The Perils Of Procrastination Series

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.