I know the Lord is pleased to
meet with us. He said, we're two or three.
We're two or three are gathered together in my name. He said,
I'll be with you. Peter said, where the gospel
is preached, when the gospel is preached, angels desire to
look into these things. And I pray that that's why we're
met here today, to look into these things of God concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to look at this phrase
here for a moment. When Paul said, Ask Agrippa. Agrippa, believest thou of the
prophets? Acts 26, verse 27. I know that you believe this
written record that we have. Evidently, Agrippa had a reputation
for one who regarded what was written as the Word of God, Isaiah,
the different prophets, writings of Moses. Then Agrippa said,
Paul, do you think with this little effort at preaching that
you would persuade me. Do you really think that I'm
the king? Paul, do you realize who I am?
I'm somebody here. I'm the king. Do you think with
this little effort of your preaching that you're going to persuade
me to be one of those despised followers of Christ? Well, Paul,
look at yourself. What has that done for you?"
And here's Agrippa looking at Paul in his rag, no doubt dirty,
no doubt chained, and he's thinking to himself, well, Paul, you know,
being a follower of Christ has certainly not done much for you.
Look at me. I'm the king. I'm somebody. You
think you're going to persuade me to be one of those despised
followers? Paul turns the table on him here
in verse 29. Paul doesn't say, well, you know
Agrippa, I would really like to be like you. I'd like to be
that king with all the power and prestige. That's what we'd
naturally think. Any condemned man that came before
the mighty king of any country, certainly that condemned man
would be thinking in his heart, you know, I really want to be
like you. But you see, Paul's ambitions weren't in this life.
His ambitions were in another, in the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And he doesn't say, well, I want
to be like you. No, he turns the table and he says, Agrippa,
I want you to be just like me. Just like me. Imagine the thoughts
that went through that man's mind. Oh, Agrippa, Paul, you
really want me to be like you? What do you have, Paul? Paul
had all things. We read in verse 18, he'd been
turned from darkness to light. He's been turned from the power
of Satan unto the glorious gospel that shines in the face of Jesus
Christ. Paul had received, by the command
of God, by the grace of God, Paul had received forgiveness
of his sins. You see, Paul really was the
blessed man, wasn't he? Agrippa thought he was, but Paul
lined him out and he said, I want you to be just like me. I want
you to be blessed of God, to have forgiveness of sin. to have
an eternal inheritance, that you might be sanctified, not
by ceremony, that you might be sanctified. I want you to be
like me except for one thing, Agrippa." What is that one thing?
Look what he says there. I want you to be just like me
except for one thing. Verse 29, I don't want anybody
to be chained like I'm chained. I don't want anybody to be treated
like I've been treated. This man was stoned and whipped
and beated and hated. He said, I don't wish that on
anybody, but I wish you were blessed just like me. You see,
O Agrippa, he wasn't impressed with Paul. He wasn't impressed
with Paul's message. That's why he said, you think
with this little puny effort of your preaching that you're
going to persuade me to be just like you, to be a follower of
Christ. My friend, the Apostle Paul was
not almost persuaded. The Apostle Paul, God's servant,
totally and altogether persuaded that salvation was all of God's
sovereign saving grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you notice
as Paul was preaching down through here in verse 22? Let's go back
there for just a moment. As he was declaring unto them
the truth of God from the Word of God, And he says this, I've
done this by the help of God. I continue unto this day, witnessing
both to the small and to the great, saying no other thing
than those things which the prophets and Moses did say should come.
Now what do all the prophets write about? Well, we have the
answer right here. Turn back to Acts chapter 10.
Remember our Lord said in John 5, you search the scriptures.
And in them you think you have eternal life, but they are they
which testify of Me." Acts chapter 10. Notice this carefully. Acts
chapter 10, verse 42. He commanded us to preach unto
the people and to testify that it was He which was judged of
God, which was ordained of God to be judge of the living and
the dead. To Him give all the prophets
witness. All the prophets give witness
to who? to Christ, that through His name, whosoever believeth
in Him shall receive the remission of sin." Now, what was this message? Turn back to Acts 26, look at
verse 23, that Christ, that Christ, that means He's the Anointed
One. He's anointed in all of His offices, as priest to make
atonement and as king. He is the anointed king. That
Christ should come, that the Lord Jesus Christ, He should
suffer for sins. That He should be the first that
should rise from the dead and should show light unto the people
and to the Gentiles. I want you to turn to Luke chapter
24 and notice this. He preached You remember he said,
I'm determined not to know anything among you but Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. He preached the same message
that Moses preached, that Jeremiah, that Isaiah, all the prophets
of the past, the Psalms, notice what it says here in Luke 24,
verse 44. And he said unto them, These
are the words which I have spake unto you while I was yet with
you, that all things must be fulfilled which are written in
the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning
me." Now, this is the resurrected Lord giving those departing words
to His disciples. Then opened He their understanding
that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them,
Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer,
and to rise from the dead." It became necessary, that word,
to behoove, for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead. that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations beginning at Jerusalem." You are witnesses
of these things. Christ must come and he must
suffer and he must be raised again from the dead. Now, I want
you to look at another scripture. Paul preached salvation through
a substitute, through a sacrifice, the Lord Jesus. Turn to 1 Peter
3. He must suffer. Why? Why? Why must he suffer? Sin demands
death. Sin demands payment. Sin has
to be put away in order to satisfy God's law and justice. We've
offended God. He can't save us apart from His
law being honored, His justice being satisfied. That's why Christ
must come. That's why He must suffer. That's
why He must be raised again. I Peter chapter 3, verse 18.
For Christ also once suffered for sins. Now, he had no sins
of his own. He had no sins of his own. Fix
that table there for her. He suffered for the sins of others.
Christ also has once suffered for sins. Notice this. Look at
verse 18 again. He is the just one. He had no
sin. He knew no sin. He did no sin. He is the just one, but is suffering
for, in the room and instead of, the unjust. That's us. The ungodly. That's who He's suffering for.
Christ must come. He must take our sin to Himself.
Look right across the page. 1 Peter 2, 24, "...who His own
self bare our sins, and His own body on the tree." He took our
sin to Himself. laid on Him, reckoned to Him
that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness, by whose
stripes we are healed." Healing. There's healing in that blood
atonement. He put away all our sins. Spiritually made whole. Spiritually made well. The just
for the unjust, that He might do what? Bring us to God. You
see, He must come. He must suffer. There's no other
way for God to be a just God and Savior that He might bring
us to God, justified, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened
by the Spirit of God. And as Paul was preaching this
glorious message, The same message of words of truth and of a sound
mind that the prophets declared, that Moses declared, that Christ
should come, that He should suffer. He was delivered for our offenses
and raised again. Why was He raised again? Because
He did justify us there at Calvary. That's why He was raised again.
God put a stamp of approval upon all He said, all He did, and
that He raised Him from the dead. He declared Him to be the Christ
and that He raised Him up. victoriously. He's the first
fruits from the dead. He's the guarantee of a whole
harvest to come. That He should be raised from
the dead and show light unto the people and to the Gentiles
to give salvation. He said, I will have mercy on
whom I will. I will have pardon and show compassion on whom I
will. As Paul preaches this message,
verse 24, he's stopped. He's stopped. by this man named
Festus. He rudely interrupts this man. And then, as he's declared to
be a crazy man, Paul said, I'm not crazy. I'm simply telling
you the truth with a sound mind. And then he goes on to declare
that this thing wasn't done in a corner. It wasn't hidden. The
Lord Jesus Christ was publicly executed. His ministry was a
public ministry. And Paul goes on to say in verse
27, King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you
are acquainted with the Word of God. And evidently this man
had a reputation for a reverence for the Word of God that was
written. Then Agrippa said in this, I think in a demeaning
way, Paul, do you think with such little effort that you're
going to make me one of those disciples who were despised,
and that you think that you're going to persuade me to be one
of these followers of Christ." Paul, look at yourself. I'm sure
as Agrippus says this, I'm sure that Festus and the chief men
and the captains and all that heard Agrippus say, I believe
there was a break and a roar of laughter. I believe they laughed
at Paul when Agrippus said, you think that you're going to persuade
me to be like you? As I said earlier, Paul turned
the table on him and he said, yeah, I want you to be just like
me, a sinner saved by God's grace. Isn't that the desire that God's
people have for your family, your loved ones, that God would
have mercy on them as He has had mercy on you? That He would
save them as He saved you by His glorious grace. Now, the
phrase I want to work on is this, being persuaded. Are you almost
persuaded? Do you almost think that these
things in the Word of God are true? Do you almost think that
salvation is by grace? Or maybe you're hedging, maybe
it's something that I have to do or something I have to bring.
Or are you altogether persuaded that salvation is all of God
and all of His grace alone? I don't think there's any middle
ground here. I think you're either almost
and altogether persuaded or you're not altogether persuaded at all.
I don't think there's any middle ground here. I really don't.
Now, know this for sure. Paul was not almost persuaded. The apostle Paul was fully, totally
convinced to be a follower of Christ. Even in the teeth of
great opposition, no one could move him or budge him. He was
convinced and persuaded 100% that salvation is in Christ Jesus
and Him alone. Let me show you a couple of places
here, and we'll look at this more. But I want you to find,
first of all, Romans 8. You see, believers are totally
convinced and persuaded. And they've not been persuaded
by some man. They've not been persuaded by
a close friend. They've been convicted and convinced
and persuaded of God Almighty in the heart. And when that happens,
you can't turn a person away from the gospel of God's grace.
In Romans 8, look at verse 32. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress,
persecution, famine, nakedness, peril soar? As it is written,
For thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted
as sheep for the slaughter, and all things We are more than conquerors
to him that loved us, for I am almost persuaded." How about
you? Paul said, I am persuaded that
neither death nor life, angels, principalities, powers, devils,
things present nor things that come, height, depth, any other
creature, shall be able to separate me from this love of God which
is in our Lord Jesus Christ. Fully persuaded. This man was
totally persuaded. Now, we're going to look at a
few of these places where this word persuasion is used. Three
things. Believers, believers, and I mean
by that followers of Christ, those who have heard that message,
who have been called by His grace, Those who are followers committed
to Christ, committed to the message, have been persuaded by God the
Holy Spirit, and convicted and convinced in their heart to forsake
that which is sinful, and to trust the Lord Jesus Christ,
to believe and to rely upon Him alone. We are totally convinced
and persuaded that salvation is not at the deeds of my hand,
but the deeds of another, upon the merit of another, upon the
sacrifice of another, upon the work of another, my substitute,
my Savior, who is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. We
are persuaded. I want you to look at some Scripture
with me. Look at Philippians chapter 1. Believers are totally
persuaded to the extent of the exceeding sinfulness of our own
sin. Two things that we're persuaded
of. I'm a great sinner. And Christ is the great Savior. We're persuaded of those things.
I'm a great sinner. Through and through. Born in
sin. Shaped in iniquity. I'm the chief
of sinners, as Paul said. Oh, wretched man that I am. I'm
persuaded that I am sinful. God ever convicted you of that?
I'm persuaded of this, that He's a great Savior. He's the only
Savior of sinners. This is my confidence. This is
my persuasion. Philippians 1. Look at verse
6. Philippians 1, 6. You see this? Being confident. Now that word
there, confident, is the exact same word that's used there in
Acts 26, persuaded. Paul says, I'm persuaded of this
very thing. I'm confident, persuaded, beyond
all doubt, that God who has begun this work, this good work of
grace in us, He will complete it. He will finish it. He will
perfect it until the day He takes us home to glory. He gives us
all grace now and all glory hereafter. I'm persuaded that salvation
is of the Lord. Are you of that persuasion? Are
you almost persuaded or are you totally convicted in your heart?
Salvation is of God. Here's another scripture. Turn
to Philippians 3. Philippians chapter 3. Verse 1, finally, my brethren,
rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you,
to me, indeed, is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware
of dogs. He's not talking here about the
four-legged dogs. He's talking about the two-legged
dogs. False preachers. Dogs. Beware of the evil workers.
Beware of those that are mutilators of the flesh, of the concision.
He said, we are the true Israel of God, with that circumcision
made without hands, that operation of the heart. And because of
that, we worship God in the Spirit, we rejoice in Christ Jesus, and
we have no persuasion in this flesh. Now, the word there, confidence,
is the same word. We're not persuaded by any deed
of the flesh that would recommend us to God. We have no confidence
in the flesh. All of our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags. Man at his best state is altogether
vanity." That's our persuasion. Believers are totally persuaded,
totally sold out, that salvation is of the Lord, that salvation
is in Christ Jesus. Here's the second point. Believers
are totally persuaded that all the promises of God given in
His Word are certain, true, and sure." I'm persuaded that His
Word is true. And the promises in His Word
are certain and sure. Now, this is my persuasion. Turn
to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, you who
are familiar with the Scripture, this chapter is called the Hall
of Faith. The Hall of Faith. Faith is the
substance of things hoped for, verse 1. The evidence of things
not seen. Talks about the faith of Abel.
Talks about the faith of Enoch. Talks about the faith of Noah.
The faith of Abraham. Didn't leave the ladies out.
Verse 11, the faith of Sarah. These all died in faith. Not having received the promises,
not having seen the tangible fulfillment of these things,
but they received the promises by faith, having seen them far
off and were, look at that word, persuaded. Persuaded of them. Not only were they persuaded
of them, but look what it says there, they embraced them, they
received them, and confessed they were strangers and pilgrims
on this earth. Are you persuaded? that the Word
of God is God's Word that reveals to us the truth of salvation
in Christ Jesus, that all the promises of God. Now let's look
at some Scripture. Find 2 Corinthians chapter 1.
2 Corinthians chapter 1. Believers are persuaded all the
promises of God are in Christ Jesus. God has promised to bless
the people. to redeem them, to pardon them,
to forgive them, to give them an eternal inheritance. All these
promises of God are where? In Christ. II Corinthians chapter
1, verse 18, But as God is true, our word, our preaching toward
you was not yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silas and
Timothy, was not yea and nay. But in Him, yes. All the promises
of God in Him are yes, and they're in Him. Amen. And to the glory
of God by the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers are persuaded all the
promises of God given in His Word are certain and true and
sure, and they're in Christ. They're in Christ. God has promised
to save the people in His Son. He is the Savior of sinners.
Not only that, but these promises, not only in Christ, they're called,
turn to II Peter 1. II Peter chapter 1. They are
called exceeding great and precious promises. II Peter chapter 1,
look at verse 3. II Peter 1, 3. According as His
divine power hath given unto us all things, that pertain unto
life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that hath called
us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great
and precious promises, that by these we might be partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through love." These exceeding great and precious promises He
has given to us life and He's called us to glory and virtue
by these promises of God. So these promises of God are
certain and sure. They're all in Christ Jesus.
They're exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might
have divine nature and be a partaker of that divine nature given from
God in the new birth. And then turn to this scripture,
1 Kings chapter 8. Of all the promises that God
has given to us, you reckon how many of them will come to pass? How many of them will be so. Will any of them fail? 1 Kings
chapter 8. 1 Kings chapter 8. This is the prayer of Solomon
at the dedication of the temple. In 1 Kings 8 verse 54. And it
was so that when Solomon made an end of the praying of all
this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from
before the altar of the Lord, kneeling on his knees with his
hands spread up to heaven, And he stood up, and he blessed all
the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed
be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according
to all that he hath promised, there hath not failed one word
of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses
his servant." These promises are certain and sure. They are
in Christ Jesus. They are exceeding and great
and they are precious to you who believe He is precious. And
not one word of His promise can fail. Not one jot or two. Lastly is this. Believers are
persuaded that our Lord is able. Now turn to 2 Timothy 1. 2 Timothy
chapter 1. Believers are persuaded that
our Lord is able to perform, to finish, to complete all things
concerning our salvation. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and in Christ we stand complete." 2
Timothy chapter 1. We are persuaded that He is able.
In verse 9 He said, it's God who saved us, and God who called
us, with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according
to His own purpose and grace." Notice those two words. Purpose
and grace, they go together. "...which was given us in Christ
before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing
of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, hath brought
life and immortality to light through the gospel. Whereunto
I am appointed a preacher, an apostle, a teacher of the Gentiles,
for the which cause? Also suffer these things Now
this is Paul's last letter that he writes while on this earth
He's been in Rome for two years a prisoner and he writes here
for the which cause I suffer these things nevertheless I'm
not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and I am Persuaded I'm
persuaded Paul. What are you persuaded of that?
I He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against
that day." I'm persuaded that He is able. Not I'm able. He's able. He's able to do all
that He said. He's able to save to the uttermost. Turn back to the book of Romans
and look at this. Romans chapter 4. I'm persuaded
that He is able. There's another man who was called
out of idolatry God said, get out from among your family, your
own kindred, your own country, and go into a land in which I
will show thee, and I will make a great nation of you, and I'm
going to raise up a Savior out of your seed, out of your family,
the Lord Jesus. And you know what it says of
Abraham here in Romans chapter 4, verse 20? He staggered not,
the promise of God, Romans 4.20. He staggered not at that promise
of God, that Word of God, through unbelief that was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded. Not almost. If he was almost persuaded, he
would never have left home. He had never forsaken idolatry. But being fully persuaded, he
believed God. What he promised, he was able
to perform. He's able to perform. Therefore,
it was imputed to Him for righteousness. Able to perform. Now, turn back
to Hebrews 7. Persuaded. Believers are totally
persuaded that He is able. He is able to do all that He
said. Look what it says here in Hebrews
7. The Lord Jesus Christ, in verse
22, is called the Sherbeti. Hebrews 7.22. So much was Jesus,
our Savior, made a surety. He's the guarantor of the covenant,
the surety of a better covenant, a better testament. They were
truly many priests because they were not suffered to continue
by reason of death under the law. One was raised up, he died. Another was raised up, he died.
They brought many sacrifices year after year after year, the
morning sacrifice, the evening sacrifice. But this man, speaking
of the God-man, the Lord Jesus, because He continues forever.
He has an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, His priesthood is
unchangeable. His priesthood is like that of
Melchizedek everlasting. Wherefore, He is able also to
save them. He is able to save. He is able
to perform, to save them to the uttermost, forevermore, that
come to God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession
for them. For such a high priest became
us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher
than the heavens." I am persuaded. He is able. Turn to one more
reference on that. Turn to the book of Jude, right
before the revelation. Jude, just one chapter, verse
24. Look what he says here. He is able. All that He had promised,
He's able to perform. He's able to keep that which
I've committed unto Him. He's able to save Jude. The book of Jude, look at verse
24. Now unto Him that is able. He's able to save you. He's able
to keep you from falling and to present you. Now look at this
carefully. to keep you, to save you, and
to present you faultless, without sin, before the presence of God's
glory, and to do it with exceeding joy. I am persuaded that He is
able to present me, me, the sinner that I am, holy, unblameable,
unreprovable in His sight. I am persuaded, not almost, I'm
totally persuaded He is able to save me, the chief of sinners. Now, I want you to consider this
personally. Are you almost persuaded? Or are you totally, totally persuaded
to trust Christ alone? And to love the Lord Jesus Christ
alone. And to put all things, as Paul
said, counting all things but dung, that you might win Christ
and be found in Him. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ. I want you to turn back to the
book of Acts just for another minute. I want you to see this.
In Acts chapter 28. In Acts chapter 28. When Paul in Romans, when he
was sent to Rome, in chapter 27 you can read about it, in
chapter 28 he finally gets there, and he stays there in Rome for
two years. And in verse 23 of Acts 28, when
they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his
lodging, to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of
God, Salvation in Christ, by Christ the King, look what it
says right there, persuading them concerning the Savior, both
out of the law of Moses and out of the prophet, from morning
to evening, an all-day preaching session, persuading them to believe
what God had said. Verse 24, And some believe the
things which are spoken, and some believe not. Now who makes
the difference? Turn to Acts 13, 48. Some believed
the things that were spoken. Some believed not. Now Paul was
persuading them to believe, but he couldn't make them believe.
And I can persuade and persuade and want to preach with a convincing
manner. I want to preach to you in a
truthful manner, in a serious manner, and I want to persuade
you, but I can't make you believe the gospel. I can't convince
you you're a sinner. I can't give you love for Christ.
God must do that. God must do that. And I tell
you, here's who makes the difference, Acts 13, 48. And when the Gentiles
heard this, they heard Paul and Barnabas preach the gospel. Look
at verse 46, Acts 13, 46. Then Paul and Barnabas whacked
bold and said it was necessary. that the Word of God should first
have been spoken unto you, but seeing you put it from yourselves,
you judge yourself unworthy of life, salvation." We turn to
the Gentiles. We're looking for somebody who's
a sinner, somebody who needs a Savior. "'For so hath the Lord
commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the
Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends
of the earth.'" You remember what we read back here? Paul,
from morning to evening, persuaded them concerning the Lord Jesus
from morning to evening. Some believed the things that
were spoken and some believed none. Now, Acts 13, verse 48,
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed the gospel. My friend, God's sheep
will hear His word and they will follow Christ. Follow him. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter
1. I'll let you go here. You see,
there's a necessity of persuading. There's a necessity of preaching
and persuading and convincing. But my friend, I can't convict
your heart. God the Holy Spirit must do that. I'm going to keep preaching and
keep persuading as best I can. But my friend, God has to persuade
your heart and change you and make you a new creature in Christ. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse
4, Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God, for our
gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in
the Holy Spirit and with much assurance. Are you persuaded? I trust that you are. Paul said
in another place, Knowing the terror of the Lord, Knowing the
terror of the Lord, we persuade men. You see, it's a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Knowing the
terror, the judgment, the wrath of Almighty God, we persuade
sinners to look to Christ. I've tried to do that the years
that I've been blessed of God to go and preach this message
of salvation in Christ Jesus. I've tried to point sinners away
from self. Don't look in here for assurance
and confidence. Assurance and confidence is not
in here. I tell you, if you want assurance and confidence, look
to the Lord Jesus Christ, exalted and glorified at God's right
hand. That's where assurance is had.
That's where confidence is had, not in us, in Him, in Christ
alone.