Acts 24

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Acts 24 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 24, page 933.

Acts 24 · chapter mention

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Continuing our series through the end of this book,

Paul on trial, defending himself.

And after five days, the high priest Ananias

came down with some elders and a spokesman.

And one Tertullus.

They laid before the governor their case against Paul.

And when he had been summoned,

Tertullus began to accuse him, saying,

Since through you we enjoy much peace,

and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix,

reforms are being made for this nation,

in every way and everywhere,

we accept this with all gratitude.

But to detain you no further,

I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.

For we have found this man a plague,

one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world

and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.

By examining him yourself,

you will be able to find out from him

about everything of which we accuse him.

The Jews also joined in the charge,

affirming that all these things were so.

And when the governor had nodded to him to speak,

Paul replied,

Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation,

I cheerfully make my defense.

You can verify that it is not more than twelve days

since I went up to worship in Jerusalem,

and they did not find me disputing with anyone

or stirring up a crowd,

either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city.

Neither can they prove to you

what they now bring up against me.

But this I confess to you,

that according to the way,

which they call a sect,

I worship the God of our fathers,

believing everything laid down by the law

and written in the prophets,

having a hope in God,

which these men themselves accept,

that there will be a resurrection

of both the just and the unjust.

So I always take pains to have a clear conscience

toward both God and man.

Now after several years,

I came to bring alms to my nation

and to present offerings.

While I was doing this,

they found me purified in the temple

without any crowd or tumult.

But some Jews from Asia,

they ought to be here before you

and to make an accusation,

should they have anything against me,

or else let these men themselves

say what wrongdoing they found

when I stood before the council

other than this one thing

that I cried out while standing among them.

It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead

that I am on trial before you this day.

But Felix,

having a rather accurate knowledge of the way,

put them off,

saying,

When Lysias the Tribune comes down,

I will decide your case.

Then he gave orders to the centurion

that he should be kept in custody

but have some liberty

and that none of his friends

should be prevented from attending to his needs.

After some days,

Felix came with his wife, Drusilla,

who is Jewish,

and he sent for Paul

and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.

And as he reasoned about righteousness

and self-control

and the coming judgment,

Felix was alarmed

and said,

Go away for the present.

When I get an opportunity,

I will summon you.

At the same time,

he hoped that money

would be given him by Paul.

So he sent for him often

and conversed with him.

When two years had elapsed,

Felix was succeeded by Portius Festus.

And desiring to do the Jews a favor,

Felix left Paul in prison.

So this morning,

we see the Apostle Paul

hauled into court

before a self-serving judge,

slanderously accused

by a clever lawyer,

framed by powerful leaders

who want to get him executed.

Now, for some Christians in the world today,

Paul's situation

is not hard to relate to.

In Pakistan,

a Christian woman

known as Asia Bibi

is facing the death sentence

for violating blasphemy laws.

Six years ago,

she was picking berries

with some of her neighbors.

She was thirsty,

so she got a drink

from the well nearby.

And the women said,

As a Christian,

you are unclean.

Don't drink our water.

An argument ensued.

At some point,

she said,

My Jesus Christ died for me.

What did Mohammed do for you?

The women then accused her

of insulting Mohammed.

A mob came to her house

and beat her

and her family members

until the police rescued her

and her case was brought to court

where she was sentenced to death

for blasphemy.

Her family has gone into hiding

because of death threats.

Two Pakistani politicians,

one a Christian,

one a Muslim,

who publicly advocated

on her behalf

were assassinated.

Many human rights groups worldwide

have organized petitions

calling for her release

and recently,

the Supreme Court of Pakistan

has agreed to review her case.

Now, this is an extreme example,

but many of our brothers

and sisters in Christ

around the world

face these kinds of realities

and possibilities.

Now, for many of us,

that kind of situation,

the situation of persecuted Christians,

feels far away

from our daily lives

and struggles

and our ability to help

is mostly limited.

And we can pray,

and we surely should.

We can sign the petition online

or donate to a Christian ministry

like Voice of the Martyrs

or Hanum Assad's ministry

to refugees fleeing from ISIS.

But I think sometimes

simply being reminded

of the struggles

that our brothers and sisters

face around the world

is helpful

because it lifts us out

of our self-centered tendencies

and our preoccupation

with our own worries,

which can seem small

by comparison.

But this morning's text

is not only for persecuted Christians

who are hauled into court.

It has a message

for all of us

who have been wrongly accused

or personally attacked.

Now, maybe you have been

legally charged

for an offense

that you did not actually commit.

Or maybe you were

the victim of a crime

and the perpetrator

escaped without consequences.

Or maybe you've been

maligned on the internet.

It's not a legal court,

but the accusations against you

are just as accessible

as a Google search of your name,

and there's nothing

you can do about it.

Maybe people have judged you

by the color of your skin

or by the clothes

you were wearing.

Maybe the accusations

and attacks

have come from closer to home,

from a family member

or a close friend,

and it hurts deep inside.

The Apostle Paul

was accused personally.

He was also accused

specifically in his role

as a Christian.

Now, I know for some of you,

your work environment

can feel like

a spiritual battleground.

Maybe it's full of cursing

and gossip and grumbling,

and you feel like

you're constantly being asked

to work twice as hard

to make up for other people

who are cutting corners.

Or maybe you work aside

accomplished and gifted

and successful people

who have big egos

and want big money.

Maybe you work with scholars

who assume that

no intelligent person

in their right mind

in New Haven, Connecticut

would really believe

what the Bible says.

Perhaps someone makes

a passing comment

about Bible-believing Christians

as if they all lived

long ago or far away,

back in the 17th century

or down south.

And you wonder,

is it even safe

to identify myself

as a Christian here?

Or maybe you feel like

an outsider in your family.

Maybe you weren't raised

in a religious family

and they just can't seem

to understand,

why do you need to go

to church every Sunday

and spend so much time

with other church people?

I mean, we raise you

with good moral values.

Isn't that enough?

Like, is this a cult or something

that you're getting involved with?

Or maybe you were raised

in a different religious tradition.

Maybe you've been accused

of being a traitor

to your family

and your heritage.

Or maybe your family

is also Christian,

but for one reason or another

you feel spiritually distant

from them.

Perhaps you've sought

to make decisions

based on biblical principles

and they just don't seem

to understand.

Now, there's all kinds

of examples.

Sooner or later,

all of us will face

accusations and attacks

of one kind or another.

And this morning,

I want us to look

at Paul's response

to the accusations

he faces

and what we can learn

from his example.

This morning,

we'll look at our text

in three sections.

First, the lawyer's accusations.

Second, the apostle's defense.

And third, the governor's verdict.

Now, incidentally,

the structure of the chapter

reflects the common pattern

of ancient Roman legal proceedings

from beginning to end.

But first,

we have the lawyer's accusations.

Verse 1 through 9.

Verse 1 tells us

that the prosecutors,

the temple authorities

from Jerusalem,

hired a lawyer,

Tertullus,

to speak on their behalf.

Now, in principle,

lawyers are paid

to make sure

that everything can be said,

everything that can be said

on one particular side

is said.

And if the system works well,

lawyers will present

both sides of a case

in turn,

an impartial judge,

will make a well-informed decision

and justice will be done.

But as everyone knows,

the system doesn't always work

quite that way.

Sometimes people with money

and power,

both in the ancient world

and in the modern world,

pay expensive lawyers

in order to win cases.

And from what we see here,

Tertullus seems to have been

a skilled, shrewd,

and experienced lawyer.

Tertullus began

not by launching

into his accusations

against Paul,

but by praising the governor

for three whole verses,

verses two to four.

Now, in the Roman culture,

it was common to begin

with some respectful comments

in order to establish a rapport

and gain the goodwill

of the judge.

But Tertullus didn't just

make some general

respectful comments.

He said exactly

what Governor Felix

wanted to hear.

He flattered him.

He praised Felix.

Through you,

we enjoy much peace.

You're a ruler

characterized by foresight

and wise reforms.

He appealed to Felix's kindness,

verse four,

and he promised to be brief.

Now, in reality,

Judea was not at peace.

It was on the brink

of civil war.

And Governor Felix

was notorious

for brutally suppressing

potential uprisings

and turning one group

against another

to solidify his own power.

His rule was characterized

not by kindness,

but by harshness.

But, of course,

the truth didn't matter

very much to Tertullus.

He just wanted to get Felix

on his side

and set the stage

for his accusations

against Paul.

Verse five and six,

he outlines his accusations

against Paul.

First,

Paul's a troublemaker,

a plague,

a pest,

stirring up riots,

spreading contagious disease

all around the empire,

all this violence

and unrest.

He's a threat to peace.

He's dangerous.

Second,

he's a sectarian.

He's a ringleader

of the sect

of the Nazarenes.

Now, in some context,

the word sect

just means a religious group

or a particular school

or tradition

within,

in this case,

Judaism.

But here,

but it can also have

a negative connotation.

I mean,

it's sort of like

the word cult today.

There's a technical way

that scholars use

the word cult

to just talk about

a practice of worship.

But if somebody comes

to you and says,

is that a cult

he's part of?

You know it doesn't mean

is he just going to,

you know,

is he just going to church

on Sunday

or is he going

to a temple?

Is it just a sort

of respectable

religious practice?

It's a negative term.

A divisive,

dangerous,

deviant sect

leading people astray

following a Nazarene

and Tertullus

might have reminded

the governor

that this Nazarene,

Jesus,

was crucified

under Roman law

under an accusation

of treason

claiming to be

the king of the Jews.

So, Paul is a troublemaker,

a sectarian,

and a violator.

He even tried

to profane the temple,

but we seized him.

Now you might say,

why does that matter?

Well, the Romans

gave a lot of authority

to religious groups

in the ancient world

to be in charge

of their own temples.

And temples were seen

as sacred,

holy spaces.

You don't violate them.

In the temple

in Jerusalem,

there were large plaques,

prominent signs,

and they said this,

no foreigner

is to go beyond this point.

Whoever is caught doing so

will have himself to blame

for his death,

which will follow.

And the Romans

supported the Jewish temple leaders

in enforcing this law.

So, basically,

Tertullus is saying,

Governor Felix,

you have brought us peace.

You are a man of foresight.

You are for this nation.

This man, Paul,

is a threat to everything

that you have done for us.

He's a threat to peace

and order.

He's a threat to our temple

and to our nation.

And you should deal with him

in the same way

that you deal

with other dangerous deviants.

Get rid of them.

Paul is facing

some pretty intense

accusations here.

Now, take a moment

before we go ahead

into Paul's defense.

How do you feel

and what do you think

when you are accused

or attacked?

I can remember one time

not too long ago

when I was the object

of verbal accusations

that felt fairly intense

and these were

some of my responses.

First, I was furious.

I was stewing in my mind

about all the ways

I could justify myself

and all the accusations

I could throw back

at the other person.

Second, I became dejected,

moping around,

unproductive,

unfocused, gloomy.

Third, I just wanted

to run away.

Maybe you've been there.

It can be intense.

Well, let's consider

the Apostle Paul's response.

I want to consider

three aspects

of his response.

First, Paul didn't let

his anger or frustration

get the best of him.

He maintained his integrity.

Second, Paul didn't become

despairing or dejected.

He maintained his courage.

Third, he didn't run away.

He remained steadfast.

Integrity, courage,

and steadfastness.

First, integrity.

Paul respected the governor,

but he didn't flatter

the governor.

Verse 10, Paul begins

his speech by saying,

knowing that for many years

you have been a judge

over this nation,

I cheerfully make my defense.

Paul respected

the governor's authority.

He didn't despise it,

but he didn't cower

in fear of the governor

and desperately try

to gain his goodwill

by resorting to flattery

and half-truths

and over-the-top compliments.

Now, if you're in a position

of authority or leadership,

you may encounter

some people

who always seem to think

that you're the greatest,

who always compare you favorably

with other leaders,

who never criticize

any of your plans.

be careful

that you are not

overly drawn

toward those people

because they always

agree with you

and always affirm you

and always tell you

what you want to hear.

Some of the most valuable

people in your life

may be the ones

who respect you

and encourage you

but don't flatter you.

The ones who know you

and love you well enough

to say things

that you don't want to hear

because you may need

to hear them.

If you're under authority,

don't despise people

who are over you,

even if,

like Governor Felix,

they are deeply flawed.

Don't try to undercut them

or avoid their oversight.

Respect their role

as Paul did,

even if their character

and performance

leave much to be desired.

At the same time,

don't flatter people

who are in authority

out of an excessive desire

to gain their favor.

The Apostle Paul

had very little power

in this situation.

He had no lawyer

to represent him.

He was facing accusations

from the head honchos

in Jerusalem

who had hired

and probably

trained and experienced

and perhaps

an expensive lawyer.

He had very little power

but he maintained

his integrity.

So that's the first thing

we see about Paul,

his integrity.

Second thing we see

about Paul

is his courage.

Paul courageously

defended himself

against the charges

made against him

one by one.

Verse 11 through 13,

he says,

I'm not a troublemaker.

He says,

less than two weeks ago,

I was up in Jerusalem.

I wasn't disputing

with anyone.

I wasn't stirring up

a crowd.

There aren't any accusations,

there aren't any evidence

to prove

what they're saying.

It seems that,

interestingly,

it seems that because

of how tense

the situation was

in Jerusalem,

Paul avoided

getting into public

debates and discussions

during his time there.

Now in many other cities,

Paul held daily discussions

and he sometimes faced

quite a bit of opposition

and he continued

publicly preaching

and publicly discussing

with people

about the Christian message.

But when he was

visiting Jerusalem,

it seems that he

deliberately chose

not to do that.

There's a time

to engage

in public debate

and discussion.

There's a time

to listen

and let your deeds

speak louder

than your words.

And Paul had some discernment

in that case.

So he said,

I'm not a troublemaker.

Second,

I'm not a sectarian.

Verse 14 to 16,

the way,

now that was just a name

for the early Christian movement.

He says,

the way isn't

a dangerous deviation

from faithful Judaism.

I'm not a maverick

religious leader

sort of making it up

as I go along

and just trying to get

more and more people

to follow me.

I worship the God

of our fathers.

I believe everything

laid down by the law

and written in the prophets.

In other words,

I believe the Hebrew Scriptures.

I have the same hope

in God as these men

in the resurrection.

And as a result,

my ambition is always

to keep a clear conscience

before God

and before human beings.

Paul says,

I'm not inventing stuff here.

I'm worshiping

the God of our fathers,

believing the Scriptures,

and seeking to maintain

a clear conscience.

Now,

do you see

what Paul does here?

He doesn't just say,

I'm not one of those sectarians.

I'm not one of those

dangerous cult leaders.

He actually takes

that opportunity

to present positively

what he is,

who he is

as a Christian.

Sometimes out of fear,

when we feel accused

or misunderstood,

we can sort of go

into a defensive mode

and never say anything

positive about what

we actually believe

or practice.

When I was in college,

I applied and interviewed

for an RA position.

And during my interview

with the dean and master

of the residential college,

they said something like,

we know you're very committed

to your faith

and we know you're a leader

in one of the Christian groups.

Do you think that would

cause any challenges for you

or limit your ability

to be a resource

and a counselor

to a wide diversity

of students?

And I felt a little nervous

and I said,

oh no,

certainly not.

Like,

it certainly wouldn't

cause any barriers for me.

But you know,

later on I thought,

I missed an opportunity here

because I could have said

something positive.

I could have said like,

being Christian,

I find helps me

to be a resource

and a counselor

to a wide variety of people.

It teaches me

to see every person,

Christianity teaches me

to see every person,

even people who are

very different than me,

as someone who bears

the image of God.

Christianity also helps me

to be realistic

and self-critical

because it teaches

that all of us

have profound limitations

and deep-seated flaws.

It also teaches me

that a person's worth

isn't determined

by their accomplishments.

I wouldn't have to say

all those things,

but I could have said

one of them.

I could have said

something positive

instead of feeling like

I only had to say

what I wasn't.

So,

not a troublemaker,

not a,

what's the second one,

sectarian.

Third,

not a violator.

Verse 17 to 21.

Again,

he doesn't just say

what he wasn't doing.

He says what he was doing.

I came to Jerusalem

to bring gifts to the poor

and present offerings.

I was purified in the temple.

I was showing my respect

for my Jewish brothers

and sisters.

And then he says,

but some Jews from Asia,

and here,

the sentence actually breaks off.

It's an incomplete sentence.

Paul doesn't finish his sentence.

You might say,

why doesn't he finish his sentence?

He's testifying in court.

Well,

in Jerusalem,

if you remember,

some Jews from Asia,

Asia Minor,

modern-day Turkey,

had accused Paul

of violating the temple

by bringing uncircumcised Greeks

into the inner courts.

That was the original accusation

that provoked the riot

and brought him to trial

before the Sanhedrin.

But here,

Tertullus has slightly changed

the accusation.

He doesn't accuse Paul

of actually violating the temple

by bringing Greeks

into the temple

because it wasn't true.

He accuses him

of attempting

to violate the temple

and he says,

we stopped him just in time.

The original accusation

had been dropped

and the original witnesses

had no showed in court.

Now,

Roman law

actually harshly penalized

witnesses

who made criminal accusations

against someone,

got someone arrested

and then failed

to show up in court.

And Paul's

standing in the court

and he looks around

and he realizes,

none of my original accusers

who accused me

of actually bringing

these Greeks

into the temple,

they're not here

because they realized

the accusation wasn't true.

And Paul says,

the only accusation

that the Sanhedrin

could agree on

is that I believe

in the resurrection

from the dead.

Paul courageously

stood his ground.

He didn't back down.

He maintained

his integrity

and his courage.

Now,

the Apostle Paul

was falsely accused

and unjustly attacked

and he courageously

defended himself.

But many times

when we are accused

or attacked,

it's not quite so simple.

We can't assume

that we are always right.

A few years ago,

Tim Keller,

a pastor in New York,

wrote an article

about how to respond

to harsh criticism.

And he said,

the greatest danger

of criticism

is not to your own

public reputation

but to your own heart.

You feel the injustice of it.

You feel sorry for yourself

and attempts you

to despise

not only the critic

but the entire group

of people

from which they come.

All this can make you

prouder over time.

He says,

as a Christian,

how should we respond

to harsh criticism?

He says,

first,

we should look to see

if there is a kernel

of truth

even in the most

exaggerated

and unfair criticisms.

He says,

there is usually

such a kernel

when the criticism

comes from friends

and there is often

such truth

when the disapproval

comes from people

who actually know you.

So look for what

you may have done wrong.

Identify your own

shortcomings.

Repent in your own heart

before the Lord

for what you can

and let that humble you.

It will then be possible

to learn from the criticism

and stay gracious

to the critic

even if you disagree

with much of what

he or she has said.

Now he says,

if the criticism

comes from someone

who doesn't know you

at all,

he says this is often

the case on the internet,

it's possible

that the criticism

is profoundly mistaken

and completely unwarranted.

When that happens,

it's even easier

to fall into smugness.

Perhaps be tempted

to laugh

at how foolish

your critics are.

And he says,

don't do it.

Even if there is

no truth at all

in what the critic says,

you should not mock them

in your thoughts.

He says,

first,

remind yourself

of examples

of your own mistakes,

your own foolishness,

your own cluelessness,

times when you

really got something wrong

in the past.

Second,

he says,

pray for the critic

that he or she

grows in grace.

It's challenging.

It's challenging

to maintain integrity

and courage

in the face

of accusations,

to have the humility

and honesty

to be self-reflective

even when you feel hurt.

So the Apostle Paul

maintained his integrity,

his courage,

and he remained steadfast.

He didn't give up.

He didn't blow up.

Now,

third,

we come to the governor's response,

verse 22 to 27.

And,

you know,

in the normal course

of a Roman trial,

there's the summons,

there's the prosecution,

there's the defense,

and now,

we're waiting

for the verdict,

and the verdict

doesn't come.

Paul displayed integrity

and courage

and steadfastness.

Governor Felix

displayed the opposite,

hypocrisy,

cowardice,

and indecision.

First,

hypocrisy,

verse 22,

he stalled.

When Lysias,

the tribune,

comes down,

I'll decide your case.

But if you look back

at chapter 23,

verse 33,

Felix had already

received a letter

from Lysias,

the tribune,

who was actually

in Jerusalem

when the whole incident

happened.

And Lysias' letter

says,

is quoted

in chapter 23,

verse 26 to 30,

and in verse 29,

chapter 23,

verse 29,

he gives a very

clear conclusion.

I found that he,

Paul,

was being accused

about questions

of their law,

but charged with

nothing deserving

death or imprisonment.

Lysias had a pretty

clear conclusion.

And when Lysias did show up,

nothing seemed to change.

Felix kept Paul in prison

for two years.

It was just a stalling tactic.

Obviously, Felix recognized

there wasn't a good basis

on which to convict Paul.

That's probably why

he gave him so much liberty

in verse 23.

But he didn't want

to release Paul either.

You might say,

why?

Verse 26 gives one reason.

It says he was hoping

for a bribe.

Perhaps he heard

Paul's comment,

I came to Jerusalem

to bring gifts

to the poor

and present offerings.

He thought,

ooh, money.

Paul must have

a stash of cash somewhere.

Or he must have

some powerful friends.

Or at least he should

be able to,

you know,

go to those people

that he gave the money to

and said,

hey, you know,

I scratched your back,

you scratched mine.

Like,

we can make a deal here.

Of course,

Roman law prohibited

governors from receiving bribes,

but that didn't matter

to Felix.

Other governors did it too.

Felix wasn't hindered

by the letter of the law.

Verse 27 gives another reason.

When Felix was recalled

from his position

and replaced by someone else,

it says he left Paul in prison

because he wanted to do

the Jews a favor.

Now, Luke doesn't explain

the background,

but anyone who was reading

Acts,

when Luke wrote it,

would have known

that Felix

was not popular

among the Jewish population,

particularly those

in Jerusalem.

And the reason why Felix

was relieved

from his position

is that there was

a dispute

between Jews

and Syrians

in Caesarea

where Felix

had his headquarters,

and Felix responded

by killing and plundering

many of the Jews.

And he would have

been punished.

The only reason

he wasn't punished

is because his brother

had a high position

in Rome

and was a good friend

with the emperor.

So his brother

got him off the hook.

But as Felix

was leaving,

he thought,

well, I'll throw him

a bone.

Keep this guy in prison.

So we see Felix's hypocrisy,

we see his cowardice,

we also see his indecision.

Verse 24,

Felix sent for Paul

because he wanted

to hear him.

Perhaps he was curious.

Felix knew something

about the way,

the Christians.

Now one of their

premier spokesmen

was in his custody.

Hey, it sounds like

something interesting

for the governor

and his wife

to do on a date night.

Right?

So they listened to Paul,

but again,

Paul did not flatter them.

He didn't just say

what they already

agreed with

and what they would

have wanted to hear.

He spoke about faith

in the Messiah Jesus.

In particular,

he spoke about righteousness,

self-control,

and the coming judgment.

Now we can't know

exactly what Paul said

on these matters,

but each of them

comes up in sequence

in Paul's most famous letter,

the letter to the Romans,

which he would have just written

a year or two before this.

In the book of Romans,

Paul begins by arguing

that all human beings,

Jews and Gentiles alike,

are unrighteous.

That is,

we've disobeyed God's law.

We've exchanged God's glory

for idols.

We've indulged

our own selfish desires.

We are sinners.

And we can't justify ourselves.

But then Paul said this

in chapter 3 of Romans.

He says,

but now the righteousness of God

has been manifested.

The righteousness of God

through faith in Jesus Christ

for all who believe.

That through Jesus'

atoning sacrifice,

unrighteous people

can be put right with God.

Well, after talking

about righteousness,

Paul goes on to talk

about self-control.

For example,

in chapter 12,

he says,

I appeal to you,

brothers and sisters,

by the mercies of God,

present your bodies

as living sacrifices,

holy and acceptable to God.

You've died and risen with Jesus.

So don't live for yourself anymore.

Present yourselves

as an offering to God.

Self-control.

And then in Romans 13,

Paul speaks about

the judgment to come.

In these words,

Romans 13, 12,

he says,

the night is far gone.

The day is at hand.

So then let us cast off

the works of darkness

and put on the armor of light.

One day the world

will be flooded

with the light

and glory

of the risen Lord Jesus.

And so Paul urges us,

let us now walk in the light.

Walk in the truth.

And walk in love.

And walk in holiness.

Righteousness,

self-control,

the judgment to come.

Felix was listening.

He didn't like the message.

Because it was evident

that Felix's life

was not characterized

by righteousness

and self-control

and he was not prepared

for a judgment to come.

Felix wanted money.

He was willing to take bribes.

Felix wanted power.

He was willing to throw

other people under the bus

to maintain it.

Felix wanted sex.

He was willing to take

another man's wife

to get it.

His wife, Drusilla,

had been previously married

to the king of Amessa.

Felix saw her

and wanted her

and persuaded her

to divorce her husband

and marry him.

And there they were

sitting in front of Paul.

Felix wasn't ready

to face

the judgment to come.

And most likely

that's why he became alarmed.

What if all that Paul

is saying

is really true?

What if I will one day

face the judgment

of Jesus?

Felix's alarm

could have been

the first sign

of his repentance.

A sense that his own life

was not right with God

but instead of turning

toward Jesus

he ran away.

Go away, Paul.

I'll call you back

when I want to hear you.

I'm in charge here.

I'll summon you

when I want to.

Before we go on

let me say this.

If you can relate

to Felix

if you've begun

to see your own

unrighteousness

or lack of self-control

if you realize

you're not ready

to face

the judgment

of a holy

and righteous God

when absolutely

everything will be

brought into the light

don't run away.

Don't cling

to your fleeting power

or your fleeting possessions

or the fleeting pleasures

of this world

in denial.

Instead let your fear

drive you to Jesus

and to the cross

where there's forgiveness

and righteousness

and the power

of the Holy Spirit

to live a self-controlled life.

It's what Paul offered

to Felix

and yet Felix

seems not to have received it.

So Paul

maintained his integrity

and courage

and steadfastness

and yet

nothing seemed

to be resolved.

For two whole years

he was sitting

in custody

periodically called

before the governor

perhaps he'll release me

this time

perhaps

something will change

and nothing did.

He was left hanging

left waiting

you might be asking

what enabled

Paul

to stand firm

to remain

steadfast

in his integrity

and his courage

even though it seemed

like everything

was up in the air

and he had responded

as well as he could

to these accusations

and attacks

and yet

he wasn't vindicated

and everything

just seemed

still in the air.

You might say

how

how can we

how can I hold on

to integrity

and courage

and steadfastness

when I face

attacks

and accusations?

Well when Paul

stood before

Governor Felix

there were two things

that he knew.

he knew

that the Lord

Jesus

was his true judge

and he knew

that the Lord

Jesus

was his ultimate

advocate.

In two of his letters

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

he says

with me

it's a very small

thing that I should

be judged

by you

or by any

human court

in fact

I don't even

judge myself

it is the Lord

who judges

me.

And in Paul's

last letter

written from prison

2 Timothy 4

he says

at my first

defense

no one

came to stand

by me

but all

deserted me

may it not

be charged

against them

but the Lord

stood by me

and strengthened

me

so that through

me the message

might be fully

proclaimed

and all the

Gentiles

might hear it.

If you're

accused

rightly

or wrongly

if you were

attacked

remember these

two truths.

Remember

Jesus is my

judge

and Jesus

is my

advocate.

Jesus is my

judge

who will

one day

bring everything

into the

light

who will

sort out

the true

and the

false

and who will

establish his

kingdom of

righteousness

forever.

Jesus is the

one I should

fear

but also

remember that

Jesus is

my advocate

the one who's

paid for all

my sins

the one who

intercedes

for me

on my behalf

who stands

beside me

and strengthens

me

Jesus is the

one I can

trust.

And that's

where we get

the power to

live a life of

integrity and

courage and

steadfastness is

knowing that

Jesus is our

judge and

Jesus is our

advocate.

advocate.

No matter who

you're called to

stand before

whether it's

your boss

whether it's

a close

friend

whether it's a

judge in

court

you can know

that

Jesus is the

only one

you need to

fear

and Jesus is

the one that

you can

completely trust

at the same

time.

This morning

we're going to

celebrate communion

and as we

celebrate communion

I want to

invite us to

meditate on

those two

truths and to

spend time in

prayer.

As the bread

and the cup

are being

passed out

I encourage

you to spend

time in

prayer

praying that

the Lord

would purify

us

make us a

people of

integrity

asking the

Lord to

strengthen us

and make us

a people of

courage

and asking

the Lord to

keep us

strong and

steadfast

whatever we

may face.

Let's pray

together.

Father we

thank you

for your

word.

We thank you

for strengthening

your servant

Paul.

We thank you

that you

filled him

with your

Holy Spirit.

We thank you

that your

son the Lord

Jesus Christ

stood beside

him and

did not

leave him

alone so

that we

could know

that you

will never

leave us

alone

when we

put our

trust in

you.

Lord we

pray that

you would

come and

be present

with us

as we

celebrate

the Lord's

Supper.

Nourish

us,

strengthen

us,

equip us

to be the

people you've

called us

to be.

In Jesus'

name,

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, as we

prepare to

celebrate communion,

let me read

the words of

Paul from

his letter to

the Corinthians.

He says,

For I received

from the Lord

what I also

delivered to

you, that the

Lord Jesus, on

the night when

he was

betrayed, took

bread.

And when he

had given

thanks, he

broke it and

said, This is

my body, which

is for you.

Do this in

remembrance of

me.

In the same

way also, he

took the cup

after supper,

saying, This

cup is the

new covenant

in my blood.

Do this as

often as you

drink it in

remembrance of

me.

For as often as

you eat this

bread and drink

the cup, you

proclaim the

Lord's death

until he

comes again.

When we

celebrate

communion, we

remember what

Jesus Christ has

done for us.

We remember

that he too

was wrongly

accused and

attacked and

crucified.

But we

also remember

that Jesus

willingly gave

his own

life.

He was not

a helpless

victim.

He maintained

his integrity

and courage

and steadfastness.

He was

perfectly faithful

to the end.

And he said,

I've come to

lay down my

own life in

the place of

sinful people so

that you might

come and have

life through me.

So that's what

we celebrate when

we pass out the

bread and the

cup, remembering

Jesus' body and

his blood that

was shed for

us.

If you're here

today, if you're

a believer in

Jesus Christ, if

you know that he

is your ultimate

judge, and one

day you will

stand before him,

and if you

believe that he

died on the

cross for you,

and you are

trusting him as

your advocate,

come and take

the bread and

the cup as

they're passed

out.

If you're here

today, if you're

not a Christian

believer, if

you're not

following Jesus,

we're glad you're

here.

We ask that you

not take the

bread and the

cup when they're

passed out, but

just take this

time to reflect,

to consider the

message today,

to consider where

you are in your

life today.

We don't often

get some quiet

moments to really

have some time for

reflection and to

consider where we

are, but I

encourage you to

use this time for

reflection and for

prayer and to

it and know

that the

invitation is for

you to turn to

the Lord Jesus

and know that he

will be yours.

With those who

are coming to

serve communion,

come to the

front this morning.

We're going to

pass out the bread

first and then

we'll pass out the

cup and we'll eat

and drink and share

them together.

Malcolm, would you

give thanks for the

bread?

Thank you.

Heavenly Father, we

thank you for

sending your son.

Lord, we thank you.

Lord, that his body

was broken for us.

Lord, he tells us in

the Gospel of John

that his flesh is

true food and his

blood is true drink.

Lord, I pray that

this food might

nourish us this

morning.

Lord, as we

remember Christ's

sacrifice, Lord, that

we might take

strength from it and

continually be reminded

of it day by day.

Lord, we're

thanking you for the

forgiveness that we

have through it.

Lord, we thank you

and we praise you in

the name of your son,

Jesus Christ, and by

the power of your

spirit.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Around the table of the king

The body of our Savior

Jesus Christ

Torn for you

He didn't remember

The wounds that heal the death

That brings us life

Fade the flowers to make us one

And so we shake

In this bread of life

And we drink

Of this sacrifice

As a sign

Of our bonds of love

Around the table of the king

To be we 것

With us

Thank you

Thank you

And Christ