Sunday, June 22, 2025 AM

Paul’s Prayer and the Assurance of God’s Promises

Let's go to the Lord together in prayer. Heavenly Father, we do come before you and we thank you for your many, many promises, all the good that you have not only planned, decreed, and intended, but have also told us about, so that we would know and have confidence in you.

And you have given us your Son, Jesus Christ, that we would know that every good thing is assured to us in him, and that all your promises are yes in him. And I thank you that we have such a Savior today that has conquered death, hell, and the grave.

He reigns supreme at your right hand, so that we have a King above all Kings, and a Lord above all Lords, whom we serve, by whose name we live. And I thank you that we do not live as orphans, but you have given to us your Holy Spirit to indwell us, to comfort us, to teach us, to carry our very whispered prayers loud and clear to you.

We thank you for the many graces that you have given to us, for we are a needy people. What weakness we have, but what strength you give. What brittleness we demonstrate, but what power you grant. How hard we are upon ourselves and each other, and what grace and longsuffering you show in your fatherly kindness.

How quickly we despair of good, and how strong you are to bring us forward into all that you have promised in Christ. I pray that you would help us today as we think about this passage of Scripture and what we learn about you from it.

I pray that you would do your work in us. Have your way in our midst, we pray. Amen. I invite you to open your Bibles and turn with me to Acts 25. Now, we'll be reading verses 12 through 23 of Acts 26, but we'll begin our walkthrough of this portion of Paul's story in chapter 25.

We'll be reading Acts 26 verses 12 through 23 in a moment. This section of Acts is all about the latter portion of Paul's ministry, lots of stories that come together to showcase not simply the transforming grace of the Lord in the life of Paul, not only to give us an understanding of the resurrection power of Christ in the persistent preaching of the gospel, but also to show us the worthiness of Christ.

That despite all of these things that Paul faced, how worthy Jesus Christ is of all this and more, that His servants would continue despite all that has occurred. We've heard from Paul's testimony. People may have wondered what happened to Paul, but it wasn't the right question.

It was who happened to Paul. And no matter what trials and tribulations that Paul underwent, he kept his focus on the task that was given to him by his Lord Jesus Christ. Remember that he said, for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

That was his testimony in a nutshell. With that in mind, he described his task this way in Galatians chapter 1. He says, it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace to reveal His Son in me that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, among the nations.

And that's what Paul did. He approached that Christ -bestowed, Christ -empowered task, and he did so in a fashion that at the end of his time, he was able to say this, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race.

I have kept the faith. Now, this story, it begins prior to our passage, but what we're going to read is Acts 25, verse 13 through chapter 26, verse 32. This portion of Paul's story is a good example of Paul's follow-through on the task that was given to him, despite the difficulties, the perplexities, the conundrums that faced him on a regular basis.

I invite you to stand with me as we read a portion of God's holy Word. We'll begin in chapter 26 and verse 12. This is the Word of the Lord. Paul's giving his testimony. 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 had all 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?

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.

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. You may be seated. Paul's task is given to us there in verses 16 through 18. Why are we concerned with Paul's task? What does Paul's task have to do with us?

We are not apostles. We do not live amongst the first generation of Christians. We are not members of the Roman Empire. We do not live while the new covenant still persisted. So long ago, so far away, what does Paul's task have to do with us?

The task of the saved is to proclaim the valor of their Savior. The task of the subjects of a kingdom is to advance the glory of our sovereign King. The task of sheep is to follow our shepherd. The task of a bride is to prepare for our bridegroom.

The task of slaves is to labor for our master. The task of worshipers on earth is to amen such praise as shakes the pillars of heaven that the redeemed of the Lord say so. Our commitment to the task, our commitment to God's will, Christian commitment to God's will is both clarified and continued by God's grace.

I think we see evidence of that in Paul's life. In the progression of Paul's preaching task, we find his audience once again bewildered by his decisions and by his dedication. Paul's own description of his conversion certainly clarifies his devotion to Christ and really puts the same crisis of decision to his audience.

But for their part, they deflect, they delay, they deliberate, they do whatever they can to not surrender to the risen Christ. As we go through this passage, first we're going to look at Paul's conundrum presented in the remainder of chapter 25, and then think about Paul's conversion proclaimed as once again he preaches the gospel by means of his testimony.

And then at the last of the chapter, how Paul's concern was parried, even though his concern was for the souls of his audience, how they parried that concern away to their own destruction. First of all, we have Paul's conundrum presented in verses 13 through 27 of Acts chapter 25.

And as we read through this passage, I want you to take special note of the customs of Rome, as well as the complaint of the Jews that persists. I would have you notice the nobility's curiosity and consider the legal considerations of why Paul is still under arrest and what awaits him in the near future.

All of these ingredients establish Paul's so-called predicament, which actually turns into the high and mighty being pushed to the edge of spiritual crisis. So, it's not so much Paul's conundrum as theirs.

And I think that's important for us to note. First of all, the Roman institution is in view in verses 13 through 16. We read, and after some days, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.

When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, there is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him.

To them I answered, it is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.".

So, we have here Agrippa and Bernice. This is Agrippa II and his sister Bernice, the royal great-grandchildren of Herod the Great. And Festus is the new Roman governor, having taken over from Felix. And Festus is in charge of taxes and law and order.

So, what is there left to do for the king of the Jews, Agrippa II? Well, he had a ceremonial but important cultural position where he would be the official representative of the Jewish people, and he also got to appoint whoever the next high priest would be, which, of course, would be whoever Rome told him it would be.

And yet, they're going to work together, and they need to work together because Paul is both a Roman citizen and a Jew, having been even raised in Jerusalem. But Paul refuses to stand before the Sanhedrin and accept their authority.

But the complaints given about Paul, the reason why Paul's in custody, is because of the accusations of the Sanhedrin. So, how will this problem get solved? By working with Agrippa, because he stands as an official representative of the Jewish people, and so he will now render with Festus the actual official legal conclusion concerning Paul's appeal to Caesar.

Festus says to Agrippa, I told the Jews we don't kill people without a trial. So, he says the Romans have a way of pursuing justice as a process we're supposed to follow. The Roman institution needs to be followed.

The accused must be given an opportunity to speak, despite the religious indignation that we are reminded of in verses 17 through 19. Festus, again, speaking to Agrippa, says, therefore, when they had come together without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in.

When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

So, the Jews, their hateful and heated accusations had no concern for the Romans, had nothing to do with their law, but had to do with something according to their religion and focused on this Jesus of Nazareth, and all affirmed that he died, but Paul was preaching the resurrection from the dead.

He was preaching that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, proven so by his resurrection from the dead the third day. Paul, you may remember, in the midst of chaos, insisted on making that the point. He refused to let the accusations of the Jews to remain.

He refused to make it about his personality, his travels, or any other such thing. He said, this is about the resurrection from the dead because Paul wanted to preach the Paul wanted the argument to be about the heart of the gospel, which, of course, is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

But there is a real interest in this case, as we see in verses 20 through 23. Again, Festus continues to speak to King Agrippa, and because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters.

But when Paul appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said to Festus, I also would like to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, he said, you shall hear him.

So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come in with great pomp and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city at Festus's command, Paul was brought in. So obviously, Festus could not get a resolution through the Sanhedrin who were so hateful towards Paul, they couldn't think straight, and Paul wouldn't stand for their jurisdiction anyway.

And so he had appealed to Caesar. The current Caesar was Nero, and among his seven titles was included this one of Augustus. And so Paul has appealed to the highest court of the land, and Festus has a little bit of a problem understanding how to frame this legal issue.

And so he wants Agrippa to stand in and give a word. Let's let Agrippa be an alternative to the Sanhedrin. He can speak to Paul's Jewish citizenship, and then we'll take care of his Roman citizenship side by sending him along through the legal court system.

Agrippa was curious. He was interested. He wanted to hear Paul. And so they all gathered together, and the high and mighty come flouncing in. The Greek word is phantasia. It's as fancy as you think it sounds.

All of these royal, high, and mighty folks come in, and they think that they are the main show, and they have no idea the person with whom they are about to be confronted. And it's not Paul. It's not Paul.

Now Festus continues at the beginning of the trial to set the conundrum before everybody there, especially Agrippa, but to state at this legal setting, why are we here? And it's a conundrum concerning Paul.

So in verse 24,. And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all the men who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer.

But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. I have nothing certain to write to my Lord concerning him. Therefore, I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place, I may have something to write, for it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not specify the charges against him.

Festus addresses both court and king with formality and formidable logic. The prisoner has appealed to Caesar, but I can't send a prisoner to Rome without a legal case to consider. This is a Jewish case, and so, King Agrippa, you're the only one I can get to render some sort of opinion.

You're going to help me write the note to Caesar. This is why we have sent you this man. Now, this is Paul's conundrum. He is under arrest, and nobody can decide why. He has appealed to Caesar, but nobody knows what to say to Caesar in sending Paul.

You can sense that the conundrum is there, but I find this passage compelling because between Festus and Agrippa, Paul's conundrum and his legal limbo is actually a problem for the rulers. It's a problem for the magistrates.

The perplexities entirely belong to Festus and Agrippa and the Jews. Festus does not understand the religious claims. He does not know how to frame the case. Agrippa cannot force the Sanhedrin to drop the charges.

He does not have that authority, and he has bigger Bernice-sized issues, which we'll talk about later. The Jews are unable to stop the advance of the way. There are too many proofs. There's too much power.

They can't stop it. They can't quiet it down. It keeps on spreading, and they can't do anything about it. Meanwhile, there's Paul, who has been comforted by Christ Himself to say, you're going to preach the gospel in Rome.

This is the plan, Paul. So Paul's at peace. Paul has confidence. His commitment to Christ has led to his being okay with his imprisonment. Now, he doesn't like being in prison, but he knows it's for the good, and it led him to make his appeal to Caesar.

It's Paul's lack of perplexity. It is Paul's lack of confusion that has caused such a conundrum for all the magistrates. It is important for us to remember our peace is not dependent upon our lives not causing conundrums for others.

If our lives for Christ cause all manner of conundrums and decision dilemmas for everybody else around us, this does not have a rendering upon our peace. For all the power and pomp of the high and mighty, if they are not at rest in Christ, no amount of power can remove the restlessness.

Jeremiah chapter 9 verses 23 to 24 says, Thus says the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him who glories glory in this, meaning what?

Let the wise man glory in this, and let the simple glory in this. Let the mighty man glory in this, and the weak man glory in this. Let the rich man glory in this, and let the poor man glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness and judgment and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says the Lord.

That we stand in confidence in Christ causes all manner of moral dilemmas for others is no detriment to our peace and no impediment to our task. It is not a bug, but a feature of Christ's preeminence that all people face this crisis of understanding.

The furthering of the King's glory confronts all creatures, disrupting their lives until they submit to him. Christians turn the world upside down, but we don't have to burn cars, loot stores, or shoot politicians to disrupt society.

In the name of Christ, our radical commitment to him manifests as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Even our soft answers break bones as we apply the unmatched worthiness of Christ to every situation.

Paul’s Conversion Proclaimed Before Agrippa

Just look how Paul does that as he proclaims his conversion, as he proclaims the gospel through his own personal testimony here in the first 23 verses of chapter 26. And as we read this passage, I want us to take special note of how Paul intentionally maximizes this divinely orchestrated opportunity to preach the gospel.

He again preaches the gospel of Jesus by means of his personal testimony, and he emphasizes in this the point and power of the resurrection. After all, his change from persecutor to preacher came by a personal meeting with the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

And it is this Jesus that he proclaims to Agrippa, to Bernice, to Festus, and all those who were there. First of all, we see Paul's purposeful manner in the first three verses. 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. It's a unique opportunity. Herod Antipas, you may remember, put Jesus on trial and joined in league with the Jews and the Romans to murder Jesus Christ. Here is Herod Antipas's great nephew, Agrippa II, who also is very familiar with Jewish custom and Jewish political intrigues.

And so Paul uses that familiarity and builds on it to try to preach the gospel to his primary audience. And he begins by relaying his persecuting mandate that so defined his early religious zeal. And he talks about this in verses 4 through 11.

He says,.

"...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 twelve 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.".

Now track with Paul's logic here and why he's saying this to Agrippa. He says, "...it is indisputable my early commitment, my zeal concerning the Jewish custom and religion.". And he says, "...my zeal was in full agreement with those who are even now seeking to receive God's promise to the twelve tribes, and they are seeking to receive the promised inheritance that God said to the twelve tribes by night and day labor.".

He said, "...everything I did was in agreement with that.". But not only that, he understood that violent opposition to Christians was part of that night and day labor necessary to receive the promise God made to the twelve tribes.

But Paul no longer engages in such violent opposition to Christians. He no longer engages in that night and day kind of working to somehow secure God's promise. Why? Because the promise which Paul preaches, the promise that God gave to the twelve tribes, has come to pass in the form of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead.

He says, "...the very hope for which they worked night and day, the very hope in the name of which I persecuted Christians, has arrived in the person of Jesus Christ, and I preach His resurrection from the dead.

The very hope they work for, I preach, and for that hope they persecute me.". Paul's question in verse 8, "...why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?". Personally challenges the unbelief of Agrippa.

And then Paul says, "...and you know how opposed I was.". He gives his whole opposition to Christ, shows how murderous he was, how hateful he was, how sinful and wicked he was. But he says, "...why do you think it incredible that Jesus Christ rose from the dead?

If you had known me before I met Jesus, you would understand.". And so Paul centers his gospel message on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, because it is his change that came by this same resurrected Jesus.

And so he centers now the attention upon the powerful meeting he had with Christ. And the truth of it is seen in verses 12 through 15, "...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 had all 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 had the authority and commission of the Sanhedrin of the high priests. Paul here speaks in the court of the Roman governor. He's addressing the king of the Jews, Agrippa II, and he makes it clear, here's the truth of the matter, there is a Lord higher and greater than all of this.

There is a superseding king, a superseding authority. I was commissioned, I had all the credentials, I was doing everything according to the authority given to me, but I was stopped in my tracks by the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

I had all of this vindication, I had all the credentials, but then I met the truth. And he gave me a task. Paul says, he describes his task in verses 16 through 18. He says, Jesus said to Paul, but rise, 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.

So, in directing Paul, Christ both defines him and promises to deliver him. Christ defines Paul as a minister and as a witness. The term minister literally means under rower, which means, Paul says, I'm a galley slave.

I'm chained in the bottom of the boat to the oars, and I'm rowing. This is my task. And he's made me a martyr, a witness, a witness by the very life that I live of the truth of Jesus Christ. So, Paul is both minister and witness, set aside for this gospel preaching for the advance of Christ's kingdom, and Christ promises to deliver him.

He promises to Jesus, I'm going to deliver you from the very people I send you to. I'm going to send you to the Jews, and you're going to be delivered from them. I'm going to send you to the nations and deliver you from them.

And the very fact that Paul stands before Agrippa, liberated from the murderous Jews and unharmed by the violent Romans, just as Christ promised, is quite the proof of who's really in charge. Jesus delivers Paul for the purpose of gospel preaching by which Jesus delivers Jews and Gentiles from darkness, from death, from Satan, and brings them all into forgiveness, holiness, and an eternal inheritance.

Therefore, Paul says, this is why I do what I do. He described his preaching ministry in verses 19 through 23. 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, 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.

Paul says, this is why they're trying to kill me, is because I'm preaching the risen Lord Jesus Christ from the very scriptures that they claim belong to them and their interpretation only. But in fact, everything that their scriptures say is in agreement with what I preach in light of who Jesus Christ is and what He has come to do.

Paul's preaching was in obedience to the risen Christ. It was to the Jews, indeed all the nations, that they ought to repent and turn to God. It was in agreement with the law and the prophets, saying what?

That the Jews and the Gentiles, by the resurrection of Messiah, may be resurrected themselves, regenerated themselves, brought new life themselves, delivered from death and Satan, delivered from judgment.

So Paul first begins with his early opposition. He talks about how opposed he was, and now how vastly different he is. The only explanation for the change in the life of Paul is that the risen Lord Jesus Christ met him and changed him.

Now, Paul's early opposition meant opposing the King of kings himself. No matter if he had credentials from the Sanhedrin, from the chief priests, who cares? He was in opposition to the King of kings.

So what then must that mean for Festus and Agrippa who have Paul incarcerated? What must it mean for them? They think their problem is trying to figure out what to say to Caesar. They need to start figuring out what they're going to say to Jesus.

Shouldn't they be more concerned about that? Paul certainly was brought to that realization. He needs to answer to the King of kings. They need to be brought to that very same realization. And if you notice something about Paul, about Paul's life, there's just everything about his life is about Christ.

There's no branch or leaf or bark or root that can be located outside the blazing glory of Christ. The whole bush is on fire. And it is Christ's preeminence that explains all of Paul's perplexities. Why is Paul in this situation?

What does it all mean? How did he get here? Where is he going? All the perplexities of Paul's life are answered by the preeminence of Jesus Christ. Whereas what goes on with Agrippa and Bernice and Festus, it is the lack of submission to Jesus Christ that is and will remain the cause of crises in the lives of the magistrates and their empires.

Paul proclaims Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. He says, I stand before you a martyr. I stand before you transformed as proof of that resurrection. I once was in darkness and sin under the power of Satan.

I am now alive in the light, forgiven and happy in Christ. This glorious exaltation of Christ in Paul is ablaze. The magistrates have all turned aside to see this sight, Paul burning ablaze and yet not consumed.

And what does Paul say his task is? What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ mean for the Jew and the nations alike? Agrippa, Bernice, Festus, his Jewish wife, Drusilla, all of them confronted with their need to be delivered from the dominion of darkness and be brought into the light of Christ's kingdom.

They are all, by Paul's witness, enslaved to Satan. They are all in need of forgiveness of their sins. And just as with Paul's testimony on the road to Damascus, even now their encounter with the glory of Jesus Christ and the preaching of the gospel has put it to them, things must change.

You are against the wall. You are kicking against the goads. It's time for you to change. It is time for you to submit. And this is why in the remainder of chapter 26, we see Paul's concern buried by those to whom he preaches.

If you look at verses 24 through 32, we should take special note of the way that Festus and Agrippa and Bernice react and respond to gospel preaching from Paul. Now, you'll notice that Paul has been very straightforward, but they are going to be evasive.

You'll notice that Paul holds his ground and they retreat. First of all, we see some deflection in verses 24 through 26. 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, Festus can't stand the pressure in the room. He's got to disenchant the moment. He's got to call the messenger mad. He wants to dispose with any kind of authority claim that will cost him everything.

Paul says, I'm not mad. I'm not a lunatic. I'm not insane, noble Festus. You can hear for yourself that I am cogent, that I am coherent. In fact, your special guest Agrippa, he can attest to the validity of my words.

He knows all this stuff that has happened because it was done publicly. It was not done in a corner. He says, right, king? Right, Agrippa? And so now Paul appeals to Agrippa in verse 27. 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.

Paul appeals to Agrippa's intellectual consent to the prophets and, of course, Agrippa must be the king of the Jews. He's got commitment to the scriptures by political force. He's the one who has to appoint the high priest after all.

And so Paul says, I know you've got to believe the prophets. It's part of your job description. Agrippa then speaks the sad word, you almost persuade me to become a Christian. He says, in effect, you've moved me, Paul, but I'm not there yet.

And then Paul wastes no time deliberating about what state Agrippa really is in. He simply proves the state of his own faith by saying, I would that everybody would be in this very same condition of grace and faith as me, except for these chains.

In other words, it's not really about me persuading you, king. I would have you of the same faith as me. Now, I've got to ask you, do you want everybody else saved in the same way that you are? And if you start making a list of, here's where I've performed well, here's where I've done poorly, then you're looking in the wrong place for your salvation.

Paul says, I want everybody saved like me. What about you? Do you want everyone to save like you? If you start saying, well, I have prayed a magic prayer, or I have undertaken the appropriate ritual, then you're looking in the wrong place for your salvation.

Once again, you're looking to yourself. If you're saying, I don't know, I'm not that good of a Christian. I've got all these problems. Once again, you're looking in the wrong place for your salvation.

There is one Savior. There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. And what has he done? Who is he in all of his righteousness? And what did he do on the cross, but suffer under the wrath of God for your sins, everything you deserve, that his righteousness may be put to you by faith, and that God looking at you sees the righteousness of his own son, Jesus Christ, and welcomes you to him with every bit of a smile as he has for his only begotten son.

In him, he is well pleased. There's where Paul stands. Where do you stand? And where do you want everybody else standing? Not in, oh, I did this, or I accomplished that, or I said this, but in who Jesus Christ is.

And then what happens? Well, the nobles deliberate. Verses 30 to 32, when he had said these things, the king stood up as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with him. And when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves saying, this man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.