0:00
I was moved last week and and had not expected it and forgive me lord for not expecting to be moved when we just look into your word. Speak, oh Lord, like we just sang and fulfill in us the truths that are contained there. So, I I am I'm asking y'all to pray with me this morning that God would give you something that you can take home, that you can take into your walk this week, in this chapter and a half that we're going through. So, lord, that's what we ask that you would apply this text to our lives in a way that may even be surprising to us. In Jesus name, amen.
0:35
I typically start wherever we left off last week. Y'all know that. This is where we left off last week. The very last verse we considered as Paul was apprehended in the temple grounds and was taken up to the Antonia Fortress. At night, Jesus stood next to him and said, Paul, be courageous for just as you have testified to the truth about me here in Jerusalem, you must also testify in Rome.
1:02
So he has the assurance from the risen savior that he's gonna make it to Rome, and that's good. That's really good considering all he's about to go through in the next couple of chapters. He's got the assurance from Jesus that he will make it to Rome and he had it's it's almost a pat on the back, not a wagging finger that you rushed into it, Paul. Dog on it. No.
1:26
He says, you did carry the word forward and you're going to keep on carrying that word forward. I told you that you'd be my apostle to the Gentiles and here you have done it in Jerusalem. You want to give every chance that you could but they closed the door on you and here we go to Rome. So, the next verse right here and before I start here, I usually start just wherever I left off. Next week is a topical sermon and I think that that's the case because it was either going be next week or this week and this ain't it.
1:57
So, I prepared two sermons all week long. One of em is topical from the book of Acts. It's a little bit of a review but it's a review through a certain lens and I think it's helpful and so we're working. I'm working towards the topical sermon which I almost never do. Pray for me.
2:13
Okay, here we go. When it was day. So, is after that night that Jesus appears to Paul and says, you're going to make it to Rome. When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and put themselves under an oath. Now, Jews are these?
2:30
We'll keep going and see what Luke says. So, they put themselves under an oath saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. Oh my goodness. That's I have one time said I'm not going to shave until I win a basketball game. It's very seldom that I said I ain't going to eat again until I did get something done.
2:49
We went on an 18 game losing streak. I looked like Shaggy from Scooby Doo before it was over. There are more than 40 who formed this plot. So, there is a a group of the Jewish guys, probably the ones who were making accusations against him. He's up protected in the Antonia Fortress, and they make a plot not to eat or drinking again until they had killed Paul.
3:13
Do you remember in John 16? I wasn't saying it directly to Paul because Paul was one of those untimely apostles but he said it to the rest of the disciples. He said, there come, there will come a time when the people who kill you will think that they're doing God a favor. There were more than 40 who formed this plot and they thought they were doing God a favor. In fact, if Paul had desecrated the temple, killing him would have been the way that the desecration is removed.
3:41
So, they were religiously zealot people and they came to the chief priest and the elders. That's the sadducee in party. Now, the Sadducees were the, I call them left wingers. The left wingers were the ones that were complicit with the Roman government and the Pharisees were more of the people by the book paying attention to the law and the prophets and the Sadducees were a little bit less. So, didn't believe in resurrection.
4:06
They were the ones at the end of Paul's presentation that got so upset. Now, they are the chief priest and the scribes and the elders, the sadducee party, lefters versus writers. They came to the chief priests and elders and said, we've put ourselves under an oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. It's only right that we'd get rid of this guy. Now, y'all of the council notify the commander to bring him down to you as though you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly.
4:40
We've already made up our mind on it. You're not gonna have to investigate any further. If you get him down here, we'll take care of the rest. We'll kill him. And as for us, we're ready to kill him before he comes near the place.
4:51
His blood won't be on your hands. Actually, it would be because they're the ones lying to get him to come down. But thank you, lord. The son of Paul's sister. So, that's Paul's nephew.
5:02
You ever heard of him before? Actually, after the sermon last week, several people said, I think those two chapters were put in the Bible just recently because I had never heard that story before. Said, you're so tired of acts by the time you get there, you're just trying to flip pages and get through it. But the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush. Paul's nephew was there and he came and he entered the barracks and he told Paul, there was access for his friends when he was in the Antonio Fortress and Paul called one of the centurions to himself.
5:35
Now, centurions, Roman soldier in charge of about 60 to a 100 men. So, Paul calls one of the centurions to himself and says, take this young man. He doesn't say, my nephew. Take this young man to the commander. He has something to report to him.
5:49
So, he took him and he led him to the commander. Paul's a Roman citizen. His Roman citizenship actually is valuable to these Roman centurions. They give him a higher status than they probably would have just anybody else. Right?
6:05
So, he took him and he led him to the commander. He said, Paul, the prisoner, oh, just stop right there for a second. How many letters does Paul start off? A prisoner of Christ Jesus. Paul a prisoner.
6:16
This is a thing of shame most of the time, but not for Paul. And this is not said of him the way that he says it of himself, but I just had to had to dwell on it for a minute. Paul the prisoner. Not Paul the great capital a apostle. Paul the guy who's been who knows how many miles spreading the gospel.
6:34
Paul the prisoner called me over to to him and he asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you. I don't know what it is. The commander took him by the hand. That's even sweet right there. There are all kinds of commentaries written.
6:50
I've got like 11 commentaries on acts and they are all arguing about how old this nephew was. Some of them say he was a child because he was taken by the hand. Most people say he's probably in his twenties. Took him by the hand and he stepped to the side and began to inquire of him privately, what is it that you have to report to me? He's taken this seriously and Paul's nephew says, the Jews have agreed to ask you to bring down Paul tomorrow to the council.
7:18
So that says that the chief priests and elders of the Sadduceeum party has already agreed to this deal. They're going to send for, and the guy might have actually already heard this request. The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the council as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. So don't listen to them. More than 40 of them are hiding to ambush him, and these men have put themselves under an oath not to eat or to drink until they kill him.
7:46
And now they're ready and they're waiting for assurance from you. Oh, yeah. I'll send him down. They're making the plot. Then the commander let the young man go, instructing him, don't tell anybody else this.
7:58
Because if anybody else knows about this, you just can't tell how things are gonna go. He pulled him aside privately. This is the commander of the Antonio fortress. He's got lots of people under him, knows how authority works. Tell no one that you've notified me of these things.
8:13
And he called to him two of the centurions, the guys that are over 60 to a 100 men each and this is fun to me. Two of the centurions, he said, now get 200 soldiers ready. Hey, they're just the guys to talk to. Get 200 soldiers ready by the third hour of the night. So, that's 09:30, twenty one thirty.
8:34
Yeah. In the evening. It's so specific. Luke is a good historian. Get the soldiers ready by the third hour of the night.
8:43
Get them ready to proceed to Caesarea Maritime. I've already told you it's a military fortress. Herod's Praetorium is there. Nice big palace with a prison. By the third hour of the night, be ready to go to Caesarea with 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen.
9:01
Like that's something. They were also to provide mounts to put Paul along. All of that walking he's done and now he's riding in style. Mount, probably his friends or or at least fresh horses for the journey. Somebody's not carrying him, he gets to swap off.
9:20
They provide mounts to put Paul on and to bring him safely to Felix the governor. It's the first time that we've seen Felix. Felix is not a cat. Felix is the governor. He's not a great guy, honestly.
9:34
To to hear the lawyers speak, he they they build him up, but that's what they do. Your honor, your honor, your honor. You hear that all the time. But honestly, he's not an honorable guy. He's he's had several issues.
9:47
He was known to lead by lust and greed. That's what Josephus says about him. Tacitus has some stuff to say about him too. None of it's terribly positive. So, he's Felix, the governor, and he wrote a letter.
10:02
The commander wrote a letter with the following content. Claudius Lysias, Claudius Lysias is the commander. To the most excellent governor Felix, greetings. Typical standard salutation for the time. When this man, Paul was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I came to them and with the troops and I rescued him.
10:22
You're welcome. Now, what really happened? He chained him up, was ordering to have an enhanced interrogation until he found out he's a Roman citizen. He skips that part. I rescued him.
10:34
He did, in fact, rescue him. After learning that he was a Roman Oh, yeah. He did kind of say that in there. And wanting to ascertain the basis for the charges because I'm a good commander, that they were bringing against him. I brought him down to their council and he did do that.
10:52
He protected him from the mob violence, waited for that to calm down, called the council together and brought him down before them, and then it got started again and they had to he had to be rescued and carried away again. I found that he was being accused regarding questions in what? Their law, not our law. It's not Roman law. It's theological, not civil.
11:17
I found that he was being accused because they were upset about something in their law, but he was not charged with anything deserving death or imprisonment. I could see that. Now, I know that we have given them the right to handle some stuff on their own, especially temple stuff because we don't understand that stuff. I know that, but I was called in. I don't see anything deserving of death of improvement.
11:40
When I was informed that there would be a plot against this man, we know that it was Paul's nephew. I sent him to you at once. Also, instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you. It's an appellate court. That's great.
11:58
Do you see Lex, Rex, Rex, Lex? I don't know what that is. Is the law king or is the king the law? They're really serious about the law being king. They're really serious about this guy getting his due process.
12:10
So, the soldiers in accordance with their orders took Paul and they brought him by night to Antipatris. Oh, come on Ray, where's the map? It's only like 30 miles from Jerusalem to Caesarea Maritime. It's not that far, and Antipatris is out of the danger zone. Okay?
12:29
They get down the hill, they're out of the way of all the great places for ambush, and it says, on the next day, they let the horsemen go on with him, but they returned back to the barracks because the the hardest part of the journey was over. They still had plenty of spearmen, plenty of horsemen to go, and when these horsemen had come to Caesarea and they delivered the letter from Claudius Lycius to Felix, they also presented Paul to Felix. Now, when he had read it, he also asked from what province Paul was and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, does this sound like anything else to y'all? Remember the gospels when Jesus is apprehended around the temple and then he's taken to Herod. He's like, where are you from again?
13:13
Oh, Oh, he's taking to Pilate. He goes, I don't want to do this. This is aggravating. I shouldn't have to. He's under Herod.
13:20
Go to Herod and now Herod and Pilate become buddies that day, it says. This, he's trying to pass the buck. He's trying to figure out where it is. So, he doesn't have to make this decision. It's political.
13:31
Lot of things are. He learned that he was from Cilicia and he said, I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive. Claudius Lysias says that he has made them aware of this and they'll come soon enough. I'll give you a hearing when your accusers arrive because the right to face your accusers, that's part of the Lecturex, right? That's part that the law is king.
13:55
Giving orders for Paul to be kept in Herod's Praetorium, which is a seaside palace that is just wonderful, and it sounds like he's being treated like a Roman citizen, not like a drag of society. So, after five days, the high priest Ananias came down. Last week, we saw Ananias command for him to be smacked in the mouth. Right? Ananias was so frustrated with Paul, can't stand him.
14:22
After five days, the high priest himself, Ananias, came down with some elders and an attorney named Tertullus. Tertullus is probably Hellenistic Jewish guy that understands Roman law pretty well, and they brought charges against Paul to the governor. And after Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began accusing his opening statements saying to the governor, since we have attained great peace through you, oh excellent one. Right? Can you He's pretty flowery with his speech, which is still fairly common in courtrooms.
14:58
Since we have attained great peace through you, oh excellent Phelous, and since your reforms are being carried out for this nation by your foresight, because you are so smart and brilliant, and there's no one like you. We acknowledge this that in every way, in everywhere, most excellent feelings, with all thankfulness, we're so grateful just to be in your presence. But that I may not weary you further by all of this flattery, I beg you to grant us a brief hearing by your kindness. Can you hear that? It's so smarmy.
15:31
Smarmy. I'm just aggravating. For we have found this man a public menace and one who stirs up dissensions among all the Jews throughout the world. How far does the Roman Empire go? They consider it throughout the whole world.
15:46
And he's saying, this is not a regional little thing just on the temple grounds that caused just last week. It's not that. This is a big deal. This guy's all over the place. He's so in dissension everywhere.
15:56
Among all the Jews throughout the world, where does he always start? He always starts in the synagogue and he's a ringleader, a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes and just to say the Nazarenes, to say that it's a sect is to make it it's a he's a heretic. They're already pointing out that there's all kinds of stuff wrong with this. We're not a problem. He's the problem, right?
16:21
He's a ringleader. He's a public menace. Everything that they say stirs up dissensions. And what do we know about the Roman government more than anything else? The Pax Romana, the Roman peace is a peace that is held by the tip of the spear.
16:36
And so, there's not gonna be a riot here today, people. Not on my watch. That's the way all of the people. That's the way we see all the people. Pilate, Claudius, a lot of them.
16:47
He's a ringleader. You can't trust him. And he even tried to desecrate the temple. So, indeed, we arrest him. We did our fair share.
16:54
We did what we were supposed to do and then it says from verse six to verse eight. I know some of y'all have a fine eye and you're going to say, what happened to verse seven? Verse seven, if you want it from the King James, King James, New King James, the King James three, several others that use the textus receptus as their basis will have this, but the chief captain Lysias came upon us and with great violence took him away out of our hands. Now, how did the story go? The story went, the Jews were about to tear him to pieces, and the Romans came in and saved him.
17:26
Now, did chain him up for a moment till they figured out he was a Roman citizen but they weren't about to kill him. He was under the threat of death until the Romans came in and saved him. So, this maybe it belongs, maybe it doesn't belong. That's what it says, just so you know. It's a long tradition, but if you have a New American Standard or most other modern versions, it'll say, the best manuscripts or the most oldest or most ancient manuscripts.
17:55
I'm not going to arm wrestle you over this. Okay? But the chief priest chief captain Lysias. This is what verse seven says. Get back to verse eight.
18:05
So six goes, and he even tried to desecrate the temple. So indeed, we arrested him by interrogating him yourself concerning all of these matters, you will be able to ascertain the things which we are accusing him of. I am sure that the evidence will show that I am right. Opening statements. The Jews that were there also joined in the attack asserting that these things were so.
18:28
So, it was Tertullus and the entourage including Ananias the high priest, and they're saying, hear, hear, yes, in agreement. And when the governor had nodded for him to speak, so he gives the nod, opening for the prosecution. Now, time for the defense. Paul responds, knowing that for many years you've been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. I'm glad you've given me the opportunity to speak up.
18:58
I have a right to face my accusers. Since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago, I went up to Jerusalem. It's twelve days enough to plan a insurrection. I think Paul's implying that it's not. Twelve days ago, I just went up to Jerusalem for worship.
19:15
He's already been there five days. He was in the Antonio Fortress for a couple of days before that. So, it was only a very short time that he was there. It's just less than two weeks ago, I went up to Jerusalem for what? To worship.
19:29
As was his custom. They've done this at these feasts for his whole life. He was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel in Jerusalem and this is what he does. This is his form of worship and that's what he's saying and neither in the temple did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot, not even in the synagogues. In this particular case, when he got to Jerusalem, what he did was go to the believers, the followers of the way.
19:59
He went to James and the elders of the church, the Christian church and he did not go into the synagogues and he did not go. He went by their order to the temple with a purpose and it was to purify himself and pay for four other guys to be purified and he did that. Neither in the temple did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. I was there for worship and I knew I needed to be purified nor in the synagogue nor in the city itself nor can they prove it. There's no evidence.
20:31
They can't prove this. To you, the things which they now accuse me but I confess this to you. I will say this. I'll I'll own this, Paul says. That in accordance with the way, Jesus.
20:43
Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, the followers of Jesus at this time were called followers of the way. But I will confess this to you, that in accordance with the way, which they call a sect, you I heard them. I heard what they said. It's ugly. But I do serve the God of our fathers and he brings them back in again.
21:03
He recognizes their shared history. He recognizes the shared lineage. He recognizes not just calling it our fathers which opens the door back up for them to accept it. He says, believing in my heart everything that is in accordance with the law. Jesus fulfilled the law.
21:20
I believe everything that's there and everything that was written in the prophets and I had a way of understanding those things that has changed and now, I see things differently. I believe everything that's in accordance with the law and I and everything that's written in the prophets, having a hope in God which these men also cherish themselves. I understand that what they're doing, they're doing for religious motives. They just happen to be sincerely wrong. Having a hope in God which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
21:53
Now, who's there? Ananias, the high priest, who is a sadducee, who does not believe in resurrection. So, this is a little bit of a theological bomb. There are most certainly some pharisees also present too and that starts to row, I'm sure, the den. You can hear it.
22:13
They put their trust and they put their hope in God. They cherish it themselves. They there certainly shall be a judgment, a resurrection for the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, I also do my best because there is a good and righteous God and you know the Romans have a pantheon of gods. They've got lots and lots and lots of em.
22:36
Glorified human aspects. They're not holy the way that God is holy. In view of the fact that there is a God in whom I place my hope, I do my best to maintain a blameless conscience both before God and before other people, always. It's a part of my reasonable service. I trust in God and I try to emulate him.
23:00
Now, several years, I came to bring charitable gifts to my nation. This was what Paul had done since he left Corinth. He went instead of coming across where there's a plot to kill him on his way to Syria by sea. He decided that he would walk and he would go back. Sorry.
23:16
No map. He would go from there all the way up around and back down. Around the Mediterranean, he walks and everywhere he goes through Macedonia, through Cilicia, through Phreesia, through all those places he walks. He's taken up a collection for the people who are suffering in Jerusalem. And he mentions this to Felix.
23:37
After several years, I had not been back to Jerusalem in a long time, but I came to bring charitable gifts to my nation. These very folks that are accusing me. And to present offerings, which is what he was doing at the temple when he was arrested. In which they found me occupied in the temple having been purified according to their law without any crowd and no uproar. But there were some Jews from Asia.
24:04
There were some. Remember last week's study, Trophimus was with Paul, but he wasn't with Paul in the temple. But there were some Jews from Asia that recognized Trophimus in town and figured that Paul took him in but that's not what happened. There were some Jews from Asia who ought to be present, have a right to face my accusers, and they're not here. I've heard the generalities that the prosecution presents, but the people who actually said that they saw me aren't here, and they're not here because they didn't see me because I didn't do it.
24:38
Who ought to have been present before you and have they ought to have been bringing the charges if they should really have anything against me, or else have these men themselves declare what violation they discovered when I stood before the council. There was no declaration from the council. Other than in this, I will say, I admit to this. So, he's already confessed to being a follower of the way and now he's confessing to raising his voice. There's one declaration I do have to admit, Paul says, other than in regard to this one declaration which I shouted while I was standing amongst them, sadducees and the pharisees and I said, for the resurrection of the dead, I'm on trial before you today.
25:22
He's proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. He's proclaiming the resurrection of the quick and the dead. He's proclaiming the resurrection of the the righteous and the wicked as he's just stated earlier. For the resurrection of the dead, I'm on trial before you today. Now, some days later, it stops right there.
25:40
Does that did I skip a slide? I did skip a slide. Great. Wait a second. What's 22 and 23 say?
25:46
Oh gracious. Does anybody have a Bible? An actual Bible. Hey, thank you very much. That happens sometimes.
25:54
I hope it's nothing that I don't remember. I'm kidding. 24. Then he goes, Where are we? 2419.
26:11
21. 22. But Felix having a more exact knowledge about the way. Wait a second. We haven't heard that about Felix.
26:19
Felix has been confronted with Christianity before. Oh. Now, we'll see in the next verse we just saw that Drusilla was Jewish, so that makes sense. But Felix Felix being 30 miles from Jerusalem and being around there, Paul's been spreading the gospel all over the place. So, it says, Felix, thank you, Chris, by the way.
26:38
Having a more exact knowledge about the way, put them off. He procrastinated. When Paul starts spouting off about the resurrection, it brings conviction to Felix. Oh, this is that thing I don't want to think about. This is that thing that I don't want to think about.
27:00
I want to put this off as long as I can. And he's the governor or he's the judge right now. Having a more exact knowledge about the way, oh yeah. When Lysias, the commander comes down, I'll decide your case. We're going to put this off for a while.
27:16
Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody, and yet also have some freedom and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering. So that's a cushy that's a cushy time in jail right there. He's staying in a palace. His friends have access to him, can bring him food, and come hang out, and they can praise God together, it sounds like. He's being treated like a Roman citizen should until he has more information, and so far they haven't presented anything that's sticking to him.
27:46
He puts it off, we're going stay this until Claudius Lucius comes down. Here we go. Now, some days later thank you, Chris. Some days later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife. This is the second wife named Drusilla this guy's had.
28:02
Yeah. He's had several wives. This is the second one named Drusilla. Oh my goodness. Who is Jewish?
28:11
So she has a background in this and he probably understands. She's also beautiful, that's what history records about her. She's absolutely gorgeous to the point that her sisters and all of her family all know it and it's a it's a big deal. He is drawn to her by her beauty, drawn away from his wife, by her beauty. Lust and greed is how he ruled.
28:33
And he sent for Paul. Some days later, when his wife was there, he sent for Paul and he heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. Okay. It's coming down to this. Paul is now speaking about putting your trust in Jesus.
28:52
Not just his resurrection which is historical fact. He's speaking to him about putting his faith in the way, Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, there's no one righteous, no, not one. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Paul probably wrote Romans about two or three months before this.
29:16
Like, all the stuff that you have in your head from Romans is fresh in his mind too and he's discussing righteousness. There's no one righteous. There's no one who seeks after God. But God is so good and when Abraham believed God, he counted it as righteousness. So, he's talking to him about righteousness.
29:36
He's also talking to him about self control. Oh my goodness. To Felix, the guy who rules by lust and greed. He's discussing righteousness. It is possible to be made righteous before God by Christ Jesus.
29:48
Faith in Jesus, you can be made righteous and of self control. That reminds me of Saint Augustine quote from the confessions. Lord, make me pure, chaste, and holy, but not yet. Right? The self control part, he doesn't wanna leave that behind.
30:07
I'm I'm assuming some stuff here, obviously. He would as he was discussing, as Paul was discussing righteousness and self control, and not just that, but also the judgment to come because there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the wicked, the quick and the dead. Everyone has to answer. There is appointed a judgment for everyone and you will have to stand before God and say, what you did with Jesus, that's the whole point. And Felix, what do you think he did?
30:37
Felix accepted Christ. No. What's being discussed? Righteousness, self control, judgments come in court. When Jesus told him, you're going to be my witness.
30:48
You're going to stand before or he'd said to the apostles, governors and kings, and you're going to be not even having to prepare your speech ahead of time. I'm going to give you the words to say and as he's given him those words to say, what does Felix do? Felix became frightened. Frightened probably of the judgment to come. I mean, if an honest estimation of his life, he should be frightened of the judgment to come.
31:16
And he responded, go away for now. When I have an opportunity, I will summon you. Basically, he said, don't call me. I'll call you. Take me off your list.
31:27
I'll think about this when I have to think about this and not before and that's dangerous. That's dangerous. Being here today under the proclamation of God's word. Put you in a position where you're responsible before God. I mean, nature itself and especially nature here.
31:46
It feels like to me makes us responsible. We are without excuse, it says. But to say go away for now, when I have an opportunity, I'll summon you. Billy Graham used to say, you may never be any closer than you are right now. The Holy Spirit, if the Holy Spirit is prompting you right now, don't be frightened by it.
32:08
Be be grateful for it. Allow him to bring you in. Now, at the same time, he was also hoping that the money would be given to him by Paul. So his lust continues in the midst of this. So, no, Freddie didn't accept Jesus at this point at least.
32:30
At the same time, he's also hoping that Paul would give him a bribe. So, he sent for him quite often to talk to him. He might have been investigating more about the way but Luke thinks that it was more for the bribe. But after two years had passed, so now he's sitting in this cushy gig with all of his friends. It's been, you know, a time.
32:49
He's got two years of stationary, Paul. Time to write some letters. Time to get your thoughts together. Time to send out your emissaries to the world. After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porteus Festus.
33:10
And Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, probably received a bribe. That's intimated. He doesn't say it outright. Wanting to do Jews a favor, he left Paul imprisoned. Because if Paul's out of prison, he's causing more trouble for the Jews in Jerusalem than he would be if he's in prison.
33:28
So, that's the end of the text that we have for today. I said, next week will be a topical sermon from the book of Acts but I want you to sit with this. Anytime that you are proclaiming to someone your own faith, I think that looking at what Paul had to say here is, I am guilty of this. I believe God. I put my hope in him.
33:51
He is the judge and since he is the judge even though he was talking to a real judge. Since he is the judge, I have to live my life in accordance with what I know of his revealed will. He shows me about his righteousness. He gives me his spirit so that I may walk in self control and victory in Christ and that I have nothing to fear in the judgment. If you were to kill me right here, I'm fine with that.
34:25
Lord God almighty, may we have that kind of confidence. Lord God almighty, would you move us in humility to be of one mind and according to one purpose. At the impulse of the spirit of God, may we move. We live and breathe and have our being in him, Lord. May we have the words, and you say you'll supply them, Lord.
34:48
I pray that we would rest in our derived righteousness. Any righteousness that we have is a derived righteousness, and it is derived by the walk of the Christ, the Messiah, Jesus. Thank you for his perfect record offered on our behalf for anyone who would have the audacity to believe it. In Jesus name, I pray that you would make us an all true followers of the way. Amen.
35:18
I'm going invite the band back up and as I said last week, the altar is always open and you're welcome to come forward. If you want to speak to me, you're welcome. Always. Would you stand with us?
