There's No Time Like The Present

THERE’S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT

Text: Acts 24:24, 25

Introduction:

o In this short scripture, we have a request, a response, and a result

I. The Request (v. 24)

• Paul had finished his third missionary journey and was led to Jerusalem by the Holy Spirit

• Stays with Philip the Evangelist

• Meets with James and the elders of the church at Jerusalem to give report and to deliver offering for the poor at the church

• Captured by Jews at the temple and almost beaten to death; saved by Roman soldiers who took him into custody

• Speaks before the Sanhedrin

• Romans take him to Caesarea to plead his case before Felix

• Felix hears case and decides no action should be taken until witnesses could be found; Paul remains in custody

• Felix and his wife Drusilla go on a short trip, and when they return, request that Paul come before them and explain Christianity

• Paul jumps at the chance

• 1 Peter 3:15 “…be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear;”

• We should follow Paul’s example and always be ready to witness for the Lord

o We will learn about what to say in upcoming series “Becoming a Contagious Christian”

o Jesus told disciples to trust the Holy Spirit to tell them what to say

o Witnessing is like any other thing we try to do for the Lord; we prepare as best we can and let God use what we have and make something wonderful out of it

o My Bible: “Trust God as if everything depends on Him, but work as if everything depends on me.”

o Jesus said “without me ye can do nothing”, but the Bible completes that thought by saying “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

II. The Response (v. 25a)

• Paul’s sermon had three points:

A. “Righteousness”

Paul exposed the sins of Felix and his wife

o Felix

1. Governor of Judea from 52 – 59 AD

2. Former slave, obtained his position through his brother’s influence

3. Not well regarded among the Romans; hated by the Jews

4. Accomplished little during his reign

5. Acquainted with Jewish laws, customs, and beliefs

6. Felt that he was above the law and that he could do anything he wanted because his brother was friends with the emperor

7. Greedy

8. Grossly lacking in morals and self control

9. Lied and murdered to get rid of enemies and to promote himself

o Drusilla

1. Youngest daughter of Agrippa I

a. Killed the apostle James

b. Was so arrogant and proud that he was eaten by worms before a crowd at the ampitheatre in Caesarea (Acts 12)

2. Sister of Agrippa II

a. Paul was brought before him in Acts 26

3. Great Granddaughter of Herod the Great

a. Ordered the slaughter of infants in an attempt to kill the Christ child

4. Great niece of Herod Antipas

a. Beheaded John the Baptist and played a minor part in the crucifixion of Christ

5. Felix’s third wife

6. 19 years old and interested in the occult

7. Year before this she had been married to an Assyrian King but a sorcerer hired by Felix convinced her to divorce and marry him instead

o Neither of them were liked by the people they ruled, and they were not trusted by their slaves, servants, or friends

o Sound like really bad characters, but remember what Paul wrote to the Romans:

o Romans 3:10, 23 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

o You may not have lied and murdered or played around with the occult like Felix and his wife, but you are still guilty of sin

o Even at your best, you are still sinful

o Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;”

o Felix and Drusilla were guilty, and you are too

B. “Temperance”

After exposing their sins, Paul proceeded to tell them that they were powerless to do anything about them

o Romans 7:18, 19, 21 “For I know that in me (that is, my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”

o Paul told them about the hope in dying out to their sins and living in the Spirit through Jesus Christ