Cast Your Cares on the Lord and He Will Sustain You

In one paragraph

The pastor walked the congregation through Acts 23:12 through 24:27, covering the conspiracy to kill Paul, his nephew's intervention, the transfer to Caesarea, and Paul's hearing before Felix. The passage is narrative, but as the pastor noted at the start, the Spirit has a way of bringing conviction through narrative that is hard to explain and easy to underestimate. The closing scene, Felix...

Read together

1. Psalm 107:1 opening call to worship: 'give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his faithful love endures forever'
2. Psalm 92:1 inspiration for the worship song: 'it is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the most high'
3. Amos 3:3 offertory prayer: 'can two walk together unless they be agreed'
4. Acts 23:11 recap of where last week's study ended: Jesus tells Paul he must testify in Rome
5. Acts 23:12-35 main passage: the plot against Paul, his nephew's warning, transfer to Caesarea, and Paul's hearing before Felix
6. Acts 24:1-27 continuation of main passage: Tertullus accuses Paul, Paul defends himself, Felix procrastinates
7. John 16 those who kill you will think they are doing God a favor
8. Romans 3:10 there is no one righteous, no not one, cited while describing Paul discussing righteousness with Felix
9. Romans 3:23 we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, cited in same context
10. Romans 4:3 when Abraham believed God he counted it as righteousness, cited while describing Paul's discussion of righteousness with Felix

Talk about it

1. The pastor pointed out that Paul received personal assurance from Jesus that he would make it to Rome, and that Jesus gave him a pat on the back rather than a wagging finger about how things had gone. When have you experienced that kind of reassurance from God in the middle of a hard situation, and what did it do for you?
2. The more than forty men who plotted to kill Paul believed they were doing God a favor. How do we guard against the kind of religious certainty that leads people to do terrible things while thinking they are serving God?
3. Paul told Felix he worked to maintain a blameless conscience before both God and other people, always, as part of his reasonable service. What does that kind of daily faithfulness actually look like in practice, and where do you find it hardest to maintain?
4. When Paul spoke to Felix about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said he would summon Paul when it was more convenient. The pastor said that being under the proclamation of God's word puts you in a position where you are responsible before God, and that you may never be any closer than you are right now. Have you ever been in Felix's position, putting off a response to something the Holy Spirit was pressing on you? What happened?
5. The pastor closed by asking us to notice all the specific ways God provided for Paul in this passage, including the nephew who happened to hear about the plot and had the boldness to act on it. Where do you see God working through ordinary people and circumstances in your own life right now, and are you paying attention to it?