I. Heal Spiritual Blindness…
18to open their eyes,… turn them from darkness to light,
A. Unsaved Man Is Spiritually Blind
1. The unsaved man is spiritually blind to the eternal truths of God
2. Matthew 15:14 They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind both will fall into a ditch.”
3. John 3:19-21 19And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
4. PETER MARSHALL (1902–1949)
Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.
B. Salvation Brings Clear Spiritual Vision
1. John 9:39 39And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
2 Corinthians 4:6 6For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
3. God promises light to every person who comes to Him in faith
II. Rescue From Satan’s Power…and from the power of Satan to God,
A. Unsaved Man Is Under The Power Of Satan
1. 1 John 5:19 the whole world lies under the sway (lies in the lap) of the wicked one.
2. 2 Timothy 2:26 “…that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
B. Salvation Brings Spiritual Freedom
1. Romans 6:18, 20-22 18And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
2. John 8:31, 32 31Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 36Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
III. Forgive Sins…that they may receive forgiveness of sins
A. Unsaved Man Is Unforgiven
1. John 8:24 24Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
2. John 3:36 36He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
B. Salvation Brings Forgiveness
1. 1 John 1:9, 10 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
2. Confess– to agree (with God) concerning our sins
3. Forgive– to send away. He is able to do that b/c Jesus paid for our sins.
IV. Give Them A Holy Inheritance…and an inheritance
A. Unsaved Man Has A Dreadful Future
Rev. 20:12-15 12And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, & books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it, & Death & Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
B. Salvation Brings A Future In Heaven
1 Peter 1:3, 4 “…according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
V. Sanctify Them…among those who are sanctified
A. Unsaved Man Is Not Clean Before God
Is. 64:6 “…we are all like an unclean thing,…all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags…
B. Salvation Starts Sanctification
1 Cor. 6:11 you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
VI. How A Sinner Can Experience This…by faith in Me.’
A. Unsaved Man Chooses To Not Believe
1. Matt. 13:53-58 54When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
2. In all unbelief there are these two things: a good opinion of one’s self and a bad opinion of God. HORATIUS BONAR (1808–1889)
B. Saved Man Chooses To Believe
It is this way. The Lord, he is always voting for a man; and the devil, he is always voting against him. Then the man himself votes and that breaks the tie. ANONYMOUS
Paul has been in jail in Caesarea for two years.
He was being held by Felix because of the accusations of the Jews in Jerusalem.
Felix is replaced by Festus, who becomes the new governor of Judea.
25:1-5 Festus travels from Caesarea to Jerusalem and meets with the Jewish leadership.
He is their new ruler; he went to meet them.
They once again form a plot to kill Paul, but Festus doesn’t agree to their request.
Perhaps Felix saw through their lies.
But God already had plans for Paul.
God had already spoken to Paul that he would witness for Him in Rome.
We see another effort of man defeated by the sovereignty of God.
25:6-8 This is reminiscent of the same scenario two years earlier.
The Jewish leadership still has no real substantial charges against Paul.
Paul successfully defends himself and they have no evidence against him.
25:9 Festus recognizes that there is no case against Paul.
He already knows that the Jewish leaders want Paul on their own turf.
He is a politician, and is trying to ingratiate himself with the Jewish leaders.
25:10-12 Paul says that he does not object to dying.
Paul is sure of his eternal destiny.
Paul uses his rights as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar.
Perhaps Paul realizes the plot against him.
Perhaps God reveals it to Paul; we don’t know.
He avoids being led into this assignation attempt, and lawfully asks to stand before Caesar.
25:13 King Herod Agrippa– The great grandson of Herod the Great, who tried to kill the infant Jesus and murdered many young Jewish boys.
Herod Agrippa II didn’t rule over much territory, but was of great influence because the emperor gave him the right to oversee the affairs of the temple in Jerusalem & appointment of the high priest.
The appearance before Agrippa was really a hearing, and not a trial; Agrippa did not have jurisdiction in the matter.
Bernice– Herod Agrippa’s half sister. They supposed carried on in an incestuous relationship.
25:14-21 Festus gives a version of the story that leaves him in a favorable light.
Festus didn’t suggest that Paul go to Jerusalem in order to make clear the accusations.
He suggested that Paul goes to Jerusalem b/c he knew that the Jews desired that.
Festus is new at this command, and realizes he doesn’t know a lot about Judaism.
King Agrippa can hear the accusations, and make sense of it, and advise Festus.
25:22, 23 The great auditorium was the outdoor theater @ Caesarea. It seated many thousands of people, and looked out over the Mediterranean Sea.
Many people would come to see King Agrippa.
The theater would have been filled with many thousands of people.
25:24-27 Necessary to have clear, written charges against a prisoner before sending him to Rome.
Festus would be unfavorably looked upon for sending a man to stand before Caesar w/o having clear charges against him.
It is clear that the Jews allege that Paul is worthy of death. Festus isn’t clear on their reasoning.
26:1-3 Agrippa’s great grandfather had tired to kill Jesus.
His grandfather had killed John the Baptist.
His father had killed James, the ½ brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem.
Now Paul stands before Herod Agrippa.
King Agrippa had a clear understanding of Judaism.
26:4, 5 Paul explains that he had lived as a very committed Jew.
Agrippa would have known all that that included.
Paul is saying that he is still walking in that hope that all Jews had.
26:6-8 Paul explains that he has hope in what Old Testament promised to the Jewish people.
Eternal life and the resurrection of the dead.
True eternal life was available b/c Jesus had died for the sins of all mankind.
He was raised from the dead, and gives eternal life to all who put their faith in Him.
26:9-11 Paul explains his former life as a persecutor of Christians.
“I cast my vote against them”- Implication that Paul had been a member of the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of Israel.
It also means that Paul would have been married prior to becoming a Christian.
Marriage was mandatory for members of the Sanhedrin. We have no clear record of that idea.
26:12-16 Paul re-tells his story of meeting the risen Jesus Christ in a vision.
As Paul persecuted Christians, he was persecuting Jesus.
Goads- sharp sticks that farmers used to prod their stubborn oxen.
Jesus told Paul that even though Paul was resisting Jesus, Jesus was still calling him.
Jesus would change Paul’s life and make him the greatest Christian missionary who ever lived.
26:16, 17 Jesus tells Paul that He has appeared to Him for a purpose: to make him His minister (servant) and a witness of all that Jesus would reveal to him.
Of all people, we should realize that God has clearly called us to have a purposeful life.
To be a minister to Him: a servant
To be a witness of Him: to speak of the things we have experienced regarding Jesus Christ.
Jesus told Paul that He was going to send him to a tough crowd: The Jews in Jerusalem.
Jesus tells Paul that He would save him from the assassination attempts of the Jews.
NOTE– This would lead me to believe that Paul was God’s perfect will.
NOTE ALSO– Being in God’s perfect will isn’t always easy.
Sometimes, many times, it is very difficult. But God’s grace is sufficient for us.