Download Audio Here

Introduction

I want you to find forgiveness for your sins and a place among the sanctified by faith in Christ

I want our church to be a place where those have found the joy of forgiveness in Christ can gather and fellowship and grow in their faith.

How do we find a place among the sanctified? Paul is going to explain how God opens our eyes, how God turns us from Darkness to light and how God extends forgiveness for our sins through the cross of Christ.

BACKGROUND

We pick up our study in Acts Chapter 26.

Previously Paul had traveled back to Jerusalem. Some Jews who were hostile to Christ’s agenda trumped up false charges against Paul and Paul spend 2 years in jail.

In Acts 26, he is having a hearing before the King Agrippa. Paul does not try to defend himself – he gives his testimony!

Paul is going to show us how God opened his eyes, turned him from persecutor of Christians to an evangelist for Jesus and how God extended to him forgiveness for his aweful sins against Christ and His church.

Let’s read together about Paul’s conversion.

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.

How bright do you think the sun is in the Middle East at mid-day? It’s pretty bright, but this light that Paul saw was supernatural. The risen Christ was appearing to Paul in order to penetrate Paul’s dark heart with the light of the gospel.

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.’

When an ox was first harnessed to a plow, they would often buck. A goad was a sharp stick that was used to poke oxen in the heels when they tried to buck.

Jesus is saying to Paul, why are you fighting against my agenda? Paul eyes are beginning to open.

¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

For the first time, he was seeing Jesus. His pharisaical tirade against the church was not from God. Although Paul was a man who was highly religious and zealous about his faith, Jesus makes it clear that he is serving Satan and not God. Paul needs to turn to God.

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,

The risen Christ is eager to forgive Paula and to commission Paul with a new task. Jesus was calling Paul to be His witness. Jesus was going to turn Paul from a person who was serving Satan’s murderous agenda to an ambassador for the risen Christ.

Here is Paul’s new mission:

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.’

Jesus was going to use Paul in the lives of the gentiles to open their eyes and turn their hearts and to forgive their sins so that the gentiles might have a place among those who were sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s mission to reach the gentile is similar to our mission here at Canyon Bible church to make disciples. Let’s look more closely at verse 18 and how Jesus Open, Turns and Forgives to establish for each of us a pace among the sanctified.

To Open Their Eyes

Paul explained to King Agrippa that he was sent by God to the Gentiles to…

…to open their eyes,

What does it mean to “open their eyes?” Obviously it is a metaphor. The expanded meaning of this text could be stated this way:

Open their Eyes: opening up a person’s ability to turn to Jesus in faith and to receive the Holy Spirit.

Christ tells Paul in this text to open the eyes of unbelieving gentiles so they may move from a position of Darkness to a position of standing in the light.

• How can he possibly do that?
• How do we do that?
• What power do we possibly have to open the eyes of those who are blinded?

Can can’t do it! We look to the God who is both Creator and Healer to give spiritual sight to spiritually blind people. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says:

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

He is the one who opens our eyes. To see….. to see what?…. To see Jesus… To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

• Jesus is the Center.
• He is the focus.
• He holds the power.
• Jesus is the Key to spiritual sight.

We know that we have turned from darkness to light when we can finally see Jesus!

Open the eyes of my heart – Song

To see Jesus high and lifted up and then what? To turn from pursuing darkness to pursuing light….

Turn from Darkness to Light

Acts 26:18

…to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God,

Jesus instructs Paul to open men’s eyes so they come out of darkness and out from under the power of Satan.

So what does the power of Satan refer to?  The word for power in the Greek is the word exousia (eks-ü-sē’-ä) and means the power of authority. It can carry with it the image of a crown.

It was like Satan was wearing the crown and ruling our lives. But now, through the power of Christ in us, we can strip Satan of his crown and his authority over us and give that over to its rightful owner, Jesus.

Paul says in Col 1:13

¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son

What an incredible statement. God pulled us out of our ungodliness and its consequences of eternal separation from God and gave us new life in Jesus.

We were condemned in Spiritual darkness and Jesus not only saved us, but transferred us to a whole new position.

For those who turn to Jesus in faith, we turn from condemned man to co-heir with Christ!

Jesus delivers us from the wrath we rightfully deserve and gives us the gift eternal life instead (1 Thess 1:10, Romans 6:23, John 3:16)

How does Jesus do this? Jesus can be our savior because he has the power to forgive sins committed against God.

Receives forgiveness

Acts 26:18

…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…

Jesus’ deity ties in with His ability to forgive.

At Canyon, we believe in a triune God, because that is clearly what the Bible teaches. We believe Jesus when he says in John 10:30 that “I and the Father are One.” The Bible teaches that God exists in 3 persons – Father Son and Holy Spirit. Why do I mention this now? We’re talking about forgiveness not the Trinity right?

Here’s why, if Jesus wasn’t part of the God-head, he would not be able to forgive sins against God.

Debt illustration

Let’s say that a man decided one day to go to the bar and get drunk. I mean really drunk. And he got into his truck and tried to drive home. On the way, he lost control and slammed into my car leaving me permanently crippled.

Who can forgive that man? Can you walk up to that man and forgive him of the sin he committed against me? NO! The only person who can forgive that man of the wrong that he committed against me is me.

> Similarly, Jesus claims a half-dozen times in the book of Luke alone to be able to forgive sins against God. That is only possible if Jesus is God. Look, even the Pharisees knew that only God can forgive sins.

Crippled Man

In the Gospels, a group of friends got together to take their crippled buddy to Jesus. They ripped a roof apart and lowered him down – creating quite a scene. Look what Jesus said to the crippled man before me healed him:

Luke 5:20-21

²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

They are right. Only God can forgive sins committed against God. To the Pharisees, Jesus was clearly claiming to be God. Jesus can forgive sins and His forgiveness of sin is central to the transformational work of the gospel.

We don’t find a place among the sanctified without Christ having provided forgiveness

Life application

Acts 26:18

…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.

I want you to find forgiveness for your sins and a place among the sanctified by faith in Christ

Are you placed among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus?

Life application #1: Do you know for certain that you have eternal life through Jesus today?

If you have received Jesus as Lord and Savior….

I want our church to be a place where those have found the joy of forgiveness in Christ can gather and fellowship and grow in their faith.

Life application #2: Sanctification is a journey

…a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Jesus).

Open your Bibles to Hebrews 10:24-25

For those who are saved, we are all together on a journey of Faith that we refer to as sanctification. Sanctification is the process where we increasingly separating ourselves from things that offend God and are pursue those things that honor God. It is intentional. It is difficult. It wars against our flesh. We need encouragement in the battle.

This is one of the purposes of Canyon Bible Church – to make Jesus Central because Jesus and His forgiveness of sin is central to the transformational work of the gospel.

It’s outlined in Hebrews 10:24-25

²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Let’s break this passage down into 3 parts:

1. Stir up one another to love and good worksChrist calls his church together to unify around the cross and to go outside these walls to reach our community in the name of Jesus

   At Canyon, we have opportunities for you to be involved in this process by inviting unchurched friends to church, by helping to start a new Bible study in your neighborhood, by helping start a youth group, or by being a part of Hope/Jail ministry

2. Not neglecting meeting togetherAn undiscipled or unchurched Christian is unknown in the Bible. The Bible clearly commands us to regularly meet together with other believers for teaching, for fellowship, for prayer and for training up disciples

   This command is why we come together on Sunday nights for teaching, an Friday nights for Bible Study and fellowship and Wednesday mornings for prayer.

   As we grow, I hope we can start many more opportunities for the body to gather and develop relationships in order for all of us to grow in our sanctification together

3. Encouraging one anotherChristians need one another for encouragement.   You need to hear people in the church encourage you to fight against your flesh and to stay in the Word.

   You need encouragement not to loose heart but to push on – when trials come – when children wander – when your marriage is in trouble – when the diagnoses from the doctor doesn’t look good

   You need the body of Christ to pray for you and to take your prayer needs before an all-powerful God who is the answer for your issues.

Discipleship is a long walk together with the same people in the right direction. Canyon Bible church has a deep desire to be a partner with you in the process of sanctification and discipleship. That is why Canyon Bible Church is here in the Verde Valley!

Acts 26: Centrality of Jesus

…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. Acts 26:18

To Open Their Eyes

Open their Eyes: opening up a person’s ability to turn to Jesus in faith and to receive the Holy Spirit.

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Turn from Darkness to Light

Power – Exousia

• power of authority
• image of a crown

¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son Col 1:13

Jesus delivers us from the wrath we rightfully deserve and gives us the gift eternal life instead (1 Thess 1:10, Romans 6:23, John 3:16)

Receives forgiveness

God exists in 3 persons – Father Son and Holy Spirit

If Jesus wasn’t part of the God-head, he would not be able to forgive sins against God.

²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Luke 5:20-2

Only God can forgive sins committed against God.