Final Testimony ('On Trial' pt 8.)

When we had all fallen to the ground I heard a voice speaking to me, saying in the Hebrew language, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." So I said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness... to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me." Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. (Acts 26:14–19)

When Saul of Tarsus met the risen Jesus, everything changed—and the same encounter still transforms ordinary believers today.

God's Creative Imagination and Power

How many of us have recognized that God's way of doing things is often different than ours? We've all heard that God works in mysterious ways, and while that's true, I'd rather say it this way: God has a creative imagination. When you look at His creation—the strange and wonderful creatures documentaries reveal—you know that's true.

Sometimes the way God works displays that same creativity. When Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the Apostle, was actively pursuing Christians about 25 years before this event, he persecuted believers, forced some to blaspheme, and even presided over the deaths of some. One of them was Stephen in Acts 7, the first Christian martyr. As a Pharisee on the religious ruling council, Saul was breathing threats and murder against the church (Acts 8:1).

No one in the church would ever have imagined that God would choose this man to become perhaps the most prolific minister and witness of Jesus Christ. And when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus—a light brighter than the sun that knocked him to the ground—Saul could never have dreamed up the story Jesus told him: "I want you to be my minister and my witness, bearing my name before kings and leaders of the Gentiles."

Now in Acts 26, that very thing is happening. Paul's audience is King Herod Agrippa II, his sister Bernice, the Roman governor Festus, and all the power brokers of Caesarea. Years before, a Christian named Ananias had prophesied Saul would bear the name of Jesus before kings—and here it comes to pass. God does far-out, amazing things. If God revealed His full plan for your future right now, you would find it pretty amazing too.

He Calls Things That Do Not Exist

Many Christians say, "God could never use me in that way." Yet God not only has a creative imagination, He has the creative power to bring to pass what He imagines. There's a saying in motivational circles: "What the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve." That's not true—I can conceive of flying and have never managed it. We can imagine far more than we can accomplish. But that's not true for God.

In Romans 4:17 Paul tells us that God "calls those things which do not exist as though they did." The context is Abraham, called at 75 to be the father of many nations though he and his wife remained childless until he was 100 and she was 90. Humanly impossible—but God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think.

I want everyone in this room to live in expectation that God is going to do something great in and through us, because we serve the living God. Too many Christians walk around as if the church is about to implode. The reality is the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. The book of Acts is the testimony of a man who lived in that confidence.

"I Am Jesus, Whom You Are Persecuting"

Saul didn't like Jesus, like many in the religious establishment, because Jesus called the Pharisees whitewashed tombs full of dead men's bones—hypocrites. When Jesus was crucified, Saul rejoiced; when the disciples claimed He was alive, Saul set out to kill them. He did this even against the counsel of his own teacher, Gamaliel, who had warned the council that if this movement was of God, fighting it would mean fighting God Himself.

On the road to Damascus the great light shone, all fell to the ground, and Saul heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." A goad was a long, sharp-tipped beam a farmer used to prod a stubborn ox back to work. God was saying, "I'm trying to make you go this direction, and you're kicking against me." Let me clue you in: it is not a good idea to fight against God. If you're a skeptic fighting Him today, read Genesis 32—Jacob wrestled with God and walked with a limp the rest of his life.

"Who are You, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." No matter how many times I read this, I wonder what it must have been like to hear those words. Saul, as a Pharisee, believed in a distant future resurrection, but he was completely committed to the idea that Jesus of Nazareth had not risen. Now the very Jesus he was convinced was dead speaks to him from heaven.

Point One: When You Meet the Risen Jesus, Everything Changes

There was no going back from that moment. Saul could not dust himself off and continue on to Damascus with letters from the chief priests. In Acts 9 we learn his response: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" The man fighting the notion that Jesus is Lord now calls Him Lord and asks for orders.

Many of you have experienced this, even without a bright light or an audible voice. You came in contact with the presence and power of the risen Lord, and everything changed. You still looked the same, sounded the same, went to work the next day—and when you told a friend, "I met Jesus," they looked at you as though you were weird. But you're different. As 2 Corinthians says, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

When you can't fully explain it, here's a simple, unanswerable testimony: "I believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and His life has completely changed my life." When a skeptic mocks your faith, say that. They can disagree, but they can't argue against it—and it will frustrate them to no end.

And if you're a skeptic today, that's okay. Saul was skeptical. Thomas was skeptical—10 disciples told him Jesus had risen and he refused to believe until he saw, yet when the risen Jesus appeared, Thomas cried, "My Lord and my God!" Christians are rational people. More than 80% of Americans believe in life after death—in a resurrection of some kind. The only difference is that Christians believe Jesus, who died and was buried, rose three days later, and His life has changed ours.

Point Two: When Jesus Calls, Just Say Yes

Jesus told Saul to rise, for He would make him "a minister"—a servant—and "a witness"—the Greek martus, from which we get martyr. He was sent as an apostle to open eyes, turn people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith.

Sin is the problem facing all humanity. As Paul wrote to Rome, through one man, Adam, sin entered the world, and death spread to all. Jesus died as our substitute to deal with sin so we could receive a pardon. So Paul says, "King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." What was he going to do—say no?

We can be spared a lot of frustration by simply saying, "Yes, Lord." Those words go together; "No, Lord" does not. Lord means master, ruler, one with authority—and to say no is to claim that authority for yourself.

Every parent understands this. I have four children—Ethan, Addison, Evangeline, and Elliot, who turns one today—and they all inherited a strong will. A strong will isn't necessarily terrible, but a strong contrary will is difficult: you say up, they say down. Our patience is like a finite pitcher of water; eventually it runs dry and we want to force our will. But God has infinite patience. If you try to go contrary to Him, He simply waits—ten years, twenty years. I've met people in their fifties and sixties who say, "God called me in my twenties and I said no. I wish I'd heeded then." So much frustration could be avoided. When Jesus calls, just say yes.

Point Three: Our Obedience Must Be Tangible

What did Paul's obedience look like? He declared the message first in Damascus, then Jerusalem, then throughout Judea, then to the Gentiles—that they should repent, turn to God, and "do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20). Repent means to turn; it begins with a change of mind that moves in a new direction.

Paul didn't merely obey mentally or verbally. He obeyed with his life. Many who call themselves Christians say, "Yes, Lord," but delay obedience and live in anxiety. James, who wrote the first New Testament letter, said faith without works is dead. We're not saved by works, but we are saved for good works. The overflow of real faith is a transformed life.

Jesus told of a father with two sons. One said, "Yes, I'll work the field," but didn't go. The other said no, but later repented and went. Who did the father's will? Many of us sit in churches and say yes to Jesus, then walk out the doors and our lives say no. Pastor Josh once shared a quote attributed to A.W. Tozer: "Christians don't tell lies; they just sing them in church." We proclaim our obedience in songs and then walk away unchanged. Our obedience must be visible.

Point Four: Don't Be Offended by a Skeptical Response

Paul continues: "For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me." Obedience to Jesus is not always welcomed by the world. Yet he stands witnessing to small and great, saying nothing beyond what Moses and the prophets said—that the Christ should suffer (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22) and be the first to rise from the dead (Psalm 16:9–11), proclaiming light to Jews and Gentiles alike. The Jewish people of his day didn't like that the message was for all peoples, because by sinful nature people are partial to their own; that nature must be transformed.

In the middle of Paul's defense, Festus interrupts with a loud voice: "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning has made you mad." Literally, "You're insane." As a Roman who had seen crucifixions, Festus knew people don't survive them—so claiming this man rose from the dead sounded like madness.

We can't be offended by a skeptical response; it's the normal reaction to a miraculous claim. Paul himself wrote that the gospel is a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others (1 Corinthians 1:23). Yet in Acts 26:8 he asks, "Why should it be thought incredible that God raises the dead?" If we believe God created all things, why is it incredible that He raises the dead?

Point Five: Maintain Respect

Paul replies, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason." He doesn't get angry or insult the Roman governor. He calmly says, "I know it sounds far-fetched, but I met the risen Jesus, and His life has completely changed mine."

For a Greco-Roman mind, truth and reason were highly esteemed—as they are in our culture today. Paul insists his message accords with reality. Then he points to the evidence: "The king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things... since this thing was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26). Agrippa's own father presided over Jesus' trial; Agrippa lived in Jerusalem when it happened; he knew the tomb was empty.

The resurrection was public, not secret. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul records that Jesus was seen by Peter, by the disciples, by more than 500 at once, and finally by Paul himself. Paul tells Festus he can examine Pilate's records in Caesarea. "I speak the words of truth and reason. He rose from the dead, and we have seen Him."

Point Six: Make Your Intentions Clear

The resurrection demands a response, so Paul turns to the king: "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." Agrippa answers, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." He knew the evidence, and the evidence demands a response.

Paul replies, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains." Paul made his intentions clear: he didn't want Agrippa to almost become a Christian; he wanted him and everyone present to be saved.

If you're not a Christian here today, I won't pull any punches—I want you to become a Christian. And if you are a Christian sharing your faith, share in such a way that your intention is clear: that you want them to believe as you believe. We don't share merely so people understand us better; we share so they too will believe. We live in a culture that dislikes the idea of conversion, but Jesus called us to go and make disciples of all nations. Make your intentions clear.

When Paul finished, the king stood up, along with the governor, Bernice, and all who sat with them. As they withdrew they talked among themselves and concluded, "This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains."

Jesus rose from the dead, and His life can completely change your life. When you meet the risen Jesus, everything changes.