"Fly High" - Acts part 24

Fly High Acts part 24 – Book of Acts

Video Illustration: From Sermon Spice – Conspiracy

Thesis: Paul knew that life was not fair and that men were corrupt but he also knew that God was good and He was always faithful. So Paul stayed committed to the faith even through unjust trials and unfair situations. It’s a lesson that the American Christian needs to learn today.

Scripture Text: Acts 25:1-27

The Holy Bible, New International Version.

The Trial Before Festus

Ac 25:1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,
Ac 25:2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.
Ac 25:3 They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
Ac 25:4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
Ac 25:5 Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.”
Ac 25:6 After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him.
Ac 25:7 When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.
Ac 25:8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
Ac 25:9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”
Ac 25:10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.
Ac 25:11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
Ac 25:12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

Festus Consults King Agrippa

Ac 25:13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
Ac 25:14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.
Ac 25:15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.
Ac 25:16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges.
Ac 25:17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.
Ac 25:18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.
Ac 25:19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.
Ac 25:20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.
Ac 25: