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Radical Transformation Acts 26

In this sermon, I attempted to present a dramatic presentation of Paul’s testimony by quoting from memory this testimony as recorded by Luke in Acts 26. I used the Message Bible for this presentation. I did this message dressed in prison blues.

"I can't think of anyone, King Agrippa, before whom I'd rather be answering all these Jewish accusations than you, knowing how well you are acquainted with Jewish ways and all our family quarrels.

"From the time of my youth, my life has been lived among my own people in Jerusalem. Practically every Jew in town who watched me grow up--and if they were willing to stick their necks out they'd tell you in person--knows that I lived as a strict Pharisee, the most demanding branch of our religion.

It's because I believed it and took it seriously, committed myself heart and soul to what God promised my ancestors--the identical hope, mind you, that the twelve tribes have lived for night and day all these centuries--it's because I have held on to this tested and tried hope that I'm being called on the carpet by the Jews. They should be the ones standing trial here, not me! For the life of me, I can't see why it's a criminal offense to believe that God raises the dead.

"I admit that I didn't always hold to this position. For a time I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers--I had no idea they were God's people!-into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem.

"One day on my way to Damascus, armed as always with papers from the high priests authorizing my action, right in the middle of the day a blaze of light, light outshining the sun, poured out of the sky on me and my companions. Oh, King, it was so bright! We fell flat on our faces. Then I heard a voice in Hebrew: "Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you insist on going against the grain?'"I said, "Who are you, Master?'

"The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down like an animal. But now, up on your feet--I have a job for you. I've handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what's happened today, and to what I am going to show you."’I'm sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.'"What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change--this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life--right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world.

"It's because of this "whole world' dimension that the Jews grabbed me in the Temple that day and tried to kill me. They want to keep God for themselves. But God has stood by me, just as he promised, and I'm standing here saying what I've been saying to anyone, whether king or child, who will listen. And everything I'm saying is completely in line with what the prophets and Moses said would happen: One, the Messiah must die; two, raised from the dead, he would be the first rays of God's daylight shining on people far and near, people both godless and God-fearing."

That was too much for Festus. He interrupted with a shout: "Paul, you're crazy! You've read too many books, spent too much time staring off into space! Get a grip on yourself, get back in the real world!"

But Paul stood his ground. "With all respect, Festus, Your Honor, I'm not crazy. I'm both accurate and sane in what I'm saying. The King knows what I'm talking about. I'm sure that nothing of what I've said sounds crazy to him. He's known all about it for a long time. You must realize that this wasn't done behind the scenes. You believe the prophets, don't you, King Agrippa? Don't answer that--I know you believe."

But Agrippa did answer: "Keep this up much longer and you'll make a Christian out of me!"

Paul, still in chains, said, "That's what I'm praying for, whether now or later, and not only you but everyone listening today, to become like me--except, of course, for this prison jewelry!" (The Message)

The message this morning is a simple one. God specializes in radical transformations. There is not one of you in this room today that God does not know about. He knows more about you than you know about yourself.

He knows what you’ve done in your life and with your life.
He knows what you live for and who you live for.
He knows what has happened to you in the past and what is going to happen to you in the future.

I want to ask you to consider some things today. I want to ask you to consider what you are doing with your life. Where are you headed?

There are three things about Paul’s testimony and life that I want you to think about today. Every one of them applies to you and I.

1. Paul acknowledged that he was living for all the wrong things.

All of us can relate to Paul’s story I think. Have you ever been wrong? I mean really wrong. Have you been wrong and every one knew you were wrong?

During a presidential debate in January of 2000, George W. Bush was asked to identify his biggest mistake as an adult. The then governor of Texas opted for a lighthearted response and said, “As you may remember, I was in the business world at one time. I was the managing general partner of the mighty Texas Rangers. I signed off on that wonderful transaction: Sammy Sosa for Harold Baines.” Those present for this Republican Party debate in South Carolina roared with laughter and cheered his wry response. In a follow-up interview, Baines said, “I can see why he got out of the business.” So the next time you blow a call, just think of President Bush’s decision to trade Sammy Sosa for Harold Baines. Beaumont Enterprise, Jan. 10, 2000, p. 2C

In Paul’s life He was pouring all in energy into the wrong thing. He thought persecuting Christians was the thing to do. So he did it with a fury but he was walking down the wrong road.

What road are you walking down?
What are you pouring the time and energy of your life into?

Have you made some wrong choices?
Have you done some things that you wish you could erase?

All of us have. All of us have engaged in activities that we are not proud of. Some of you are doing things that you feel bad about. In fact you may be trying to hide them from other people.

You should be able to identify with Paul. He came to realize that what he was doing was incredibly wrong. In fact he had ruined peoples lives.

The most important thing you need to take away from this service today is that Paul’s life turned around when he acknowledged that he was living for the wrong things.

    He realized he was mistaken.

Acknowledgement of that fact in your life could lead to a life-changing experience. That is exactly what happened to Paul. He acknowledged that he was wrong and it led to his radical transformation.

2. Paul abandoned his former lifestyle and began a life of Christ following.

Paul became a disciple of the very person he had hated before. He was a hater of Christians and Jesus Christ but when he encountered Christ there was nothing that he could do but follow.

Did you hear the words that Jesus spoke to Paul? “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you insist on going against the grain?”

If you are not walking in the way that God intended you to walk and live your life today then you are going “against the grain.”

For those of you who took shop class in high school, let me remind you that going against the grain of a piece of wood will ruin it. Try sanding a piece of wood against the grain and you will make a big mess. I knew someone several years ago who rented a floor sander to sand the wood floors in their home. They forgot this little rule about going with the grain and made a huge mess.

There are some of you that have made a good start in this thing of following Christ but you can’t seem to ever get it right. It’s discouraging and disheartening at times. I have a huge secret to let you in on. If you want to live a life of victory and then all you have to do is do what Paul did. He abandoned himself to God.

    He received the Messiah.

The scripture that I quoted earlier said it best in Paul’s own words: “What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn’t just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot.”

I feel like I say it every Sunday. Obedience has always been what God wants from you and me.

It is that life of total surrender that He is looking for. It is the person who surrenders their life to God that will find Him to be their source of strength.

Some of us have made ourselves victims of sin when in reality we are victims of not really surrendering everything to God.

When God comes into your life He has the ability to radically change you. He can take away the appetite for things that you know are not good for you. He will help you as you endeavor to work through the issues of your life, but it doesn’t just happen. You have to pursue Him and want to see changes in your life.

Translating God’s Word into a tribal language is very challenging. One missionary was troubled by his inability to effectively communicate the idea of obedience. This was a concept that the natives seldom practiced or valued. His translation block was broken one day when he whistled for his dog and the animal came running at full speed. An old native was impressed by the dog’s responsiveness and admiringly said in his native tongue, “Your dog is all ear.” The missionary had his word for obedience and it’s a pretty good translation for us as well. To paraphrase Samuel, “To be all ear, is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). Moody, July/Aug. 1997, p. 36

To be what God wants you to be your going to have to devote your life and attention to Him.

3. Paul accepted the call of God in his life to share the good news.

If you realize anything from this great chapter in the Bible it has to be that God calls every one to share the message of Jesus.

It is not about who you are or what kind of background you’ve come from. God calls on those who make themselves available. The fact of the matter is He does call.

I heard Stuart Briscoe many years ago describe the process of accepting God in your life like this:

When you let God into your life you are enlightened, enrolled, enlisted and endued with power from on high.

Paul accepted the call of God in his life and when he did:

    He became relentless in ministry.

All of us are responsible in this life for the people that we live and work around. I really believe that we will be held accountable some day for them.

Now let me go back to being Paul for just a moment.

Did you hear the reason that Jesus called me? He called me to share a major life choice. He wanted me to give you the opportunity to of a life time.

“I’m sending you to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light and choose light, between Satan and God and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.”

I wonder how many of you can relate to King Agrippa? Sunday after Sunday some of you have listened and you almost could be persuaded to be a Christian. Almost but not quite. For some of you this is your first time in church and you don’t know who Paul is and you don’t know who King Agrippa is but you know that you need a major change in your life. You need to go in a different direction then you are currently traveling.

Some of you will think that you’ve done something so bad that there is not way that God would want you. You are dead wrong.

Paul was a murderer. At least he had encouraged the murder and execution of many Christians. He was as far from God as you could possibly be. God can forgive and change your life.

Westley Allan Dodd was a serial child killer who met his punishment on the gallows of a Washington State Penitentiary in 1993. Before the execution was carried out he was given the customary opportunity to make a final statement. Although a lot of press was given to the seemingly outdated method of execution, hanging, little space reflected the final words of this murderer of three young boys. Dodd had previously said he would murder again and there was no hope he would ever be released from the hideous darkness within his soul. Yet in the closing moment of his life, Dodd said, “I was wrong when I said there was no hope, no peace. There is hope. There is peace. I have found them both in the Lord Jesus Christ.” These words brought a hiss from the father of two boys who Dodd had murdered because he had shown no signs of remorse until the last hours of his life. The father’s response is understandable but the truth remains unchanged: God can provide hope and peace to the worst of offenders even in the final hours of life. He did at Calvary and he does today. As Chuck Colson said when Jeffrey Dahmer mentioned his forgiveness by Christ: “If God can’t save Jeffrey Dahmer, then he can’t save you or me.”Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper, Al Janssen and Larry Weeden, 1994, p. 197; Ligonier Conference, Orlando Florida, Feb. 1992

“Keep this up much longer and you’ll make a Christian out of me!” That’s what I’m praying for, whether now or later, and not only you but everyone listening today, to become like me.”

2003/09/28