Acts 26:1-28
DATE: 7 Jan, 2001 AM
PLACE: BBC Blarney
I.
Introduction
A.
The life of the Apostle Paul was caught-up with one main purpose – the
winning of the lost
B.
Now he had a secondary purpose, and that was the training of those new
converts, so that THEY would also go out and win the lost – AMEN!
II.
Background
A.
Paul is in chains, standing before a king, a queen, a huge court full of
onlookers, and curious folks, watching this little Jew walk up before the
throne.
B.
He seems to be calm – not nervous, or put out by the large crowd – he
seems rather to enjoy the pressure
C.
He has been on a long journey so far. And he is not finishing yet. This
is just another one of the many witnessing opportunities that God had placed in
his lap, and Paul was going to get as much mileage out of the situation as
possible
D.
And so he does – He shows us in plain words, how to persuade lost folks
to get saved – to repent and get born again!
E.
If each one of us are to win one person to Christ, then we better pay
close attention to how it is done!
III.
Message – How
to Persuade Folks to Get Saved (Acts
26:1-28)
A.
You Need a Testimony to Give Out (Acts 26:1-20)
1.
Speak for
yourself (26:1-3)
a.
Don’t
be afraid
b.
More
importantly, don’t be ashamed
c.
The most
joyous time of a Christian’s life should be the presentation of the love of
their life – and Paul was excited to talk about Jesus
1)
Bill
Gates – about his company
2)
Music
stars – love to talk about their new album
3)
Christians
– about their Saviour
2.
Link
people with your past (26:4-11) – show your reality, your realness
a.
Religious
- Or atheistic
b.
Devout,
or apathetic
c.
Just what
were you like?
3.
Don’t
glorify your past, and its sinfulness
a.
Notice
that Paul is not bringing up a bunch of sinful habits and acts and parading them
before the hearers
b.
He was
showing especially his goodness to show how lost he was
c.
We
don’t need to say how filthy we are for people to be convinced
d.
They need
to know that the “good” people are going to hell
4.
Just
explain how God got your attention (26:12-18)
5.
Clearly
identify the point where you surrendered, and got saved (26:19)
a.
Day and
hour
b.
Where you
repented – surrendered to the rightness of God as a sinner
c.
And then
accepted Jesus as already having taken your place and punishment
6.
Notice
that Paul gave his testimony everywhere he went (26:20), even from the very
start of his new life – it helped him grow
a.
Some of
you are hindering your own growth because of pride
b.
Some of
you are living a lie – your friends think you are no different
7.
Everyone
needs to sit down, pray, and write it out, and then give it out
B.
Get Over Your Past and have a Different Life – a Christian Life (Acts
26:20-21)
1.
A
Different Life – changed, new
a.
Paul was
definitely different – are YOU any different? You are not saved if you are not
different!
b.
Once had
been torturing the Christians
c.
Now
trying to get everybody to become Christians
d.
That is
the greatest identifying mark of a believer (1Cor 6:9-11)
2.
A
Hard-Working Life – do you see the energy level of this guy?
a.
First in
Damascus
b.
Then down
to Jerusalem
c.
Then all
over Judea
d.
Then out
to the gentiles – the whole world
e.
Preaching
the Gospel, and a life of GOOD WORKS for God once saved – if you have
repented, it will show by your efforts!
3.
A
Sacrificial Life – all for others! YOU WILL NEVER FIND JOY OUTSIDE OF SERVING
AND GIVING, no matter the cost (26:21)!
C.
Be Able to Rest in the Lord (Acts 26:22a; Lk 12:11,12; Cf 2Tim 2:1)
1.
We have
no testimony if it does not counter-act the pressures of life
2.
We have
no walk with God if we collapse under the weight of sins
3.
We have
nothing this world wants if we do not have REST
4.
Whatever
we face, we are being watched, and need to hold on to the things that Christ has
brought into our lives that will over-power our troubles and persecutions (Paul
was HATED by his own family)!
a.
The Holy
Spirit of God
b.
The
Promises of God
c.
The Plan
of God – nothing is happening by accident
D.
Have a Message to Preach (Acts 26:22b-23)
1.
Only the
Bible – notice, saying no new doctrines, or new revelation that first wasn’t
in the Old Testament Bible! WOW! Could YOU do that? The key is to just PREACH
the contents of this Book!
2.
Only
Jesus
a.
His
suffering – forget the suffering of the world – we have the cure
b.
His
resurrection
c.
His light
and truth belongs to everyone – not that he is a good teacher, but that He is
the ONLY way to heaven!
3.
We
don’t preach ANYTHING else, and we don’t USE ANY OTHER BIBLE than God’s
preserved word, the King James Bible!
E.
Have a Goal to Reach (Acts 26:24-27)
1.
To reach
the Top People not with education, or reformation, but salvation
a.
Agrippa
– a KING!
b.
Ceasar
and his palace – we will see how this works out in a moment
c.
Paul was
never put off by targeting the biggest sinners, or the biggest politicians (same
thing).
2.
To Reach
Everybody Possible (Acts 20:18-21)
3.
To Stay
on Target – this is probably, the probably our biggest problem
a.
Festus
can’t stand the pressure – you could cut the stress with a knife
b.
Festus
tries to cover for Agrippa – stop him from having to respond to this preacher
c.
The devil
will throw everything at you when you are getting close to decision-time (kids,
phone, mobile, husband, wife, power going off).
d.
Yet Paul
stays on target – presses for a decision
1)
You
believe the Bible don’t you?
2)
You know
now what it is all about, don’t you?
3)
What are
you going to do?
F.
Have Patience (Acts 26:28-30) – it is God’s business you are in!
1.
Agrippa
almost got saved, but didn’t. Sad. He is in hell this minute, and his name is
eternally recorded in the Bible, but not in the Book of Life!
2.
But, even
though Agrippa didn’t get saved, others did, and others will (Acts 17:32-34;
Philp 4:22)
IV.
Conclusion
A.
Have a Testimony – sit down, pray, and write it out, and then give it out
B.
Have a Different Life Now - a Christian Life
C.
Rest in the Lord – draw your confidence from Him
D.
Have a Message to Preach from the Bible about Jesus
E.
Have a Goal to Reach – not education, or reformation, but salvation
F.
Have Patience - it is the work of the Holy Spirit you must wait on