ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE SAVED
ESH-22
140727AM
Short Clips
ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE SAVED
Christ Explained The Gospel to Paul in Acts 26. Each scene in Acts seems more amazing as we walk through these salvation messages. But of all the presentation of the Gospel, this is by all measures the best, most important, and the deepest impact. Paul shares the story of how Jesus Christ met him on the road to Damascus. In Acts 9, the details are sparse, but here the fullest and clearest account comes to us.
What we are going to read this morning as we open to Acts 26, is Paul sharing the Gospel again, before some of the better know people of the day. Paul is facing the grandson of Herod and his wife, who is also his sister. So the situation is interesting. Agrippa & Bernice are the talk of Roman culture. Even Rome did not often see an incestuous public relationship. But Paul not only doesn’t alter his witness, he actually enlarges it. Paul shares both his conversion and his commission by Christ.
When Jesus sent Paul into ministry He explains the power of the Gospel and gave Paul a template that we can trace across all of his epistles as the framework of the message that Paul shared in public preaching and teaching, as well as in personal witness and discipleship. These words are deep in their doctrinal truth and powerful in their application.
Each of us today can ponder how amazing the work that God began in each of us the moment we called upon Christ. This is what God does, this is what we receive when we reach out in faith to the Hand of God extending to us His free gift of salvation. These words are also the
When Paul recounted the words that Christ used to lead him into a life-long ministry of evangelism, he gave us the greatest Gospel sharing account in the Bible.
The words before us today are from Jesus Christ. No one knows more about salvation than Him. These words are what shaped Paul’s entire ministry. No one knows more about ministry for Christ in His Church, and in winning souls, than the Apostle Paul. Combined the words of Christ on sharing the Gospel combined with the most responsive Gospel sharing apostle of all, makes this: a greatly valuable account.
First, what are the details of this event; then, what are the elements of the Gospel message Paul was to share. Finally, what is the application to our ministry of evangelism and Gospel presentations?
THE AMAZING DETAILS OF THE SETTING
 
King Agrippa was Herod Agrippa II, the son of the Herod who killed James and imprisoned Peter. He was the last of the Herods, who play a prominent role in NT history.
Bernice. Not Agrippa’s wife, but his consort and sister. (Their sister, Drusilla, was married to the former governor, Felix). Agrippa was living in an incestuous relationship with his own sister, which was the talk of Rome, where Agrippa had grown up. His wicked partner in sin, Bernice, for a while even became the mistress of Emperor Vespasian, then of his son Titus, but always returned to her brother.
 
Agrippa II (great-grandson of Herod the Great) Acts 25:13, 23; 26:1-29
Bernice (great-granddaughter of Herod the Great) Acts 25:13, 23; 26:1-29

 


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