Have you ever asked yourself why it is that God has told us so much about the ministry of the Apostle Paul? Yes, he was the Apostle to the Gentiles; and yes he was key to the evangelism of the ancient world. But what if the Book of Acts was never included in the canon of Scripture? What if we had the books of Romans and Galatians, but we didn’t have the Book of Acts? If the gospel spread around the world just as the New Testament reveals, but we weren’t told about its early stages, we could very well be just as blessed as we are today. I think that we absolutely have to have one or more of the Gospels and those books which explain the intricacies of salvation. But this book is one of those cases where the Lord does so much more than we ask or think necessary.
So why is it that the Lord has given us this Book of Acts? Isn’t it to put before our eyes some examples of how the Christian life is supposed to be lived? Isn’t it to show us some of the ways which Christians can share the gospel with the lost and dying? I’m sure there is more to it than this, but at the very least, this makes the Book of Acts worth the money.
I’ve entitled this message: “All That We Can Ask For.” It’s our job to be ambassadors for Christ; it’s our job to testify of what we know of the Lord. You and I will likely never have the same opportunity that Paul had in this chapter. He had the privilege of presenting Christ to the most illustrious people in his nation. The only man missing from this assembly was the High Priest, unless I am mistaken. In the sense of opportunity, this was all that Paul could ask for. The Lord had assembled another congregation to whom His servant could present Christ Jesus. It should be our prayer that we have the same privilege, although we recognize that it will be unlikely that we ever address such a distinguished crowd.
It’s not my intention this afternoon to analyze what Paul said. It’s my goal only to look at the situation and the way in which Paul said what he said. It was a personal testimony, personal conversion, personal mission and a personal application.
Paul’s TESTIMONY.
On this occasion, Paul didn’t talk about Felix or Festus. He didn’t refer to the unjust charges of the High Priest or the attack of the mob in the Temple. And he certainly didn’t try to tell Agrippa about what was in the hearts of those people. Just as it is in an American courtroom, the only thing that he could testify to was what he knew. So he was basically talking about two people: himself and his Saviour.
And that is just as it ought to be in our witness for Christ. Sure we should know a little scripture in order to explain what the Lord has done in us. But it’s not about what the preacher said, what others were doing at the time, or what we were told to do. What do you now KNOW of Christ Jesus? What has the Lord done for YOU? What did you feel when the Holy Spirit convicted you? What was it like when you repented of your sin.
It seems that after Festus’ introduction Agrippa was in charge. When he told Paul to start, our Apostle raised his arm, which was probably tied to a guard. Verse 29 refers to his “bonds,” which doesn’t really specify what sort of bonds that they were. When he extended his arms there could very well have been the rattling of chains.
And yet his immediate words were “I think myself HAPPY, King Agrippa….” Yes, he was happy to be able to answer for himself, but the fact is, he had much to rejoice in – period. This Greek word is found exactly 50 times in our Bibles and 44 times it is translated “blessed.” If we want to have any real influence over our lost neighbors, we have to live like God blessed people. We need to display the joy that we have in Christ. Since so many of our neighbors live their lives with little other desire than to find some sort of happiness, and since we possess eternal happiness or blessedness, then we must exemplify the happiest of all people if we hope to win them.
Paul was happy to be able to talk to Agrippa about what the Saviour had done for him. He spoke about what he personally knew and had experienced. And as a result he could speak with confidence and even courage, because he knew what he had to say was true. He was courteous, but not fawning. “I beseech thee to hear me patiently.” He was confident, but not arrogant. He was humble, but he was not over-awed by the sinners sitting in front of him.
This is all that we can ask for.
So Paul spoke to them of his CONVERSION.
He essentially said, “I saw the light,” and that was exactly what he did.
The other night I was up in my study, but on the TV was an interview with the painter Thomas Kinkade. He is known as the “Artist of Light” because of the way that he adds light to all of his paintings. And he is a vocal Christian. I don’t know to what denomination he belongs? He probably won’t be invited to speak here at Calvary Baptist. But even Christians in other denominations can say the right things from time to time. He said that he wants his paintings to speak about Christ, and light is a big part of that. He said that Christianity all about the Light, and for the most part I have to agree. Paul said, “At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.”
Most Christians find it hard to witness of Christ to their relatives and coworkers. There are probably lots of different reasons for this, but one has to be their familiarity with our lives. Another reason that we don’t always speak up is that for the most part we don’t want to offend them. Paul, may not have been talking about his kin-folk, but if I’m correctly reading between the lines, some of the people who were trying to get Paul executed knew him personally before his conversion. “My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.” If all that we are asking for is an open door to testify of God’s salvation, then we need to enter that door when it opens and to speak without fear or embarrassment.
Paul had not lived his former life as a profligate, a prodigal or a promiscuous person. He was not a criminal filled with remorse as talked of his conversion from a life of crime and sin. He wasn’t speaking with a heart running out of control with emotion. And he wasn’t rambling along with an empty mind. He reiterated a story that we have studied several times. He was on his way to Damascus with authority from the High Priest of the Jews to arrest any and all that he would find who followed Jesus of Nazareth. But when he was just a few miles from the city, a light burst down upon him from Heaven. It was brighter than the light of the mid-day sun. But it didn’t burn anything more than his heart. Then he heard the voice of God and his heart was melted, broken, repaired & rebuilt all within a moment. He was instantly changed from being a blasphemer of Jesus, to a humble servant of Jesus. “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.”
How Paul was made a worshipper of Christ; how he was saved; how he was converted was more spectacular than that of any of us, but it was in essence not much different from any of us. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” Somehow the Lord broke through the mid-night darkness, or the early-morning mist, or whatever it was for you, and revealed Himself to you in some fashion. Maybe it was through a sermon; maybe it was through a simple Bible lesson in Sunday School. Maybe it was through reading a gospel tract, or talking with an evangelistic loved one. But through that means God made you realize that you were a sinner and that you needed Christ more desperately than you needed your next breath of air. He gave you faith to trust the Lord, and he gave you repentance enough to in some way weep over your sinfulness. And you were born-again and at the same time adopted into the family of the Lord. Your eternal destination was changed from Hell to Heaven. Your spiritual citizenship was instantly transferred from Earth to Heaven. Your perspective was lifted from the horizontal to the eternal. You were given life where there had existed nothing but a dead, empty spirit.
All that we can ask for as servants of God is another opportunity to speak on behalf of the Saviour. The details may not be the same as that of the Apostle Paul, and they certainly are not as spectacular, but if we would simply repeat the story of what the Lord did to save us, we could be used of the Lord to open the door to others.
A third thing that we see in this scripture is reference to a PERSONAL MISSION.
“And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
Verse 16 begins with the words: “rise, and stand upon thy feet.” This is where our service for the Lord has to begin. We have a job to do for Christ, and we can’t very well do it groveling in the dust. Yes, there is the need for a great deal of prayer, and we need to be often on knees before the Lord. But when it comes to the execution of our ambassadorial responsibilities, we must stand on our own two feet, strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, and deliver the testimony of your conversion. To preach the way that I am today is good and important, but it is something above and beyond what should be the work of every Christian. “Here is how the Lord saved my soul.
This is what He did. This is what I provided. I am a sinner who has been saved by grace.”
“Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.” Paul tested the vision with obedience. “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”
Paul was an apostle; he was a preacher whom the Lord used to present the gospel to governors and kings. Few of us will have the opportunity to preach to large crowds. And none of us will be asked by the governor of our state to talk about Christ to the legislature. But we can talk to our friends, acquaintances and kinfolk about how the Lord saved us. If the Lord wants more than this, He will make that known to you. He will give us a specific call as He did to the Apostle Paul.
A fourth thing that we see in this chapter is a PERSONAL APPEAL.
“Paul said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.”
In the late1700s and early 1800s both here in America and back in England, Baptists were quarreling over whether or not sinners should be urged to repent and trust Christ. It wasn’t a part of the Arminian / Calvinist controversy; it was within the camp of those who believed in election. Should the lost be invited to believe on Christ; should they be commanded to repent of their sin. There were great, good and godly men on both sides of the question, and I won’t question their motives. But the scriptures seem quite clear to me that today’s Christians have the obligation to teach, urge and exhort sinners to come to Christ. We need to appeal to our loved ones to repent of their sin. Our friends need to hear us plead with them to trust Christ.