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Sermon Transcript November 22, 2015

Resurrection Boldness!

Acts 26 �is message from the Bible was addressed originally to the people of Wethers&eld Evangelical Free Church on November 22, 2015, at 511 Maple Street, Wethers&eld, CT, 06109 by Dr. Scott W. Solberg. �is is a transcription that bears the strength and weaknesses of oral delivery. It is not meant to be a polished essay. An audio copy of the sermon on CD is available by request at (860) 563-8286. An audio version of this sermon may also be found on the church website at www.wethefc.com.

RESURRECTION It changes everything.

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Sermon Text

Acts 26

1 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” �en Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: 2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. �erefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 �ey have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? 9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison aCer receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them oCen in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 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 sancti&ed by faith in me.’

19 “�erefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but

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declared &rst to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suJer and that, by being the &rst to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” 24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” 30 �en the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “�is man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “�is man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Introduction

Paul writes in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew �rst and also to the Greek.” First of all, Paul is saying here that he is not afraid to proclaim Jesus to both Jew and Gentile. We have seen enough of the story of the book of Acts, and this morning we will see even further, that there can be a very negative reaction to the proclamation of the gospel. We can talk about the changing times all we want, and yet, in some sense there is nothing new under the sun. Just like in the book of Acts, so it is today. �e proclamation of the risen Christ still can and will elicit a negative reaction in people. And as we will see this morning, Paul received quite a negative response to the testimony he gave of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In fact, we will hear this morning from Acts 26, that Paul is interrupted by Festus, the Roman Governor of Judea, with these words, “Paul you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” So whether it

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be words of derision or like some of our brothers and sisters experience in other parts of the world, chains or even death; there is much that might cause us to stay quiet. And yet, Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” In other words, he is not afraid to proclaim the risen Christ. When Paul writes to Timothy, a young pastor who was known for being a bit timid, he encourages him to be bold. He writes in 2 Timothy 1:8, “"erefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord . . . but share in su$ering for the gospel.” It is the same encouragement Jesus gave his disciples in Mark 8 when he called them to be willing deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him. He says, “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” In both cases, the call to not be ashamed, or not to be afraid to proclaim the risen Jesus, acknowledges that there could be a negative reaction to your testimony. And yet, the call is for resurrection boldness. And where does this boldness come from? It doesn’t come from the negative command, “do not be ashamed.” My intent this morning is not to guilt you into being bold. You may need some encouragement, but ultimately a bold witness for Christ will not come as the result of being told that you shouldn’t be ashamed of the gospel. If someone were to come to me and say, “shame on you for being ashamed to give testimony to Christ in this world,” it may jolt me for a brief period of time but it won’t move me to bold. It wasn’t the negative command that motivated Paul to be a witness to Jesus, it was the positive nature of the gospel that motivated Paul. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation.” �e reason Paul is not ashamed of the gospel is because of what the gospel is—”it is the power of God for salvation.” He is convinced of what God has done in his life and that these words are true and that God is in the business of rescuing broken lives through the proclamation of the risen Christ. When he told Timothy not to be ashamed, he later said, “But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” Boldness for Christ is born out of a conviction that it is really true. Jesus did rise from the dead. Salvation and the forgiveness of sin and a relationship with the living God can actually be had. It is the conviction that through the proclamation of the gospel he has caused us to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, unde�led and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” It is the conviction that this is true that causes us to be bold.

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�is morning we come to the end of our series on the book of Acts. We have been looking at the message of the early church. Quite simply put, the message of the early church is that Jesus has risen from the dead! On one hand, it is a simple message. On the other hand, as we have seen through this series, there is a lot tied to this one statement. It is quite a mouthful. It tells us that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. It tells us that the Holy Spirit has come and the message of the forgiveness of sin is to be proclaimed throughout the world. It tells us that God is forming for himself a people from all peoples and that the church becomes the presence of Christ in this world. It tells us that we are agents of hope as we give testimony to the resurrected Jesus. Truly, the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” �is morning I want to close out this series with just a practical thought. �e application of this series is rather simple. Be bold! Don’t be ashamed! May we be bold to proclaim the risen Christ to our world. May we not be ashamed or afraid to give testimony to the risen Jesus. May we have con&dence in the gospel. It is the power of God! My prayer is that we would have resurrection boldness. First of all, this is a corporate calling. May the message of this church never deviate from the gospel. �is local church has been around since 1888. From humble beginnings on Benton Street in Hartford, to moving to Wethers&eld over 50 years ago and now here we are, with opportunity to reach even more people with the message of the resurrected Christ. We stand on the shoulders of generations that have gone before us. Pastors have come and pastors have gone, and yet we still proclaim Jesus Christ risen from the dead. We are seeing the fruit that comes with the con&dence that the gospel is the power of God to still change lives. We are on the cusp of making some decisions that will impact the future of this church. I have every con&dence that as we boldly proclaim the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, God is going to continue to change lives and we have an opportunity to see even a wider impact for the gospel. We must be bold! �is is also a personal calling for each and every one of us. We gather on a Sunday morning, about 500 strong. But do you know what happens aCer the benediction? We scatter. Wherever we go, we bring with us the presence and the hope of Christ. We need to personally embrace these words of Paul, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel.” Because we are convinced that the gospel is the power of God to change lives, we must be bold wherever God takes us. By bold, I don’t mean be brash or belligerent. Rather, I mean be con&dent and be convinced that what this world needs is Jesus. And so, with grace and humility and love, we are ready to boldly give testimony to the risen Christ.

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So this morning, I want you to be inspired by Paul’s boldness. I want to tell you the story that unfolds from Acts 20-26. And then as we settle into Acts 26, I want you to hear what Paul has to say and to take note of what fuels his con&dence in the gospel. “It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

Paul: An inspiring story of boldness

When you open up to Acts 26, you &nd Paul standing in what many of us would consider to be an intimidating environment. He has audience with King Agrippa II and the new Roman Governor of Judea, a man by the name of Festus. King Agrippa II was the great grandson of Herod the Great, the prominent &gure in the story of the birth of Christ. But by the time King Agrippa II came to power, his jurisdiction and his power was nothing compared to his great grandfather. He would be the last of the Jewish kings, and he was a puppet of Rome. In fact, many saw him as a traitor to his own people because he sided with Rome during the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Nonetheless, he was a rising prominent and an intimidating &gure. Furthermore, this audience that Paul had with Festus and King Agrippa II was not some private conversation. Festus turned it into a spectacle. At the end of Acts 25 we see that King Agrippa entered the chambers “with great pomp” and there were assembled before them military leaders and prominent men of the city. Paul had been detained in Caesarea for two years by Felix, the outgoing Roman Governor. He did this to placate the Jews, and now Paul is the responsibility of Festus. Paul is really not on trial here. Paul had appealed his case to Caesar and to Rome, and so now Festus needs to know what to write to Rome about Paul’s case. So Festus invites King Agrippa to listen in on what Paul has to say. He says in Acts 25:26, “But I have nothing de�nite to write to my lord about him. "erefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you King Agrippa, so that, a-er we have examined him, I may have something to write. For it seems unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.” How did Paul get here? How did Paul land an audience with King Agrippa II? �e story begins in Acts 20. Paul was coming to the end of his third and &nal missionary journey. Having spent two years in the city of Ephesus, he gathered the leaders of the church to say goodbye to them. He told them that they would probably never see each other again. He had decided to go back to Jerusalem. It says in Acts 20:22, “And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testi�es to me in every city that imprisonment and a0ictions await me.” He had a sense that he would face diNculty in Jerusalem.

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In fact, on his way to Jerusalem in Acts 21, through prophetic utterances, Paul was warned two times of the danger that awaited him in Jerusalem. In Acts 21:4, his ship having docked in Tyre, he stayed with some fellow believers for seven days and the Spirit impressed upon them that trouble awaited Paul in Jerusalem and they pleaded with him not to go. At his next stop along the way, a prophet by the name of Agabus came to Paul with a prophetic word. He took Paul’s belt and said, “"us says the Holy Spirit, ‘"is is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” And so they urged him not to go to Jerusalem. But Paul said to them in verse 13, “For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And so they said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” And so with great boldness Paul went to Jerusalem. When he got to Jerusalem, he met with James and the leaders of the church. �ey told Paul that the rumor Ooating around town is that wherever Paul would go that he would speak against the customs and practices of the Jews. Which is not true. In fact, when Timothy joined his team, he insisted that Timothy be circumcised, so that we would not be an oJense against the Jews. But because of his association with the Gentiles, the rumor persisted, nonetheless. And so James suggested that Paul go to the temple with four other men and participate in one of the puri&cation rites that lasts for seven days. �e thought was, that if the Jews see Paul participate in this puri&cation rite that they would see that the rumor was not true. So near the end of this seven day ritual, Paul is spotted by some Jews who were from Asia, where Paul had been on his missionary journeys. If you remember, in many of these places, Paul was chased out of town by the members of the synagogues in various areas of Asia. Seeing Paul, these men said, “Men of Israel, help! "is is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place.” �ey falsely accused him of brining Gentiles into places in the temple that were reserved only for Jews. Naturally, a riot broke out and the Roman soldiers had to come in and protect Paul. As Paul was being carried away, he asked if he could address the angry crowd. So standing at the top of the steps he tells his story. He talks about his experience on the road to Damascus. Like them, he once was bent on persecuting the church. But on his way there, he encountered the resurrected Jesus. And so as he tells his story everyone is listening closely. But when he gets to the point where he shares that he has been appointed to proclaim Jesus to the Gentiles, the crowd becomes unruly again and they want to kill him. Seeing Paul as a disturber of the peace, the military tribune decided to have Paul Oogged. But when Paul revealed that he was a Roman citizen by birth, it put the fear of God in the Roman tribune, because you could not punish a Roman citizen

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without a trial. Wanting to understand the nature of the religious squabble, the Roman tribune assembled the religious leaders the next day and brought Paul before them. Paul knew that this religious body was made up of two factions, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. �e Pharisees believed in the idea of the resurrection and the Sadducees didn’t. So when Paul began to talk about his hope in the resurrection, these two opposing parties began to &ght among themselves. And so the soldiers got Paul out of there. It says in Acts 23:11, “"e following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Take courage, for as you have testi�ed to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome.” �e next day it was discovered that there was a plot to kill Paul. And so, under the protection of “two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen” in the darkness of night, Paul was safely transported to Caesarea and to the Roman Governor Felix. Felix heard Paul’s case and heard the accusations against Paul. In Acts 24:21, Paul said to Felix, “It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am no trial before you this day.” Felix knew that this was a sticky political situation for him. He knew that this was a religious dispute and that Paul did not deserve to be imprisoned, let alone be put to death. But motivated by politics, he held Paul as a prisoner for two years. He would oCen call Paul before him to talk about matters of faith. In fact, it says in Acts 24:25 how Paul “reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment.” Felix was known for being corrupt and immoral, in fact he was called back to Rome because of how susceptible he was to taking bribes. So when Paul would talk about “coming judgment” this would make Felix uneasy and then he would send Paul away. So here comes the new Roman Governor, Festus. He inherits Paul. He oJers Paul the opportunity to go before his accusers in Jerusalem, but Paul knows that will not work out well. So a Roman citizen, he asks that his case be taken all the way to Rome. In Acts 25:11 Paul says, “If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek escape. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar. "en Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, ’To Caesar you have appealed to Caesar you shall go.’” It just so happened that King Agrippa II was in town and he was paying a visit to the new Roman Governor. While they were meeting with each other, Festus brought up the issue with Paul. Festus was under the conviction that the Jews didn’t have a case against Paul. He said of them, “When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their

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own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” And so King Agrippa wanted to hear from Paul as well. Festus needed to know what to write to Caesar, as Paul made his appeal to Rome. And so here we are in Acts 26. Paul boldly stands before King Agrippa. Do you not admire Paul’s boldness? It is consistent. In fact, he says to King Agrippa in Acts 26:19, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared �rst to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God.” In other words, no matter where he was, Paul was consistently bold in his testimony. And furthermore, as he stands in this hall before all these people, he recognizes that he stand before both the small and great. No matter where he is and no matter who it is, Paul is bold in giving testimony to the risen Christ. From what he shares with King Agrippa, I want to point out three things that brings about this boldness in Paul. Perhaps they can help us as we seek to be bold in our testimony.

�e Source of Boldness

Our own story: �e &rst thing I see in Paul’s bold testimony before King Agrippa is that he can’t deny what Jesus has done in his life. In fact, one commentator said that Paul’s words in Acts 26 isn’t really even a sermon. It is his testimony. It is hard to argue with a testimony. And so Paul is saying to King Agrippa II that he met Jesus in a profound way and it changed his life. �is is the third time Paul’s story of conversion is told in the book of Acts. Paul was were his accusers once were, a persecutor of the church. He says in verse 9, “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison a-er receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them o-en in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. “ And so on his way to Damascus to round up those who followed Jesus, in a bright light, he met the risen Christ. He heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” “To kick against the goads” is a Greek expression. A goad was a long stick with an iron point and it would be poked into an ox to keep it on the road and to make it go the direction you wanted it to go. �e more stubborn the ox, the deeper the jab. And so Paul was saying, “I couldn’t be jabbed any harder than this” and he met the risen Jesus and it changed his life and it set him on a

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new direction in life. And so Jesus said to him, “I am sending you 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 sancti�ed by faith in me.” Paul went from being &lled with anger and rage to being compelled by love. �is is the change that God brings about in our lives through faith in Jesus. As we align our lives under the good rule of God, we experience peace with God and God begins to change us from the inside out and he &lls us with a love for him and love for others. Paul knew the change that God did in his life. You know the change that God has done and is doing in your life. �is is what fuels us to be bold. We want others to have what we have found in God through faith in Jesus. It is true: �e second thing that motivated Paul to be bold in his testimony for Jesus was that he was convinced that the message of the risen Christ is true. Jesus has risen from the dead! As he was giving testimony to the message of the gospel in verse 23 he said, “that the Christ must su$er and that, by being the �rst to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” It was at this point that Festus blurts out, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” But the opinion of Festus did not deter Paul. Boldly Paul said in response, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.” Because he is convinced that Jesus rose from the dead, he is con&dent in the truth of Christ. Do you know what else fuels Paul’s bold witness? He is con&dent that since Jesus rose from the dead, there is power in the gospel. No doubt, there will be those who say to us, “You are out of your mind.” But I also have con&dence in the power of the proclamation of the resurrected Jesus and I anticipate that others will repent of their sin and turn in faith to Jesus Christ. �is is the point of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Because Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit has come so that we could with power proclaim the message of the forgiveness of sin. We live in the inaugurated kingdom, a time when God is gathering a people for himself through the faithful proclamation of the gospel. And so I expect, even in the rocky soil of New England, that as we proclaim the message of Jesus, we too will see hearts turn in faith to Jesus Christ. Like God said to Paul about the city of Corinth in Acts 18:10, “for I have many in this city who are my people.” I believe that to be the case here as well. So with great boldness we proclaim the risen Jesus with the expectation that God is going to bring people to himself. It is true!

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Compassion for others: Finally, Paul’s encounter with King Agrippa II ends with a great interchange between the two of them. In verse 27, Paul says to King Agrippa II, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” Boldness is born out of compassion for people who need to hear the message of the gospel. May God &ll us with a love for people and would that we be burdened for those who do not know the hope of Christ. Last week we spoke of the Day of Judgment. If we really believe that, we would be bold in sharing our faith in Christ with others.

Conclusion

My conclusion this morning is an application, not just of this message but of this entire series. It is three thoughts that come from J. I. Packers book Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Here they are. Be bold! If the gospel is the power of God and if it can change your heart, it can change the hearts of others. But remember, the power is in the proclamation of the gospel. �e gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Be patient! Paul’s response to Agrippa was “whether short or long” I wish for you to believe the truth of the gospel. My experience is that many people need to not just hear about Jesus but they need to see it. It implies relationship. It implies that the love of Christ is seen and experienced. So be patient! And be con&dent that God is using you. Be prayerful! �e work of bringing a person to faith in Christ is the work of the Spirit of God. If nothing else, it ought to cause us to boldly pray for the advance of the gospel in I lives of people. “It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” He has risen! He has risen indeed! �e resurrection changes everything. May it change us. May this message through us change others for the sake of the kingdom of God. __________________ 1J. I. Packer Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove: IVP, 1961) 118-122

© by Dr. Scott Solberg - All rights reserved

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Preparing to Celebrate Advent

Next Sunday marks the beginning of Advent. Advent is a word that means “arrival.” Christmas is the celebration of the “arrival” of God to this earth through the birth of Jesus. �e celebration of Advent is a month long celebration that &nds its climax on the day of Christmas.

Celebrating Advent is a great way to keep Christ at the center of Christmas. It is so easy to get caught up in the busy schedule of the holiday and forget that Christmas is really about Jesus. Putting the Advent Wreath on display in your homes, gives you a constant reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. It becomes a center for family worship in your home. It calls you to pull away from the busy schedule of the holiday, to sit down as a family to read the Bible together, to pray and celebrate the birth of Jesus.

�e Advent Wreath

�e Advent Wreath is a decorative wreath made of holiday greens and &ve candles. (Or if you want to keep it simple, just gather &ve candle votives.) Typically four candles are placed around the wreath, while the &Ch candle, known as the Christ Candle, is placed in the middle of the wreath. During Advent, a candle is lit each week. �e &rst week of Advent one candle is lit. �e second week of Advent, two candles are lit; the third week, three candles. On the fourth week all four candles on the outside of the wreath are lit. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, the Christ candle is lit.

�e lighting of the candles provides a great visual for the holiday season. As the candles are progressively lit each week, they anticipate the coming of Christmas and the arrival of Jesus, the light of the world. To help your children enter into the celebration of Advent allow them to take turns lighting the candles and blowing them out.

Interactive Family Advent Devotionals

Next Sunday we will introduce you to a free and simple and interactive family devotional you can use for this Advent Season. �is week spend some time as a family getting your Advent Wreath together as we joyfully anticipate the celebration of the “arrival” of our Savior.