Almost To Yes

We sit with Paul’s defense in Acts 26 and watch him answer the “you’re crazy” charge with a calm claim that the gospel is true, reasonable, and publicly knowable. We press on the heartbreak of “almost” faith and challenge ourselves to stop treating God’s word like a story and start living it with mission-level focus. 
• Paul’s response to God’s call and the shared call to proclaim the gospel today 
• The gospel rooted in Old Testament expectation and fulfilled in Jesus 
• The resurrection as the central claim that forces a decision 
• Festus calling Paul out of his mind and Paul answering with truth and reason 
• Christianity as public, verifiable, not done in a corner 
• The “almost” person who admires Jesus but stops short of surrender 
• Comfort and homeostasis as reasons people resist a boat-rocking gospel 
• Blessings sometimes masking our need for a Savior 
• “Whether short or long” patience in evangelism and discipleship 
• Living our testimony so others can see faith at work 

Don’t be an almost person. Pray for faith if you’re struggling. And just believe. 

Transcript

Recap Of The Gospel Markers

Prophecy And Expectation Fulfilled

The Resurrection And The Charge Of Madness

Truth Claims And Public Evidence

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Let me read this. I read it last week. I promise we won't re break down every single thing going on here. Says this, therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying, both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets of Moses said would come to pass, that the Christ must suffer, and that by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles. And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, I won't yell this time, Paul, you're out of your mind. Your great learning is driving you out of your mind. And Paul said, I'm not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words, for the king knows about these things, and I speak, uh I I 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. And Agrippa said to Paul, In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian? And Paul said, 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, chains. Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those were sitting with him, and when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment. And Gippus said to Festus, This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. If you weren't here last week, or if you don't remember, let me go ahead and share that I broke this scripture down into several phrases or words. Let me go over those very quickly. There was a response, there was a connection to the past, there was the resurrection, there was crazy, and then there was not crazy, there was uh uh not hidden but verifiable, and then there was almost. Almost. Last week we talked about the response. Paul responded to the gospel. You can just try to blank that out because it's gonna keep it's gonna just keep uh going on behind me, and I'm going to be distracted by the random noises. So there should be a little thing over to the side or down towards the bottom. The bottom left, maybe. We're all good. Last week we talked about this, but there was a response, right? Paul responded to the call of God, the call to share the gospel. He received the gospel, there was a call to share the gospel, he responded. It's the same call that we have today. And it wasn't a random call. This experience that Paul was having, what Paul was experiencing and what Paul was describing in that gospel, it was not like a shooting star that just surprises us. It had been laid down in the Old Testament for thousands of years. It wasn't random. There was expectation. Expectation was built into the Judaism. They were all waiting for something. Now, none of them knew exactly what it was going to look for, but they were all waiting for a Messiah, an anointed one, a savior. And this connection to the past, this connection to a hope of a savior. And for some people, what would be a hope of a resurrection was built into their system, and Jesus was the fulfillment of that. The resurrection was something new. And again, Paul has brought it up before, he brings it up again. We've talked about the resurrection multiple times at this point, its uniqueness, its power, its meaning. And yet, immediately after Paul talks about this resurrection, which is this ultimate miracle that changes everything, the fulfillment of thousands of years of prophecies, right? And Paul's own testimony is is uh is sort of connecting with this. There is this challenge. There's challenge, these are some big claims. Resurrection's a big claim, right? It is. It is. Ivy, have you ever seen anyone raised from the grave? No, right? What about you got anybody else seen someone raised from the grave? All right, it's a big claim. Jesus' resurrection is a big claim, and I get it. And it stirs in Festus, this guy, this this Latin, this Latinally uh trained Roman official, and he's basically he's got to respond. He's like, You're out of your mind, Paul. I can't stand it anymore. I can't listen to this anymore. Paul, you're out of your mind. He he he notes Paul's learning. He notes Paul, Paul is uh this apparently a wise and educated man, but you're out of your mind, you're crazy. To which Paul says, and this is where we sort of stopped and focused on last week. No, no, it's not craziness, it's not madness, it's the truth and reasonableness that I am speaking with right now to you. In various ways, Christianity is grounded in truth. If the claims found in Scripture, which most of the scripture or what we call scripture was finished and in circulation within 70 years after Christ's death, if those scriptures have been found untrue or inaccurate to eyewitness account, Christianity would not be here right now. It would have been easy for someone to go search out someone who was there, to ask them, did this really happen? No, it didn't happen. Oh, then these Christian people are just out of their mind. But that's not what happens. Christianity survives. There are eyewitnesses, and I'm sure people did go ask questions, and yet here we are. There's this doubt, but there's no reason to doubt. If we think people are any less skeptical than they are now, then we just don't understand how the human mind works. People have always been skeptical of things. And resurrection is a relatively unique thing to Christianity. There are some other smaller religions that have a small aspect of what we would call resurrection, but Christianity is by far close to being the oldest and the largest and the one with the most material connecting to it. Paul's own testimony, who he was, and and now who he is with Jesus is a truth claim. Your testimony, who you were, and now who you are with Christ is another one of those truth claims. And additionally, it's not only truth and reason that are contained in the gospel that are a proof of the gospel, it all happened out in the open. Paul says these things were not hidden. They didn't happen out in the desert somewhere. We talked about this, like Mormonism. Sort of happened out in the middle of the desert. This guy comes back and uh he's got this grand tale of this hidden scripture and these angels and things like that. And, you know, let's be honest, uh uh Islam is pretty similar. Uh apparently Muhammad would go into these epileptic fits and start babbling on. He couldn't read, he couldn't read or write himself, but he had scribes who would write down his rantings and ravings, apparently, and that's how they got their holy scripture. That's not Christianity.

unknown 7:54

Right?

The Tragedy Of Almost Belief

SPEAKER_00 7:54

Jesus' ministry was in public, his teachings were in public, his death was in public, his execution, right? That was in public, his resurrection was in public, even though not everybody saw them. There were, there's an account of many people seeing him. It was all done in public. The church operated in public, none of it was hidden underneath a blanket. All of these things, the truthfulness, the reasonableness, the out in the open are proofs, they're truths that point to the right reliability that Paul and us, whenever we do the same thing, we're not simply just making stuff up. We're not irrational people. We're not just talking about fairy tales, we're not just doing that sort of things. This is not Lord of the Rings that we are involved in right now. I love Lord of the Rings, but it's fake. This is real. This is real. Paul said, I'm not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true rational words. For the king, he knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly, for I'm persuaded that none of these things has happened, has happened, that has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. King Agrippa, King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I believe you do, he says. These things aren't hidden to you. You know the prophecies, you know the scriptures. Don't you believe King Agrippa? Of course you do. That's what Paul says. We're getting close to this almost part of the gospel.

unknown 9:26

Right?

Comfort, Homeostasis, And Boat Rocking Faith

Blessings That Can Make You Drift

Whether Short Or Long Keep Witnessing

Lock In And Live The Gospel

Prayer And Final Commission

SPEAKER_00 9:27

The almost story contained in this in this scripture. There are people out there who, if they were a boat, they would see the lighthouse in the distance, but they take no notice of it. They they hear what Christianity is, they hear what Christians say, they see glimpses of something in the distance that looks promising. They they sense that there is more to this world, more to this story, more to what they are experiencing in the physical. Many of them may even be well versed in different religions, including Christianity. They might understand our claims about the truth, but they themselves are not holding on to that truth even though they know it. Many may even look at Jesus, or at least the concept of who Jesus is, and they might like it. They may, like one popular figure who owns a social media company, say they believe in the moral teachings of Jesus, which seems like a good thing. Seems like that might be helpful. It's promising, but ultimately it's falling short. It's missing the point. It's almost. I was watching an episode of a show recently, and there's this conversation between a terminally ill patient and a doctor, and the terminally ill patient turns to the doctor and she's struggling in this moment, and she asks the doctor, Do you believe in God? And the doctor smiles, and you can tell she's conflicted, and she says, I really like the concept. Almost, but not, but not yet. They're almost there. There are good people out there who they don't even realize that, on a moral perspective, in a practical way, their lives are pretty close to aligning with God's word and how he wants to order our lives. Right? There are many sort of I guess conservative religions and even cults like Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses, where morally, practically speaking, they are in alignment with a way that God and Christ would want them to live, but it's it's not there. It's almost they're devoid of grace and mercy and connection to a savior. Almost there. Agrippa said to Paul, in a short time, would you persuade me to be a Christian? It's a question. Another translation says this in a short time, you will persuade me to become a Christian. It's funny how two different translations, one adds a question mark, one is a statement. I feel like the truth is somewhere in between, right? Slight variations of the same thing being said. This is Agrippa's attitude. He he probably recognizes exactly what Paul is saying. He seems to be a reasonable and logical man, and reasonably and logically, it's going to be hard to work around what Paul is saying, especially in conjunction with what Agrippa knows about the Holy Scripture and the prophets and the law. Agrippa knows exactly what Paul is saying. Paul's not lied, he's not misjudged this situation in this moment. But even though Agrippa has this knowledge, even though Agrippa is connected to this wisdom, even though he has some reason and some understanding, this is still an almost story for Agrippa, and it is to me a heartbreaking story. I hate almost stories when it comes to the gospel. Honestly, whenever I see things like people say I love Jesus, but I just don't necessarily believe everything. That hurts me because it's almost. It's almost. When it's Elon Musk who made that quote about he believes the moral teachings of Jesus, I love that. That's great, but it's almost, it's painfully close. It's almost. Don't be an almost person. Pray for faith if you're struggling. And just believe. Often we see people are very good at keeping a social and physical material homeostasis in their life. They like things to remain the same. Your body wants to remain at the same temperature. That's what homeostasis means. It means your body and this every cell in your body, all the processes in your body are working to maintain a normalcy, a standard in your body. They want your heartbeat to be about the same, they want your temperature to be the same. They want everything to remain regular and the same. And what we can do as humans is that we take that biological process and we almost mimic it in a practical and mental way in our lives. So that we avoid problems, we avoid trouble, we avoid stress, we avoid anything that might make us uncomfortable or might sort of rock the boat, as you might say. People don't want the boat to be rocked, and we get really good. Everybody does. Gets really good at getting real comfortable where they are. And the problem with that is if we're talking about the gospel and sharing the gospel, is that the gospel is this very boat-rocking thing. And so people might recognize some inherent truth in what we have to say. People might recognize some value in scripture. They might see some value in this Jesus person, they might see some value in everybody believing roughly the same thing about what's right and what's wrong. But to accept Jesus into their life is just a step too far. It rocks the boat too much. They don't want that. They're there, but it's it's almost. This is why blessings can be so dangerous. Listen, I want blessings in my life. I want good things. And I do believe, without being a prosperity gospel preacher, I do believe that God does give us blessings. He's the author of every good thing that we ever have. The problem with those blessings, it's not an always problem, it's a sometimes problem, is that you might be tempted if you live a blessed life, to think that you are a self-contained person, that you don't need any help, that you're not looking for any help. Here's the thing: I have been very blessed, but I've also had plenty of problems. And in the midst of those problems that I could not solve, I was forced to comprehend that I needed help outside of myself, outside of my family. And so the the sometimes danger of living a life of complete blessings and no challenge and trying to stay in this homeostasis is that you miss the challenges that help provide a wisdom and understanding that you need help, that you are not the end-all be-all of everything. Without desperation, you're never desperate for a savior. And I'm desperate for a savior. I'm desperate for that connection. Blessings, not always, but sometimes can make people into almost people. Almost. Almost got him. Almost got him. Paul, what are you doing? Agrippa basically says. Are you trying to convert me right here, right now? Is that your end game? Is that the goal? Is that the thought process? You almost have. I understand what you're saying. Paul said, 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. Chains. I love this for several reasons. First, it shows us once again that Paul is at all times fixated on the mission. It doesn't matter what he's going through, it doesn't matter what he's facing, it doesn't matter the platform that he has, whether he's in a house, a temple, a jail cell, a field, next to a river, it does not matter. It's just another opportunity for him to proclaim the gospel, and his eternal hope is that people become like him, full of grace and mercy, following Jesus, anointed by the Holy Spirit. And while he is addressing Agrippa, there is this understanding and recognition that others are listening. And so while Agrippa might be stuck in almost mode, there might be others in the room who quietly in their heart and their mind are making a connection to the gospel. The Holy Spirit's moving, and God is saying, Hey, it's time. Listen to what this man is saying. It's true. And so we might be working, we might be sharing the gospel with somebody, a family member or a friend. We might be sharing the gospel with one kid, but we don't understand and know that maybe a different friend is listening. We don't know that maybe as we're talking to to one family member, our kids are paying attention to what we're saying. And so while while while they might be stuck in almost, our kids might be in that moment coming to know Jesus. God created time, whether short or long, Paul says. Sometimes it looks like people lock into salvation just like that. They have an encounter with God at church, at a camp or an event, even on the street, sometimes, depending on the kind that they have an encounter with God, something happens, and just like that, their life is radically turned upside down, and they are now a part of the kingdom of heaven. And other times, other times we're we're talking to people, we're thinking about people, we're praying for people, we are working with people, and decades go by without anything. Whether short or long is not God's concern. Don't grow wary and well doing. Don't get discouraged that it seems like everything that you're working for is taking a long time. It doesn't matter. Paul understood that, whether short or long, it doesn't matter. Whether somebody receives the gospel right now or whether this is a process we're going to keep working on for a long time, the mission's still the same. Don't be discouraged by it. Don't be discouraged. And of course, Paul adds a little humor. I want all these people in here listening to me to be just like me, minus the chains. Adds a little humor in there, probably better joke than I've ever offered on stage. But I think you guys laugh at my jokes when you get home most of the time. There you go. Thank you. You write them down in your journals, your joke journals. You have a joke journal. The pastor said this today. It was funny. I giggled or I chuckled. Um I used to, I don't like LOL. I use it because I'm never actually laughing out loud. Right? I'm normally L Q T M T T Ming. I'm laughing quietly to myself. Right. That's what it really is. All right, there you go. We good? Right? That's my that's the joke for the day. And now I can close the sermon out. Close the sermon out. Acts chapter 26. Right? The scripture goes on. Basically, it says those who gathered tell us what we already know that Paul deserves to be set free. But he's not free. Everything's in motion. Paul is heading to Rome. And we got some interesting things that are going to happen in the last two chapters, but we're getting we're getting close. Getting close. Aps chapter 26 gives us a glimpse of the gospel. It gives us a glimpse of response. It gives us a glimpse of what we can do in our daily lives. It does all of these things for ourselves. And if we're not careful, if we're not careful, we make this a story and it stays a story. That's not the goal. Don't let your personal devotion time, don't let you know, any Christian podcasts that you listen to, don't let Sunday mornings, don't, don't, don't, don't let these moments when God's word is presented to us, don't let them become empty words. Don't let them become just stories. Take them, put them in your heart, in your mind, and apply it to your life. Look at Paul, look at his example, examine your own life because you are all intelligent people, and look at your own life and say, Am I even close to having the same mindset as Paul when it comes to his passion and his focus on the mission? Am I even close to being like Paul in my ability to look at my testimony and to pull out my testimony for God to use in a mighty way? Am I even close to having the mindset and the patience of Paul not to be so concerned with immediate results, but to understand that short or long, our goal remains the same? Lock in. Lock in. That's what the kids say on streaming services these days. They tell each other to lock in as they're playing video games. This is verifiable, by the way. I listened to a stream last night and I heard someone yell, lock in, lock in. So this is truth. All right, this is a truth statement. I'm 36, but I'm not completely devoid of understanding things. But we do. We have to lock in to the gospel. Don't float through this thing we call Christianity. And 30 years from now, wake up as a 60-year-old person and have never at one time ever led someone to Jesus Christ. That's one of my greatest nightmares. To walk through this life. I've been a Christian since I was six years old. I better not get to the end of this thing. And I've never once at least tried my hardest to get someone to understand that they need Jesus Christ. And of course, the Holy Spirit's doing work, and ultimately it's the Holy Spirit that finalizes this deal of salvation. But He requests us, requires us, desires for us to be a part of this process. Don't wait another day before you get passionate about this. Almost. There are too many almost people out there. And maybe, just maybe, your testimony, your life, your experience with God, and your connection with that person might be the thing that bridges the gap from almost to yes. I will go ahead and tell you a lot of people who are almost, what they are stirred by the most, is not another piece of logic. It's not another book on the truths of Christianity. Many times it is a personal relationship. It is seeing what they are almost believing in at work in someone's life that ultimately ends up being the thing that breaks down the barrier for them to get over the hump. Be that person. Be that person. You don't have to stand on a street corner and preach. You don't have to get up here. You don't have to teach a Sunday school class. You don't got to lead a Bible study. You don't have to lead a men's breakfast or a men's group or anything like that. Go about your life in community with others. Let the fruit of the Spirit be evident in your life. And watch what God will do. Okay? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, you are good and you are truly great. And Lord, I just pray that you take Acts chapter 26. This big chapter with lots of speeches and words. Sometimes why Paul saying this? Why does it matter? But I pray that you would make it matter in our heart and in our mind. Give us a supernatural ability to take in your word and apply it. Give us strength to do the right thing. Give us strength to view life the right way, the correct way. Let us not grow wary in well-doing, and let our eyes be open to the opportunities that we have to share the gospel. Let us understand our testimony. Let us understand who we were. And let us be grateful for who we are. And in that process, I pray that we would have a wisdom and a tool to share with others that might be a part of the process of them coming to know you as their Lord and Savior. Lord, I pray for all the almost people that are connected to our life. I pray right now that your Holy Spirit would continue to do the heavy lifting of this process of drawing them into you, declaring your glory, declaring your truth to all peoples, convicting the world of their sin and of their wrong, Lord. And I pray that we would simply be a part of the process however you desire it, God. But I pray that we would be a part and that we would say yes to your word, even whenever it's uncomfortable. Lord, we love you so much. We thank you so much. You are great, you are mighty, you are awesome, and there is no one like you in all the earth. In Jesus' name we pray. We all said together, Amen.