"Be Like Me" Sermon: Acts 26:1-32

“Be Like Me”
[Acts 26:1-32]
June 26, 2011 Second Reformed Church

We return again to our look at the book of Acts this morning, and we are met with the question: is there anything about our lives that would make us say to everyone we meet, “Be like me”? Is there anything about us that we believe is absolutely necessary, worthwhile, and valuable for everyone else in the world?

We will remember that Paul was in prison in the care of the governor, Festus, at Caesarea. Festus had heard Paul and the Sanhedrin – the Jewish ruling council – speak as to Paul’s guilt, but Paul explained that he was on trial for believing everything that the Law and the Prophets taught – including that there is a physical resurrection of the just and the unjust.

Festus didn’t know much about the Jewish religion, so he offered that Paul return to Jerusalem to be tried by the Sanhedrin there. Paul knew that if he went back with them, they would kill him, so, invoking his rights as a Roman citizen, Paul asked to be tried by Caesar Nero, himself. The law was the law; Paul was going to Rome. And we remember this was the promise that Jesus made to Paul – that he would preach the Gospel before Caesar, himself.

Yet, Festus had a problem: while it was law that a Roman citizen could ask to be tried by Caesar, himself, only the most serious crimes, with thorough evidence, were considered worthy of Caesar. And here was Paul, with a dispute about whether or not people physically rise from the dead, and no evidence that he did anything worthy of a Roman crime. Festus was in trouble.

The answer to his prayers came in the form of King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice. They had come to visit the governor, and Festus explained everything that had happened, and how Paul had called for his right to be tried by Caesar. Festus explained to Agrippa that he was not wise enough to determine what to write to Caesar about Paul and the accusations brought against him, and he hoped the wise and just Agrippa would help him. Agrippa fell for being buttered up, and, as we get to this morning’s Scripture, he calls for Paul to stand before him and present his case.

Paul – out of respect for the authority and position of the king, as well as the fact that he was not merely a Roman lackey, but a Jew – told the king that he considered himself fortunate to be able to stand before the king to present his case. The king, he believed, would understand his case, based on his knowledge of Judaism – being a Jew – and also based on his knowledge of current events. Surely, he knew about Jesus and His followers, the Way, and what they taught.

So Paul began by telling Agrippa that from his earliest years Paul was a devout defender of Israel and Judaism. In a short time, he became one of the most learned members of the Pharisees. Anyone would have been able to testify both to the zeal of the party of the Pharisees and to Paul’s keeping of the minutia of the Law. Paul could have been the poster boy for obedience to the Word of God.

Paul then turned to the accusations against him and told Agrippa that the reason he was on trial was due to the fact that he believed and followed the Law and the Prophets so whole-heartedly. He believed the Prophets when they said that God had made a promise, and given a hope, that the day will come when the dead will rise and stand up out of their graves.

Why, Paul asked Agrippa, was this thought incredible to the Jews – who have the Prophets and claim to believe them – that God raises the dead?

Paul explained that he was most zealous in pursuing the Word of God, and when Jesus and the Way appeared, Paul understood them to be going against the Law and the Prophets, so he persecuted them with all his might. He persecuted them in Jerusalem – locking men and women and children in prison, and cheering when any of them were put to death. He tortured them in the synagogues, and tried to get them to blaspheme – that they might quickly deserve the death penalty. And in his raging fury, he got permission from the Sanhedrin – the very Jews who are now seeking his death – he worked for them, capturing Christians – the Sanhedrin even sent him to foreign lands to find Christians. And that is when everything changed.

The Sanhedrin sent Paul – he had papers from them – to go to Damascus, to capture Christians and bring them to Jerusalem for trial. But on the way there – at noon – a light from heaven – which could only have been the Glory of God – shone down on him and his companions, and the a voice spoke to him in Hebrew, saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

For those of you who were not raised in an agricultural area, “goads” are sharp metal or wooden object that would be attached behind the oxen as they worked. So, if they got angry and kicked back, rather than hitting the farmer, they would kick back and get stabbed by the goad. The idea being that after a few times, the oxen would learn not to kick the goads.

So, Jesus told Paul, persecuting Him was like kicking the goads. Paul was only hurting himself by persecuting Jesus and His followers.

Paul recognized that it was God speaking, and he asked Who it was, and Jesus told him it was Jesus, the One Paul was persecuting. Yet, Jesus told him to stand, for Jesus had appeared to him to appoint him as a servant and as a witness to Jesus and His Gospel. And Jesus told him to preach His Gospel in Damascus to the Jews, and then in Jerusalem to the Jews, and then to go out and preach the Gospel to the Gentiles – fulfilling the Word of the prophets – that the Gentiles would have their eyes opened to the Truth of Salvation in Jesus Alone, that their eyes would be opened, and they would see the light, turn from Satan to God, that they would receive forgiveness of sins and a place with those who are sanctified by Jesus. That is how Paul came to do a one-eighty – he completely turned around from being the chief persecutor of Christians, to the chief proclaimer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Since Paul knew it was God speaking to him, and God identified Himself as Jesus, Paul went right to work, preaching Jesus in Damascus, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and then to the Gentiles. That is why the Jews seized Paul in the Temple – they didn’t want the Gentiles to know the Way back to God; they wanted to keep the Gospel and Salvation in Jesus away from the Gentiles.

From that day he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, to this, Paul explained, by the help of God, he had spent every moment of his life telling both great and small that there is no Salvation except through Jesus Alone. And he taught them that the Scriptures – the Law and the Prophets – all teach that the Christ – the Savior – must suffer and die, and then physically rise from the dead, being the Savior of both the Jews and the Gentiles.

As Paul was making this defense before Agrippa – and Festus, and Bernice, and all the nobles and others in the hall – Paul was likely quoting Scripture from the Law and the Prophets. Agrippa would have known the Old Testament, and it would have buffeted Paul’s case to do so.

At this point, the Roman governor, Festus, who had heard enough about dead people coming back to life, shouted with a loud voice, “Paul you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” One commentator wrote, “[Paul] was regarded by [Festus] as an unfortunate monomaniac, heated into fanaticism by intense application to occult and superstitious learning” (John Eadie, Paul the Preacher, 417-418). In other words, Paul had spent so much time studying difficult and strange books that he had gone nuts

Paul replied to him courteously that he was not out of his mind, but everything he said was rational – if you believe the Word of God – the Law and the Prophets. And then he turned back to Agrippa saying, “the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”

Paul spoke to Agrippa, saying that he knew that the King knew what he was talking about. The king was well versed in the Word of God. The king knew what the Prophets said. The king knew what had been happening since Jesus came on the scene. The king knew that Jesus and His teachings were all very public, so the common person on the street would have known about what Jesus said and did.

Paul publically asked the king if he believed the Prophets, and then Paul graciously answered the question – which the king would have been unable to answer. For, if the king said, “yes,” then he would have to take Paul’s side, and if the king said, “no,” then the Jews would revolt against him. So, Paul wisely, kindly, answered the question for him, “I know that you believe.”

Agrippa responded, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” This question is not an easy one to translate, and there are variations of meanings that could occur – especially since we don’t know the tone he spoke in. What he being sarcastic? Was he laughing – mocking Paul? Was he seriously considering what Paul had said?

Consider for a moment the blessings God gave in revealing Himself to the family of the Herods: the first Herod, Herod the Great (Matthew 2:1, 16), was visited by the Magi and told that the prophecy had come to pass – the Savior had come. Herod the Great responded by killing all of the male infants in Bethlehem.

After his death, his three sons divided the kingdom: Herod Archelaus (Matthew 2:22) was a wicked king and kept the Holy Family out of Galilee, fulfilling the prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. His brother, Herod Antipas (Mark 6:8) stole his brother, Herod Philip I’s, wife, Herodias. Because he had done so, John the Baptist rebuked him, and though Herod loved listening to John, he allowed himself to be tricked into beheading him.

Herod Agrippa I came next. He knew the apostles and their teachings first hand, and he had James put to death and imprisoned Peter for the sake of the approval of the Jews. This Herod was later eaten by worms.

His son, Herod Agrippa II had Paul standing before him, preaching the Gospel, and Herod’s response, based on his tone and other considerations, may be understood as anywhere from “Get out of here ” to “Everything you say makes sense, but I’m not ready to believe.”

Whatever, exactly, Agrippa meant, Paul responded with his characteristic humility, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am – except for these chains.” “My concern is not for how long it takes you to believe, O King Agrippa, and all of you here in this hall – Festus, noblemen, and the rest of the crowd. My concern, may prayer to God, is that every one of you – in God’s time – will be like me – except for these chains.”

Paul said, “I pray that God will raise each of you from the dead that you might believe in Jesus Alone for Salvation. I pray that each one of you would have your eyes opened so you would see that Jesus is the long-awaited Savior Who was promised in the Law and the Prophets. I pray that each of you would have your heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh that you might be fervent and passionate believers in Jesus and His Salvation. I want you to be like me – except for the chains – I want you to be someone who is completely convinced by – complete obsessed with – God Himself – knowing that the Whole Word of God is True – it is the Word of God – it’s authority comes from God. God has provided the Savior He promised – He is here – now – believe and repent of your sins. Come to Him. Have the hope that we had been waiting for for thousands of years. Be sold-out for Jesus. Know Him to be God the Only Savior, and follow Him in obedience and faith and love and joy.”

Do you ever feel like that? That you want people to be like you – in the sense that they believe that Jesus is God the Promised Savior – prophesied in the Law and the Prophets, physically raised from the dead, and ascended back to the Throne of the Son at the Right Hand of the Father? Do you ever just want to bust wanting to tell someone – wanting someone to believe in Jesus?

We’re not in “hyper-drive” all the time – there are times when I just want to be left alone – and I’m sure you do, too. But do you ever find yourself unable to hold back – unable to control yourself, because you want others to know Who Jesus is – Who God is – what salvation is? I hope so – that is an evidence that we believe.

After Paul spoke his prayer for the king and all those there, Agrippa and the governor, and Bernice, and all those sitting with them got up, and Agrippa said, “This man has done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment. ... This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Agrippa said, “As far as Roman law is concerned, this man has broken no law and should never have been held. I would release him right now, but he has appealed to have his case heard by Caesar, and once an appeal to Caesar is in the works, you can’t take it back. So, send him to Caesar. And tell Caesar, we are not sending him because he is guilty of anything, but because he insisted on being tried by Caesar. Then, everything is on Paul’s head.”

Let us understand:

First, God, the Resurrected Jesus, is the Gospel. And if He did not physically rise, we are fools, and we are damned.

Paul says over and over and over again – the reason I’m on trial – the whole point to Christianity – is that Jesus, Who was stone-cold dead and sealed in a tomb, came back to life, stood up, and walked out in that same wounded body, which the disciples saw, and Jesus told them to touch.

Second, the Christian religion is based on a Person and historical facts about that Person.

Christianity is not fantasy or myth or fiction. The writers of the New Testament were careful to load the text with historical evidence – names, places, events – that could be easily verified or refuted.

Unlike many other religions, Christianity is not based on things that happened among the gods or in far-away times and places to which we have no evidence. Christianity screams out, “Check what I said ” Christianity is a religion for which the evidence of its being true is overwhelming.

Perhaps what has hurt Christianity the most is Christians, because, thirdly, people watch to see if we truly believe what we say – if we live out what we say. And the fact of the matter is that the best of us doesn’t. None of us live out the Gospel perfectly. And rather than read the Bible for themselves and check the facts of the history presented, people look at our lives and say, “ah-hah ”

People have the misperception that we must live out what Jesus has commanded in order to be saved. But the whole point is that we can never do all of what God commands us, which is why we need Jesus If we could live perfect lives, we wouldn’t need Him, but since we are sinners – failures – from birth – dead, in fact – we need Him immediately, constantly, and wholly. There is no hope without Him.

Lastly, if we have believed savingly in Jesus Alone, we ought to desire and do all we can to proclaim the Gospel to the whole Creation that everyone who hears would also believe.

If we are Christians, we ought to want everyone else to be like us – in the saving knowledge of Jesus. Because we have the Answer. We know the Way to the Truth and the Life – to everlasting joy.

If you had a friend who suddenly became joyful in a way he never had before, wouldn’t you want him to tell you what happened? Wouldn’t you want him to want you to be like him?

We have gathered for worship this morning at Second Reformed Church. Some of us may have come because we have friends here. Some of us may have come for the food after service today, as we celebrate our anniversary. But we all ought to have come because Jesus, our God, is worthy of our worship. He Alone is the One Who changes our hearts and makes us new creations. He Alone saves us from God and fills us with His Joy. He is the Reason we would want someone to be like us.

Let us pray:
Almighty and Creator God, You spoke everything that is into being, and you raise us from the dead in salvation through You Son. Yours is the Power and the Glory and the Honor and the Kingdom. We thank You for changing us – for making us people who would want others to be like us in the sense that we know You and have been made new creations by You. Help us to be useful witnesses to You. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.