THE CROSS MEANS WITNESS - ACTS 26:12-23

Lent VI - March 24, 1999

What do you do with what you know? In many cases we make use of the information that we have learned and put it to use in our daily lives. For example most of here have learned how to read. We are able to put together the various letters into words and then to sound them out. We are now able to look at a series of words and read sentences, paragraphs, articles and books. Almost all of us have learned how to eat. We have learned how to use a knife, fork and spoon. This information we use on a daily basis to provide our bodies with nourishment.

For the past five weeks we have focused our attention on the meaning of the cross of Jesus for our lives. We have considered that the cross means success, denial, suffering, forgiveness and life. Today as we conclude our Lenten preparations for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are reminded by the Apostle Paul that THE CROSS MEANS WITNESS. As we listen to the Apostle Paul make his defense before King Agrippa before Paul's deportation to Rome we learn I) What We Are To Witness About. We also see II) The Response And Reaction To This Information.

WHAT ARE WE TO WITNESS ABOUT

Many people when they hear some news about someone else are quick to spread that information. It may be good news and it can also be some damaging news which might destroy another person's reputation. For example, when someone is getting married or having a baby, that news if often wide spread. People place notices and announcements in the newspaper. Invitations to a wedding are sent to family and friends. At the birth of a child, birth announcements are often sent to loved ones to announce this happy occasion. These are all ways that people use to witness to a happy and exciting event in their lives. Unfortunately, it is not just joyous happenings in people's lives that are broadcast around, so are unhappy events and people's sins and the sad consequences of their disobedience. We hear of physical and verbal abuses, substance abuse (drunkenness and drug addiction). We read about drunk driving arrests and convictions, divorces and the list goes on and on. All this information are happenings which are witnessed and reported to others.

The Lord Jesus has called us to be witnesses also. We have an exciting message to witness about. It is a message that changes lives and frees people from slavery. Let's look at the message we are to speak to others.

Paul had been arrested by the Jews. They had wanted to kill Paul because of what he was saying. When the Roman soldiers intervened, Paul was arrested and put in chains. While Paul was trying to explain his situation to the Jews, they became more upset and started a riot and shouted that Paul was not fit to live and he should be removed from the earth. The Roman commander took Paul into the barracks and was going to have him whipped. Paul then asked the man in charge of the soldiers who were going to beat him, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" (Acts 22:25b) When the official heard this he went to the commander and told him that Paul was a Roman citizen. The commander quickly came to Paul and stopped the beating. The next day the commander brought Paul before the Jewish religious leaders to find out what charges they were bringing against Paul. Paul began talking about the resurrection of the dead and since the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, they and the Pharisees got into an argument among themselves. The argument became so vicious that the commander feared for Paul's life. He sent soldiers to take Paul into the barracks. Some of the Jews then plotted secretly to kill Paul. The commander was informed about their plot. He then sent Paul secretly down from Jerusalem to the seaport of Caesarea to appear before the Roman governor, Felix. Paul remained under arrest for two years without anything being done to him. A new governor, Festus, replaced Felix. He held a trial on Paul's case. Finally, Paul appealed to Caesar. He wanted the trial to be heard by the emperor or one of this representatives in Rome. Our reading for today occurs after Paul had appealed to Rome. Before Festus sent Paul on his way, he had to send an accompanying letter regarding the charges that were being lodged against Paul. While Festus was trying to compose the letter he was going to send to the emperor, King Agrippa and his queen, Bernice came to Caesarea. Festus asks Agrippa to hear Paul's defense so that he can get some advice on what to write to Rome about Paul. In his defense before King Agrippa and Governor Festus, Paul witnesses to the truth. This is the same information that we have the privilege to witness about. What is that information?

It's rather simple and right to the point. Christ suffered. Christ rose from the dead. That's the message of Christianity. The Son of God suffered and died for you, for me and for all people. He died and was buried. Three days later he rose from the dead. His body and soul were reunited and he conquered death and the grave for all of us. He lives to this very day. And he is with us always to the end of time.

Jesus told Paul what this message would do in the lives of people. He said to Paul, "I am sending you to them 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." (Acts 26:18) It is amazing what this message about Jesus can do in people's lives. First God says it brings people out of darkness into light. If you have ever been in a totally dark room, you know it is impossible to see your hand even if you touch it to your nose. Such darkness does not allow you to be oriented as to where you are or where you are going. But when we are brought into the light of Jesus, we know who we are. We know where we are and we know where we are going. We are God's children, members of the holy family of God. We are here to tell others about our Father and what he has done for us. And we are going to be with our Heavenly Father and our heavenly family forever. This message also frees people from the power of Satan. We are no longer bound by the fear that Satan uses to control people, the fear of death and punishment. Jesus' death on the cross was our punishment. God has taken that eternal punishment away from us forever. Even the fear of death, eternal death in hell, is gone. Jesus suffered that hell for us. Even the terror of physical death and the unknown has been removed. For Jesus rose. His resurrection from the grave assures us that we will rise from our graves also. Our physical death is now simply our going to be with the Lord in glory. The reason we have this is because as Jesus said to Paul, "that they may receive forgiveness of sins." We are forgiven! This is the message of the cross. Forgiveness. Pardon. No revenge. No getting even. No sitting and stewing over past mistakes and sins. No griping and complaining about what should have been. It is all forgiven and forgotten. Because of this free forgiveness we now have an inheritance waiting for us with the saints in glory. Everyone wants to know what their future holds for them. Why do you think that the psychic hot line and fortune tellers are so popular? People want to know. They want to know what's in their future. As Christians, followers of Jesus, we know! We have an inheritance with all believers in glory. What's the future holding for us? A home with Jesus in paradise.

This is the message that Paul proclaimed. As he says to King Agrippa, "I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, that they should repent and turn to God and do works worthy of their repentance." (Acts 26:19-20) Paul called the people to change their thinking. That's what the word repentance means - to have a change of mind. How were people's mind to change. They should change their thinking about themselves and about their God. First they needed to recognize and admit that they were not perfect. They needed to see that their failure to be perfect separated them from God and brought upon them the judgment of God that they should be eternally condemned. That's a difficult way to think about yourself. We all like to think that we are good people, not evil and corrupt. We all like to think that we can make ourselves acceptable to God by what we do. Well, that's not what God says. God tells us that he has done everything to rescue and deliver us. Once they came to a recognition and belief of what God had done for them, Paul then tells them to do works which are corresponding to what they now believe. A change comes about in people's lives when the Holy Spirit enters them and gives them faith. They now want to do what God says. They want to please God because of what he has done for them. It's just like a person who has been rescued from a burning house by a total stranger, he can't thank that person enough for saving his life. So we can't thank the Lord enough for saving us from what we deserve because of our sins.

This is what you and are to be witnesses of. We are to share God's love and forgiveness with other people. We are to tell them what the Lord has done for us and what that means in our lives. We witness by our words and also by our life style. The kindness, love and patience that we show to people witnesses to them of the Lord and Savior that we follow.

THE RESPONSE AND REACTION TO THIS INFORMATION

One of the things that most people worry about is how will others react to what I tell them. Paul knew the reactions to his witnessing. Paul tells us the reason that the Jews seized him and attempted to kill him in the temple courts was because of what he was saying. After Paul talked about Jesus' resurrection from the dead, Governor Festus interrupted Paul and said, "You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane." (Acts 26:24) Even Paul initially reacted to this message in a negative way. He went out and sought our Christians and saw to their imprisonment and death. That is one of the responses to the news about Jesus Christ. People look on this message as foolishness or they become antagonistic and hate those who proclaim it.

We see the same reaction in our society today. People mock Christians. The media labels Christians as radicals. When Christians are discriminated against, the media remains silent and prints nothing. When Christians are murdered in other countries the mainline press says nothing. But when sinful lifestyles are pointed out and decried by Christians, the media often comes in to defend and promote immorality and then openly attack Christianity as uncaring, unloving and discriminatory.

None of us like to be rejected or ridiculed. But remember Jesus' words to us, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18) We also need to keep in mind that Jesus never asked any of us to convert another person. He merely said be my witnesses. We are to witness to the truth of God's Word and to the work that Jesus Christ did in our behalf.

The cross of Jesus Christ has turned our lives upside down. Jesus and his work has given purpose and meaning to our existence. He has given us a future that we can look forward to. May this exciting and certain news lead each of us to be enthusiastic witnesses for Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen