character, he is not at all a spiritual man. Paul is courteous to him. Agrippa considered it a privilege to be able to speak to him today. So, notice what he says at the end of verse 3: "Therefore, I beg you to hear me." What does it say? "I beg you to hear me patiently."

Next point on your outline.

Sharing the gospel takes time. It typically does not take weeks, months, or years. There may be some people in your life with whom you have been sharing the gospel for an extended period, but normally, it does not require that long. To adequately relay the good news of the gospel and to share what Jesus has done for us in the context of the bad news of who we are, it does take time.

It is important to recognize this point from what Paul says in this passage. He states, "I beg you to hear me patiently." What he has to say might seem far out, and you might think you already know about this sort of thing. He is simply asking for an honest and patient hearing. Paul acknowledges the intelligence of his hearers, but he also asks them to bear witness with him as he outlines the gospel.

It can be a very powerful and profitable thing for you and me to take note of this and actually follow this model. Why? Well, maybe you have someone in your life—a family member, a neighbor, a friend, or a co-worker—who has expressed some curiosity about these matters. You might recognize that it could take a little time. You could say to them, "I'm really glad that you're curious about this. I wonder if you wouldn't mind going to lunch with me so that I can share with you the truths of the things that I believe and why I believe them."

The reality is that the people you work with, the people you go to school with, and the people who live in your neighborhood here in North County are far less literate about the Bible than you might think. In fact, studies have revealed that people in America today are less literate about the Bible than at any other time in American history. Bible literacy is at an all-time low.

So much so that there are people you will interact with who have no idea that there is a story in the Bible about a guy named David and another big guy named Goliath. There are people you will talk with who, when you mention Joseph from the Bible, do not know that there was a famous Joseph who was prime minister over Egypt in the Book of Genesis. They may confuse him with the famous Joseph who married Mary in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We should not hold that against them; we just need to recognize their lack of knowledge.

Did you know that studies reveal a person who is not a Christian, after they become a Christian, will find that within 24 months, nearly all of their friends are Christians? This is not because all of their friends became Christians, but because they no longer hang out with their old friends. Within 24 months of becoming a Christian, you no longer associate with people who are not believers. As a result, you may forget that they do not think the same way you do. They may not know the same things that you know. For instance, when you speak about Abraham from the Bible, they might think you are talking about Abraham Lincoln. They probably have no idea that there was another Martin Luther besides Martin Luther King.

Some of you here today might be wondering, "What are you talking about?" You may feel that you have no idea about these things, and you know what? That’s okay. It is important that we recognize this, but it should also compel us to take the time to express the truth of the Gospel. We need to give people a proper understanding of what it is that we believe and why we believe it. For the most part, a person who does not know these things looks at you and thinks, "Well, you're just weird." They do not understand, but that is okay.

It is my job, your job, and our job as followers of Jesus and as ambassadors of His kingdom to share with people about our King and His kingdom. Paul says to Agrippa, "I pray that you would give me some time and be patient with me." In verse 4, he states, "My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know." They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.

Notice what Paul does: he is here to give a defense for himself, and he wants to share about Jesus. He begins by telling his story. Point number four on your outline is to build credibility by telling your story. He says, "My manner of life from my youngest years, which were spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem, all the Jews know." He is not claiming that every single Jew, all the descendants of the nation of Israel, or all descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob know who he is. He is saying that the prominent people in Judaism know who he is.

They know my background. Previously, in the book of Acts, we learned that Paul was a Pharisee, which was a group of religious individuals, a sect among Judaism. His father was also a Pharisee, so he was a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. People knew this guy, and he says they knew who I was; they knew me.

In verse 5, he states that from the very first, if they were willing to testify, they could tell this: according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. Now, it's interesting the words that Paul uses there. "Strictest sect" is, in the original language, a double superlative. You English speakers know what that means. It's as if he's saying, "I was a part of the most strictest group." If you're an English teacher, you're going, "Ooh, don't say that," because you can't use that in English. But that's what Paul is saying: I was part of the most strictest religious group, the Pharisees.

Now I am standing as one who is judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. I'm being looked upon with judgment because I believe what our forefathers believed regarding this promise. The twelve tribes—now, the twelve tribes were that which made up the nation of Israel. There was a man who was the father of the nation of Israel named Abraham. He had a son named Isaac, and Isaac had a son named Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons, and those twelve sons had many people, and those were the twelve tribes of Israel.

He says, "Listen, our forefathers believed this promise that I'm being judged for, and the twelve tribes, all of our family," he says to Agrippa, "earnestly serve God day and night to attain this hope. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews." He is kind of leading Agrippa in, and Agrippa is going, "What is this guy talking about? Why should it be incredible to you that God raises the dead?"

What hope is Paul speaking about? He is speaking about the hope of the Resurrection. He said our fathers believed it; Abraham believed in the resurrection. How do we know that? We see an allusion to it in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11. There was a time in Abraham's life when God said to him, "I want you to take your son, your only son Isaac, and I want you to sacrifice him," as a test of Abraham's faith. Ultimately, God said, "No, I don't want you to do it," but it was a test of his faith, and Abraham went to follow God. Why? Hebrews 11 said he believed that God was able to raise.

Isaac from the dead, and so Abraham believed in the resurrection. Isaac believed in the resurrection. Jacob and his sons believed in the resurrection. Paul says the twelve tribes sought to attain the resurrection. I am being judged for this very thing: that God raises the dead. Indeed, I myself thought that I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

What is he getting at? Well, he said, "I believe in the resurrection." They believe and hope for the resurrection, but I am certain about the resurrection because I met someone—some guy—who was raised from the dead. Before I met him, I was convinced that I ought to do many things to oppose this man, Jesus of Nazareth.

Paul builds credibility by telling his story. One of Paul's often chosen methods for sharing truth was to tell his story. He shares his background in Judaism, his education, his life, and his life as a Pharisee. He shares about his zealous persecution of those who were followers of Jesus of Nazareth, and he does so to build a case for this reality.

It's interesting to me that when Paul is sharing these things, he didn't share this information about his background as a Pharisee or his upbringing in Judaism and Jerusalem. He didn't talk about his persecution of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth with Festus or Felix when he spoke with these two Roman governors. He shared with them about the case that was coming against him and the injustice of this case, but he didn't discuss his upbringing in Judaism or his persecution of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.

Why? It wasn't appropriate for those Roman minds. But here, he is speaking to a Jewish man, King Agrippa, who understood and knew these things. Every single time Paul tells this story, it is when he is speaking to that kind of audience. This clues us into the reality that Paul spoke to his audience contextually. He speaks about this in one of the letters he wrote called Second Corinthians, where he says, "To the Jews, I became as a Jew; to those who were under the law, I spoke as one under the law; to those who had not the law, I spoke as one without the law." He became all things to all people that he might win some. Paul knew how to speak to his audience.

People he judged where they were at, and he spoke in a way that they could comprehend. He tells his story. It's so important that you and I hold on to this reality: we build credibility by telling our story. Why? Because the reality is people have a hard time speaking against your story. They can object if you say, "I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that he rose again from the dead." They might object and say, "I don't even believe that he lived, that there was ever a man named Jesus." They can deny that, but if you tell them your story, they have a hard time objecting to that.

It reminds me of another story we find in the Gospel of John. In John chapter 9, Jesus healed a man who was born blind. That very same man, who had been healed of blindness, was brought before a religious council. They were trying to get rid of Jesus because they didn't like him, so they asked this man all kinds of questions. They posed a very interesting question in John chapter 9, verse 24. They called this man again, who was blind, and said, "Give glory to God. We know that this man, Jesus, who healed you, is a sinner. What do you think?"

Instead of giving his opinion, instead of saying, "Yeah, well, I don't think he's a sinner," which would have caused him problems, he answered, "Whether he's a sinner, I don't know. One thing I know: I was blind, now I see." They have a hard time contending with that. He didn't give his opinion about whether or not Jesus was a sinner. To say that Jesus is not a sinner means he comes from God or maybe he is God. But he stated, "I was blind, and now I see," and they had to reckon with that.

When you talk with someone in your workplace or in your neighborhood and they ask you questions like, "What do you think about Jesus? Do you really believe this or that?" you can respond, "Listen, I don't know about that, but let me just tell you my story. Let me tell you what happened in my life." The only conclusion I can draw from what happened in my life is that he is Lord, that he has power, and that he has authority because this is what he has done in my life. Who can argue with that? Whether he's a sinner or not, I don't know, but one thing I know: I was blind, but now I see.

Every single one of you has a story like that. Every one of you in this room today, if you're a Christian, has a story like, "I was once lost, and now I'm found. I was once blind, and now I see." Jesus transformed my life. I myself, in Acts 26, was convinced that I ought to do...

More things to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I cast in my vote. Paul says, "Listen, I was one of the guys who cast my vote against them that they would be killed." We remember Stephen in Acts chapter 7. I punished them often in every synagogue, and I compelled them to blaspheme. I forced them to say, "I don't believe in Jesus of Nazareth." Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign city borders. It didn't matter; I was so against them zealously that I pursued them.

While I was thus occupied, I journeyed to Damascus, the capital of Syria, with authority and commission from the chief priests. At midday, O King Agrippa, along the road, I saw a light from Heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me, saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Isn't it hard for you to kick against the goads?"

So I said, "Lord, who are you?" He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." Now, I have said this many times before, but can you imagine? It's very likely that Paul was in Jerusalem and knew about these things when Jesus was crucified. He had been persecuting and putting people to death who were saying Jesus raised from the dead. He was saying, "No, he didn't. He didn't rise from the dead," even though this very same guy had hoped for the resurrection one day.

Now, here he is on his way to persecute more people, and he gets struck down to the ground by this bright light, brighter than the sun. He hears a voice that says, "Why are you persecuting me?" He responds, "Who are you?" The voice replies, "I am Jesus." Oh snap! How do you deal with that?

"I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." The next thing he probably imagined was, "You're a dead man." But Jesus said, "But rise and stand on your feet. Why? For I have appeared to you for this purpose: to judge you and kill you?" No, that might be the way that I work or you work, but Jesus isn't like that.

"I have appeared to you for this purpose: to make you a minister, a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I shall reveal to you. I’m going to deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light, the light that you just have seen."

And from the power of Satan to the power of God, we receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Him.

Point number five: every story needs a point, and ours should point to Jesus. Every story needs a point, and ours should point to Jesus. Paul speaks of his background, his upbringing, his education, and his life. He speaks of his persecution of those who followed Jesus because they said He rose from the dead. In the midst of all of my rage and anger against these people, Jesus, who had risen from the dead, appeared to me in a bright light, brighter than the sun. He spoke to me and said, "I want you to serve me."

Some people are incredible storytellers. I think of Moses; Jesus certainly was. In fact, Jesus rarely spoke without a story. We all come from and live in a culture that is geared around storytelling. Every culture in the world is geared around storytelling. It's just that in our culture today, stories are told on big screens in movie theaters or on Netflix. But we are still story-driven people.

The best way to share the truth about who Jesus is and what He does is to share your story. Paul told his story, and ultimately it pointed to Jesus. Every Christian has a story. You may never be able to perfectly articulate the truth of Romans chapters 7 and 8. You may never be able to argue the existence of God from the teleological or ontological arguments, and some of you may not even know what that is. That's okay. You may never be able to give that kind of hermeneutic response or apologetic response, but you can tell your story.

The awesome thing about your story is that it's yours, and you know it. You don't have to read up on it, you don't have to study it, and you don't have to work on it. You know it. I don't know your story, but you know your story. You could tell me your story, and I could try to tell your story, but the reality is I wouldn't tell it as well as you would.

So, we, in our lives as we go about as ambassadors of Jesus, need to seek permission to speak of Jesus, and we need to be courteous when people...

Are you curious when you inquire? We need to take the time to share the gospel and tell the story that points others to Jesus. The reality is that every single one of us has friends, neighbors, and family members—except for me, probably. Every single one of you has co-workers who don't know Jesus, and they need Jesus. Jesus has transformed your life, and you've got a story to tell about the transforming power of Jesus. Amen.

Please stand with me as we close in prayer. Father God, we thank You for the reality that You are the one who loves wrecked lives and desires to restore them. You are the great Restorer. As I look out over this group of people here this morning, I see faces of individuals whose stories I know a little bit. I know how You have taken wrecked lives and transformed and restored them.

You have taken people who were out of their minds and made them think correctly and rightly. You have taken individuals who lived in a way that only brought shame and hurt, leaving a wake of destruction in their path, and brought them to a new place. You have made them a new creation in You to display Your glory. You love to take broken things and put them in Your art gallery, saying, "Look at what I can do with a broken life."

Consider the broken life of the Apostle Paul, who was an angry man filled with rage, bitterness, murder, and hatred. You turned him into a man compelled by love to carry the gospel to people who were not like him—foreigners and those in desperate need.

So, God, use our lives as You used the life of the Apostle Paul 2,000 years ago. Lord, use our lives to share the story of Your great glory and grace. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank you.