From
Acts to Revelation
Part
73 – Paul's Defense, and then I met
Jesus
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Last week we read about Festus taking Paul
to King Agrippa, in hopes of sorting this issue out. Festus was at a loss as to what he is to
charge Paul with, or what he will send to Rome as charges to Caesar with Paul.
Festus hopes King Agrippa may clear things up for him.
Paul has the opportunity to speak in his
own defense to King Agrippa, asking the King be patient with him, because he
has a lot to say.
We begin with Paul explaining how he was
raised, and who he was before he met Jesus of Nazareth.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 26:1-12
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King
Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make
my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you
are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and
controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was
a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in
Jerusalem. 5 They
have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I
conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a
Pharisee. 6 And
now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our
ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve
tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and
night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing
me. 8 Why
should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible
to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in
Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s
people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote
against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have
them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed
with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the
authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I
was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing
around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me
in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to
kick against the goads.’
“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord
replied.
1. How we
may have been raised
2. How we
too may have been taught to oppose Jesus of Nazareth
3. Who we
can become after we meet Jesus
I.
PAUL'S DEFENSE
a. The
Jewish people all know the way I have lived my life
i.
Paul was born and raised in Jerusalem
ii.
Taught in the strictest of religious sects,
as a pharisee
iii. Though
Paul was not sure any of the Jews would testify to this truth in court, simply
because of their hate or him
b. It is
because of my hope in what God promised our ancestors
i.
...that I am on trial here today
ii.
Paul preached the resurrected Christ, which
should not have offended the Sanhedrin, yet caused much debate. God promised
resurrection, and when He fulfilled His promise, there should have been
celebration, not persecution.
iii. Paul
says as much, “Why should we consider it incredible, God raising the dead?”
c. I too
was convinced to do all that was possible to oppose Jesus of Nazareth
i.
with the authority of the Chief Priests, I
did
ii.
many of the Lord's people were put in
prison, and to death and I had cast my vote against them.
iii. I even
tried to force them to blaspheme
iv.
I was so obsessed with persecuting them, I
hunted them down outside Jerusalem.
d. And
then I met Jesus
II.
WHO YOU MAY HAVE BEEN
a. Though
you may not (or may have) been raised in a strict religious sect from early
childhood, many of us have been raised in a manner of opposition to Jesus.
b. Like
Paul, we too may have been taught to oppose the Name of Jesus directly, or even
in-directly.
c. Or
perhaps we may have been taught to oppose church, faith, God, when at all
possible.
d. By the
way we lived, in the way we acted, in the things we spoke, and how we thought
or believed, we opposed Jesus.
III.
AND THEN WE MET JESUS
a. He may
not have appeared before us as He did to Saul, however, there is a time in each
of our lives where He did come, and call each of us to Him.
i.
For myself, it was many days before I
realized I had submitted myself to the Lord and accepted Jesus as my Lord and
Savior.
ii.
Now, I consciously ask for forgiveness and
submit to Him almost daily.
iii. Committing
myself to Him and the Way as a daily practice.
b. When we
meet the Lord, things change
i.
He calls us
ii.
We submit, and confess
iii. We are
forgiven
iv.
He begins a work inside of us, slowly
repairing the damage that sin has done to the way we think, and act...our
hearts change.
v.
Each passing day we belong to the Lord, we
become more like who He created us to be, and less like what this world has
made us.
c. Paul
begins his defense by telling a story
i. Paul
explains who he was before Jesus
ii. Paul
then explains how he met Jesus
iii. Next
week we will hear Paul explain how Jesus changed him
CONCLUSION
1.
How were you raised...were you taught things that are opposing to
Christ and the Kingdom were OK?
2.
Were you taught to oppose Jesus of Nazareth in the way you lived,
spoke, acted or thought?
3. Have you met Jesus yet?
If not, we need to remember,
ñ We are
already condemned to face judgment because of sin.
ñ The
sentence will be the everlasting fire of hell.
ñ However,
if you accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, the perfect Lamb's sacrifice on
the cross allows Jesus to pay your debt, saving you from eternal damnation.
ñ This is
the New Covenant Jesus makes with us, we acknowledge this New Covenant, and show
we have accepted it by partaking in communion.
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