Preacher: Jeremy Herbert
Text: Acts 26:1-32
Theme: Dealing with Doubters and Skeptics
Notes:
Matthew 7:14, “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life and those who find it are few.”
Doubters and skeptics needs to see a changed life coupled with a courageous witness.
Some reasons for skepticism
- People are blind and bound by Satan
- Acts 26:17-18, “…to open their eyes, so that they may turn…”
- 1 Corinthians 1:18
- The Holy Spirit draws blind and bound sinners to Christ by the preaching of the gospel from the Scripture
- Romans 10:14
- Acts 17:30
- Mark 1:15
- John 6:44
- Trusting God’s internal work will keep us from 1) watering down the gospel or 2) manipulating people emotionally in order to force a false decision
- Hebrews 10:26-27, 31
- Acts 26:20-23
- Bad examples
- Agrippa II was used to using religion as a means to obtain wealth and power
- His experience with the Jewish leaders proved that they were no different than him
- Bad experiences
- Jewish historian Josephus records a number of bad experiences between the Jewish leaders and the Roman government
- In this narrative the Jewish leaders were using their power to attempt to wrongly influence Festus to side with them
- Christians who rely on politics have lost sight of the main thing–the gospel
- Bad explanations
- Syncretism between Christianity and culture
Some remedies for skepticism
- Godly examples
- Christ expects that true faith ought to produce true change
- Unbelievers expect this as well
- Even if unbelievers don’t believe our doctrine–they can’t deny our changed lives
- Unless there is no change
- 1 Peter 3:15
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