Acts 23:11-24:27 , Opportunity is Knocking

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Acts 23:11-24:27 Opportunity is Knocking

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Acts chapter 23 start reading in verse 11 And all the way to the end of chapter 24
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Hear the word of the Lord The following night the Lord stood by him and said take courage for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem So you must testify also in Rome When it was day the
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Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed
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Paul there were more than 140 who made this conspiracy They went to the chief priest and elders and said we have strictly bound ourselves by an oath not to taste food
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Till we have killed Paul now therefore you along with the council give notice to the
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Tribune to bring him down to you as though you were going to Determine his case more exactly and we are ready to kill him before he comes near Now the son of Paul's sister
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Heard of their ambush So he went and entered the barracks and told Paul Paul told one of the centurions and said take this young man to the
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Tribune for he has something to tell him so he took him and brought him to the Tribune and said Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you as he has something to say to you
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The Tribune took him by the hand and going aside asked him privately What is it that you have to tell me and he said the
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Jews have agreed? To ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow as though they were going to inquire something more closely about him
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But do not be persuaded by them for more than 40 of their men are Lying in ambush for him who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat or drink till they have killed him
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And now they are ready waiting for your consent So the Tribune dismissed the young man charging him tell no one that you have informed me of these things
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Then he called two of the centurions and said get ready 200 soldiers and 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen
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To go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor and he wrote a letter to this effect
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Claudius Lysias to his excellently excellency the governor Felix greetings This man was seized by the
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Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him having learned that he was a
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Roman citizen and Desiring to know the charge for which they are accusing him. I brought him down to their council
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I found that he was being accused about questions of their law But charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment and when it was disclosed to me
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That there would be a plot against the man I sent him to you at once ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him
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So the soldiers according to their instructions took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatrus and On the next day they returned to the barracks letting the horsemen go on with him when they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter
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To the governor they presented Paul also before him on reading the letter He asked what province he was from and when he learned that he was from Cilicia He said
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I will give you a hearing when your accusers have Accusers arrived and he commanded
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Paul to be guarded in Herod's Praetorium And after five days the high priest
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Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman one Tertullus They laid before the governor their case against Paul and when he had been summoned
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Tertullus began to accuse him saying Since through you we enjoy much peace and since by your foresight most excellent
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Felix Reforms are being made for this nation in every way and everywhere. We accept this with all gratitude
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But to detain you no further I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly for we have found this man a plague one who stirs up riots against Among all the
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Jews throughout the world and is a ring and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes He even tried to profane the temple
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But we seized him by examining him yourself You will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him the
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Jews also joined in the charge affirming that all these things were so and When the governor had nodded to him to speak
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Paul replied Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation. I cheerfully make my defense
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You can verify that it is not more than 12 days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem and they did not find me disputing with anyone nor or stirring up a crowd
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Either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me?
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But this I confess to you that according to the way which they call a sect I worship the
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God of our fathers believing everything laid down by the law and written in the prophets having a hope in God Which these men themselves accept that there will be a resurrection of both of just and the unjust
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So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man now after several years
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I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings While I was doing this they found me purified in the temple without any crowd or tumult
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But some Jews from Asia they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation
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Should they have anything against me or else let these men? Themselves say what wrongdoing they found when
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I stood before the council Other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them
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It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day But Felix having a rather accurate knowledge of the way
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Put them off saying when Lysaeus being comes down I will decide your case then he gave orders to the
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Centurion that he should be kept in custody But have some Liberty and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs after some days
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Felix came with his wife Drusilla who was Jewish and He said for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus And as he reasoned about righteousness and self -control and the coming judgment
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Felix was alarmed and said go away for the present when I get an opportunity. I will summon you
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At the same time. He hoped that money would be given him by Paul So he said for him often and conversed with him when two years had elapsed
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Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus and Desiring to do the Jews a favor
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Felix left Paul in prison May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his
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Holy Word Well, have you ever had opportunity come knocking?
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Financial guru Dave Ramsey has recently written a book or at least associate of his written a book I'm not sure which but it called the the proximity principle in which he argues that to get the right opportunities
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You need to be around the right people and in the right places That will help you find your your dream job be with the people and in the places that are most conducive to opportunities happening
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Well, he's probably right generally But it can be that you're in what appears to be the wrong place but still opportunities
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Come to find you When I started college 1983 1983 to 85
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Samford University looked like a horrible place to have To have athletic training to be a college athlete
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They didn't do any recruiting that I know of maybe for the basketball team But certainly not for track and cross -country the track coach was just an old football coach
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They didn't even have a football program anymore So he was sent to take care of track and he didn't really care much for the sport at all
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You and you could tell my sophomore year. They canceled the track season entirely There just didn't appear to be any opportunity really to develop well there then in my junior year
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The university's new president suddenly got serious about athletics Somewhere he found a lot of money for it
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Resulting in me getting some of that money in a partial athletic scholarship and by my senior year they hired a track coach from Retired from LSU who had coached for the
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US Olympic team and was respected as one of the best track coaches in the country So opportunity for me
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Didn't just come knocking it came and it grabbed me
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His opportunity knocking for you Is uber eats or door dash or grubhub?
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Whatever? It's called. Is it a crisis or a business opportunity? Well, I put you out of business or do you need a partner with it?
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Well people order more Chinese food or more pizza It's Christmas an opportunity for more business.
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It's cold. Do they want Chinese food more often or our modern Christmas? This is so much derived from church history.
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It's really not derived from the Bible, but whatever our modern Christmas It really sent much derived from church history as it is from you know, there's those accused because some some reform people accuse
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It's just pagan origins. Not really It's more like commercial origins from about a hundred years ago or ago hundred fifty years ago
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It is from business looking for an opportunity to sell you stuff
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The commercials are trying to drill it into your head that Christmas is the opportunity to buy something to prove your love
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You know like a Lexus and if you don't seize that opportunity Something wrong with you.
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You're you're Grinch like You have the opportunity to prove your love now, but only now don't think about next year and that's what
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Christmas is It's an opportunity like from Oh Henry's famous short story ever read the story the gift of the
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Magi Short story which which isn't it about the wise men? You know some they called in Greek the
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Magi that from the Matthew story of the birth of Christ But it's about a poor couple. They both of them wanted to get the perfect gift for each other for Christmas But they're so dirt poor that they couldn't afford anything
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And all they had to their name was that he had the man had a nice pocket watch probably inherited
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I guess because it was too poor to get it. Otherwise and the woman had very nice long hair so unknown to each other he sells his beloved pocket watch to buy her a set of ornamental combs for her wonderful hair and She sells her hair cutting it off to buy a chain for his pocket watch
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The moral of the story is that Even though they both now have worthless gifts. They've succeeded and the opportunity that is
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Christmas That's what Christmas is all about proving your love by buying useless stuff
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Just like the Magi. What is it the gift of the Magi? Whatever opportunities by definition are chances their their
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Possibilities, there's really no assurance of success you you could go to Samford University in my time and still not
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Succeeded developing yourself athletically. I had an opportunity for athletic development At Samford that turned out much better than it looked like it would have but I it was still not
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I still could have failed at it salvation peace on earth. Many people think is a possibility
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It's an opportunity now given you that Christ has common and made made possible if of course
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We seize our we seize that opportunity. We do our part, but that's really not what the Bible teaches here
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We see as we're getting closer and closer to the goal of getting the gospel to the ends of the earth
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Remember, that's what acts is that it's laid out in it's that that from Acts chapter 1 verse 8
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You will be my witnesses and eventually get to the end of the earth It's getting closer to that goal or at least before the books of acts is over.
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It will get to the crossroads Where it can then get to the end of the earth That goal isn't just an opportunity a possibility if the right people are in the right places and they they take advantage of their opportunities
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It's going to happen And we see that here in five parts First Providence second protection third prosecution fourth profession and finally
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Procrastination First there is the Providence Providence is defined by as God directing the created things in every action to fulfill his purpose
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God working through natural things Here what are God's purposes?
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Well specifically as he stated that's why I reread that verse 11 chapter 23 verse 11
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We did it with last week where Jesus told Paul take courage. Let's be brave Don't worry about all the threats and the dangers the rioting because he says as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, but she's just done before that mob so you must it is necessary it is has to happen
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Testify also in Rome He doesn't just have an opportunity to go to Rome You know if he if he takes advantage of the right
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Of the right possibilities. He has the certainty that he is going there So don't worry
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Paul Don't even worry about the 40 -plus men who have played thought to eat or drink until they kill you don't worry about it
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Sure, make yourself ready Do what you can be as shrewd as a serpent use your head divide Pharisees from Sadducees By getting them to debate the resurrection if you have to avoid if all possible going back to the council
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Someone said opportunities knock on the doors of those prepared. So be prepared But the end result depends on God's Providence we see that here by God providing for Paul's nephew the right person talk about the proximity principle
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To be at the right place and the right time to hear about this plot by over 40 men to ambush
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Paul and kill him They are absolutely determined to do that which they prove by binding themselves with an oath to not eat or drink until they kill
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Paul That's the level of their commitment, right? They're just Determined absolutely to do this their commitment to their mission of murder, but they didn't count on some bystander just hearing about their plot and That bystander just coincidentally
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Being a relative of Paul What are the chances of that you think this is some man who hears about this would be a relative of Paul Well, it doesn't depend on chance
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The Lord Jesus has promised Paul that he will get to Rome and so he arranges
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Jesus arranges the Paul's nephew Overhears the scheme to ambush him
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He was in proximity of the plot. So then he goes to uncle Paul Uncle Paul to inform him and Paul tells the centurion kind of like a lieutenant tell the tell the
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Tribune kind of like a colonel Take it take my nephew the informant and tell the tell the
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Tribune that come in He's a commanding officer and in verse 19, you know, look at the level of detail here. You look at all these details
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I don't think it's supposed to be symbolic of anything taking him by the hand symbolizes. No, no I don't think anything like that.
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It's just a sign of a true historical story The Tribune takes
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Paul's nephew by the hand leads him aside So other people around would know what he's saying to protect his identity.
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So people would know that he's the informant I guess today we'd call him the whistleblower, I guess Paul's nephew tells him the whole story about the over 40 men who are determined to kill
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Paul that they vowed does not eat or drink until they do it I Wonder I wish Paul Luke had told us.
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I wonder whether these men actually kept her oath and ended up dying of dehydration. I They gave their word.
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They should they should keep it. It should be held to it The Tribune tells him in verse 22 to keep it secret Probably because the 40 hungry thirsty men would take out their rage on him if they can't get to Paul the point is that God has promised that Paul will go to Rome and so here
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God has Protected him from the rage of a fiercely determined band of over 40 men
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God protected him now Not supernaturally, you know, like by fire coming out of heaven or 12 legions of angels defending him but Providentially by placing a young man who happened to be
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Paul's nephew in a proximity of the plot So he would have the opportunity to hear it He was the right person in the right place
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You know like Esther for such a time as this Politicians have an opportunity to get to Rome if he you know
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He plays his cards, right if he somehow escapes ambushes by hungry maniacs The gospel doesn't just have the opportunity to get to the end of the earth if we open the right doors
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And everything falls in the right place our salvation isn't just an opportunity that depends on us
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It's all a certainty as God providentially orders all things
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So next the Lord provides for his protection courtesy of the Roman Empire Think how these events have transpired.
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Okay, think about this He Paul could easily have been killed as they dragged him out of the temple if the
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Romans hadn't arrived there very quickly Actually, he he would have been killed by those 40 -plus hungry maniacs if his nephew wasn't in the right place and now his ability to get out of Jerusalem alive and Eventually fulfill his mission now depends kind of humanly speaking on the protection of the
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Roman Empire Psalm 22 verse 28 says kingship our dominion authority belongs to the
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Lord and He rules over the nations In other words they do
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What he decrees they do they fulfill God's purpose
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When we were in Ethiopia, I was teaching a class on English Did you get tell
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I learned it and the cultural attache? It's his title cultural attache of the people's of the embassy of the
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People's Republic of China took my class just to improve his English and Ethiopia simply making copies of paper like for materials for the classes is difficult and expensive
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Copying machines at least at that time were hard to get they were rare So I was having problems getting you know, just copying the materials worksheets and so forth for for my class
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But the Embassy of China had its own copying machine and my student my Chinese student the cultural attache of from China Volunteered to copy the materials for us.
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Well, that was nice. So he we got our materials supplied courtesy of the government of the
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People's Republic of China So those of you who pay taxes to the Chinese government back in the early 90s you help pay for our materials now
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I thought that we should advertise it the Chris that Christian Bible College is sponsored by we can put that baby under its subscription
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You know, it was a was it evangelical theological college sponsored by the People's Republic of China. That would be nice God had arranged to have even an officially atheistic regime
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Supply our needs. Isn't that great? He can have pagan empires here protect an apostle here in verse 23
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The Tribune dispatches 200 foot soldiers and 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen. So that's like 470 troops there
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Somewhat 70 our Calvary pretty heavily fortified. That's a good Protection a lot of bodyguards.
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It's about half the garrison stationed in Jerusalem to send Paul to Caesarea Which is the row the
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Roman capital of Judea. That's where the Roman governors lived On the coast of the
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Mediterranean they leave there urgently they leave by night That's that's before the band of hungry parched zealots could hear about this and do anything about it
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So Paul is escorted safely back to Caesarea This time provided a horse to ride on He almost certainly had walked into the city about two weeks before now
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He gets a horse horseback ride out in that nice all courtesy of the
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Roman Empire The Tribune is intent on protecting this citizen of Rome Paul not knowing that he that he is an instrument in the hand of God To fulfill
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Jesus's promise that Paul will testify in Rome. Paul is sent to Felix Antonius Felix The governor the
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Tribune sends a letter along with Paul to Felix and we finally learned this Tribune's name We've been calling the
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Tribune for a couple weeks now His name is Claudius Lysias and Lysias this letter reproduced for us in verses 26 to 30 shows him protecting
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Paul and himself He protects Paul by stating in verse 29 that Paul was charged quote with nothing deserving death or imprisonment
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Okay, he's not even a nothing deserving imprisonment. He shouldn't be in prison, right? So it sounds like Lysias is recommending that Paul be released
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Normally a letter like that from an arresting officer to the governor would contain charges against the prisoner In other words, this is what he should be put on trial for but Lysias can't listen
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He charges nothing that he deems as a crime to be punished. And so he protects Paul from the presumption of guilt
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Lysias is also protecting himself Did you notice that how he how he falsely claims? That he rescued
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Paul Because he learned that he was a Roman citizen, which is not what happened at all
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The truth was you remember that he didn't learn that until after he had bound Paul and was about to have him scourged
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But Lysias doesn't want anyone to know that he wants to make himself look like he's this champion who rescues
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Roman citizens from Jewish mobs So with that Paul arrives back in Caesarea Where before on his way to Jerusalem he had stayed remember with Philip the evangelist where Agabus prophesied
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That if he went to Jerusalem, he would be bound and sure enough. He was there now. He's back in Caesarea He's in custody
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But it's kind of a lax custody, you know, he's not like in solitary confinement in a maximum -security prison
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He's part of a palace guarded with guarded, but he has access to his friends. He's able to write
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To consult with brothers like Luke. Otherwise, they could come to him living in what was what was one of Herod the
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Great's Former palaces he's protected there for murderers plotters again courtesy of the
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Roman Empire There's an opportunity here And up to now
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Paul has been traveling and and preaching and planting churches and Luke 2 has been with the churches
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Maybe they felt at first maybe they felt some frustration and now they couldn't do
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What they have been doing now for over the last 10 years of the last decade They've been pouring themselves out into planting new churches and growing churches and now they can't do it anymore.
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They they're stuck Now no longer able to do what what had before seemed so fruitful, but now they have an opportunity
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For something else which probably proved more fruitful than they could have ever dreamed He spent two years here
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Maybe they were tempted to think that that time was just wasted sitting around writing a few letters
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But it's during these two years that he wrote probably wrote anyway Philippians Ephesians Colossians And if you've ever been blessed by those
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It came from this time Luke 2 has the opportunity You know before he lived he was a
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Greece or what we now call Turkey with the Greek churches there and only because he followed Paul here is he in Israel and now he's the opportunity to do some research
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To talk to the eyewitnesses of Jesus like Mary the mother of Jesus.
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So so he could then later write the gospel of Luke and Then later this very book acts
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So if not for this two years They may never have opportunities for all these these parts of the
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Bible. They had the opportunity to add some important books to the Bible Didn't they? Paul's enemies see an opportunity though.
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They see another kind to prosecute him We've seen Providence protection and now the prosecution and verse the first nine verses of chapter 24
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Five days after Paul was spirited out of Jerusalem under heavy guard and Ananias the priest who ordered
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Paul punched in the mouth earlier Remember that? He comes to Caesarea. That's a big deal
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The high priest comes all the way to Caesarea just for you with some elders and a lawyer They got a higher lawyer a
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Roman lawyer. His name shows. He's Roman named Tertullus People get lawyers, you know when they're serious about something
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Right, just over just like the over 40 men showed their seriousness by vowing not to eat or drink
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Until they killed Paul so Ananias shows his seriousness by hiring a
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Roman lawyer. So now he knows this mr Tullus character will know how to lay out his case in the
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Roman way to make the best impression on this Roman governor So they summon Paul and the trial is set if you like a good courtroom drama here it is
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Law and order Caesarea Tertullus begins in the traditional
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Roman way. This is actually a tradition the way they began by flattering the judge right
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Who in the judge is the governor Felix? There's no separation between the judicial and the executive that the governor is the judge beginning in verse 2 since through you we enjoy much peace
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Actually Felix was known for his brutality against any troublemakers if there was any peace it was because they were terrorized
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They were afraid of not being peaceful They would be crucified if they didn't Tertullus though is trying to ingratiate himself to Felix a most excellent
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Felix probably with a bow in every way and everywhere We accept this all the great things you have done with all gratitude
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I have so much to say in verse 4 He says about all your greatness if I said it all
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I would I would be detaining you from your duties It would take too long if I listed all the magnificent things you've done.
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So he says I beg you in your kindness To hear us briefly You know, you only get one opportunity to make a good first impression.
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And so here's it on with nauseating flabby and Then make the accusations which are three
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First he says Paul is a plague in verse 5, he's a troublemaker a
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Disturber of the Pax Romana the Roman peace, you know rogue like to feel that they brought peace to all the countries that they took over and that was kind of true even if the peace was was bought with brutality
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With slaughters of those who wouldn't submit with crucifixions of troublemakers to terrorize the people and to be being peaceful One could travel though But the reality is the truth is one could travel all the way from Israel on the eastern side of the
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Roman Empire to Britain on the western side of the Roman Empire without having to cross any borders and You don't have to worry about any warring kingdoms
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Because they wouldn't dare fight wars with each other the Romans would come in and kill them all it had been imposed
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It hadn't the Roman Empire had imposed a peace on this part of the world and now says the Roman lawyer Paul is a threat to that.
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He's a pest He taught that Jesus was the Messiah and that disturbed the
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Jews who wouldn't accept it He Paul says stirs up riots among the Jews throughout the world
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He's an agitator And if you want to stop the rioting you want to stop the agitation
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Well, you have to you have to stop the messenger you have to kill the agitator it's simple logic really
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He's the one causing the trouble. They're just dirt people disturbed by what he says You gotta kill him.
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So You know rulers They want peace They want their people working and living quietly so they can pay their taxes and mind their business
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That's what that's what they want If they riot, well that disturbs it destroys everything and it can unleash things that could destroy their power
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So they don't want riots don't really don't really care about what is true But they care what keeps the people quiet as President Dwight Eisenhower reportedly said our form of government has no sense
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Unless it is founded and it deeply felt religious faith He goes on and I don't care what it is otherwise as long as it makes the people moral and Obedient and quiet as long as it makes him happy.
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That's why rulers won out of religion Now the accusation is that Paul really the gospel is upsetting that you know
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Just to the Lord Jesus that Jesus had foreseen this he had said it said I did not come to bring peace
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But a sword People will be divided against each other because of the gospel because of Jesus sometimes they'll be divided right through families parents against children children against parents if you believe in the religion of a family ism that what matters most is the family and And you really don't care about what religion we have whether we have
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Jesus or not As long as it keeps the family together if you believe like that You know, you're kind of you'll be susceptible to this lawyers argument to his logic peace so called above all
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That's what matters Whatever upsets the peace is is bad. You got to get rid of it.
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You got to silence it Paul is a pest Because his gospel upsets those who won't accept it
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Jesus is a pest. He's a troublemaker to a family -friendly churchy entity where the kids are entertained by having a
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Santa Claus and Christmas is an opportunity to get whatever gadget they want. The real Jesus is a plague
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As the lawyer would put it to a religion that makes the church into a Opportunity with with the kids to make them just moral and quiet to the religion of moralistic therapeutic deism
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True faith in Jesus is is a threat to that The gospel is a pest to family ism to a civil religion
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To just kind of getting along Second Paul is accused in the second half of verse 5 of being a ringleader of the sect
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Literally the word there's in Greek is heresy or we get the word heresy from Other words of the heretical sect of the cult
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He's a cult leader of the Nazarenes He's a false religious leader
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Bringing in an illegal religion to disturb the Pax Romana Third in verse 6 he even the lawyer says can you believe it?
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He goes so far. He tried to profane the temple The Jews were given authority to protect their own temple now normally the
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Jews couldn't execute anyone without Roman permission but they made the Romans made an exception in the case of the temple if someone tried to desecrate it if a
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Gentile Tried to enter it. They could execute that person So the lawyer is saying by bringing this up up this last point up now
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We have authority to deal with Paul because he tried to desecrate our temple. You've given us that authority to To kill him, of course that last accusation
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That's not just an interpretation From a certain point of view, you know You say
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Jesus is a pest. I say he's the Prince of Peace You know, it's kind of depends on your point of view where you at when you accept him or not
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But this last accusation that he tried to desecrate the temple isn't just a interpretation like the previous two
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It's just false It's just a lot Even though the chorus of elders who came with Ananias the chimed in insisting it was so never mind of course about the command about you know that little command about Don't bear false witness
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Never mind that one That was the prosecution. He's a pest who provokes riots a heretical cult leader and a desecrator
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To that Paul comes in Paul's confession starting in verse 10 Felix kind of seen you can see him sitting on this judges bench kind of thrown like he nods at Paul who's been sitting there quietly listening to the first the flattery and then the distortions and the lies and he tries to get on He too
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Paul to tries to get on the good side of the judge, but you know since he can't flatter Since that's lying, you know, what what what can he say?
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the best he could do is say Knowing that for many years you have been judge over this nation No, otherwise, you know, you're in charge.
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You're the judge It's not like saying to someone, you know, just saying a song. How did I do?
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You sang Maybe someone you're playing basketball. You like my game You played basketball you dribble
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You're the judge But he says I cheerfully make my defense. Is he a pest?
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Well, is he a disturber of the Pax Romana? He says just 12 days ago. I I went up to Jerusalem to worship in verse 12
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He says they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd either in the temple or the synagogues are in the city
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They say I've been stirring up riots wherever I go, but they show that I was they can't show that I was rousing any rebels in Jerusalem if you try to profane the temple, but they can't prove it
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He says in verse 13, of course, they can't prove it because it's not true But now in verse 14 this
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I confess to you this is his profession That according to the way
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Which they call a sect a heretical cult according to that way The way of Jesus I worship the
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God of our fathers Believing everything laid down by the law and written in the prophets Notice how he emphasizes that what
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I preach the gospel comes right out of what we would call the Old Testament In other words, he's saying what
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I believe in my profession the gospel that Jesus is Lord Isn't a new thing
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It's not detached from it's not unhitchable From the Old Testament. It is the fulfillment of the
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Old Testament what Jesus brought The way it wasn't a wasn't a break from the law and the prophets a contradiction to it
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The gospel wasn't a plan B after most of the Jews refused to accept him and so God takes their their rejection
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You know is an opportunity to do something new with the Gentiles. It was always according to plan
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The church isn't something different from what happened before in the Old Testament. It comes out of it his profession is
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That far from being a a new heretical cult the way of Jesus Comes out of and is based on the
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Old Testament So because of that faith based on is hitched to What we call the
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Old Testament. He says in verse 15. He has a hope in God That there will be a resurrection
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In other words contrary to some Greek and Roman philosophy that that this life is all there is
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Like an inscription of some ancient Greek they actually have found archaeologists some ancient
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Greek Tombstones with this word described on it. I was not I was before I was born. I was not
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I was I am NOT I Don't care That was there they put on their graves contrary to that Everyone both the righteous and the unrighteous
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Paul is saying Will be raised up and judged So believing that the resurrection and and the judgment
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Paul says in verse 16 He says I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both
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God and man. I was I'm gonna be judged I'm gonna raise up and judge for my life. So I'd take pains to live with a clear conscience.
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That's his profession I was not I was I will be
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I Care if you know that you will have to give an account to God for everything you do
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You don't have to be Terrorized by punishments to make you live right, you know punishments in this life by governments.
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What's Paul a pest? Is he a radical? cult leader a desecrator of the temple
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He says in verse 17 after several years. I away from Israel. I came back to Jerusalem says to bring alms
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Alms our gift for the poor to my nation that offering for the poor Jewish Christians He was writing about at first Corinthians 16
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Remember that about a month ago practically connecting the that offering he took up to practically connect the
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Gentile Christians and Jewish ones in Jerusalem he came to bring the the money that the
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Gentiles in Corinth and Philippi and Ephesus had given to their Jewish brothers and sisters and Say, you know see but that with that gift to them see this is how much they care for you.
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They're connected to you It was an opportunity to create unity in the church, so while he was
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Purified in the temple without any crowd or tumult. I was he wasn't causing any trouble.
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He's not whipping up any mob He's not debating anybody Some Jews from Asia probably
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Ephesus who aren't here. Where are they Felix? They're not here Cause the riot they caused the riot not me.
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That's the way it you know, that's the way it always is Right, it's really not that the gospel divides sure
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Jesus said I came not to bring peace but a sword but that's that's because of their reaction to Jesus It's not that Jesus is the one who causes riots.
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It's that people's refusal to believe him Paul insisted verse 20 They can't honestly show anything wrong that I've done his profession in verse 21 that he is on trial
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Because he believes in the resurrection Specifically that Jesus has been raised from the dead and so proven that he is the triumphant Lord victorious over Death Paul wrote in Romans chapter 4 verse 25
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Jesus was crucified for our trespasses and raised for our justification as he was resurrected
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So we could be in a right relationship with a risen Lord that's
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His profession well next is Felix's procrastination
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Felix the judge the governor had some some knowledge of the way it says how to say a rather accurate knowledge of the way
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Maybe because his wife was Jewish When I see us the Tribune comes then he says that'll be the opportunity
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To come to a verdict make a decision about you Paul, but he doesn't Does he
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I mean I see it certainly came sometime he never makes a decision he keeps procrastinating hoping for a bribe
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Sounds very private sounds very real, doesn't it? He's looking for a reason to let Paul go other than the other than that.
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It's the right thing to do Are there a reason that's good for him? He didn't care about justice
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He would occasionally listen to Paul Probably just using him as an opportunity to be entertained by an interesting speaker
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Paul's probably an interesting man to talk to you know, and the the TV service wasn't very good there
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So once he brought his wife Drusilla for these dialogues with Paul Felix was a well -connected political man with a brother who was actually treasurer of the
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Roman Empire Secretary of Treasury that's pretty good connection and his new wife is this actually a second wife
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Drusilla she was the daughter of Herod the grip of the first He's the king in Acts chapter 12.
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Remember who put James to death and Captured Peter but Peter escaped with the help of angels and and he
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Herod the grip of the first when he died when people hailed him Held his speech as you know the voice of a god and he didn't give glory to God.
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So the angel struck him That man was Drusilla's father and she was now the wife of Felix who's the been appointed by the
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Emperor the whole of the Roman Empire the governor of Judea She was only about 20 years old at the time
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She's very young and is described by the Jewish historian Josephus as quote surpassing all other women in beauty
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Hey like that She had been married over to another man and Felix saw her and liked the looks of her and so he sent a
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Jewish magician To her to lure her away from her prior husband into his arms and that succeeded so he was in the immoral conniving man
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No real sense of what's right? Paul spoke to him about faith in Jesus and Paul reasoned or the word could be dialogue
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Or discourse to lectured. That's the same word We saw in chapter 19 a few weeks ago where Paul reasoned our dialogue with the people of Ephesus here
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He reasoned with Felix in verse 25 says about three things about righteousness. That is how to be righteous
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Maybe justification put in a right relationship with God through believing in Jesus and second thing self -control which
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Felix didn't have a fruit of the Spirit that's essential for sanctification to deny yourself and Follow Jesus and third thing the coming judgment that is with the resurrection glorification for believers and damnation for non -believers
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Felix it says was alarmed. He was frightened by what Paul was saying. He knew what this meant for him
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He had to make a decision about Paul, but even more importantly had to make a decision about himself about his own soul
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So he said go away for the present Told Paul when I get an opportunity,
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I will summon you Well, he has the opportunity now And over two years he left
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Paul in prison conversing with him Procrastinating like the rich man in the parable of the barns remember him
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He had a great harvest So it's a great business Breakthrough is his business is finally booming.
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He's successful after so many years of work and he's so happy That he thinks now
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Is the opportunity take it to the next level? Expand my business build bigger barns
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Maybe open another shop hire more staff But he still makes no time
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For what he's been putting off all this time getting serious about God He thinks he'll always have that opportunity can always put
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God off right? You'll always have that opportunity So Jesus says about him you fool tonight
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Your soul will be required of you You procrastinated making the big decision.
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You only saw opportunities Making money getting more stuff like what a lot of people think
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Christmas is all about This is an opportunity for more stuff and never saw the opportunities to get right with God to believe in Jesus like Felix They always put
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God off They procrastinate Felix is a picture of procrastination putting off deciding
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For on Paul for two years, but even worse putting off deciding to believe in Jesus for two years
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Paul reasoned with him He had all the opportunities in the world To believe he had the best one of the best evangelists of the world right there
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Engaging him at all the opportunities to repent to do justice to love mercy
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To walk humbly with his God But he wouldn't decide Neither would the beautiful Drusilla Who was later killed?
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along with their son Agrippa when she was visiting Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius erupted and Buried the whole city with her in it
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Felix was eventually replaced as governor and as one of his last acts He procrastinates
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Decides not to decide to curry favor and Just leaves
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Paul in prison and then he just as far as history is concerned. He fades away eventually to run out of opportunities
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Some of the same people who never miss an opportunity To please people to advance their career to curry favor grasp popularity
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Post something cute on Facebook or build bigger barns invest in property expand their business
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Turn a challenge like DoorDash into an opportunity for growth some of the same people who never miss an opportunity to make money
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Or get a younger prettier wife or more friends Always miss the opportunities to believe in Jesus To be right with God to have the power of the spirit to be self -controlled
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To be ready for judgment God says Don't procrastinate
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Now is the acceptable time today Today is the day of salvation right now.