Acts 9:15

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Acts 915

• This man is my chosen instrument to carry my
  name before the Gentiles and their kings and
  before the people of Israel.

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Paul before Agrippa and Festus

• Acts 2513-2632
• 13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice
  arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to
  Festus.

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Twisted Leaders

• His great grandfather, Herod the Great, murdered
  the children in Bethlehem in trying to kill
  Jesus.
• His grandfather, Herod Antipas, had John the
  Baptizer beheaded.
• His father, Herod Agrippa I, arrested Peter and
  killed the Apostle James.

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Paul before Agrippa and Festus

• 14 Since they were spending many days there,
  Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. He
  said "There is a man here whom Felix left as a
  prisoner. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief
  priests and elders of the Jews brought charges
  against him and asked that he be condemned.

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Paul before Agrippa and Festus

• 16 "I told them that it is not the Roman custom
  to hand over any man before he has faced his
  accusers and has had an opportunity to defend
  himself against their charges. 17 When they came
  here with me, I did not delay the case, but
  convened the court the next day and ordered the
  man to be brought in.

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Paul before Agrippa and Festus

• 18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did
  not charge him with any of the crimes I had
  expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of
  dispute with him about their own religion and
  about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was
  alive.

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Paul before Agrippa and Festus

• 20 I was at a loss how to investigate such
  matters so I asked if he would be willing to go
  to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these
  charges.

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Paul before Agrippa and Festus

• 21 When Paul made his appeal to be held over for
  the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until
  I could send him to Caesar."

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Paul before Agrippa and Festus

• 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to
  hear this man myself." He replied, "Tomorrow you
  will hear him."

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Note His Manner!

• 23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with
  great pomp and entered the audience room with the
  high ranking officers and the leading men of the
  city.

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Note His Manner!

• 23 At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

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Note his Manner

• 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have
  permission to speak for yourself." So Paul
  motioned with his hand and began his defense

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Paul is courteous

• 2 "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to
  stand before you today as I make my defense
  against all the accusations of the Jews, 3and
  especially so because you are well acquainted
  with all the Jewish customs and controversies.
  Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

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Paul is courteous

• 1 Corinthians 412,13 - When we are cursed, we
  bless when we are persecuted, we endure it 13
  when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to
  this moment we have become the scum of the earth,
  the refuse of the world.

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Paul is courageous

• Ephesians 619-20 - Pray for me, that whenever I
  open my mouth, words may be given me so that I
  will fearlessly make known the mystery of the
  gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in
  chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as
  I should.

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Note his Message

• 4 "The Jews all know the way I have lived ever
  since I was a child, from the beginning of my
  life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5
  They have known me for a long time and can
  testify, if they are willing, that according to
  the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a
  Pharisee.

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Note his message

• 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God
  has promised our fathers that I am on trial
  today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes
  are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly
  serve God day and night. O king, it is because
  of this hope that the Jews are accusing me.

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Note his message

• 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible
  that God raises the dead?

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• Acts 433 - With great power the apostles
  continued to testify to the resurrection of the
  Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

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1 Corinthians 15

• 1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the
  gospel I preached to you, which you received and
  on which you have taken your stand

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1 Corinthians 15

• 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of
  first importance that Christ died for our sins
  according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was
  buried, that he was raised on the third day
  according to the Scriptures,

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1 Corinthians 15

• 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the
  Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than
  five hundred of the brothers at the same time,
  most of whom are still living, though some have
  fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then
  to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he
  appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

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1 Corinthians 15

• 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been
  raised from the dead, how can some of you say
  that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If
  there is no resurrection of the dead, then not
  even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has
  not been raised, our preaching is useless and so
  is your faith.

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1 Corinthians 15

• 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the
  dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen
  asleep. 21 For since death came through a man,
  the resurrection of the dead comes also through a
  man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all
  will be made alive.

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• Only a living Savior could rescue
• a dying world.

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Note his Message

• 9 "I too was convinced that I ought to do all
  that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of
  Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in
  Jerusa-lem. On the authority of the chief
  priests I put many of the saints in prison, and
  when they were put to death, I cast my vote
  against them.

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Note his Message

• 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to
  another to have them punished, and I tried to
  force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against
  them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute
  them.

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Note the difference the Resurrection made on Paul

• 12 "On one of these journeys I was going to
  Damascus with the authority and commission of the
  chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was
  on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter
  than the sun, blazing around me and my
  companions.

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Note the difference the Resurrection made on Paul

• 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice
  saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you
  persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against
  the goads.'

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Note the difference the Resurrection made on Paul

• 15 "Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?'
• Thats the most important question you could ever
  ask!
• 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord
  replied.

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Note the difference the
resurrection made on Paul

• 16 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have
  appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and
  as a witness of what you have seen of me and what
  I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your
  own people and from the Gentiles.

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Note the depravity of the human
condition

• I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes
  and turn them from darkness to light, and from
  the power of Satan to God, so that they may
  receive forgiveness of sins and a place among
  those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

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Note the depravity of the human
condition

• 19 "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient
  to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in
  Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all
  Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that
  they should repent and turn to God and prove
  their repentance by their deeds.

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• 21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple
  courts and tried to kill me. 22 But I have had
  God's help to this very day, and so I stand here
  and testify to small and great alike. I am
  saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses
  said would happen 23 that the Christ would
  suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead,
  would proclaim light to his own people and to the
  Gentiles."

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Note the hardness of peoples hearts

• 24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul's
  defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he
  shouted. "Your great learning is driving you
  insane."

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Note the hardness of peoples hearts

• 25 "I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul
  replied. "What I am saying is true and
  reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these
  things, and I can speak freely to him. I am
  con-vinced that none of this has escaped his
  notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27
  King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I
  know you do."

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Christianity is the fulfillment of
Judaism

• Prophecies
• about Jesus
• Fulfillment
• by
  Jesus

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Note the hardness of
peoples hearts

• 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that
  in such a short time you can persuade me to be a
  Christian?"

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Note the freedom of Pauls life

• 29 Paul replied, "Short time or longI pray God
  that not only you but all who are listening to me
  today may become what I am, except for these
  chains."

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Who Do You Pray
Would Become Like You Are?