On Trial (2023 Sermon)
SERMON OUTLINE:
(A). Tertullus: False Accusations (vs 1-9)
(B). Paul: Faithful Answers (vs 10-21)
(C). Felix: Fo0lish Attitude (vs 22-27)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• In one of Charles Schultz’s Peanuts comic strip,
• He shows a conversation between Lucy and Charlie Brown.
• Lucy said that life is like a deck chair.
• Some place it so they can see where they are going.
• Some place it so they can see where they have been.
• And some place it so they can see where they are at present.
• Charlie Brown’s reply is brilliant:
• “I can’t even get mine unfolded.”
Traditionally:
• January gives each of us to, ‘see where they have been,’
• To ‘see where they are at present.’
• To ‘see where are going,’
Question: Are you excited about the future?
Answer: Well, you should be!
• The encouraging thing about new days, new weeks, new months, even new year,
• Is the word ‘new’.
• Webster’s dictionary:
• ‘Refreshed, different from one of the same that has existed previously, unfamiliar’.
When you scan the Bible, you soon discover God likes new things:
• He talks about doing ‘A New Thing’,
• (Isaiah chapter 43 verse 19)
• In the lives of each believer, he places ‘A New Song’,
• (Psalm 40 verse 3)
• He uses ‘A New Morning’ as an illustration of his daily goodness to us.
• (Lamentations chapter 3 verse 22)
• He has given his people ‘A New Commandment’,
• (John chapter 13 verse 34)
• He promised and implemented ‘A New Covenant’,
• (Jeremiah chapter 31 verses 31-34 & Luke chapter 22 verse 20)
• Life in Christ (conversion) is called, ‘A New Creation’,
• (2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17)
• And he gives us all hope, as he promises us ‘A New Future’
• (Revelation chapter 21 verse 1)
TRANSITION:
• For us we have the opportunity
• To, ‘see where we have been,’
• To ‘see we are at in the present.’
• To ‘see where we are hoping to be going,’
• The apostle Paul would respond to those three points this way.,
• To, ‘see where we have been,’ – on three possibly four mission trips.
• To ‘see we are at in the present.’
• In prison and on trial.
• To ‘see where we are hoping to be going,’
• Rome is the destination he is striving for,
• The capitol of the Roman Empire and maybe an audience with Nero.
Remember:
• The book of Acts is a history book, it is the history of the early Church,
• i.e., how the Church was born and how it spread and grew.
• In chapter 9 onwards we encounter Paul (in those days Saul).
• We read about his dramatic conversion from persecutor to preacher,
• And we follow him on three, possibly four missionary journeys.
• And in the final few chapters of the book of Acts,
• The apostle Paul will have to give six defences for the faith he professes.
• (First defence):
• Scripture: Acts chapter 22 verses 1-30.
• Location: Jerusalem.
• Audience: Jewish public and Roman commander.
• (Second defence):
• Scripture: Acts chapter 23 verses 1-10
• Location: Jerusalem.
• Audience: Sanhedrin (the Jewish religious ruling council).
• (Third defence):
• Scripture: Acts chapter 24 verses 10-23
• Location: Caesarea (Herod’s Praetorium - this was the residence of a city's governor)
• Audience: Felix Governor of Judea.
• (Fourth defence):
• Scripture: Acts chapter 24 verses 24-27.
• Location: Caesarea.
• Audience: Felix and Drusilla.
• (Fifth defence):
• Scripture: Acts chapter 25 verses 8-12.
• Location: Caesarea (The court of law)
• Audience: Porcius Festus Governor of Judea.
• (Sixth defence):
• Scripture: Acts chapter 26 verses 1-32
• Location: Caesarea (The auditorium)
• Audience: Festus, Bernice, Agrippa II and also a large audience)
• Over the next few weeks will complete our studies in the book of Acts,
• But today, we are looking at his third and fourth trial and defence:
Ill:
• I came across these stupid questions or answers that were actually given in court.
• And I thought you would enjoy listening to them!
• ?Lawyer: "Now, Mrs. Johnson, how was your first marriage terminated?"
• ?Witness: "By death."
• ?Lawyer: "And by whose death was it terminated?"
• ?Lawyer: "What is your date of birth?"
• ?Witness: "July 15th."
• ?Lawyer: "What year?"
• ?Witness: "Every year."
• ?Lawyer: "What gear were you in when the car crashed?"
• ?Witness: "Nike T-shirt & Reebok trainers."
• ?Lawyer: "What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning?"
• ?Witness: "He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'"
• ?Lawyer: "And why did that upset you?"
• ?Witness: "My name is Susan."
• ?Lawyer: "Now sir, I'm sure you are an intelligent and honest man--"
• ?Witness: "Thank you. If I weren't under oath, I'd return the compliment."
• ?Lawyer: "You say that the stairs went down to the basement?"
• ?Witness: "Yes."
• ?Lawyer: "And these stairs, did they go up also?"
• ?Lawyer: "Have you lived in this town all your life?"
• ?Witness: "Not yet."
• ?Lawyer: "Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?"
• ?Witness: "All my autopsies have been performed on dead people."
• TRANSITION: well, I hope those true questions or answers put a smile on your face,
• Now to business of this chapter.
(A). Tertullus: False Accusations (vs 1-9)
“Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. 2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. 3 Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. 4 But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly.
5 “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect 6 and even tried to desecrate the temple; so, we seized him. [7] 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.”
9 The other Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.”.
Ill:
• You might know the old saying/joke.
• Someone told me to cheer-up because it could be worse,
• So, I cheered up and it got worse!
• TRANSITION: For the apostle Paul things got worse,
• This incident is five days after he needed to escape from Jerusalem,
• There his life was very much under threat from Jewish leaders in Asia.
• And we pick up the story of a dusty and travel worn apostle Paul,
• Chained hand and foot and now standing on trial before Felix the governor.
• We have all heard of Pontius Pilot who condemned Jesus to death,
• Well, Felix was the governor who succeeded him in Judea.
Question: What kind of man was Felix the governor?
Answer: Other commentators and historians describe this colourful character.
Quote: Bible commentator William Barclay:
“He had begun life as a slave. His brother, Pallas, was the favourite of Nero. Through the influence of Pallas, Felix had risen first to be a freedman and then to be a governor.
He was the first slave in history ever to become the governor of a Roman province…
He was completely unscrupulous and was capable of hiring thugs to murder his own closet supporters. It was to face a man like that that Paul went to Caesarea.”
Quote: Tacticus the Roman historian, said of him:
“He was one of the most depraved men of his time. Tacitus says of him that,
“with all cruelty and lust, he exercised the power of a king with the spirit of a slave.”
• Roman law was as complex as our modern law,
• It took an expert to understand it,
• And know how to apply it successfully to his client’s case.
• The opponents of the apostle Paul (vs 2).
• Hire a Roman lawyer, called Tertullus to represent them,
• And to prosecute their heretic, the apostle Paul.
• They knew that their case was weak,
• To get their way they know they need to hire an expert lawyer,
• And Tertullus was that man!
• Note: we know from previous chapters that they do not want to imprison Paul,
• They want him dead! These religious leaders want his blood spilt!
• (see Acts 22:22; 23:12, 27; 25:3).
• And so with a weak case they hire a Roman “Perry Mason / Rumpole of the Bailey,”
• Someone who was familiar with Roman legal system.
• And who could make their weak case look much stronger than it really was.
THERE WERE 4 MAIN CHARGES AGAINST PAUL (VS 5-6):
• Charge 1 (vs 5a):
• He was, in the eyes of the Jews, a ‘troublemaker, stirring up riots’
• Charge 2 (vs 5b):
• He stirred up unrest among the Jews ‘all over the world’
• Charge 3 (vs 5c):
• He was the ringleader of a non-Jewish sect – a ‘Nazarene sect’
• (this is the one and only time that Christians are given this name in the New Testament)
• Charge 4 (vs 6):
• He tried to ‘desecrate the temple’.
Those were the charges.
• But the case which Tertullus presented against Paul was a truly shoddy one.
• Just look again!
• e.g., In the first place, there were no eyewitnesses.
• There were only general allegations, and mostly of misconduct elsewhere.
• e.g., The best that they can do is to point to what they considered.
• It was only, in their opinion there was a threat of the temple being desecrated,
• Remember that NO offense had not actually taken place.
• Note: That they have the audacity to suggest in verse 8,
• That if this Roman official cross-examines the apostle Paul,
• They will find sufficient evidence to find him guilty.
• In other words,
• They actually want Felix the Governor,
• To find a charge against Paul because they haven’t got a legitimate one!
• Note: In both Roman law and in Jewish law,
• The apostle Paul is not required to testify against himself.
• He had the right to remain silent!
Tertullus the Roman lawyer did the best he could with what little he had to work with,
• But it was not enough to convince Felix,
• Who was too well informed to be taken in by the arguments of the prosecution.
• And the lack of substance in their accusations.
(B). Paul: Faithful Answers (vs 10-21)
Ill:
• Story told (and I am sure it’s apocryphal),
• A lawyer defending a man accused of burglary tried this creative defence:
• "My client merely inserted his arm into the window and removed a few trifling articles.
• His arm is not himself, and I fail to see how you can punish the whole individual.
• For an offense committed by his limb."
• The judge liked the banter of the lawyer and replied.
• "I sentence the defendant's arm to one year's imprisonment”.
• Adding: “He can accompany it or not, as he chooses."
• Then to the judge’s horror, the defendant with his lawyer's assistance.
• Took off an artificial limb, laid it on the bench, and proceeded to walk out.
• TRANSITION:
• Let’s now look at Paul’s defence (vs 10-21):
• Note: the apostle Paul stands up all alone - he has no fancy lawyer!
• But he does have the truth,
• And he does have the Holy Spirit to help formulate his thoughts and response.
YOU CAN DIVIDE PAUL’S DEFENCE INTO THREE PARTS:
PART 1 (vs 10-13):
“When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so, I gladly make my defence. 11 You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. 13 And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me.”
• As you might expect Paul began with an introductory statement.
• Notice how very different Paul’s introduction is from that of Tertullus.
• Tertullus’ introduction was longer, contained much more flattery,
• And was essentially untrue.
• Paul’s introduction was short and truthful!
• The apostle Paul factually states:
• He could not possibly be guilty of the charges,
• For he had only arrived in Jerusalem 12 days before.
• He had not been to Jerusalem for several years,
• And he could hardly have had the time required to do all the evil things.
• Which his opponents alleged.
• And throughout the short time of his stay,
• He had only engaged in private matters,
• And had not made any public appearances or speeches.
• The charges which were levelled against Paul, were without any basis
PART 2 (vs 14-16):
“However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, 15 and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16 So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”
• Paul spoke about his relationship to Judaism,
• And its bearing on his conduct.
• Note: In his defence, Paul very carefully sticks to the issue at hand.
• That is his conduct in Jerusalem.
• The Jewish council wanted Felix to believe that Paul was not a true Jew at all,
• But one who opposed the Jews,
• But the apostle Paul openly acknowledges his association with “the Way,”
• “The Way,” was the early name for the followers of Jesus,
• It was when they reached Antioch the name Christian was given to followers of Jesus,
• (Acts chapter 11 verse 26)
• So, Paul openly acknowledges his association with “the Way,”
• Which the Jews call a sect,
• But Paul strongly protests the allegation that it is a sect.
• Paul insists that his faith and practice is not only consistent with Judaism,
• But it is, in fact, the only true Judaism.
• Note his wording in these verses which is carefully chosen.
• Instead of reflecting a “we/they” polarization,
• Paul refers to an “our/us” commonality in many areas,
• By doing this he is affirming his close ties with Judaism.
• (Note: Jews who come to faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
• Do not see themselves as ‘former’ Jews.
• But rather as, ‘Messianic Jews’ ‘completed’ or ‘fulfilled’ Jews.)
PART 3:
“After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. 18 I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance. 19 But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me. 20 Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin— 21 unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”
• In verses 17-21: Paul concluded by specifically answering some of the charges.
• Which were made against him.
• In order to refute the charges made against him,
• Paul talked through the events of those few days in Jerusalem,
• Giving the facts, explaining exactly what he did, and what happened as a result.
(C). Felix: Foolish Attitude (vs 22-27)
Ill:
• American preacher D.L. Moody once received a note,
• But all that was on the note was the one word "Fool".
• When he next stood up in the pulpit he said,
"This is interesting. I usually get letters from people without a name on it.
Tonight, somebody has given me a piece of paper with their name on it but no letter."
• TRANSITION: Felix was a fool.
• We see his foolishness in several ways.
FIRST: HE WAS INDECICIVE (vs 22-23)
“Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.” 23 He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.”
• Remember Felix was a man with considerable experience,
• Felix was no “wet behind the ears” novice,
• He would not be taken in by the fancy words of Tertullus,
• Or by the impassioned words of his opponents.
• Felix knew these Jews had other ‘religious’ issues on the agenda.
• That had nothing to do with Roman Law.
Note:
• Verse 22 is surprising because it tells us that:
• Felix was a man with considerable knowledge concerning.
• Christianity, or “the Way”.
• His wide Drusilla was a Jewess,
• Maybe she had kept him informed about the revolution taking place in Judaism.
• Felix understood quite a bit about both Christianity and Judaism.
• But he chose to live in darkness even though he saw.
Felix could have and should have quickly pronounced judgment,
• That found the apostle Paul innocent and set him free.
• Instead, he is under house arrest and not in a common jail.
• This gave him some freedom,
• But it also meant he was chained to a Roman soldier.
• These soldiers changed shifts every six hours.
• Which is not a pleasant experience.
• But another good feature was he was allowed friends to visit,
• These friends could help to take care of him.
SECOND: He Dialogues With Paul (vs 24-27)
“Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” 26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.
27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favour to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.”
• Don’t miss verse 27, Two years!
• Not two months or Two weeks but two long years!
• Now we are not told very much about these two years.
• But what we do know is worth pointing out.
• During this two-year period of time.
• Frequent discussions took place between Felix, his wife Drusilla.
• And the preacher, the apostle Paul.
Question: What did they talk about?
Answer: According to verse 25 was three things.
• Paul spoke about “Righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come”
• He tailored his message to the man and the situation he was in.
• FIRST: The spoke of a righteousness that Felix did not possess.
• Felix did not act right in this situation,
• Because Felix was not right with God!
• He was more concerned with himself and how things would work out best for him.
• SECOND: The spoke of self-control that a quality Felix did not practice.
• In your own time Google Felix and read how he got his wife Drusilla who was wife #3!
• Felix was corrupt who openly took bribes.
• THIRDLY: The spoke of a judgment he could not prevent.
• This was very important for Felix to understand.
• Because here Felix sits on the throne and in many ways seems above the law.
• But Paul reminds him he might seem untouchable in this life.
• But he reminds him of a judgement to come.
• And he like all of us Felix needs to be ready for when it arrives!
NOTE: Paul’s sermon dealt with all three areas of human life:
• ‘Righteousness’ dealt with the past.
• We are sinners by nature and by practice.
• ‘There is no-one righteous, not one” (Romans chapter 3 verse 10)
• ‘Self-control’ dealt with the present:
• We must do something about today’s temptations.
• Self-control was something that Felix and Drusilla knew very little about.
• ‘Judgement to come’ dealt with the future:
• Maybe Paul shared with Felix and Drusilla what he told the Greek philosophers.
• Back in Acts chapter 17 verse 31:
• “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by Jesus Christ”
Notice:
• When Paul got around to the judgment to come (vs 25),
• Felix became frightened and sent Paul away.
• No-one then or today wants to hear about judgement to come!
• Remove the preacher and his message and no need to think about these things!
• Felix said he would talk with Paul more about this later.
• And so, he did on many occasions over a two-year period.
• But sadly, there is no indication that he or Drusilla ever came to faith.
Conclusion
• Let me conclude by pointing out a few some important lessons.
• That will have a knock-n-effect to us.
FIRST ALESSON: the grace of God.
• Notice the grace of God to Felix and his wife.
• Most of us are probably inclined to view this two-year delay.
• From Paul’s point of view.
• And from that perspective it would seem that this was a needless waste of time,
• A needless, pointless two year stay For Paul,
• After all isn’t Rome calling!
• But from Felix and Drusilla’s perspective,
• It is a great example of the marvellous grace of God.
• Paul’s two-year incarceration in Caesarea was,
• As verses 24-26 highlights for us.
• A time for the gospel to be repeatedly proclaimed to this governor and his wife.
• God not only ordained that this Roman ruler and his wife hear the gospel,
• But that they hear it again and again and again for two years.
• When they stand before God they are surely without excuse.
Ill:
• I once heard Billy Graham say, “You cannot become a Christian whenever you want!”
• On first hearing I thought he was wrong,
• But on reflection he was right!
• We can only become true followers of Jesus,
• When the Spirit of God is at work in our lives,
• God in his grace may give you opportunity after opportunity.
• But eventually those opportunities will stop!
• God never promises us tomorrow, only today:
• Quote: 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 2:
• “Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.”
(2) Integrity.
• That simply means our lives must match our message!
• From Luke’s words in verse 26:
• It would seem that a bribe from Paul might have secured his release.
“At the same time, he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.”
• Bible commentators suggest that the text implies that,
• The apostle Paul not only refused to pay this bribe,
• But that he refused to consider this as an option.
If Paul was to be released, it would not be due to a bribe.
• Truth and integrity mattered to the apostle Paul,
• He wanted a verdict which would protect and promote the preaching of the gospel.
• And so, he left his fate in God’s hands.
• If he could not be released legally and honestly,
• Then so be it, he would not be released.
• Honesty is telling the truth.
• Honesty is straightforward conduct.
• Honesty is being sincere, truthful, trustworthy, fair, genuine, and loyal with integrity.
Ill:
• There were two doctors with the same name who lived a few doors apart.
• One was a Christian and a lay preacher, the other made no profession of faith.
• One night a rather sick person, who was also a Christian,
• And wanting help from a fellow believer,
• Knocked mistakenly at the door of the non-Christian doctor.
• “Are you the doctor who preaches?” he asked.
• “No”, the medic replied, “I am the doctor who practices”.
• “Oh”, said the sick person, “I’ve always understood the two things were inseparable”.
• Good doctrine should lead to good practice,
• Integrity is when we match our words/beliefs to our lives.
• TRANSITION: Integrity (from "integer" = the whole of anything, a whole number not a fraction,
• Just as we would talk about a whole number,
• So also, we can talk about a whole person who is undivided.
• A person of integrity is living rightly, not divided,
• Nor being a different person in different circumstances.
• May that be true of each of us here today!
SEERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=yT8qzGsrzozIqgGsndaUHHa5191VZoZp
SEERMON Video:
https://youtu.be/LqqvNeKiDwk
