Well, we're gonna be in the Book of Acts, and we're going to begin in chapter 25, and then through chapter 26 this evening. We're studying the life of Paul on Wednesday nights, and we are drawing nearer and nearer to the end of this study and the end of his life, but we're in the time of Paul's life when he is a prisoner. He was bringing an offering to Jerusalem for the saints there. He was intending to be there for the Feast of Pentecost. As he was there, he joined in a vow and then he was accused of having violated, desecrated the temple by bringing Gentiles into the temple and he was being beaten to death when the Roman soldiers rescued him and then began this time of imprisonment. The chief captain there in Jerusalem tried to figure out what was going on and what to do about this and wasn't able to discern anything. Found out that Paul was a Roman citizen and that made a difference in the way that he dealt with him. Ends up sending him to Caesarea where he went before Felix and Felix tried him. and really came to the conclusion that Paul was not guilty of any crime, didn't deserve to be imprisoned, but would not release him in the hopes that Paul would pay him a bribe. And so for two years, Felix kept calling for Paul, and Paul would come before him and no doubt share the gospel with him. But Felix never believed on Christ, and he never released Paul. And after two years, He had, at that point, made such a mess of his rule, his governorship, that he was recalled by Rome. And because the Jews were going to accuse him to Caesar, he was trying to win the favor of the Jews. And so knowing that they hated Paul, he left Paul in prison in the hopes that that would help him gain some favor with the Jews. And so Festus comes along to take Felix's place. And Festus also hears Paul's case, again, comes to the conclusion that Paul has done no wrong unless he has violated Jewish law, which Festus is not familiar with that. He doesn't know the ins and outs of Jewish law and Jewish custom. So he tries to send Paul back to Jerusalem to stand before the Sanhedrin, Paul realizing that his life is in jeopardy, appeals to Caesar, his right as a Roman citizen. When he realizes he's not going to get a fair trial there, he makes this appeal to Caesar. And so Festus at that point has no choice but to send him. But the problem is everybody knows Paul is not guilty of anything, any violation of Roman law. So you're going to send this prisoner to Caesar But you got to have some crime, something he's done wrong, got to send a record against him, a charge against him, and so what do you do? So that's, if Festus is in this dilemma, I got to send him to Caesar, but I don't know what to say when I send him. And so Paul is going to have one more hearing before he's sent to Rome, and that's where we're going to pick up the story tonight. And I want to begin with, if you're taking notes, the outline is really just based on the account itself, but we begin with the setting. In verse 13, after Festus has agreed to send Paul to Caesar, after certain days, King Agrippa and Bernice came into Caesarea to salute Festus. So the setting for this Last hearing of the Apostle Paul before he's sent to Rome is this visit of Agrippa the Festus. Agrippa is one of the Herods. He is the great grandson of Herod the Great. If you remember in the story of Christ's birth, Herod the Great was the one that ordered all the male babies two years and under to be in and around Bethlehem to be slaughtered. That is Agrippa's great grandfather. Agrippa's grandfather was known as Herod Antipas. He is the one that had John the Baptist beheaded and the one before whom Jesus appeared at his trial. His father, Agrippa's father was Herod Agrippa I. He's the one that beheaded James. And then in Acts chapter 12, when he was hailed as God and accepted the worship as God, that he was stricken with a disease and died a horrible death. So that's, this Agrippa's father is that one, grandfather and his great-grandfather. This is the family that this guy is from. He was 17 years old when his father died and he was given a small rulership and then as time went on his kingdom was expanded. But at this point as he comes to Festus and Paul's gonna stand before him. He's probably only in his late twenties. Just to give you some perspective, again, he was probably born about the time that Christ was crucified. He comes with Bernice. Bernice is actually his sister. And as was Drusilla that we read about. Drusilla was Felix's wife. Agrippa, this Agrippa, and Bernice and Drusilla were all siblings. So the Herod family had some influence in those days and connections with Rome and with the Caesars and some pool with them. But they also were familiar with, because they had ruled over Judea and Galilee in that region, they had an understanding of Jewish law and Jewish customs. And so Agrippa comes to just welcome Festus as the new governor. And after he had been there many days, verse 14 tells us, Festus then told him about Paul, declared Paul's case unto him, saying, there's a certain man left in bonds by Felix, about whom when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. And then he just goes on to tell how he wouldn't do it without a trial. And so he had the trial, and then he realized it wasn't about a Roman law that he had broken, but about certain questions against him of their own superstition, verse 19, and of one Jesus which was dead whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Again, Paul preached the gospel even in his trial before Festus. And so he appealed to Caesar, and so I'm going to send him to Caesar. And then Agrippa said to Festus, I would also hear the man myself. And he said, tomorrow thou shalt hear him. So Festus consults with Agrippa. Again, he needs to send formal charges against Paul to Caesar. And Agrippa, being more familiar with Jewish customs and law, Festus is hoping that he can help him sort through this and figure out, what in the world are we going to tell Caesar? And so the hearing is arranged. And so on the morrow, it tells us in verse 23, when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great pomp and was entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city at Festus' commandment, Paul was brought forth. So this hearing is arranged. And understand, this is not an official trial. Agrippa has no jurisdiction over Paul. Just like his grandfather before him, His grandfather, when Jesus stood before Herod, Herod was delighted that Jesus was gonna come stand before him. He said, you know, he'd heard all about Jesus, and he wanted to meet him. He was hoping he'd do some miracle. Well, Agrippa's heard about Paul, and now he hears what's happening, and it's like, yeah, I'd like to get, I'm kinda curious about this guy, too. I've heard about him. And so he's going to, he's going to be introduced to him. But he has no jurisdiction. This is not a trial. He can't judge against Paul. It's not part of his territory. So he's just, it's just a courtesy to help satisfy his curiosity and to help Festus figure out what to say about Paul's situation, what to send to Rome. And so Agrippa and Bernice enter the appointed place with great fanfare, it says, with great pop. And then Festus and the chief captains and the principal men enter into the room and then Paul is brought in. And just in setting the stage, I want to read to you a couple of descriptions of this that kind of help us picture this. One writer said, there's no more dramatic scene in all the New Testament. It was with Pomp that Agrippa and Bernice had come. They would have on their purple robes of royalty, the gold circlet of the crown on their brows. Doubtless Festus had donned the scarlet robe which a governor wore on state occasions. Close at hand, there must have stood Agrippa's suite, that is all the advisors and counselors and all the retinue that would travel with Agrippa as a king. Also in attendance were the most influential figures of the Jews. Close by Festus, there would stand the captains in command of the five cohorts which were stationed at Caesarea. And in the background, there would be a solid phalanx of the tall Roman legionaries on ceremonial guard. So you've got these Roman soldiers with their swords, and their spears, and their shields, and you've got the centurions, and you've got the Festus, and Agrippa, and Bernice, and the leading Jews of the time. And then in walks Paul, the little Jewish tent maker with his hands in chains, probably actually chained two Roman soldiers, one on this side and one on this side. We know that Paul was chained because later on, in verse 29 of chapter 6, he said, I wish everybody was like me except for these bonds. So Paul's chained to Roman soldiers and he walks into this setting. One other writer described it this way. He said, with great pomp and magnificence, followed by their court retainers, Agrippa and Bernice came to the place, Palace of Festus, where were gathered the aristocracy and the military of the city. The rich gold and scarlet garments and the glittering shields and spears of the legionnaires, as they ranged themselves about the hall, made a brave and dazzling show. At a nod from Festus, Paul was brought into the chamber. His long imprisonment had intensified the pallor of his thin and worn face. His self-spun garments contrasted strangely with the rich silk and velvets of the royal party." Now, there's some imagination in that statement, but nonetheless, you know, Agrippa and Bernice and Festus and the Roman soldiers, they would all be in their regalia and all their finery. And then Paul walks in, excuse me, and he's a prisoner. And he's been in prison for two years. And he probably is just, you know, a sorry spectacle in comparison to them. And yet, he's the believer. And as one writer said, you know, it's not really Paul that's on trial here. It's the Roman officials that ultimately are on trial. So Festus announces the purpose of this hearing. He says in verse 24, to King Agrippa and all the men which are here present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem and also here crying that he ought not live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him, of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore, I have brought him forth before you, and especially before thee, O King Agrippa, that after examination had, I might have somewhat to write, for it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes lit against him. By the way, Festus is also, you know, this is a tricky situation for him, because Paul has appealed to Caesar. Paul should have been released. He's done nothing wrong. Everybody has said that. Felix, Festus, the Jews, everybody. There's no reason for him to be in prison, but because Felix and Festus were not giving him the justice that he deserved, he made this appeal to Caesar. So he goes to Caesar. If they don't have some legitimate crime to report, then they're in jeopardy. Festus is in jeopardy because he has wasted Caesar's time and wrongly imprisoned a Roman citizen. So this is a tricky situation for Festus, but it's one of his own creation. And so he announces to everybody there, here's why we're doing this, because I need to know what to send to Caesar. And so Agrippa then says to Paul, thou art permitted to speak for thyself. And Paul stretched forth a hand and answered for himself. And so we have not only the hearing, but then we have Paul's message. And here's the heart of our message tonight. Just a few things to note about Paul's message, because really it is a message, though it is his defense before Agrippa. It really is, Paul is preaching the gospel to Agrippa and to Festus again, and to all those that are in that audience. It was respectful, please note that. Paul is unjustly imprisoned, but Paul is not vindictive. We've noted in previous messages about this, that Paul is satisfied, he's content to be a prisoner of Christ. God is in control of all this. God's intent was that Paul be his witness to kings and even to Caesar himself. And God is working through this situation to use Paul in that way. And though Paul certainly would want to be released, he is content with the will of God. He is not vindictive. He is polite in his talking with Agrippa. You know, I'm happy because I'll answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews, especially because I know thee to be expert on all customs and questions which are among the Jews, and therefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently." But, you know, he's polite. He's not impressed with the pomp when he recounts his testimony. In verse 13, he shares how he saw the glory of God on the Damascus Road. Paul has seen the glory of God that was brighter than the new day sun. And so he's not impressed with the glory of men because he's seen the glory of God. And that's a lesson for us today. We need to respect the glory of men, if you will, but not be impressed by it because the glory of God is greater But Paul wrote to the Roman believers that we are to give honor to whom honor is due. And Paul is doing that as he stands before these men, though they are wicked men and of themselves, and they're not treating him right. They're not giving him the justice that he deserves. They're in this position appointed by God. He respected the position. Even later on when Festus says, you know, Paul, you're crazy. Paul says over in verse 25 of chapter 26, he says, I am not mad. And he calls him most noble Festus. And that takes the grace of God to stand before these men after all two years of unjust imprisonment and all this going on and yet to be civil and respectful. But he is. So his message is respectful. He was polite. It was thorough. He asked for patience. Agrippa, this is not going to be short. What I have to say is going to take some time. Please be patient with me. And he tells this story. really his life story, because he begins with, everybody who knew me from the beginning, if they would testify that after the most straightest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among my own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews. He goes all the way back to his youth, his childhood, and his pre-conversion days, but he tells his story, you know, People that knew me will testify that everything I'm telling you is true. I was, when it came to the Jewish faith, I was as zealous as anybody. I lived according to the most straightest sect of our religion, a Pharisee. I was zealous in my observance of the Jewish law. By the way, in verse 9, you'll notice that he says, I've really thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Paul is sincere. He was zealous in his adherence to Judaism, and he was sincere in his faith, in his belief, but he was wrong. It is possible to be religious and to be sincere and yet to be wrong. And that's what Paul is. He finds out. So he tells this story, first of all, before he was saved, and I won't read through all the things that he says, but he talks about the fact, you know, he was persecuting the church, he was zealous to keep the law, and he was persecuting the church, and everything that he did, he thought he was doing right, he was very sincere, and then he says in verse 12, as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven above, the brightness of the sun shining round about me, and then which journeyed with me, We are all fallen to the earth, and I heard a voice speaking unto me, saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest." Let me, well, just note this, in verse 15, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. You know that Paul never refers to Jesus as Jesus, except in this instance. Paul always uses a title, the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ. It's never just Jesus. So let me ask you, let me just throw this out to you. Why would he say, in recounting this, Why would he say, why would he just use the name Jesus? One reason is kind of obvious and one maybe not so much, but why would he just say Jesus and not Jesus Christ or Lord Jesus Christ? Why would he say just Jesus? Okay, first of all, because that's what Jesus said, okay? But what's the significance of the name Jesus? Okay, but what's significant about the name Jesus? It is Jehovah's salvation. What does it signify about him? What do you identify with him when we know that he's Jesus? It speaks of his what? Humanity. This is him as a man. And the point of that is, this is the man who walked on the earth and was crucified, and yet that same man is now speaking to Paul. He's not dead. He's alive. The fact that Paul recounts it exactly as it was spoken to him is just an indication of it's Paul's testimony to the resurrected Christ that on that Damascus Road that man Jesus who walked on this earth 30 years ago and was crucified is alive today because he spoke to me on the Damascus Road. That's the significance of him using just the name Jesus. So even in giving his testimony, he's testifying not only to his salvation, but to the fact that his salvation was based upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There's this emphasis upon the resurrected Christ. Because the gospel message is tied up in the resurrection, not just the death of Christ. Christ died for our sins. He paid the penalty of our sins. But if he had not risen from the dead, his death would be of no value to us. Because death is the result of sin. If he can't conquer death, he hasn't conquered sin. And the resurrection is a part of the gospel message. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, he was buried, and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. That's the gospel. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. The resurrection is a key part of the gospel. And Paul even says in verse eight, why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead? And it's the resurrection of Christ that ultimately brings Festus to say to Paul, thou art mad. Paul, you're crazy. Because they didn't believe in the resurrection. But it's a key truth in the message of the gospel, and it is part of Paul's testimony. I met the resurrected Christ on the Damascus road. He would write that in 1 Corinthians 15. When he talks about the eyewitnesses to Christ's resurrection, and he said, last of all, it was me as one born out of due time. I saw the resurrected Christ. When did he see him? Well, he saw him, first of all, on the Damascus road. He may have, the three years that he spent in the Arabian Desert, he may have been with Christ there and talked with Christ. We don't know. There's a veil over that time in his life. But Paul does say he received the gospel that he preached. He didn't get it from the other apostles that had been with Jesus. He got it directly from the Lord. He writes to the Galatian church. So the Lord Jesus communicated to Paul what the gospel was. the gospel that Paul is preaching, but again, I've seen the resurrected Christ. I was zealous for Judaism and I thought I was doing the right thing, but then I met the resurrected Christ. And then my life changed and the Lord had a work for me to do and he told me what it is. Rise, stand up on my feet. I appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a minister and a witness both of those things which thou hast seen and those things into which I will appear unto thee. And then he says to Agrippa, verse 19, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. I did what God called me to do. And so Paul, again, tells this story, his pre-conversion life, his conversion, his post-conversion life. Why am I here? Because of all this. This is what happened to me and this is why I'm here, he says. And I was faithful to the calling of God and for this cause, for these causes, verse 21, the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill me. Why am I here? This is why I'm here. met the resurrected Christ on the Damascus Road. He commissioned me to be his witness to the Gentiles. I carried out that command with zeal, and that's why I'm here. But I want you to just note this. You know, three times in the book of Acts, Paul's salvation is recounted. It first occurs in chapter nine as Luke gives the historical account. Paul's on Damascus Road, and Luke tells us how he came to Christ. But twice we read about Paul giving his testimony. once before the Jewish mob at the beginning of this imprisonment and now as he stands before Agrippa. How many times do you reckon Paul gave his testimony that's not recorded in the Word of God? We don't know. That's just a thought. He, you know, we noted when we first looked at it that one of the best ways to be a witness for Christ is just tell people what the Lord has done for you. Just share your story, your testimony of how Christ, you know, how you were living in disobedience. And then you got saved. You met Christ, you got saved, and your life changed. And just tell people what happened to you. Well, as I was thinking about this, I was reminded, somebody did the math for Spurgeon. and I don't remember the number, but I remember seeing this and thinking about it. Spurgeon told his story on average of once a month. He began preaching when he was 15. He died in his late 50s. From his printed sermons, somebody went through and calculated how many times he gave his testimony, and when you average it out, he told his story about once a month. I thought it was interesting. Paul told his story. How many times? We don't know, but he told it. It's recorded twice here in the Book of Acts. And as he told that story, standing before Agrippa and before Festus again, and he's telling his story, but he's not just telling a story. There's an intention in his recounting of his life story. It's intentional. The intent is the conversion of his hearers. Paul is telling his story, sharing his testimony, with the goal of winning these people to Christ. You notice in verse 27, he says, he brings it to a climax. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest, Agrippa. I mean, he's calling for a decision on Agrippa's part. I have told you the truth, don't you believe? Verse 29, again Paul says, I would to God that not only thou but also all that hear me, everybody, Festus, the centurions, the Roman soldiers, the legionaries, all these Jewish leaders that are here, I wish everybody here that just heard my story, I wish all of them would believe on Christ, I wish everybody was just like me today That is, the follower of Jesus Christ, born again, following Christ. Everybody would be like me except for these bonds. I don't want anybody to have to be in prison, but I wish everybody was saved. That's Paul's heart. As he shares his story, he wants to see these people saved. And so he shares the gospel. Look at verse 18 and verse 20. There's a lot here, so I'm trying to just pull out a few things, key thoughts tonight as we look at this. But in verse 18, the Lord said, I'm sending you, I'm gonna deliver you from the people and from the Gentiles, verse 17, whom I now send you. Notice then as Paul, again, recounts what the Lord said to him. Here's the gospel. To open their eyes and 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. Whereupon O King Agrippa was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus. Immediately after he got saved, he began to preach the gospel to the Jews in Damascus, and then he went to Jerusalem and preached the gospel there, and then the Lord told him to leave, they wouldn't receive him, and so he went throughout all the coast of Judea, on his way back to Tarsus, and then he took the gospel to the Gentiles, beginning at Antioch and throughout the Roman Empire. He carried the gospel and he preached that they should repent and turn to God and do work to meet for repentance. Here's the gospel. Men are spiritually blind. God has sent me to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light. They are spiritually blind. And God's intent is, through the preaching of the gospel, their eyes might be opened. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." Men are lost. They're blind to the truth. Satan has blinded their minds. God has to open their eyes to the truth. God has to cause men to understand their spiritual condition. Not only are they blind, but they're imprisoned by Satan to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and the power of Satan unto God. Paul would write to the Colossian church, God has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. Every unbeliever is spiritually blind and they're in prison to Satan. They're walking as Satan would have them to walk. Ephesians 2.2, in time past we walked according to the course of this world. according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." Every unbeliever is bound by Satan, they're in his kingdom, they're imprisoned by him, and they're walking the way that he wants them to go. And it's not Satan's purpose that everybody just be as wicked and ungodly and immoral as they can be. For some people, that's the way it plays out. But Satan is just as happy to have a Paul, a Saul before he becomes Paul, who is zealous for religion. That's part of Satan's way as well. As long as you don't believe in Jesus Christ, you can be as zealous and as committed and as fanatic in your religion as you want to be. Just don't believe in Christ. And that too is walking according to the course of this world, according to the principle power of the Arab. When there's a lot of people in churches and their church members have been baptized, they read their Bibles, they've never been born again by faith in Jesus Christ. And Satan is happy for them to do all that as long as they don't believe in Christ. He doesn't want their eyes opened, he doesn't want them to be lost to his power, but he doesn't care if they're religious. And again, God has to deliver them. They can't deliver themselves from Satan's power. They can't open their own eyes. When Jesus came, he one day read from the Bible in the synagogue in Nazareth, and he read from the book of Isaiah, I think it's chapter 61, that part of his purpose in coming was to open the eyes of the blind, see the truth of the gospel. And so Paul says, here's my mission to preach the gospel, to open people's eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God so that they could receive the forgiveness of sins. And he says, an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me, that salvation is by faith in Christ. So men are spiritually blind, they're in darkness, they're in the power of Satan, they're sinners, and the only way of salvation is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The forgiveness of sins is available through Christ. And when we trust Christ as Savior, there is a blessed future that we have in Christ. We're forgiven through Christ. in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. We have a future in Christ. Peter would write that we have an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away, that is reserved in heaven for us. And salvation is about turning from sin to God. It's about a changed life. Repentance, turning to God. of admitting that I'm a sinner, headed my own way, walking away from God, and repentance is simply changing my mind and turning to God, and beginning to walk towards God and not away from Him. And as I turn to God in faith, believing in Christ as my Savior, God changes me, gives me a new life, I'm born again by the power of God, and I begin to walk in a new direction towards God, and my life begins to change. And I do works that are fitting for repentance. Not because of me, but because of what Christ has done. There's a new nature that God puts within me, and new desires, and a new direction that God gives me. Agrippa's standing here before, or sitting here before Paul. Paul's standing before him. And Agrippa's hearing all of this that is so familiar to us. I haven't told you anything tonight you haven't heard if you've been in church all your life. And you know it's the truth of the gospel, and Agrippa is hearing it now. He's without excuse. Paul has preached the gospel to him. Paul's message was biblical. You notice that he says in verse 27 to Agrippa, Believest thou what? What does he say? Verse 27 of chapter 26. Believest thou the prophets? What's he saying? Agrippa? And no doubt, you know, he probably has given some God, some of the prophets, some scripture that Luke didn't record for us. But even if not, he's appealing to Agrippa's knowledge of the Bible because Agrippa evidently has some knowledge of the scriptures. But he's appealing to that. Agrippa, don't you believe the prophets? I know you believe. Agrippa, you've heard the truth from the Word of God. Don't you believe? The Lord has to save. You know, Paul didn't open their eyes. Paul didn't turn them from darkness to light. Paul didn't deliver them from the power of Satan to God. Paul simply preached the Word of God, and God worked through the Word, and by His Holy Spirit, God does that work, as we give people the Word. And so, that's the message Paul is preaching. He's given a grip of the Word, a grip of, don't you believe? You've heard the truth, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And then I would note too, I'm gonna use this term, say it this way, it was inspirational. Paul speaks about hope. Go back to verse six and seven of chapter 26. Again, this is his pre-conversion, but he says, For which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews." One of the things Paul is saying is, you know, the message that I'm preaching is simply the message that is proclaimed to our Father. I'm just preaching that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies. That this is not something new. This is not opposed to the Jewish people. It's just I'm preaching the fulfillment. what they yet don't yet understand the fulfillment of that Old Testament message that that there's one coming there's a Messiah coming in whom would be forgiveness of sins and I'm telling you he has come he's the hope he's been the hope of our nation and I'm simply declaring that hope has been fulfilled in Christ and that's why I'm here because they don't believe that and and so they have persecuted me but I just preach that hope that the Bible, the Gospel, is a message of hope. And that hope is realized in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Again, why should it be thought of an incredible thing with you that God should raise the dead? Peter would write, Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We would have no hope if we didn't serve a risen Savior. It's because Christ rose from the dead that we have hope. Apart from Christ, we have no hope. Again, Paul wrote to the Ephesians, remember that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision of the flesh made by hands, at that time you were without Christ. Before you got saved, you were without Christ. You were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. You were strangers from the covenants of promise. You had no hope and you are without God in the world. But now that you've believed on Christ, all the promises are yours and the hope is yours as well. And so in Christ, we have hope for the present. Paul would write to the Roman church, the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. And we have hope for the future because we're looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God and our savior, Jesus Christ. You know, it's amazing how much ground Paul covers in standing there before Agrippa and just making these simple statements. He's declaring to him the gospel, that it's a message of forgiveness, a message of deliverance, it's a message of hope, and it's all centered in the resurrected Christ. By the way, we should be people who are filled with hope. as God's people. No matter what's going on around us, what our circumstances are, we have hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because we serve a risen Savior, there is hope. There's hope for this life and certainly hope for the future. And so Paul poured out his heart. I mean, he is sharing the gospel through his story. And so what's the result? And this is the last thought tonight. What's the result? You have the setting, and then you have Paul's message, and then you have the result. Well, Festus thought he was crazy. You know, he says, so having therefore obtained help of God, verse 22, I continue unto this day, witnessing to both small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer, that Messiah should suffer, that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles, that Christ, the Messiah, would come and suffer and die and rise from the dead and that through him there is light not only to the Jewish people but also to the Gentiles. That's what I'm doing. And as he thus spoke for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself. Much learning doth make thee mad. Paul, you are crazy. All that learning that you've had in your life, Oh, you're just plain crazy. And Paul said, no, I'm not crazy. I'm speaking forth the words of truth and soberness. I am of sound mind. That's the idea of soberness. And I'm simply declaring the truth. And the king knoweth of these things before whom I speak freely. I'm persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him for this thing was not done in a corner. Festus, not only am I not crazy, but I think the king knows all of, Agrippa knows all of this. He's, he's, He knows all about Jesus. He knows the story of the resurrection. He knows the prophets. And so, he knows everything I'm saying is true. And Agrippa admits, I think in verse 28, he admits that he's convicted almost, thou persuadest me to be a Christian. There's conviction there, but an unwillingness to believe. And so, when he had thus spoken, Paul says, you know, I wish everybody was saved, just like me, except these bonds. And when he had thus spoken, Agrippa rises up, Festus gets up, Bernice gets up, all those other officials get up, and they walk out. Everybody walks away. Everybody heard the gospel clearly presented by the Apostle Paul, and they all walk away rejecting the message. Did they ever have another chance? Who knows? But they had that chance. And let me just say two things here in closing. Number one, if you are here tonight or watching the live stream and you don't know Christ as Savior, maybe you are zealous in being a religious person, but you've never been born again by faith in Jesus Christ. Tonight is your opportunity. Don't walk away like these people did. But if you know Christ as Savior, then we have a wonderful example here of sharing the gospel with those who don't know, even in this case, some who are high Roman officials. But Paul is not bothered by that. These are just men and women, just like Paul. And when we go out here to talk to people, regardless of their station in life, they're just people. They're souls. that need a savior, and that's the way we need to view them. And just simply share the gospel, and if nothing else, just share your testimony. And then don't be surprised if somebody says, you're mad, you're crazy. Or if they just walk away and they hear the gospel, but they don't believe on Christ. That's what they did to Jesus. That's what they did to the Apostle Paul. That's what they may do to us. But our job is simply to share the truth. And then it's up to them how they respond to it. And God is to do the work in their heart. But he does it as we give them truth. Paul's going to go to Rome and he's going to testify before Caesar. And that comes up later. But this is Paul's testimony even before. Let's stand together for prayer. Our father, we again, thank you for your word. We thank you for the story of Paul's life, and we pray that you'll continue to teach us through our study together. And Lord, tonight, may we be encouraged, if we know you as Savior, to be witnesses for you, and Lord, to understand that it can be as simple as simply sharing our testimony. Lord, help us not to be discouraged if we are rejected, if we are ridiculed. Lord, we know that they're not rejecting us, they're rejecting you. Help us not to be intimidated by people, no matter who they are. And Lord, if there is one that doesn't know Christ the Savior, we pray that they'll not let this night pass without receiving Christ. And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.