Please God still bless us together
as we continue our meditation in the Acts of the Apostles and
this evening we'll speak in chapter 24 and from verse 10 to verse
21 and we'll just read those verses. So that's the Acts of
the Apostles 24 and reading from verse 10 to 21. Then Paul after
that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak answered and
Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge
unto this nation, I do them more cheerfully answer for myself,
because that thou mayest understand that there are yet but twelve
days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. And they neither
found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising
of the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city.
Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But
this I confess unto thee, 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, 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,
And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void
of offence toward God and toward men. Now, after many years, I
came to bring alms to my nation in offerings, whereupon certain
Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude
nor with tumult, who ought to have been here before thee, and
object if they had ought against me or else let these same here
say if they have found any evil doing in me while I stood before
the council except it be for this one thing that I cried standing
among them touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question
by you this day. Well, these 12 verses in this
chapter show to us what the Apostle Paul was able to speak in his
defense against those accusations which had been brought by that
eloquent man called Totalus. And it's interesting that the
way he responded was not to take all those criticisms and objections
that Tantalus had brought before the governor, Felix, about the
Apostle really just spoke to Felix those things which he considered
to be right and proper and for the obvious glory of God. And so we find that Paul is here
then having listened to all that Totalus brought before the Governor
and he didn't make any comments while that was in progress and
indeed now when that was finished he didn't immediately stand up
and start speaking but he waited until the Governor had beckoned
unto him to speak and we see there humility really the Apostle
Paul, we see that really throughout his life, how gracious he was
in the way that he responded to accusations. He always spoke
carefully and never with any rancour and never with any hatred. And it's a good example for us
today to realise this is how we should respond. Perhaps when
we are accused about things, not even perhaps to respond directly
to those accusations. You see the Apostle knew that
they weren't true and sometimes accusations are not true. It
may be that we're not therefore called upon to say well of course
all those things are not true but just to speak as the Apostle
clearly was here directed by the Spirit of God. So Paul was
able to come and address the Governor Felix and say for as
much as I know that thou hast been in many years a judge unto
this nation. I do, the more cheerfully, answer
for myself." And clearly Felix was a governor, although he would
not appear to be a Christian person by the things which we
read later on. Nonetheless, it would appear
that he was a just man. And therefore we see that Paul
is saying that he does more cheerfully answer for myself. And so he
then, having begun in this way, he says, because that thou mayest
understand that there are yet but 12 days since I went up to
Jerusalem for to worship. So it's quite a short time that
he came from Caesarea, and he went to Jerusalem, and as you
know, he abode with his friends, and then he purified himself,
then he went into the temple, and then he was accosted by those
people who were so against him and then the captain Lysias came
down and recovered him and took him up to the castle and then
there he was in the castle and when he was there he was able
to speak right before he was in the castle he was able to
speak on the stairs to the castle and giving what he believed to
be the truth of God and of course it was on that occasion when
when he came to the resurrection that the Sadducees were so violent
against him. But then he spent a little time
in the castle and then there was that plot to kill him and
his nephew heard about that plot and spoke to the centurion who
then spoke to the chief captain. He was brought before him and
the chief captain arranged for him to be brought to Caesarea
by night with that large army of men. and then he's been in
now in Caesarea for a few days but it only adds up to these
12 days but 12 days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship
and they neither found me in the temple disputing with any
man neither raising up the people neither in the synagogue nor
in the city he hadn't been there to cause trouble he'd been there
to preach everlasting gospel. And therefore he's able to declare,
neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But
this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call
heresy, so worship I the God of their fathers, believing all
things that are written in the law and in the prophets. Well, the Apostle, of course,
believed the Old Testament, and no doubt the Jews also believed
the Old Testament. They weren't blessed with a light
that the Apostle had been granted. What a mercy it was. The Apostle
had seen the Gospel in the Old Testament, and he'd seen Christ
revealed in the Old Testament. And therefore he was able to
declare it in this way. So worship I, the God of my fathers,
believing all things which are written in the law and in the
prophets, 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." Well, we should recognize that if there was no
resurrection, as the apostle tells us when he wrote to the
Corinthians, if there's no resurrection, then his preaching was vain,
there was no point in it, and the hope of the Christians was
vain. There was no hope. And it's the
same today. If there's no resurrection, you
see, there was no rising from the dead of the Saviour. There
was no evidence that He had indeed conquered sin, death, hell and
the grave. But He rose a conqueror. He rose
a conqueror, having conquered And we're so thankful for that
great and glorious truth. And of course, that's what the
Sadducees just did not want. They could not understand. They
did not believe that anyone could possibly rise from the dead. And this is really the bottom
line that was so annoying them. They were so intent upon coming
and having the apostle sentenced to death if it was possible.
That's why they'd hired this able orator to try and produce
a very solid case so that he was condemned to death. But God
was with him. And so he tells us, and herein
do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence
toward God and toward man. That's a great blessing, isn't
it? To be able to come and say that we have a conscience void
offence. How often you see Satan is very
cunning and creeps into our minds, into our conscience and perhaps
we think things that we shouldn't think and perhaps we almost say
things that we shouldn't say. But here the Apostle is able
to declare this great truth, do I exercise myself to have
always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man. And
then he says, now after many years, I came to bring arms to
my nation and offerings. And it would seem that it was
probably some 25 years now since the Lord converted him on that
Damascus road. And as we know, he'd traveled
many, many miles and to many, many nations. And there have
been those who collected for the poor in Jerusalem, especially
those in Macedonia. And so here's the apostle who
of course was a pretty poor man himself. He didn't have great
possessions. And he says, though, that he
came to bring arms to my nation and offerings. Well, again, he
was a faithful carrier. He didn't use these arms or offerings
for himself. But he brought them now to Jerusalem. And we see that he says he'd
come there, and this is one of the great purposes for coming.
And then he tells us, whereupon certain Jews from Asia found
me purified in the temple. He was in a right condition and
a right situation, neither with a multitude nor with tumult."
Yes, he wasn't causing any problem there at all. Who ought to have
been here? You see, if they were the accusers,
they ought to have come and been the ones who were now accusing
the Apostle before the Governor of Phoenix. And that's why he
says, who ought to have been here. before thee, and object,
if they had ought against me." Well, they had got these things,
but you see, if they'd come, they wouldn't have been able
to have proved that what he was saying was an error, and what
he was saying was against the law of God, and what he was saying
wasn't against the great truths contained in the Old Testament.
And therefore, they were clearly not here, but they sent others,
and they'd appeal to the high priest and to those of the Sanhedrin
that they might come and draw a conclusion following on the
evidence of the able orator, Totalus, and therefore
have him condemned. But he then comes and says, or
else let these same hear, say those who have worked there,
if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the
council." He did of course stand before the council before, he'd
already given a testimony before them and now you see they couldn't
find anything really against him and so he makes his statement,
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." Well, what an important point that was,
therefore, that the Apostle now refers back to. This, of course,
is the end of the little discourse that he had before Felix, and
he concludes it with this important point touching the resurrection
of the dead I am called in question by you this day. It is a very
solemn and a very blessed consideration that there will be a resurrection
of the dead. The Word of God clearly tells
us this, so that all those who have died before the return of
the Lord will be raised from the dead. Those who are his people
will be raised first. And they will be raised to that
glorious inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled,
that beautiful purity in religion, the wonderful blessing of being
joined together in glory with Christ, around the throne of
God in heaven. It's a picture that you and I
today cannot really visualise, but how wonderful it is to think
the Lord has gone to prepare a place for us, a place to receive
us. He will come again and receive
us unto himself when we are resurrected from the dead. Well, what a wonderful
truth it is that we believe that we will be resurrected when we
die our bodies are laid in a grave, but it will be raised incorruptible. Whereas the great and solemn
truth is all those who are not in Christ will also be resurrected,
but will be resurrected to an eternity in hell. An eternity of utter misery,
despair, darkness, blackness. The Lord Jesus tells us these
words, where the worm dieth not. They will always be irritated.
They will always have something pestering them. They'll never
be free from it. It's really an absolutely terrible
consideration. And yet, the sad truth is that
the majority of mankind are hastening to that eternal state. And where
they are resurrected, it won't be to glory. It'll be to find
themselves in hell. You see, in glory, there's no
sin. In hell, sin won't have been
taken away. Hell would be a place of sin. What a terrible thought and consideration
it is. We may have some indication of
why these people didn't want to be reminded there was going
to be a resurrection. And yet how important it is,
oh that people today would realise that there will be a resurrection,
an inescapable resurrection. All of us will be there at that
time when time should be no more. Every one of us. There's no escaping
it. What a mercy, therefore, if you
and I are found amongst those for whom the Saviour died, for
whom the Saviour has cleansed, for whom the Saviour has made
us white, for whom the Saviour has taken away all our sins,
washed away through his death, through the precious blood of
Jesus. There's no salvation outside
of that. The Apostle tells us, without shedding of blood, there
is no forgiveness, there's no remission. It is so, so important
that you and I are found safe under the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ in exactly the same way as Israel of old were only safe
in that terrible night for the Egyptians when the Lord, the
avenging angel, came and slew all those firstborn who were
not under the blood. Well, my friends, it's a wonderful
and blessed consideration to realise to the Church of God
that it will be a glorious day the day of the resurrection.
But for those who are not under the blood, it will be the most
terrible, awful day on that great day of judgment. And so may you
and I be found on that great day on the right side and not
on the wrong side. And may we have that unmistakable
evidence the Lord has come and given us that life, that life
within, which has produced the wonderful blessing of light in
our heart, so that we can rejoice today in the great work of God,
the glorious blessed work of salvation, and thank God that
there is a resurrection. And so the Apostle concludes
his statement by saying, 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. Amen.