What Are You Waiting For?
Acts 24:24-26
Rev. Brian Bill
www.pontiacbible.org
Easter Sunday
4/8/07
How many of you have a problem with procrastination? Me too, and I’m going to start working on it tomorrow! According to a recent study from the University of Calgary, people who procrastinate are less healthy, less wealthy and less happy than those who are proactive. And we’re getting worse over time. In 1978, only about 5% of Americans considered themselves to be chronic procrastinators. Now, it’s 26%. This study suggests that because we have so many more diversions today, procrastination has become almost effortless. It’s so easy to put stuff off because escape is only a mouse click or a remote control away.
The Chicago Tribune ran an article last month entitled “Soft Addictions.” This refers to ordinary behavior that, if overdone, can wreak havoc on one’s life. Here are some examples: shopping impulsively (that’s not one of my issues – with four daughters I always try to get out of shopping), daydreaming excessively (this is especially popular in church), overworking, drinking too much coffee (that’s me), watching too much TV, and spending too much time on the Internet. Of the top ten soft addictions, it probably doesn’t surprise you to know that procrastination is #1 on the list.
I came across some quotes about procrastination that you may relate to:
> “The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up.”
> “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”
> “Procrastination is like a credit card; it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.”
> “Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday and avoiding today.”
> “When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that in itself is a choice.”
I’d like to springboard off this last statement and suggest that when it comes to becoming a believer in Jesus, to decide to delay is to decide to deny. The good news is that I don’t think there are many procrastinators here this morning. After all, you decided to attend an Easter service and you made it! Give yourself a hand.
Jack and Jill, you have some questions and I’m hoping this service helps you make some sense out of all the stuff you’re going through. I’ll do my best to give you some answers. Here’s where we’re headed…
> The Reliability of the Resurrection
> The Relevance of the Resurrection
> Our Response to the Resurrection
1. The Reliability of the Resurrection. Have you noticed recently how many times, with increasing regularity, that the resurrection of Jesus has been called into question? It was just a short time ago that the DaVinci Code attempted to dismantle this key doctrine. And just a month or so ago, the Discovery Channel ran a special called The Lost Tomb of Jesus which gained a lot of momentum in the media. In both instances, after the hype and the hyperventilating passed, the resurrection of Jesus remained unscathed. I believe that the resurrection will continue to be attacked because critics know that if the resurrection is dismantled, Christianity will be destroyed. The Bible puts it this way in 1 Corinthians 15:17: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
Do you realize that the resurrection of Jesus Christ has withstood detractors because it is based on an empty tomb? The Christian faith does not survive on fanciful fantasy but on fact. Someone has said that Christmas is the promise and Easter is the unparalleled and unprecedented proof. I’d like to read a portion of the resurrection account from one of the gospels. John 20:6-8: “Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.”
A week or so ago I sat down and read through the Book of Acts to see how prominently the Resurrection figures into its pages. This New Testament book follows right after the four gospels and records what happened in the days after the Resurrection. The word “Acts” implies that this group of people did not procrastinate – it’s a book of action, not procrastination. Describing the mission and vision of the early church, the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead is central to its message. I’ll just read some of the verses that stood out to me from the first four chapters:
Acts 1:3: “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”
Acts 2:32: “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.”
Acts 3:15: “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”
Acts 4:33: “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.”
When we come to Acts 9 we read about a man named Saul who was an enemy of Christianity. In fact, he was a killer of Christians. But everything changed when the resurrected Christ appeared to him one day. From that point on, his life was totally transformed, his name was changed to Paul and he became one of Christianity’s biggest proponents. Wherever he went, he told people about Jesus and about the resurrection. And when he did, he often encountered opposition. Through a series of events, Paul is later arrested and appears before a Governor named Felix.
You would think Paul would tone things done a bit so he could be released but he never compromises the message. We see this in Acts 24:21 when Paul summarizes the charges leveled against him: “It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.”
Friends, the resurrection is reliable. Second, it is relevant. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself this question: “What is the meaning of Easter?”
--> Play Video: “The Meaning of Easter.”
2. The Relevance of the Resurrection. If we could have interviewed Felix on the street, we would have been struck by his rags-to-riches story. Born a slave, he eventually worked his way up to governor. Historians have used two words to describe him – cruel and covetous. He was known to be greedy, and was basically just living for himself and his own pleasures. He was married to Drusilla. She had a religious background, while Felix did not.
We read in verse 22 that Felix “was well acquainted with the Way.” He probably had heard about Christianity and was no doubt familiar with the essentials of Easter. Verse 24 says that Felix “sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.” Everything sounded intriguing until we come to verse 25 and read that Paul chose three topics that made Felix very uncomfortable. The word “spoke” means that he reasoned with Felix, logically making a compelling case, using what has been called the moral argument. As we will see, Paul had no interest in flattering Felix. Acts 24:25 says that “Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come…”
> Righteousness. God’s standard is that we live up to His expectations. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect.” Our problem is stated in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
> Self-control. Felix is getting very fidgety now because it was well-known that he indulged in every temptation that came his way.
> Judgment to come. Paul does not pull any punches. To fall short of God’s standards and to live only to please one’s self, leads to judgment.
Felix knows that he is busted. He didn’t come to hear about this. He listened but he didn’t want to live it. And my guess is that you didn’t really come today to hear this harsh message either. But stay with me. The only way good news becomes great news is in the context of really bad news. A couple weeks ago I felt a dull pain in one of my teeth. I could feel something sharp with my tongue but I just hoped the pain would go away on its own. After a couple days, I realized that I needed to go to the dentist. He told me that my filling had cracked and that there was now decay in the tooth. He fixed it immediately.
Some of you may feel a dull pain that just won’t go away. Or maybe it’s deep distress that you can’t fix on your own. The only way to alleviate the agony is to get to the root and allow Jesus to deal with the decay. None of us can meet God’s standards, all of us fail to exhibit self-control and the result will be judgment. Hold on. Here’s the good news – Jesus Christ is our substitute; He lived a perfect life, piling our sins on his shoulders when He died, and when he rose from the grave, He guaranteed that those who place their faith in Him will be saved from judgment. The Savior first wounds and then He saves the wounded. We need to own our guilt before we can receive His grace.
So, what is the relevance of the resurrection? Jill, you asked earlier, “But what does that mean to us? How does Easter apply to our lives?” Since Jesus is alive right now, let me give you three Easter applications:
1. Righteousness can be received. Have you ever wondered how you can get rid of all the guilt for what you’ve done? The Resurrection is final proof that God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus as your sin substitute. That means your failures are not final.
2. Christ can control your sins. Do you feel like you have no self-control and that you can’t change? Do you want power to break those bad habits in your life? Friend, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you this morning.
3. Judgment is jettisoned. One of the most famous verses in the Bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The verse that comes right after shows how Jesus keeps believers from judgment: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Our three main problems are solved by the Savior! Our past is forgiven and we are declared righteous. In the present, we are given the power to overcome those sins that have been strangling us. And, our future is certain in that we will not face judgment. Our past, present and future is secured. How can you beat that? But wait; there are at least three additional Easter implications that flow out of these truths.
> Doubt is dealt with. Like Thomas, who wouldn’t believe unless he actually could touch the wounds of Jesus, the Resurrection can displace doubt from your mind.
> Loneliness is lifted. The Resurrection proves that you matter deeply to God. Jesus died for you as payment for your sins and rose again to demonstrate how important you are to Him.
> Death is destroyed. Because of what Jesus did, you can now know that there is life beyond the grave.
The resurrection is reliable and it is relevant. But it won’t affect our lives until we respond.
3. Our Response to the Resurrection. After hearing about these topics, the Bible says that Felix “was afraid.” This literally means that he shuddered or trembled. I think that he was both frightened and fascinated. Unfortunately, instead of dealing with the decay, he chose to delay: “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” The alarm was going off in his conscience but he chose convenience over conviction because he got a taste of terror and he didn’t like it.
One day, when Lydia was a toddler, I put her on my shoulders and ran through the house with her. I stopped running whenever we would come to a smoke alarm so she could push this little test button [push button and sound alarm]. She thought this was pretty cool, and so did I. As we ran throughout the house setting off all the alarms, it suddenly occurred to me that this wasn’t such a bright idea. You see, every time she pushed this button, we were using up the battery. By playing this game, we were inadvertently damaging the smoke alarms and weakening their ability to sound a warning in the event of a real emergency. But I noticed something else even more insidious. The longer we played the game, the less afraid Lydia became of the alarms. She thought they were funny. Instead of startling her like an alarm is designed to do, our little game actually desensitized her to the danger of our house being on fire.
By playing games with something that was designed to protect us, we were adversely affecting the performance of the smoke alarm and numbing our reaction to it. We were setting ourselves up to not hear or heed its warnings. That’s similar to what Felix did. He heard the alarm but he turned it off [take out battery]. He was afraid but he was unwilling to give up the way he was living. He decided to delay but what he was really doing was deciding to deny.
Verse 26 tells us that while Felix sent for Paul frequently over the next two years, what he really wanted was a bribe. He was hoping Paul would give him some money. Materialism crowded out what really matters. This shows that money was his master and as Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, we all have to decide which master we will serve: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” What’s sad here is that we never read that Felix was frightened again. He went back to his old way of seeking pleasure and popularity and possessions. It’s as if the window of opportunity had closed for him because as far as we know, he never did find a convenient season. And there’s no indication that Drusilla ever responded either.
Friends, it’s possible to be shaken and never saved; to be convicted and yet not be converted; to tremble and yet never trust. You can be so close and yet so far away. To decide to delay is to decide to deny.
Sometimes it takes awhile to come to the point of seeing our need for Christ. I’d like you to hear the story of someone who responded before it was too late.
Gary Townsend Testimony
I was raised in a Christian home with loving parents that tried to teach me the importance of having Christ in my life. I had a relationship with God until my teenage years. I slowly lost my ambition to keep God in my life and to edify him with my actions. I slowly started going against what my father had told me. My dad would say that the key to a successful life is putting God first and living for Him (“In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths” - Proverbs 3:6). When I became 16, I was able to drive to hangout with kids that were not interested in living a life pleasing to God. Alcohol and girls were more important than keeping my life on track with God. At this young age pleasure became more important than pleasing God. I slowly started testing God and telling myself I can live a normal life without Him.
My college years were also wasted as far as living for God and edifying him. But in college I did start dating my wife and that action most likely saved my soul as you will find out from the remainder of my testimony. My wife and I were married when I was 24. Why she wanted to marry me I do not know. My lifestyle was wild and my life was centered on self- fulfillment. God must have played a part in having Heather marry me.
As my life slowly fell deeper into a pit of sin with self-fulfillment being first on my priority list, my wife became more unattracted to me. My consuming alcohol was a major contributor to her unhappiness. My wife had been raised in a home with an alcoholic father and didn’t want any of those bad memories being relived through me. I remember her asking me not to drink too much when we were going to a gathering of friends. I was so concerned about my self; I did not care about her requests or feelings. Her request seemed to be such an inconvenience for me.
Finally when my stupid sinful behavior had overturned my life, my wife and I were going to get a divorce. I had two wonderful children that I was going to drag through the horrors of divorced parents. My wife left me alone with my children one last time before I was going to have to move from our home. My father came over to be with the kids and try to talk to me. He didn’t say much just that he would not throw away a good life and two beautiful children for foolish behavior. After he left and my children and I were alone, God started speaking with me. After 17 years of trying to convince myself that I could live without God, I finally wised up and decided that I did need Him in my life.
I called my father who in turned call his minister and we all prayed together at my father’s house. I did not immediately feel God’s presence over me. We all prayed for more than an hour. I think God wanted me to show that I was serious about wanting Him in my life. With the stress of my sinful lifestyle and a destroyed marriage hanging over me, it felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. As I was praying for God to forgive the sins I had committed and to come into my life, a Godly presence came over me. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. My mind felt at ease about my soul. Even though my life was a wreck, I knew with God in my life it would somehow work out.
My wife did not immediately say, “Come on home; I am sure you are a changed man.” I had to deal with the consequences of my sinful behavior. As my alcohol consumption stopped and my wanting to attend church on a regular basis, my wife could see a difference in my life. She gracefully gave me a second chance at our marriage. I will always remember that if it was not for her forgiving personality we would be divorced. I love my wife Heather and my two children Bayleigh and Jack more now than I could have ever imagined without God in my life. On Friday evenings when I am leaving work and wanting to get home to see my family, I sometime think how I used to enjoy going to the bars after work on Friday. God can definitely change your life and change your priorities. I thank Jesus Christ my personal Savior for forgiving my sins because I know that I did not deserve it.
God gives each of us opportunities to respond to Him. When Gary came to the end of his rope he realized that he better reach out to God. His fear of losing everything led him to give everything to Christ. There’s another instance in the Bible of someone who was terrified. He was a correctional officer, and after an earthquake the Bible says that he “fell trembling before Paul…” And then he asked the correct question in Acts 16:30: “What must I do to be saved?” The answer is to not delay, but to decide: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
Will you choose what is convenient even when you feel convicted? Want to do a bit more living and a little more loving first? Or, do you feel like you have to clean yourself up and then you’ll get serious about your faith? Remember this: To decide to delay is to decide to deny because as 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “…Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Isaiah 55:6: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Don’t be like Felix who failed to respond when he had the opportunity. This might be your only opportunity right now. To delay today may mean that your heart will get hard tomorrow. Hebrews 4:7: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
That reminds me of the story about three demons who were sharing ideas about the best way to mess up the human race. The first one said, “I know, let’s keep them from going to church.” The second one said, “That’s pretty good but I have a better idea. Let’s keep them from reading the Bible.” The third one flashed an evil grin and said, “I’ve got something even better. Let’s just tell people that they have plenty of time.” It was Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, “How soon not now, becomes never.”
Jill, you said that you “feel like something is happening inside of you.” And Jack, let me ask you: “What’s holding you back?” The resurrection is reliable, it’s relevant, and I wonder now if you’re ready to respond.
Imagine that three frogs are sitting on a log. One decides to jump off. How many are left? Two, right? No. There are still three because while the one decided to jump, he never actually jumped.
If you’re ready to respond, it’s time to jump to Jesus. You could pray something like this: “Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner and that you are the Savior who died in my place and then rose again on the third day. You did all of this to put me back together. I want to respond to you right now by surrendering my life to you. I ask you to come into my life, to forgive me for my sins, to give me self-control and to keep me from judgment. I confess that you are Lord and I believe. I now receive you by faith. Make me into the person you want me to be. Amen.”
God is always reaching out his hand. He says “come” to the weary and the exhausted, to the hurting and the broken. What are you waiting for?
--> Closing Song: “You Say Come.”
We have some booklets called, “Big Questions, Real Answers” for those of you who are here for the first time and some gift bags out at the Welcome Center. Thanks so much for coming today and we hope you join us next as we kick off a new series called, “Facing Your Giants.” If we can help you in your spiritual journey, please let us know. Happy Easter!
