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Paul on Trial - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And Paul said, I would to God
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  Speaker 1: that not only thou, but also all that hear me
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  Speaker 1: this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am,
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  Speaker 1: except these bonds. Acts 26.29. Dear Lord, as I study
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  Speaker 1: the life of Paul in Acts 24-26, I am reminded
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  Speaker 1: that through his life, He teaches me about the power
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  Speaker 1: of vision. Through your vision for my life, God, I
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  Speaker 1: see that vision allows me to see myself. It allows
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  Speaker 1: me to see things not as they are, but as
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  Speaker 1: I am. I thank you that vision allows me to
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  Speaker 1: see others and moves me in a compelling way to act.
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  Speaker 1: Through your vision, God, you've strengthened me. and enabled me
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  Speaker 1: to continue despite struggle and lack of resources. I thank
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  Speaker 1: you through your vision that you've given me. You are
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  Speaker 1: stretching me and giving me conviction to stand and to
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  Speaker 1: speak with confidence and to give me the compassion to
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  Speaker 1: share with others. However, through your vision, it shows me
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  Speaker 1: that as I move in compliant obedience, my vision will
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  Speaker 1: motivate me to act, which will ultimately bring fulfillment to
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  Speaker 1: my life. In all of these things, I remain grateful
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  Speaker 1: that you sent men like Paul before me to help
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  Speaker 1: guide me to the best days of my life. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
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  Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Paul on Trial In our last story, Paul was saved
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  Speaker 2: from certain death by the judge of Jerusalem. The Jews
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  Speaker 2: spat and spited Paul, planning to take his life. Yet
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  Speaker 2: Paul remained protected by God through the Roman legal system.
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  Speaker 2: Now Paul is brought to the governor Felix for trial. However,
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  Speaker 2: the Jews are continuing to plot against him. So Paul
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  Speaker 2: declares his right as a Roman citizen to be taken
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  Speaker 2: before Caesar, inspired by the book of Acts.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, everybody. Once again, this is Jack Graham with today's
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  Speaker 3: episode of The Bible in a Year. Thank you for
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  Speaker 3: joining us. In our previous time together, we heard how
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  Speaker 3: Paul appeared before the leaders in Jerusalem and how they
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  Speaker 3: did not want to hear him speak. Paul used their
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  Speaker 3: own lack of unity against them and frustrated their attempts
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  Speaker 3: to have him condemned. Ultimately, Paul was sent away to
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  Speaker 3: Caesarea to stand trial before Felix the governor. God was
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  Speaker 3: working even through the opposition to accomplish his purposes in
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  Speaker 3: Paul's ministry and in the advancement of the gospel, the
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  Speaker 3: kingdom of God. Today we'll hear as Paul stands trial
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  Speaker 3: before Felix, the Roman governor of the region. Though the
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  Speaker 3: leaders in Jerusalem were frustrated in their attempts to silence
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  Speaker 3: and even kill Paul, they will not relent and will
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  Speaker 3: continue to oppose Paul and bring false accusations against him
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  Speaker 3: before this governor. We'll hear as Paul remains bold, calm, cool,
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  Speaker 3: and collected and continues to use his rights as a
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  Speaker 3: Roman citizen, even the right to be tried by the
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  Speaker 3: supreme Roman rulers. Let's listen now to this reading from
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  Speaker 3: the book of Acts.
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  Speaker 2: It was evening and the hall of Felix the governor
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  Speaker 2: was dimly lit by torches and lanterns. The governor sat
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  Speaker 2: at his throne-like desk, listening intently to the Jewish testimony.
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  Speaker 2: Paul remained silent as the Jews testified against him. His
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  Speaker 2: knee was throbbing and his eyesight was leaving him due
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  Speaker 2: to all the beatings. Even in his broken state, Paul
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  Speaker 2: stood tall with the confidence of Christ. He knew that
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  Speaker 2: he should not stoop to their level. He would not curse, interrupt,
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  Speaker 2: or lie. He would tell the truth at all costs,
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  Speaker 2: and he would love his enemies best he could. Ananias,
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  Speaker 2: the high priest, stood forward and bowed to Felix. We
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  Speaker 2: have enjoyed much peace under your leadership, O great Felix.
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  Speaker 2: The reforms you have made for this nation have brought
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  Speaker 2: about a new age of prosperity, Ananias said. His demeanor
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  Speaker 2: was that of a humble priest and a man of peace.
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  Speaker 2: He played the part like an actor on stage. We
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  Speaker 2: do not want to take up any more of your time.
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  Speaker 2: We beg your kindness as you consider our case. This
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  Speaker 2: man Paul has been a plague to our people. He
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  Speaker 2: stirs up riots among the Jews and is the ringleader
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  Speaker 2: to a rebel group known as the Christians. He was
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  Speaker 2: trying to profane the temple when we seized him. After
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  Speaker 2: Ananias made his case, he bowed and stepped back. Felix's
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  Speaker 2: face was impassive. He did not smile, frown, or show
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  Speaker 2: any sort of bias. He simply nodded towards Paul to
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  Speaker 2: give his defense. Paul stood upright and smiled.' You have
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  Speaker 2: been a judge over this nation for many years, Lord Felix.
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  Speaker 2: I cheerfully make my defense knowing you are a rational man.
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  Speaker 2: You yourself can verify that I was in Jerusalem for
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  Speaker 2: twelve days before I was detained. During that time there
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  Speaker 2: was no stirring or violence.' They are accusing me because
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  Speaker 2: of my choice to follow the way, the Christ. Yet
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  Speaker 2: I still worship the God of our fathers. I believe
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  Speaker 2: all that was written down in the law and prophets.
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  Speaker 2: I have a clear conscience before God and man. In fact,
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  Speaker 2: when these men took me and beat me, I was
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  Speaker 2: in the temple finishing the purification ceremony. There was no
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  Speaker 2: violence on my part, only the mob that beat me
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  Speaker 2: endlessly until the judge rescued me. Paul finished, pleased with
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  Speaker 2: his statement. He had studied the art of law when
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  Speaker 2: he was a Pharisee, so he knew that they could
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  Speaker 2: not punish him. However, they could keep him captive. So
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  Speaker 2: Paul waited for Felix's response. Felix rose up from his
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  Speaker 2: seat and walked towards the door. When Lysias the judge
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  Speaker 2: comes down, I will decide your case. Until then, Paul
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  Speaker 2: will be kept under house arrest with the centurion. I
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  Speaker 2: will allow you to be cared for by your loved
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  Speaker 2: ones and to write to them. But make no mistake,
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  Speaker 2: you are my prisoner, and I will not hesitate to
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  Speaker 2: judge you. So Felix left, and Paul was chained to
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  Speaker 2: a centurion for weeks. It was during this time that
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  Speaker 2: Paul wrote many letters to the churches he started. Inspired
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  Speaker 2: by the Holy Spirit, he wrote prayers and points of
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  Speaker 2: wisdom for each church to live by. Occasionally, Felix would
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  Speaker 2: invite Paul to dine with him and his wife. His
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  Speaker 2: wife was a Jew and curious about the way of Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: Felix would listen and ask questions. Two years under Felix
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  Speaker 2: had passed, and he was eventually replaced by Festus. Paul's
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  Speaker 2: body had begun to heal, but his eyesight had left
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  Speaker 2: him dependent on the centurion who held him. Paul stumbled
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  Speaker 2: into the courtroom of Festus, meeting him for the first time.
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  Speaker 2: Festus was a fat and greedy man. He did not
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  Speaker 2: hold the same nobility and respect as Felix's. He had
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  Speaker 2: been bribed by the Jews to send him back to Jerusalem,
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  Speaker 2: and he fully planned on doing so. Paul sensed this
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  Speaker 2: and did the only thing he knew to do. If
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  Speaker 2: I have done something worth killing me for, then strike
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  Speaker 2: me down now. I do not fear death, but if
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  Speaker 2: I am innocent, then I have been terribly mistreated as
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  Speaker 2: a Roman citizen. Paul looked Festus intensely in the eyes
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  Speaker 2: and said, This has gone on long enough. I appeal
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  Speaker 2: to Caesar. Every person in the room gasped at Paul's statement.
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  Speaker 2: The council of judges stood there in the room mumbling
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  Speaker 2: to themselves. Festus, growing uncomfortable with Paul's confidence, rose to
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  Speaker 2: his feet and said, To Caesar you have appealed. To
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  Speaker 2: Caesar you will go. King Agrippa was already scheduled to
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  Speaker 2: visit Festus in a few weeks, so Paul waited until then.
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  Speaker 2: He waited and prayed, for he was about to speak
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  Speaker 2: before the most powerful man in the world, Paul could
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  Speaker 2: hear the trumpets from inside his room. Cheers and music
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  Speaker 2: echoed throughout the entire city. Paul looked out his window
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  Speaker 2: to see a great procession of soldiers marching through the streets.
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  Speaker 2: Their armor glistened in the sun and reflected back in
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  Speaker 2: a thousand different directions. Centurions on pure white horses pranced
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  Speaker 2: around the streets, making way for the king. Paul's eyesight
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  Speaker 2: was poor, but there was no mistaking who he saw next.
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  Speaker 2: There was a man at the center of it all.
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  Speaker 2: A man standing with regality and pomp King Herod Agrippa,
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  Speaker 2: a man who had a direct relationship with Caesar himself.
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  Speaker 2: Paul was shoved into the halls where Agrippa stood. He
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  Speaker 2: stood with an intense amount of power. Festus spoke, saying,
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  Speaker 2: Before I send this man to Caesar, I must know
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  Speaker 2: beyond any doubt that his case is worth his hearing.
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  Speaker 2: That is why I have asked you, Agrippa, to hear
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  Speaker 2: this man and give wisdom. Agrippa looked down at Paul.
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  Speaker 2: His face was impassive and gave nothing away. Paul felt
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  Speaker 2: his stomach tighten, but he held his head high. Agrippa
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  Speaker 2: nodded towards Paul and said, You may speak. Paul stretched
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  Speaker 2: out his hands. He knew that only God could perfectly
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  Speaker 2: judge him. So he stood with confidence, knowing that the
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  Speaker 2: Maker of heaven and earth stood behind him. He made
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  Speaker 2: his defense, saying, My whole youth was spent among the
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  Speaker 2: people in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time.
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  Speaker 2: I lived among them as a Pharisee. I myself was
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  Speaker 2: convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was a plague and a
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  Speaker 2: stink to our religion. I locked up his followers and
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  Speaker 2: played a role in their death. I was wrong. Paul
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  Speaker 2: paused for a moment, doing his best to hold back
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  Speaker 2: the choking sensation of oncoming tears. He cleared his throat
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  Speaker 2: and looked up to Agrippa with watery eyes. I was
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  Speaker 2: met by Christ, and have now dedicated my life to
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  Speaker 2: seeing all people, Jews and Gentiles, come to know the
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  Speaker 2: love of God and the resurrection from the dead. Festus
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  Speaker 2: interrupted Paul with a loud voice, saying,' Are you mad?
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  Speaker 2: Stop speaking nonsense to the king!' You know I am
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  Speaker 2: not out of my mind, Paul retorted. He nodded to
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  Speaker 2: King Agrippa. My king, I know these things have not
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  Speaker 2: escaped your eyes. You have seen great things done by Jesus' followers.
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  Speaker 2: I know you believe. Agrippa gave a short smile. In
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  Speaker 2: such a short time, you nearly persuade me to be
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  Speaker 2: a Christian. He responded with a playful voice. Paul bowed
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  Speaker 2: his head and grinned. The king stepped down from his
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  Speaker 2: platform and began to exited. This man has done nothing
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  Speaker 2: to deserve death or imprisonment. In fact, if he did
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  Speaker 2: not appeal to Caesar, I would just let him go.
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  Speaker 2: But since he has appealed to our emperor, he must
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  Speaker 2: go to Rome. So Agrippa left and Paul was bound
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  Speaker 2: in chains to sail off to Rome. In all this chaos,
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  Speaker 2: God was on the move. The God of all nations
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  Speaker 2: was going to be presented before the most powerful man
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  Speaker 2: in the known world. The gospel was going to be
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  Speaker 2: spoken to Caesar.
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  Speaker 3: In today's scripture, Paul had journeyed with Roman protection to
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  Speaker 3: the city of Caesarea, where he would stand trial before
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  Speaker 3: Felix the governor. He had narrowly escaped death at the
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  Speaker 3: hands of the Jews there, but his troubles were far
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  Speaker 3: from over. The Jewish leaders had come too, ready to
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  Speaker 3: stomp out this man whom they hated so much. They'd
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  Speaker 3: even employed a lawyer named Tertullius to bring their case
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  Speaker 3: against Paul. Of course, they did not have a real case,
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  Speaker 3: so they resorted to flattery and falsehoods. They began by
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  Speaker 3: stating how grateful they were to Felix for all that
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  Speaker 3: he had done for the nation, the nation of Israel.
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  Speaker 3: They knew he didn't really have time for this trivial matter,
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  Speaker 3: so they hoped this would be resolved quickly. Then came
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  Speaker 3: the lies. Supported by the testimony of the Jewish leaders,
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  Speaker 3: Tertullius argued that Paul was a plague who stirred up
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  Speaker 3: riots among the Jews throughout the world. He was nothing
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  Speaker 3: more than a troublemaker. And on top of that, they
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  Speaker 3: accused him of profaning their temple. This was said so
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  Speaker 3: that Felix would just hand Paul back over to them
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  Speaker 3: to be tried in Jerusalem, where they were certain to
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  Speaker 3: condemn Paul to death. Paul stood and listened patiently. When
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  Speaker 3: it was his time to speak, he calmly and plainly
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  Speaker 3: made his defense. He knew that Felix was fair and
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  Speaker 3: a reasonable man and a very powerful one. He spoke
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  Speaker 3: truthfully and candidly. demonstrating how the claims against him could
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  Speaker 3: not be true. He did not deny being a follower
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  Speaker 3: of Jesus, the way, as he referred to Christians at
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  Speaker 3: that time. Instead, he gave his confession as a follower
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  Speaker 3: of Jesus, a worshiper of God, who sought to live
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  Speaker 3: with a clear conscience before God and man. Paul concluded
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  Speaker 3: with a restatement of his hope in the resurrection of
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  Speaker 3: the dead, then waited for Felix to respond. We discover
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  Speaker 3: that Felix was not ready to rule yet. but Paul
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  Speaker 3: was not going to rot in a prison cell either.
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  Speaker 3: He would be under house arrest. During this time, Paul
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  Speaker 3: was able to share the gospel with many, including Felix
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  Speaker 3: and his wife, Drusilla. For two years, Paul awaited a
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  Speaker 3: decision from Felix. We're told that Felix was really hoping
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  Speaker 3: for a bribe from Paul, one that never came. But
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  Speaker 3: in those two years, Paul wrote letters to the churches
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  Speaker 3: that he had planted throughout Asia, and he continued to
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  Speaker 3: share Christ with all who would listen. Surely these weren't
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  Speaker 3: the circumstances Paul had imagined when the Lord told him
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  Speaker 3: that he would take his witness to Rome. Yet he persevered,
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  Speaker 3: even in chains. It is a reminder that our circumstances
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  Speaker 3: should not determine our convictions. Rather, our convictions should carry
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  Speaker 3: us through our circumstances with faith and courage. And there
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  Speaker 3: were still some twists and turns ahead. As we heard,
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  Speaker 3: Felix was eventually replaced by Festus, a much less sympathetic governor.
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  Speaker 3: He was paid off by the Jews and was about
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  Speaker 3: to send Paul back to Jerusalem when Paul pulled out
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  Speaker 3: his trump card and appealed to Caesar. Festus had no
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  Speaker 3: choice and told him that if he wanted to go
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  Speaker 3: to Caesar, that's where he would go. But first, Paul
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  Speaker 3: would have to appear before Herod Agrippa, the Jewish king
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  Speaker 3: of Judea. who was soon to visit Festus in Caesarea.
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  Speaker 3: As he stood before Agrippa, we heard a beautiful testimony
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  Speaker 3: from Paul. He laid out his story, how he had
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  Speaker 3: been a devout Jew who had once opposed Jesus, but
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  Speaker 3: God appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Paul
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  Speaker 3: shared the gospel powerfully before the king, and his words
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  Speaker 3: had a great impact. Agrippa could feel the passion in
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  Speaker 3: Paul's words, the persuasion in Paul's life. And he asked
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  Speaker 3: if he thought in such a short time that he
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  Speaker 3: could convince him, persuade him to become a Christian. Paul's
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  Speaker 3: response revealed his heart for his Jewish brethren. We find
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  Speaker 3: it in Acts 26, 29. Whether short or long, I
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  Speaker 3: would to God that not only you, but also all
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  Speaker 3: who hear me this day might become such as I am,
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  Speaker 3: except for these chains. Agrippa was ready to rule. Paul
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  Speaker 3: had done nothing to deserve the chains he wore and
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  Speaker 3: certainly not death. If it were up to him, he
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  Speaker 3: would release Paul then and there. But Paul had appealed
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  Speaker 3: to Caesar and that is where he would go. Though
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  Speaker 3: God could have spared Paul this long and arduous voyage
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  Speaker 3: and journey ahead as he traveled to Rome, God had
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  Speaker 3: a purpose in mind even in all of this pain.
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  Speaker 3: Paul understood that and willingly submitted, joyfully carrying the message
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  Speaker 3: of Jesus and his salvation along the way. The next time,
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  Speaker 3: We'll hear how his journey continues right into the face
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  Speaker 3: of a storm. Let's pray together. Dear God, we ask
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  Speaker 3: that you give us a loving heart for people who
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  Speaker 3: do not know you. May we be faithful and fervent
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  Speaker 3: in our desire to tell others who Jesus is and
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  Speaker 3: how he has changed our lives. We thank you for
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  Speaker 3: the Apostle Paul, for the testimony of his faith that
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  Speaker 3: changed the world. And God, even in chains and circumstances
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  Speaker 3: that are adverse, May we always be courageous and full
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  Speaker 3: of character as we share the love of Jesus. Amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
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