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Almost Persuaded
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Almost Persuaded
On Sunday, I had the privilege to visit First Baptist Church of Moab, Utah. The woman's Sunday School that I visited was inspiring and fun. The service was friendly and peaceful. Their regular musicians were on vacation so they sang many of the older hymns. I enjoyed those hymns. After church, the pastor's family and some of the church members invited me to lunch. I was delighted to get to spend time with them.
The message was out of Acts and focused on the story of Paul standing accused before King Agrippa. Paul took the opportunity to give his testimony about his conversion to Christianity.
Paul's testimony is dramatic because he had been a persecutor of Christians before he accepted Christ. God got Paul's attention in a mighty way but it took great humility to accept the truth. Paul took serious risks by declaring his love of Christ to King Agrippa. There is a very amusing line where one of the officers told him he must have lost his mind. He knew the risk Paul was taking.
"At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. ‘You are out of your mind, Paul!’ he shouted. ‘Your great learning is driving you insane.’" Acts 26:24 NIV
I can just picture Paul's wry smile as he answers Festus. I wonder if he was being slightly sarcastic as he calls Festus "most excellent."
"‘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. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.’" Acts 26:25-27 NIV
Paul's story was moving and eloquent. He loved his accusers with the love that comes from Christ and he longed for them to know this love.
"‘I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So I said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”’” Acts 26:12-18 NKJV
The king listened to this moving and courageous speech. Paul must have held his breath waiting for an answer. Sadly, King Agrippa then told Paul that Paul had almost persuaded him. Almost but not completely.
"Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’ And Paul said, ‘I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.’" Acts 26:28-29 NKJV
Accepting Christ was too big of a step for the King. It could have meant the end of his earthly kingdom and his career. He wasn't willing to give that up.
He said no to Christ. We have no other record of King Agrippa coming to Jesus. As far as we know, he gave up an eternity with Christ for an earthly kingdom that ended over 2,000 years ago.
What a sad story. How many times in our lives are we almost persuaded to follow God? How many times have we looked back and wondered, "what if?"
I have friends that have been presented with the love of Christ over and over. In one case, God has been so obvious that the individual has remarked about it more than once. And yet, these precious friends have not accepted the truth of Jesus' simple offering to all of us. They are "almost persuaded." Like Paul, I long for them to say yes.
I met a young man and woman. They called themselves "seekers." They have heard about Christ but are only "almost persuaded." They continue to be restless and to search.
I talked to a young lady that is feeling the call of God. She is reading the Bible. Faith isn't enough. She is intellectual and wants proof. She has heard personal testimonies of Christ. She doesn't know if Jesus and the Bible are real. She is "almost persuaded."
Being "almost persuaded" isn't limited to big issues like accepting the love of Christ.
I met a young lady that has been struggling with her life. She dreams about college and a good career. She is wasting her days in jobs that bore her. She drops in and out of school. She lives in a city far from home and is homesick and wants to go home. She is "almost persuaded" to go for her dreams and reach her potential.
I met a Christian woman who has always felt led to write. She has done nothing about it. She is "almost persuaded."
I have met so many people that want a closer relationship with God. They want to know him and to hear his voice. They want the peace that he offers and wonder why their Christian belief is not bring this peace. And yet, when they get up in the morning, they begin their day without time with God. They may go to church and pray in the car but they don't make morning time with God a priority. They say they are too busy. They admit they know they should be disciplined with prayer and Bible Study. They are "almost persuaded" to seek God's love and peace on a daily basis.
I met a wonderful woman who believes in Christ and has a relationship with him. She doesn't read the Bible because she believes there are too many translations and it might be incorrect. What she knows about Christianity, she read from a book written by a single individual. She doesn't go to church because she believes they have too many problems. She is seeking the love of groups and attends a variety of alternative groups. These alternative groups are giving her many messages. She has no more guarantees about the validity of these individual writers and groups than she does about the Bible and church. She has no idea of the dimensions that a loving church and the Bible could add to her personal walk with God. She listened to my testimony about the Bible and church but was only "almost persuaded."
People tell me that they have always wanted to play the piano. They were "almost persuaded."
People tell me about the degree they want to get. They are "almost persuaded."
When we act in faith, we have no guarantees. God gives us a longing. He calls in his still quiet voice. He is in the quietness. We have to get quiet to hear him. When we say yes to this quiet voice, we are so amazed.
Elijah looked for God in the noise and the drama. He finally found him in the quietness.
"And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, ‘What doest thou here, Elijah?’" 1 Kings 19:11-13 KJV
I have a friend that said yes to the love of Christ and it has changed his entire outlook on life. He now cares more about his family, friends, and the people he works around. His decisions regarding family, career, and recreation are now love based. His values are delighting his family and friends. He is more at peace than I have ever seen him.
I met a sweet woman who had lost the farm that had been her life's work. She tried to earn an income in an economically depressed area and could not. She didn't want to leave the area that she grew up in but she and her husband wanted more for their family. They acted on faith and moved across the country to an area that rewarded their skills. That was years ago. She was persuaded to listen to God and she said that the results have been wonderful.
I met a woman whose life had fallen apart. Her young grandchild had died as result of the carelessness of her daughter and son-in-law. She was grieving the loss of this child and feeling like a failure as a mother. A friend invited her to church. She fought God for a while and finally said yes. She accepted the love and forgiveness of Christ. It brought her such peace that everyone around her noticed it. Over the next 3 years, her Jewish mother-in-law, her father-in-law, and her husband accepted Christ. This entire family worships together every Sunday in this church. I had the privilege of going to lunch with them and was so blessed by their testimony. They have asked for prayer for their daughter, Shawna. They hope their daughter will some day join the family of God. Please take a moment to say a prayer for Shawna.
I met another woman whose husband left her in mid-life. She was devastated and thought her life was over. She turned to God and accepted Christ. She is now a "born again Christian." For her, this was a real re-birth. She said the loss of that marriage was more than compensated by the addition of a relationship with Christ. Seven years ago, she remarried a Christian man. They were vacationing in Colorado and are very much in love. She is so happy. She said yes to Christ.
I've met so many ministers that said yes to the call of God. I always ask if they are glad. So far, the answer has always been yes.
God is constantly leading us to the next step in our lives. He has such plans for us. Sometimes these steps are big and sometimes they are small. At each step, we have the ability to say yes or no.
God's step is usually the thing that both delights us and scares us at the same time. We may not be sure we can do it, but would be thrilled if we could.
We can probably think of a thousand logical reasons why it isn't a good idea. Our families may be like Festus and wondering if we have "lost our minds."
One of the joys of the Bible is that we can use it to test our inspirations. If our dreams are consistent with the Bible in the context in which it was written, then we can give ourselves permission to listen to those dreams.
We are to love and live by faith and not by sight. We will be blessed if we take the steps of faith. We are required to take that step before we have any guarantees. Our guarantees are in looking back and seeing the hand of God. Our other guarantee is that God will always give us the direction to take the next step, one step at a time.
"We live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV
Don't get to the end of your life and look back and say, "I was almost persuaded. Take the step of faith. Reach your dreams.
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