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

Transcript

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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And Paul said, I would to God
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: that not only thou, but also all that hear me
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am,
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: except these bonds. Acts 26.29. Dear Lord, as I study
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: the life of Paul in Acts 24-26, I am reminded
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: that through his life, He teaches me about the power
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: of vision. Through your vision for my life, God, I
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: see that vision allows me to see myself. It allows
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: me to see things not as they are, but as
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: I am. I thank you that vision allows me to
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: see others and moves me in a compelling way to act.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: Through your vision, God, you've strengthened me. and enabled me
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: to continue despite struggle and lack of resources. I thank
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: you through your vision that you've given me. You are
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: stretching me and giving me conviction to stand and to
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: speak with confidence and to give me the compassion to
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: share with others. However, through your vision, it shows me
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: that as I move in compliant obedience, my vision will
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: motivate me to act, which will ultimately bring fulfillment to
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: my life. In all of these things, I remain grateful
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: that you sent men like Paul before me to help
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: guide me to the best days of my life. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: Paul on Trial In our last story, Paul was saved
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: from certain death by the judge of Jerusalem. The Jews
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: spat and spited Paul, planning to take his life. Yet
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: Paul remained protected by God through the Roman legal system.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: Now Paul is brought to the governor Felix for trial. However,
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: the Jews are continuing to plot against him. So Paul
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: declares his right as a Roman citizen to be taken
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: before Caesar, inspired by the book of Acts.
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. But before we begin, I want
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: to let you know about a unique e-book That's yours
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: to download absolutely free today. It's called Breaking Free from Stress.
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: And my prayer is that it will help you conquer
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: the daily tasks and pressures and burdens that bring stress
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: in your life. Download your free copy of Breaking Free
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: from Stress today by visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: slash stress. In our previous time together, we heard how
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: Paul appeared before the leaders in Jerusalem, and how they
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: did not want to hear him speak. Paul used their
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: own lack of unity against them and frustrated their attempts
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: to have him condemned. Ultimately, Paul was sent away to
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: Caesarea to stand trial before Felix the governor. God was working,
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: even through the opposition, to accomplish his purposes in Paul's
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: ministry and in the advancement of the gospel, the kingdom
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: of God. Today we'll hear as Paul stands trial before Felix,
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: the Roman governor of the region. Though the leaders in
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: Jerusalem were frustrated in their attempts to silence and even
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: kill Paul, they will not relent and will continue to
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: oppose Paul and bring false accusations against him before this governor.
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: We'll hear as Paul remains bold, calm, cool, and collected
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: and continues to use his rights as a Roman citizen,
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: even the right to be tried by the supreme Roman ruler.
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: Let's listen now to this reading from the book of Acts.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: It was evening, and the hall of Felix the governor
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: was dimly lit by torches and lanterns. The governor sat
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: at his throne-like desk, listening intently to the Jewish testimony.
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: Paul remained silent as the Jews testified against him. His
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: knee was throbbing, and his eyesight was leaving him due
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: to all the beatings. Even in his broken state, Paul
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: stood tall with the confidence of Christ. He knew that
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: he should not stoop to their level. He would not curse, interrupt,
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: or lie. He would tell the truth at all costs,
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: and he would love his enemies best he could. Ananias,
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: the high priest, stood forward and bowed to Felix. We
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: have enjoyed much peace under your leadership, O great Felix.
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: The reforms you have made for this nation have brought
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: about a new age of prosperity, Ananias said. His demeanor
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: was that of a humble priest and a man of peace.
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: He played the part like an actor on stage. We
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: do not want to take up any more of your time.
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: We beg your kindness as you consider our case. This
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: man Paul has been a plague to our people. He
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: stirs up riots among the Jews and is the ringleader
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: to a rebel group known as the Christians. He was
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: trying to profane the temple when we seized him. After
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: Ananias made his case, he bowed and stepped back. Felix's
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: face was impassive. He did not smile, frown, or show
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: any sort of bias. He simply nodded towards Paul to
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: give his defense. Paul stood upright and smiled. You have
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: been a judge over this nation for many years, Lord Felix.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: I cheerfully make my defense knowing you are a rational man.
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: You yourself can verify that I was in Jerusalem for
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: twelve days before I was detained. During that time there
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: was no stirring or violence. They are accusing me because
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: of my choice to follow the way, the Christ. Yet
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: I still worship the God of our fathers. I believe
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: all that was written down in the law and prophets.
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: I have a clear conscience before God and man. In fact,
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: when these men took me and beat me, I was
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: in the temple finishing the purification ceremony. There was no
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: violence on my part, only the mob that beat me
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: endlessly until the judge rescued me. Paul finished, pleased with
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: his statement. He had studied the art of law when
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: he was a Pharisee, so he knew that they could
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: not punish him. However, they could keep him captive. So
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: Paul waited for Felix's response. Felix rose up from his
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: seat and walked towards the door. When Lysias the judge
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: comes down, I will decide your case. Until then, Paul
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: will be kept under house arrest with the centurion. I
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: will allow you to be cared for by your loved
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: ones and to write to them. But make no mistake,
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: you are my prisoner and I will not hesitate to
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: judge you. So Felix left. and Paul was chained to
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: a centurion for weeks. It was during this time that
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: Paul wrote many letters to the churches he started. Inspired
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: by the Holy Spirit, he wrote prayers and points of
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: wisdom for each church to live by. Occasionally, Felix would
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: invite Paul to dine with him and his wife. His
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: wife was a Jew and curious about the way of Jesus.
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: Felix would listen and ask questions. Two years under Felix
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: had passed, and he was eventually replaced by Festus, Paul's
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: body had begun to heal, but his eyesight had left
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: him dependent on the centurion who held him. Paul stumbled
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: into the courtroom of Festus, meeting him for the first time.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: Festus was a fat and greedy man. He did not
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: hold the same nobility and respect as Felix. He had
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: been bribed by the Jews to send him back to Jerusalem,
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: and he fully planned on doing so. Paul sensed this
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: and did the only thing he knew to do. If
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: I have done something worth killing me for, then strike
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: me down now. I do not fear death, but if
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: I am innocent, then I have been terribly mistreated as
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: a Roman citizen. Paul looked Festus intensely in the eyes
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: and said, This has gone on long enough. I appeal
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: to Caesar. Every person in the room gasped at Paul's statement.
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: The council of judges stood there in the room mumbling
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: to themselves. Festus, growing uncomfortable with Paul's confidence, rose to
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: his feet and said, To Caesar you have appealed. To
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: Caesar you will go. King Agrippa was already scheduled to
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: visit Festus in a few weeks, so Paul waited until then.
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: He waited and prayed, for he was about to speak
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: before the most powerful man in the world. Paul could
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: hear the trumpets from inside his room. Cheers and music
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: echoed throughout the entire city. Paul looked out his window
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: to see a great procession of soldiers marching through the streets.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: Their armor glistened in the sun and reflected back in
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: a thousand different directions. Centurions on pure white horses pranced
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: around the streets, making way for the king. Paul's eyesight
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: was poor, but there was no mistaking who he saw next.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: There was a man at the center of it all.
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: A man standing with regality and pomp. King Herod Agrippa.
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: A man who had a direct relationship with Caesar himself.
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: Paul was shoved into the halls where Agrippa stood. He
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: stood with an intense amount of power. Festus spoke, saying,
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: Before I send this man to Caesar, I must know
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: beyond any doubt that his case is worth his hearing.
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: That is why I have asked you, Agrippa, to hear
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: this man and give wisdom. Agrippa looked down at Paul
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: his face was impassive and gave nothing away Paul felt
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: his stomach tighten but he held his head high Agrippa
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: nodded towards Paul and said you may speak Paul stretched
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: out his hands he knew that only God could perfectly
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: judge him so he stood with confidence, knowing that the
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: Maker of heaven and earth stood behind him. He made
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: his defense, saying, My whole youth was spent among the
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: people in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time.
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: I lived among them as a Pharisee. I myself was
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was a plague and a
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: stink to our religion. I locked up his followers and
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: played a role in their death. I was wrong. Paul
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: paused for a moment. doing his best to hold back
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: the choking sensation of oncoming tears. He cleared his throat
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: and looked up to Agrippa with watery eyes. I was
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: met by Christ, and have now dedicated my life to
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: seeing all people, Jews and Gentiles, come to know the
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: love of God and the resurrection from the dead. Festus
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: interrupted Paul with a loud voice, saying, Are you mad?
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: Stop speaking nonsense to the king. You know I am
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: not out of my mind, Paul retorted. He nodded to
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: King Agrippa. My king, I know these things have not
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: escaped your eyes. You have seen great things done by Jesus' followers.
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: I know you believe. Agrippa gave a short smile. In
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: such a short time, you nearly persuade me to be
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: a Christian. He responded with a playful voice. Paul bowed
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: his head and grinned. The king stepped down from his
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: platform and began to exit. This man has done nothing
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: to deserve death or imprisonment. In fact, if he did
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: not appeal to Caesar, I would just let him go.
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: But since he has appealed to our emperor, he must
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: go to Rome. So Agrippa left and Paul was bound
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: in chains to sail off to Rome. In all this chaos,
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: God was on the move. The God of all nations
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: was going to be presented before the most powerful man
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: in the known world. The gospel was going to be
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: spoken to Caesar.
• 12:14
  Speaker 3: In today's scripture, Paul had journeyed with Roman protection to
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: the city of Caesarea, where he would stand trial before
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: Felix the governor. He had narrowly escaped death at the
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: hands of the Jews there, but his troubles were far
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: from over. The Jewish leaders had come too, ready to
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: stomp out this man whom they hated so much. They'd
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: even employed a lawyer named Tertullius to bring their case
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: against Paul. Of course, they did not have a real case,
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: so they resorted to flattery and falsehoods. They began by
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: stating how grateful they were to Felix for all that
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: he had done for the nation, the nation of Israel.
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: They knew he didn't really have time for this trivial matter,
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: so they hoped this would be resolved quickly. Then came
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: the lies. Supported by the testimony of the Jewish leaders,
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: Tertullius argued that Paul was a plague who stirred up
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: riots among the Jews throughout the world. He was nothing
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: more than a troublemaker. And on top of that, they
• 13:12
  Speaker 3: accused him of profaning their temple. This was said so
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: that Felix would just hand Paul back over to them
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: to be tried in Jerusalem, where they were certain to
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: condemn Paul to death. Paul stood and listened patiently. When
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: it was his time to speak, he calmly and plainly
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: made his defense. He knew that Felix was fair and
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: a reasonable man and a very powerful one. He spoke
• 13:38
  Speaker 3: truthfully and candidly. demonstrating how the claims against him could
• 13:42
  Speaker 3: not be true. He did not deny being a follower
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: of Jesus, the way, as he referred to Christians at
• 13:49
  Speaker 3: that time. Instead, he gave his confession as a follower
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: of Jesus, a worshiper of God, who sought to live
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: with a clear conscience before God and man. Paul concluded
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: with a restatement of his hope in the resurrection of
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: the dead, then waited for Felix to respond. We discover
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: that Felix was not ready to rule yet. but Paul
• 14:10
  Speaker 3: was not going to rot in a prison cell either.
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: He would be under house arrest. During this time, Paul
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: was able to share the gospel with many, including Felix
• 14:20
  Speaker 3: and his wife, Drusilla. For two years, Paul awaited a
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: decision from Felix. We're told that Felix was really hoping
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: for a bribe from Paul, one that never came. But
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: in those two years, Paul wrote letters to the churches
• 14:35
  Speaker 3: that he had planted throughout Asia, and he continued to
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: share Christ with all who would listen. Surely these weren't
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: the circumstances Paul had imagined when the Lord told him
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: that he would take his witness to Rome. Yet he persevered,
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: even in chains. It is a reminder that our circumstances
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: should not determine our convictions. Rather, our convictions should carry
• 14:58
  Speaker 3: us through our circumstances with faith and courage. And there
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: were still some twists and turns ahead. As we heard,
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: Felix was eventually replaced by Festus, a much less sympathetic governor.
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: He was paid off by the Jews and was about
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: to send Paul back to Jerusalem when Paul pulled out
• 15:17
  Speaker 3: his trump card and appealed to Caesar. Festus had no
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: choice and told him that if he wanted to go
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: to Caesar, that's where he would go. But first, Paul
• 15:27
  Speaker 3: would have to appear before Herod Agrippa, the Jewish king
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: of Judea. who was soon to visit Festus in Caesarea.
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: As he stood before Agrippa, we heard a beautiful testimony
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: from Paul. He laid out his story, how he had
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: been a devout Jew who had once opposed Jesus, but
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: God appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Paul
• 15:46
  Speaker 3: shared the gospel powerfully before the king, and his words
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: had a great impact. Agrippa could feel the passion in
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: Paul's words, the persuasion in Paul's life. And he asked
• 15:59
  Speaker 3: if he thought in such a short time that he
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: could convince him, persuade him to become a Christian. Paul's
• 16:05
  Speaker 3: response revealed his heart for his Jewish brethren. We find
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: it in Acts 26, 29. Whether short or long, I
• 16:13
  Speaker 3: would to God that not only you, but also all
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: who hear me this day might become such as I am,
• 16:20
  Speaker 3: except for these chains. Agrippa was ready to rule. Paul
• 16:25
  Speaker 3: had done nothing to deserve the chains he wore and
• 16:27
  Speaker 3: certainly not death. If it were up to him, he
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: would release Paul then and there. But Paul had appealed
• 16:34
  Speaker 3: to Caesar and that is where he would go. Though
• 16:37
  Speaker 3: God could have spared Paul this long and arduous voyage
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: and journey ahead as he traveled to Rome, God had
• 16:45
  Speaker 3: a purpose in mind even in all of this pain.
• 16:48
  Speaker 3: Paul understood that and willingly submitted, joyfully carrying the message
• 16:53
  Speaker 3: of Jesus and his salvation along the way. The next time,
• 16:57
  Speaker 3: We'll hear how his journey continues right into the face
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: of a storm. Let's pray together. Dear God, we ask
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: that you give us a loving heart for people who
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: do not know you. May we be faithful and fervent
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: in our desire to tell others who Jesus is and
• 17:14
  Speaker 3: how he has changed our lives. We thank you for
• 17:18
  Speaker 3: the Apostle Paul, for the testimony of his faith that
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: changed the world. And God, even in chains and circumstances
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: that are adverse, May we always be courageous and full
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: of character as we share the love of Jesus. Amen.
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 17:39
  Speaker 3: Before we go, I want to let you know about
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: a unique e-book that's yours to download absolutely free today.
• 17:46
  Speaker 3: It's called Breaking Free from Stress. And my prayer is
• 17:50
  Speaker 3: that it will help you conquer the daily tasks and
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: pressures and burdens that bring stress into your life. Download
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: your free copy of Breaking Free from Stress today by
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org slash stress.