Have you ever wondered how someone can go from being a freed slave to a powerful, yet morally corrupt, official? In our latest episode, we explore the riveting story of Paul’s interactions with the Roman governor Felix from Acts 24:22-27. You'll gain insight into Felix’s shady rise to power and his familiarity with Jewish customs, as well as his unethical expectations of receiving bribes from Paul. Listen as we unravel how Paul's fearless discussions about righteousness, self-control, and impending judgment shook Felix to his core, causing him to delay further conversations.
The core message of this episode is the unyielding truth about sin and salvation. We dive deep into the mission of Jesus Christ to save sinners and the essential biblical mandate for righteousness. Discover why discussions about sin often face resistance and yet are crucial for true repentance. We analyze Apostle Paul’s bold approach to confronting Felix's sinful relationship, demonstrating the need for courage in speaking the truth. This segment underscores the sovereignty of God in determining the outcome of His word, whether it results in salvation or condemnation.
Finally, we address the urgency of sharing God's word and the profound concept of divine chastening as an act of love. Reflecting on Paul’s persistent efforts to preach to Felix, we emphasize the importance of Christians continually sharing the gospel, even amidst resistance. We also delve into the reasons for Jesus Christ's delayed return, highlighting God’s patience and desire for sinners to repent. This episode is a powerful reminder of our core mission: to preach the gospel and save souls, urging listeners to grasp the immediate necessity of repentance and faith in Christ.
Have you ever wondered how someone can go from being a freed slave to a powerful, yet morally corrupt, official? In our latest episode, we explore the riveting story of Paul’s interactions with the Roman governor Felix from Acts 24:22-27. You'll gain insight into Felix’s shady rise to power and his familiarity with Jewish customs, as well as his unethical expectations of receiving bribes from Paul. Listen as we unravel how Paul's fearless discussions about righteousness, self-control, and impending judgment shook Felix to his core, causing him to delay further conversations.
The core message of this episode is the unyielding truth about sin and salvation. We dive deep into the mission of Jesus Christ to save sinners and the essential biblical mandate for righteousness. Discover why discussions about sin often face resistance and yet are crucial for true repentance. We analyze Apostle Paul’s bold approach to confronting Felix's sinful relationship, demonstrating the need for courage in speaking the truth. This segment underscores the sovereignty of God in determining the outcome of His word, whether it results in salvation or condemnation.
Finally, we address the urgency of sharing God's word and the profound concept of divine chastening as an act of love. Reflecting on Paul’s persistent efforts to preach to Felix, we emphasize the importance of Christians continually sharing the gospel, even amidst resistance. We also delve into the reasons for Jesus Christ's delayed return, highlighting God’s patience and desire for sinners to repent. This episode is a powerful reminder of our core mission: to preach the gospel and save souls, urging listeners to grasp the immediate necessity of repentance and faith in Christ.
Christians. I'm going to be in the book of Acts, chapter 4, I'm sorry, book of Acts, chapter 24. And I'm going to begin reading in chapter, in verse 22. Oh, I'm losing it today. Acts 24, verse 22 through 27. And here's what it says.
Speaker 1:But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the way, he adjourned the proceedings and he said when Lysias the commander, he adjourned the proceedings and he said when Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case. So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for his visit, to provide for or visit him. And after some days, felix came with his wife, drusilla, who was Jewish, Scylla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith of Christ. Now verse 25,. Now, as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control and judgment to come, felix was afraid and he answered go away for now, when I have a convenient time I will call for you. Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given to him by Paul that he might release him. Therefore, he sent for him more often and conversed with Paul. But after two years, porcius Festus succeeded Felix and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, he left Paul in chains or imprisoned. Excuse me Now, christians, I need to give you some a little bit of history about Felix, because Felix was the governor of Judea. Felix was the governor of Judea and, if you notice, in verse 22, it says but when Felix heard these things, having a more accurate knowledge of the way he adjourned the proceedings, and he said when Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case, the case concerning the Apostle Paul. They had a problem with the Apostle Paul. They had a problem with the Apostle Paul, but Felix was someone who was well acquainted with the ways of Jewish culture. Felix was well acquainted with Jewish culture, very well, in fact.
Speaker 1:He himself was originally a slave who was freed by the Roman emperor Claudius and he became eventually one of the emperor's most infamous favorites. And there was a reason why Because Felix, he pandered to the emperor. The emperor had a multiplicity of vices, he was an immoral man and he was always ready Felix, that is, always ready to indulge the lustful appetite of Emperor Claudius. Whatever the Emperor Claudius wanted to do, no matter how wicked it was, felix, as governor, was willing to provide it. He was willing to provide it. He was a wicked man and he was a panderer. He would do whatever it took to stay in the good graces of the emperor and because of this he advanced rapidly through the ranks. He became, he moved up so fast through the ranks and because he knew everything there was to know about the way, or the Christian way he understood it, the Christian way he understood it. This allowed him to be suited for a position or promotion to become the governor of Judea, because he understood the culture, he understood it and he became useful to Claudius, useful in the sense that he would be able to manage that. He would be able to manage Judea and its occupants. At least this is what the this is what the hope was.
Speaker 1:But Paul was a problem. Paul was a problem to all of these leaders in Rome, especially since he was a Roman who was also a Pharisee of Pharisees and who also became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Tacitus, the Roman historian, he said that Felix in his words, and I quote historian. He said that Felix in his words, and I quote Felix exercised his imperial functions with the soul of a mercenary. He was a devious, evil man and he was an extortioner. You see this when you see that after he departed from Paul, they ended up having more conversations. And in verse 26, it says that after they departed. It says that meanwhile Felix also hoped in verse 26, that Paul would offer him money. You see Felix in that he was an extortioner, he would do things anything he could for money and he had an expectation that Paul would offer him money to be either made at more ease while he was in prison or to be released from prison altogether. We don't know, but we do know that it tells us in verse 26 that he had an expectation. But we do know that it tells us in verse 26 that he had an expectation. He had an expectation that Paul would offer him money. And so we know that is something that never happened.
Speaker 1:But here's what I want to focus on. So now Paul is in the presence of Felix. Paul is in the presence of Felix, paul is in the presence of Felix and in verse 25, it says this now as he reasoned, meaning Paul, now as Paul reasoned with Felix about righteousness, temperance or self-control and the judgment to come. It says that Felix was afraid and answered go away, for now. When I have a convenient time, I will call for you. Now. I want to say something here Because today I made a post that upset a lot of people who feel that their way of life was being attacked, and so they came at me with a lot of issues.
Speaker 1:Because, people of the world, they do not like to be called out for their sin and they don't realize that when we call out sin, that we ourselves, if we are in the proper frame of mind, do not exempt ourselves from the same castigation that the word of God puts upon all of those who believe that they can somehow be sanctioned from being under the rule of God's holy law. God is righteous, god is holy, god is pure and God cannot look upon sin, and he commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins and to turn to him in faith through Jesus Christ. This is what all men are called for One of the people today, for example, because I do not condone this particular lifestyle, which I shouldn't have to explain but because I don't condone it, or because I speak against it, since it is contrary to the word of God, contrary to the gospel, contrary to the law of God, contrary to everything that is sacred. They called me. A couple of these people called me a bigot, called me a bigot. Now, I'm not a bigot.
Speaker 1:No Christian who believes the truth of the word of God can be referred to legitimately as a bigot if the truth that they believe holds for everyone equally. In other words, a true Christian believes that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. I would be a bigot if I said that you, as a sinner, have the right to be exempt from the penalty and condemnation due to your sin, and I believe that you can get away with it, but me and the rest of us can't get away with our sins. The point is this when it comes to sin, we are all guilty. We all stand before God as sinners. The difference between us believers and those who are not is that we don't excuse our sin. Do we sin? Yes, others sin, yes, but there are those who don't know Christ who not only can not only condone sin, not only do they promote sin, but they want to see sin legislated. But they want to see sin legislated. And if we don't agree with what man approves, because God disapproves, we are bigots. Which means that if I am a bigot for telling you that the sin that you commit, embrace and condone. If I'm wrong for that, you that the sin that you commit, embrace and condone. If I'm wrong for that, well, the scripture tells us one thing Let God be true and every man a liar.
Speaker 1:Now, dealing with Felix and the apostle Paul, we have a very interesting exchange. Paul, it is said that he spoke about. He spoke to Felix about three different issues. He reasoned with him about righteousness, he reasoned with him about self-control and he reasoned with him about the judgment to come. So, righteousness, what are we talking about?
Speaker 1:Righteousness, righteousness is that thing. Righteousness is that special attribute that all of us need if we would have a right relationship With the father. Righteousness can only be acquired Through the death of Christ. God provided him as a sacrificial lamb, whose blood was shed In order that we can obtain and inherit his righteousness, because he was perfect and spotless, the Lamb of God, and if we put our trust in him, we are therefore cleansed by his blood, having our sin removed from us, put on him at Calvary, and then his righteousness is put on us. In other words, our sin is imputed to Christ, our Savior, and when that happens, simultaneously, his righteousness is imputed to us.
Speaker 1:There is only one sense where it is true, where I can say, or anyone can say, we are saved by works. Now, before you freak out because I said this, that we are saved by works, we are saved by works just not our own. We are saved by the works of the Lord, jesus Christ. We are saved by his works, not our own. There is nothing in us or external to us, outside of Christ and his finished work at Calvary, that can justify us before God and impart to us righteousness. That is an absolute impossibility.
Speaker 1:This is something my Armenian friends don't understand. They don't believe that we were dead in sin and trespasses. They believe that we were just sick. They believe that we were just sin sick. But no, the scripture teaches us different. It teaches us that we were dead. And what will do dead people have? What will does a dead soul have? What is the point of knowing that we are dead? As Ephesians says, that dead and sin and trespasses. What good is understanding dead if it not be we are without the capacity or the will to save ourselves from our dreadful condition whereby we eventually will be turned into hell and pay for our sins with God's wrath, which is eternal and everlasting, without end. Now, what we need, what every soul alive needs, is God's righteousness. We need God's righteousness. We need God's righteousness.
Speaker 1:And Paul was explaining and reasoning with Governor Felix about righteousness. And Paul understood one thing about Felix. Paul understood that Felix was well aware of what Paul was reasoning with him about. He knew. Felix knew he was well acquainted, as verse 22 says. He was well acquainted, had an accurate knowledge of the way. He knew the truth about the Messiah. He knew who Jesus was. He knew what the Jews thought about Jesus on both sides of the Messiah. He knew who Jesus was. He knew what the Jews thought about Jesus on both sides of the coin. He knew what those felt who opposed Christ and he knew what those felt and believed who supported Christ and who followed him and who believed him. Felix was well acquainted with all that was going on in Judea with respect to the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew what Jesus was doing. He knew what Jesus taught.
Speaker 1:So when Paul is at his tribunal, standing before him, paul is reasoning with him. He is touching on elements of salvation and faith with Felix, knowing that Felix knows full well what he's talking about. Isn't this true? Today. I was mocked and ridiculed by so many of these people today who are celebrating this month, celebrating their pride, as they call it, celebrating it. And the reality is this we know we, as believers, christians we know what it means to be under sin. We know what it means to be freed from it. But one thing that we have to know when we talk to people, it is important for us, like Paul, to understand his audience. Paul understood the condition and the state that Felix was in and he tried to appeal to that. He tried to reason with him based on what he knew and understood. Paul did not look away and Paul did not compromise his message to accommodate Felix, and neither should you Christians.
Speaker 1:You cannot afford to back down from sinners. You need to know where they are coming from and hit them right in the bullseye with god's message. When you pick up darts to throw at a dartboard, you always aim for dead center. When you shoot a gun on a gun range or even at a human, if you did such a thing you aim to hit dead center mass on that target. If you are throwing a basketball, you are aiming to hit all net. It's the same thing with everything. When it comes to preaching the gospel and standing up for what the word of God says. It is up to us to understand what's at stake. It is up to us to understand the game and it's up to us to understand how to use the message, the word of God, to target with surgical precision at the heart of the soul I have so many people.
Speaker 1:Somebody told me today that the God I believe in is a myth and yet wasted all day writing back and forth to me about my position on his lifestyle. Now here's the thing. Lifestyle Now here's the thing. If I am dealing with the mythical that you believe, I believe, to be true, why would you waste your time? But see, I know that the word of God penetrates into people's hearts and it reminds them. It reminds them of what they already know that God is and that he will justly punish sin for all of those who refuse to submit to his authority. There is not a man alive who is not going to bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ. Not one, every single soul that has ever lived, that lives today and that shall live prior to the Lord Jesus returning. They are all going to bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ, every one of them.
Speaker 1:They can laugh, they can mock, they can call it mythical. They can say Jesus Christ is not God. They can say he did not resurrect. They can say, yeah, right, all they want to. They can say whatever they want to say. I don't care, they're not going to be answering to me and they're not going to be answering to you. We are just messengers doing what we were told to do. I and you should have no, should waste no time dealing with foolishness. And the reason why so many things people are getting away with from a conscious standpoint is because we have refused to tell people the truth. We have refused to tell people the truth, and that is very simple. Jesus Christ came here to save sinners. He came here to save sinners, and only the fool that says in his heart, it is only the fool that says in his heart no to God. Only the fool.
Speaker 1:We are responsible for telling people about righteousness, and you cannot understand righteousness as Paul explained in reason with Felix Without knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. This knowledge All men, especially in America, they have and they know. They know these people. They don't believe for one minute. They don't believe for one minute that you are going to actually go all the way and toe the line and tell them the truth and the reason why they believe that is because most of us today don't do it.
Speaker 1:Another thing that I heard so much of today was that the things that I say, which comes straight from the word of God, the things that I say, are the reason that people are leaving the church. This was the thing I've heard the most today. Reason that people are leaving the church. This was the thing I've heard the most today that what I am preaching, what I am talking about, is turning people away from the church. No, what I am saying is not turning anyone from the church. The only thing that's turning people away from the church is sin. Ungodly, wicked sinners who choose to live in their sin, who prefer darkness rather than light, who refuse the offer extended by Christ to come to him in faith. No one is going to be able to look to me or any other Christian and say that the reason they didn't get into heaven was because of me. Because Christ is going to say this to them Depart from me, you cursed into everlasting fire. And he's going to say because I never knew you. He is not going to say because me, because I told you some harsh words, because I told you about the wrath of God to come, because I told you about righteousness, because I told you what God is going to do to those who sin against him and break his law and who transgress his most holy law. If I am driving you away from the church, if I am driving you away from Christ by telling you the truth, it is only because he doesn't know you. You don't belong to him. You weren't factored into his elect. You were not chosen by him to obtain salvation. You weren't chosen or called by him to believe salvation. You weren't chosen or called by him to believe God is going to save every single person that he intends to save, every single person. So when a person gets mad with me and ridicules and mock me because they don't like hearing the truth, that's between them and God.
Speaker 1:It was God's word who we read in Isaiah, who says this that his word shall never return to him void. His word will not return to him void, but he takes it a step further and he says that everything, every result that comes from those who hear the word of God, every result that comes as a result of them hearing the word of God, whether they believe or whether they reject, was compliant with the will of God. It was compliant and consistent with the word of God. When he says my word will not return to me void, it doesn't just mean that it always results in salvation. It also results in condemnation. Whatever the result of God's word as it impacts you, that is the result of God's word as it impacts you. That is the result that God has called and predetermined for you to experience. He is sovereign.
Speaker 1:You have a lot of people that want to tell you that God doesn't do this. God works this way. What I know is this God does whatsoever. He pleases with all of his creatures, whether we like it or not. It is not the emotions of man and it is not the standard of man that determines what is right by God. He is God and he does whatsoever it is. He pleases amongst men, amongst the angelic host, amongst the animal world, god does it all and he does it all. And he tells us why he does it all. He simply says for his own good pleasure. Now I know that to the ungodly man that sounds wicked, that sounds selfish, that sounds selfish. God can do whatever he pleases because he is God. So when you hear a guy here like he's on here, he calls himself whatever he calls himself, he says praise him.
Speaker 1:These kind of people don't understand who it is they are dealing with. I'm not upset. It doesn't frustrate me. It doesn't change my message. It shouldn't change your message. These people are going to perish in their sins, perish in their sins, and the only thing they're doing now is logging and writing down exactly what their angst and their vitriol is, not towards me, but to my Lord, who's called me to share his word with everyone, uncompromisingly, uncompromisingly so.
Speaker 1:Paul, in verse 25, he reasoned with Felix about righteousness. Then it says he reasoned with Felix about temperance or self-control. Now, felix had a problem because he was in a. He was in a, a, an incontinent relationship with the Jewish, a Jewish lady by the name of Drusilla, and Drusilla was known to be a beautiful and voluptuous woman and she was involved with several men and the last man that she was supposed to be married to, at the behest of Felix. She ended up going into a relationship with Felix which was an unsanctioned, ungodly relationship, and Felix, when it came to Drusilla, could not help himself. So he lived in this wicked relationship with her.
Speaker 1:There's another message where we can talk about that history of Drusilla, but the fact of the matter is he was living with Drusilla in a sinful relationship. Paul the apostle was aware of it and you know what he did. He addressed it head on when he was talking to him about self-control. Now, keep in mind the apostle Paul, he's the one that's on trial. He's the one that's on trial. But when you read the account, you begin to see that Paul is not really the one that's on trial.
Speaker 1:Felix is the one that's on trial. He's the one that's on trial. Paul is lecturing him about righteousness. Now he is lecturing him on self-control. And no doubt all of these things are hitting a nerve with Felix, because he knows exactly what Paul is talking about, just like all these people who are around us talking about, just like all these people who are around us, all these people who are around us in America today, especially, a land where multiple Bibles are in most people's homes, a land where sermons are everywhere, churches are everywhere, preachers are everywhere, christians are everywhere, churches are everywhere, preachers are everywhere, christians are everywhere. Very few people can say in America, if any, that I've never heard the gospel. And every one of these souls who's encountered the truth even once, they exacerbate the condemnation that is yet to come. The wrath of God will not be avoided. The wrath of God will not be avoided.
Speaker 1:Felix was confronted by Paul, who reasoned with him not only about righteousness, but also about self-control, self-control, self-control over your own body, over your own self. Paul is talking about taking control of your decision-making when it comes to sin. Paul knew that Felix was an extortioner. He knew that he was an adulterous man. He knew that he was a panderer. He knew that he would cave in to every lustful indulgence of the emperors and he would do whatever it takes, and he did not care about his conscience. He reached a place where he can no longer be affected. But we see here inklings. We see here a little bit that Felix was being affected by what Paul was teaching. Felix had no self-control, and you have people that live today, who live without any self-control.
Speaker 1:If it feels good, do it. That's the American way. If it feels good, do it. It doesn't matter how egregious the sin is. If it feels good to do it, it doesn't matter how egregious the sin is. If it feels good to you, do it, regardless of what God says about it. If it is an abominable thing in God's eyes, men feel they have a right to it because they like it. You don't get to sin just because you like it. You can do it, but you are definitely not going to be free from the penalty of doing it. No man gets away with breaking God's holy law.
Speaker 1:When God says that covetousness is wrong. When God says that dishonoring your parents is wrong. When God says that sexual deviance is wrong, when God says that dishonoring your parents is wrong, when God says that sexual deviance is wrong, when God says that having another God before him is wrong, rest assured, if you continue to indulge in these things, if you continue to dilly-dally in that which God condemns, I can assure you, I can assure you it will be met with God's wrath to the uttermost. And the fact of the matter is, if you die in this condition. If you die in this condition, there is no question that the eternal condition that you are going to live in for the rest of your existence, which has no end, there will be no way out, no way out. So, when you laugh at me or you laugh at other Christians, so when you laugh at me or you laugh at other Christians, be prepared and I will tell you right now, enjoy it while you can. Enjoy it while you can.
Speaker 1:There are so many people today that told me well, you know, you're the reason. People like you are the reason I'm no longer a Christian. No, the reason you're no longer a Christian is because God is exposing you. He's exposing you to Christians to let us know that you were never one of us. That is what is happening. That's what's happening when you turn away from the faith.
Speaker 1:It's not because I'm telling you that what you're doing is wrong or because I'm telling you a sinner, I had to hear the same thing. I had to understand the same thing. I had to come to the realization that I too, like you, are a sinner. Now I know, to many of you, the idea of the word sinner to you sounds archaic. To you sounds archaic. Hell sounds archaic. Eternal punishment sounds archaic. All these things you want to make sound archaic because you want to believe that the world needs to make progress. But when it comes to morality, that doesn't change. When it comes to God's truth, that doesn't change. When it comes to God's truth, that doesn't change. It is fixed. It is a monument. It is a monument to our existence. It's in the very soul of man to know that these things I'm telling you are true. Know that these things I'm telling you are true.
Speaker 1:Man needs to have a healthy reverence, a healthy fear of God. Don't think that you can continue to live in sin and you're going to get away with it. It is not going to happen. It is not going to happen. God is going to send the hounds of heaven to round up all of those who mocked his name and who mocked his word and who, especially, mocked his people. And, more importantly, the hounds of heaven are coming for those who mocked the Lord, jesus Christ and rejected him as well. There will be no escaping it. There will be no escaping it. You may not want to become a Christian, but don't go out of your way to be God's enemy. You already are. Don't push it. Just like there are levels and degrees of heaven, there are levels and degrees of hell itself. There's no sense in pushing the inevitable and making it worse than it already is.
Speaker 1:For me, I truly believe it's just as every other Christian believes. The return of the Lord is imminent. There is nothing that stands in his way any longer. The next thing that happens is going to be a surprise. It's going to be a secret. It is going to be a eye-opening day. It's going to be a rude awakening for lost sinners. When Christ comes out of heaven and he shouts, and that angel sounds that last trumpet and the dead in Christ rise, the just and the unjust will be raised from the dead to stand before God in judgment, god in judgment. So my question to many of you is why? Why will you die? Why? Why? Because somebody hurt your feelings, because they told you the truth.
Speaker 1:Christians have spent too many years, decades, talking about. Christians have spent too many years, decades, talking about how much God loves you and how he loves everybody. We have coddled sinners and made them to believe that whatever they do, in spite of what they do, it's just God loves you. Their interpretation is well, if he loves me, then I have nothing to worry about, no matter what I do, and we become those who promote an antinomian spirit, meaning that we don't have to abide by any laws. Why? Because God loves us. Our interpretation of love is the love that we have on earth, where a mother or a father will love their child no matter what they do.
Speaker 1:But the Bible tells us that the Lord, god, chastens every single soul that he loves. Every single soul that he loves, he chastens. There is not one person whom God chastens who was not corrected thereby, not one single person. When God corrects, you are corrected. When God corrects you, you belong to him. When God chastens you, it's because he knows you, he loves you, he has set his affection upon you. If you, he has set his affection upon you. If you are never corrected, if you are never disciplined, if you are never changed, it's because God has no interest in you, none In you, none. So do you want to know If you have received the affection of God, if you want to know that he loves you? You know how? You know when you turn to him in faith, when you turn to love him, when you come to appreciate his love of you, when you are ready and willing to turn from your sin, it will be because he loves you.
Speaker 1:Some people don't want to hear this. I'm going to say it anyway. If God loved every single person without exception, every single person would be saved. Salvation is not left. Salvation is not a condition. It's not conditioned upon the actions of men. It is not conditioned. God makes you willing in the day of his power. God is the one who brings you to him. God is the one who takes the heart of stone out of the sinner, gives them a heart of flesh, and it is with the heart of flesh that then responds to God correctly. Otherwise, you will never come. The dead soul will never come to Christ.
Speaker 1:There is no ability. There is no ability. There is no ability to do so. Man is incapable. He's incapable. He can't walk toward God because he doesn't desire it. He doesn't look toward God because he doesn't desire it. He doesn't listen to God because he doesn't desire it. He doesn't look toward God because he doesn't desire it. He doesn't listen to God because he doesn't desire it. He doesn't reach out to God because he doesn't desire it. He's incapable of having that kind of a desire.
Speaker 1:And yet you have all these Christians telling people oh well, if you just accept Jesus, that's all you have to do. Accept Jesus. No, you got it wrong. He's the one that must accept you. He is the one who does the accepting, not you. You have to be turned changed. You have to be turned changed. You have to be made willing to repent from your sins. Even repentance is a gift from God. There is nothing in you or any man who desires Christ. You cannot use the reasoning of man in order to come to Christ, because man will never reason towards Christ. Why? Because he loves his sin. I'm going to tell you like it is, doesn't matter to me if you like it or not.
Speaker 1:Christians God's people. They love it. They feed on his word. They need it. They are made more secure In understanding more of his word. They need it. They are made more secure in understanding more of his truths. We are called to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. We are expected to know these things, but what good is knowing it if you're not going to tell somebody?
Speaker 1:Paul is standing before a governor, his life is in their hands. But what they don't realize is that their lives are in his hands. Paul was on trial with Felix, governor Felix. Paul is standing before him. Paul is not making a case for himself, paul is making a case for the Lord Jesus Christ, and Felix didn't want to hear it. So in verse 25, he goes on after Paul is talking to him about righteousness and self-control. The third thing he's talking about is the judgment to come. One thing when you talk about God's wrath, you talk about the judgment to come. When you talk about the eternal condemnation of the unrepentant sinner, it's always the same Of the unrepentant sinner. It's always the same. You have all these people who want to cry to you and tell you. When you tell people these things, because they're true and because you have a concern for their soul and their salvation, and what do they tell you you shouldn't weaponize the word of God, you shouldn't weaponize the Bible? You're just weaponizing religion.
Speaker 1:They tell you you're just trying to use fear tactics to get people to come to Christ. You're just using fear tactics, fear tactics.
Speaker 1:They sound like broken records. They sound like broken records, but here's the truth of the matter. You should fear God. You should fear God. You should be afraid. Only a fool knowing these things is not afraid. We all know what we're made of. We know that there is the internal aspect of us that understands something about the spiritual aspect of our existence. All you have to do is look at a dead body and wonder what happened, what changed? What changed? Because the body didn't. It's still the same thing, but there's a soul that animates a body, and with that soul is the attachment of reason and rationality. And this is the aspect that makes us in God's likeness, in God's image, and yet so many people want to continue to dance around these issues Show me proof, show me proof.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, I want to see proof. If I don't get to see proof, then I'm never going to believe. That's up to you.
Speaker 1:Proof is all around you. Look at the sky, look at the ocean, look at the grass and the trees and the trees. Look at the birth of your child in that waiting room, with your wife there, all these things. Look at the animal that you probably have running around your house, that dog that loves you. God's creation tells us all we need to know. In fact, even if the person doesn't never hear about God, doesn't never hear the gospel, god tells us that creation itself is enough to condemn every single creature on earth. His creation is witness enough to condemn all of mankind if they do not repent. All of mankind has a responsibility, has a command to seek out God, to seek out God, to seek out his creator and to make amends with his creator. Every person alive is required to believe. Every person is required to believe. Judgment is coming, the wrath of God is coming.
Speaker 1:Now some people say well, you know, you've been saying that the Lord, jesus Christ, is going to. If he's going to come, then what's taking him so long? What's taking him so long? Because he's giving foolish people time, he's exercising patience, and now you want to hurry up your condemnation. Is that what you want? He's giving sinners room to repent. He's giving them room to believe. He's giving them time. He's a patient God. This is why Peter says that with God, one day is a thousand years and one thousand years is as a day. Peter said that it is a good thing for us that we are on God's time and not on man's time. Let's go on. So. Paul reasoned with Felix about righteousness, about self-control. He reasoned with him about the judgment to come and notice what happens. It says that Felix, hearing these things from the apostle Felix, was afraid. He was afraid. Now, christians, I'm going to tell you, I'm going to let you in on something. I'm going to let you in on something. When you share the gospel with people and they laugh, they tell you you're crazy, you're beside yourself, you're mentally ill. I was told this today by a couple of people. I'm mentally ill for believing these things.
Speaker 1:When people mock you and ridicule you because they don't want you exposing their sin, they don't want to be reminded that what they're doing is sinful and is in opposition to God, it's transgression of God's law. When these spiritually deviant souls, when they mock you, I'm going to tell you why they do it Because they're afraid. They are afraid. They hate the sound of God's truth reverberating in their dull ears. They don't like it. God is not letting them hear the gospel, but he is letting them hear the condemnation that is coming. That they hear and they don't want to hear it.
Speaker 1:So they'll send you in text messages or whatever. When you tell them the truth or when you're like on these social platforms, they'll send you the laughing, smiley faces Trying to laugh at you or whatever. You know what it is? It's fear. They're afraid. They don't want, they don't want what you're saying to be true. They don't want that to be true. So they laugh it off with that nervous laughter which then gives way to anger. When you keep it up, then the next thing you know they're calling you a bigot.
Speaker 2:They're telling you oh, just because of your Christian religion. This is what causes all the wars in the world.
Speaker 1:All that nonsense. They don't know what to do. They're afraid. They're afraid. Now there are certain people who are not smart enough to know that they should be, but the most of them they know. They don't want to be confronted about it. So they look up things to make them feel better about their sin and they figure that if they get more people on their side, that's going to validate the lie that they're living. So let me tell all of you who are not Christians, all of you who are in your celebratory mode today, let me tell you something Celebrate now, enjoy it, enjoy it, make the most of it, choke on it, because later on you're going to pay for it. You're going to pay for it. That's a fact. That's a fact.
Speaker 1:And if you ask anyone that you know and you love who's a Christian, who, you're okay with them, because they won't tell you what I'm telling you. They won't tell you what I'm telling you. So I'm telling you what they won't tell you. You are going to perish in your sins and it makes no sense. It is not even necessary. Instead of fighting with me, you should reach out to God and ask him Is it true? Is it true? If it's true, show yourself to me, lord. I don't want to die If this is what happens To those of us who live these deviant lifestyles, who oppose God, who opposes holiness, who refuses to accept that we're sinners. All you have to do is ask him. Ask him. That's all you got to do is ask him. Ask him. That's all you got to do. Just ask. But even that is too much for you. Okay, you want to show yourself as a big, as somebody big and smart and somebody tough? Here's what I'll say to you People like you, who have so much to say, so mouthy, when Christians are trying to tell you what you need to do. Don't tell anybody what you're going to do. Go to yourself, go to your room in private, close the door, turn off the lights and quietly, without even speaking it verbally to yourself, just ask the Lord Jesus Christ to reveal himself to you. Ask him, that's all. All you have to do is to ask the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:If what I am saying and what every Christian that you've met has been telling you is true, ask him. Do it privately. It takes less energy to just ask him than it does to send to mock me and to mock other Christians and to laugh at us and to argue about giving you proof. Ask him for the proof. Ask the Lord Jesus for the proof. Ask him if you are a sinner. Ask him if you're going to be condemned. Ask him if there is something he is willing to do for you.
Speaker 1:Ask him. Ask him if all the stories of the Bible are real and true, because I know this. If you reach out to him, he's going to answer, and what you do not want to do is wait until the judgment to be asked what's up? What happened to you? Why didn't you believe? But he's asking you that right now, right now, listen to what I'm telling you.
Speaker 1:Turn from your sins immediately, not tomorrow, not an hour from now. Now Turn to him, now Look to Christ today, while you can. Don't let your eyes shut tonight without asking him to save you if he's real, because one thing that I know is that you all know that you are guilty of sin. There is not a person alive that I've ever met that was willing to admit they don't sin. And the only way you know that you're a sinner is because of what God has told us, what the Bible says. No other book on earth, no other religion on earth tells you what sin is? Except for the Bible, except for the Torah. If you want to know what God's law says, if you want to know what God's law says, if you want to know the law that you have violated and transgressed, if you want to know what your offenses are against God, you go read his commandments. There's only 10 of them, but they make up the sum total of every sin that every man can do, and all it takes is for you to violate one of his laws one time and only in thought, and that's enough to condemn a thousand worlds. Think about that. That's how awful sin is to a holy God.
Speaker 1:Felix was afraid, he was afraid. If Felix was afraid a man of power, a man in authority, a man that had the power of death in his hands, so in his mind, if he was afraid, how much more should a 21st century sinner be afraid when the gospel is being preached? Felix was afraid, and out of that fear he tells Paul go away for now. Go away for now, and when I have a convenient time, I go away for now. Go away for now, and when I have a convenient time I will call for you Christians.
Speaker 1:This is what wicked people do. They want to silence you when you are calling out their sin. They want to silence you. They want you to go away, just like Felix did with Paul. Go, look it up, acts 24, verse 25. Paul is told by Felix go away. He's afraid he couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to hear it anymore. And this is what the unbelievers always do. When you keep coming at them, they get more and more angry because they want you to go away. They want you to stop. They want you to stop putting these things in their mind because they don't want to hear this. They don't want to hear the condemnation every time they continue to indulge in their wickedness and their sin. They want freedom to continue.
Speaker 1:One brother says the carnal mind can't comprehend the spiritual. That is so true. The carnal mind is enmity against God, is enmity against God. That is so true. The carnal man the key word here is that the carnal man can't. The carnal man can't Without faith. It is impossible. Jesus said without me, me, you can do nothing. When you start hearing things like something is impossible, that you can't, you cannot come to me because you will not come to me, these things are scary, scary to hear, and these people, when you are preaching to them, they are going to do whatever they can to get you to be quiet. But if any of you who had things to say to me earlier today, let me tell you one thing for sure I'm going to keep coming While there's breath in my nostrils. I am going to keep coming. Every Christian should be standing up on his faith for God today, more than they ever have, because we are plunging ourselves into the utter darkness of apostasy, into the utter darkness of apostasy. Apostasy is more widespread than it ever has and fools will do what fools do, and they can't help it because the carnal mind is at enmity against God.
Speaker 1:They want you to go away. They want you to keep it to yourself. So many of you Christians like to say oh, jesus Christ is my personal Lord and Savior and the sinner wants you to keep it personal. They want you to keep it personal, but that's not what we're called to do. We're not called to keep our salvation personal, we are called to share it. We are called to share it. I don't believe in this personal Lord and Savior theory. It is not supposed to be that way. And the ungodly folks? They want you to keep it personal. They want it to stay personal. They don't want you bringing this up. They don't want to be reminded of their sins. They want you to go away. Go away. Keep that to yourself. You said it's personal. Keep that to yourself. You said it's personal. Keep it to yourself.
Speaker 1:Christian brother or sister, if you're listening to me right now, if you're listening to me right now, I'm telling you right now do not keep it personal. Make it personal for you to let everybody know what God's truth is. That's what you need to do. Tell them all. Tell them all till they go shrieking, begging for a place to go, drown in the ocean, like when Christ sent them demons into those pigs and they went and drowned in the sea. Don't come up with this excuse that God didn't give you this calling. I'm not in a pulpit, we're just talking. We're just talking. Let these people know that they are going to perish in their sins if they don't repent. Christians, if you want to express the ultimate way whereby we can love our neighbor, there is no greater expression than to share with them the gospel period. If you want to know the ultimate way to express your love to God and to your neighbor, then share his gospel with lost souls and encourage those who are not lost to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. This is what we are called to do.
Speaker 1:So in verse 25, felix was afraid and he told Paul go away for now. And lastly, he says when I have a convenient time I will call for you. And this is what the ungodly sinner who wants you to go away will eventually tell you when God shows me, I'll come. I will come to God when it's convenient for me. You don't need to preach to me. I will come when it makes sense to me. I will come if I see this, if I see that I will come when it's convenient for me. Felix told Paul. In verse 25, he says go away for now, and when I have a convenient time I'll call for you. Paul was never called again by Felix and these people in the world. They want you to go away and they will tell you I will come when it's convenient for me. And if it's not convenient for me, oh well.
Speaker 1:But the whole idea is just to get you to go away. It's to silence you. It's to silence you. But you know what Christians, we're not having it. Why? Because we care, because we care. And to you believers, I want to encourage you all and exhort you all, as I want to be encouraged and exhorted to pursue these things which do bring back, which do bring salvation to souls when they hear the word of God. Our job should be, as believers, is to care enough to tell people the truth, no matter how bad it may hurt them and no matter how much it may hurt you to know that your words are going to hurt them.
Speaker 1:When you, when somebody is sick to the point where they need surgery, those knives and those saws that they use to open people's hearts and cut their bodies open. Those things are painful but they are necessary to the healing process. Sometimes our words are going to be cutting. No wonder the word of God is called God's sword, piercing to the very soul. The word of God is the only offensive weapon that we have and we are meant to use it.
Speaker 1:I was accused today, as I said earlier, of weaponizing the religion, weaponizing the Bible, of weaponizing the religion, weaponizing the Bible. That's exactly what we're doing Weaponizing the word of God so that people will come to Christ. Use God's word and share it with people. That is the way we express God's love by telling them the truth, and although we don't always get it right, god knows our heart. You speak what you know and you seek to bring people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is what our ultimate goal is. It was the last thing that the Lord Jesus Christ, before he ascended on high, commissioned us to do was to preach the gospel everywhere, and the gospel, in a nutshell, is this the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ, all you sinners, and be ye saved and be provoked and be persuaded, and may all of you have a good night.