Almost Is Not Home
by Michael Spencer
November 30, 2025 · Centerpointe Apostolic Church (Murfreesboro, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Acts 26:26-29, Acts 26:9, Acts 26:15, John 3:5, Acts 2:38, Acts 8, Acts 10, Acts 19, James 4:14, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Matthew 12:30, Revelation 3:20

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/michael-spencer--almost-is-not-home
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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Acts 26 verse 26 is where we'll begin our scripture reading today. For the king knoweth of these things before whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him. For this thing was not done in a corner. King Agria believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agria said unto Paul, "Almost thou persuadeest me to be a Christian." And Paul said, "I would to God that not only thou, but all so all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bonds."

Today I want to talk to you for just a little while and I titled it almost is not home. Almost is not home. The night was dark and a small house was engulfed in flames. Smoke poured from the windows and sirens cut through the quiet night. And a firefighter pushes through the doorway of the house, heart pounding, lungs burning, searching for one thing in this house. A child that was trapped inside. He crawls through the smoke and the embers, calling out, "Where are you? Can you hear my voice?" and a weak voice answers from only a few feet away. And he finds the child sitting right by the front door, just one step away from fresh air. One step from parents and from safety. And the firefighter wiping away tears and coughing as he lifts the child. You were so close. Why didn't you just walk through the door? And the child said, I got scared. I was almost outside. Almost a word that sometimes we use and don't think about the reference. But if there's one word in our Bible that should make every Holy Ghost fililled believer tremble, it's this word almost. A single word that can turn a survival story into a tragedy. Many of us probably used it this weekend. I almost ate way too much. Almost is the material that hell is built out of. I almost decided I almost surrendered. Almost a Christian. King Agria used this word almost. Thou persuadeest me to be a Christian. but almost is still lost. And the child in the story didn't need to hear another sermon about doors, but they needed one more step to reach safety.

And today, God has come into this place to kick down the burning door in someone's life and to replace that almost that you're dealing with with an all together. He wants to put some things all together for you instead of you settling for an almost in your life. Come to tell you the cross is that exit that you're looking for. The Holy Ghost is the rescuer that you need in your life today. If you will just surrender your almost and say, "God, altogether I am yours."

The setting for today's text, we find Paul, a prisoner in chains, stands before a king. He's not begging for freedom in this situation. He is preaching the gospel. You ask yourself, if I was locked up and had changes, am I going to be preaching or am I be trying to get free? But Paul had a different perspective. He recognized that true freedom is found when you are secure in your relationship and your walk with Jesus Christ. No matter what man may do to you, there's freedom and liberty knowing that almighty God is watching for you. And he has gone and prepared a place for you. Here he stood in a courtroom. No doubt it was tense. There was no chair or no choir, no music, no prayer line. Just the testimony of a transformed man speaking under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. And in the midst of the message, that fatal word almost, thou persuadest me. Almost saved, almost delivered, almost born again. Almost, but so far away. I've come to tell someone, almost is not enough. Almost will destroy you in the fire. Don't give up at almost. Don't settle for almost.

See, when you begin to study this out, a grippa was not ignorant. He was just unwilling. A grippa was no stranger to scripture. He knew the prophets. Paul even acknowledged it in verse 27. King Agria believed thou the prophets. I know that thou believest. He believed, but he made the choice of refusing to obey. Belief is not obedience. Conviction is not conversion. And agreement is not repentance. Come to tell you, the devil does not have to make you or the enemy, Satan does not have to make you into a devil worshipper to send you to hell. He just needs to keep you at all most.

And Paul's story as he begin to unfold it there in Acts was a collision with Christ. Paul wasn't raised in the upper room. He didn't come from a Pentecostal altar and he came from a religion that was without revelation. Acts 26 and verse 9, he makes this statement. I barely thought with myself and we break that down into our terminology. I come up with my own idea and my own plan and my own religion. How many times have we gotten into trouble oursel because I thought I had all the answers and I had this all figured out and I quickly realize I'm way over my head or I think that I'm right to the detriment of my own self. Back in July, many of you know I had a run in with a chainsaw and still have scar on my hand to remind me of my foolish decision that day. But I almost got away and I was thankful for a doctor that was there to put it all together again. But sometimes we enter into a situation we think, well, I think I can beat the odds. But I've come to tell you almost is not a place that you want to live and reside and allow in your life. I thought I was doing right. I thought I was okay. I thought my intentions mattered. Religion without God's spirit working inside of us always ends in self-justification. I think I'm good enough. I'm better than. But we see Paul saw a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun. The scripture tells us God blinded him in a physical sense, but he opened his eyes to see his heart. And he made this statement in verse 15. I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It wasn't an idea or a doctrine or a metaphor, but this was Jesus talking to him. You are persecuting me. Please see me for who I am and what I want to be in your own life. Paul in his physical blindness, he saw a revelation of salvation when he called out, "Lord." And I've come to tell you that today is a day of salvation when we allow lordship in our life of almighty God to replace the self preference that we have lived to this point with. We must embrace Jesus Christ. We must embrace him as Lord of our life and surrender our will for his will in our life that we can get beyond the almost and be sold out totally to him.

Because you see salvation requires obedience. >> There is no almost saved. >> I did this much I should be okay. John 3 and5 gives us a plan. Says verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. We can't leave out steps and come up with it and design our own way. We're not almost born again. We're not born again in theory. I prayed a prayer once. So no, we must be born of water, baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins. >> Born of the spirit, allowing him to fill you overflowing with the Holy Ghost with speaking in other tongues. That is his plan and that is his desire for our life. But we'll never attain that if we live in a principle of almost for ourself. Acts 2 and38. Then Peter said unto them. Peter didn't invent this apostolic doctrine but he came to reveal it. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. That Holy Ghost is for everyone. But it's also not optional. It's not cultural. It's not even denominational. It is what thus sayeth the word of God. And if we're going to be sold out and all together obedient to the plan that God placed in his word for us to be overcomers, we must follow that principle and not the almost.

If you read through the scripture, the book of Acts agrees in Acts 8, Samaritans received the Holy Ghost. 10, Cornelius's house received the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues. Acts 19, Ephesus was rebaptized in Jesus name and received the Holy Ghost. This apostolic truth is not my plan or your plan or someone else's idea. It's not an almost principle that we can reside by, but it is God's plan and it's exactly what scripture declares we all must follow after. It's not an almost for anything. I'm afraid sometimes we are deceived in our own heart. There's a danger of closeness without surrender. Agria was so close. He heard the gospel. He felt conviction in his life. He was addressed personally in this message. And yet he chose to walk away.

There was a severe flood. It overtook a small town. And the rescue team, they worked day and night pulling families from rooftops and saving people from the rising waters. And on that second day, they found a teenage boy who was stranded on the top floor of a crumbling house. The muddy water was already pushing through the windows and debris was floating all around him. The rescue boat pulls up close and a fireman there in the boat. He reached out his hand and shouted, "Grab my hand. You're almost safe." The boy hesitated. His face was pale and his eyes were wide as he looked at the handout reached. In his arms though, he held a heavy backpack. It contained his phone, his clothes, some picture albums, his dead father's jacket. Everything he thought I cannot live without. The firefighter yells again, "Drop the bag. I cannot pull you in as long as you're holding on to that." The boy shaking his head. It's all I have left. It's everything that matters to me. As the fireman leaned as close as he could, water rising by the second son, none of that matters if you drowned. Let it go. I have got you. The boy began to lower one foot toward the boat, so close that even his fingers brushed against the rescuers's glove. But suddenly the current yanked that backpack downward into the flow. The boy refusing to loosen his grip. The water swallowed him up. The firefighter screaming, the rest of the crew grasping for anything that they might grab hold of. But the boy disappeared beneath the flood. It wasn't because help wasn't there. It was not because rescue had not come his way, but it was simply because he would not release the one thing pulling him away from safety that day. Let me tell you, this is what almost looks like. You don't have to be totally opposite wrong side of the world. You don't have to be far away from deliverance. You're not abandoned by God. But reaching for salvation with one hand while hanging on to the world with the other is not a principle that you'll survive with. There's people day in and day out sitting churches every week touching the side of the rescue boat. Yet they're drowning because they're holding on to the very thing that Christ is begging them to release that he can save them. Jesus will save anyone who is willing to let go, but he will not force your fingers open. You got to willingly surrender to him.

>> People sit in church and clap their hands and they cry with us and they feel the tug of God on their heart. But when the altars are open, they fold their arms. They look down at the floor and they even whisper to theirel, "Maybe next week I'll go. I'll respond." Hell is filled, I'm afraid, with people who are almost persuaded.

James 4:14 says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the tomorrow, for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appearth for a little time, and then vanishth away." so real a scripture in my life in the last few weeks. We don't own a single heartbeat. We're not owed the next breath. My dad drove himself to Memphis on that Wednesday morning, had the test, and the doctor said everything was clear. the last text he sent to me and my two brothers. I'm finally headed home. But three hours later, that took a totally different meeting where his life was gone on this earth. But he had a madeup mind. It wasn't an almost, but is all together. The enemy will whisper in your ear tomorrow. I've come to tell you the cry of Jesus is the one you want to hear. He's saying today. Today is the day for you to make a change. Today is that day that you must make a commitment. Above all else, Lord God, I'm going to serve you. Second Corinthians 6 and2 says, "Now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation." Why would you wait? Not next week. Not when you're older, not when you think you've got everything in order. But right now is the right time.

>> Because I've come to remind you that the word almost is a word of regret. Imagine a grip of that day after the courtroom appearance sitting on the throne remembering Paul's testimony. He's remembering the trembling in his spirit. He remembers that conviction he felt that he stamped out. Now envision eternity. He stands before the throne of God. He remembers that day. He was close enough, but he settled at almost. The word that echoes throughout hell, almost repented, almost baptized, almost prayed through, almost surrendered. I'm going to tell you, hell has no altar calls. Hell has conviction, only his memory. Hell is the eternal almost. You say, "Well, you're being crude today. You're being harsh." There is a ferveny in the spirit realm today. And I'm not here to scare anyone because fear does not create an atmosphere for surrender. But I'm here to tell you there's an urgency in my soul as God is looking and calling for people today that are hungry for an alltogether relationship that Paul spoke of. He's looking for those who will lay aside that backpack of life that seemingly has so much that's so important. But I'm telling you that backpack is going to separate you from an eternity in the kingdom of God because you're clinging to hope in this life. And I've come to tell you and encourage you, there is a hope far beyond this life that is far better than anything you can obtain on this side of glory.

>> As the musicians begin to come. Jesus is not looking for someone that's neutral. >> You cannot just glide your way in. There is a war and a battle taking place for your soul. >> You cannot be undecided about Jesus. >> You either accept or you reject. You make that choice. Matthew 12 and30. He that is not with me is against me and he that gathers not with me scatterth abroad. Being neutral is actually rejection. Delay is disobedience. Silence is denial. And you self sined yourself with almost. Agria did not mock Jesus. He did not persecute Paul. He was a sympathizer. But sympathy without obedience is still rebellion. And the spirit is crying out today. He's speaking to someone in this room. Revelations 3 and 20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Do you hear the knock of Jesus knocking on your door? If any man will hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will s with him and he with me. He's not forcing his way in. He is a gentleman. As much as he longs to be and to fill your heart with his spirit, he's not going to force himself on anyone. But he will stand there and knock and knock. Do you hear my voice? Do you hear my plea today? Every altar call is a knock. Every tear is a knock. Every tremble in your spirit is a knock. I'm not here condemning and criticizing, but I am giving a wakeup call today that we're not guaranteed time. But what you have right now, you can make a conscious effort and choice and decision that can change all of eternity in your own life.

As you stand in this room today, I'm reaching for someone. If you know what the word of God is instructing you to do, you understand what thus saith the word of God, but you haven't made that total sellout commitment to him today. open these altars and say don't wait. Do not answer Jesus today with an almost. Church, it's prayer time. Begin to pray in the spirit. God is here reaching for souls and souls are waiting into balance. Allow an atmosphere in this room to break open that lives and hearts can truly be touched and changed. Intercede for those around you. It's prayer time. These altars are open. Don't wait for someone else. Go. God is calling you. Today is the day of deliverance. Today is when strongholds break. Today is when addictions die. Today depression loses its grip on a heart and a life. I've come to tell you, chains are breaking in this place today because someone is tired of settling for an almost in their life. Today's the day to find repentance. I invite you to come.