ACTS: What Can God Do With Your Yes? || Acts 26 || February 1, 2025

A call to worship rooted in Psalm and Paul frames a sermon that moves from the ordinary wonder of weather to the extraordinary power of the risen Christ. Attention to creation and the gospel underscores that God speaks both through the skies and most decisively through the cross. The narrative then turns to Paul’s defense before Herod Agrippa: a sharply reasoned, unapologetic testimony that grounds Christian hope in the resurrection and appeals to Jewish memory—Moses and the prophets—to show continuity rather than novelty. Paul’s Damascus encounter with the risen Jesus becomes the hinge: a divine commissioning that repurposes zeal into mission, aimed at opening blind eyes, freeing people from the powers of darkness, and offering forgiveness and inheritance to those made holy by faith.

Confrontations with Roman power and Jewish suspicion are not mere historical color but the setting that dramatizes a central claim: the gospel destabilizes empires because it reshapes loyalties, economics, and social norms. Rather than shrink from Rome’s authority, Paul chooses chains as the price for a chance to testify before the seat of power—preferring imprisonment if it means the gospel reaches the roads that lead everywhere. The account emphasizes the surprising economy of God’s work: one faithful “yes” can catalyze revival and change cultures. Contemporary examples of young people who chose to bring the gospel into a culture venue show how ordinary witness, rooted in conviction and simple storytelling, can awaken spiritual renewal.

The congregation is invited to practical faithfulness: to carry a concise, lived testimony, to offer a humble but courageous yes, and to participate in sacrament as both remembrance and empowerment. Communion is presented as the tangible family-bond of those who accept Christ’s work, while the benediction presses the assembled to trust God’s light and protection. The overall thrust insists that resurrection hope is not speculative theology but a present power that frees, commissions, and reorients daily life toward witness—even amid opposition.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God speaks in creation and cross Creation declares divine glory, but the cross speaks with peculiar scandal and power: it subverts human notions of strength and wisdom and reorients hearing toward a God who both crafts the cosmos and dies in order to raise the dead. This dual testimony invites worship that is both awed by the world and bound to the crucified Messiah whose foolishness becomes salvific wisdom. [10:12]
• 2. Resurrection is the living hope Resurrection is not an abstract future doctrine but the animating hope that reshapes how people work, rest, and resist idols today; it promises a trajectory from bondage to sanctified life and sustains moral and communal transformation in the present. To hold this hope is to live expectantly, making choices as if death’s finality has already been overturned. [38:39]
• 3. One faithful yes moves empires A single, decisive act of obedience—spoken or enacted—can become the pivot for wide cultural change because God often works through small, courageous commitments rather than institutional strategies alone. The narrative of Scripture and recent testimonies both indicate that personal witness, when aligned with God’s promise, can fracture hardened powers and open unexpected avenues for revival. [53:34]
• 4. Courage to testify despite chains Bold witness need not be eloquence or safety; it is the willingness to risk reputation, comfort, or freedom in order to speak the truth of Christ. Choosing witness before political or cultural centers shows an economy of faith that values reach and fidelity over personal security, trusting God to honor testimony even under persecution. [51:02]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [08:37] - Wonder in Creation and Weather
• [09:43] - Call to Worship: Creation & Cross
• [30:36] - The Roman Empire Question
• [33:44] - Paul Faces King Agrippa
• [38:23] - Jewish Roots and Resurrection Hope
• [41:13] - Damascus Encounter with Jesus
• [43:49] - Mission: Turn to God and Repent
• [48:41] - Festus' Charge and Agrippa's Question
• [51:02] - Choosing Chains for the Gospel
• [53:34] - One Yes Can Spark Revival
• [65:35] - Communion and Benediction

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary:

Bible Reading

Psalm 19:1-4
> The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25
> 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. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Acts 26:16-18
> But rise and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a minister and a witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 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 an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

Observation questions

1. The sermon begins by noting how weather can remind us of God's power and how quickly things can change. What specific aspects of creation were mentioned as declaring God's glory? [09:58]
2. The sermon contrasts the "talk of the cross" with human wisdom. According to the sermon, what is the "peculiar scandal and power" of the cross? [10:12]
3. Paul's defense before Agrippa hinges on the "hope of the promise made by God to our ancestors." What is this hope, and how does Paul connect it to Jesus? [38:23]
4. Paul recounts his Damascus Road experience, where Jesus commissions him. What three specific outcomes are mentioned for those to whom Paul is sent? [42:44]

Interpretation questions

1. The sermon suggests that the Roman Empire, despite its power and influence, eventually gave way to the spread of the gospel. How does the sermon explain this shift, particularly in relation to Paul's actions and the "economy of God's work"? [52:20]
2. Paul chose to face Roman power and Jewish suspicion, even accepting chains, to testify. What does this choice reveal about the value Paul placed on the gospel message and its reach? [51:02]
3. The sermon highlights that "one faithful 'yes' can catalyze revival and change cultures." What does this imply about the role of individual believers in God's larger plan for transformation? [53:34]
4. The sermon emphasizes that resurrection hope is not just future theology but a "present power that frees, commissions, and reorients daily life." How does this present power manifest in the life of a believer, even amidst opposition? [01:02:18]

Application questions

1. The sermon calls us to recognize that God speaks through creation and the cross. How can we cultivate a greater sense of wonder in creation this week to remind us of God's presence and power?
2. Paul's testimony is described as "sharply reasoned, unapologetic." How can we develop a more concise and lived testimony of our faith that we can share with others, even in ordinary conversations? [53:57]
3. The sermon points out that the gospel "destabilizes empires because it reshapes loyalties, economics, and social norms." In what areas of your life might your loyalties need to be reshaped by the gospel, and what might that look like practically?
4. Paul chose chains for the opportunity to spread the gospel. What are some ways we might be called to embrace discomfort or inconvenience for the sake of sharing the hope of Christ with others? [51:02]
5. The sermon highlights examples of young people who brought the gospel into cultural venues. What are some "culture venues" in your life or community where you could intentionally bring a message of hope and renewal? [55:04]
6. The sermon invites us to offer a "humble but courageous yes" to God. What is one specific area this week where you can say a bold "yes" to God's calling, even if it feels a little daunting? [01:03:14]
7. Communion is presented as a tangible family bond and empowerment. How can participating in communion this week strengthen your resolve to live out your faith and share the resurrection hope with others? [01:04:14]