When I was around 10 years old, my grandma gave me a bunch of unused stamps and told me to hang on to them because they’d be worth a lot of money in the future. For the past 50 years I’ve known I had them in a file but never got around to checking on their value. Thinking this would make for a good sermon illustration and hoping I could help pay off the mortgage on our building expansion project, I asked Marie Guyton, our new Office Manager, to do some investigating for me. BTW, this week we hired Lynn Johnson as our new Office Assistant!
I could barely wait to hear what her investigation uncovered! When she was finished, she called me into her office and shared the news with me – most of my stamps are only worth 20 cents! However, one stamp is worth a lot more…it has a value of $1.50! I guess I’ll put them back in my file and check again in 50 years.
Last weekend, because of the situation in Ukraine, we called an audible by focusing on Psalm 46 in a message called, “Be Still and Know.” We were reminded of this truth: No matter what happens, we can rest in God’s promise, presence, and power. If you missed the services, extra CDs are available at the Resource Kiosk, or you can watch on the app or website.
Today, we turn to Acts 24 where we see Paul had been “stamped” as a revolutionary seditionist. After Paul providentially survived the plot against him because his unnamed nephew spoke up, he was taken to Caesarea where he was held as a prisoner in Herod’s palace to face the results of an investigation before Felix the Governor. Here’s what we’re going to learn today: When your faith is challenged, defend it cheerfully.
Let’s pick up the narrative in verse 1: “And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul.” Ananias and a contingent of other religious leaders came quickly from Jerusalem to Caesarea to present the results of their investigation against Paul. Because he was a high value target, they employed a “spokesman,” or “orator” named Tertullus to handle the case. He served as the prosecuting attorney, or literally, “the professional pleader.” In the front half of verse 2, we read: “And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him…” The word for “accuse” is to “condemn by incriminating.”
Tertullus turned on the charm, ratcheted up the flattery, and promised brevity (something I would never do) in verses 2-4: “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.”
The phrase, “much peace” means “to be superlatively prosperous and peaceful.” The word “foresight” can be translated as “providence,” which is giving him way more credit than he deserves. The attorney lays it on thick when he calls him, “most excellent Felix,” which is the idea of majestic and mighty.
Tertullus celebrated all the reforms Felix made in “every way and everywhere,” which is certainly not true, as Felix was known to malign and mistreat the Jews.
When Tertullus recognized Felix was getting as antsy as an Edgewood member when the sermon goes long, he promised not to tie up his day by keeping his comments brief.
Tertullus turned up the heat in verses 5-6: “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.”
Tertullus raised four different charges against Paul. We can summarize them with four words.
1. Sickness. By calling Paul a “plague,” he was saying he was a “pestilent fellow.” In our culture, it would be like calling someone ground zero for Covid because he spread sickness to everyone. This was a serious charge because Felix assassinated anyone who caused him trouble.
2. Schism. Next, Tertullus accused Paul of spreading the deadly virus of dissension and claimed he “stirs up riots.” Vance Havner was fond of saying, “Wherever Paul went, there was either a riot or a revival.” Notice how he used the phrase, “among all the Jews throughout the world...” That’s all encompassing, isn’t it? BTW, here’s some free advice – avoid using phrases like, “you always” or “you never.” You’re welcome.
3. Sedition. Next, Paul was accused of being the ringleader of the Nazarenes. The root of the word “sect” is where we get heretic. This was a serious charge because Rome didn’t tolerate new religions. The phrase, “sect of the Nazarenes” was no doubt delivered with a sneer on his face. Nazareth was a place of derision as we see in John 1:46: “Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’” Additionally, the Jews spread a rumor that Jesus was born in Nazareth, not in Bethlehem, which meant He could not have been the Messiah.
4. Sacrilege. Finally, Paul was charged with “profaning” the temple. To contaminate the temple was a serious charge. This takes us back to previous chapters where Paul was accused of bringing Gentiles into Jewish-only areas.
Tertullus landed his argument by appealing to Felix to do his own investigation and interrogation in verse 8: “By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.” Verse 9 records loud “amens” from the Jews who were there: “The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.” BTW, if you feel led to say ‘amen’ during a sermon, have at it!
Making a Cheerful Defense
We can learn a lot from Paul’s tone of tenderness and attitude of respect when responding to these charges: When your faith is challenged, defend it cheerfully.
We see this in verse 10: “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.’” I wonder if he chose the word “cheerfully” to connect with Felix because his name means, “happy.” The word “cheerfully” means, “positively delightful, with good cheer and gladness.” This is reinforced in 1 Peter 3:15: “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
Felix had served as governor for over 6 years so he would understand Paul’s predicament. The word for “defense” has the idea of giving evidence and is the root of the word “apologetics.”
I see eight ways we can emulate Paul’s cheerful defense when our faith is challenged.
1. Clarify what is true. In verses 11-13, Paul states he didn’t have time to stir up a riot. On top of that, there was no evidence a riot happened: “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.” When speaking with someone, take the time to clear up any misconceptions.
2. Confess you are a Christian. Like Paul, it’s important to identify yourself as a follower of Christ. We see this in verse 14: “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way…” Some of us are undercover followers or Christian chameleons, changing how we act depending on who we’re with. Would people say you are a follower of the Way based on what you say and how you obey?
3. Base your beliefs on the Bible. In the second part of verse 14, Paul declared, “I worship the God of our Fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets.” Here, Paul is affirming the unity of the Old and New Testaments and his belief in the Bible as the final authority. He’s also showing how Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism. In that sense, Paul was not a “former” Jew, but a “fulfilled” Jew.
4. Exhibit hope in God. We live in a world without much hope, especially now. Paul publicly proclaimed the source of his hope in the first part of verse 15: “Having a hope in God…”
5. Speak of Heaven and Hell. In the last part of verse 15, Paul unashamedly spoke of “a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.” This life is not all there is. There is a literal and eternal Heaven and a literal and eternal Hell.
6. Cultivate a clear conscience. Christianity offers a clear conscience through the forgiveness of Christ. Look at verse 16: “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward God and man.”
7. Develop a spirit of generosity. According to verse 17, Paul went out of his way to provide compassionate care for those in need: “Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.” When you practice the value of giving, people will know you’re living for the Lord.
8. Root your faith in the resurrection. Don’t leave out the resurrection because without it, Christianity crumbles. Listen to how Paul put it in verse 21: “This one thing 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.’”
When Paul was put on trial, he could cheerfully point to evidence for his faith. I came across a paraphrase of how Billy Graham would often end his messages when preaching behind the Iron Curtain…
Many people today claim to be Christians. Do you claim to be a Christian? That’s an easy claim to make.
What about YOU? Are YOU a Christian? Do you trust Jesus? Are you following Him? How many of your friends and co-workers, your family, and neighbors, would look at you and say, “Why, yes, he’s a Christian”?
If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
The only evidence that would count to convict you would be the way you live. What if the authorities searched your vehicle or your house: would they find anything incriminating? What would they find if your bank statements were brought before the court? What if they looked at your check register? Any evidence of following Christ there?
Suppose the prosecution subpoenaed a record of the TV shows you watch. What would that say about your commitment to Christ? What about [your] subscriptions, or your hobbies?
If the people who know you best were called to testify under oath, what would they offer up as evidence? After interviewing your boss and your co-workers, your neighbors, and your family, would the court convict you of being a Christian? Or would they acquit?
Would the judge’s gavel come down with a bang with these words, “Case dismissed for lack of evidence”?
So, let me ask you again…If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
As we continue in the narrative, we see a role reversal. Paul was on the stand but now Felix and his wife are on trial. Paul became the prosecutor addressing Felix the prisoner.
When your faith is challenged, defend it cheerfully.
If we could have interviewed Felix on the street, we would have been struck by his rags-to-riches story. Born a slave, he eventually worked his way up to governor. Historians have described him as cruel, covetous, and criminal. Known as an incompetent politician, he was a narcissist and a hedonist who lived only for himself and for his own pleasures.
Interestingly, we read in verse 22 Felix had “a rather accurate knowledge of the Way...” The “Way” refers to Christianity as Jesus being the only way and the phrase, “rather accurate knowledge,” means he had studied and looked into it. Perhaps he learned about the Way from Philip, who according to Acts 8:40, had moved to Caesarea.
Verse 23 tells us Felix procrastinated on deciding Paul’s case and gave orders to keep Paul in custody but allowed him some freedom for his friends to visit. Let’s pick up the narrative in verse 24: “After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.”
Drusilla (think Cruella de Vil) had a religious background, while Felix did not. She was the daughter of King Agrippa, who had killed the apostle James and because of his pride, was eaten by worms and died. Her great uncle Herod Antipas executed John the Baptist and her great grandfather was Herod the Great who butchered babies in Bethlehem. Her family was dysfunctional and deviant and expressed open hostility toward Christ and Christians.
Historians tell us she was extremely beautiful. When she was 16, she married a Syrian king but when Felix heard about her, he hired a sorcerer to seduce her. Felix then took her as his third wife, even though she was still married to the king.
They “heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.” Notice, Paul didn’t just talk about faith; he spoke concerning the faith in Christ, or more literally, “faith into Christ.” He no doubt told Felix and Drusilla about who Christ was, why He came and what He accomplished through His life, death, burial, and resurrection.
Everything sounded intriguing until Paul chose to preach a three-point sermon. As we will see, Paul had no interest in flattering Felix. Instead, he took the propositional truths of Christianity and made them personal.
In verse 25, we see Paul: “...reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment.” Paul dialogued with them, presenting arguments to get Felix and Drusilla to ponder their own situation. Paul presented a logically compelling case, using the moral argument to appeal to their consciences. Let’s break it down.
• Righteousness. This literally means, “the state of being right or upright.” God’s standard for us is to live up to His righteous expectations. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 5:48: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
• Self-control. When Paul reasoned about righteousness, he was speaking about character, which is who we are before God. By bringing up self-control, he was referring to conduct. Man can control almost anything but himself. In short, we are sinners (our character) who sin (our conduct). Our problem is stated in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Felix and Drusilla became very fidgety at this point because it was their practice to indulge in every temptation, including adultery.
• Judgment to come. The word “coming” means, “impending.” Literally, it’s translated like this: “The judgment, the one coming imminently.” In Matthew 3:7, John the Baptist referred to the “wrath to come.” To fall short of God’s standards and to live only to please oneself, leads to judgment. Hebrews 9:27: “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”
We must always start with who God is – He is righteous and holy. Then, we see what we are – unrighteous and unable to control our selves or our sins. Then, we’re left to ponder where we’re headed – to judgment unless something happens.
Write this down. The only way good news becomes great news is in the context of really bad news. You won’t have any desire to be found if you have no idea you’re lost. You’ll struggle with seeing your need for salvation until you know you’re a sinner. You won’t want to hear about the way to Heaven unless you first understand you are on the highway to Hell. Society sanitizes sin where adultery is redefined as a fling or an affair, immorality is simply an alternative lifestyle, and murder is cloaked behind the right to choose.
While there are some people who refuse to embrace Christianity because they have a lot of questions about it, many know enough to believe but don’t want to surrender their lives to Christ. It’s not that they can’t believe; it’s that they don’t want to.
I heard Josh McDowell say if he could answer every question an unbeliever could throw at him, he or she may still choose not to believe. Why is that? Because ultimately the issue is not intellectual; it’s primarily moral. Frankly, some people don’t want to believe and receive Christ as Lord because they don’t want to stop living the way they’ve been living.
According to John 16:8, the job of the Holy Spirit is to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Some of you may be experiencing that uncomfortable terrifying conviction of sin right now. If so, see it as a gift from God.
So, how is all this relevant to you today?
1. Righteousness can be received. Have you ever wondered how you can get rid of all the guilt for what you’ve done? Are you tired of swimming in shame? The Resurrection is definitive proof that God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus as your sin substitute and is ready to transfer His righteousness to your account.
2. Christ can control your sins. Do you feel like you have no self-control and struggle to change? Do you want to be freed from a lack of self-control in your life? Friend, the same power which raised Jesus from the dead is available to you.
3. Judgment is fully satisfied. Jesus took the judgment we deserve. John 3:17 says: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Our three main problems are solved when we are saved by the Savior! Our past is forgiven, and we are declared righteous. In the present, we are given power to overcome our lack of self-control over sin. When we trust Jesus, we will not face future judgment. Our past, our present, and our future are secured!
After hearing about these topics, the Bible says Felix “was alarmed.” This powerful man trembled and was thrown into fear. One version says he was “terrified with great fear.” Another refers to Felix as “frightened outright.” Psalm 119:120 provides some insight into how Felix was feeling: “My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.”
I believe he was both frightened and fascinated. Unfortunately, instead of dealing with the decay in his soul, he chose to delay his decision: “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity, I will summon you.”
The word “opportunity” refers to an “opportune time” in the future. Instead of action he chose procrastination. Someone said it like this, “If vice has slain its hundreds and pride its thousands, surely procrastination has slain its tens of thousands.” Felix’s mind was enlightened, his emotions were stirred, but his will would not yield.
One day, when our daughter Lydia was a toddler, I put her on my shoulders and ran through the house with her. I stopped running whenever we would come to a smoke alarm so she could push the little test button. She thought this was fun, and so did I. As we ran throughout the house setting off all the alarms, it suddenly occurred to me this was not my brightest parenting decision.
Two things hit me hard. First, every time she pushed the test button, we were using up the battery. By playing this game, we were inadvertently damaging the smoke alarms and weakening their ability to sound a warning in the event of a real emergency.
But secondly, I noticed something even more insidious. The longer we played the game, the less afraid Lydia became of the alarms. She thought they were funny. Instead of startling her like an alarm is designed to do so we can run to safety, our little game actually desensitized her to the danger of our house being on fire.
By playing games with something which was designed to protect us, we were adversely affecting its performance and numbing our reaction to it. We were setting ourselves up not to hear or heed its warnings. That’s similar to what Felix did. He heard the piercing siren in his soul and was initially alarmed, but he turned it off. He was afraid, but he was unwilling to give up the way he was living. He decided to delay but he was really deciding to deny.
While Felix was frightened, we read nothing of Drusilla’s reaction. That’s often the case, right? One spouse is spiritually convicted, and the other isn’t. One wants to go to church, the other doesn’t.
Verse 26 tells us while Felix sent for Paul frequently over the next two years, what he really wanted was a bribe: “At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.” Materialism crowded out what really mattered. This showed money was his master and as Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, we all must decide which master we will serve: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
In essence, Paul told Felix and Drusilla, “You both are wicked and unrighteous. You are without self-control and will face the judgment to come. Unless you repent and receive Christ, you will spend eternity in Hell.”
We never read of Felix being frightened again. He went back to his old ways of seeking pleasure, popularity, and possessions. It’s as if the window of opportunity had closed for him. As far as we know, he never did find a convenient time to repent and receive Christ.
Felix eventually flamed out as governor and was forcibly removed by Nero. Drusilla met her demise in Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Her life taken by the flow of hot lava screaming down the mountain. She had an opportunity to have a clean conscience and to break the cycle of family dysfunction but because she delayed, she met her demise. One reason to decide today is because you have no idea how much time you have left.
It's possible to be shaken and never be saved; to be convicted and yet not be converted; to tremble and yet never trust. You can be so close to Christ and yet so far away.
God gives each of us opportunities to respond to Him. It’s a dangerous deal to be convicted by the Holy Spirit, and then put off a commitment until a more convenient time…that time may never come and then you’ll face the terror of the never-ending volcanic fires of Hell.
There’s another instance in the Bible of someone who was terrified. In Acts 16:29, we read of a correctional officer, who after experiencing an earthquake, “trembling with fear he fell down.” He asked the correct question in Acts 16:30: “What must I do to be saved?” The answer is not to delay, but to decide today: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
My family gives me a hard time for two phrases I’ve recited for years. One has to do with getting up in the morning. I tried, to no avail, to teach our daughters not to hit the snooze button when their alarm went off. When they overslept, I’d give them my go-to-phrase: “If you wanted to get up, you would have gotten up.” This was usually met with the rolling of their eyes.
Another short saying I’ve been known to recite more than a few times is related to getting things done: “If you don’t do it now, you’ll never do it.”
I should have cited Felix and Drusilla as examples of this. Isaiah 55:6 says: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” Don’t be like this couple who failed to respond when they had the opportunity. This might be your only opportunity right now. To delay today may mean your heart will decay tomorrow. Hebrews 4:7: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Listen to the plea of God found in Isaiah 32:11: “Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones.”
I’m reminded of the story from C.S. Lewis of three demons who were sharing ideas about the best way to keep people from going to heaven. The first one said, “I know, let’s keep them from going to church.” The second one said, “That’s pretty good, but I have a better idea. Let’s keep them from reading the Bible.” The third one flashed an evil grin and said, “I’ve got something even better. Let’s just tell people they have plenty of time.”
An older pastor often said, “Repent the day before you die.” When someone responded, “But we don’t know the day when we’ll die!” He replied, “Then repent today.”
Friend, you are “stamped” with sin, and you are also extremely valuable to God. Repent and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior right now.
“Lord Jesus, I know You are righteous and because I’m an unrighteous sinner with no self-control, I deserve judgment. You are the Savior who died in my place and then rose again on the third day. I want to respond to You right now by repenting and surrendering my life to You. I ask You to come into my life, to forgive me for my sins, to make me righteous, to give me self-control and to keep me from judgment. I confess You are the resurrected Christ and I believe You came to save me from my sins. Now I receive You by faith. Make me into the person You want me to be. Help me to follow You faithfully and help others to do the same. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.”
