The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
1 Timothy 1:17opened the service as a doxology: 'All honor and glory to God forever and ever. He is the eternal king, the unseen one who never dies. He alone is God.'
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
quoted loosely in the opening prayer: 'if my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray, then I'd heal their land'
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
identified as the passage preached two weeks prior, ending the Felix section before chapter 25
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 main text of the sermon, Paul's trial before Festus
1 Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they begged him,
3 asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way.
4 However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly.
5 “Let them therefore”, said he, “that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.”
6 When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.
7 When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove,
8 while he said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.”
9 But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and be judged by me there concerning these things?”
10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.
11 For if I have done wrong, and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you shall go.”
quoted directly as the source of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's courage: 'If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us...'
17 If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”
referenced to say do not let accusations be true of you: don't let it be because you are a murderer, thief or meddler
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;
2 that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
3 For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.
4 They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming:
5 who will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
6 For to this end the Good News was preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.
7 But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.
8 And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.
9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
10 As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.
11 If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12 Beloved, don’t be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you, to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you.
13 But because you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding joy.
14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.
15 For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or a meddler in other men’s matters.
16 But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter.
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. If it begins first with us, what will happen to those who don’t obey the Good News of God?
18 “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Pastor Mark opened in Acts 25, walking through Paul's trial before the new Roman governor Porcius Festus. The message traced the pressures Paul faced from religious accusers, a people-pleasing judge, and a system that kept declaring him innocent while refusing to set him free. Three application points from pastor and author James Montgomery the preacher closed the sermon: know that God is sovereign, know the Bible, and be willing to pay any price to remain faithful to Christ.
What was said
When Festus arrived as the new governor, he wasted no time. He traveled to Jerusalem within three days, heard from the chief priests and leading men who were pressing charges against Paul, and then declined their request for a change of venue back to Jerusalem. What Luke does not say outright but makes clear, Pastor Mark noted, is that those accusers had an ambush planned along the road. Festus saw through the request, ordered everyone to come to Caesarea, and held the trial there the very next day.
The charges brought against Paul fell into three categories, visible from his own defense: heresy against the law of the Jews, sacrilege against the temple, and treason against Caesar. Pastor Mark pointed out that these are the same three categories Jesus faced in the passion. Paul had followed Christ so closely that even his enemies' accusations rhymed with the accusations against Jesus. None of the charges could be proved, because none of them were true.
Even so, Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor, and he asked Paul whether he would be willing to go up to Jerusalem for trial. Pastor Mark did not let Festus off easily there. Felix before him had deferred for two years and then handed the problem to the next man. Festus, for all his administrative efficiency, had the same instinct toward people-pleasing. Both men compromised impartial justice to keep the peace with a loud and persistent crowd.
Paul's response was calm and clear. He was standing before Caesar's tribunal, exactly where a Roman citizen's case ought to be heard. He acknowledged that if he had done anything deserving death he would accept the consequence, but he refused to be handed over to his accusers on charges that everyone in the room knew were false. He appealed to Caesar, and Festus, bound by the law, had no choice but to honor it. To Caesar, Paul would go.
Pastor Mark read the three characters in the story as a mirror. Festus is a capable man who still bends toward the crowd when the pressure is on. The religious accusers, he urged, should not be read as a reason for antisemitism but as a warning about what religious fervor untethered from truth can produce. Paul, surrounded and pressured, holds his ground without becoming a doormat. The question put to the congregation was simple: which of these looks like me?
The closing application, drawn from James Montgomery Boice, moved outward from the text. Knowing God is sovereign means that even when circumstances go wrong by every human measure, God is not surprised and can use what was meant for evil for good. Knowing the Bible matters because most of the hard situations we face are not black and white, and only steady engagement with scripture lights the path through the gray. And being willing to pay any price means exactly that. Pastor Mark quoted Solzhenitsyn on how some prisoners in the Gulag maintained their integrity while others collapsed, and Solzhenitsyn's answer was that the ones who held were the ones who had already surrendered everything. The sermon closed on the words of Jesus: if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.
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.
Felix kept putting off a decision about Paul for two years, and Festus struggled with people pleasing even while trying to do the right thing. Where do you see that same pull toward deferring or accommodating others at the expense of doing what you know is right?
Paul was charged with heresy, sacrilege, and treason, the same three categories of charges brought against Jesus. What does it mean to you that following Christ closely enough can put you in the same position Paul and Jesus were in?
Speaker 2How are you? Good morning, first b. Thanks for thanks for being here. We're a little late, but I was gonna compliment you on being on being on time. Let's let's stand and worship together.
I'll just start with first tim Timothy one seventeen. All honor and glory to God forever and ever. He is the eternal king, the unseen one who never dies. He alone is God. Amen.
Speaker 1I have a few announcements this morning. We'll see what they are together, but I'm glad to be back. We went last weekend for parents weekend homecoming at Auburn University. It was good to see Pascal and her nephew Palmer is there too. And so we got to hang out with them for a few days and see a ball game and all that sort of stuff and it was wonderful.
And as I thank you, Brad. I appreciate it. Caught your eye for preaching last week, but I was also glad that I was not here. It was a difficult week. It was a difficult week for y'all.
It's difficult week for a lot of people, and it was a difficult week in in Auburn in addition to Charlie Kirk. But that murder. There was another one within the church where we attended church last week. There was an a murder that happened within a mile of the church of a beloved Auburn professor that was recently retired, 59 year old lady, killed for her truck. Someone stole her truck.
It's just a terrible terrible thing. And the high news, you all know I don't watch the news. You all you all know that. I try to pay attention to what it says, but there are some things you can't escape. And there's just a lot of malevolent evil in the world.
And it's not anything new. It's the same thing that's ever been, but man, sometimes it's just on us and we can't do anything about it. Y'all mind before announcements if I just pray? God almighty, I thank you for your restraining influence that you do, Lord, restrain evil. But as sovereign as you are, you've given us free choice and people are free to choose to do horrible, horrible, horrible evil.
So Lord, today as we gather right here, I pray that what we'd be doing is lifting up a good God who is urging us, who is pleading with us by creation and by your word and by your people, who is urging us to walk on a straight and narrow path. And Lord, would you keep our hearts aright? Would you keep our minds aright? Would you allow us, Lord, the grace of understanding your word and being able to walk it out. So in Jesus name, I pray for the services that will be held later on today down in Arizona.
For the safety of that and for it to be a healing balm to a nation who is very divided. I pray that your name would be honored and that you would be very present, that you would Lord, I I hear it all the time. I don't say it much myself, but from Chronicles the verse about if my people who are called by my name. So Lord, that's that's those of us who have accepted Christ. If my people who are called by my name, Christians, would humble themselves and pray, then I'd heal their land.
So Lord, in all humility that we can muster, we step away from thinking we're right about everything. And Lord, we just ask you if you would direct our steps, empower us to do good, and to hold back evil. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Amen.
Now, see if we can get through the announcements. A water registration is open, and this is another little thing too. We got to see Carl while we're in Alabama. And the missions committee of this church voted to send funds to that little church in Alabama to start an Awana program. Their Awana started last week and they'll be on Wednesday night this week going.
Hours will be Monday nights. Tomorrow night, we had the first one was last week and the second will be this time. You don't have to have been here for the first one to be here for the second one. If you have a child that you'd like to enroll, you can do it online or you can do it in person right here. It's a pretty cool thing to see this program grow and spread.
There is a horse whispering event tonight, this evening, 5PM out at the Diamond Cross Ranch up in Buffalo Valley. I cannot say enough good about this. It's an amazing event. You really kind of have to be present to understand what's going on. Horse whispering, Grant Galaher up at the Diamond Cross Ranch today, 5PM this evening, That ought to be a good time to be together.
JH Women's Community Bible Study has started back up. They are covering the book of Genesis at the Presbyterian Church this time around from 10AM to noon. They do have childcare provided and that's for the ladies. Sisters Saved by Grace is also a women's study. That is they're concentrating efforts this time on praying with power.
It's a book and praying with power. There are books available in the office for $7, but they meet on Thursdays at 6PM in the fellowship hall. That's a great group of ladies that get together, pray together, study the word together, and sometimes eat together, and that's good. Precept has started back up too continuing in Ephesians, Thursdays at nine, bring your colored pencils. It's a good time to study the word together.
An inductive Bible study, we're using scripture to translate scripture. And oh, between services today, there is a confirmation vote for Van Jones. Van Jones is what the the elders and the search committee have recommended to the church and there's a confirmation vote between services. It's for members only. But if you are a member, I'd encourage you to stay for that vote.
Is there anything else I need to say or do about that? Alright. If there's anything else that should be on the church website, and if not, you can ask me, you can ask Nick, you can ask us, and we'll try to direct you where you need to be. I'm glad to be back this morning. Praising God with you.
Would you stand with us?
Speaker 2Once you greet one another,
Speaker 1we'll come back with a song. Even better.
Speaker 2Amen. God, we come before you, and we just pray this morning that you would touch our hearts, Lord. Be here in this room, and we just pray that you would teach us something that you want us to to to know today. And we just pray that your presence would be here with us. Name we pray.
Amen. Sing with us.
Speaker 1Amen. And it's time for children's church. Oh, no, it's not, is it? It's worship through giving. Baptist preacher forgot the offering.
Good gracious. Let's do that first. How about that? I know the kids are excited to get down there. Lord God almighty, we thank you for for all that you are and all that you do.
Lord, we cannot comprehend you. But what we see, is good. So Lord, I pray that I pray that we would see more of who you are and what you are, and that you would begin to reflect that onto the society around us by using us, Lord. Use us in the way that you would and your will done in your way. Lord, would you show us that?
And we pray that these offerings would be multiplied, Lord, to do whatever that work is here and to the very uttermost parts. I know of five wells that have been dug in Africa this year because of these people. Water of life. We ask that you would use us, Lord, to reflect your glory and your light. We pray to see more of you and to show more of you.
In Jesus name, we ask your offer that this blessing on this offering would be done. Your will and your way, lord. That's all we want. Amen. Now it's time for children's church.
Thank you, Lisa. Thank you, Judy. Alright. So, the last time that I I was here and preached couple weeks ago was the end of chapter 24 and all this week, I have been planning on presenting the next two chapters of Acts. All week long, I've been planning on doing chapter twenty five and twenty six because that's the kind of feel like that's the end of the the of this particular portion.
And praise God for the intervening spirit. This week, I woke up yesterday and thought, I can stop right there, and it'll give them a break. And I think it makes more sense for this week that we're all living in too. So here we go, acts 25. It's Paul's trial before Festus.
Now, what we just finished two weeks ago was Paul's trial before Felix. So now some days later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife. This is Felix is the one who's listening to the case now, and Paul has already been declared innocent multiple times. He's already been moved in protective custody to Caesarea, maritime Caesarea to get him out of the hot political climate of Jerusalem where he is hated, beloved by some, but hated by many others. And so Felix arrives with Drusilla, his wife, who is Jewish, should have a little bit of a background and understanding of what's going on, And he sent for Paul and he heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.
That's what Paul was talking about was faith in Christ Jesus. Christ, Messiah, anointed one. This is what the Old Testament has been pointing towards Christ, Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness and self control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and Felix responded, go away for now. I don't want can't do this anymore.
He was feeling conviction. He's feeling convicted and he says, go away for now and when I have an opportunity, I'll summon you and you could think he's right on the verge, almost persuaded as the old song says. But what was being discussed? This makes people uncomfortable. Righteousness and self control and the judgment to come.
If we're honest, it should make all of us a little uncomfortable. On the front side of really understanding salvation in Christ, right, that's righteousness is where what's what is that? How do you define that? Well, we have it defined in Christ Jesus. We have it defined by good and holy God who is his exact nature and representation is Jesus.
We can look to Jesus, the author, the perfecter of our faith. And self control, though he was, God did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped. You know, he emptied himself. Self control and the judgment to come. He came to open the age of grace and he will be here to close it too.
So the judgment to come is coming. That's what was being discussed. Next few verses at the same time, he was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. So, he's looking for a little bit of more data, a little bite, a little grease grease in the palm. That's what he was kind of hoping for.
So, righteousness was not his primary concern. He he also used to sin for Paul quite often and talk with him. But after two years had passed, this guy had deferred making a judgment for two years. Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and Felix wanting to do the Jews a favor. As a judge, should you be wanting to do one side or the other a favor?
No. That's not an impartial blind justice. Felix was succeeded by Porteus, Festus and Felix wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul in prison. He deferred making a decision which he had every right to make for two years, and then he left it for the next guy. So here's where we start our and we're just gonna examine the cast of characters just for these 12 verses.
So the cast of characters are Porcius Festus, we were just introduced to him, and the Jews, which I can say, I think I need to say for our day and our time, the religious folks. Okay? These are the people who are doing their best as the religious folks. They wanted to live righteously, the Jews. And then Paul.
So that's the cast of characters for these 12 verses. Festus. Festus is not gunsmoke sidekick. Okay? Not Marshall Dillon's sidekick.
Every time I think of him, I think of that crinkled hat and that kind of weird affect. But Porcius Festus ruled from '59 to '61. We have external evidence of this from Josephus' antiquities, and he mentions it again in the Jew Jewish antiquities and Jewish wars. Those are the references if you wanna look them up. It's kind of interesting, but '59 to '61, that's not a long term, but it is the time when Paul was on trial.
So we know that when it happened, we know where it happened, and this is a good historical accurate record of what happened. Now, Festus then after arriving in the province, went up to probably from Rome. I mean, he's he is he gets his marching orders from Rome. And he arrives in the province most likely at Caesarea, Maritime Caesarea, that is the Roman stronghold in the area. But honestly, Jerusalem was kind of the county seat.
Okay. It was the place where you had if you want to do business, that was the most bustling of the towns, especially if you had any business with anything related to Judaism. And so, after arriving in the province, he went up to Jerusalem, up is actually Southeast just a little bit, but it's up because it's 3,500 feet of vertical change. He went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea three days later. So this guy is not deferring.
He is getting things done. So Porcius, we can say, is a good administrator, and he's intent on getting stuff done. Whatever is his responsibility, he wants to make sure it happens, and that's actually what Josephus says about him. Now, chief priest and leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul. Now, we've seen them before, we know who these people are, and we know that they're kind of following.
They had come down to speak in front of Felix, and it looks like it's more than just the chief priest, the leading men, and the Jews. The crowd is probably growing some in this appellate court. It goes up from there. Now, think about this. We have a law against double jeopardy.
Right? If you're in jeopardy and you're declared innocent, you're innocent. He's been declared innocent and not let go. And it goes to a higher court. Who who appealed that decision?
The prosecutors. That's weird. The chief priest and the leading man of the Jews brought charges against Paul and they were pleading with Festus. My professor of Greek says, they persistently implored him. It's sort of the same language of the the lady who was trying to get the judge to do what she wanted the judge to do and she just kept on going and tapping her foot in the door, kept on knocking.
They persistently implored Festus. He's a new guy in town. He's only been there less than a week, and he's with them, and they have his ear, and so they're persistently going after him. So that's the the Jews, and we're already through a few verses. We're not going very far today.
Requesting a concession against Paul. So this is the concession that they kept on imploring that he, Ephesians, might have Paul brought to Jerusalem. This is what we want. We want a change of venue. So you all know what happens in change of venue cases, don't you?
If you're a prosecutor, you want it to be the meanest possible jury that you can possibly get. And if you're a defense lawyer, you want somebody that knows nothing about the case that the change of venue is what they were looking for. Now, it goes on to say why they were looking for a change of venue. It says at the same time, they were set in an ambush to kill him along the way. There are plenty of places in that 35 miles where they could have ambushed Paul.
Now, we saw that he was led out of Jerusalem towards Caesarea with 200 soldiers and 70 horses and all of that. So, what they're saying is bring him back, bring him back to us. This is where he really ought to be tried. Now, Ephesians then answered that Paul was being kept in custody. You can read that as protective custody.
Okay? He understands the case. Maybe in the three days that he was there, he read over the documents and he had people fill him in, but he knows that there's danger in Jerusalem for Paul. So, he knows he's being held in Caesarea for cause because his life had been threatened. Perhaps, even read Claudius Lysias' letter.
It should have been in the file and that he himself was about to leave shortly. So he knew that Paul was being kept there for a reason. He knew he was only gonna be in Jerusalem a few more days. He needs to get back to Caesarea to do the business that he is there to do because that's where the Roman court is set up. Therefore, he says, have all of the influential men among you go there with me to Caesarea.
It's not a long way away and you all know how to get there. It's not a big deal. You can go with me and if there's anything wrong about the man, which he's already implying, he doesn't see anything wrong with him. He's already saying Felix has said, I don't see anything deserving death. If there's anything wrong with the man, then have them bring the charges against him there.
That's where the court is, that's the right place. And Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them and he went down to Caesarea back down the hill, 3,500 elevation feet, about thirty, thirty five miles. And on the next day, he took his seat on the tribunal. That man likes to get things done. He's not dilly dallying at all.
A type a, we'll say. I myself am a motivated type b. On the next day, he took his seat on the tribunal and he ordered that Paul be brought in. So he's a good administrator intent on getting stuff done. And after Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him.
Doesn't that sound menacing? It's a bigger crowd and it doesn't say that they were on they were at the prosecution table and he's at the defense table. It says they stood around him. Now, he's been threatened by a mob in Ephesus. He's been threatened by a mob in Corinth.
He's been threatened by a mob. He's had to been lowered down over a wall before and he's been beaten a bunch of times before. But to have those guys standing all around him, that couldn't have felt comfortable. To me, this has a hint, just a shade. It's not exactly the same verbiage, but it sounds like Daniel in the lion's den to me.
And he's surrounded. Paul arrives and they they stood around him and it says bringing many and serious charges against him, which they could not prove. Thank you, Luke. This is the shortest trial we see in Paul's time. Before Felix, it was much longer and he gave a detailed description of his conversion and he talked about Jesus and he talked about righteousness and self control and about judgment in the process of defending himself.
But this one, we just get just barely the facts and we're gonna get another full description in front of Agrippa in the next two chapters. But this just simply put, they brought a lot of charges, but they couldn't prove them. And while Paul said this in his own defense, I have not done anything wrong, either against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar. Now, are the three things, the categories I should say, the many and serious charges that were brought against Paul by just hearing his defense. These are the three categories.
Now, there might have been a lot more charges, you know, specifically, he took Trophimus into the temple, which he didn't, but they thought he did. They couldn't prove it because it didn't happen. It's hard to prove something that didn't happen. Against the law of the Jews, against the temple, Caesar. So if you were to kind of classify those, it'd be this, heresy, that's against the law of the Jews.
And we we constantly are looking for heretics, aren't we? Yeah. We always have been. Against the temple, for them, the temple was the place where heaven met earth. It was the place where where God meets mankind.
And so against the temple would be sacrilege. If you were speaking against the temple or if you were plotting against the temple or if you were trying to bring an outsider inside of the temple. So that'd be sacrilege. And then, against Caesar would be treason because this is the Roman Empire and it is the Pax Romana, the Roman peace, but it's enforced by the Roman military. Right?
So they brought on charges of treason. If you were to look back at Jesus' life, what do you think he was charged with? These three. So if you're following, Paul says, follow me as I follow Christ. He's being charged with the same kind of stuff that Jesus was charged with.
They couldn't prove any of it because none of it was true. But Festus, wanting to do Jews a favor, doggone it, Festus. I had all these good hopes for you. He's a good administrator, but he wanted to do Jews a favor. Why do you think that is?
I mean, Felix wanted to do him a favor and left him in jail for two years, deferred, abdicated his responsibility. This one, Festus says, he wanted to do Jews a favor, so there's a hint here of people pleasing and if we're honest, most all of us have it. Not all of us. There are a few of y'all that don't care at all. But I mean, I'll just say, Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor.
All these guys made this trip. Here they are. He replies to Paul and he said, are you willing to grow up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges? If it's all the same to you, yeah, let them have what they want. So he he wanted to do Jews a favor, but at the same time, he followed the law.
Okay. That's good. I I was I'm not gonna say anything bad about Festus here. He was just trying to make it civil, trying to keep it civil. Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me?
It's not them. I'll be the judge there too. But are you willing to go up Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges? Are you? So this is the examining the cast of characters.
This is Paul's character here. Paul, when confronted with this question and knowing what his nephew had told him, know, they were preparing an ambush on him and they're plotting his for his life and all that. He knows that he's in danger, so Paul said, I'm standing before Caesar's tribunal in Caesar's court right here, right now, where I ought to be tried. This is the law of the land and this is where I ought to be. I've done nothing wrong to the Jews.
This is a great line. Paul says, he's a Roman citizen. He understands his rights. He understands God's word better than the people who are accusing him. He's apparently not afraid even though he's surrounded by these other people.
He's speaking clearly and he's not a doormat. He doesn't let them just run over him. Well, whatever you say, I guess so. I've done nothing wrong to the Jews as you also very well know. You've read the case, you know that this is just trumped up charges.
This is not real, as you also very well know. He trusts him to know. And he doesn't he's not a believer. So he but he trusts the system that he's in to work the way it's supposed to and he asserts it right. That's good.
That's Paul. If, Paul says, if therefore, I am in the wrong, that's a statement of humility. If I'm in the wrong and I have committed something deserving death, I'm not trying to avoid execution. I am willing to stand judgment. I'm willing to stand.
If I've done anything wrong, I'm willing. I'm not trying to avoid execution. Actions have consequences, and he recognizes that. But if there's nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. You can't just hand me over for no reason.
I appealed to Caesar. And that's his right as a Roman citizen. Where is Caesar? He's in Rome. Then when Festus had conferred with his counsel, he said, you've appealed to Caesar.
To Caesar, you shall go. That's the end of verses one through 12. Okay? So where is Caesar? Caesar's in Rome.
It sounds crazy that the a little guy like Paul that's just in this backwater of the he has the ability to appeal all the way up to Caesar and yes, that is the law. And so those guys, Lexrex, the law is king. To Caesar, you appeal. To Caesar, you'll go. So that's the right of the guy defending himself.
The guy prosecuting, I don't understand how prosecuting gets to appeal. I don't get that because double jeopardy is so deeply ingrained in me and my American soul that I I just don't understand how you can keep on being declared innocent. Like Jesus was declared innocent seven or eight times in the passion. And Paul's been declared probably six or seven times now by this point in Acts. So how's that for a change of venue from Maritime Caesarea all the way to Rome?
And we'll hear all about that in chapter 27, the getting there in 28. But if we're examining the cast of characters, Porcius Festus is, I think, a good administrator who's intent on doing the right thing according to the law and that's good. There are some good things about Festus that we can see. In fact, even the people pleasing part of Festus, even if you're feeling a little people pleasing, then you can still do the right thing. You have to be objective about what's going on.
Porcius Festus, we get that from him. The Jews, I really think that we need to read this as the religious folks. Paul has said a couple of times, he said, I understand in in short, summarizing. I understand where they are because that's where I was. Until I came to a saving and understanding of Messiah Jesus, I would be right where they are.
But the the facts of the matter are this, Christ is the way. He's the truth. He's the life and so for him, he understands that religious animosity and religiosity has a driving effect on people that Paul gets it even though he's surrounded by them. He he gets that there's a fervor there that creates mobs and creates mob violence, and I think that when we read this, we need to say to ourselves, am I guilty of any of this sort of thing? So when we're examining the cast of characters and we look at the Jews, instead of becoming anti semitic, all those darn Jews, they continuously or they killed Jesus and now they're trying to kill Paul.
No. No. No. No. No.
These were the religious folks, and they thought they had right on their side just as Jesus had forecast ahead of time that there will come a time where the people who kill you think that they are doing God a favor and that time is still now. There are people that think when they kill Christians, they are doing God a favor. And Paul, the victor. Well, he still appealed to Caesar. He still got to have his case heard, but the file will go with him, you know.
But he's victorious in this case because he does not go back to Jerusalem where he's gonna be killed alongside the road. And he is, though Festus has not declared it yet, he'll Agrippa and Bernice will come in and they'll hear the case. But he is coming out of this victorious, and we all know he will make it to Rome. So application. I'm going share my application first, okay?
And mine was based on two chapters. And particularly these verses I think show that truth, you might see the same application slide next week. But I'm also going to share James Montgomery Boyce is a Presbyterian Minister in Philadelphia for a long or in Pennsylvania for a long time. And his three points at the end of application I wanna share with you all too because I think they're really good, really really good. So the application, don't be afraid to tell the story of how you met Jesus.
There's no theological argument against a changed life. Don't be afraid to tell the story of how you bet Jesus and we've seen Paul do that multiple times and we'll see him do it a couple more times before this is over. Now, different audiences may get slightly different versions of that story. If you're speaking to the Jews, appeal to the Old Testament as much as you can. If you're speaking to Romans, appeal to law and order as much as you can.
You know, but different audiences get slightly different versions of the story. That's okay. None of those it's it's not a lie. Be careful, Jesus said. Go out innocent as doves, but also be aware of what's going on around you.
There is danger around us. Christianity is innocent before the state. Every time it comes up in Luke, every time it comes up in Acts, Christianity itself is innocent before the state. And to say that it's not honestly is blasphemy. It's calling good evil and evil good.
Christianity properly practiced is innocent before the state. So I would say the practitioners, true practitioners of Christianity, followers of the way are also innocent before the state. You don't have to fear. We have we don't need to put our thumb on the scales. We don't need to put our thumb on the scales and say, because I am Christian.
No. No. No. No. No.
If you're truly a practitioner of Christianity, you are innocent before the state. Now, I'll I'll put with that first Peter four says, hey, don't let it be because you're a murderer, a thief, or a meddler, you know, a busybody. Don't don't let them they're going to say evil about you, but don't let it be true, basically. Like Paul says, if I've done anything wrong, I'll I'll be glad to pay the consequence for that but they're going to speak evil of you anyway. Let it be for your righteous ness and not because you're a law breaker.
People pleasing is not an inherently good quality. It's just not. But integrity is. Paul has integrity in this story. Festus seems to the religious folks don't.
That's landing heavy in a room on a Sunday morning. I know y'all came here to hear God's word, but the religious folks are the ones who don't have integrity in the story. The people who know the Decalogue, the 10 commandments, thou shalt not murder our planning and assassination. That's awful. So I'd say integrity really really matters.
And then I'm gonna get to James Montgomery boys. He's a he's a he's a heck of a preacher. No God is sovereign. Actually, let me put my glasses on so I can see what he says. Brad complained about being 40.
Most of us don't live in circumstances where the world's accusations against us are as fierce as these were against Paul. Though there are places in the world where they're harsh and Christians do suffer physically. Nevertheless, you and I face a world whose value system is hostile to the standards of the Lord Jesus Christ, righteousness, in which we are constantly pressured to compromise or to deny our faith. How are you and I, weak and sinful human beings as we are, to stand against such pressure? How are we going to stand when the world says you have to go along to get along?
Nobody who's rigid ever gets ahead. If you tell the truth, your competitor's going to get the edge, pretty soon you'll be broke. Well, let me suggest three things and these are his three application points. Know that God is sovereign. He's sovereign over your circumstances.
Yes, he's given you responsibility and yes, your responsibility, but God's sovereignty matters. It makes a difference. He can use what is meant for evil for good. He can. And I pray that we see him do that in our everyday life and in our times and in our nation.
Knowing God is sovereign over your circumstances gives you great power because it means that even if things don't go right for you from a human point view, it will still be right because God understands and does ordain. He he is not surprised. Let's think about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they stood against the powerful monarch of their day, Nebuchadnezzar. Decreed that everyone had to worship a golden statue. It's set up on the plane and it represented the whole Babylonian empire, the whole system.
To refuse to bow to it was treason which is one of the things he was on trial for. So, these young men would not bow to it because that was idolatry and they knew better. So, he had them hauled in and he was outraged and he was ready to execute him by throwing him into a burning furnace, but they were utterly unafraid just like Paul. How could that be? He was threatening with death.
Where did their strength come from? And it came from their knowledge of God's sovereignty, and they said, this is Daniel three seventeen and eighteen. If we're thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it and he will rescue us from your hand, oh king, but even if he does not. We want you to know, oh king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold that you have set up. The but if not there is so great.
But if not, he can save us. But if not, we're gonna live as he has directed us, righteousness, self control, right? Judgment to come. I'd rather face God having done what I know he wants me to do than face man and get whatever they think I need. Know the Bible.
Knows know God is sovereign as first. Know the Bible. You have to know the Bible because the situations we face are generally not black and white. If the situation is black and white, we know what to do. But the problems that we face are usually gray.
It seems that we ought to do one thing, but then again, there's another side to it. And if the situation does not seem gray immediately, if you talk to your friends, it'll become gray soon enough. Since everyone will see it from a different point of view, there's only one way to find your way through the gray areas. Be studying the Bible. Be meditating on the Bible and be seeking to apply the Bible.
There are some things that are very clear to understand, but they are very hard to do. And we fight over the things that are very hard to understand and have nothing really to do. There are things in it that we may not fully understand, but when we do understand them, they're clear. The path is dark because the world is dark. But the Bible illuminates the path and shows us where to go.
Amen. No god is sovereign, know the Bible, and pay any price necessary. You have to be willing to pay any price necessary to stay true to Jesus Christ. Any price? Yes.
Any. There are times in history when Christians are told bow down or die just like those three guys and they refused to bow down. Many have died. The history of the church is filled with the stories of the martyrs. At other times, it's not death that's required, but but such things as loss of reputation, success, advancement, or the good opinion of our friends.
Well, we say if if I acted as a Christian in that situation, my boss would never understand. My wife, my parents, my friends would never understand. We fail to do what is right because we're not willing to pay that high price. That's people pleasing by the way. We're not ready to surrender everything to follow Jesus.
You can know that God is sovereign and you can know that and know what is right because you study the Bible. Yet, you could still fail to do what is right because you value something else more than obedience to Christ. So, we'll mention something from the Gulag Archipelago by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. He says that it had to do with weather, when, in the Russian prisons Let me just read this again. There was a notorious prison system of Russia where some prisoners seemed to survive the interrogations and maintain their integrity while others collapsed under it and lost their identity entirely.
He says it had to do more with whether or not one was willing to pay the price for one's integrity. So here's what Sultan Newsome says, at the very threshold you must say to yourself in this prison, my life is over. A little early to be sure, but there's nothing to be done about it. I shall never return to freedom. I am condemned to die now or a little later than now.
But later on, in truth, it will be even harder, and so the sooner the better. I no longer have any property whatsoever. For me, those I love have died and for them I have died. From today on my body from today on, my body is useless and alien to me. Only my spirit and my conscience remain precious to me.
Confronted by such a prisoner, the interrogation itself will tremble. Only the man who's renounced everything can gain the victory. Now, you and I are servants of the Lord Jesus Christ in the middle of a hostile world. And the only way we're going to be able to stand against the world when it pressures us is if we're willing to give up everything to follow him. Everything you say?
Yes, everything. But why should we be surprised? He gave up everything for us. It is he who said, if anyone would come after me, he must what? Deny himself.
Take up his cross daily and follow me. A cross is a symbol of death. He was teaching that we must be willing to die to be his followers. That's the victory of faith that overcomes the world. Ask the band to come back up.
Lord God almighty, I pray that you would impress upon us exactly what it is that you would have us do in our daily lives. That is a denial of self and it is a following after Jesus. Would you show us that by your spirit? Would you empower us by your spirit to walk out the steps that you've planned in advance for us to responsibly carry out. In Jesus name, amen.
Would you stand with us? I'll say the altar is always open for prayer and I'm up here but I'll turn the microphone off if you want to talk right now and I'm around if you want to talk during the week, okay? God is moving among us, and I pray that it'd be sensitive to hear his spirit and go as he directs. Amen.
Speaker 2Let's be reminded who we are in God.
Speaker 1Amen. I want to remind you about the vote that's between services but if you want to take a quick break to go use the restroom or grab something and come back, you're welcome to do that. But if you're a member and you want to be in here for the vote, that's going to happen. So, the rest of us, if we can, clear out, give, we're going to give you five minutes. I went over a little bit but hey, we started late.
Alright. The blessing is this, lord, may you make your face to shine upon us and give us peace that you would reduce fear, anxiety, and depression and allow us to live in the present day in your presence before the world that surrounds us. Amen.
