Before Paul sets sail, with other prisoners, in chapter twenty seven of Acts, I think we will review.  First thing, as we read the Bible, we need to read with the question of what does this mean to me today.  Even though it is nice to know what the early Christians like Peter and Paul experienced, the more important question is what does that mean to me about being foiiower of Christ.  The Bible, like Christ, must be personal and teach us each time we read it.  Otherwise, we could read it once and think we knew everything it meant to them, those long ago Israelites and Christians that the Bible was written about.  To be meaningful, the Bible must speak to me personally every time I read it, which means I must never quit reading it.  Next, we need to understand that God has a plan for the life of each Christian.  This does not mean that we have to accept that plan, but it is there.  Paul at any point could have been freed from his physical bonds by simply doing what society wanted him to do.  He was in physical bonds because he would not renounce his spiritual bond to Christ.  He said that not everything was expedient in his relationship to Christ and other Christians.  We must never do the expedient thing if it means not following God's will for our life.  So, the next point would be that God will reveal to each of us His will for our life.  Paul did not choose to remain in bonds because he liked to suffer, but because he knew God's plan for him and saw God's work in carrying out that plan.  If we begin to look to what brings  us the greatest material success in the world instead of what brings us closest to God, we will never be what God wants us to be.  The last point for now is that we attempt to put Christianity into time frames, when with God time is immaterial.  What was expected of the New Testament Christian is no different than what is expected of the Christian today.  All Christians for all time have been expected to follow God's plan for their lives.  God today is the same God that the Israelites and the first Christians served.  When we speak of how bad the world is today, we need to realize that since the fall of Adam and Eve, the world has been bad.  When we talk of how Christians are treated today, we need to realize that nothing has changed.  Christians have been persecuted since the beginning and will continue to be.  When Christians such as Paul proclaim Christ to the world, they become the enemy of the world.  God said whoever was not for Him was against Him, and so it is for His people.  Those who are not for God are against us, as His people.  The passage of time has never changed this, so we should not be surprised when we are reviled and persecuted.

Acts 26:27

Acts 26:27 says, King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.  Paul asked, King Agrippa if he believed the prophets?  Paul said he knew that Agrippa believed in them.  Of course, believing in the prophets without believing in Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior and Lord is not enough. Verse twenty-eight adds, Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Then Agrippa said to Paul that he almost persuaded him to be a Christian.  These are some of the saddest words in the Bible.  To be so close to salvation and state almost. There are no degrees to salvation. Almost is totally lost.  It doesn't matter if a person intellectually accepts what Christ did, but never responds in faith of the reality that Christ died for them personally, they are lost.  King Agrippa, after hearing Paul, almost claimed his salvation, but he went away so close, but still lost.  Verse twenty-nine continues, 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. Then Paul said he wished to God, that not only Agrippa, but also all that heard him that day, were both almost, and altogether such as he was, except for these bonds.  When we encounter someone who is so close to accepting Christ as their Savior, we can only pray that they, and anyone else around us will not go away almost persuaded.  Verse thirty states, And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:  Then the king, and the governor, and Bernice, and all that sat with them got up and left.  All had heard Paul's testimony, and they all went away lost.  Paul, in bonds, was freer than those who had listened to his testimony. He was eternally free, and so are all of Christ's followers today, no matter our circumstances.  Verse thirty-one adds, And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.  Verse thirty-two continues, Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.  After conferring with each other, King Agrippa concluded that Paul had done nothing worthy of death and could be free had he not appealed to Caesar.  He only saw the worldly situation, not the divine implication.  Paul had been told he was to witness in Rome, and that is where he was headed.  When life seems to get us down, we need to look for the divine implications.  God will never abandon us when we are following His will. 

 

 

 

 

Acts 26:24

Acts 26:24 says, And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.  Festus responded to Paul by telling him much learning had made him mad.  Paul's education could not be denied, so the only way to deny what he was saying was to claim he had gone insane.  Some of the disciples had been dismissed as ignorant and unlearned, and now Paul was being accused of being too educated.  When people of the world hear about Christ but don't want to accept Him, they will use any excuse to attempt to discredit the messenger.  I have even heard Christians discuss preachers based on their education or lack thereof.  The key is whether a man is called by God and empowered by God.  There must always be a total reliance on God. Verse twenty-five adds, But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.  Paul responded that he was not mad but spoke forth the words of truth and soberness.  He addressed Festus as most noble.  We might be offended if someone called us mad and defend ourselves.  Paul respectfully defended the gospel.  There seems to be too much anger in Christianity today.  The attitude seems to be that we personally have been put down or mistreated.  We need to be as Paul was, respectful and compassionate toward even those who may offend us personally, but more importantly toward those who offend the gospel.  We are sent to reach people, not reject them. Verse twenty-six continues, 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. Then, Paul continued as he spoke freely before the king that King Agrippa knew these things, because Paul knew none of these things were hidden from the king because they weren't done in a corner.  The truth of Jesus death on the cross was not a secret, though by this time, those in power may have wished it had been.  The gospel has never been a hidden fact.  We are charged with presenting it to everyone we encounter, by both word and example.  If lost people look at Christians and see nothing different in our lives, then our words will likely fall on deaf ears.  The world saw something different in Paul, and we need to live so they see something different in us. 

Acts 26:20

Acts 26:20 says, 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 tells King Agrippa of his obedience to the call of God for him to witness for Christ.  He began in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and then throughout all the coasts of Judea.  Then he went to the Gentiles, that they might repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.  This does not mean they were to work to earn or keep their salvation.  It meant, and still means today, that once a person becomes a Christian, they are to live their life to reflect God.  We may often fall short of that standard, but that does not mean we are suddenly in need of salvation again.  God said that once a person accepts the gift of salvation that nothing can take that person from Him.  We are sealed to Him by His power, not by our strength or actions.  If we find ourselves off course, doing anything that we know God would not want us to do, or not doing what we know He would want us to do, then we need to ask His forgiveness and move forward in faith once again.  Until we acknowledge that we are in need of forgiveness, we can neither come to Christ in the first place nor return to Him in the second.  To say we have done nothing to need forgiveness for makes God a liar, for He said all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Verse twenty-one adds, For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Paul then said it was because of his witnessing to everyone, the Gentiles included, that the Jews had him arrested and wanted to kill him.  Verse twenty-two continues, 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:  Paul said by the authority of God, he continued to proclaim the gospel everywhere.  He stated that he said nothing but what Moses had said was to come.  He also said his help was from heaven. When we are doing God's work, following His will for our life, we can rest assured in His help from heaven.  Verse twenty-three concludes, 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 got to the heart of the gospel once again.  Christ should suffer, be the first to rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.  This is the only message that we can proclaim. Jesus is the Christ, crucified, resurrected Lord. 

Acts 26:19

Acts 26:19 says, Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.  Paul recognized that this was God speaking to him, and he knew he must obey the will of God.  If we are ever called upon to answer to anyone about our relationship to God and to our obedience to Him, may we say as Paul did that, we were not disobedient to the heavenly vision, or simple call in most cases.  We spend a lot of time discussing how bad the world is and not enough time proclaiming how great God is.  There is nothing sadder than the world ignoring Christianity.  Paul could not and would not be ignored.  It seems to me that we are more concerned with material blessings from God than we are with being a blessing to God.  Paul was under arrest with people wanting to kill him to stop him from witnessing for Christ, but he would not stop.  The first question we should ask individually and as the church is what does God want from us.  When the first question is can we afford it we are living by sight.  At the risk of meddling, we nearly always find a way to get the things we want, but too often we cannot find any way to do what God wants us to do.  God blesses us so we can help others.  Paul supported himself on his journeys.  I am not saying we should not support missionaries and preachers.  I am saying that if we know that God wants us to do something for Him, we should simply begin to do it in faith, believing that God will provide a way for us to continue.  Faith means that we, like Peter, must get out of the boat.  Then, once we are out, we must keep our eyes on Jesus in faith.  We, like Peter, often begin to sink because we look at the waves and not the Master of the waves. Then, we say we knew we should have waited until conditions were better.  Again, this is not the just living by faith, but the weak in faith living by sight.

Acts 26:12

Acts 26:12 says, Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, Paul told Agrippa about his experience on the road to Damascus. He was once again on his way to persecute Christians, under the authority of the high priest.  Before we became a Christian, we were on our way somewhere, and the very act of not accepting Christ as our Savior was in effect persecuting Him.  When we fail to believe He died for us, we crucify in vain Him in our life.  Paul was not content to just punish Christians where he was, but in his hatred for them he pursued them to other cities.  There are still people today who will go out of their way to persecute Christians.  Verse thirteen continues, 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.  On his way, Paul saw a great light at midday, brighter than the sun.  Those with him saw it also.  Verse fourteen states, And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutist thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." When they fell to the earth, Paul heard a voice speaking to him in the Hebrew tongue, saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutist thou me?  It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."  When we encounter Christ, it will be a personal experience. Those with Paul saw the bright light, but the Voice was for Paul alone. There may be times when many people are saved during the same time frame, but each will be saved because they encountered and accepted Christ individually.  Verse fifteen adds, And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.  Paul asked Who was speaking to him, calling Him Lord, and was told, "I am Jesus, Whom you persecute.”  When we come to Christ, we must acknowledge Who He is and our role in His death. Though I wasn't there at the physical crucifixion, I am just as guilty of nailing Him to the cross as those who were.  He died on the cross for everyone, but for my salvation personally, He died for me and because of my sins alone.  Salvation can be nothing but personal if it is to have effect in anyone’s life.  Verse sixteen continues, 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.  Verse seventeen says, Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,  Paul said he was then told to rise and be a witness to these things and that he was to be a witness to the Gentiles.  Verse eighteen adds, 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.  Paul was to open their eyes, turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, that they might have an inheritance among those sanctified by God.  This is our task today.  We also are to bring people to the saving knowledge of God.   

Acts 26:9

Acts 26:9 says, I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  Basically, Paul said by his own reasoning he thought he should oppose Jesus of Nazareth, and if we go by our own reasoning, we may as well.  Verse ten adds, Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.  Verse eleven continues, And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.  Paul continued in to speak of his own persecution of Christians.  He was actively working against Jesus and had many of His followers put in prison, having received authority from the chief priests.  When they were put to death, he gave witness against them.  This should tell us today that no matter how much we have worked against God, Christ still died to offer us forgiveness.  Christ died to bring forgiveness for the sins of the whole world for all time.  What this means is that many, many people will go to hell, their sins forgiven, but having never believed in what Christ did on the cross, or in some cases that He even existed, was for them.  It is not a matter of will my sins be forgiven but will I by faith in Christ accept that forgiveness.  It is like a person in the desert dying of thirst having a glass of water set in front of him.  He has choices.  He can think the glass but a mirage and ignore it.  He can decide to wait a while to see if it is real or he is rescued so he doesn't need the glass of water.  Even though real, neither of those reactions bring him any relief.  Only when he has faith that the water as real and actually takes a drink will it do him any good.  As long as a person today looks at Christ's crucifixion as anything other than actual fact and accepts it by faith as being done for them, they remain dying without hope.  As Paul taught, all sins, no matter how severe or how small, are forgiven.