Paul's Testimony & Defense

Acts 25 & 26

Paul trusted in God's Providence:

Providence: God’s foresight of what we need and the action/initiative that He takes to provide for that need.

We still have our own desire/will and make decisions because God is big enough to allow men to do as they wish and yet still purposefully achieve His purposes.

Acts 25:1-12

Four points of application

Four principles that are seen in the rest of the passage:

1. Trust in God’s Providence. 

When things seem hopeless in your life, you need not fear. There’s no better place to be than in His hand!

2. The Gospel demands a response. 

You can’t not respond

Jesus predicted hostility in John 15:18-25 There is no such thing as being neutral about Jesus

3. The Deadly Grip of Sin. 

When sin gets ahold of you, it doesn’t want to let go - like an Alligator’s mouth - when it gets hold, it won’t let go.

4. The Necessity of Submission

No matter who you are or what position in life you are in, God has ordained that you are to be a person under authority.

Only when you’re submitting to the earthly authorities God placed you under are you truly submitting to God.

Children - parents - Ephesians 5

Wives - Husbands - 1 Peter 3

Employees - Boss - Titus 2

Church members - church leadership - 

Hebrews 13:17

Verses 13-27

Enter Agrippa and Bernice

Paul’s isn’t trying to get acquitted.

or to win a debate.

He’s trying to convert Agrippa.

Paul saw himself as Christ’s Ambassador

2 Corinthians 5:20 – we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Do you see yourself as Christ’s ambassador?

When you get up and head out tomorrow, you are heading out as Christ’s ambassador. In whatever situation you find yourself in, you’re speaking on behalf of Jesus Christ.

26:1-11 - Paul’s Testimony

Reminder: the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so central to the gospel message that if you don’t include it - you really haven’t shared the message of the gospel

Romans 10:9 – if you confess with your mouth 

Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.

If you don’t confess that God raised Jesus from the dead

YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN. 

There are doctrines we can disagree on

this is not one of them. 

Light and Dark

The Bible uses the metaphor of light to describe salvation. Darkness represents lostness.

Paul, as a Pharisee - thought of himself as enlightened - as one of God’s people, yet he was living in darkness.

That’s our world today - thinking we’re enlightened but truthfully in darkness

The Gospel Verse

Verse 18 is about the spiritual condition we all must be saved from and what we are saved TO.

to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 

Paul, before salvation, was trusting in his own works. In his own righteousness

As we all are before Christ.

And just like Paul - we have to lose that.

We have to turn from that

And trust in Christ alone. 

We have to stop trusting in ourselves

And trust exclusively in Christ!

We need to keep doing that - it’s all too easy to begin trusting in ourselves along the way.

Beginning in verse 19 - we see the amazing results of the gospel. 

If you were to use one word to describe what it looks like to be saved, it would be: Obedience

Notice that Paul’s desire to see others saved never ends.

What is your own passion to see others saved? Is it an all consuming passion like Paul’s was?

Be praying for yourself, and your brothers and sisters in Christ that God would foster in each of us a greater passion for evangelism. 

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob