1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,440 And he was just getting out of college. 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,400 And so I know he looks really old, but he's not that old, 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,080 honestly. But I'm kidding, I'm kidding. 4 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:12,160 But I got into college and of course he was still on staff 5 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,920 there and, and we worked on the same bus route and some of the 6 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:18,200 same ministries. And then I graduated college and 7 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,440 worked for him for a year in the school there. 8 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,200 And then that's when I met my wife and she was a whole lot 9 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,320 prettier than he was. So I decided to, to go with her 10 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,800 instead of him and move down here to Virginia and became an 11 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,120 assistant pastor. But they in 2012 went down to 12 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,080 Belize and started a church down there as missionaries. 13 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,280 And of course, most of you know that that's the that's the 14 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,920 church that we are working with right now to establish a 15 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,600 missions hub down there in Belize and some amazing things 16 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,160 that things that God's doing with that. 17 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:51,560 But then God called them back in 2018-2019 to start a church in 18 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,160 Idaho. And I remember talking at the 19 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,800 time he said, I have no idea why God's calling us away from here. 20 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:58,640 I wanted to stay here for the rest of my life and start 21 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,600 churches in Belize. But God start called them to 22 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,920 Idaho and they were there for about 6 or 7 years. 23 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,680 I think they just had the 7th anniversary of the church and 24 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:08,520 turned that church over to his son. 25 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,760 And now they're going to Chicago to start churches in Chicago. 26 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,280 And boy, if there's any place that needs churches, it's 27 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,120 Chicago and some of the inner city areas. 28 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,160 And so they are, they're on deputation, they're raising some 29 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,800 support to, to start that church there in Chicago. 30 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,600 But I, I would get him to come anyway, whether he was on 31 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,280 deputation or not. And actually that's what he's 32 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:29,960 going to be doing tonight. He's talking to us a little bit 33 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:33,240 about that, that what, what God's called them to do in, in 34 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,120 Chicago there. But I'm glad he's here. 35 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,200 I'm glad he's my friend. Pastor Whitaker, if you come, 36 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,480 preach for us. It's really good to be here 37 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,640 again. And I enjoyed the presentation 38 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:49,560 on the history of the church and I preached for the church one 39 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:55,080 time when you were in the hotel and then preached here, I think 40 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,720 a year ago. And seems like there's been 41 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,840 other times I've been out here, but I don't remember. 42 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:03,240 But we've been friends. Friend. 43 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,800 The word friend is thrown around a lot too many times without 44 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,639 meaning. And but we've been friends, 45 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,200 sincere friends for for many, many years and I'm very 46 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,840 grateful. I'm also very stirred today 47 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,320 about the music. I've never seen such a small 48 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,560 choir produce such a great sound. 49 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,920 I told the preacher, you better get a a recording made of this 50 00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:30,400 so I can listen to it when I drive down the road. 51 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:35,200 And anyway, I said about the young kids when they sang, I was 52 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,720 listening to him practice and I told pastor, can we have them 53 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:44,280 come to Chicago and sing just on our grand opening, You know, and 54 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,960 we can act like we have something, but don't overlook 55 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,400 what you have here. You have something really 56 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,880 special happening. So and then I heard the Misses 57 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,160 Sears speak. And I really want you to come 58 00:02:55,160 --> 00:03:02,880 with us to Chicago. 6% approval rating right now for Brandon 59 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:04,200 Johnson. You could make it. 60 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:08,840 I hope you're going to spend time in prayer for her as she 61 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,600 takes on this awesome responsibility and the victory 62 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,120 that we know we need. We know that God, every time God 63 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:22,320 puts godly people in charge, it is his mercy upon a country that 64 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,840 has turned their back on God. And so we need this. 65 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,800 We need something done here. And really, Chicago is very 66 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,960 similar. We'd like to see as Chicago 67 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,480 goes, it leads a lot of the country in the wrong direction 68 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:38,960 normally and we'd like to see God do something. 69 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,800 But you know, there's a lot of people look toward Virginia and 70 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,480 you have a, when you went through the difficulties with 71 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:51,000 that transgender fella getting in the in the in the bathrooms 72 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,800 of the girls in the school, the rest of the country was 73 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,880 watching. And So what we do here and what 74 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,560 you're about to do and you can make an impact on a lot of 75 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,920 people in Virginia and around the region and certainly around 76 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,520 the entire United States. I want you to find in your 77 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,000 Bible. If you don't have one, there 78 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,840 should be a Bible nearby to the book of Acts. 79 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:20,839 Now the gospels begin the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke 80 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,440 and John, and then we have this book of Acts. 81 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,880 And when I was a little kid, I thought, well, that must mean 82 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,400 like an axe you chop a tree with wasn't too. 83 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,400 I wasn't too bright of a young kid. 84 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,520 Of course it means actions, actions. 85 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,800 It's it's it's full titles the actions of the apostles, the 86 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:45,800 Acts of the Apostles and what God did with these men who in 87 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,920 fear were gathered together after Jesus was crucified and he 88 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,160 rose again and then in fear they gathered together after his 89 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:59,760 ascension until the Spirit of God came down in chapter 2. 90 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:05,280 And from there the gospel went throughout all of the known 91 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:09,120 world of their time in preparation to spread throughout 92 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,200 the entire world. We'll never understand. 93 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,400 I don't think and exhaust its great words of this book. 94 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,040 I I love to read books. I'm reading through it. 95 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,160 My goal is to read it at least 10 times in a row. 96 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:27,280 I'm on number 7, and I've been just thrilled at what God has 97 00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:29,160 done in this book. It's fascinating. 98 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,280 The entire Bible is a fascinating book. 99 00:05:31,280 --> 00:05:36,480 I hope to get that across today. Go with me to chapter 26. 100 00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:43,080 Chapter 26. We're going to take our text 101 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:51,360 from verse #2728 and 29 of chapter 26, Acts chapter 26. 102 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:56,000 I had requested that we would sing that song, almost 103 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,680 persuaded, in preparation of this message. 104 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:06,800 Verse #27 of chapter 26. King Agrippa, believeth thou the 105 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,880 prophets? I know that thou believest. 106 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:15,440 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost Thou persuadest me to be 107 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,920 a Christian. That's pretty sad words right 108 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,680 there. They're amazing words though, 109 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:25,760 that one of the greatest leaders of their region would come to 110 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:30,160 the place where they were just about ready to fall before on 111 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,640 their face before the sovereign God of heaven. 112 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:39,120 I wish some of our leaders would do the same, but Paul's response 113 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:44,840 is our response in verse 29. He said I would to God that not 114 00:06:44,840 --> 00:06:48,080 only thou, but also all that, hear me. 115 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:50,880 He said, I want everyone to hear this. 116 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:57,080 Hear me, this day we're both almost and all together, such as 117 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:02,160 I am, except these bonds. He was in prison. 118 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:04,280 He was a prisoner appearing before them. 119 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:07,640 Let's have word of prayer and we'll bring some thoughts out of 120 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,440 this passage today. Heavenly Father, I pray again 121 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,640 that you would work and do a work here in the message. 122 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,120 Use this time together Lord, with your Holy Spirit's blessing 123 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,880 and power to do what we cannot do. 124 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,080 Please bless this Lord in Jesus name I pray Amen. 125 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,800 We as we examine the narrative of this passage, which begins 126 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,360 with Paul be getting arrested in chapter 21 and. 127 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:33,480 He concludes. The book all the way to chapter 128 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,080 28 and he ends the book as a prisoner. 129 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,600 We believe in history and judging from the pastoral 130 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:43,280 epistles and the later ones that he wrote, that he was able to 131 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,680 get out of prison and to actually have another missionary 132 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:49,440 journey that took him apparently through Spain. 133 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,040 And then what we have a record of him visiting then was called 134 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,840 Londonium even all the way through the conquered kingdoms 135 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,920 of the Roman Empire and the gospel spreading where he went. 136 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,480 And then he's gathered and betrayed by Alexander the 137 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,600 coppersmith and looks like intro as carried back to Rome. 138 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:13,240 And there he's kept in the Mammoth Time prison, which was a 139 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,800 little cave dug there in one of the hills of Mammoth Time Hill 140 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,520 next to the Palatine hill where they had started that as a 141 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:21,880 cistern. So in this. 142 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:23,920 Damp. Dungeon. 143 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:28,080 The Apostle gathers his pen and ink and pens the last of his 144 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:33,600 books, specifically Second Timothy, and he finishes his 145 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,400 course. And Nero, in his craziness 146 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:43,480 decides in his persecution to get rid of this troublemaker and 147 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:47,320 beheads the apostle Paul. It doesn't end his message 148 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,120 because it wasn't his message, it was God's message. 149 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,200 His message then is carried throughout all of the world and 150 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,720 even today through the efforts of God's people. 151 00:08:57,680 --> 00:09:01,520 This narrative is part of that traveling from where he was 152 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:06,120 arrested in Jerusalem and he's carried up north and in Israel 153 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,680 still in a place called Caesarea by the sea. 154 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:13,880 It was the capital of the Roman capital as a as as Israel as a. 155 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:18,600 Client Kingdom under the. The the umbrella of Rome. 156 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,960 And they? Ruled from this seaport city of 157 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:27,600 Caesarea by the sea. And in our story we have several 158 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:32,040 people that come together. The ruler of this area, known as 159 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:37,080 a governor of kind of of sorts, is a man named Festus. 160 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:43,080 He is Portius Festus, the Roman governor of Judea, and he's the 161 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:47,440 one that arranged for a visiting king of the next areas. 162 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:51,560 Several of those areas, one of the descendants of King Herod 163 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:54,160 the Great. Actually, he's a great grandson. 164 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:56,800 But he is a Roman. Peer creator. 165 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:01,680 He's a just a ruler. He has come to this office 166 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:04,120 recently. Having taken the place of a man 167 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,160 named Felix, Felix is a freed slave. 168 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,800 Freed I I don't remember. I didn't look it up, but if my 169 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:14,080 memory serves me by the Emperor Tiberius freed Felix and then 170 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,360 put him into power. And Felix? 171 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:21,560 Is actually married to a lady named Drusilla, who is a sister 172 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:26,080 to King Agrippa. And so this is kind of like a 173 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,080 very tight knit. Group of people. 174 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,320 And we get into the. Herod's man, King Agrippa, is 175 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,160 part of the Herodian dynasty. His great grandfather was Herod 176 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,760 the Great. He's the one you read about in 177 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,240 the story of Christ's first coming being born. 178 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,200 And he's the he's the ruler of all of Israel. 179 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,560 He's taken the title of king from the Roman emperor. 180 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,040 Then it would have been Tiberius. 181 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:56,720 And so he gets this opportunity to try to eradicate the coming 182 00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:58,480 Messiah and. Kills all the babies. 183 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:01,120 In Bethlehem, that's the same that you're thinking of. 184 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:06,200 And then it was his great, his son at Herod Antipas. 185 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,920 That is a problem. He is stolen his brother 186 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,320 Philip's wife and and he is preached. 187 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:15,120 At by John the Baptist. And you read. 188 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,720 About that in the. Gospels where John the Baptist 189 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:23,080 is then beheaded by by this King Herod, and that's King Antipas, 190 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:27,640 named I think after his grandfather Antipater and then 191 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:28,200 we. Have. 192 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:30,160 Really. What is a nephew? 193 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:32,320 King Agrippa? In history we call him King 194 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:37,800 Agrippa the First and he is the one that in Acts chapter 12. 195 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,920 We find him killing James. The brother of John. 196 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,360 I mean, this is a bad family. I mean, this is this is no, no 197 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,160 play. You know, this is out for blood. 198 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:50,760 It is. It is worse than you think. 199 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:57,000 I mean, Herod the Great actually kills his wife Miriam and his 200 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:01,640 own son Aristobulus and his brother Alexander, all killed by 201 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:06,360 Herod the Great. And Aristobolus is, is Agrippa's 202 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,080 father. This is the kind of heritage 203 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,000 that these people have. The man that's in our. 204 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,640 Place here is is king. Agrippa, the second in history 205 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,520 and he is the then the great grandson, the son of King 206 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:23,360 Agrippa, probably that Agrippa name borrowed from named after 207 00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:27,480 Marcus Agrippa, the great general who is the general who 208 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:32,280 wins all of the fights that Octavius is involved. 209 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:36,280 Octavius is not a general like his grandfather, his grand uncle 210 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:40,080 Julius Caesar. Octavius is the Caesar Augustus 211 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,720 of Luke chapter 2. They say what is this all about? 212 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,880 I want you to know who we're speaking about for good reasons. 213 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,760 This is historically fits perfectly in the setting of 214 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:55,600 secular history. We have Nero in the capital of 215 00:12:55,600 --> 00:13:02,000 Rome, and he is followed the Claudius Caesar, who took over a 216 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:07,080 bankrupt country or empire from Caligula, who took over and 217 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:11,040 inherited that from Tiberius, a dirty old man who took over from 218 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:15,840 Octavius Caesar, who's Augustus Caesar, whose battles had won it 219 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,840 from Julius Caesar. What a history. 220 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,480 And here is Christianity. And one of the. 221 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:26,800 Darkest times of all of history, one of the greatest nations, one 222 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,840 of the greatest empires of the world, but an empire filled with 223 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:34,560 all sorts of garbage and sin and indefinitely a full of false 224 00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:38,440 worship and world, a world that had totally turned its back on 225 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:40,720 God and. The only hint of true. 226 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,040 Worship was among the Jewish. People and they had added. 227 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,480 Their. Works and replaced the faith in 228 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,720 the Lord Jesus Christ, the faith of old. 229 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:50,840 Time is where it says in Hebrews by. 230 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,720 Faith Enoch, and by faith Abraham, and by faith all of 231 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:55,960 these people. And then they replaced it by by 232 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,600 works by works by works. Instead of faith, ours all. 233 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,400 That you have to do to try to be good enough to get into. 234 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:08,120 God's presence never giving you the assurance, and it was never 235 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:12,640 intended by God himself. Breaking the silence. 236 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:19,080 Of 400 years of prophetic silence, the angels announced to 237 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,680 the shepherds the coming of the Messiah. 238 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:24,960 For unto you is born this day in the city of David. 239 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,800 The entire nation knew when the shepherds heard that after they 240 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,840 went and saw the child, they went and spread abroad all of 241 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:33,200 these. Sayings that it was known 242 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,440 everywhere then. Herod kills the babies in 243 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:39,920 Bethlehem, and having been warned, they go down into Egypt. 244 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:44,400 They come out back out of. Egypt, just as Herod has died, 245 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:49,880 and it is a sordid history. Christianity was not born in a 246 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:53,080 country like America founded on biblical principles. 247 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:58,480 It was born in dark times. Jesus has his ministry. 248 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:02,360 He does all that he does. He's crucified bears. 249 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:05,720 Our sins upon the cross. Rises again the third day. 250 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:10,680 And then sends his disciples who become apostles, sends them. 251 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:14,240 Away really to all the world to preach the gospel. 252 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,840 Paul is one of those apostles, not from the very beginning, but 253 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,920 in Acts Chapter 9 he comes to the Lord and has the Lord. 254 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:24,840 Appear unto him, and he becomes. One that is sent. 255 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:26,640 That's what the word apostle means. 256 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:30,160 It's a Greek word apostolos. It means to be sent. 257 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,360 You had the Lord's. Apostles and then you had Others 258 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,600 like Barnabas and Silas are called apostles, but they are 259 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,840 those that are sent by the. Church of Antioch at the time 260 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,840 ones that are sent. But here is this king. 261 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,800 He is pretty proud of himself. If you back up in the text, he 262 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:53,400 comes in and enters into. That area. 263 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:59,040 As it tells us with great pomp in the previous chapter, and he 264 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:02,720 comes in, it says with great pomp they came together. 265 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:06,880 And you know what it means is. He carried trumpet players. 266 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:11,200 And because trumpet, I play the trumpet, there's there's in an 267 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,840 orchestra, I hate to tell you this, but there are trumpets and 268 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,840 then there's accompaniment and, and we're. 269 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:19,720 We're glad you show. Up for us? 270 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,520 But he must. Have carried trumpet players. 271 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:27,320 That announced and his coming into the presence of. 272 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:32,320 This assembly together. For the purpose of hearing this 273 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,480 guy. That has caused all these 274 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,280 problems in Jerusalem. The entire city of Jerusalem is 275 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,120 in an uproar because of Paul and. 276 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,760 There are more than 40 people that have taken on them an oath 277 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:46,760 that they're not going to eat or drink until they've killed Paul. 278 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:52,280 That's a serious problem. Some time goes by and some years 279 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:56,040 actually, they had to break that oath, but they still want 280 00:16:56,040 --> 00:17:01,840 they're out for his blood. And here's this King Agrippa. 281 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:05,319 He. Comes and there's an amazing 282 00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:08,599 thing that happens, something that shouldn't happen to any of 283 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:12,400 the Herodian line. He is convinced of the truth of 284 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:17,200 God's Word. He comes to the place where. 285 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,160 When he is the invitation time of the message. 286 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,599 Was given. He's standing there. 287 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:25,480 You know, I know it's not a typical church service. 288 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,079 But if it were, if it. Were like in our day, we'd have 289 00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:30,840 the piano playing a hymn of invitation and everybody 290 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:33,400 standing quietly with their heads bowed and their eyes 291 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,720 closed like we will at the end of the service and inviting 292 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:40,360 those that need to know about salvation and to receive Christ. 293 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,440 And he's standing there with one foot in the aisle saying, man, 294 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:48,560 everything in me believes this. I want this and there's there's 295 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,880 something to this and. Maybe there's some here? 296 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:53,840 That will by the. End of the service, you'll come 297 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,640 to that very point. It's an amazing thing. 298 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:02,760 Because he comes to that very point and then turns back. 299 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,440 What's amazing about that is he comes to the very brink of being 300 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:12,240 a child of God, having his sins washed away and knowing that 301 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,520 when he died, he would go to heaven for eternity. 302 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:20,080 And he gives all of that up for this earthly gain of what people 303 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:21,880 think about him and other things. 304 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:27,000 And he ends up spending his entire eternity. 305 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:33,280 In a burning fire of hell. And that's true about anybody 306 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:35,280 who rejects the Lord Jesus Christ. 307 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:41,280 What brought him to that place where he came so close? 308 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,040 I know we've had a lot of going on in this service and you've 309 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,600 been here a little while, but I'm going to point out just 310 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,800 three quick things that brought him to there and a couple things 311 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:57,920 I saw that drew him back. The first thing we. 312 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:01,880 See that brought him to this is the testimony of God's. 313 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,680 Word. It says here in our text, when 314 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,160 Paul was bringing him to that point, he said, King Agrippa, 315 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:13,000 believe us, thou the prophets, I know that thou believe us. 316 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,320 Then we know what he says. I've almost been persuaded. 317 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:20,520 Hey, my heart, my mind wants to believe this. 318 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:26,920 The prophecies of the Bible are an amazing group of scriptures. 319 00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:30,680 It is a. It is a reference. 320 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,360 Of this that Paul is doing in his. 321 00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:35,520 Sermon that he preaches if you go. 322 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:39,720 Back just as an example. In verse 22. 26. 22 Having 323 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,400 therefore obtained help of God, I continue to this day 324 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,720 witnessing both to the small and great, saying none other things, 325 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:50,760 and those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that 326 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,240 Christ should suffer. That he should be the first that 327 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,840 should rise from the dead. And should show the light unto 328 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:59,440 the people and to the Gentiles. So Paul is in his sermon as 329 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:01,120 Peter does. In the in all of. 330 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:04,320 His preaching in the book of Acts, and he goes back to the 331 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:08,120 Old Testament and says the Old Testament predicted the coming 332 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:11,240 of the Messiah, and when the Messiah comes, this is what he's 333 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:15,080 going to do. And there are hundreds of very, 334 00:20:15,120 --> 00:20:20,120 very important specific prophecies that are all 335 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:21,840 fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. 336 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,560 In fact, when you go into the Old Testament prophets hundreds 337 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:27,720 of years. Now if you put a year to it, 338 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,320 like the Psalms were written by David. 339 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:34,720 David lived about 1000 BC and so 1000 years the Psalms are 340 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,080 scattered. But even before that, the book 341 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,280 of Genesis speaks about the coming of the Lord. 342 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:44,360 The seed of the woman would be there in Genesis chapter 3. 343 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,240 But then in Genesis chapter 5, we have the entrance of the 344 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,640 Gentiles dwelling in the tents of Japheth would dwell in the 345 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,560 chance of Shem. And we have in chapter 22 that 346 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:57,920 God said, I will provide myself a lamb. 347 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:02,560 And in chapter 48, Jacob tells his sons, hey, Judah is going to 348 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:07,520 be the lawgiver, the ruler until Shiloh, meaning peace until 349 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:10,880 Jesus would come. And all in the book of Genesis 350 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:15,000 and then throughout every single passage of Scripture is pointing 351 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:19,800 here comes the Messiah. And when Jesus came, he didn't 352 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,480 miss. One of those prophecies he was. 353 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:27,040 Born in Bethlehem of effort to like Micah 52 says he was born 354 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:29,840 of a virgin. Like Isaiah Chapter 7 tells us 355 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:35,160 He was given every single title given in Isaiah Chapter 9 and 356 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,040 the government was upon his shoulder. 357 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:39,960 It was him that fulfilled all things. 358 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:44,440 In fact, so many things were fulfilled in Jesus Christ by 359 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:46,160 those who didn't believe the Bible. 360 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,560 I mean, when he's hanging upon the cross, the fact that he 361 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:52,560 would be crucified is from Psalm 22. 362 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:57,720 The fact that he would be on the cross and against their normal 363 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:00,840 custom, they didn't break his bones. 364 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,440 I mean, those Roman soldiers now, Roman soldiers, they don't 365 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:06,280 care a lick about the Old Testament. 366 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,400 They don't know anything from the Old Testament prize 367 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,680 passages. They had no idea what they were 368 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:13,360 doing. But yet when they went to the 369 00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:17,400 cross, Jesus in the middle, a thief on this side and a thief 370 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:21,040 over here on this side, and they broke the legs of this man 371 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,080 because he may not be dead, see? And if you let him down off the 372 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,800 cross, maybe he'll leave. So we want to finish the job. 373 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:31,000 So we're going to break his legs. 374 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,480 Isn't that gruesome? You see, the cross was. 375 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:38,120 Designed to be one of the worst kinds of death possible. 376 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,280 And when the Lord talked about that in Psalm 22, when it was 377 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:45,720 recorded as prophecy, crucifixion had not even been 378 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:47,480 invented. That's how amazing the Bible. 379 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,800 Is. And they, they broke this man's 380 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,480 legs. And then they skipped Jesus and 381 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:57,320 they broke this guy's legs and then they went back to Jesus and 382 00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:59,520 here's this Roman soldier saying, I think. 383 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,240 He's dead already. Do you think he's dead? 384 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:05,240 I think he's dead. Already and they poke at him 385 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:06,520 with their spear. Is he dead? 386 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:08,160 Yeah, he looks. Dead. 387 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,480 Hey, don't worry about breaking his bones, the other guy said. 388 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:14,760 Well let's make sure. And he picks up his spear and 389 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:20,160 they Pierce the side. By doing so, they fulfilled the 390 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:22,080 prophecies about not one bone would. 391 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:26,200 Be broken and the prophecy you can, you will. 392 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,080 Look on him whom you have pierced. 393 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:33,120 I mean, these prophecies are so specific that nobody else could 394 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:35,480 accidentally have fulfilled these prophecies. 395 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,760 No charlatan could have arranged this thing. 396 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:43,680 No, no Roman soldier in this kind of specificity could have 397 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,160 been paid off to accomplish. These things. 398 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:51,280 We're dealing here with the very specific nature of Old Testament 399 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:56,440 prophecy from a Scripture that's been inspired by God, preserved 400 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,560 by God, empowered by God. And when you read it, it's not a 401 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,280 dead word. It's alive and powerful. 402 00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:07,440 And the Bible speaks about not just today how to live, but 403 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:12,720 about your future and eternity. And when this man came under the 404 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,960 knowledge of God's Word, the Spirit of God spoke to him. 405 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:19,880 And in spite of being the leader among a very wicked class of 406 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:30,040 people, he says, I believe he. Came right to the very door of 407 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:34,240 eternal life because of the testimony of scriptures. 408 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,120 Second thing. We see is that he came because 409 00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:40,400 of the. Testimony of the Saint we notice 410 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:41,880 in this passage. Go back if. 411 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:48,040 You will in chapter 26 and go up a little ways up to verse 412 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,600 number. I think you'd have to read 413 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,800 maybe? Verse 9, Verse 9. 414 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:54,320 Go to verse 9. We'll read just a little. 415 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:56,520 Bit of this narrative I barely thought. 416 00:24:56,520 --> 00:25:00,280 Paul is speaking with myself. That I ought to do many things 417 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,880 contrary to the name of. Jesus and Nazareth so Paul was 418 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,240 going out at. 1st as a Pharisee to. 419 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,400 Destroy those who believed in Christ. 420 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:11,080 He. Said in verse 10, which? 421 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:14,760 Things I also did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints. 422 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,720 I shut up in prison. That's a shame. 423 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,240 Having received authority from the chief. 424 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:22,720 Priests and. And when they were put to death, 425 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:24,840 I gave my voice against them. Maybe he's got. 426 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:29,240 Stephen in his mind. And I punish them often. 427 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,640 Every synagogue and compelled. Them to blasphemy. 428 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:34,560 When, when? When Paul later in First 429 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:36,080 Timothy. Says that he is the. 430 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:41,640 Chiefest of sinners. You can identify 13 very 431 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,800 specific things that Paul did before he was saved by hauling 432 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:47,400 men out. Of out of the houses. 433 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:49,960 I mean, he just went in their houses and he dragged them out 434 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:51,240 of their houses. To prison. 435 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:53,960 Why? Because they believed in Jesus 436 00:25:55,120 --> 00:25:56,800 and continuing. In verse 11 and being. 437 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:58,800 Exceeding mad against them I. Persecuted. 438 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:01,400 Him, even under strange cities. Where upon? 439 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,000 As I went to Damascus with authority and Commission from 440 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,240 the priests at midday, O King, I saw. 441 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,200 Somebody bigger than me. In the way a light. 442 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,760 From heaven above the brightness of the sun. 443 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:18,240 Shining about the sun, about me and them which journeyed with 444 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:19,880 me. And when we were all falling to 445 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:21,960 the earth, I heard a voice speaking on to me, saying in the 446 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,680 Hebrew tongue. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou 447 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,040 me? It is hard for thee to kick 448 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,600 against the pricks. And he said, Who art thou, Lord? 449 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:33,160 And he said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. 450 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,240 Wow. He goes on to talk about this 451 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:38,760 and we'll. Go back to verse 18. 452 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,200 In a moment. But the fact is, what this man 453 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:45,960 did in front of this assembly was to tell the king, Well, let 454 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:47,280 me tell you what. Happened to me. 455 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,920 I was a Sinner. I believed, and I was headstrong 456 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:54,200 in my own false faith. I was believing in something 457 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,520 that wasn't from the Bible. I was believing the traditions 458 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:02,080 of men and I was very zealous to persecute those who believed. 459 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:05,320 In this name. And he said, But then I met 460 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:09,720 Jesus, something happened to me. This is. 461 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:14,160 Originally recorded in Chapter 9, but it's kind of Paul's way. 462 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:17,440 When he stood before Festus, when he was before Felix, when 463 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,760 he was before Agrippa, every time he had a chance before all 464 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,840 of the Pharisees in the Sanhedrin, he would talk about 465 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,440 the day when Jesus saved his soul. 466 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,760 There's a lot in religion today that talks about being 467 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:33,760 religious. There's a lot that talks about 468 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,000 knowing the scriptures and and there's a lot that talks about a 469 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:42,320 lot of things, but there's also a lack of belief in God's Word 470 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:46,760 concerning a personal introduction to Jesus Christ. 471 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,280 I once talked called one of the pastors of the leading 472 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,000 denomination in our town. And I was talking. 473 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,360 With him and I said, before you go, I wanted to know what you 474 00:27:55,360 --> 00:27:57,920 thought. Do you believe that people need 475 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:02,600 each of us to come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ as our 476 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:06,000 personal savior? Do you believe in a personal 477 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,960 conversion? And this man of a leading 478 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:12,640 denomination of one of the churches in town, he said no, I 479 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,720 believe that is wrong. We just come to know a little 480 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:20,960 bit about Jesus at a time. Well, let me tell you what the 481 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:23,240 Lord. Said when he was here. 482 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:29,160 He was talking to Nicodemus and he said, Except ye be born 483 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,200 again, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom. 484 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,840 Of heaven. Friend, if you want to get to 485 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:39,600 heaven, what Paul is testifying here is not only to the truth of 486 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:44,320 Scripture, but it is to the truth of a personal salvation 487 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:48,800 experience. If you never get saved, you'll 488 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,480 never go to heaven. You don't wake up after you die, 489 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,840 and you're given another chance. Well, now that you know the 490 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:57,840 reality, why don't you? Accept Jesus. 491 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:02,640 My friend, the Bible talks about that when you die, you wake up 492 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:06,520 where you're going to be with God in heaven, or you wake up, 493 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:11,840 as Luke 16 tells us, he opened his eyes and he was in torment 494 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:17,120 in the flame of hell. The decision for this has to be 495 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,600 made while you're still here in this life. 496 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,760 Paul is testifying of that fact. And the only reason that this 497 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:29,000 works is because when Jesus died upon the cross as a sinless 498 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:33,760 Savior with the Son of God among us, He was dying to pay the 499 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,640 price and penalty for your sins, every single one of them. 500 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:40,960 And from all of creation, from the time that Adam and Eve 501 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:45,560 sinned, all the way till the end, every sin was judged upon 502 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,480 Jesus Christ. And friend, He put his life 503 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:52,200 there and sacrificed and bled and died and he was buried. 504 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:56,200 But three days later he came up out of that grave and he got the 505 00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:00,160 victory over our sin, forever making a way for you to be 506 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,120 saved. But you have to have a. 507 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:07,760 Personal testimony of salvation. You've got to know Jesus. 508 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:13,040 If you die without this, you're doomed for an eternity. 509 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:19,800 I want you to think about that because our king Agrippa is 510 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:24,520 still burning in hell. This is almost 2000 years ago. 511 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:30,240 He died, but. We think between 80 and 90 AD he 512 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:35,360 died really having lost everything, and then he lost his 513 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:39,760 soul in Hell's fire. So I said there are three. 514 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:40,960 Testimonies. Testimony. 515 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:42,880 Scripture Testimony. Of this St. 516 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:46,000 But if you go. Down to verse 26 where we had 517 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,680 our text. 1. Verse Before where we started, 518 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:53,360 you'll find that there's a testimony of the Savior for the 519 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:58,640 King north of these things, before whom also I speak freely. 520 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,200 For I am persuaded that none of these things were hidden from 521 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,880 him. For thee this thing was not done 522 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:09,800 in the corner. So the testimony of Jesus, I 523 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:12,200 love history. I think you can tell by our 524 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:15,040 introduction that I study history and I love history. 525 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,520 And what I have found from secular history is that 526 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:19,760 everything that's recorded here is 100%. 527 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:23,480 Accurate that that there really. Was a Rome. 528 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,640 There really was a king Agrippa. There really was his sister 529 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,440 Bernice and Drusilla and Felix and Festus, and there really was 530 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:32,880 a Nero. Sitting over in Rome and. 531 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:34,520 He hasn't. Burnt down the city yet? 532 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,840 But but all of this is true and I don't just know that, but this 533 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:45,120 man knew living there. That Jesus testifies of himself. 534 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:49,400 All across the Roman Empire these things were discussed. 535 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:54,920 And in fact, Claudius had cast out all the Jews from to be cast 536 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:56,960 out of Rome. And. 537 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:58,760 Sooner or later we're going to have Nero. 538 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:02,000 Not quite yet, but Nero's about to take all of the believers in 539 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,080 Jesus who are now called Christians. 540 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:06,440 I think after chapter 12 of Acts. 541 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:10,560 And he's going to burn. Them to death. 542 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,680 He's actually going to dip some of them in wax and put them on a 543 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:18,640 post and light them on fire to provide light for the streets of 544 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:22,400 Rome in in a way to testify. You better not believe in this 545 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:26,920 Jesus. But you can try to persecute the 546 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,960 cause of Christ. You can try to silence it, you 547 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:34,360 can try to get rid of all the Bibles, but you cannot silence 548 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,160 the testimony. You will die. 549 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:41,240 And this will still be being preached, he said. 550 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:48,160 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word will not. 551 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:56,720 Pass away, Do you believe? So, I ask you, do you believe if 552 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:59,920 you died right now, where would you go? 553 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:03,080 Are you prepared for that to happen? 554 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:06,160 Do you believe? 333. 555 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:07,560 Things that caused. Him in the text. 556 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:12,080 To believe, and I'm going to point out just two that turned 557 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,920 him about face and ran him back into his wickedness. 558 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:20,160 The first one is sin. The first one is sin. 559 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:26,880 Boy, his sister's a wicked girl. She was married to their uncle 560 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:30,720 so she comes from a wicked family like a crooked man that 561 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:32,840 walks from a crooked house on a crooked Rd. 562 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:35,840 This Herodian family is disgusting. 563 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,760 When you when you. Study the family tree, it's a 564 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:46,640 real sordid group of people. Bernice divorced her husband, 565 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:52,680 Uncle Philip and was living in a relationship with her own 566 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,040 brother, full blooded brother, King Agrippa. 567 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:03,720 Oh, that's sick. It's a repugnance to us, isn't 568 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:06,320 it? By the way, she doesn't stay. 569 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:09,320 Even in that relationship by. 67 there's a. 570 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:12,440 Revolt and all of Israel will revolt against Rome and. 571 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:14,280 It takes three years. For that to. 572 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,800 Be put to put down and finally in 70 AD. 573 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:21,199 But first they send their great general, Vespasian and Bernice. 574 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:23,639 Leaves her brother. And becomes the mistress to 575 00:34:23,639 --> 00:34:28,360 Vespasian when Nero dies from suicide. 576 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:31,239 He They had one year where they had four different emperors. 577 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:34,400 They call the year. 4 emperors and one general after another is 578 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:37,120 claiming the emperor's throne. And then when they all are 579 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:40,760 assassinated or killed and finally the last one left is 580 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:43,520 fighting a battle in Israel and they bring Vespasian back. 581 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:47,560 He's almost won the battle, he's surrounded the Temple Mount and 582 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:49,520 they call him back to become the emperor. 583 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:54,360 And so there's Bernice Stuck, and Vespasian puts his own son 584 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:55,960 Titus in. Charge of the. 585 00:34:55,960 --> 00:35:01,080 Army and so Bernice. Becomes titus's mistress she is 586 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:06,880 a vile person of course, Titus then, after vespasian's death 587 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:09,880 and having destroyed the. Temple and come down. 588 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:15,240 And had his procession in in Rome itself. 589 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:18,760 He then becomes the emperor and is killed and his brother 590 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:22,760 Demetian takes over. Demetian is got the blood 591 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:25,760 dripping of thousands of Christians from his hands. 592 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:30,840 Sin. It is repugnant to us. 593 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:35,760 When we think of that incest, we sort of cringe like, oh, how 594 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:37,600 could people openly live like this? 595 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:39,840 By the way, that's what Rome thought of that at the time. 596 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:42,520 It wasn't accepted. It wasn't like, Oh yeah, that's 597 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:44,160 what we all do. We're all open minded. 598 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,760 I mean, we're all woke, you know? 599 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:50,200 Woke is an opposite. Word. 600 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:53,920 It's one of those things that are they're not woke, they're 601 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:56,880 blind. The present woke people are. 602 00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:00,200 Blind to the truths of God's Word and those. 603 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,520 That have their eyes open are the ones whose eyes have been 604 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:04,120 opened by the light of. God's Word. 605 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:08,640 And here is this man whose sin is not enlightened. 606 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:11,400 It's wicked, and the people around him are cringing at it. 607 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:14,160 Sin, it's the word repugnant comes to my mind. 608 00:36:14,240 --> 00:36:18,120 It's repugnant to us that a man would live with his own sister 609 00:36:18,240 --> 00:36:22,400 as if she were his wife. It is a wickedness above all 610 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:27,280 wickednesses. But what we fail to see is that 611 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:31,360 the way that's the way God sees all of our sins, every little 612 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:37,200 lie, every little wrong thought, every proud look, every 613 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:41,320 deceitful thing the Lord says. That's repugnant to me. 614 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:45,640 And you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven with that sin. 615 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:52,440 Now get this to get saved. You're on your way to hell and 616 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:57,040 you have to turn. I didn't say you had to do 617 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:58,320 anything. You just turn. 618 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:00,760 That's repentance. Repentance is not a work. 619 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:04,160 All you did, you were hating this way and you said I'm going 620 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:05,640 this way. What did you turn from? 621 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:09,360 Well, I turned from something I believe that wasn't true, and I 622 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:13,000 turned from sin. And if you don't turn from that, 623 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:18,720 you'll never be saved. Salvation involves first 624 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:23,160 repentance and then faith, believing in Jesus. 625 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:25,360 I look at verse 18, I mentioned that. 626 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:27,560 Earlier go back to 2618. In the. 627 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:29,680 Process of explaining. This Paul describes the 628 00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:30,960 salvation. Experience. 629 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:33,160 He says, the Lord sent me for what? 630 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:36,880 To open their eyes, You know the Enlightenment to know, the 631 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,080 illumination to know. That you're a Sinner. 632 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:43,200 And that you need a Savior is God's work upon heart. 633 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:46,960 But look what he describes us as to open their eyes and to turn 634 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:52,320 them from darkness to light. That's that's the repentance and 635 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:56,320 from the power of Satan unto God, it's time to say, I want to 636 00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:58,640 let go of that sin. And when Agrippa came to the 637 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:02,080 place where he believed what he was hearing was true, he looked 638 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:06,320 at his sister, looked at his sin and said, I am almost persuaded, 639 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:08,320 but I don't want to let go of my sin. 640 00:38:10,240 --> 00:38:11,720 What is it that's going to keep you? 641 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:16,200 Keep reading? In verse 18, he says that they 642 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:20,520 may receive forgiveness of sins. Don't you want to be forgiven? 643 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:24,240 Finally, finally forgiven? Ever settled in heaven that your 644 00:38:24,240 --> 00:38:27,800 sins are gone? Put not on my account, but on 645 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:29,400 the account of. Jesus Christ. 646 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:34,520 Who paid the price for you? But he says you have to turn to 647 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:36,520 him. And then he says you'll receive 648 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:39,400 forgiveness of sins and inheritance. 649 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:44,440 That means it's. Signed, sealed and delivered all 650 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:49,000 that I need for heaven right there in salvation, almost not 651 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:51,920 persuaded as me. He came to the very door of 652 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:55,040 faith and said, yes, I want to believe, but I don't want to let 653 00:38:55,040 --> 00:39:01,280 go of my sin #1 #2. Is self man. 654 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:05,560 He kind of liked his money. He liked his proud position as 655 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:08,480 king. Not all of the client kingdoms 656 00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:11,960 were permitted to. Have that title, in fact. 657 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:13,920 It was only. Given to three. 658 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:15,680 Of all the Herods. Many of them were called. 659 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:17,440 Tetrarchs and they weren't called. 660 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:19,000 Kings. It was only really given to 661 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,800 three of the Herods themselves. And, and this is the last one, 662 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,480 by the way, he is the last of the Herodian line. 663 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:28,680 But he wasn't willing to give up his pride. 664 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:32,200 I mean, he's a somebody in a great nation, an empire. 665 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:35,720 I mean, I, I, how would you like if you knew the king? 666 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:39,760 And he said, I'm a client king, but I'm a friend of the emperor. 667 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:42,240 I, I have seen him. I know him and I know the 668 00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:45,000 senators in Rome and I know the important people. 669 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:52,560 I am a somebody and in this. Moment of decision when he 670 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:55,680 almost got saved, he. Turned from. 671 00:39:55,680 --> 00:40:00,880 That and said I don't want to give up being a somebody and 672 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:06,680 instead he went to hell where he ends up being a nobody. 673 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:11,520 What are you going to? Be if you'll get saved. 674 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:14,880 The Lord transfers you from a child of disobedience to being a 675 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:18,120 child of His. In Ephesians 2, he raises. 676 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:22,240 You up to be in heavenly places. In Christ Jesus in Colossians 2 677 00:40:22,240 --> 00:40:25,400 it says we are complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. 678 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:29,600 It is an invitation that he makes come up hit her to John in 679 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:34,400 Revelation chapter 4 and verse one come and see and chapter 22 680 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:37,960 he says come and see the lamb the the wife of the bride. 681 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:42,000 I mean come and see the city. It is the invitation of Jesus 682 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:44,640 that He will make you to be somebody. 683 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:49,640 But not of yourself in what he wants to do in you. 684 00:40:51,240 --> 00:40:58,800 If you are almost persuaded, it could be your sin that you're 685 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:04,840 not willing to turn from. That will take you to hell if 686 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:06,480 you're almost. Persuaded it could be. 687 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:11,520 Yourself worried about your pride worried about what 688 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:15,480 everybody you'll think about you in fact, in a moment we're going 689 00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:19,120 to give you a chance to come and talk to somebody about salvation 690 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:22,400 and there's a feeling like hey I can't step out and come forward 691 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:24,400 because if I. Come forward, everybody around 692 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:25,840 me. Is going to know and friend 693 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:27,800 listen if you will. Just listen for a moment. 694 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:30,120 Everybody here wants you to come forward. 695 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:33,040 Everybody here wants you to be saved. 696 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:35,120 Everybody here loves you and cares for you. 697 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:37,560 Nobody wants you to die and go to hell. 698 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:40,600 But think about Hell's fire and think about its cost and its 699 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,600 consequences. Think about the eternity and its 700 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:46,640 definition, that it'll never end and you'll never have a 701 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,800 reprieve. And like this man Agrippa, he 702 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:52,600 got almost to the point of salvation. 703 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:57,560 And he refused because of his self. 704 00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:02,880 And it is a shame that such a trivial thing is ourselves, our 705 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:07,800 pride, our position and the price. 706 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:11,000 Man, if I get saved my whole family, I'm going to lose this 707 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:13,840 woman that I've been with, right? 708 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:16,080 He needed to. Everybody would agree with that. 709 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:19,800 But you know what? He lost her eventually, in just 710 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:24,240 a few years, she ran off with somebody else. 711 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:31,520 She was utterly wicked, and he lost. 712 00:42:33,240 --> 00:42:35,720 He's the last of the Herod's kings no more. 713 00:42:35,720 --> 00:42:38,520 After him ruled. He died childless. 714 00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:43,480 He existed in this world with all of its pageantry, but he'd 715 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:45,680 left this world without a whisper. 716 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:50,320 Except the old king Agrippa has died. 717 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:53,960 He lost his position. He lost his posterity. 718 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:58,120 He lost the pride, he lost the pomp, he lost his possessions, 719 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:02,680 and he ultimately lost his person in the burning fire of 720 00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:08,320 hell. So does anyone who rejects 721 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:11,400 salvation. So what we're talking about is a 722 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:14,680 very serious issue. If you're here and you died 723 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:16,400 right now, do you know if you're going to heaven? 724 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:23,040 And if you do not know and you need to be saved, don't be 725 00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:27,760 almost persuaded, almost persuaded. 726 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:32,040 Think of the words that we sang earlier, almost persuaded now to 727 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:36,160 believe, almost persuaded Christ to receive. 728 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:40,520 Seems now some soul to say. Go, spirit, go thy way. 729 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:43,440 Some more convenient day on the alcohol. 730 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:47,160 Those are the words of Felix. Almost persuaded. 731 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:50,480 Come, come today, almost persuaded. 732 00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:55,960 Turn not away. Jesus invites you here. 733 00:43:56,720 --> 00:44:01,840 Angels are lingering near. Prayers rise from hearts. 734 00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:07,200 So dear O wanderer, come. The last verse says, almost 735 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:09,840 persuaded. Harvest is past. 736 00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:12,800 You don't even know if this is your last chance. 737 00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,960 Don't play with God. Almost persuaded. 738 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:22,160 Doom comes at last. Almost. 739 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:25,960 Cannot avail. Almost is but to fail. 740 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:37,040 Sad, sad, that bitter wail. Almost but lost in hell today. 741 00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:42,960 King Agrippa cries out. Almost, almost, but lost. 742 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:46,160 Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, I pray that you 743 00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:48,320 please bless this invitation and use it. 744 00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:53,280 Pray for that soul that you're working on, hearts that you've 745 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:56,760 affected. I pray that we'd lose none today 746 00:44:57,640 --> 00:44:59,600 with your heads bowed and your eyes closed. 747 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:03,640 If there's somebody here that says pastor, if I'd died right 748 00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:08,760 now, I don't know if I'm saved, I don't know what'll happen to 749 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:11,800 me. I want to go to heaven, but I 750 00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:13,680 don't want it, and I don't want to go to hell. 751 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:15,960 But I'm not sure. Would you please pray with 752 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:18,600 nobody looking around? I just want to pray for you. 753 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:21,400 My prayer can't save you, but I'm going to pray that God will 754 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:24,240 help you to understand it. And if you say, pastor, I need 755 00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:26,800 to be saved, pray for me. Would you just lift your hand 756 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:27,760 up? I'm not going to call you out, 757 00:45:27,760 --> 00:45:29,080 Just lift your hand up where you're at. 758 00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:31,000 Thank you. I see that hand next. 759 00:45:31,560 --> 00:45:33,320 Somebody else say put there. I see that hand. 760 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:35,160 Amen. You can put your hand down. 761 00:45:35,160 --> 00:45:37,000 Anybody else, Pastor, pray for me. 762 00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:40,080 If I died right now, I don't know if I'm going to heaven. 763 00:45:40,200 --> 00:45:44,520 Anybody else, somebody else raise their hand, say I need to 764 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:47,040 be saved, pray for me. Include me in that prayer. 765 00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:51,600 Don't be almost. I'm almost persuaded that I need 766 00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:53,600 to be saved. Almost, but lost.