The Prisoner Who Had a Captive Audience Acts 24

Family chat update

The assassination plot. The sovereignty and providence of the Lord.

Acts 23:31–35 ESV

31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. 33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.

Acts 24 ESV

1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.” 9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so. 10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’ ” 22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs. 24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” 26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. 27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

Imagine if you could sit down with anyone in the world and ask them any question. Who would you ask? What would you ask?

If you could ask the world’s leading health expert?

The world’s leading fitness instructor?

The world’s leading investment strategist?

The world’s leading home decorator?

Your favorite writer, athlete, actor or actress?

What if you could sit down with the world’s most powerful person or the world’s wisest person?

What if you sat down with this person and then you admit t them that you have nothing to ask? Or what if you proceeded to do all of the talking?

Would it not be fair to say that you had squandered one of the greatest opportunities you’ll ever have?

Acts 24 tells us of one of the greatest opportunities a person could ever have. But we will also see that it will become one of the most tragic examples of missed opportunity in all of Scripture.

Felix the Roman governor of Judea, has several meetings with the apostle Paul but the chapter ends, not with his conversion, but with the Holy Spirit revealing that he had hoped that Paul would bribe him. v26

There are other examples of wasted opportunities in scripture.

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

The Israelites who rebelled against the Lord and refused to enter the promised land and then wandered for 40 years in the wilderness.

Those who saw the miracles and heard the teachings of Jesus but followed him simply to get free food.

The rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking about eternal life but walked away, keeping his wealth but losing his soul.

Those who listened to Paul on Mars Hill in Athens and then called him a babbler.

In some ways the life of Felix most resembles the life of Judas. Judas who was a close follower of Jesus for 3.5 years.

Felix had Paul imprisoned in his palace for two years. Judas betrayed the Lord for money. Felix was hoping for money.

We’ll look at this passage in more depth tonight but this morning I want to speak to us about wasted opportunities and how quickly time passes on the opportunity to take advantage of opportunities which the Lord presents to us.

(1) The opportunity to learn the Bible

Reading the word of God, hearing the word of God, studying the word of God

(2) The opportunity for worship

Corporate worship, personal worship, family worship

Finding the balance of understanding, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Our children need consistency

The plant that needs to be watered. The plant that needs to be in the light.

Could you be slowly causing your children to wither spiritually?

(3) The opportunity for prayer

JC Ryle

“Happiness does not depend on outward circumstances, but on the state of the heart.” ― J.C. Ryle, A Call to Prayer

“Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.” ― J.C. Ryle, A Call to Prayer

“Just as the first sign of life in an infant when born into the world is the act of breathing, so the first act of men and women when they are born again is praying.” ― Ryle (1816-1900), J.C., A Call to Prayer - with Study Guide

“Faith is to the soul what life is to the body. Prayer is to faith what breath is to life. How a man can live and not breathe is past my comprehension, and how a man can believe and not pray is past my comprehension too.” ― Ryle (1816-1900), J.C., A Call to Prayer - with Study Guide

Bibles read without prayer; sermons heard without prayer; marriages contracted without prayer; journeys undertaken without prayer; residences chosen without prayer; friendships formed without prayer; the daily act of prayer itself hurried over, or gone through without heart: these are the kind of downward steps by which many a Christian descends to a condition of spiritual palsy, or reaches the point where God allows them to have a tremendous fall.

While we may not always have a Bible with us to read, while the opportunity for corporate worship and family worship may have restricted hours, times when we the family is all together or the children are awake or set times when the church is open for public worship,

Prayer is something we can do at any time. Are you holding a restless child late at night - pray

Are unable to sleep - pray

Are you traveling or cleaning or doing the daily routines of your work - pray

(4) The opportunity to share your faith

Paul did not fail to share the gospel. I am not ashamed of the gospel. Woe to me if I fail to preach the gospel. Do the work of an evangelist. Go into all the world and make disciples. But many of us cannot even make our beds.

Share the gospel with your children - every day tell them of the love and the price that was paid in his humanity, humiliation, death and burial. Tell them every day of the resurrection and of its power to make us God’s child.

Share the gospel with your family members - gently share the joy you have in Christ and his power to change the heart, to forgive the past, to offer hope and joy and peace.

Share the gospel with your closest friends. Tell them how much they are loved and appreciated and then tell them of the Savior who loves them and died for the.

Live the gospel, bear the fruit of the Spirit, through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit live for Christ in such a way your children see Jesus in you, your family members hear the kindness and mercy of Jesus through you and your closest friends that there is another friend that you love with all your heart and more - the Lord Jesus Christ.