When God's People Are Stuck with Ungodly Government
The Book of Acts - Part 83
Acts 24:22-25:12 (Read Acts 24:22-27)
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - May 17, 2015
BACKGROUND:
*Back in Acts 21, the Apostle Paul arrived in Jerusalem to worship the Lord and deliver a generous love offering the mission churches had donated for the poor Christians in Jerusalem. About a week later, Paul was assaulted in the Temple by a mob of Christ-rejecting Jews. The Apostle was almost killed, but he was rescued and taken into custody by the Roman army.
*The situation took a terrible turn for the worse in Acts 23:12, when over 40 of the Jews took an oath that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul. That threat led the Roman Commander to send Paul to the safety of the governor's headquarters in Caesarea. There the Apostle was kept in custody by the Roman governor, Felix.
*Last week in Acts 24, we saw Paul on trial before his Jewish accusers and the Roman governor. Tonight, we will see what happened next. Let's begin by reading Acts 24:22-27. And as we read, think about what we should do when we are stuck with an ungodly government.
MESSAGE:
*Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul was stuck with an ungodly government, and our federal government seems to be growing more ungodly by the day. New examples of corruption and rebellion against God crop up every week.
*Last week there was a victory over some of the abuse carried on by the IRS. Lyndon McLellan has spent more than a decade running the L&M Convenience Mart in rural Fairmont, North Carolina. Then last year, agents from the IRS came to the store and announced that they had seized his entire bank account of over $107,000.
*They were suspicious about some cash transfers he had made, but there was no evidence that Mr. McLellan had done anything wrong. He was never even charged with a crime. But two months ago, a U.S. Attorney told Mr. McLellan that any attempt to get publicity about his forfeiture case "doesn't help. It just ratchets up feelings in the agency. My offer is to return 50 percent of the money."
*Now, after the Institute for Justice brought national attention to the case, the IRS and Department of Justice moved to voluntarily dismiss the case, and give back all of McLellan's hard-earned money. Unfortunately, Mr. McLellan had already spent $22,000 to help convince the government he had done nothing wrong. (1)
*Proverbs 29:12 says, "If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked." And Proverbs 29:2 says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
*As we look into God's Word tonight, we can see some of these corrupt leaders. And there are some important lessons for us, lessons for when God's people are stuck with an ungodly government, and lessons for any hard times we face in life.
1. First: Keep embracing the truth.
*In the opening verses of tonight's Scripture, Paul kept trying to get the Roman governor Felix to embrace the truth about Jesus. Verse 22 tells us that Felix had a very good knowledge of "The Way."
*That was a very common name for Christianity during the early days of the church. And "The Way" is a good name for Christianity, because John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. "The Way" is also a good name for Christianity, because trusting in the love and mercy of the cross is the only way to be saved. Peter made this truth clear in Acts 4:12. There he spoke about Jesus and said, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.''
*Here, Governor Felix already had a good background about the truth, and Paul tried to get him to embrace the truth. Verses 24-25 say:
24. And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid (The KJV says he trembled) and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.''
*With all his heart, Paul wanted Felix to embrace the truth about Jesus Christ: The good news that God loves us and sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins; the good news that Jesus rose again from the dead; and that He will save everyone who will who put their faith in Jesus. Everybody needs to embrace the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ! It's the way of God's love and mercy. It's the only way of salvation.
*And it's the way of life! Embracing the truth about Jesus will give us new life. It will transform us, and give us a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. That's why in vs. 25, Paul talked about righteousness and self-control. He was talking about the new life we can and should live, because Jesus is our Lord and Savior.
*David Holwick gave a great testimony of a life changed by the Lord. He said, "When I was a pastor in Ohio in 1984, my car broke down and I had to walk to a gas station for assistance. They sent a young mechanic over, and he ended up working on the distributor.
*He was a good mechanic, but I could tell from his language that he wasn't exactly 'sanctified'. When he found out I was a preacher, he told me about a friend of his. He said this guy was once the biggest drug dealer in Coshocton County. He could supply you with anything you wanted if you had the cash.
*But one night while he lay drunk in bed, he realized he was throwing his life away. He immediately stopped dealing in drugs and gave his life to Christ. More than this, he went to a Bible College and was about to become a preacher in Kentucky. After telling me all this, the young mechanic said: 'It's hard to believe people can change like that. I guess it's what they call being re-born.'" (2)
*Yes, it is! Thank God! But it is also a life-long process as we grow in Christ, and allow Jesus to have His way more and more in us. God wants us to keep growing stronger and closer to Him every day. So keep embracing the truth.
2. And keep helping people escape the tragedy.
*The unjust imprisonment Paul suffered from the Romans, and the murderous hatred he received from unbelieving Jews were tragic. But the greatest tragedy of this story was Felix's rejection of the gospel.
*Verses 25-27 tell us that as Paul:
25. . . reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.''
26. Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.
27. But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
*Felix was so close, but so far away. There is no evidence here that he ever put his trust in the Lord. But I am sure that Paul never gave up trying to reach the governor for Christ. And we need to do everything we can to reach people for Jesus.
*Our North American Mission Board once reported that only 21 percent of active, church-going Christians invite people to church each year. That's not enough! All of us need to be inviting more people to church. It is a simple but powerful way to help more people come to the Lord Jesus Christ. (3)
*Christians: Surely we want to help people escape the tragedy of being lost. We want them to be saved! So keep helping people escape the tragedy.
3. And keep expanding your trust in God.
[1] Paul shows us the kind of trust we all need. And first, it's the kind of trust that surrenders to God's timing.
*In vs. 27 we see that Paul most definitely had to trust in the Lord's timing. There God's Word says: "But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound."
*Two years! I can imagine me praying: "Lord, I've done nothing wrong, but I have to stay in prison for two years? Lord, that's not right! It's not fair!" But God's timing is perfect, and we have to learn to wait on the Lord.
*Ellen Layfield was a tremendous Christian lady from Jonesboro. She was a devoted wife, mother, teacher and friend. In April 2007, at the age of 49, Ellen was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. She went home to be with the Lord on May 30, 2008. Here is part of a testimony her daughter, Cathy put on the Caring Bridge website a few months before her mother passed away:
*"I wish I could tell you that last night was better, but I don't really think it was. Mom seemed to feel better yesterday evening than she did on Monday evening, but she couldn't sleep last night. The pain keeps her awake, because she can't get comfortable, and if you never get comfortable, then you never fall asleep. So she was awake most of the night. Please continue to pray for Mom.
*I want to share this with you. Aunt Karen sent this devotion to me, and I have relied on these words a great deal this week. I hope you find insight in them as well: Psalm 27:14, Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
*DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Do you know the story of Joshua and how the wall of Jericho fell down after the Israelites marched around it once a day for six days, then 7 times on the seventh day? Why not just walk around Jericho one time?
*I think it was because God was testing their faith. God was teaching them that waiting time is not wasted time. Isaiah 28:16 says, "He that believes shall not make haste."
*God is never in a hurry like we are. We get upset when we miss a section in a revolving door! God is also never late. He knows what He is doing. Do you know what our problem is? We've been around Jericho six times and we're ready to quit.
*Say what King David said in Psalm 62:5: "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him." Waiting time is not wasted time. We need the kind of trust that surrenders to God's timing. (4)
[2] We also need the kind of trust that sustains us through trials.
*What a trial Paul was going through here. And it only got worse when the new governor came to town. Please look starting in Acts 25:1:
1. Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2. Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him,
3. asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him.
4. But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly.
5. "Therefore,'' he said, "let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.''
6. And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.
7. When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,
8. while he answered for himself, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.''
9. But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?''
10. Then Paul said, "I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know.
11. For if I am an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.''
12. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!''
*Paul was going through a great trial, both legally and spiritually. And we may not have to go through a legal trial, but we all go through struggles and problems in life. Without faith we will either crumple up like a piece of paper or get hard as a rock.
*I really like what Rick Warren said about problems. This is from an interview he gave after his wife, Kay, was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. And Rick Warren said:
-"Life is a series of problems. Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
*This past year has been the greatest year of my life, but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys. You go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth.
*I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track. And at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
*You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is 'my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
*We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her. And yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people." (5)
*But Church: That kind of good can only come out of the bad IF we are trusting in the Lord. We all need to expand our trust in God.
CONCLUSION:
*So here are 3 things we must keep doing when we are stuck with an ungodly government, and really, in every other life situation:
First: Embrace the truth. Let it save us and transform our lives.
Second: Help people escape the greatest tragedy. They are lost without Jesus.
Third: Expand your trust in God. He will carry us through!
*As the Lord says in Isaiah 46:
3. "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb:
4. Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."
*God will carry us through!
(1) "This man just BEAT the IRS with the media’s help" - Posted by The Right Scoop on May 14, 2015
http://therightscoop.com/this-man-just-beat-the-irs-with-the-medias-help/
(2) KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION - ID Number: 5119 - SOURCE: Old Sermon - TITLE: It's Hard to Believe People Can Change Like That - AUTHOR: Personal Experience of Rev. David Holwick - DATE: 6/24/1984
(3) "On Mission," Pastor's Edition, Winter 2008, p. ii - Source: "In Other Words" March 2008 #2 - produced by Dr. Raymond McHenry - www.iows.net
(4) Adapted from http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ellenlayfield
(5) Source:
Interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren - Posted on Inspire.com 03/19/2011
https://www.inspire.com/groups/american-lung-association-lung-cancer-survivors/discussion/rick-warren-1/
http://www.guideposts.org/stories-hope/cancer-diagnosis-helped-kay-warren-live
