You turn your Bible into Acts chapter 24.
Acts chapter 24, page 933.
We'll be one of the new Bibles.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
And Christ
Amen
In this beat
guitar solo
This bread represents the body of Christ
broken for you. Let's eat together.
Let's pray.
Dear Lord, as we
come to your table today, as we
prepare to share in the
cup of the blood of the new covenant,
Lord,
we pray that
we may always and every day
remember, not just today,
not just the day that we share in the cup,
but that every day we might live
in light of the blood you
shed for us, live in light of the
sacrifice you made, a sacrifice that
was greater than the blood
of Abel, a sacrifice
that saved
us from our sins. Lord,
we pray that we may remember
you as you continue to intercede for
us at the right hands of the Father.
We pray that we may intercede
for one another. We pray that this blood
may truly cleanse
our souls,
cleanse us from our sins, and that each
day we might live to bring
you honor and
glory and to love one
another. This we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
God's sake, let's not
thank you everyTime maybe were
answered just a sound yeah
you better
love and to love
theirs.
Good prayer, please do
make the task
real
we ask
to
you
истします.
Every stain of sin shed for you
Drink and remember
He drained this cup
That all may enter into the sea
The life of God
So we shed
In this bread of life
And we drink
Of His sacrifice
As a sign
Of our bonds of grace
Around the table of heaven
And so with thankfulness and faith
We rise to respond
And to remember
Our call to follow in the steps of Christ
As His body needs to be on earth
And as we share
In His suffering
We proclaim
Christ will come again
And we'll join
In the feast of hell
Around this evil world
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