Felix's Folly: A Call to Conscience from Acts 24

Acts 24

1 And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

2 And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by you we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done to this nation by your providence,

3 We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.

4 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious to you, I pray you that you would hear us of your clemency a few words.

5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

6 Who also has gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.

7 But the chief captain Lysias came on us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

8 Commanding his accusers to come to you: by examining of whom yourself may take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

9 And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

10 Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned to him to speak, answered, For as much as I know that you have been of many years a judge to this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

11 Because that you may understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.

12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

13 Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

14 But this I confess to you, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offense toward God, and toward men.

17 Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.

18 Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.

19 Who ought to have been here before you, and object, if they had something against me.

20 Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,

21 Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

22 And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.

23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come to him.

24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go your way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for you.

26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: why he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.

27 But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room: and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.

Certainly! I can help you with that. I will prepare a sermon outline for Acts chapter 24, incorporating the reference to Acts 3:39.

"The Trial at Caesarea: A Call to Conscience"

Friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ, welcome to this sacred gathering where we open the living oracles of God. Today, our hearts and minds turn to a pivotal moment in the early church, a scene of profound spiritual significance that reverberates through the ages to our very present. We delve into the twenty-fourth chapter of the book of Acts, a narrative that powerfully illustrates the conflict between light and darkness, truth and deception, and the eternal call of God to every human soul.AA 419

📖 "And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul." Acts 24:1.

🌟 A Little Seed of Truth: A Children's Story

Children, imagine a tiny seed. It looks small and insignificant, doesn't it? But inside that little seed is the power to grow into a tall, strong tree with deep roots and many branches, offering shade and fruit. Now, imagine someone gives you this special seed, and they tell you it can grow into the most beautiful tree you've ever seen, but you have to plant it and water it. You might think, "Oh, I'll do it later when I have more time." But what if "later" never comes? What if that seed, that gift, just sits there and never gets a chance to grow? Today, we're going to talk about someone who heard a very special seed of truth, but chose to wait, and what happened when he waited too long. It’s a lesson for all of us, no matter how big or small we are, about cherishing the precious seeds of truth God gives us.

I. The Stage is Set: Accusation and Flattery 🎭

Our journey begins in Caesarea, where the apostle Paul stands accused. Five days after his arrival, his adversaries from Jerusalem arrived, bringing with them a skilled orator named Tertullus.AA 419.1 This counsel, engaged for the very purpose of securing Paul's condemnation, began his speech not with truth, but with barefaced flattery, praising Governor Felix for the "great quietness" and "very worthy deeds" enjoyed by the nation through his providence.AA 419.1+1

• The Deceptive Art of Tertullus: Tertullus’s words were a stark example of falsehood. Felix, history tells us, was a man of "lust and cruelty," ruling "with the temper of a slave."AA 419.2 Yet, the accusers, driven by their hatred for Paul, eagerly supported these untruths. This scene reminds us of the world's ways, where often, truth is sacrificed on the altar of personal gain and prejudice.

• Charges of Sedition and Profanation: The accusations against Paul were grave, designed to lead to a conviction for high treason. Tertullus branded Paul as a "pestilent fellow," a "mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world," and a "ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes," alleging he had attempted to profane the temple.AA 420.1 These were serious charges, vehemently supported by those present, who made no secret of their animosity.

II. Paul's Defense: Truth and Conscience 🕊️

In contrast to his accusers, Paul's defense was characterized by candor and sincerity. When Felix beckoned him to speak, Paul wasted no words in flattery but simply acknowledged Felix's long experience as procurator, which gave him a good understanding of Jewish laws and customs.AA 420.2

• Refuting the False Charges: Paul systematically dismantled each accusation. He declared he had caused no disturbance, nor had he profaned the sanctuary. "They neither found me in the temple disputing with any man," he affirmed, "neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: neither can they prove the things whereof I now accuse me." Acts 24:12, 13.AA 420.2

• A Conscience Void of Offense: While confessing to worshipping "the God of my fathers after the way which they call heresy," Paul asserted his belief in "all things which are written in the law and in the prophets." Acts 24:14.AA 421.1 His life's purpose, he declared, was to "have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men." Acts 24:16.AA 421.1 This is a powerful testament, brothers and sisters, to the transformation wrought by Christ—a life lived with integrity before God and humanity.

• The Hope of the Resurrection: A central tenet of Paul's faith, and indeed, of Christianity, was the resurrection of the dead. He declared, "And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." Acts 24:15.AA 421.1+1 This glorious hope was even the very point for which he was called into question.AA 421.2 It is this hope that anchors our souls in times of trial and tribulation.

III. Felix's Dilemma: Self-Interest vs. Divine Conviction 🤔

Paul's earnest and sincere words, coupled with the testimony of Claudius Lysias and Felix's own understanding of Jewish customs, clarified the Jews' malicious motives.AA 421.3 Felix saw that Paul was innocent, yet he was swayed by self-interest, love of praise, and a desire for promotion.AA 421.3 He feared offending the Jews and thus hesitated to render full justice. He therefore suspended the trial, keeping Paul a prisoner, albeit with some liberty.AA 421.3+1

• A God-Given Opportunity: It wasn't long before Felix and his wife, Drusilla, sent for Paul, eager to hear "concerning the faith in Christ." Acts 24:24.AA 422.2 This was a divine opportunity for them, a chance to hear truths that, if rejected, would stand as a swift witness against them.AA 422.2

• Paul's Fearless Witness: Paul, knowing he stood before those with power over his life, did not resort to flattery.AA 422.3 He understood that his words carried eternal weight—a savor of life or of death.AA 422.3 Forgetting all selfish considerations, he sought to awaken them to their spiritual peril.AA 422.3 He spoke of the character of God, His righteousness, justice, and the nature of His law. He emphasized the duty to live a life of sobriety and temperance, controlling passions with reason, and maintaining physical and mental health in conformity to God's law.AA 423.2+1

• The Judgment to Come: Paul boldly declared that a day of judgment would surely come, when all would be rewarded according to their deeds. Wealth, position, or titles, he asserted, are powerless to gain God's favor or deliver from sin's consequences.AA 423.3 This life, he taught, is our time of preparation for eternity, and neglected opportunities would result in eternal loss.AA 423.3

• The Penetrating Power of God's Law: The apostle particularly emphasized the far-reaching claims of God's law. He showed how it pierces the deepest secrets of man's moral nature, exposing hidden thoughts, motives, purposes, and dark passions like jealousy, hatred, lust, and ambition—even those evil deeds meditated upon but never executed. All these, God's law condemns.AA 424.1 This is the royal law, the sin detector, by which we gain knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20.

IV. The Cross of Calvary: The Only Hope 💖

Paul then directed their minds to the one great Sacrifice for sin: Jesus Christ. He connected the ancient sacrificial system, which were "shadows of good things to come," to Christ, the "antitype of all those ceremonies."AA 424.2 Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the only source of life and hope for fallen humanity.AA 424.2

• God's Just Claim and Man's Inability: God justly claims the love and obedience of all His creatures, having given them a perfect standard of right in His law.AA 425.1 But humanity, often forgetting their Maker, chooses to follow their own way. God cannot lower His law to meet the standard of wicked men, nor can man, in his own power, meet its demands.AA 425.1

• Salvation by Faith in Christ: The science of salvation, the very burden of every sermon, reveals that "only by faith in Christ can the sinner be cleansed from guilt and be enabled to render obedience to the law of his Maker."AA 425.1 This is the mystery of godliness, that man, fallen and deceived, can be conformed to the image of God's Son through Christ's righteousness. God will love the redeemed man even as He loved His Son!AA 425.1

• Jesus, the World's Redeemer: Thus, Paul, the prisoner, urged the claims of the divine law and presented "Jesus, the despised Nazarene, as the Son of God, the world's Redeemer."AA 425.2 The cross of Calvary, friends, is the life-healing balm that unveils virtue, the central theme that must be lifted higher and higher so that sinners are convicted and know what to do to be saved.

V. A Trembling Conscience and a Tragic Delay ⏳

As Paul reasoned concerning righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come, the Spirit of God sent conviction to Felix's soul.AA 425.3+1 Conscience, now aroused, made its voice heard, and Felix trembled with dread as he reflected on his guilty past of profligacy, bloodshed, and licentious cruelty.AA 425.3

• The Unwelcome Reflections: Never before had the truth so deeply penetrated his heart, filling him with terror at the thought that all the secrets of his criminal career were open before the eye of God, and that he would be judged by his deeds.AA 425.3

• The Fatal Postponement: Yet, instead of allowing conviction to lead to repentance, Felix chose to dismiss these unwelcome thoughts. The interview was cut short with the tragic words: "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." Acts 24:25.AA 426.1+1

• A Contrast in Choices: What a stark contrast to the jailer of Philippi, who, trembling with conviction, confessed his sins and found pardon!AA 426.2 Felix trembled but did not repent. The jailer joyfully welcomed the Spirit of God; Felix bade the divine Messenger depart. One became an heir of heaven; the other cast his lot with workers of iniquity.AA 426.2 This was Felix's heaven-sent opportunity to see and forsake his sins, his last offer of mercy. He never received another call from God.AA 427.2

VI. The Enduring Impact of Unanswered Calls 📉

For two years, Paul remained a prisoner. Felix visited him, not out of genuine concern, but out of a desire for a bribe, hinting that Paul could buy his freedom.AA 426.3 But Paul, of noble character, would not stoop to such a wrong.AA 426.3 He was in God's hands and would not interfere with divine purposes.AA 426.3

• Felix's Disgrace: Ultimately, Felix was summoned to Rome for gross wrongs against the Jews. In a final, futile attempt to please them, he left Paul in prison, but it did not save him. He was removed from office in disgrace, succeeded by Porcius Festus.AA 427.1

VII. An Appeal to Your Heart 🙏

My dear friends, Felix heard the truth—the truth concerning righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come. He was convicted, he trembled, but he postponed. He said, "When I have a convenient season..."AA 426.1

Today, the same Spirit of God is speaking to your heart. You have heard the science of salvation, the truths that Christ emphasized: the call to practical godliness, the breaking of the bread of life, the solemn responsibilities laid upon your soul, and the eternal realities kept in view. You have seen Jesus, the central theme, lifted higher and higher, the cross of Calvary emphasized as the life-healing balm.

You are being called to examine your life by the royal law, the sin detector, and to gaze upon the wonderful manifestation of Christ's love in His humiliating, shameful death upon the cross for you. Angels long to look into this mystery, that fallen humanity can be conformed to the image of the infinite God, loved by God even as He loved His Son because of Christ's righteousness given to us. This is the mystery of godliness, the groundwork of every sermon.

What are you going to do with the truth you have heard today? Are you, like Felix, going to say, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee"? Or are you, like the Philippian jailer, going to tremble, confess your sins, and joyfully welcome the Spirit of God into your heart and home right now?

There are souls here today, in this very congregation, whose eternal destiny hangs in the balance. God is calling you to a genuine conversion, to forsake your sins, and to turn to Christ, who offers pardon and power to live a life void of offense toward God and toward men.

This is your heaven-sent opportunity. Do not slight this last offer of mercy. Do not postpone the most important decision of your life. The convenient season may never come. Come to Jesus today, yield your heart to Him, and embrace the life and hope He so freely offers.

May God bless you as you make your decision for Him. Amen.

Here is the sermon outline:

The Trial at Caesarea: A Call to Conscience

Introduction

• Welcome and opening prayer.
• Focus on Acts 24:1 – a pivotal moment illustrating the conflict between truth and deception, and God's call.

Children's Story: The Little Seed of Truth

• Analogy of a small seed with the power to grow into a beautiful tree.
• The danger of procrastination: "What if 'later' never comes?"
• A lesson about cherishing the precious seeds of truth.

I. The Stage is Set: Accusation and Flattery 🎭

• The Deceptive Art of Tertullus:
  • Paul's adversaries hire a skilled orator, Tertullus.
  • Tertullus begins with false flattery towards Governor Felix, a man known for "lust and cruelty."
  • This highlights how truth is often sacrificed for personal gain and prejudice.
• Charges of Sedition and Profanation:
  • Paul is accused of "sedition among all the Jews," being a "ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes," and attempting to profane the temple.
  • These were serious charges aimed at securing a conviction for high treason.

II. Paul's Defense: Truth and Conscience 🕊️

• Refuting the False Charges:
  • Paul's defense is characterized by candor, not flattery.
  • He denies causing disturbances or profaning the sanctuary Acts 24:12-13.
• A Conscience Void of Offense:
  • Paul confesses to worshipping God according to "the way which they call heresy" while believing in the Law and Prophets Acts 24:14.
  • His life's purpose is to "have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men" Acts 24:16.
• The Hope of the Resurrection:
  • Paul asserts his belief in the resurrection of the dead, both just and unjust Acts 24:15.
  • This hope is central to his faith and anchors believers in trials.

III. Felix's Dilemma: Self-Interest vs. Divine Conviction 🤔

• A God-Given Opportunity:
  • Paul's sincerity and other testimonies expose the Jews' malicious motives.
  • Felix recognizes Paul's innocence but delays justice due to self-interest and fear of offending the Jews.
  • Felix and his wife, Drusilla, later send for Paul to hear "concerning the faith in Christ" Acts 24:24. This is a divine opportunity for them.
• Paul's Fearless Witness:
  • Paul, without flattery, preaches with eternal weight.
  • He speaks of God's character, righteousness, justice, and the nature of His law.
  • He emphasizes soberness, temperance, and physical/mental health according to God's law.
• The Judgment to Come:
  • Paul declares a coming day of judgment where all will be rewarded according to deeds.
  • He stresses that wealth or position cannot avert God's judgment; this life is preparation for eternity.
• The Penetrating Power of God's Law:
  • God's law exposes hidden thoughts, motives, and passions (jealousy, hatred, lust, ambition).
  • It is the "royal law," the "sin detector" Romans 3:20.

IV. The Cross of Calvary: The Only Hope 💖

• God's Just Claim and Man's Inability:
  • God's law is a perfect standard, but humanity cannot meet its demands through self-effort.
• Salvation by Faith in Christ:
  • Salvation comes "only by faith in Christ" to cleanse guilt and enable obedience.
  • Through Christ's righteousness, fallen humanity can be conformed to God's image.
• Jesus, the World's Redeemer:
  • Paul presents Jesus, the "despised Nazarene," as the Son of God and the world's Redeemer.
  • The cross of Calvary is the "life-healing balm" and central theme for conviction and salvation.

V. A Trembling Conscience and a Tragic Delay ⏳

• The Unwelcome Reflections:
  • Paul's message on righteousness, temperance, and judgment brings conviction to Felix.
  • Felix trembles, reflecting on his guilty past of profligacy and cruelty.
• The Fatal Postponement:
  • Instead of repenting, Felix dismisses the conviction: "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee" Acts 24:25.
• A Contrast in Choices:
  • Compares Felix's delay to the Philippian jailer's immediate repentance.
  • Felix rejected a "heaven-sent opportunity" and "last offer of mercy."

VI. The Enduring Impact of Unanswered Calls 📉

• Felix's Disgrace:
  • Paul remains imprisoned for two years; Felix seeks a bribe, which Paul refuses.
  • Felix is recalled to Rome in disgrace for wrongs against the Jews.
  • He leaves Paul in prison to appease the Jews, but it does not save him.

VII. An Appeal to Your Heart 🙏

• The Modern-Day Call:
  • The same Spirit of God speaks to hearts today, presenting the "science of salvation."
  • Emphasizes practical godliness, responsibility, and eternal realities.
  • Urges examination of life by God's law and contemplation of Christ's sacrifice.
• A Choice for Eternity:
  • A direct question: Will you, like Felix, postpone ("convenient season") or, like the Philippian jailer, repent immediately?
  • Stresses that eternal destiny hangs in the balance.
• Closing Exhortation:
  • Call to genuine conversion, forsaking sins, and turning to Christ.
  • Warning not to slight this "last offer of mercy" or postpone the most important decision.
  • Invitation to yield to Jesus today.
• Benediction.