
Welcome to Worship
October 31, 2021
8:30am
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. —(James 1:2-3)
Preparing Our Hearts for Worship: Rev. Bill Archer
Worship Song: Open Up the Heavens
Worship Team
Prayer: Rev. Peggy Peek
Redland Happenings and Welcome: Rev. Peggy Peek
Worship Song: Only A Holy God
Worship Team
Worship Meditation: It Is Well
Maseray Silah
Scripture: Acts 24-26
Sermon Series: Acts – The Cure Goes Viral
Sermon Title: Felix, Agrippa, and Festus to Test Us
Rev. Mark Adams
Sermon Notes:
“When Paul talked about righteousness and self-control and the judgement to come, Felix became afraid… ‘You may leave. When I find it convenient I will send for you.’” —Acts 24:25
“The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart;
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!” —RECESSIONAL by Rudyard Kipling
“This man, [Paul] is a chosen servant unto Me. I will send him to the Gentiles to stand before GOVERNORS and KINGS….that he may bear My name before them, as well as before the sons of Israel.” —Acts 9:15
2 – “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,
3 – and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
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.
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.
8 – Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
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 Jerusalem. 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.
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.
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.
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.’
15 – Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
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. 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.’
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.
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.”
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.”
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 convinced 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.”
28 – Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
29 – Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” —Acts 26:2-29
What made Paul’s testimony so powerful? What can we learn from Paul that will help make our own testimonies effective?
1.) A personal testimony enables you to
with people.
“I was once like you. I was the son of a Pharisee and studied to become one myself.” —Acts 26:4
“The king is familiar with these things….King Agrippa, as a student of Judaism, you know what I’m talking about!” —Acts 26:26
“The skeptic may stop his ears to the presentations of a preacher and the pleadings of an evangelist—but he is somehow attracted to the human-interest story of how you—John Q. Public—found peace within.” —Charles Swindoll
2.) A second secret to powerful testimonies we see here is
.
In his book Come Before Winter, Charles Swindoll suggests five things to remember when preparing your testimony.
A. You want to be
to so be
.
B. You want to be
, so be
.
FIRST - Tell what your life was like before you met Jesus.
SECOND - Tell of the events or event that led you to become a Christian
THIRD - Close by telling about the difference Jesus has made and is making in your life.
C. You want the moment of your new birth to be
, so be
.
D. You want your testimony to be
so be
.
E. Finally, you want your testimony to produce
, so be
and genuine.
“I would that you were like me—I wish you could experience the joy and freedom I have because of Jesus.” —Acts 26:29
“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today because you are well-acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies.” —Acts 26:2
“Always be READY to share the reason for the hope that is in you.” —2 Peter 3:15
3.) Testimonies are powerful because they are
.
• “I saw a light from Heaven”
• “We all fell to the ground”
• “I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic”
• “I obeyed my heavenly vision” —Acts 26:13ff:
4.) A testimony is powerful if it can be
.
“I was not disobedient to the vision from Heaven.” —Acts 26:19
“Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” —Acts 26:28
Time of Decision and Commitment: O Come to the Altar
Worship Team
Benediction: Rev. Mark Adams