Acts 25:13–26:32: "Things Aren’t Always What They Seem"

Let’s take our Bibles together and turn to Acts 25. We are studying the life of Paul at the end of the Book of Acts. Let’s continue that starting in Acts 25:13. 

And in these final chapters of the book of Acts, we are seeing Paul’s stalwart commitment to God and to the gospel despite great opposition. And we are seeing the gospel and the power of God prevail despite many evidences to the contrary. And the key phrase that I want to stick in your head as we begin this message is the following: “Things Aren’t Always What They Seem.”

“Why do you say that, Pastor Tony?” Well, if you didn’t have the right perspective on what God is doing in Paul’s life, you might mistakenly think, “Paul’s life is being wasted. Paul’s talent is being wasted. Paul is being bested by these Jewish and Roman leaders.” 

“Paul has been stuck in prison for two years! He’s persecuted everywhere he goes. He’s unable to defend himself! People think he’s a criminal. Paul is losing this battle for the gospel.” 

“And also these Roman officials (Festus and Felix) and these Jewish leaders with all of their power and prestige and lavish lifestyles… these guys are winning against Paul. These guys are getting the best of Paul. They are inhibiting the proliferation of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit.”

Well, “Things Aren’t Always What They Seem.” And even though the people around Paul might seem to be the important ones… history would tell us otherwise. And God’s Word likewise, if we look below the surface, is telling another story. 

Paul may seem like he is losing this battle. But God is using his pain and struggles to accomplish a greater purpose. And what the world often portrays as powerful and successful and meaningful is really more worthy of our pity and scorn than imitation. And often what the world dismisses as weakness and foolishness, is instead quite profound. 

And by the way, let me give you one piece of evidence that God is controlling these events and bringing about his ultimate purposes. Jesus prophesied concerning his followers that they would be “dragged before governors and kings for [Jesus’s] sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles” (Matt 10:18). Also in Luke’s gospel, Jesus said, “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake” (Luke 21:12).

That prophecy was true of Peter and John and the other twelve. But it was especially true of the Apostle Paul at the end of the book of Acts. In the last few chapters of this book, Paul appears before high-ranking Jews in the Sanhedrin. He appears before high-ranking Roman officials including Felix, Festus, and King Agrippa. Paul even gets sent to Rome to appear before Caesar! 

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But before that, he testifies about Christ before King Agrippa. Let’s look at that now. 

If you remember from last time, Paul had to defend himself again in front of the new governor Festus. Paul had been left in prison for two years. Festus came to town as the new governor, and his first order of business was to settle the matter of Paul. 

The Jews were clamoring for a judgment against Paul. And after reviewing the case, Festus can’t find any wrongdoing in him. But, according to verse 9, wanting to do the Jews a favor, Festus suggests to Paul that he be sent to Jerusalem for trial. Well Paul wants none of that! He knows that the Jewish leaders won’t be happy until he’s six-feet-under, so he invokes the Roman provocatio. He appeals to Caesar. And in verse 12 Festus happily obliges Paul and says, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” 

But here’s the problem with that. Festus has agreed to send Paul to Rome. Festus wants to send Paul to Rome, because then he can wash his hands of this whole troublesome matter. But he’s got nothing to charge Paul with. He knows Paul is innocent, and so if he sends an innocent man to Rome without charges, then he’ll look like a fool in front of all the Roman higher-ups. 

And so here’s how Festus tries to remedy this difficult situation. Look at verse 13.   

13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 

Now this guy Agrippa, who was a fellow ruler with Festus in Judea, was part of the infamous Herod family. He was the great-grandson of King Herod the Great. Druscilla, the wife of Felix, who we saw earlier in Acts 24 was his sister. 

And if you remember, King Herod, killed all the babies in Bethlehem when Jesus was born in order to eliminate the future King of the Jews (Matt 2:1–23). King Herod’s son, Antipas, beheaded John the Baptist. King Herod’s grandson, Agrippa I, executed the Apostle James, but was later eaten by worms according to Acts 12. These Herods were essentially the archenemies of Christ and all of his followers in the NT. And now King Herod Agrippa II has a chance to do some more damage to the followers of Christ, because Festus is going to look to him to help him render judgment against Paul. 

Now this is even more sordid than that, because Bernice, the woman that is with Agrippa is not Agrippa’s wife. She is in fact his sister. And they are living out an incestuous relationship with one another in front of the whole world. 

This woman Bernice had actually been married twice before her incestuous relationship with her brother, and later she became the mistress of Titus, the future emperor of Rome. And the Roman people actually forced Titus to dismiss her because her morals were so appalling to the pagan people of Rome. This is like something you would see on daytime TV. In other words, Agrippa and Bernice were sick, sin-infested people.

And if that’s not crazy enough, Agrippa, despite his incestuous relationship, was considered an expert in Jewish affairs. And he was given authority to appoint the high priest of the temple. And he even had authority over the temple treasury! And that’s why Festus is going to turn to him to help him figure out what to do with this troublesome character named Paul. 

Look at verse 14.   

14 And as they [that’s Agrippa and Bernice] stayed [in Caesarea] many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 

17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 

20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 

Festus is basically telling Agrippa, “I’ve got this real doozy of a problem… this guy named Paul. And I don’t know what to do with him. He appealed to the emperor, and so now I’ve got to figure something out for this guy. Can you help me, Agrippa? You know something about Jewish law.” 

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” 

Agrippa is intrigued by this fascinating character, Paul. Paul is fascinating! And he says, “I want to hear this guy. I want to hear straight from the horse’s mouth what all this controversy is about.” Maybe there’s a little bit of interest here in this “Jesus” who Paul said was alive. 

So Festus says in verse 22.

“Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.” 

23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp,

With great “pomp.” Can you see them now? With great… here’s another translation of this Greek word… “pageantry.” Like the king and queen of England, they came. And everyone was “Oh, so impressed by them.”

And Luke writes in verse 23.

and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. 

 So just picture this with me here. Agrippa and Bernice come in wearing their purple robes of royalty along with golden crowns on their heads. Festus would have been wearing the scarlet robe that was customary for the governor on such formal occasions. 

And all of the military tribunes were there. All of the prominent men of the city were there. All of the socialites and dignitaries and public figures would be there bowing before this incestuous king who by human standards was accorded these great honors. And Paul is going to have to defend himself again in front of one of these ridiculously corrupt and self-aggrandizing Roman leaders.

Speaking of Paul, look at the end of verse 23.

Then at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

Now let’s imagine this together. Here’s Paul in total contrast to Agrippa and Bernice. Paul would have been clothed in humble garments. He was shackled (see Acts 26:29). He had been imprisoned for over two years. He had scars all over his body. One ancient description of Paul depicts him this way: “Paul was a man little of stature, thin-haired upon the head, crooked in the legs, of good state of body, with eyebrows joining, and nose somewhat hooked.” Even in 2 Corinthians 10:10, the Corinthian church described Paul as weak in bodily presence.

So here’s Paul, this tiny, bald, humble and shackled man, who is brought before this audience hall with all these “respectable” and “dignified” and even “pompous” individuals, who for some reason are given the moral authority to determine Paul’s fate. [Of course we know, that these dignitaries are nothing but pawns in the hands of a sovereign God.]

And even though they look like the honorable ones in this little scene, I would subscribe to you today that “Things Aren’t Always What They Seem.”

Write this down as a first point in your notes. “Things Aren’t Always What They Seem.”

1) Sometimes the prisoner is more honorable than the rulers (25:13–27)

Let me just say for the record that godliness isn’t determined by prominence, power, or prestige. Truth isn’t determined by prominence, power, or prestige. Wisdom isn’t determined by prominence, power, or prestige. And neither is honor.

Honor isn’t determined by popularity. Honor isn’t determined by prosperity. Honor isn’t determined by pomp and circumstance. Things Aren’t Always What They Seem.

The contrast here between Paul and Agrippa could not be starker. Here’s this noble regal great-grandson of Herod the Great, dressed to the nines in his formal apparel. All of the Caesarean bigwigs are bowing before him. All of the female socialites are swooning in his presence. He is the epitome of power and success and respectability. 

And then there’s Paul, the criminal. The rebel-rouser! The man clothed in humble dress, his body bent over by the weight of the shackles, humbled before these godless men. Which one of these men is truly honorable in the eyes of the Lord?

By the way, church, let me make just one quick point of application. Don’t be fooled into thinking that honor in the eyes of men is the same as honor in the eyes of God. It’s not. Those are not the same things. 

So Paul is brought in. He stands before this “prestigious” crowd. And in verse 24, Festus gives the reason for this gathering. 

24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.” 

Festus basically says, “I got nothing on this guy… and I can’t send him to Rome, as he has requested, without something tangible to attach to him. So you guys got to help me come up with something or I’m going to play the fool in front of the emperor.”

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So after Festus gives his little plea, now it’s time for Paul to speak. And Chapter 26:1 says, 

1 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand [Just imagine Paul stretching out his hand, trying to make this motion as his hands were chained] and made his defense: 

Now some of us in this situation might be tempted to just give up. Especially since Paul has done this before already, what’s the point of defending yourself again. But the Bible says this, “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked” (Prov 25:26). Paul is a righteous man and he is not going to back down even if Caesar himself stands before him. He’s going to give a defense. 

Now I will say this. Paul’s “defense” here is really not all that “defensive.” In fact, he barely defends himself at all. Instead of getting “defensive” here, Paul gets “offensive.” He goes for the hearts of his listeners. Paul’s going to preach the gospel. And his utmost desire with this audience isn’t to plead his case. It’s not to vindicate himself. He wants them to get saved. And with King Agrippa in particular, he doesn’t give a rip if he’s the king of whatever region or the great-grandson of King Herod... He wants Agrippa to get saved. He wants Bernice and Festus and all these dignitaries to give their lives to Christ.

I get the sense with Paul here that he just doesn’t care anymore about anything. He doesn’t care. All he cares about is the gospel. All he cares about is telling people about Christ. Festus and Agrippa have the authority to decide Paul’s fate! So what! All Paul cares about is preaching the gospel.

Paul writes about this mentality later in the NT book of Philippians. He says, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (3:8). Paul says in that same book, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

Paul just doesn’t care anymore. He doesn’t care about anything accept knowing Christ and preaching Christ and someday soon being resurrected with Christ. That is everything to him.

So here’s Paul’s preaching of the gospel starting in verse 2. Let’s listen up. And we might have some King Agrippas in this room right now. Maybe we have some Bernices or some Festuses in this room right now who are lost and desperately need to hear about Christ. If that’s you today, listen up now. Here’s how a person gets saved. 

Here’s what Paul says.

2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. 4 “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 

In other words, Paul is saying “I’m a Jew. I’m a real Jew. I grew up as a Jew. I was a Pharisee of Pharisees. And I have believed in the Messiah that our people have been anticipating for centuries. And unlike others who rejected that Messiah, I’ve embraced him.” 

And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king!

Look at verse 8.

8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

Paul’s got some insider information here. He knows that they are intrigued by the fact that he believes Jesus was raised from the dead. So he goes right after that. 

And he says, 

8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

“God created the world, didn’t he? God has performed incredible miracles throughout human history, hasn’t he? Can’t God raise Jesus from the dead?” 

The reason this is so important, by the way, is because if Christ wasn’t raised from the dead than our faith is meaningless. Paul said as much earlier when he wrote 1 Corinthians. 

And also Paul knew that this “resurrection idea” would be offensive to both Jews and Romans. But it’s an essential element of the gospel. It was essential back then; and it’s essential right now.

If Christ wasn’t raised from the dead, we might as well just go home right now. You don’t need to come back here next Sunday. You don’t need to sing songs of worship and study this Bible. That would be meaningless. Everything hinges on whether or not Christ was raised from the dead. 

But of course we know, like Paul knows, that Christ was raised from the dead. He was raised on a Sunday, and that’s why we gather and worship on Sunday. 

And Paul goes right after that here. He goes right for the jugular talking about the resurrection. Look at verse 9.

 9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 

Paul is saying here, “I’m the least likely person to get saved. I not only opposed Christ and his followers; I participated in murdering Christians. When my colleagues stoned Stephen I was there giving approval. I was there to hold their coats so that they could throw rocks harder at Stephen and kill him faster. And that’s when everything changed. That’s when my life took a radical turn in a different direction.”

12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 

By the way, goads are ancient cattle prods. They are pointy sticks that shepherds would use to poke their herds and move them forward. And sometimes the animals get angry and kick the goads. But that does no good, right? It just makes the situation worse. Jesus says to Paul, “Why do you keep kicking against the goads. Why do you keep trying to resist the sovereign God of the universe?”

By the way did you notice that Jesus spoke to Paul in Hebrew? Does everyone see that in verse 14? Jesus had just come from heaven and was speaking Hebrew to Paul, and so I think that we’ll all be speaking Hebrew in heaven someday. What do you think about that? 

I told a Croatian friend of mine that we will speak Hebrew in heaven someday. And he said, “O no we won’t, we’re going to speak English.” And I said, “English? Why would we speak English?” And he said, “Because all the Americans in heaven can’t learn a second language. So everyone will just speak English.” 

So Jesus, after coming to Paul from heaven, spoke to Paul in Hebrew. And here’s what he says:

16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 

Verse 21 is about the closest thing you’ll find to a “defense” in Paul’s speech. Instead of trying to defend himself against false charges, Paul just says, “forget about a defense, let’s try to get these people saved!”

Look at verse 22.

22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” 

Here’s the essence of Paul’s testimony. Let me summarize what Paul says here: “I was a sinner far from God. I murdered Christ’s followers. I persecuted the church. I was full of hate and fury and rage. And I did everything in my power to stamp out those who followed Christ.” 

“But in my sinful state, when I was as far from God as humanly possible, God reached down and saved my life. Jesus came and revealed himself to me, and now I’m not just a follower of Jesus, I’m a proclaimer of the gospel. And my mission in life is to tell people that by repenting and turning to God they, like me, can have their sins forgiven and have new life in Christ.” 

That’s Paul’s testimony. And that’s the gospel! Are there any sinners in this room who, like Paul, have been saved by grace through the blood of Jesus? And what Paul is saying here is that even the most hardhearted enemy of the gospel can come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. 

Write this down as a second point from our message. Things Aren’t Always What They Seem! 

2) Sometimes the enemy of the gospel gets saved (26:1–23)

 “That guy’s too far gone. There’s no hope for him.” 

“She’ll never turn to Christ. She’ll never repent. She’ll never relinquish control of her life to the Lord.” 

“He’ll never get saved. He’s the worst sinner I’ve ever known. He hates Christians.” Yeah, don’t be so sure. Things Aren’t Always What They Seem! 

I read a biography several years ago about Brother Andrew, the well-known Bible-smuggler who smuggled Bibles into communist countries during the Cold War. And I was surprised to find out that this humble, godly man who had done so much for the Kingdom of God throughout his life was actually a bit of a “hell-raiser” before he gave his life to Christ. He even went to a revival meeting once drunk and heckled the preacher through the duration of his message. He’s one of those people that we could have written off as too far gone to come to Christ. And yet God, through a remarkable set of circumstances, brought him to saving faith and then sent him out to do incredible things for the Kingdom of God.

Let me just say this as clearly as I can… no person is too far gone! No person is too lost to have their sins forgiven! And if you are here this morning saying to yourself, “I’m too far gone. I cannot be forgiven! I’ve done too much!” Let me tell you that that is a lie from the pit of hell. It’s a lie that Satan has used again and again to keep people in a state of unbelief and unrepentance. 

It doesn’t have to be that way. And I’m here to tell you that today—this day—you can have your sins forgiven. You can have new life in Christ, no matter what you’ve done. No matter where you’ve come from. 

You might say, “How do I do that, Tony?” Well, all you need to do is obey what Jesus told Paul in verse 18. Look what it says:

turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that [you] may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” 

Also verse 20 says,

repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with … repentance.

Repent of your sins. Believe on the name of Jesus Christ who died on the cross and was resurrected from the dead and you shall be saved. That’s the gospel. God isn’t reluctant to convert even the most hard-hearted enemy of the gospel.

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Now why is Paul telling us these things? Why is he giving his testimony before Festus and Agrippa and all these dignitaries in Caesarea? He’s not doing it just to tell them a great story. He’s not doing it either, to simply defend himself against false accusations. He wants them to get saved. He wants Agrippa to get saved. He wants Bernice to get saved. He wants every person in that room from the lowliest servant in the room to King Agrippa himself (the great-grandson of the King who tried to kill baby Jesus) to get saved. 

And that’s what makes Festus’s words in verse 24 so discouraging. Here’s how Festus responds to Paul’s plea:

24 And as [Paul] was saying these things in his defense, [As Paul was pouring out his heart and pleading with this audience to turn to Christ] Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 

This is every pastor’s worst nightmare. You pour out your heart and try to deliver passionately the thing that you are most passionate about, and the audience says, “He’s crazy.” “He’s read one-too-many books and they’ve scrambled his brain.” 

But watch how Paul responds. Notice he doesn’t fire right back with, “O yeah, well you’re insane!”

25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 

Paul is still pleading. Paul is still hoping. He is still persuading. And if he can’t get through to Festus, he’s going to go for Agrippa, who at least has some background with Jewish thinking. “Maybe he, like me, will become a true Jew, and accept the Messiah that we’ve been waiting centuries for, Jesus Christ.” 

Look at verse 27.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” 

This little dialogue between Paul and Agrippa really prompts the question, who is the crazy person in the room? Who really is out of their mind? Is it the humble lowly Paul who pleads with those who are more powerful than him to give their life to Christ? Or is it this incestuous King who would rather bow to peer-pressure and political posturing than to heed Paul’s message of saving faith?

Look at verse 30.

30 Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Who cares about that stuff? Who cares about Paul’s sentencing? Paul doesn’t even care about that stuff! What about your soul, Agrippa? What about your soul, Festus? Do you have any concern for the most important message that you’ve ever heard in your entire life? All these guys care to talk about is “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” Who cares? What about your soul?

This brings to mind people who leave church on Sunday and say to themselves, “That was such a nice service. The music was so nice, and the pastor used such nice words? And everyone dressed so nicely?” Who gives a rip about that stuff! Did you meet with the Living God of the Universe or not? Was your life changed by a radical encounter with God’s Word? That’s the conversation you should be having. 

Sometimes the conversations are even worse as Christians would rather talk about sports or the weather than anything spiritual. That’s safer. That’s more dignified. Just like Agrippa: “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” Who cares! Did you even hear what he was saying to you? 

It makes you wonder, doesn’t it, who’s really crazy in this passage. Is it Paul? Or is it these people who would ignore the most important message they’ve ever heard in their life? Again, Things Aren’t Always What They Seem. 

Write this down as a third point from the message. Things Aren’t Always What They Seem. 

1) Sometimes the prisoner is more honorable than the rulers (25:13–27)

2) Sometimes the enemy of the gospel gets saved (26:1–23)

3) Sometimes the one called “crazy” is actually sanely speaking truth (26:24–32)

I read recently about a famous man named Milton Wright (1828–1917) who said publicly that it was impossible for man to fly. In fact he said, “Flight is reserved for the angels.” But his son, Wilbur Wright, felt differently. And on December 17, 1903, Wilbur took his airplane for a twelve second flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. People thought he was crazy for trying to fly. Now Wilbur Wright is considered a hero, especially those of us who have had the privilege of jumping into a plane and flying to foreign destinations that we could never have traveled to elsewhere.

Another great pioneer in human history, a man named Robert Fulton was though crazy when he developed the steamboat. Once while he was demonstrating the steamboat, a group of bystanders started chanting “It’ll never start, never start, never start!” And when it started that began shouting, “It’ll never stop, never stop, never stop.” It makes you wonder in hindsight - who were the real crazies in those scenarios? Once again we see that Things Aren’t Always What They Seem.

“Paul you’re out of your mind! You’re preaching is sheer madness.” Is it? Is it? If Paul’s preaching is madness, then I’d much prefer his madness to the madness of King Agrippa. I’d much prefer the foolishness of following Christ to the foolishness of rejecting him. I’d much rather live a life that imitated the humble, confident Paul than the sinful, self-aggrandizing, self-indulgent King Agrippa. Where does the real madness lie? Who’s really crazy in this story?

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:25 that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men.” He says in 1:27, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”

He says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Can I just say that we live in a crazy world right now! We live a world where people can’t define what is a man and what is a woman. We live in a world where illicit sex is celebrated, and babies are commoditized, and many American families are a dysfunctional mess. And yet, the idea of Christian purity and monogamy and abstinence are ridiculed. Who’s crazy in that scenario? 

We live in a world where easy divorce and infidelity are encouraged because whatever makes you happy, do it! We live in a world of shameless self-indulgence where people are promised that more stuff will make them happy, and yet those same people are shocked when more stuff just makes them more and more unhappy. It makes you wonder, who’s really crazy in this world? Is it the Christ-followers? 

We live in a world where it is perfectly normal and even encouraged to be passionate about sports, passionate about politics, passionate about sex, passionate about education, passionate about temporal stuff of this world. But if you show any passion about Jesus Christ, then people say… “easy now you’re starting to sound a little crazy!” Charles Finney once said, “If you have much of the Spirit of God, it is not unlikely you will be thought deranged by many.”

There’s actually a long list of people throughout church history who have been consider crazy because of their love for Jesus Christ. In his commentary on Acts, Kent Hughes writes about a man named William Borden who in 1913 at the age of 26, left his large home near Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive, gave away over $500,000 to become a missionary to the Muslim world. People thought he was nuts for doing this. Six months later he died from cerebral meningitis amidst the flies and heat of a Cairo hospital. At that point people were sure he was mentally unbalanced, but God did not share their opinion. 

Similarly in 1885 a man named C.T. Studd, England’s most famous athlete, with six other promising young students (later referred to as the Cambridge Seven) left for China to help Hudson Taylor spread the gospel in that nation. These men were ridiculed for their “enthusiasm.” People thought they were crazy. People thought they were nuts. Why would anyone leave the comforts of home to preach the gospel in a hostile foreign context? They must be crazy. 

Hughes refers to this mentality of Paul’s as a “blessed madness.” And I don’t know about you, but I think for myself, I could use a little bit more of Paul’s “blessed madness.” My hope for myself and for our church is that we would be a little more gung-ho… a little more all-in… a little more sold-out… and little more crazy… by the world’s standards… for our Savior, Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:18 again says, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

We’re going to take communion now. But before we do that, I’m going to pray. And I’m going to pray specifically that God would stir up “blessed madness” in this church. May God give us the kind of passion that Paul had in the book of Acts that these Roman leaders called crazy. Pray with me.