Acts chapter 26. I trust you'll remember what we
read this morning. This will just be a short continuation
of what we began in the morning message. Paul said there in verse
2 of chapter 26, I thank myself happy, and now I want to begin
reading here in Acts chapter 26 and verse 24. And as Paul thus spake for himself,
given his defense of what he believed and what he was about,
Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, you are beside yourself. Much learning has made you mad.
But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth
the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these
things, before whom I also speak freely. For I am persuaded that
none of these things are hidden from him, for these things were
not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou
the prophets? I know that you believe." Then
Agrippa said unto Paul, "'Almost you persuade me to be a Christian.'
And Paul said, I would to God, I would to God, that not only
you, But also all that hear me this day were both almost, not
almost, not just almost, but altogether such as I am, except
these bonds. And that's what I want us to
think on this evening for just a minute. I wish you were just
like me. And this is a marvelous statement. I think in a way it's more marvelous
than what we looked at this morning. I wish all of you that I'm speaking
of here, he said, I would to God that you were just like me. Now that's a marvelous statement
when we consider who he's talking to. I want you to turn back over
to the 26th chapter, or the 25th chapter rather, and I want you
to look in verse 23. Look here just for a moment and
consider this and imagine if you can, in your mind, who this
group of people were primarily that he was speaking to. And
no doubt there were many surrounding these people that we're told
about in verse 23. But these are the principal people.
In verse 23, on the morrow, when Agrippa was come. Now who was
Agrippa? Well, he's the king. He was the
king, Herod Agrippa, a man known and liked by Caesar himself. Ruled a rather large kingdom
at this time. His dad was a king. His grandpa
was a king. His uncle was a king. He was
from a line of kings, lineage. His family were kings. This man
was the king, Agrippa. And he said here in verse 23, with great pomp. This Bernice
was his sister. They're not for sure if some
incest was going on, but they said this woman was beautiful. She was so beautiful and so attractive
that the great Titus that came in and conquered Jerusalem, he
fell in love with this woman. This was the great, beautiful
Bernice. And it said here in verse 23,
And they entered with great pomp, with great pomp, and entered
unto the place of Herod. Their royal attire. Can you imagine their gowns?
Their jewels of gold and precious metals of gold and silver. The crowns on their head. All
the royal train that followed her gown. Their names were announced. The people arose and clapped. Servants went before them and
servants followed them. They entered with much pomp,
much pomp. They entered the stadium with
great splendor and show and royalty and power. And they marched up
and they sat down upon their throne. Imagine that. Can you
just see that? And we're told here in verse
23 also, when they were set down in the place of Urine, there
came the chief captains. Chief captains. These were men
who ruled over a thousand soldiers. These were men that Caesar had
set over other men. These were the generals, if you
will, in the Roman army. They came in with their dressed
uniforms and all of their a tower and all of their awards that
they got to show who they were and the great feats that they
had accomplished. These men represented the irresistible
might of the Roman military. These were generals. These were
their chief captains. And we're told they're also the
principal men of the city. These were men of great influence,
principal men. They were the mayors and in this
large city and dignitaries, men, many of whom Caesar had sent
in their office. These were influential men. And they came here and sat down,
and lastly, Governor Festus came in. And who was with him? We don't know. But this was without
a doubt up to this time the most dignified and the most influential
group of people. that the Apostle Paul had ever
stood before. A king, a queen, mighty men,
military men, principal men, their offices, and this great
governor, Festus. And here now in verse 24 of that
chapter, we're told who is speaking. And Festus calls attention to
him in verse 24. Look at this. And Festus said,
King Agrippa and all men which are here present with us, you
see this man? You see this man? Yes, they saw
this man. You see him? And I wonder what he looked like.
Standing there in a chain. A common man. The all-outward
appearance, nothing but a common criminal. Vase in his appearance,
dressed in common, if not worn out, apparel. One that even Festus
here acknowledged that his own countrymen had cast out his name
and says he's not fit to live. He's a pestilent. That's what
they call him. He's a pestilent man not fit
to live. And here stood this pestilent
man, this prisoner before the bar, before all this power and
pomp and dignity, and he made this statement at last when he
had finished his defense. And he says this, I would to
God that all of you were just like me. Now, I consider that
an amazing statement. Not just almost like me, but
altogether just like me, except these chains, these bonds that
I'm in. Those who could not see beyond
the bonds and the confinement and the persecuted life of this
man no doubt heard these words with much apprehension. Like you? It's fearful to think
about. How far would I have to fall?
How much would I have to lose to be like you? How distasteful
this statement was. Me? I'm a king. Me, I'm a queen. Me, I'm a principle
man. I'm a mighty general. Me? Like
you? Oh, how reprehensible such a
statement must have been. But in all their power and in
all their position, in all their pomp and show and glitter, they
were outshone by this prisoner standing before their bar. What
was their worldly honor compared to the honor that God had bestowed
upon this man? He that honors me, I will honor
him. He that honors my Son, I will
honor him." Paul had the honor of God upon him as he stood before
this bar. These men were known of other
men. Paul was known of heaven. These
men had the protection of soldiers and guards. Paul had the protection
of elect angels. What was their royal apparel
but filthy rags compared to the wisdom and the grace and the
holiness of this man? What courage could these mighty
captains boast of in the light and the face of the courage that
had been displayed in the sufferings of this man by the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ? I am ready not only to be bound
but to die. Could they say that? I'm ready
to die. Oh, what courage! They possessed
faith in pomp and the riches of this underworld. But this
man possessed the riches of that world that's above. Oh, they
were their final pearl. And they covered their nakedness
with it before one another's eyes. But this prisoner wore
a robe of righteousness that gave him perfect standing before
a holy God. Paul was bound with chains. Yes,
he was. But for so good and glorious
a cause, it made their chains of gold, but mere scraps of metal. Oh, I wish you were just like
me. What a statement. Oh, he would
have said to them, you read Plato, and you read Socrates, and you
listen to your Greek philosophers tell you about your gods of Hercules
and Zeus, and you attribute to him the creation and the reign
of all things. And you're willing to call and
listen to silly witnesses that swear they saw Caesar after his
death ascend into heaven. But when I stand here and tell
you of the true God who sent his dear and blessed Son into
this world to die upon a tree, to redeem guilty, hell-deserving
sinners, and that he truly ascended into heaven and sat down on the
right hand of God, you call me mad. I wish you were just like
I am. I wish you knew what I knew.
I wish you believed what I believed. Accept these chains. All brothers
and sisters, I don't want to see anybody carry my burdens,
and you don't want to see anybody carry your burdens. I don't want
to see somebody put through the fire, do you? Be so heavy you
have to struggle to breathe, breathe day in and day out. I
don't want to see anybody like that. But we want people to be just
like us. We want God to do for them what
He's did for us. We want their mouths to be stopped
and put in the dust just like ours. We want the Lord Jesus Christ
to convert them just like He did us. We want God to break
their hearts and leave them crying just like He did us. God be merciful
to men sinners. We want them to be made sick
of sin and self and flee from the wrath to come just like we
did. We want others to be brought
to count all things but done that they may win Christ. We
want them to esteem the knowledge of Christ above all things most
excellent. We want them to open their Bibles
and as they read to have their hearts burn within them. Just like ours had. Oh, we want people. Don't we
want people to be just like us? Brother Larry was over at my
house just the other day, and we were sitting and watching
Carrie Underwood sing How Great Thou Art. Such a beautiful song,
and she sings it so beautifully. And Larry looked at me and said,
Boy, I wish the Lord would open her heart so she'd know what
she's singing about. She'd really know how great He is. You know
what he said? I wish she was just like us.
I wish the Lord did for her just what he did. Oh, but she's a
beautiful woman. Oh, she's got a beautiful voice.
Oh, she can sing. I wish she was just like us. The world don't know we're here
tonight, do they? They have no idea we're here tonight. Our
great governor, bless his heart, he wouldn't dare come here and
sit down and waste his time with us worshiping, would he? Our dear mayor of this little
city has no idea we're here. You could not get him to come
to this place of worship. Our president sure don't know
we're here. He wouldn't be here if he could. But you know what? We wish that
every one of them was just like us. Hollywood and all the glamour
and glitter, all the rich and famous, don't we wish they were
just like us? I wish I could meet with Donald
Trump and look at him in the face with all of his wealth and
say, Donald Trump, I wish you were just like me. Oh, the Lord of Glory has saved
us by His grace. I wish everybody just like us.
He's delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us
into the kingdom of His dear Son. I wish everybody just like
us. He's washed us from our damnable sins. He's revealed covenant
mercies to us. He's given us exceeding great
and precious promise. He's given us a hope beyond this
world. He's laid out for us an internal inheritance. And He's
made us sing in our hearts. Fade, fade, each earthly joy. Jesus is mine. All that my soul
has tried left but a dismal void. Jesus is mine. Oh, I wish you
were just like me. King Agrippa! King Agrippa! With
all your pomp and royalty. I wish you were just like me.
Oh, Bernice and all your beauty. and all your elements, I wish
you were just like me. You mighty men, you generals,
I wish you were just like me." Ain't that a wonderful statement?
And brothers and sisters, it's a true statement. It's a true
statement. Don't you think there'll come
a day, not long after this statement was made, that all of these people
that he spoke this sentence to truly came to wish they were
just like him. Don't you think Agrippa and silly
Festus and these mighty men, as they looked up from hell with
a rich man and saw Paul now not in chains but in the glorious
liberty of the children of God and thought, I wish I was just
like him. saw Him with God and saw Him with Christ, saw Him
with those elect angels and the spirits of just men made perfect
while they were in torment, and thought, Oh, I wish I was just
like Him. While they heard the screams
of the damned and tormented by fallen angels, there Paul was
in the bosom of Christ. Comforted. Oh, I wish I was just
like Him. What a statement! What a statement! And that's a statement that can
be made to anybody, no matter what position he's in. A Lazarus
can go knock on the rich man's door, and when he answers, he'll
say, Oh, sir, I wish you were just like me. Just like me. Oh, dear brothers and sisters,
desire nothing of this world but Christ. Hang on to nothing
of this world. Hang on to Christ. If you've
got Him, you've got everything. You may be a prisoner at the
bar. You may be in chains. You may be greatly afflicted.
But, oh, don't you wish others were just like you. God bless
His Word. Lord, we do thank You. Thank
You, our gracious Father, for this precious Word. Oh, Your
afflicted saints, satisfied with Your provision. satisfied with
your salvation, satisfied with you, and no greater desire than
others to be fully satisfied with you as they are. Oh, what
a salvation that you have brought forth and accomplished. We bless
you for it. Lord, we put ourselves in your
care the remainder of this day and this week. Would it please
you to watch over us? Whatever we may suffer, we know
your grace will be sufficient. We will pray to you. We will
seek you. We will pour out our hearts before
you. And we know that you are God who hears and answers prayer.
Bless those today who are traveling. Be merciful to your churches
every place. We ask these things for the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.