Acts chapter 24. The lesson, the theme of the lesson,
is this I confess. Paul says, this I do confess.
You know, Paul's standing before Felix. You know, the rest of
chapter 23 is Paul's, you know, going, he's being taken to stand
before Felix, and he has arrived, and so we pick up in chapter
24, and I take this This from what Paul says, this I confess.
Now, we see, first of all, the accusations that are brought
against Paul, verses 1 through 8 here. Ananias, it says, after
five days, Ananias, the high priest, descended with the elders.
Boy, that's a statement, descended. Did you ever have anybody descend
upon you? They descended upon Paul. They
came down there to eat Paul up. And they descended with the elders
and with a certain orator named Tertullus who informed the governor
against Paul. So Ananias hires a slick orator. And that day, you know, to have
oratory skills was highly, highly valued. Because those who could
really use oratory, they usually won the case. They were the ones
who would usually win the case. And so Ananias hires this slick
orator to speak against Paul. This man named Tertullus. And
Tertullus speaks like the religion of our day. Listen to this in
verse 2. And when he was called forth,
Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we
enjoy great quietness. When he's going to accuse Paul,
he's talking to Felix, he says, Seeing that by thee we enjoy
great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this
nation by thy providence. We accept it always, and in all
places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Man, is he
laying it on. He is, then that's just the religion
of our day. First of all, he brags on the
flesh. He just brags on Felix and all
that he is, and no, he's really not, but Tortullus is making
him feel good about himself. He appeals to Felix's ego, and
then he lies on God's servant. That's religion of our day. And
he gives the charge here in verse 5. We have found this man a pest. This Paul, he's a pest, a troublemaker. God's servants are not troublemakers.
They're not troublemakers. God's servants are peacemakers.
Be ye reconciled to God is the message of God's servants. They
are truth-tellers. They tell the truth on God, on
Christ, and on men. They are truth-tellers. Trouble
comes in when rebels are confronted with the truth because darkness
hates the light. And a nice who is steeped in
darkness hates the light. He hates the truth. And then
the second charge that is brought against Paul is that he is a
mover of sedition. This is a slick move on Tertullus's
part. You see sedition, mover of sedition
means this, is conduct or language inciting rebellion against the
authority of a state or other lawful governments. He's saying
he's in rebellion against Rome. He's in rebellion. Tertullus
is telling Felix that Paul's trying to turn the people, especially
the Jews, against the Roman government. The gospel and God's preachers
and God's people, they are not against the government, not good
government, not good government now, not good government. The
gospel does not turn men and women against God's ordained
authority, does it? It doesn't turn us against God's
authority. Now, when the government starts making rules that are
immoral and against God's law, yes, we are against it. We are
against it 100%. But we are not against God-ordained
authority. The gospel makes sinners to be
model citizens. Model citizens. And we'll see
this over in Ephesians after this. It makes workers and husbands
and wives and children model husbands, wives, and children. It does. The gospel does that.
When the love of God is shed abroad in the heart, it comes
out in the life, everyday life, everyday life. Trouble comes
when men and women refuse to obey the gospel. When they turn
their back on God, they refuse to repent and believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. When the gospel is preached,
that natural enmity, that natural enmity comes out. It just comes
out. When God is glorified and truth
is preached, that natural enmity comes out. Then the third charge
in verse 5, he's a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
In other words, he's a ringleader of the Christians. This is a charge I want to be
charged with. He's a ringleader of the Christians. He's a ringleader
of Christ followers. He's a ringleader of that way.
You know, in the book of Acts, they call it that way. Paul is
charged with being the ringleader of those who believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. Well, charge me of that too.
I want to be charged with that. Then the fourth charge is this.
He went about to profane the temple. You see, they thought
and they supposed that Paul had brought a Gentile into the temple.
They had no evidence of it. They had no evidence of it. This
is why the scripture says, don't receive anything against a brother
except for two or three witnesses. Don't ever receive it. Just dismiss
it. If all you have is the conversation
of one person, the Lord said don't receive it.
Let it be established by two or three witnesses. When the
Lord sent the disciples out, the priests, how did they send
them out? By two and three. He sent him out as a pair, or
by two or three, as witnesses. Witnesses. Now verse 10 through
16, Paul, now you go home and read these. If I go word by word,
we don't have enough time in 30 minutes. But in verse 10 through
16, Paul acknowledges that Felix had been a judge. of their nation
for many years. He doesn't stroke the flesh. He doesn't go after his ego. He just acknowledges the fact
that he's been a judge of their nation for many years. He's well
accustomed with that nation. He knows our customs. That's
what he's saying. He said, Felix, you know our customs. You know
the customs of the Jews. And so Paul gives his defense.
In verse 12 he's saying, I did not go into the temple to dispute
or cause trouble with any man. I didn't go into the temple for
that purpose. I didn't go in there to cause trouble. I did
none of these things that I'm accused of, falsely accused. But this I confess. I will own
up to this. I do own up to this. Paul was
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. He confessed Christ every
opportunity that he was given. Every door that God opened, he
confessed Christ. Even if he was standing among
a hostile crowd, he confessed Christ, no matter how much they
hated Christ. No person who is saved Denied
what wants to deny Christ or denies Christ? He denies the
truth, you know, and I know that we we confess the truth It doesn't
matter who comes into this room I'm gonna confess the truth.
I'm gonna tell the truth. I don't care if it makes a mad
name and they steam out of here They just have to stick out of
here We're not gonna change the truth And that's what Paul says,
this I confess, I confess this, here's what I'm guilty of. And
this is what I want to be guilty of, and this is what I want you
to be guilty of. Now there's some things I want to be guilty
of, and I'm going to give you some of them. Now here's what Paul confesses,
here's what he's guilty of, and this is what I want to be guilty
of. After the way which they call heresy, so worship I, the
God of The God of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, they believe
the same gospel, the same God. They believe the same God, the
same gospel. It's nothing different. It's
what he's saying. What I'm saying is nothing different. So worship
I, the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written
in the law and in the prophets. This is nothing new. What I'm
saying, what I believe is nothing new at all. If you hear something
new, leave it alone. Don't pick it up. What I'm saying
is it matches the Word of God. Listen,
the whole Word of God. There are some people who won't
even use the Old Testament. You know that? They're just New
Testament people. They just use the New Testament.
Well, you only got half the Word of God. Half of it. This is one book. It's made up
of what, 66 books? It's one book. You know, God
has, God gave the laws. Laws, he gave laws. But there's
only what? One law. Defending one point is to defend
the what? The whole law. You broke the whole law. It's
just one law. God gave one law. You know, when
we speak of the doctrines of grace, really it's the doctrine
of grace. It's just one doctrine. It's
the teaching of Christ. It's his teachings. Now, Paul
says, the way which they call heresy. Now, what's that way
that they call heresy? Well, here it is. Grace alone
with no works at all. Absolutely 100% unadulterated
grace alone. Grace alone to sinners of all
nations, all tribes, kindred, tongues, and nations. that Gentiles
should be fellow heirs of the inheritance of the saints in
light. Secondly, Christ alone, this is the way they call heresy,
Christ alone, that salvation, eternal life is in Jesus Christ
alone with no works in any way, shape or form. It's not our law keeping, it's
not in keeping ceremonies or rituals, it's in Jesus Christ
and him crucified that I am saved. alone. It's forgiveness of sins
through the blood of Jesus Christ alone. That's why God's forgiven
me. That's how God's forgiven me.
That's how he can forgive me and be a just God and a Savior. And then it's this also, that
righteousness, that justifying righteousness is that righteousness
with Jesus Christ of Nazareth worked out by himself, by his
own obedience. I never even heard anything about
the obedience of Jesus Christ to the law being my righteousness
until I heard the gospel, until I heard Henry. I need his obedient
life, now listen, as much as I need his death. I need his
life as much as I need his death. We have no righteousness of our
own. Tell that to a Pharisee, it makes
him mad. You're telling me that all these things that I do, as
that young man said, all these I've kept from my youth up, that
means nothing? When it comes to salvation, that's
right. It means nothing. I'll tell you
what means everything. What that man Jesus Christ did
for me is my substitute. That means absolutely everything.
Everything. Sinners are saved by the righteousness
of Christ alone without the deeds of the law, the doing and dying,
as Scott Richardson said, the doing and dying of Jesus Christ.
I'm guilty of that. Paul says, I'm guilty of that.
I'm guilty of that, too. And so are you. You who believe,
you're guilty of that. I'll take that. I'll take that
charge. I believe, and Paul believed,
in the perseverance of the saints. I believe that. I believe it. I believe that God chose a people,
that Jesus Christ died for those people, and the Holy Spirit regenerates
those people, and those people will persevere to the end. I
believe that. I'm guilty of that. I'm guilty of it. All who are saved are guilty.
They are guilty of believing that God chose us in Christ,
Christ died for us, and the Holy Spirit has revealed Christ to
us, regenerated us, born of God. We're guilty of that. Yes, you
charge me of that. You can do that. You can't charge
me with sedition. You can't charge me of trying
to raise a riot. But you can charge me of believing
God. You can do that. We are guilty
of believing that Christ alone is all that we need for wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. He's all. I'm
guilty of that. Paul's saying, I'm not introducing
some strange doctrine. Only what's been written. They read the Bible. The Jews
read the Word of God. They had the Word of God. They
read it. And Paul said, I'm not saying
anything different, anything new than what has been written
in that Old Testament, in the Word of God that you have in
your hands, that they read every Sabbath day. Well, I tell you
what, I don't want to read this book and come up and it condemn
me because I'm just ignorant of it and I'm willfully ignorant
of it. We'll see that in a little bit.
You know, people are willfully ignorant. If you walk away, listen,
if any person walks away this morning after reading the Word
and hearing the Word, that is willful ignorance. That's what that is. There's no excuse for it. God can't lie. He cannot lie. And He will not lie, because
He cannot lie. And Paul says this, look down
here in verse 15. Let me go back to verse 14. 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. All
things, not a text out of context. Not a scripture out of context,
not twisting the word of God. I just believe what's written
in the law and the prophets. And have hope toward God. I have
hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. I have a hope toward God of the
resurrection, that there shall be a resurrection.
You believe that? You believe that one day that
everybody in that cemetery over there is coming out of it? You
know the scripture says that the sea gave up the dead. I mean,
the fish have eaten them up. When we put the body in the ground,
the worms. Job said, my skin worms eat after my skin worms. There are skin worms in here.
They don't make you feel creepy. But they are. Your body now,
since the fall, is designed to decay because of sin. Your skin
worms will eat you up. But there'll be a resurrection.
There'll be a resurrection. This was the theme of the apostle's
message. Jesus Christ is risen and he
shall raise the dead out of their grave someday. And we'll stand
before God, the just and the unjust, both, both. He's not just going to raise
the just, the bodies of the just and transform them to give them
a new body. The unjust is going to be raised
too. Ain't nobody going to be left
in a grave. Nobody's going to escape that day. No one. There shall be a resurrection,
not of the soul only, which goes to be with the Lord at death.
The believer, talking of the believer, now the unbeliever
doesn't go there. That rich man lifted up his eyes
in hell as soon as he died. The believer, when he falls asleep,
the scripture doesn't speak of the believer dying. He said,
them which sleep in Jesus, God will bring with them. But there's going to be a resurrection,
not only of the soul, but of the body. Of the body, this body. A new body for the believer.
And the same old body for the unbeliever. You see, listen,
now listen to this. We use this body to sin with. We use it. We use it for pleasure,
sinful pleasures. And God's going to punish the
body that we use if you're lost, if you die lost. He's going to
punish that body as well as that soul. He's going to punish what
you used. And also this, you and I are
made up of When God created Adam, body, soul, and spirit. Now the
spirit, spiritual part, died. We died, but now when we're born
again, that which is born of the spirit is spirit. But the whole man, the whole
man is gonna be judged. And those who are cast into hell
are gonna suffer in body as well as soul. And that's just true. That's just true. So Paul says here in verse 16,
I'm gonna close. In verse 16, Paul says, now,
herein do I exercise myself. This is my ministry. This is
my ministry that God's given me. And this is how I spend my
life, for me to live is Christ, to die is gain, but this is how
I exercise myself, to have always a conscious void of offense toward
God and toward me, always have a conscious. Paul lived his life
in a conscious, in a conscious effort to walk before God according
to the gospel. Believers do that. We walk, and
this is what Ephesians is going to be about this morning, our
walk again. But we walk in a conscious effort
before God. God's very real to us. Is God
real to you? Is God very real to you? It's
not something you hear about on Sunday, on Thursday. You are aware of God's presence. You are aware of God is a reality
to you. He's not someone who exists. He's someone who lives in you.
You and I who believe are the temple of God. You know that. We are the temple of God. He
dwells in us. And so Paul lived in his life
in a conscious effort to walk before God according to the gospel,
to worship God in spirit and in truth. You know, I ask the
Lord, and I know you do too, and let's continue to ask the
Lord. When we come together, first of all, when we come together
here, enable us to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Enable
us to do it. This is the one thing I've learned
as I've gotten older. Ask for those things that are
spiritual, and He'll give them to you. If you truly desire them,
He'll give them to you. I desire forgiveness. I ask Him
for it. I desire growth in grace and
in knowledge of Christ. I ask Him for it. I desire that
He enable me to not walk after this flesh. I ask Him for it.
Those are the things I ask for. He's going to add the things
I need. He says there's a promise. Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness and these things will be added. They'll
be added. I know that by the Scriptures. I don't always act like it, but
I know that. But the things I need, love your
enemies, Lord help me do that. Enable me to do that, because
He did. And that's what it is to be conformed
to the image of Jesus Christ. It's to be conformed to the image
of Christ in heart and spirit. Enable me to believe God. It enabled me to always look
to the Lord alone for salvation. And I know we do this, but the Lord's
given us examples in the scriptures for our learning. When he told
Peter to come on, Peter said, Lord, for you bid me to come
to you, to walk on water, to come after you. And the Lord
said, come on. And when Peter took a few steps, he looked at
the winds and the waves. Stop looking at the winds and
the waves. They're his. Keep looking to
him. I saw this. Actually, it was a guy running
a touchdown. He had that football. He was
running touchdown. He looked back like this, just strutting.
I mean, he was strutting. He thought he had it made. He
looked back like this, and the guy behind him just knocked the ball
right out of his hand. And he recovered to fumble with it.
I won't call him an idiot, but he shouldn't have. He should
have just kept his eyes on the goal line. Quit looking back. You can't win a race looking
back, seeing who's back there. You're going to lose just as
sure as you're standing, sure as you're running. Paul says,
forgetting those things which are behind. Our trouble is we
can't forget. We keep dragging everything behind
with us. We got all that baggage with
us. All that baggage. Just leave the baggage. Just
leave the baggage. And strive. Paul said, I press
forward. I press forward. I quit looking back. You can't
run a race looking back. You run it looking forward. You
run it looking forward. And Christ is the goal line.
Christ is the finish line. We look to Him and we never introduce
anything in the Gospel that's not revealed in the Scriptures.
Scripture interprets Scripture. If you have a Scripture and it
just seems out of place, leave it alone until God gives you
an understanding, because it's not a problem with the Scripture,
it's me. It's me, it's my understanding. And he said, and I have a conscious...
Void of offense toward men. Paul never went around trying
to stir up trouble. It wasn't his, you know, here's
something that, and I learned this through Henry, sitting under
his ministry. Avoid that fighting spirit when
you get in the pulpit. Preach the truth in love. It's
like I'm against them. No, I'm here to feed the sheep.
I'm here to feed the sheep. False religion, I told you this
last week, false religion is going to be false all the way
to the end. It's not me fighting, now when
I come across in the scriptures, I do deal with it. False religion,
false, apply it to our day, I do that. But my battle, my, listen,
my ministry is to feed the sheep. to see that you grow in grace
and knowledge of Christ, that the whole body being knit together
grows together in love. It would be misery to me if after
preaching week after week, month after month, that all you did
was argue and fuss and talk about each other. My ministry's failed. It would be a total failure if
that's all it produced. It's a bunch of mean, back-hating,
biting bunch of ripples. That's what false religion produces.
The gospel doesn't produce that. It produces peace and love and
joy and kindness. That's what it produces. Paul
never shunned to declare the whole counsel of God. He kept
back nothing that was profitable to men and especially to the
church. This, this I confess, after the
way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers.
I'm guilty of that. and you are too. All right.