Acts 24 Message

Paul’s Hope In The Resurrection
Acts 24:1-27 Lesson 27
Key verse 24:15

“...and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the
righteous and the wicked.”

Today, Paul stands on trial before Governor Felix. Paul did not try to save himself. Instead, he sought to please God. He also shepherded Governor Felix with the gospel truth. We can learn Paul’s hope in the resurrection of the dead and his shepherd heart for one lost person, like Felix May God bless our study today.

First, Paul Was Imprisoned Without A Charge (1-13).

As we studied, Paul was taken to Caesarea by 470 Roman soldiers. It was a spectacular rescue, demonstrating that God was with Paul. Paul was kept under guard in Herod’s palace. Then, five days after Paul’s arrival, his accusers–the high priest Ananias, together with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus–came to Caesarea and brought their charges against Paul. Tertullus must have been a famous trial lawyer. He knew how to work the crowd and manipulate the atmosphere in order to achieve his goal. His opening remarks were full flattery. He said, “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly” (2-4).

Tertullus spoke very eloquently but despite his fancy words, there was no basis to charge Paul. Look at verses 5-8. (We will also include the footnote in the bottom of the page.) “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him and wanted to judge him according to our law. But the commander, Lysias, came and with the use of much force snatched him from our hands and ordered his accusers to come before you. By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.” When we look at this statement carefully, we notice that there are no facts mentioned. There is no date, place or specific action, but only groundless accusations, laced with loaded words, such as “ringleader.” and “Nazarene Sect”. He sensationalized the rumors to captivate the people, like a good newspaper reporter. What is more, Tertullus implies that if Lysias had not acted so ruthlessly, the whole matter could have been settled peacefully in Jerusalem. But the fact was, they would have killed Paul. Tertullus’ plan worked for as Tertullus spoke, the Jews joined in the accusations (9). He had used the crowd to serve his own diabolical purpose. He was revealing the character of the devil who is a lair and the father of lies and a murderer. (Jn 8:44)

Paul acknowledged Felix’s authority and spoke based on facts. When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me” (10-13). He had done nothing more in Jerusalem than go to the temple to worship God. Now, because of slanderous lies, he was now branded as a dangerous criminal. As Jesus had been slandered and falsely accused, Paul was also. It should not surprise God’s servants to be hated by the world. In fact, anyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Tim 3:12) They will be hated. It is not because they did something wrong, but because the devil opposes God’s work. Jesus described his own persecution, by saying: “They hated me without reason” (Jn 15:25). There are some who think they can who think they can do the work of God without any persecution. They think that if they are nice enough and sincere enough then this world will accept their work and understand them. If this was possible then Jesus surely could have done it. We are not better than Jesus.

Second, Paul’s Faith In Jesus And In The Word Of God (14).

If Paul was only thinking about getting out of the situation, he could have stopped speaking after verse 13. But he did not. In verses 14-16, Paul continues with a personal testimony. In doing so, he reveals his faith in Jesus and in the word of God. Look at verse 14. “However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets....” Paul worshiped God, the God of Israel. He worshiped God as a follower of the Way. Here, “the Way” refers to Christianity. Ultimately it refers to Jesus himself. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Mk 15:38). This curtain represented the wall of separation between God and men because of sin. Jesus died for our sins. Now we can come to God and have a personal relationship with the living God through the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10:20-22 says, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith....” Jesus is the way to God. Without Jesus no one can come to God.

Paul was not ashamed of Jesus or the ways of Jesus. When Paul said that he was a follower of the Way, he added, “which they call a sect.” This was a derogatory expression of the Jewish leaders to discredit Christianity, referring it as some unrecognized religious organization. They wanted to shame Christians and make them powerless and useless. It was the devil’s temptation. But Jesus had warned his disciples, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mk 8:38). Peter said, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1Pe 4:16). Paul was not intimidated by the devil’s pressure. Paul clearly identified himself as a follower of the Way, that is, Jesus Christ, though the corrupted said it was a sect. Paul said in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes....” We must not be ashamed of Jesus, or Jesus’ words or the ways of Jesus before corrupted people. We must identify ourselves boldly as Jesus’ disciples. We must boldly go fishing on the campuses of our universities. We must boldly pray in Jesus’ name whenever we eat, at home and in public. We need to identify ourselves as Christians before our friends and family.
Paul also confessed his absolute faith in the Law and the Prophets, that is, in the Bible. Look at verse 14b, “…I believe everything that agrees with Law and that is written in the Prophets.” Paul had discovered that the Law and the Prophets pointed to Christ and found fulfillment in Christ. Paul’s faith in Christ was not based on his personal experience alone, or even on the life and ministry of Jesus alone. It was rooted in the Scriptures. Paul had mastered the faith that Jesus really wanted his disciples to have. (Jn 2:22) Jesus had said in Luke 24:44, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Jesus really wants us to believe, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures...that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1Co 15:3,4). When we believe God’s promise, rooted in his word, instead of focusing in on our present situation or our visible reality alone, we have faith that pleases God. Thank God that this does not depend on how we feel or on our present situation. What pleases God is that we believe the word of God simply because it is the word of God. May God help us believe the word of God like Paul did.

There are many people who are like Paul, who live by faith in the word of God, despite of hardships and persecutions. Think about our missionaries in the strictly Muslim nations of the Middle East. Because of strict government controls, they cannot go fishing on the campuses. They cannot even go onto the campuses. If they try to share the gospel openly, they will be deported. For them, it is a very real possibility that they may invest their whole lives in the mission without seeing any visible result. Sometimes it seems like they can do nothing. But they have faith in God’s word. They believe that one day God will bring the gospel light to those living in darkness. They may not see it with their own eyes. But they believe it. They struggle every day to overcome discouragement by holding onto the word of God.

We pray that God may make North America a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Sometimes this seems irrational or unbelievable. It seems that this country is drifting towards at liberal atheism. But our faith is rooted in the promise of God (Ex 19:6; 1 Pet 2:9). God is pleased by our faith when we hold onto a personal promise of God. We must believe God’s victory for us in this world and final victory in heaven. Sometimes we despair about school, or the difficult financial situation, or the atmosphere where most people don’t seem to want to get to know Jesus, let alone serve him. May God help us to believe one promise of God from our heart and experience God’s victory. We have ups and downs in life. Our world is ever changing. But our faith in Jesus based on the Scriptures must be constant. With this faith we can study the word of God deeply, building up our Bible material. We can study hard. We can develop our music program. We can strengthen our house churches and train disciples, even in the midst of persecution….all because of our faith in Jesus and the words of God.

Third, Paul’s Hope In The Resurrection (15-21).

Paul goes on to speak of his hope in the resurrection of the dead. Look at verse 15. “...and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” This hope began to be realized when God raised Jesus from the dead. God proved that he is the almighty, living God and that Jesus is the living Son of God (Ro 1:4). Jesus said in John 5:28,29, “...a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out–those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” Everyone will be raised from the dead, both the righteous and the wicked. When we believe the word of God, we can have hope in the resurrection.

However, the devil deceives people to think that death is the end of everything. He fills their hearts with the fear of death and controls their lives with this fear. Hebrews 2:15 says, “...and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” The fear of death makes people fatalistic. The fear of death makes people despair. The fear of death makes people powerless. Hedonism and moral corruption are rooted in the fear of death. Selfishness is rooted in the fear of death. The fear of death makes us live by the moto: “Save yourself.” But Jesus unmasked the reality of death. He taught that death is like sleeping (Jn 11:11). When life on earth ends, our souls go to the Lord and our bodies go to the dust. In God’s right time, our bodies will be raised. But they will not be like they were before. They will be spiritual bodies worthy of the kingdom of God. They will be imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual (1Co 15:42-43). There will be no hair loss, wrinkles, deformities, or pot bellies. We will bear the glorious image of Christ within and without. When we have this hope, we can live the way God wants us to live.

How did Paul life when he had resurrection faith? Paul concluded in verse 16, “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” Our deeds will be remembered. All pains borne for the work of God will be recognized. God will crown us with glory and give us eternal life in the kingdom of God. When Paul had this hope, he did his best to live before God with a clear conscience. He lived to please God and to be a blessing to others every day. Resurrection hope is not just a theory. It is very practical. Resurrection hope leads us to struggle hard to keep our consciences clear before God and man. Resurrection hope helps us resist the hedonism of the present culture. Instead of despairing, we can study hard to get all A’s. We can joyfully teach the Bible one-to-one to our friends and classmates. We can live a pure moral life, holding onto a good conscience, trusting in God’s future blessing. We can teach our children the word of God and pray for them like St Augustine’s mother, Monica, or Franklin Graham’s mother, Ruth Graham did. We can deny ourselves as live as shepherds of God’s flock. We can trust God with our future and go as missionaries to a foreign country one day. May God help each of us to have resurrection hope and strive to keep our consciences clear, living before God each day.

Fourth, Paul’s One-To-One Bible Study With Felix (22-27).

After hearing Paul, Governor Felix adjourned the proceedings, saying he would wait for Lysias before making his decision. Most likely he was stalling. It was clear that Paul was innocent, but Felix had no strength to do what was right. A lifetime of moral compromise had rendered him powerless to make tough decisions. He was like Pilate, remaining indecisive, caught in a human dilemma. Several days later he brought his wife and they listened to Paul speak about faith in Christ Jesus. It was a small group Bible study. Felix seemed to like Bible study. He found the truth of God refreshing to his soul. At the same time, he must have liked Paul, sensing his godly concern and his shepherd-like heart towards him. When Paul had hope in the resurrection, he was free, even though his was under house arrest. He was free to minister to Felix and he taught Felix and his wife joyfully. When life dealt him lemons he made lemonade.

But this beautiful 1:2 Bible study came to an end before Felix could accept Jesus. Look at verse 25. “As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’” Felix was convicted of his sin. Satan used fear to keep him from his Savior , Jesus. Felix, like Herod Antipas (Mark 6:17-18), had taken another man’s wife. Paul’s words were interesting until they focused on “righteousness, self control and the judgment to come.” Felix should have repented. But he postponed until a more convenient time. He is like some who study the Bible until the topics start to touch their own sin problem. Then they say, “Don’t call me. I will call you when I am ready.” Many people will be glad to discuss the Gospel with you as long as it doesn’t touch their lives too personally. I had a weekly Bible study with an atheist for over two years and another for one year. They have one common trait. They both avoided personal application of the Bible. Christians do this too…not just atheists.
The gospel requires a personal decision to repent and believe in Jesus. Parents cannot do this for their children. Shepherds cannot do this for their Bible students. Sooner or later, each person must decide personally to repent and accept Jesus. Those who postpone this decision run a great risk, for we don’t know if we will live through tomorrow. Our hearts may harden beyond recovery. Felix lived in indecision for two years. Then his indecision eventually became a rejection of Christ. Without Christ he could not escape the judgment to come.
As you teach the Bible you will find that some will resist or run. But this is what the Gospel is all about – God’s power to change lives. The gospel is not effective until it moves from principles and doctrines of the Christian faith, into a life changing faith. When someone resists or runs from your witness, do not despair but take heart, for you have succeeded in making the Gospel personal.
In this passage we learn that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. Let’s believe this Bible truth and live before God as followers of the Way, followers of Jesus. With resurrection faith, let us keep a clear conscience before God as we live as shepherds for our people. And may we move from the theoretical to the personal in our Bible teaching and in our practical walk with Jesus.