"Prisoner Paul's Proclamation
Exemplifies Our Outreach"
Sermon on Acts 26:19-29
Weekend of August 30, 1998
Saint Mark's, Watertown
Pastor Karl Walther
Introduction: Our Outreach At Saint Mark's
Jesus prophesied regarding his apostles-- with application to us: You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Amen.
Dear fellow witnesses of Christ:
Our outreach efforts together are always some of the biggest news at Saint Mark's. And that's all the more true right now. For example:
° We are, right now, just two weeks away from beginning in earnest our west side outreach effort. We're looking to start services-of-sorts at Watertown High School at six o'clock in the evening on Saturday, September twelfth. The past few months have seen a number of you reaching people on the west side with our Savior's message, and the next few months will see all the more of the same. If the Lord is pleased for it to happen, we are looking for this to grow into an entire congregation.
° I'll give you another example of our outreach together.... This autumn we are redoubling our efforts to reach Spanish speaking people with the good news of Jesus. Next Sunday night at six thirty, right here in church, we are starting membership-classes-of-sorts. We've now got a few children of Spanish speaking parents in our school. We also hope to have students from Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee aid us in expanding our efforts this fall. All of this is in addition to all the effort a number of you have put into the work the past few years-- work you may do well into the future. Again: if the Lord is pleased for it to happen, we are looking for this to grow into an entire congregation.
° And here's another example of our outreach together. Last May we held a series of three evangelism classes for a few hours on Monday evenings. Very happily, some seventy people attended. Most of these volunteered to do one thing or another in our outreach effort together here at church. And this autumn -- on various Monday evenings, beginning September twenty-first -- we will organize these people (and others of you who volunteer), in order to serve the Savior here at church.
Theme: Prisoner Paul's Proclamation Exemplifies Our Outreach
As you can tell, by God's grace, we have a lot of outreach efforts going on right now. And yet, what I've just described is only a tiny fraction of the evangelism that goes on at Saint Mark's.
"How can that be?" you might ask. Well, let me tell you. The vast majority of our outreach together is nothing formal. Instead, it's all those times that you individually speak of your Savior to somebody else. That especially is the way Christ builds his Church.
And that might bring up another question.... "How can I do that?" you might ask. "I'm scared to speak of my Savior to anybody else!"
Well, that's where God's Word to us today steps in to help us. In God's Word to us today: THE PRISONER PAUL'S PROCLAMATION EXEMPLIFIES OUR OUTREACH. We're going to listen in as: PAUL PROCLAIMS GOD'S UNIVERSAL LOVE IN CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION. And then we're going to listen in as: PAUL HANDLES OBJECTIONS ON THE PART OF FESTUS AND AGRIPPA.
Part #1: Paul Proclaimed God's Universal Love
In Christ's Death & Resurrection
Let's begin with some background.... Lately in church we have been considering events from the life of the Apostle Paul. More than a month ago, Pastor Sutton told you about Paul's conversion. Well, some years after Paul's conversion, the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to take three missionary journeys. A few weeks ago you heard from Pastor Werner and Pastor Sutton regarding Paul's journeys to Philippi and to Athens. Last week Pastor Spaude told you about Paul's journey past Ephesus.
Well, a lot has happened since that time. Right after passing by Ephesus, Paul headed down to Jerusalem. There some Jews from Asia Minor accused Paul of opposing Israel and the Old Testament and the temple. Such a disturbance arose, as you heard in our first reading today, that the Romans arrested Paul. When they found out that the Jews wanted to kill Paul, the Romans transferred him to their outpost at Caesarea-- some fifty miles northeast of Jerusalem on the Mediterranean coast. But Paul languished there in prison for two whole years.
Now a new Roman governor over the region had come to power. He was a rather decent fellow whose name was Festus. Festus interviewed Paul and asked him if he'd be willing to return to Jerusalem to face trial before the Jews. It led Paul, as a Roman citizen, to exercise his right to face trial in Rome before the Emperor. You heard about that in today's second reading. Well, Festus decided to find out more about Paul, so that he could send an appropriate letter along with Paul to the Emperor. And in this effort to find out more about Paul, Festus enlisted the aid of the man who served as king over part of his territory. He was a rather well-informed fellow named Agrippa.
So, Paul is on trial, so to speak, before Governor Festus and King Agrippa. Paul describes to them his life as a Jewish Pharisee. He tells how he used to persecute Christians. And he describes Christ's appearance to him and his conversion to Christianity.
Then Paul continues by saying-- and this is our sermon text: "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus (where Christ appeared to him), then to those in Jerusalem (about a hundred fifty miles to the south) and in all Judea (the whole region around Jerusalem, some maybe fifteen hundred square miles), and to the Gentiles also (up to one thousand miles away), I preached. Do you see how Paul was emphasizing that God loves people from all over-- from all the many nations under the heavens?
And what did Paul preach? Well, he says: I preached that they should repent, that is that they should turn to God, and prove their repentance by their deeds (to prove the change in their hearts by the change in their lives). That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. Do you see how Paul was sticking to the basics-- not getting into arguments about the nation or the laws or the temple?
Paul goes on: I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike (again, that emphasis on God's love for everyone). I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses (the Scriptures in their entirety, at that time) said would happen. And notice this nice, simple, clear presentation of the good news: 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."
Application #1: We Witness God's Universal Love
In Christ's Death & Resurrection
You see, then, that the prisoner Paul proclaimed God's universal love in Christ's death and resurrection. You and I need to do the same!
• We have the motivation, don't we? It wasn't just Paul -- was it? -- whose sinful life disqualified him entirely for heavenly glory with a holy God. Paul had his persecutions that he carried on. And we had our sinfulness with which we were born. We were born: enemies of God, God-haters, and so heading to hell because of the righteous fury of an angry God.
It's as Paul put it elsewhere: we were wickedness, evil, greed and depravity; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice; gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; inventing ways of doing evil, disobeying parents; senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
• Nevertheless, it wasn't just Paul -- was it? -- whom Christ rescued into the happiness of heaven. Paul had his Damascus Road where Christ appeared to him. And we have baptism, where Christ washes away our sin. And we have God's Word, where Christ convinces our souls that we are indeed forgiven. And we have Lord's Supper, where Christ insists: "Here is my body. Here is my blood. They are yours. I am yours. And you are mine-- eternally!"
It's as Paul put it elsewhere: Who will bring any charge of crime against those whom God has chosen? It is God who declares them innocent! Who is he that condemns them? Why, Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also pleading our innocence!
From sinners to righteousness, from dirty to clean, from hell to heaven-- aren't you relieved? aren't you thankful? don't you want to share the good news with others? Oh, of course! And you'd do well to follow the threefold example of the prisoner Paul....
° First of all, Paul pointed out that people have a problem: sin. His own experience persecuting people proved that. And his own experience being persecuted proved that. And then Paul proclaimed that the Scriptures had pointed all of that out in the first place. He said: I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen.
Now, you can do that. When you and your family notice the wickedness of others, you can say, "Yeah, people's hearts are very sinful-- yours and mine included." When you and a friend are talking over the difficulties in your lives, you can say, "Yeah, it surely would be simpler if there were no sin in the world-- sins even you and I commit constantly." When you and a co-worker notice in the news some awful disaster or tragedy, you can say, "Yeah, it's no perfect world-- our sinfulness has really ruined it."
° Now secondly, after Paul pointed out that people have a problem with sin, he proclaimed sin's solution: Jesus Christ. Paul said: The Christ suffered and was the first to rise from the dead.
Now you can do that. When a family member sins against you, you can say, "I forgive you-- just as Christ has forgiven us all our sins." And don't underestimate the value of that! When you and a friend are talking over the difficulties in your lives, you can say, "You know, you really need to forgive this person who is sinning against you-- just the way Jesus has forgiven you and me." And don't think that forgiveness isn't the core issue of an awful lot of problems! And when you and a co-worker note together the sadness that so fills this world, you can say, "That really makes us long for the world to come, which is ours through Jesus Christ."
° Thirdly, Paul knew that this proclamation of sin and the Savior was meant for all people. He said: The Christ proclaimed light to his own people and to the Gentiles.
And of course, you know the same. You know that there's not a single person in your life who isn't sinful. You know there's not a single person in your life for whom Christ did not die and rise. In fact, you know there's no such person in the entire world!
So, speak up! Use every opportunity to witness God's universal love in Christ's death and resurrection!
Part #2: Paul Handled Objections
On the Part of Festus and Agrippa
"Okay! Okay!" you might say, "but what if somebody objects? I'm afraid I won't be able to handle the situation. And I'm afraid my friend will think less of me."
So, how do you handle objections? Well, that's another good place to turn to God's Word and get a few pointers from the prisoner Paul.
Paul has just declared: "I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen -- 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."
But we read: At this point Festus (the Roman, the governor) interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." Paul was facing some -- well enough intended -- ridicule.
However, he responds confidently and compassionately: "I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. 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." Paul uses confidence and compassion to deal with the ridicule.
Then comes another objection from another source. It's begun when Paul turns and says: "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."
Then Agrippa (that's the one more familiar with Judaism and Christianity, the king)-- Then Agrippa said to Paul, "In short, you are persuading me to become a Christian?" Paul was facing some reluctance on the part of Agrippa.
And we read that Paul replied, "In short or at length -- 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." Again, Paul uses confidence and compassion to deal with reluctance.
Application #2: We Handle Objections
On the Part of Others
Friends: in our witnessing, you and I also are going to face what Paul did....
° We're going to face some ridicule. There's no getting around it. There will always be some people who will handle our message of Jesus with mocking disbelief.
Our best response is confidence! Not only does it come off best when we stand above the fray and refuse to raise our voice in argument, it also best expresses the certain salvation that is ours.
Our best response to ridicule is also compassion. Not only does it come off best when even adversaries admit, "All in all, they're still good people," it also best expresses the great love that is ours through Jesus Christ.
° As much as we might face a little occasional ridicule while witnessing, much more we will face reluctance. Again, there's no getting around it. People's sinfulness will always slow them from trusting the good news of Christ.
Nevertheless, our best response is confidence! Our confidence in Christ will encourage the same sort of confidence in the people to whom we are testifying.
And our best response to reluctance is also compassion. Our compassion for the people to whom we are testifying will provide them a living and breathing example of Christ's compassion.
Conclusion: Further Opportunities
For Outreach At Saint Mark's
So then, The Prisoner Paul's Proclamation Exemplifies Our Outreach. Just the way Paul proclaimed God's universal love in Christ's death and resurrection, we want to proclaim it-- and believe it! And just the way Paul handled objections on the part of Festus and Agrippa, we want to handle our objections -- our entire lives! -- with confidence and compassion.
And that sums up the vast majority of outreach that takes place in our congregation. It also sets the tone for those other exciting things we are doing this autumn. Please use this morning's bulletin insert, entitled "Sign-Up Sheet To Assist With Evangelism"-- use it to join us: volunteering for and praying for our west side outreach effort, our Spanish language outreach effort, and our own congregation's evangelism volunteers. You can be sure: your work will bring some eternal results.... Amen.
Peter preached at Pentecost: The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call. Amen.