The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
Acts 23:11Jesus appears to Paul at night and tells him he must also testify in Rome
11 The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, “Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome.”
The conspiracy against Paul, his nephew's warning, the letter to Felix, and Paul's journey to Caesarea
12 When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13 There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy.
14 They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
15 Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
16 But Paul’s sister’s son heard they were lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.
17 Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him.”
18 So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you.”
19 The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
20 He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.
21 Therefore don’t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you.”
22 So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”
23 He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night.”
24 He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.
25 He wrote a letter like this:
26 “Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
27 “This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.
28 Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council.
29 I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
30 When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.”
31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks.
33 When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
34 When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,
35 “I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.
The trial before Felix, Tertullus's accusations, Paul's defense, and Felix's frightened response to the gospel
1 After five days, the high priest, Ananias, came down with certain elders and an orator, one Tertullus. They informed the governor against Paul.
2 When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Seeing that by you we enjoy much peace, and that prosperity is coming to this nation by your foresight,
3 we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.
4 But, that I don’t delay you, I entreat you to bear with us and hear a few words.
5 For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
6 He even tried to profane the temple, and we arrested him.
8 By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him.”
9 The Jews also joined in the attack, affirming that these things were so.
10 When the governor had beckoned to him to speak, Paul answered, “Because I know that you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I cheerfully make my defense,
11 seeing that you can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem.
12 In the temple they didn’t find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the synagogues, or in the city.
13 Nor can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me.
14 But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;
15 having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
16 Herein I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.
17 Now after some years, I came to bring gifts for the needy to my nation, and offerings;
18 amid which certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, not with a mob, nor with turmoil.
19 They ought to have been here before you, and to make accusation, if they had anything against me.
20 Or else let these men themselves say what injustice they found in me when I stood before the council,
21 unless it is for this one thing that I cried standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged before you today!’”
22 But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred them, saying, “When Lysias, the commanding officer, comes down, I will decide your case.”
23 He ordered the centurion that Paul should be kept in custody, and should have some privileges, and not to forbid any of his friends to serve him or to visit him.
24 But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus.
25 As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, “Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you.”
26 Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given to him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore also he sent for him more often, and talked with him.
27 But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
The pastor worked through Acts 23:12 through 24:27, following Paul from the conspiracy against his life in Jerusalem all the way to two years of house arrest in Caesarea under the governor Felix. The sermon traced how God's promise to Paul, that he would testify in Rome, held firm even as human schemes multiplied around him. Felix heard the gospel plainly and chose to put off the decision, and the pastor let that sit squarely in front of the congregation.
What was said
The morning opened with a reminder of where the previous week ended: Jesus had appeared to Paul in the Antonia Fortress and told him, "Be courageous, Paul, for just as you have testified to the truth about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome also." That word "must" carries the same weight it does when Jesus says he must go through Samaria. It was not a rebuke for Paul having rushed to Jerusalem against all the warnings. It was a straightforward vote of confidence and a promise: you are going to make it.
Before daylight the next morning, more than forty men took an oath not to eat or drink until Paul was dead. For them this was religious, not merely political. They believed the temple remained desecrated until the blood of the one who desecrated it was shed. They brought the scheme to the chief priests and elders, who were mostly Sadducees, and asked them to provide a pretext, calling Paul back before the council so the ambush could work. The plan was tight and the number of people involved was large.
What unraveled it was Paul's nephew. He heard about the plot, went into the barracks, told Paul, and Paul sent him straight to the commander. The commander, Claudius Lysias, took the young man by the hand, heard him out privately, and then moved quickly. He assembled two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, and moved Paul out of Jerusalem by night. He also wrote a letter to Felix the governor in Caesarea, describing the situation in terms that were accurate enough but left out the part where his own soldiers had chained Paul before learning he was a Roman citizen.
The pastor paused to describe Felix, drawing on Josephus and Tacitus. Felix had been born a slave, worked his way into power, and governed with cruelty, lust and greed. That portrait matters because it is this man who is about to hear the gospel. When Paul arrived, Felix read the letter and stalled, asking where Paul was from and promising a hearing once the accusers arrived. The parallel to Jesus before Pilate was noted, a powerful figure looking for a way to pass the case along rather than rule on it.
The trial that followed had the shape of a courtroom drama. The attorney Tertullus opened for the prosecution with thick flattery for Felix, then accused Paul of being a public menace, a worldwide stirrer of dissension, a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, and a man who had tried to desecrate the temple. Paul's defense was calm and specific. He pointed out the timeline, twelve days was not long enough to organize an insurrection. He said he had gone to Jerusalem to worship and to deliver charitable gifts. He acknowledged one thing openly: he had shouted about the resurrection of the dead in the council, and that was the only thing that could even be called disorderly. Felix deferred the case, saying he would wait for Claudius Lysias to come down before deciding.
Some days later Felix summoned Paul again, this time with his wife Drusilla present. She was Jewish, which meant the household had some familiarity with the Scriptures. Paul spoke about faith in Christ Jesus, and then moved into righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. Those three things landed hard on a man whose life was defined by their opposites. Felix became frightened and sent Paul away. "Go away for now. When I have an opportunity, I will summon you another day." The pastor named the three responses available to anyone who hears the gospel, accept it, reject it, or defer it, and said Felix chose deferral. He then kept Paul loosely imprisoned for two years, partly hoping for a bribe, and when he left office he left Paul in chains as a favor to the Jewish leaders.
The pastor closed by saying Paul always preached for a decision, even when he was defending himself in court. The fear Felix felt was the right response to hearing about the judgment to come, but fear alone does not produce humble faith. The good news, as Paul presented it, is that God has made a way out of the danger of that coming wrath, and it is available to anyone willing to receive it with humility rather than put it off until a more convenient moment. Quoting a lyric from Rush was the way he put the deferral plainly: if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages
in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
Pastor Nathan pointed out that when Jesus appeared to Paul in the Antonia Fortress, He did not wag His finger and say 'you got ahead of me.' What does that response from Jesus tell us about how God deals with us when we run ahead of Him with good but poorly timed intentions?
Paul's nephew overheard the plot and brought the information to Paul, and the Roman commander acted to protect Paul's life. How do you see God working through ordinary, even unexpected, people and institutions to accomplish His purposes?
Speaker 1Let's let's sing some more in from the vestibule. Ibule. How about that? Would you stand with me? We're gonna sing Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It.
It's hymn number three fifty six, but whatever comes up on the wall, that's what we're singing.
Speaker 2Redeemed, his child and forever I am. Redeemed and so happy in Jesus. No language my rapture can tell. I know that the light of his presence with me doth continually dwell. I think of my blessed redeemer.
I think of him all the day long. I sing for I cannot be silent. His love is the theme of my song. Redeemed. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
Redeemed. Redeemed. His child and forever I am on the last. I know I shall see in his beauty the king in his mighty light, who lovingly guarded my footsteps and giveth me sons in the night. Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed, redeemed, his child and forever I am.
Amen.
Speaker 1How about this one softly and tenderly softly and tenderly. I've heard this as an invitation my whole life growing up, but I think it's good to just sing anytime. It was in my head all day long yesterday, probably because I knew it was coming this morning. But softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling.
Speaker 2Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me. See on the portals, he's waiting and watching, watching for you and for me. Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading pleading for you and for me? Why should we linger and heed not Jesus is calling, calling whole sinner. Come home.
Speaker 1Amen. Y'all sang it like it was written. I sang it like I I knew it growing up. Y'all can have a seat. I think that there was a dotted note in there where I grew up, not on this page and not the way y'all sang it.
So announcements, here we have a few. Awana is starting back up and the registration is open. So from pre k to fifth grade. The cubbies are like two and three year old, potty trained but above that. Right?
Cubbies and then Sparks and then Truth and Trainers goes up through fifth grade. That's starting September 15. So two weeks from tomorrow, that's starting up. If you'd like to sign up, you can register a child at firstbjacks.org. There will also be folks here at 05:45 the night of signing people up, but it helps if you get started early.
That's great. Awana is getting scripture into the minds of the kids to reach the hearts of this next generation. We have a missions trip going to Guatemala, October 11 through the eighteenth. That's a Saturday to Saturday trip mid October and the details are at firstbjackson.org. If you want
Speaker 2to know more about the place and what the what the settings are surrounding or the logistics, if
Speaker 1you want to know more about that, you can talk to Tanya or you can talk to me or you can talk to Mike Demetrius, but there's a lot of information on the church website and there's more information if you want to go on the hope of life website too. Jackson Hole Women's Community Bible Study is happening on Wednesdays from September 10 through October 29. That's from 10:00 in the morning till noon. They're covering the book of Genesis this time and it's at the Pres Church. So PCJH on South Park Loop, that's happening this fall.
Childcare is provided. That's the study that sometimes it's here. Last semester was at Gateway, this time it's CPCJH. So childcare is provided. You can sign up at jhwomen'sbiblestudy.com.
I don't see Nancy Baxter in here, the first service she made this announcement. Sisters Saved by Grace. Sorry. It is both. Sisters Saved by Grace.
It's a women's book study actually. Praying with Power is the book that they're going through. It's really about relationship with God and prayer being that communication back and forth with God and also with these other sisters that are saved by grace. The books are in the office and available. They're $7.
It starts September 4, which is this week. Right? This Thursday. So that's good. I can vouch for that.
That happens at the same time as the elders meetings, and sometimes I'd rather be upstairs. But anyway, I'm kidding. That's a joke that didn't land. It's okay. Don't worry about it.
I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. It's really, really fun. They have a good time. They eat together, they pray together, and they just love each other, and it's wonderful.
And we do the same thing except for the eating downstairs in the elders' meetings. Okay. Oh, bills. Oh, bills. This is happening.
The first Be Benevolence Fund is how we use the funds that are given through the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. The old Bills Fund Run platform is that there are old Bill and mister and missus old Bill started this and challenged a bunch of co challengers to amplify giving given to any of the philanthropic organizations in Jackson and there are a lot of them. First b's, benevolence fund uses this money for saying yes to people who are in need. PCJH uses it for Wednesday night meal, Gateway uses it for something else, the Samaritan, Good Samaritan Mission helps to house the homeless, Compass Women's Care helps. There's a new organization this year called, It Takes a Valley, which I think you'll hear a short blurb about next week that helps ladies who are postpartum and having difficulty after birth of a child.
There are lots of different things that you can give to. Usually, a dollar in through old bills is a dollar and 0.5 out the other side, so it helps to amplify your giving. So that's good. First BBQ is happening. The last one of the summer is happening next week, September 7, right out here on the green space.
We'll have breakfast, games, food, fun, fellowship between service. So that'll happen at about 10:00. And if there's anything else that should be up here, the Awana. I did think of one others. In the first service, the Awana informational gathering.
So Jenny Mae, Sherwin and Danny are going to do an informational gathering. For anybody who wants to volunteer for Awana, you can come down the hall in between services during first BBQ. It'll let the line go down. If you go down there, you can learn more about what's happening with Awana during that. And I think that's it.
Is that it? Blake's got one? Yes. Thank you, Blake. So Laurie Grant, our dear sister that held that pillar up for a long time, did pass on Monday, this past Monday.
And we love her dearly and her family dearly. And we have not yet made the plan for exactly when, but she we will be having a service for her in the near future. But Laurie And please pray for Jessica, for Chris, and for Julie as they deal with a fairly sudden loss. She had not been she had not been really sick for a long time and the thought was that she would not pass. So it was a kind of a difficult and surprised situation.
So Laurie was here two weeks ago, three weeks ago. She's been around and she's just dear and I think the world of her. And we're looking forward to a home going. Right? A good Thank you, Blake.
I appreciate that. Anyways, there Connor. Thank you. I'd rather have Jesus. Would you all stand with me?
We're gonna keep on singing praises and thank you. The softly and tenderly has been on my mind a lot lately and those invitation hymns and probably some of the text of scripture today that all four of those verses of that last song are gonna linger with me for a while. But let's sing, I'd rather have Jesus. Amen. There's a sweet sweet spirit in this place.
Speaker 2Amen.
Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I'm gonna invite the ushers to come forward and would you pray with me for the operatory as we go through this, the worship through giving. Lord God almighty, I'm thankful lord to be here this morning. Thankful for this this group assembled in your name, lord.
And I thank you we have the place, we have the time, we have this beautiful Sunday to just get together and agree, to be of one mind, in one place, in one accord. As the book so often says in Acts, Lord, they were of one in one accord. Lord God Almighty, I pray that we would be in one accord humbly before you as a group and individually, Lord. We'd be looking to do your will and your way. We ask you to take all that is placed in these plates, Lord, whether it's the financial resources or metaphorically the conversations and the meditations of our heart and our minds.
What we allow to come out of our mouths. May it be gracious, Lord, seasoned. May it be good. May it be merciful. May it be loving.
May it be forgiving. May it be helpful for the building up of your kingdom and for individuals within it. In Jesus name, we ask that we would be a part of the advance of the gospel. So Lord, take these funds and do with them as you will in your way. In Jesus name, amen.
Amen. Thank you, Judy. Thank you. Here we are. Woah.
That's a skip forward. So I will say, this morning, getting here very early this morning, I had prepared for the for this week, for today, I've been preparing two sermons at the same time. I didn't know which one it was gonna be this week. So it's one this week and one next week, I presume. But I I usually, you know me pretty well.
Usually, if I finished last week at twenty three eleven, you know where I'm gonna start this week, twenty three twelve. And so that's what I'm doing this week. That's what I decided on this morning. But I have prepared like parallel paths. So next week's gonna be a topical sermon.
I'm giving you fair warning. I don't ever do that. Maybe at Christmas, maybe at Easter, but I have one that is a topical sermon next week. So pray for me because it's out of my ordinary. Twenty three twelve through yes, that's right.
Twenty four twenty seven, almost two chapters of acts is what we're gonna go through this morning. We closed last week with this, twenty three eleven. Twenty three eleven, after Paul has been apprehended in the temple area and he's about to be pulled apart and they were intent on killing him because certain people thought or at least they said they thought that he had desecrated the temple. And so, it started a near riot which brought on Roman troops. Roman troops come down and protected him, and then took him back to the council the next day, had the council appear and when it looked like they were gonna rip him apart again, they had to protect him again.
So that's what we covered last week. The last thing that we covered is this, Jesus appeared to Paul on that very night when he was taken up into the Antonia Fortress on the Temple Mount right next to the temple. He was taken up there and Jesus appeared to him at night and stood near him and said, be courageous Paul, for just as you have testified to the truth about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome also. The must there is the word must and it's the same kind of word that Jesus uses says, I must go through Samaria. There's a there's a necessity to do do this And so he's saying, just like you have testified here in Jerusalem, you're gonna testify in Rome.
So that's a vote of encouragement for Paul because he's been near death several times in the last couple of days. Okay? So you're gonna make it to Rome. I'm gonna use you to testify there. That's a good vote of confidence.
It's also something that is pretty gracious considering Paul's timeline where he's rushing towards Rome. I mean, rushing towards Jerusalem to get there even though the whole of the Holy Spirit witnessed before that was, don't go, don't go, don't go, they're gonna put you in chains, don't go. And Paul went anyway, but Jesus doesn't wag his finger and say, no Paul, you shouldn't have done that. You got ahead of me. He doesn't say that.
He says, be courageous Paul. You testified to me and that's a good thing and you're gonna testify in Rome also. So that's an encouragement. Now, when it was day, the night Jesus appears to him and then in the morning, it says, when it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and they put themselves under an oath. Now, how many of these?
What were these? Was it all every Jew everywhere? No. The Jews there formed a conspiracy and put themselves under an oath and they were saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. That's quite bold.
A fasting oath. I'm not gonna eat again. That means we're gonna do this forthwith in a hurry. Now, I made a promise or two in my life. I don't think I've ever promised I wasn't gonna eat again until such and such.
I promised that I wasn't gonna shave again until I won a basketball game and then ended up looking like Shaggy in my junior year of high school cause we went on an 18 game losing streak, but but I hadn't done this, neither eat nor drink again until they had killed Paul. For them, it was a matter of if they believed that he had desecrated the temple, that temple remained desecrated until the blood of the one who desecrated it was shed. So, it was a religious backing and they thought that they were doing God's will, they wouldn't either eat nor drink till they kill Paul. Now, were more than 40 people who formed this plot. That's not every Jew everywhere, that's just there are 40 of them who had formed the plot here, more than 40.
They came to the chief priest and the elders. Now, as we go and we're looking at things, we've got the Pharisees and Sadducees. If you remember last week, I always said the Pharisees were typically right wing and the Sadducees were typically left wing and the left wing was complicit with the Roman government and they didn't really believe the prophets. They thought they were metaphorical not actual and they believed the law but they were willing to make some not so much. The Pharisees were absolutists and they were of the people and they were more religious.
They did believe the prophets. They did believe in angels. They did believe in the resurrection. Sadducees not so much. And so, the chief priests and the elders were Sadducees for the greater majority of chief priests and elders were Sadducees.
There were some pharisees among them on the council, but when it says chief priests and elders, you can usually think lefters, not writers. So we came to the chief priests they came to the chief priests and the elders and they said, we, the ones who put themselves under the oaths, we have put ourselves under an oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. We want this to happen right away before our next meal. Now, you and the rest of the council notify the commander to bring him down to you. That's their pretext right here.
As though you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. Bring him down here and as for us, we're ready to kill him before he comes near the place. So, there's a conspiracy of over 40 that have taken this oath and they're now involving the Sadducee and party mainly chief priests and elders in order to carry this out. We need you to present a pretext so that we can go for the actual purpose and that is to kill him. But, praise God, the son of Paul's sister, that's Paul's nephew.
Paul's nephew heard about this ambush And he came, and he entered the barracks, the barracks of the Antonia Fortress. So he's welcome there. He goes in and he told Paul. His friends had access to it. He tells Paul and Paul called one of the centurions over, hey, centurion is a Roman soldier who's in charge of between 60 and a 100 men centurion, century 100.
Paul called one of the centurions to himself and said, take this young man to the commander for he has something to report to him. Now, says, take this young man. He doesn't say, take my nephew here. Take this young man to the commander for he has something to report to him. So, that centurion did that.
He took him and he led him to the commander and he said, Paul the prisoner. I I just have to stop right there. It's the beginning of his little sentence, but Paul calls himself a prisoner so often, doesn't he? Paul, Colossians, Philemon, Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus. To think that he is using this because typically when you think prisoner, that's not an elevated thing, that's a shameful thing, but Paul takes it and he says, this is what I am.
I'm held captive. He says, slave in a lot of places. He says, servant in some places and here, the other people are calling Paul the prisoner because that's who he is. Paul, the prisoner called me over to him and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you. I don't know what it is, but the guy will tell you himself and this says, the commander took this Paul's nephew by the hand.
That's a gentle thing. He took him by the hand and stepping aside, he began to inquire of him privately. Now, what is it that you have to tell me? And he said, well, the Jews have agreed to ask you to bring down Paul tomorrow to the council as though they were gonna inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. That's the pretext and he says, I don't know if you've heard this yet, but it's not just these 40 guys.
Oh, let me let me let scripture say what it says. So, don't listen to them. For more than 40 of them are already hiding to ambush him, and these men have put themselves under an oath not to eat or drink until they kill him, and now they're ready and they're waiting for assurance from you because all you have to do is sign off on him going back down to the council and he'll be dead before he gets there. Then the commander left the young man go, he let him go and instructed him, don't tell anybody else about this. If anybody else knows about this, it'll get back to him, it'll it'll mess things up.
Don't tell anybody else. You've done your job telling me. You've notified me of these things, now don't tell anybody else. And he, the commander, called to him two of the centurions and said, two of the centurions I've mentioned there in charge of a 100 guys each just says, get 200 soldiers ready. Well, he called the right number of centurions, didn't he?
Get 200 soldiers ready by the third hour of the night, by 09:30 this evening. I want you all to be ready to head to Caesarea. Caesarea, as I mentioned last week, was Caesarea, maritime Caesarea is about thirty, thirty five miles depending on how you go from Jerusalem to get up to this coastal city. It's a coastal city that had been built up by Herod the Great and was now Herod's Praetorium, is a big palace with a jail, was their seaside villa. Absolutely beautiful.
Still, there are great remains that you can still see. If you've ever been to Israel to do a tour, they'll take you to Caesarea every time. Get 200 soldiers ready by the third hour of the night. By 09:30 this evening, be ready to go to Caesarea with 70 horsemen, 200 spearmen. Let all of them be able to fight, 70 of them on horses.
And they were also to provide mounts, horses, to put Paul on and to bring him safely to Felix the governor. Now, we're hearing about who they're going to see in Caesarea. Felix is the guy in charge. Providing mounts. All of that walking that Paul has done on all of his missionary journeys, all of that walking and all of those trips on the boats and everything else that he's done, and now he's sitting pretty riding on a horse, getting out of Jerusalem by night, and he's headed towards Felix the governor.
Now who would have thought that the Roman government was gonna be the safest place for Paul? But that's the way it is. Mentioned Felix the governor. Felix the governor, I'm gonna just describe him. According to Josephus and Tacitus.
Josephus in his history says in antiquities and Jewish wars says this about Felix. Felix tenure was marked by ongoing disturbances among the people, whether from the old style terrorist hoodlums or messianic imposters or false prophets or a new threat, Sicarii. Sicarii, if you've ever heard of Sicarii or Sicarios are paid mercenaries of the short dagger terrorists. The brutal measures that he took to deal with these only turned the Jews more against him and stirred up more unrest. Tacitus says that he practiced every kind of cruelty and lust, wielding the power of the king with the instincts of a slave.
He actually had been born a slave. So Felix had a very varied life from having nothing to being in charge and governor of this area. And so Felix was brutal, cruel, and full of lust and greed. That's describing Felix. Here we are.
They were to provide mounts, put Paul on a horse and his running buddies too, since there were horses for them or maybe just replacement horses, fresh horses to get him to Felix the governor and the commander wrote a letter with the following content. This is what it said, Claudius Claudius Lysias is the commander to the most excellent governor Felix greetings. That's a common standard sort of salutation for a letter at the time. Actually, if you think about it, all of Paul's epistles start basically like this. Usually, it's grace and peace instead of greetings, but it's Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus or Paul, a prisoner of Christ or Paul, a servant in chains.
Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings, Paul would say, to so and to to the saints who are at Rome, greetings, grace, and peace, whatever. Well, this Claudius Lysias is writing to Felix, greetings. When this man, Paul, was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him after learning that he was a Roman. Now, he left out some of that, didn't he? I chained him up and we were about to do an enhanced interrogation.
He left that part out. After I learned that he was a Roman, I did rescue him and he did rescue him, but he's he's keeping things sort of positive. And wanting to ascertain the basis for the charges that they were bringing against him, I brought him down to their council. I kept him safe and then when things had calmed down, I brought him back to the council, that is true. And I found that he was being accused regarding questions and their law, in their law, not Roman law.
Roman law said you can believe whatever you want to as long as it doesn't mess with us. As long as there are no riots and what I am seeing is it's a squabble among them over their law, but he was not was charged with anything that was deserving of death or imprisonment. Yes, they were about to rip him apart and I saved his life, but I determined that this is just a question that's a theological question among them and not among us. He hasn't done anything deserving of death or imprisonment, but we're keeping him here. We have him here keeping him safe.
When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, Also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you. So not only he's a he's a good Roman. Lex, Rex or Rex, Lex, which is it? The law is king or the king is law? Which is it?
Yeah. The law is king. And so, he's trying to do everything in order and he's trying to let the governor know. He's trying to do everything in order. So, the soldiers in accordance with their orders, they took Paul and they brought him by night to Antipatris.
Antipatris Ray, where's the map? Come on. I don't have a map for you. Sorry. Antipatrice is over halfway there.
It's out of the woods. It's out of the curves. It's out of the difficult dangerous places. Antipatrice, they've hit the coastal plain and you can see for miles and there's not any danger hiding around the corner. Auntie Patrice.
On the next day, they let the horsemen go on with him and they returned to the barracks. So not all of the soldiers carried him the whole way, there was no need, he's in a safe place now, and so they returned to the barracks. But, when these horsemen had come to Caesarea and they had delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him directly. And now, when he had read the letter, Felix read the letter and he also asked for what from what province Paul was. And when he learned it, it was from Cilicia.
Now, what does this sound like to you? He's presented with a prisoner with some kind of fuzzy fuzzy accusations, and when the guy who's supposed to be the governor is presented, what does this remind you of? Does it remind you of Jesus when he's before Pilate? The first time he comes before Pilate and Pilate's like, who is this guy? Where is he from?
Oh, Galilee. We ought to send him up there to let Herod deal with him. He's passing, he's trying to pass the buck. Can you see that? He doesn't want to make a determination about this.
When he had read it, he also asked from what province Paul was. When he learned that he was from Cilicia, he's like, that's a long way from here. I guess I do have to deal with it. And he said, well, I'll give you a hearing when your accusers arrive. When the people who are accusing you arrive, I will I'll hear the hear the case as a judge.
Given orders for Paul to be kept in Herod's Praetorium which is like I said, it's a palace. It's also got prison in there but it sounds like he's been treated like a Roman citizen that's being accused but he's not being treated badly. This is not the dungeon sort of thing where he's chained up. We don't get that at all in Herod's Praetorium, seaside villa, very beautiful place. Now, after five days, the high priest Ananias, we saw Ananias last week.
Ananias is the high priest that when Paul said something, he said, smack that guy in the mouth. The high priest said this and Paul yelled back at him. But after five days, the priest, Ananias came down with some elders and with an attorney named Tertullus. Tertullus is presumably Hellenistic Jewish and they brought charges against Paul to the governor. Now, after Paul had been summoned, Tertullis began accusing him, saying to this governor Felix, and this is his opening opening remarks for the prosecution.
This is the way you can see this. You all have seen a lot of courtroom dramas and that's what this is. Tertullis began his opening statements saying to the governor, since we have attained great peace through you. Oh, excellent Felix, you're so wonderful. Since we have attained such great peace through you.
Now, you just heard what I read about how Tertullus ruled. Right? I mean, how Felix ruled. Tertullus is like, oh, your honor, you're so wonderful. Since we have attained great peace through you and since reforms are being carried out for this nation by your incredible foresight, you wonderful, wonderful leader.
We acknowledge this that in every way and everywhere most excellent feel us with all thankfulness. Can you hear how flowery this is? Flattery and flowery. But that I may not weary you any further by such praise, I beg you to grant us a brief hearing by your kindness. Can you hear the smarmy nature of this dude?
Yeah. We still hear it in courtroom dramas a lot. It happens pretty common. But he is trying to sell a favor from the only guy who can make a difference because he is judging this case. For we have found this man a public menace, public menace, and he's one who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the whole world and he's a ringleader.
Now, those three accusations right there, this is not just a limited thing that was just on the Temple Mount last week. This is a guy who's going everywhere. He starts in the synagogue and he starts trouble everywhere he goes And that is their point of view. That's their point of view about Paul. That's what they believe about Paul.
What is Rome concerned with? What's the Pax Romana? The Roman peace. The Roman peace was maintained by the Roman sword, the Roman army. And so, the peace that Rome offers is at the tip of the spear.
So we're gonna quash any kind of rebellion and so they're trying to present him as a rebellious insurrectionist that just wants to cause trouble throughout the world. The world at the time was Roman Empire. And so, he's a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. And even that they say would be almost with a curse, you know. Nazareth.
He even tried to desecrate the temple. So indeed, we arrested him. This would have been absolutely terrible. We arrested him in the very act, basically, the way they presented. He tried to desecrate the temple.
Now, it skips right here. If you're reading along with me in the New American Standard Version, you'll see it goes from verse six to verse eight. I want to acknowledge that. If you're reading in a King James or a New King James or if you have a marginal note, verse seven says this, but the chief captain Lysias came upon us and with great violence took him away out of our hands. Now, the Texas receptus tradition is a great one and I'm not gonna argue over it and I'm not gonna arm wrestle over it.
Verse seven says this, in any of the modern translations, it'll say something and I think probably heavy handedly will say, the best manuscripts or the ancient manuscripts or the oldest manuscripts. We don't really know. But verse seven, what it says is if you go from six, he tried to desecrate the temple. So indeed, we arrest him because we didn't want that kind of trouble. We know what it's like in Rome.
We don't wanna have a riot around here. And then, Claudius came and he was with greatly violent. He took him away from us. Now, is that what happened? No, that's not what happened.
They were ripping him apart. They were going to kill him, and the Romans came in and saved his life. And that's actually what the letter said that Claudius sent. So he's going against what Claudius has said. Verse seven there.
Verse eight says this, by interrogating him yourself concerning all of these matters, you will certainly be able to ascertain the things of which we are accusing him. This is that closing statement of your opening remarks that's or the closing part of your opening remarks says, we are sure that the evidence will show. All you have to do is just pay attention to what's going on and you will see for yourself of all the things we are accusing him. And it says, all the Jews who were in a tent with them, the entourage that was around, also joined in this attack asserting that these things were hear, hear, yes, just like he said, Tertullus knows what he's talking about. Now, when the governor Felix had nodded for Paul to speak, Paul responded like this.
Knowing that for many years you've been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. Thank you for the opportunity to speak on my behalf. I'm thankful and cheerful. Since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago, I went up to Jerusalem to worship. Now think about that.
He's been here for five days, Took him in overnight that six days. He was in Antonio Fortress for at least two days. That's eight days. He'd only been in Jerusalem for four days. Is that enough to cause an insurrection or rebellion?
I think that by Paul pointing out the time frame, he's saying, that's not why I went. No more than twelve days ago, I went to Jerusalem for a purpose. That purpose was to worship. It's to worship God. You know, you're 30 miles away.
You know what it's like. You know why we go, where we go. We'll learn later that Felix's wife is Jewish. Certainly, she would know why so many were headed to Jerusalem at that time. I went no more than twelve days ago to worship and neither in the temple did they find me carrying on a discussion which is not certainly not a riot.
It's certainly not an angry row. Neither in the temple did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot nor in the synagogues nor in the city itself. They went, they stayed with Manasen of Cyprus. He went and met with James and the elders of the church in Jerusalem, the believers, followers of the way. He kept himself back away from the synagogues.
He kept himself back and when he went to the temple, he did so with approval to worship for purification. Let me say so, nor can they prove any of the things that they are accusing me of. There's not gonna be any evidence. This is opening for the defense. But I confess this to you.
I will confess this to you, Paul says. That in accordance with the way, now the way, Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, the followers of Jesus at this time were mainly known as followers of the way. Paul says, I confess that in accordance with Jesus, in accordance with the way, which they call a sect and they already had. They basically said he was a heretic from the beginning. Nazarene, which they call a sect.
I do indeed serve the God of our fathers. How gracious that is. He doesn't cut them out, although they are doing everything they can to cut him off and cut him out and kill him. I do indeed serve the God of our fathers. That's so gracious.
It opens the door. It says, I am following after the same God that they claim to serve. And I believe everything that's in accordance with the law. Now, he believes Jesus is the fulfillment of that law, but I believe everything that's in the law, not one nor jot nor tittle will ever be abolished. This is what I believe and I believe everything that's written in the prophets.
So the law and the prophets, that's what we build on. I believe everything in there. Having a hope in God. That's where Paul puts his hope is in God. It's not in his persuasive speech which this is pretty persuasive, but it's just like stating the facts.
Having a hope in God which these men also cherish themselves. I recognize that they think they're God doing doing God a favor by wanting to kill me. They are religious and they are zealous for their religion. They just happen to be wrong. Having a hope in God which these men also cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
Now, here we go. This is what caused the row last Sunday when he said, it's for righteous, it's for resurrection that I'm on trial here today because he knows the Sadducees don't believe in resurrection. He knows that the Pharisees do and he knew that it would start a fight if he just mentioned that and it does. He mentions it again. Now, we know Ananias is there, Sadducee.
We know chief priests are there, Sadducee. Elders, most of them, Sadducee. And so bringing it up here in front of this court, If they hope in God, they have to be hoping in God for resurrection for both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, because I believe in God, because I believe in the goodness of his law, and because I believe in the prophets, all that they said, subtext is about Jesus and but because I believe that there is and will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, I also do my best in my own walk to maintain a blameless conscience both before God who has shown me his way and before other people always.
That sounds like Jesus. That sounds like Jesus because he's following after the father's will, loving God, and loving people. And Paul says always, this is what I seek to do. Now, after several years of being away from Jerusalem, it's been a while since I've been back here and I've been on these journeys. After several years, I came back hoping to get here by a certain time.
I wanted to be in the temple for this particular season. After several years, I came to bring charitable gifts to my nation. Now, we know that when he left from Corinth, he left from Corinth and Sentre or King Kreia. He left from there and I don't have a map of this either. It's over here.
Sorry. Over across and he comes up and around instead of going across from Corinth across the Mediterranean to get back to Jerusalem. When he finds out or through Syria, when he finds out that there's a plot against him, he decides to walk and he walks up through Macedonia and walks back through Phreesia and Cilicia and Syria and he walks back down and as he is walking that direction, he's gaining funds for the church in Jerusalem that's hurting. Now, after several years, I came back to bring these charitable gifts to my nation and to present offerings and that's what I was doing. That's what they found me occupied in in the temple.
Having been purified, they're saying I'm going against the law. The whole reason I was there was for purification. That was James and the elders told him, you you need to do this and he did. Paid for four other guys to go through their purification too. They found me in the temple having been purified without any crowd around me, just one of the guys, no uproar, no nothing.
But, there were some Jews from Asia, the same folks who had seen him probably in Ephesus in Asia, he had developed some enemies for preaching the gospel. And these folks were there for the same rights that he was there for and they assumed that he had taken one of the brothers that was from there, Trophimus, I mentioned last week. Now, there were some Jews from Asia who ought to be present. I don't see any of them here in the courtroom. They're not here.
They ought to be present before you if they are bringing charges. If they have anything against me, I have a right to face my accusers. Or else, have these men themselves declare the violation they discovered. If they came up with a declaration on me, if they came up with something in the council and they have decided it, let them present what they decided before you from the council. But they're not doing that either.
Other than in the regard, there was this one declaration, I do have to admit to this, Paul says. I shouted, I raised my voice, I'm sorry. I raised my voice to say, for the resurrection of the dead, I'm on trial before you today and I know that started to fight. But that's the only thing that I did that that could have even been judged as being out of line at all. And it really depends on which side because remember last week, the Pharisees said, oh, I don't see anything wrong with this guy when he said that.
But the sadducees are the ones that are here present today and they still have trouble with the resurrection. So I skipped some verses right here and I'm gonna have to borrow Bob's Bible. It went for some reason, I skipped verse 21 to 24. So I'm gonna do twenty two and twenty three. I promise they're in here.
Okay? Here they are. Twenty four twenty two. So we go from 21 which says this, other than in this regard, this one declaration for the resurrection of the dead, I'm on trial before you today. And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of the way, he deferred them.
He put it off and he said, well, when Lysias, the chief captain comes down, I will know of the uttermost of this matter. I'm a wait. I'm putting it off. We're going to do a stay today. I'm not going to make the decision today.
I'm waiting for Lysias because he heard that it was about this resurrection. Now, anytime resurrection comes up, anytime that Jesus has presented as having been raised from the dead, there's a decision looming. What do you believe about Jesus? Now, Felix, it says that he knew of the way. Maybe he knew it from talking to Drusilla, maybe he knew it because he's an inquisitive guy, he's in charge, he's in power, he wants to know more about what's going on.
I don't know how he knew but it says that he knew the way very well. 22 says that 23 says and he commanded a centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty that he should forbid none of his acquaintances from ministering or coming unto him. That's pretty good. If you're in a prison, you don't think of it being typical that you have liberty. He's letting him be, but he is protecting him.
He's got a guard on him and the friends are able to come and go, they're able to converse with him as they should. Now, some days later, we're almost through. Now, some days later, Felix, not the cat, the governor. Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife. Drusilla, this is the second lady that he's married named Drusilla.
I said, cruel, lustful, and greedy. That's how he's known. He's had more wives than that. He said two named the same name. This one is Bernice's sister and she is absolutely drop dead gorgeous.
Everybody in history that has written about her mentions that. She's something else. And so, he left the last Drusilla to be with this Drusilla and she is Jewish. And so he's got a background. We don't hear about Felix's background except for slave up through the ranks and he gets to be a governor.
So he sends for Paul. And this time when he sends for Paul, presumably Claudius Lysias is there. I don't know that but it's presumable. He sent for Paul. He heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.
So his wife should know the Old Testament. He obviously is inquisitive and he has been studying up on the way and now he's hearing straight from Paul. Paul. About faith in Christ Jesus. But now, as Paul was discussing righteousness, Righteousness.
Can you hear Paul in Romans right here? Paul had written Romans just a couple three months maybe before this. Not long before. All of those ideas about the righteousness of God, all those ideas about the unrighteousness that there's no one righteous, no not one. All have sinned, all fall short of the glory of God.
All of that stuff. When Paul's talking about righteousness, he's talking about how there is only one way and it is believing God and trusting in the way that he has made in the way that he has made. And so he's talking of righteousness. He's also talking about self control. Now, what do we know of Felix?
Self control ain't his thing. He is not all about self control. He rules by lust and by greed and cruelty. So as Paul's discussing righteousness, there's no one righteous. No, not one.
Yet, there is a way you can be made righteous. Believe in God for the gift that he has given and accepting it and self control. We cannot manage ourselves without divine help. So self control. I'm sure that that in Felix's mind and in his heart, that's got to be a hard one to listen to.
Speaking of faith in Christ and righteousness and self control, and now he goes and the judgment to come. There is a day that's coming. He's already said it in the last bit of this trial. He said, we all know that there will be a judgment, that there will be a resurrection for the righteous and the wicked. As he's discussing this, as he's discussing this, the judgment to come.
Felix, what do you think Felix does? Now, according to all of the presentations of the gospel in the New Testament, you've got three options. It's either accept it, reject it, or hear more later, put it off. Right? So Felix accepts Christ.
No. That's not what it says. What's being discussed is righteousness, self control, and judgment to come. And honestly, if we step away from Felix for a moment and I'll just sit this in your lap, if I'm up here discussing that there's no one righteous, no not one, there's only one way to be made right. That ultimately is the end of the cycle on behavior modification that eventually always fails to be able to walk in victory is to be able to walk in victory in Christ and the judgment to come really has to do with what you do with Jesus.
He is the way, the life, the truth. He is the only way. There's no other way to approach God the father except through Christ. That's what Paul is presenting in court. That's what he's presenting.
And so, if I'm presenting that to y'all and I am presenting that to y'all, y'all are under the same kind of proclamation of the gospel. And Felix, it's now sitting in his lap. So what does Felix do? Felix becomes frightened. Well, he should.
It should scare you. The judgment to come should scare you especially if you're walking the walk that Felix was walking. As he was discussing righteousness, self control, and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and he responded, go away for now. When I have an opportunity, I'll summon you another day. Get out of here.
Don't call me. I'll call you. He's just getting rid of him. He's putting off the decision. So to reject outright He doesn't reject him outright.
He just puts it off. He doesn't accept it either. So we don't know what happens with Felix. Actually, let's go on and see what else. At the same time, was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul.
Did that change him at all? Listening to the righteousness and self control and all that stuff? No. He's hoping for a bribe. Let Paul have all of his friends come.
Maybe they'll bring some money. Therefore, he also used to sin for him quite often and he would talk with him. Now, some of that probably was, I wanna hear more about this gospel and I hope you'll some bread bunny too. But after two years had passed, oh my goodness, all of the uproar that we've seen has just been in the last twelve days for the last four chapters, right, three chapters. But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded.
By Porcius Festus. And Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, now that that subtext there says, they did bribe him. Maybe not. The subtext is there though. And Felix wanting to do the Jews a favor, just left Paul imprisoned.
So Paul, for the Jews, he's not in Jerusalem. He's not causing the great kind of stir. He's out there. He's kind of sectioned away. But think about Paul is able to sit for two years with liberty, with friends being able to come alongside.
He's able to be there. Maybe write some letters. Send out emissaries. Slow down. And he hadn't been he hadn't been going very slow for a long time.
So slowing down and witnessing to the Praetorian Guard. Wanting to do the Jews a favor left Paul in prison. It kept him out of their hair, but it also set up this and Paul knows he's got the confidence as he's in Caesarea in this palace. He's got the confidence that he's going to make it to Rome because Jesus told him he would. Now, that's the last slide.
That's the last thing I'm covering here this morning But I wanna say, Paul always preached for a decision even when he's defending himself in court. He's presenting this and under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, Felix knew that that message was for him. And what it did for him was fill him for fear. He was startled, he was terrified at the prospect of the last day. But that being terrified or frightened does not lead to humble faith.
There's a way of hearing that message of the gospel. The good news is God has a way for you to be out of the danger of the wrath to come. That's good news. God has a way for you to walk in faith and walk in victory. That's good news.
If you will accept it with humility. If you buck up against it in pride or if you just say, I'll hear more on this later and you don't really want to make the decision. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. I think that's it. I think that's the last the last verse for the day.
The altar is always open for prayer and I'm here and I'll turn off the microphone and stop singing if you want to talk to me but I'm here all week. In Jesus name, lord, I pray that you'd lead us in the way you'd have us to go, that you would, lord, allow us to see the opportunity to speak a word humbly as Paul did, just tell the truth of our own individual experience as he did based on what you've said in your word. In Jesus name, I pray that we'd have the opportunity and that we would, Lord, step into it. I love how you told the disciples and you told them that you don't even have to prepare for it. I'll give you the words at the time.
Trust me. In Jesus name, may we be trusting you. Would you stand with me? Amen. Would you stand with me?
We're gonna sing. There's room at the cross for you.
Speaker 2The cross upon which Jesus died is a shelter in which we can hide. And his grace so free is sufficient for me. And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea. There's room at the cross for you. There's room at the cross for you.
Though millions have come, there's still room for one. Yes. There's room at the cross for you. Oh, millions have called him a friend and have turned from the sins they have sinned. The savior still waits to open the gates and welcome a sinner before it's too late.
There's room at the cross for you. There's room at the cross for you. Though millions have come, there's still room for one. Yes. There's room at the cross for you.
Speaker 1I'm gonna
Speaker 2sing one more verse. The hand of my savior is strong, and the love of my savior is long. Through sunshine or rain, through loss or in gain, the blood flows from Calvary to cleanse every stain. There's room at the cross for you. There's room at the cross for you.
Speaker 1Amen. The benediction today is from Psalm fifty five twenty two. It says this, now be casting your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. Trust him. He will never let the righteous be shaken.
Paul would say that he had sinned, he would even say he was the chief of sinners, but his righteousness was a derived righteousness. It was derived from the righteous one Jesus. That's the same hope that we have. That's the same righteousness that we have. It's derived from the one who was truly righteous.
In Jesus name, I pray that you'd go forth into this mission field, into this world with Christ in your heart and coming out of your mouth in every action. In Jesus name, amen. Amen.
