Seeing The Process Through
Acts 26
26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 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 Jewish people 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 I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors 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. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these 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 Lord’s people 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. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, 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 and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyesand 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 then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But God has helped me to this very day; 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 Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of 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 to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
This Sunday’s service can be viewed on our Facebook page @ February 25, 2024
Hello New Day Friends,
This week is the second week of Lent, and I do pray, along with our staff, that you are able to take time in this season before Easter to pause, pray and draw nearer to Jesus. Taking time is always a challenge, as we find ourselves in the rush constantly. I know I do. I pray you will lean into how Eugene Peterson wrote in his paraphrase, The Message, in Matthew 11:27-30, "Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
As you practice the Way of Jesus, as John Mark Comer calls it, I do hope and pray, during Lent especially, that we will slow down, pay attention to areas of our lives needing rest, and also engage in relationship with Jesus more intentionally. As I said last week, practice being present with God, and acknowledge His presence with you in everything, the big and the small. When you're doing dishes, driving, even when you realize you are struggling with thoughts, actions and intent that are contrary to how you would like to live and be. These are the moments we can keep surrendering ourselves to the LORD, inviting Him into every part of our being. Compartmentalizing our lives, our thoughts, our relationships are things we are able to do very well, and a challenge to us in our spiritual formation, is allowing God access to all of us, and to examine the areas of life that we are compartmentalizing. He loves us- all parts of us, and as we invite Him in, and give Him permission to love us, and meet us where we are at, He will do the work He so desires to do in each of our lives.
This Sunday, we will be finishing up our series in Acts. The Apostle Paul's life sure took a turn when he met Jesus, and it was no turning back for Paul. We get the privilege of reading Paul's letters, and seeing the transformation of someone who before Jesus was consumed with stopping all things Jesus, to someone after meeting Jesus who was consumed with promoting Him, and living for Him 24/7. He wasn't perfect, and had his struggles, just as we do. Paul also lived his life unto the end with one purpose- to make Jesus known, and share the reality of a new life in Christ, with Resurrection power.
Acts has encouraged me as a pastor to keep the main thing, the main thing about Jesus, and testifying to the Resurrection of Jesus. It also has encouraged me about the Church, and God's plan for us as His people, when we live life together, growing together and loving one another as He calls us to do. We will be effective witnesses together for Jesus when we do these things.
Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.
In Christ,
Pastor Kari