Well, good morning to everyone. Good to be back. I feel as though I've been absent from this pulpit for a very long time. And in fact, it's been three weeks since I've preached here on Acts 25. Two weeks ago, we had communion. Last week, I went down to Indiana, traveled to Indiana to visit my mom, who's dying. She has congestive heart failure. And so she's had a couple events where my brothers thought she was going to die. They called and said, you probably should come down. 

So I went down and saw her, and her mind was good. We talked, and she has assurance in Christ. She became a believer about 14, 15 years ago, left the Catholic Church, and gave her testimony in the Baptist Church, and was baptized when she was 70 years old. So it was encouraging to talk to her. 

I was going to share, I was in talking to her, talked to her about John 14 and 1 Peter, various scriptures, giving her assurance. And we were talking about the futility of works' righteousness. She said some things that wouldn't have been the way I would have said them. But I wasn't going to give her a hard time on her deathbed. 

But she said, I want to share a story with you. So I thought I'd share this story with you to illustrate that. She said, you know, your dad one time went to Canada fishing. And he was up there, and it happened to be Ascension Thursday, which is a holy day of obligation. So he drove an hour and a half in from the fishing camp to go to Mass. And she said, you know what he found when he got there? I said, what's that? And she said, they don't celebrate Ascension Thursday in Canada. 

So it's not a holy day of obligation in Canada, but it is in the United States. Therefore, if you don't go in the United States on Ascension Thursday, it's a mortal sin. It kills your salvation. You have to go to confession to be saved again. So I thought that was an ironic story for her to share as we talked about assurance in God's grace and mercy and trusting in him and what he did for us. 

So I appreciate everyone—emails and texts and calls and your support in this time. I am fine with it. I'm happy for my mother. My brothers and sisters, some of them don't see things the way I do. Some of them do. So that's always interesting. Some of them aren't believers. So hopefully there'll be opportunity there. 

But it was a good visit, and I appreciate your support and prayers. So thank you. And I've missed you. I've missed preaching in the book of Acts. And to be perfectly honest with you, I've been waiting a long time to get to this passage and Paul's testimony before Agrippa. 

We've seen Paul's testimony before several times, before the Sanhedrin, before Felix, before Festus. And it's been quite repetitive in its content. And we've sort of waded through some of those chapters in repetition. But remember that Paul said, it's not tedious for me to write the same things to you again and again, but it's safe for you. And so we found great encouragement in those chapters. 

But in this chapter, I find that this testimony is different. It contains many different details. And it is most interesting and instructive for our lives today. So we're going to dig in together. We're going to look at this whole chapter today and Paul's testimony before Agrippa in chapter 26. We'll begin at verse 1. 

Then Agrippa said to Paul, you are permitted to speak for yourself. So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself. I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore, I beg you to hear me patiently. 

My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They knew me from the first if they were willing to testify that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 

To this promise, our 12 tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 

This I also did in Jerusalem. And many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. And being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 

While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O King, along the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. 

So I said, who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 

I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me. 

Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent, turn to God and do works befitting repentance. For these reasons, the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 

Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come, that the Christ would suffer, that he would be the first to rise from the dead and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles. 

Now, as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, you are beside yourself. Much learning is driving you mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king before whom I also speak freely knows these things, for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention since this thing was not done in a corner. 

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe. Then Agrippa said to Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains. 

When he had said these things, the king stood up as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them. And when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves saying, this man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains. Then Agrippa said to Festus, this man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. 

Well, I've given you five points on your outline for our text this morning. First, we're going to look at the truth that it's all about the resurrection. Second, there's a zeal without knowledge. Third, a personal encounter with Christ. Fourth, commissioned by Christ. And fifth, life with a purpose. 

Well, Paul starts out by affirming that Agrippa, unlike Felix and Festus, was an expert. He was knowledgeable in the customs and the religion of the Jews. He has hope then that Agrippa might understand more accurately his situation and his defense. But I think most of all, Paul looked forward to witnessing to Agrippa that he too might become a Christian. 

He then recounts his upbringing, his Jewish heritage, and his religious zeal to Agrippa, his manner of life which all the Jews knew and were aware of. In verses four down to eight, he talks about how he was a Pharisee, how he lived according to the strictest sect, how he thought it was his job to do all these things against Christ and the way, and he was persecuting them. 

He talks about the resurrection, how he's being judged for the resurrection, the promise made to the fathers, the promise which the Jews had worked day and night hoping to attain, he says. And in verse eight, he says, why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? Paul makes clear that his imprisonment, his persecution, and hatred toward him are all based on the resurrection of the dead. 

For this, he says, he is accused. And Paul brings up the great truth that this is the very hope of Israel, that this was consistent with the Old Testament scriptures, the law and the prophets. They spoke of this hope, and it is this very hope that the 12 tribes earnestly serving God day and night hope to attain. Paul says that the 12 tribes of Israel have served in the hope of eternal life, of the bodily resurrection from the dead, and he really makes a bold statement that this has been the hope of Israel all the way through the Old Testament, since their beginning as a tribe, a nation, a chosen people of God. 

You see, there was a major argument about this in Paul's day. The leaders of the Jews, the Sadducees and the Pharisees had a sharp disagreement about the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection or anything supernatural, really, but the Pharisees most certainly did, and we saw this before, you'll remember, in Paul's trial before the Sanhedrin, made up of the Sadducees and the Pharisees and a few Essenes. 

If you turn back to Acts 23, at verse six, we'll look at that again. Acts 23, six, Paul's before the Sanhedrin being on trial here, being judged, and it says, but when Paul perceived that one part of the Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am being judged. 

And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For Sadducees say there is no resurrection and no angel or spirit, but the Pharisees confess both. Then there arose a loud cry, and the scribes and the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, we find no evil in this man, but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God. 

Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks. So the question I had as I read this testimony of Paul is, does the Old Testament Jewish scripture talk about the resurrection of the dead? And I was trying to place something in my mind, and then a couple things came to mind. Is this truly the hope of Israel? 

Well, when you do a word search on the word resurrection, there's all kinds of instances in the New Testament—41 times the word resurrection is mentioned. But in the Old Testament, there are none. So I thought that was interesting, and I thought to myself, were the Sadducees right? Was Paul wrong? Was it the hope of Israel? 

Well, the doctrine is—the word resurrection is not taught or mentioned in the Old Testament, but the doctrine is clearly taught throughout the Old Testament. And the hope of those who believe God is that they will experience this resurrection and spend eternity in heaven with him. We see that in many places. We can go all the way back to Job. That's the first one that came to my mind and see the promise, the surety of the resurrection of the dead. Listen to Job's words in chapter 19, verse 25. He says, for I know that my Redeemer lives, and he shall stand at last on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, this I know that in my flesh, I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold and not another, how my heart yearns within me. 

In Daniel 12:2, it says, and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like stars forever and ever. God promises Daniel the hope of the resurrection of the dead, the bodily resurrection of all men, just as Job said, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. 

Isaiah 26:19, it says, your dead shall live. Together with my dead body, they shall arise, awake and seeing you who dwell in dust, for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment until the indignation is passed. For behold, the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will also disclose her blood and will no more cover her slain. 

Isaiah gives us a very clear statement on the bodily resurrection of the dead and the hope of Israel. Job said, how my heart yearns within me, looking forward to the day that in his flesh, he will see God. So Paul's words, his defense, are consistent with the Old Testament Scriptures, the promise of God and the hope of the resurrection. 

The issue is indeed the resurrection of the dead because this, my friends, makes man accountable to God. If we will live again, if we will be raised from the graves either to paradise or to perdition, then what determines our fate becomes of utmost importance to us. And that is why Paul makes heavy weight again and again of the resurrection of the dead, specifically the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He makes an interesting statement about this in 1 Corinthians 15 as well. 

Turn over to 1 Corinthians 15 with me, please. We'll begin reading at verse 12. 1 Corinthians 15, 12, now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there's no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty. 

Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen, and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. My brothers and sisters, our hope is the resurrection. The truth that Jesus died, was buried, and that He rose again the third day, and that those who believe in Him, who trust in His death and our place for our sins and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead, will experience the resurrection unto life as well. 

It's all about the resurrection. So we see Paul continue to emphasize that. It's about the resurrection because that makes men accountable. If Jesus is alive, then men are accountable to Him, as Paul was that day on the road to Damascus. And it's all about the resurrection because that is our hope. It was the hope of Israel; it is the hope of the church as well. 

Well, next we see in our text that in his former life, Paul had a zeal for God, a passion for religion, a great driving desire, but his zeal was without knowledge. Acts 26:9, as he continues his testimony, indeed I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem. And many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. And they were put to death; I cast my vote against them, and I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. And being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 

Paul wants to explain his conversion to Agrippa, to show that he was a Jew of the Jews, that he believed just what they believe. He was the most zealous of all and even thought that he must do many things against Jesus Christ. And he did. He bound Christians. He hauled them off to prison and death in Jerusalem and the entire region. He says, when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 

Think about that. Paul was like a modern-day ISIS member, a religious zealot who was arresting, abusing, killing those who professed faith in Jesus of Nazareth. He was zealous. But his zeal was not according to knowledge. I often have had religious people talk to me about being sincere. It doesn't matter what religion you are, as long as you're sincere. 

And I always tell them when they say something to that effect, you know who the most sincere person I can think of is? Who? Osama bin Laden. Very sincere. Left all his fortunes in Saudi Arabia to go live in a cave in Pakistan and pursue his religion. Very sincere, but a zealous nature that has no knowledge. 

Turn over to Romans 9 with me, please. I love this text in Romans 9 beginning at verse 30. Paul explains this, speaking of the Jews, in Romans 9:30, he says, what shall we say then that Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained a righteousness, even the righteousness of faith? But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. 

For they stumbled at that stumbling stone, as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on him will not be put to shame. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 

What a great statement. Paul had a tremendous zeal. He was passionate about his religion, and he thought that he was serving God when he killed Christians, until he had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Paul thought that he was supposed to be persecuting Christ. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was a Pharisee. He was one of them. 

But then something happened to change Paul completely and forever. Verse 12 in our text, he says, While I was thus occupied, while I was going to kill more Christians, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 

And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. So I said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 

Paul was seeking out, in zealous fervor, enraged against the way, against the Christians. He was fighting against the truth. That's what Jesus meant when he said, It's hard for you to kick against the goads. Goads were sharp sticks they used to prod the oxen when they were plowing. If they'd kick, they'd kick into these sharp sticks. And Jesus says, It's hard for you to kick against the goads, to fight against the truth. 

He appeared to him. He told him who he was, who he was persecuting. And he was alive. He was risen from the dead. What did this mean to Saul? It must have been quite a moment in his mind. We get to the confrontation. Paul had a confrontation with Jesus on that road to Damascus, and now Agrippa. And all who heard Paul were having a confrontation with the truth of Jesus the Christ, risen and alive. 

This is the issue, my friends, as we said before, if Jesus is alive, then men have a problem, a real problem. And they must be confronted with this truth, the truth of their sin, the truth of their need for a Savior, and the truth that it is Jesus that is the only Savior of the world, the only one who can save man from the wrath of God to come, and that only by faith in Him and what He has done in His death, His burial, and His resurrection from the dead. 

This is what Paul learned that day on the Damascus road. And this is the very thing that he so greatly desires to communicate to Agrippa in his testimony before him. He saw every opportunity as an opportunity to witness, even when he was testifying, just as Jesus said would happen, testifying before kings. And several times Paul had that opportunity. 

So we see that it's all about the resurrection. We see that there's a zeal without knowledge. We see a personal encounter with Christ, and next we see in Paul's testimony that he was commissioned by Christ. 

Look at verse 16, Jesus said, but rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose. That's an important question, isn't it? Why are you here, Jesus? What do you want me to do? I've appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 

I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God and do works befitting repentance. 

For these reasons, the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come. 

What do you say, Paul? That the Christ would suffer? That he would be the first to rise from the dead and proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles? Paul knew that the way that God sovereignly designed for men to come to faith in Christ, to be saved, was for a believer, for a follower of Jesus, to go to them and to preach Jesus to them, the truth of the gospel, and to call on them to come to faith, turning to Jesus alone. 

And this is what Paul did. This was the fulfilling of his commission, of the calling that he had received from Jesus. This was his obedience to Christ. And this is what he made clear in his letter to the Romans at chapter 10 at verse 17. He wrote, faith comes by hearing, hearing a message about Jesus. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 

But Paul said, how shall they call if they have not heard? How shall they hear? How shall they believe? How shall they hear without a preacher, he said? There has to be a preacher. There has to be a message about Jesus. 

Verse 24, now as thus he made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, you are beside yourself. Such learning is driving you mad. But he said, I'm not mad, most noble Festus, but I speak the words of truth and reason. For the king before whom I also speak freely knows these things. For I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention since this thing was not done in a corner. 

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe. King Agrippa said to Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian. And here's Paul's heart in verse 29, and Paul said, I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today might become almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains. 

This was Paul's heart. This was his passion, his driving desire. And this was how he understood God's salvation plan. Jesus' commission and purpose for his life as a minister and a witness to the gospel. I send you to open their eyes. 

What a clear statement. What a profound commentary on our understanding of the sovereignty of God and the will of man and the plan of God to bring faith to men through the preaching of the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

What an amazing testimony we've seen by Paul before Agrippa in our text today. We've seen that it's all about the resurrection. That there is a zeal without knowledge, that a man must have a personal encounter with Christ as we preach the gospel to them, as we bring the good news to them. 

We've seen that we have been commissioned by Christ to open their eyes to the preaching of that gospel truth and that this is a life with a purpose. This is a life with meaning, with a great privilege and responsibility not to be disobedient to our calling, our commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature so that men might be turned from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. That they might receive the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus. 

Paul summarized it well in his letter to the Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 14, he said, "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus, that if one died for all, then all died, and he died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. 

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ," now listen, "and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation." That is that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, "and has committed to us the word of reconciliation." 

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God were pleading through us, "We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God, for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him." 

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful for Paul's testimony, thankful for your Word, your truth, and we're thankful for the calling that you've given us to be witnesses in this world, the privilege to bring the good news to lost men. We're thankful for the power of the gospel, the dynamite. We're thankful that you are able and willing to save men, for men to come to you in faith. We're thankful for the promise and the hope of the resurrection. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.