The Radical Reality of Regeneration  Text: Acts 26:20 (CSB) – “Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.”  Grace and peace to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, we’re going to talk about a doctrine that doesn’t get enough airtime in our feel-good, self-help churches—a doctrine that separates the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the chaff, the true believer from the pretender. We’re talking about *regeneration*. Now, I know some of you are thinking, “Preacher, that sounds like one of those big theological words that’s just gonna fly over my head.” But stick with me, because this is the heart of what it means to be a Christian. Regeneration isn’t optional—it’s the radical, supernatural change that God works in the life of every sinner He saves. And when God regenerates a man, that man doesn’t just clean up his act a little bit. No, sir. He changes radically!  Let’s dive into our text. In Acts 26, Paul is standing before King Agrippa, giving his defense, recounting his conversion and his mission. And in verse 20, he says he preached that people “should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.” This isn’t just a call to say a prayer or raise a hand in a church service. This is a call to a total transformation—a turning from sin and a turning to God that produces a life marked by fruit. That, brothers and sisters, is regeneration in action. What Is Regeneration? First, let’s define our terms. Regeneration is the sovereign work of God through the Holy Spirit whereby He takes a dead sinner—someone spiritually lifeless, enslaved to sin, hostile to God—and makes them alive in Christ. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:1, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Dead! Not sick, not wounded, not struggling but still kicking—*dead*. And what can a dead man do to help himself? Nothing! He can’t climb out of the grave. He can’t will himself back to life. It takes a miracle of God to raise the dead, and that’s exactly what regeneration is: a miracle.  Jesus Himself said in John 3:3, “Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Born again—not by your effort, not by your decision, not by your pedigree or your good intentions, but by the Spirit of God blowing where He wills (John 3:8). Titus 3:5 calls it “the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” It’s a new birth, a new creation, a radical change orchestrated by God alone. The Radical Change Now, let me make this plain: when God regenerates a sinner, it’s not a Band-Aid fix. It’s not a little tweak here or a minor adjustment there. It’s a demolition and reconstruction project. Look at Paul himself. Before his encounter with Christ on the Damascus road, he was Saul—breathing threats and murder against the church (Acts 9:1). He was a Pharisee of Pharisees, zealous for the law, and he thought he was doing God a favor by persecuting Christians. But when Jesus met him, blinded him, and raised him up, Saul didn’t just become a nicer version of himself. He became a new man—Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, preaching the very gospel he once despised. That’s what regeneration does. It takes a man who loves darkness and makes him a lover of light. It takes a woman who’s chained to her sin and sets her free to walk in righteousness. And here in Acts 26:20, Paul says this change isn’t just internal—it’s visible. “Do works worthy of repentance.” Regeneration produces a life that proves the change. You don’t get to claim new life in Christ and keep living like the devil. No, sir! If God has regenerated you, your life will show it. The Evidence of Regeneration So what does this radical change look like? Let’s break it down from the text. Paul preached three things: repent, turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.