Shabbat Shalom everyone. We are going to continue in a study of the book of Acts, Maasei Shlichim. So we today are going to turn to Acts chapter 24, please. I'm going to read a whole chapter because in Acts chapter 24, we have the Apostle Paul, Shaul, testifying before Felix, the governor of the province of Judea. And the whole chapter is being devoted to the accusation concerning Paul and the testifying, the defense of Paul before Felix, the governor in the city of Caesarea. So let's read together this chapter. Please follow me, chapter 24 and verse 1. And after five days, Hananiah, the high priest, descended with the elders and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence. We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Notwithstanding that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldst hear us of thy clemency a few words for we have found this man a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarene who also has gone about to profane the temple whom we took and would have judged according to our law but the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, commending his accusers to come unto thee, by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him.

And the Jews also ascended, saying that these things were so. Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, For as much as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself. Because the Dhammas understand that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship, and they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogue nor in the city, neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets, and have hope towards God which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense towards God and toward men. Now, after many years, I came to bring alms to my nation and offerings, whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purifying the temple, Neither with multitude nor with tumult, who ought to have been here before thee, and object if they had ought against me. Or else let these same hearsay if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council. Except it be for this one voice that I cried standing among them touching the resurrection of the dead. I am called in question by you this day.

And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them and said, When Lysias, the chief captain, shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Messiah. And as he risen of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might lose him, wherefore he sent for him the oftener and communed with him. But after two years, Porceus Festius came into Felix's room, and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. And this is the end of Acts chapter 24. Very interesting chapter, brothers and sisters, because in this chapter we really see how a man by the name of Paul is standing before a governor and being accused by his very own people whom he loved dearly so much. And how he stood and faithfully gave the message of the gospel of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah without beating around the bush without playing games without any carelessness he simply presented the person and the work of Yeshua the Messiah before this governor by the name of felix now to remind you that in the chapter 21 when Shaul Paul went to Jerusalem to meet his brethren the Jewish believers in the city he came to give alms for the poor of the nation he had gone into the temple and he had a vow and at the end of the day when he concluded the vow and concluded the time of this promise to God he ended up being captured by the Jewish people that came from Asia the Jewish people who we call the people of the diaspora, who aroused the whole nation, aroused the whole city, aroused the whole temple against them, which was necessary for the chief captain of the Romans, who was responsible over the Temple Mount area, to bring him out because.

They wanted to kill him. And as he was brought out, he went into the castle, Antonia Fortress, and he was kept there for a while. And then you remember his nephew, this is his sister's son, heard that there were 40 individuals who made a vow that they are not going to eat anything until Paul is being killed. And so he came into the Antonia fortress and he spoke to the chief captain and he told the chief captain, Paul is going to be killed if you will bring him into the center there where the Sanhedrin is gathered because there were people who were planning to kill Paul and therefore the chief captain took 470 soldiers and by night he took the apostle Paul and he took him all the way to the city of Caesarea in Hebrew we call it Caesarea 65 miles through the night and the next day until they have arrived to the city of Caesarea and there at the end of chapter 23 he came before this Roman governor by the name of Felix and if you remember we concluded at the end of chapter 23 that Felix said to Paul I will hear thee at the end of chapter 23 verse 35 when your accusers will also come and he commended that Paul will be kept in Herod palace in Herod judgment hall and here Paul here Shaul this servant of Yeshua the Messiah.

Is kept in Caesarea Caesarea which was a beautiful city there on the shores of the Mediterranean and he was kept there until those who were his accusers will come from Jerusalem to accuse him before the governor Felix. Now this governor apparently he was the one that was governor of the Roman province of Judea. One of the provinces of the Roman Empire was Judea and he was a governor of this province. Apparently he was a successor of Pontius Pilate. And he was there now as a governor. He had a lot of authority, but he was not a right man. He was a wicked man. Actually, he had three wives.

And the third wife that he had was a young Jewish woman that her name was Drusilla in Acts chapter 24, verse 24. And she was a Jewish young woman. She actually belonged to somebody else, and he took her. And he ends up right now to be the governor, to judge Paul, and to condemn him, and ultimately to execute him. But we see right now in the 24th chapter, in those 27 verses, three things that we see and we learn from this chapter. The first thing, we learn that there were those who accused him in verses 1 to 9, there was an accusation against Paul before Felix. Secondly, we learn here in this chapter, in verses 10 to 21, that Paul defended himself and he answered to the accusers before the governor, Felix.

And finally, in verse 22 to verse 27, we hear and we see the response of Felix to Paul's defense. So what we really see here, caught in session, accusers coming to accuse a man who were innocent, who didn't have anything that they could accuse him of, and we can see this false accusation against a servant of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. This kind of a thing, beloved brothers and sisters, have occurred many, many times in church history. Many, many times they accused the people of God. Actually, it even happened before. You remember when the Jewish boys, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, he himself and his friends were accused by the Babylonians, those who hated them, and they accused him before King Nebuchadnezzar.

And it happened in the history of Israel and it happened in church history where there is false accusation against the people of God and the servants of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. So let's follow through verse by verse as we discuss this passage. Very interesting passage here. The first thing we find out in verse 1, that even the high priest, Hanania, he was so offended by the testimony of Shaul Paul that he himself came from Yerushalayim to Kessariah. It says in verse 1, After five days, Hananiah, in English Ananias, in Hebrew, Hananiah, the high priest, he descended with the elders and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

You know what Hananiah did? He was not right in his behavior. He did not accept Yeshua the Messiah, but now he's finding fault in other Jewish people who became believers in Yeshua the Messiah. What does he do? He himself in person leave the city of Jerusalem, coming all the way to Qasariah after those five days that the Apostle Paul remained in Herod's judgment hall in Qasariah, and he is coming down with some of his elders, but then he brings a person that he called here orator by the name of tertullus you know the word orator simply means a person who is a public speaker he can speak very well he may have been a lawyer who is able to speak very well and he's able to accuse Paul Shaul before felix so what does he do he come himself hananiah he bring with him some of the elders and this person that we do not really know much about he may not be even part of the nation he may not be even Jewish but the point is he was oroto his name was tertullus and he was capable to accuse somebody he knew how to talk he knew how to say things against the apostle Paul now you notice that the word here in verse 1 so descended descended mean going down.

Every time you leave the city of Jerusalem you're going down every time you go up into the city of Jerusalem you're going up even geographically it is very important to see when we go to Jerusalem we always go up when we come out of Jerusalem we're always going down it is interesting by the way if you turn to chapter 25 and verse 1 you find that a man by the name of festius we're going to talk about him he ascended from kesaria to Jerusalem see he go up to Jerusalem from kesaria in chapter 24 verse 1 Hanania going down from Jerusalem to the city of Caesarea and so he bring with him this orator by the name of Tertullus who informed the governor against Paul he probably planned it together they were probably saying okay we have some time we're going to get to Caesarea we're going to stand before Felix we have to find a way in which we can accuse this man by the name of Paul Shaul and ultimately get him condemned so in verses two to four look at.

This orator how he's capable to flatter Felix he began by flattery you know everything is like that you want to get somebody buttered up you want to speak to somebody and get him on your side you start to speak some nice thing about him and look what he's saying in verse 2 3 and 4 and when he was called forth Tertullus began to accuse him and he said seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness and that every worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence we accepted always and in all places most noble Felix with all thankfulness notwithstanding that I be not further tedious unto thee I pray thee that thou would hear us of thy clemency a few words you know he began by buttering him up it's like giving flattery and just kind of talk to make him feel very important and to say nice things about this man felix was not a nice man actually through felix there was a lot of conflict between the Jewish community and the governor of the Roman.

Province of judea there are many things that happened historically that we cannot just share them now but there are many things that happened because of this man by the name of felix he ultimately took a wife a young Jewish woman and end up really causing a lot of problems to the people of Israel to the Jewish community and yet this man this orator public speaker is buttering up he flattering felix in order to get his side against Paul now there is a verse that king Shlomo the melech Israel the king of Israel by the name of Solomon in the Proverbs he said these words a lying tongue haters those that are afflicted by it and listen to the second half of this verse 28 of Proverbs 26 and a flattering mouth works ruin in other words if you just give somebody and flatter him especially when he does not deserve this flattering you actually working out ruin it's ultimately going to work against him and against yourself and so.

King Solomon was wise in saying these statements in the book of Proverbs but we can see that this orator by the name of Tertullus was first of all giving a lot of flattery words to Felix in order to get him on his side on the side of those who accuse Paul and so in verses five and six here is the charges concerning Paul by Tertullus in verses five and six notice he says four things against Paul first of all he says for we have found this man a pestilent fellow in other words a fellow who is plagued with something you know we find this man he's really a man that is plagued with something big trouble he's a troubled man the second thing he said here in verse 5 he was a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world here's this man first of all he's a pestilent a plagued fellow secondly he's a mover of sedition you know there are those that we call them sometimes movers and shakers they're the ones that are moving things about they are leading and.

They are the one who are moving things around to cause things to happen so he's blaming Paul and accusing him that he's seducing the Jewish people among all the Jews throughout the world he's accusing Paul that he's the one who causing and seducing people the Jewish community around the world and you can understand why they say that because whenever Shaul Paul went in Asia Minor to preach the message of the messiahship of Yeshua ultimately it produced reaction and those who rejected the message of the gospel ultimately ended up causing a lot of problems and so on and so they're accusing him to be the one that is a mover of sedition among all the Jewish people throughout the world thirdly look at the third accusation they call him in verse 5b a ring leader of the sect of the nazarene in Hebrew we call the word not same he is a ring leader of the sect of the nazarenes this is one of the only time you hear the word nazarenes in plural.

In Hebrew we call them notzrim and notzrim mean those who are the followers of Yeshua from Nazareth and they are called notzrim now this is of important most of us do not know Hebrew and most of us did not live in the land of Israel but I want to say something that you will understand and i hope you will you see every time a Jewish person became in Israel a believer of Yeshua the Messiah because the religious community did not accept that Yeshua was a so they did not call them but they called them in other words instead of calling them follower of the Mashiach they call them followers of the men from Nazareth not slim why because if they will call them that means that they will have to accept the fact that Yeshua is the Mashiach and they are followers of the Messiah but because they do not accept that Yeshua is the Mashiach So they don't call them Meshichim, they call them Notzrim, meaning that they are followers of the men of Nazareth.

Now that is interesting because even today, beloved brothers and sisters, and you will call to Israel, you will walk in the city of Jerusalem today, and you will tell somebody, you know, I believe that Jesus, that Yeshua is the Messiah. So they say, ah, you became Natsri. In other words, you became a follower of the men of Natsal. They will not call them, you became a Meshichi, Messianic, because they don't believe that Yeshua is the Messiah. But the believers themselves call themselves Messiah followers or Meshichim. We don't call ourselves Natsrim. We call ourselves Meshichim because we believe that he is the Messiah. We understand that he redeemed us and paid the price for our sins.

But the not-believers Jewish community do not call the Jewish believers Meshichim, but they call them Natsrim, followers of the men from Nazareth. And that's why you use the word here Nazarenes in plural. Nazarenes plural, there are many who followed the men from Nazareth. I want you just to see a couple of things in order to make a connection here with this accusation if you first of all turn with me to Isaiah 11 just for a moment in verse 1 that's where we first have the word netzer where we get the word netzer netzer simply means a branch or a shoot Isaiah 11 verse 1 and there shall come forth a rod out of the stamp of jesse first is a rod secondly and a branch shall grow out of his roots the Hebrew word for branch here is netzer is where you get the word notsri that's where you get the word a branch or a shoot netzer it's a small thing small shoot that comes out of the roots of the family of jesse and that is one of the titles of Yeshua the Messiah he was a netzer he was a shoot he was a branch that came out of the family of yeshai the father of king David that's where you get first of all the word netzer in the.

Scripture now also please turn with me to Matthew now Matthew chapter 2 and the last verse of Matthew chapter 2 where we get this expression that the Spirit of God gives us in verse 23 and he came and he dwelt in a city called Nazareth Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets he shall be called a nazarene a notsri or a person who came from the city of Nazareth you see that's where you get this thought of nazarenes following the man who is from Nazareth Yeshua the Messiah now one more verse i would like to read in the gospel of John in connection with this and this time in chapter 1 please bear with me and it was this question that Nathanael said and you remember Nethanael he was one of those who have heard about Yeshua the Messiah look what he said in verse 46 and Nethanael said unto him can there any good thing come out of natseret philip said unto him come and see so you see when the Messiah was born he was born in.

Betlechem but where he lived he lived in a city of natseret and everyone that is living in a city of natseret called notzri notzri mean one who belonged to the city of natseret and so what happened when the Jewish people who did not accept the Messiah saw that some of their brethren became believers in Yeshua, the Messiah, they didn't want to call them Meshichim because they didn't believe that he was the Mashiach. So they called them Notzrim, Nazarenes, as we have in the text here, because they deny the fact of the Messiahship of Yeshua. So here's the accusation of Paul. The third is that he's a ringleader among the sect of the Nazarenes.

He didn't say he's a ringleader among the sects of the Meshichim, the Messianics, no, because they didn't believe that Yeshua was the Messiah. By the way, the word Messiah or Meshichi in Hebrew comes in the Greek is where you get the word Christian or Christos. And you and I call ourselves Meshichim or Christians because the Bible teaches us. In Acts 11 and verse 26, the believers who followed the Messiah were first called Messiah followers it was in antioch as we have already covered that in the earlier study of the book of Acts and so here's the accusation verse 5 you have three accusations he is a pestilent fellow he is a mover of sedition he is a ringleader of the sect of the nazarenes they called him a ringleader of that sect well he was a leader definitely and by the way they used the word sect in first century the Jewish people look at those who follow Jesus the Messiah as a sect there was a sect of the pharisees there was a sect of the sadducees there was a sect of the herodians there was a sect of the nazarenes the Messiah followers so there were many sects that existed in first century so the Jewish believers were still looked as part of the nation the sect of the nazarene and fourthly in verse 6 it says who also has gone about to profane the.

Temple in other words they call him a profaner of the temple in the city of Jerusalem it was again A false accusation that this man by the name of Tertullus accused Paul before Felix. False accusation, but every one of them without exception was wrong, and it was false accusation. So now in verse 7 and 8, Tertullus pointing to the chief captain who removed Paul from those who wanted to kill him. It says in verse 7 and 8, but the chief captain, Lysias, came upon us and with great violence took him away out of our hands, commending his accusers to come unto thee by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him.

So now they blamed the chief captain that he took them, as it says here, violently took him away from my hand. Well, they wanted to kill him and he took him away. He saved Paul's life by bringing him into the castle to protect him from those who wanted to kill the apostle Paul. And so now this lawyer, if you will, Tertullus, this orator, blaming now this chief captain Lysias that he saved the apostle Paul out of the hand maybe they could have done something to him right there and then but the chief captain had saved him from those who wanted to kill him and so those four accusations against Paul Shaul by this man the orator Tertullus which really was presented before Felix and then in verse 9 notice that now how the rest of the people who came with Tertullus they have agreed with him it says in verse 9 and the Jews also assented saying that these things were so in other words Hananiah and the rest of the elders who came they say yes all these things really happened in other words they have agreed with what this man this orator has said to the governor Felix he said yes he was guilty of all those four things now Now, you can see how the accusation against the Apostle Paul before Felix wouldn't be the hands of the Lord.

He could have been right there and then, totally removed from this world by execution, because Felix had the right to put him in judgment because of this accusation. But now, brothers and sisters, look how precious the Word of God. Here, the Apostle Paul, now defending himself before Felix. In verses 10 to verse 21, he answers to Felix, to all what he was accused. And Paul does something so much beautiful, so much different than his accusers. He doesn't paint Felix as a great man. He doesn't butter him up. He doesn't kind of give him all these flattery words, as if Felix, you are such a great man. He basically tell Felix what really had happened.

And so he began in verse 10, Paul began to speak before the governor. Paul, after that, the governor, this is Felix, had beckoned unto him to speak. He must have made a move with his hand. He said to him, you know, he probably didn't even say anything. He just told him, go ahead and speak. And he answered, he says, for as much as I know that thou has been of many years a judge unto this nation i do the more cheerfully answer for myself in other words the only good thing that he could say about felix he says felix you have been for many years a judge over this nation that's probably the only good thing that could be said about felix because he was not really a decent individual he had a lot of things that he caused to the Jewish community and the only thing that Israel could do is because they were under the hands of the Romans they had to accept it they had to submit to the authority of the Romans because the Romans were occupying the land the Jewish community were under the occupation of the Romans do you know they didn't have the liberty that they would have liked to have they didn't have the freedom that they would like to have, they couldn't express themselves, even in their own temple area they were watched by the Romans authority the Romans chief captain.

Who could see what was going on there they didn't have the freedom that they would like to have had so believe me there was not a good relationship but because they could not help it they were under the occupation of the Romans they had to submit to it and Paul he's just saying i know that you have been for many years a judge unto this nation apparently by that time he was at least five years the governor of the Roman province of Judea. Apparently, he was a commander in the Roman army previous to becoming a governor. So he knew a lot about the Jewish people, about the nation of Israel.

In fact, notice in verses 11 to 16, Paul answered the accusation of Tertullus. And he began by saying this in verse 11 he says listen i was only 12 days in the city of Jerusalem how much problems could i have make in those 12 days he says because that you may understand that there are yet but 12 days since i went up to Jerusalem for to worship here's the reason that. I came to Jerusalem governor felix i came to Jerusalem to worship i'm a Jew among my people came to the city of Jerusalem for to worship and you notice again the Apostle Paul used the word up knowing that geographically it is yes going up but it is also you can say spiritually when the presence of the Lord when you go into the presence of the Lord you're going up now mind you at that time the nation rejected the Messiah and Israel were not in a healthy spiritual state so he has a reference to physically going up to the city of Jerusalem but i went to worship just like any other Jewish person would go to worship in the temple in the city of Jerusalem and then brothers and sisters look at that he's speaking about himself Paul in a very profound way in verse 12 and 13 he said i really haven't done what i am accused of they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man neither raising up the people neither in the synagogues.

No, in the city, verse 13, neither can they prove the things whereof now they accuse me. You know, Paul used the word neither about five times here in these two verses. Neither they found me in the temple disputing, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogue, nor in the city, neither they can prove anything that they say against me. Let them prove that. They cannot prove that I have done all these things. What they say and what I have done are two different things. Brothers and sisters, look at this for a moment. How many believers have been accused of things that they have not done, but those who hated them and opposed them, and some of them even lost their lives, and they were innocent.

They haven't done anything wrong. And here Paul said, I haven't done those things. They cannot prove the things whereof they now accuse me. Shaul, Paul is saying to the governor, Felix. And notice here, the next verse, he says, now here is something that I want to confess before you, Felix. In verse 14, he confessed before him something that he can be maybe accused of. He says, by this I confess unto thee, Felix. Listen to these brothers and sisters after the way which they call heresy so worship i the God of my fathers believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets here's Paul listen if there is anything that i'm guilty of he's saying to him is i am guilty that i believe in all the things that my forefathers have taught us in the Hebrew Scriptures he used the word the law and the prophet Torah law prophets nevi'im and he says listen they can accuse me of this that i simply believe and i call a heresy because i worship the God of my fathers now you notice that Paul does not say the God of their fathers not because God is not the God of Israel's fathers yes he is but Paul never disassociated himself from Israel as a Jewish man as an israeli man as a Hebrew man he always associated himself with the nation of Israel he always did but he was misunderstood by his people and so he says listen I confess Felix.

That after the way notice this expression the way which they call heresy you know who was the first one who's talking about their way it was Yeshua in John chapter 14 and verse 6 Yeshua said to his Hebrew disciples i am the way i am the truth i am the life no one come to the father but by me i am the way to God i am the Messiah i am the Mashiach he said and so here Paul is saying listen i confess to you that i after the way they call heresy i follow after this way and then he says this is the way that I worship the God of my fathers.

And who is his fathers? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Yechezkel, Netanyahu, and Daniel, and on and on. We can go on with all the fathers of the nation of Israel who wrote in the word of God concerning the coming of the Messiah. And Shaul Paul saying, listen, I do not introduce something new. I follow. After that which the God of my fathers have shared through the law and through the prophets. And we do the same thing, beloved brothers and sisters, by believing that Yeshua is the Messiah we are actually fulfilling what God had promised in the Scripture to be a believer in Yeshua the Messiah it's not to deviate from the word of God actually it is to accept the totality of the word of God and to submit to the fact that this is indeed the word of God and so he's saying this is something that I admit in other words he admitted that he's a believer in Yeshua the Messiah their way their truth and the life and so he continues in verse 15 and he says i have the hope of the resurrection which our forefathers were teaching about the resurrection of the Messiah and the resurrection of the just and the unjust that's what he says in verse 15 he says i have the hope toward God notice that which they themselves also allow that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and of the unjust and he is of.

Course pointing that they is not the Sadducees that's Dukim because that's Dukim the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection but it was the Pharisees who did and the rest of the sects among our people Israel they believe that there is a resurrection and where did they come to an understanding that there is a resurrection they must have read Isaiah chapter 26 they must have read Daniel chapter 12 which we just read in the text of our reading there is a day coming that there is a resurrection of the just and the unjust and i want to read to you Daniel chapter 12 and verses 1 and 2 where God spoke to Daniel and he said to him we read here in this chapter 12 and verse 1 look what it says and at that time shall michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of Israel the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble he's talking about the tribulation period such as never was since there was a nation even to that.

Same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered everyone that shall be found written in the book and then he says and many of them that sleep these are people who died in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt in other words there is that two resurrection the resurrection of the ones who believed in God and the resurrection of the one who did not believe in God some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt and judgment and Paul believed in that he believed in the resurrection and the sadducees didn't and by the way hanania the high priest he was a sadducee He was tzaddik, or tzaddik.

He did not accept the resurrection. And when Paul stood for that, and shared it, and believed in that, and professed it, and preached that, Hananiah didn't like it. And those Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection actually sought to oppose Paul because of his faith. And so, we have here Paul defending himself and he answering to those who accuse him, and especially the accusation of Tertullus, the orator. In verse 15, he says, I have to hope towards God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. And brothers and sisters let's not make a mistake it's some believe about the resurrection but they believe that everyone going to rise at the same time some believe all sort of things concerning the resurrection but the Bible is clearly teach us that we have the first resurrection which is a resurrection of believers only and even those believers there are stages of the first resurrection and then we have the second resurrection and this is the resurrection of the unbelievers there is at least a thousand years different between the one and the others the first resurrection has to do with the resurrection of the believers the dead in the Messiah shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught to meet the Lord in the air that's going to happen at the end of the church age but then we have the resurrection of the unbelievers and they will rise at the end of the millennial age the kingdom age only to be cast into the lake of fire spirit soul and the resurrected body all together to be cast into.

The lake of fire that's why he's speaking here the resurrection both of the just this is the believers and the unjust this is the unbelievers and so after he finished here in verse 16 Paul says and herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense towards God and towards men Paul says I exercise myself to have a clean conscience a conscience that is void of offense i did not want to offend them i love my brother and Paul is really saying to felix but they were offended because i believe in those things but they do not believe this is what our forefathers have taught us in the word of God but they rejected i do not want to offend them i exercise myself i work hard and not offending my brother and my people But they became offended because they have rejected what God had spoken in his word.

So, in verses 11 to 16, Paul answered to the accusation of Tertullus. And he ended up with this. And now he's giving an answer in verses 17 to 19 to those who accuse him who came from Asia Minor. These are the Jewish people of the diaspora. By the way, they were not here before. Felix they were not there to accuse him they have probably finished the time in the temple gone back to Asia Minor did not even come to kesaria to accuse him but they were the ones that caused all this riot to happen and so Paul in verse 17 18 and 19 he's answering to the accusation of those from Asia Minor he says now after many years i came to bring arms to my nation and offerings whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purifying in the temple neither with multitude nor with tumult who ought to have been here before thee and object if they have ought against me in other words those Jewish people from the diaspora who came to the temple act chapter 21 we read of them in verse 26 to 31 who caused all the problems in the temple they were not there and they were the ones who caused all the problems but they finished their time in the temple in Israel in Jerusalem they went back to Asia mino and they are the one now.

That because of them Paul find himself in kesiah before felix and so Paul is saying listen i came notice how beautiful the apostle Paul here doing he said in verse 17 after many years i came to bring arms to my nation notice again how he again and again emphasized my forefathers he says earlier now he says my nations the God of my fathers he never said the God who used to be my God because he believed in the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Israel was his nation and if you remember in this verse 17 the alms was really to be brought to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem but he calls it my nation in other words when he was coming to bring those gifts perhaps some money perhaps something from the Gentiles believers in Asia Minor who gave those gifts he was actually carrying those gifts to bring to the Jewish believers in the city of Jerusalem in Judea so he's saying here after many years I've been away for a while I've been there.

In Asia Minor I came now to bring those alms to my nation and offerings that's why I came and then certain of the Jewish people from Asia found me purifying in the temple and then they didn't see me with multitude or with tumult and then where are they now? Where are they that accuse me? They're supposed to be here now to accuse me. They are not even here. See, he was telling, you have to understand the people who accuse me are not even really here. The one who called all these riots, they are not even here. They caused the problem, went back to Asia Minor and left Paul with all this trouble that he had to go through.

And others took the ball, if it will, and continue to accuse him. So he's answering to the accusation of those from Asia Minor who accuse him in verse 17, 18, and 19. Always looking at himself as part of the nation of Israel. After many years I came to bring arms to my nation. Now, finally, in his defense, before Felix, in verse 20 and 21, Paul answered to the accusation of those who were right there present, because there were some who came, Hanania was one of them, Elders was there, and this, of course, Tertullus, he was there as well, and here he's answering them in verse 20 and 21. First of all in verse 20 he says i want to know what these here can accuse me of he said or else let these another one the one that are there that i hear say if they have found any evil doing in me while i stood before the council he says what they can accuse me when i stood before the council and i shared before the sanhedrin concerning the messiahship of Yeshua what they can accuse me what have i done wrong and then in verse 21 he says there's only one thing if they want to accuse me those that i hear right now hanania the high priest the elders here is one thing that they can accuse me of verse 21 except it be for this one voice that i cried when i was standing among them touching the resurrection of the dead i am called in question by you this day.

Felix, you see what I'm accused of? I'm accused by them today touching the resurrection of the dead. They accuse me because I believe in the resurrection. And I admit it, he really say, I believe in the resurrection, Felix. And we know very well why he believes in the resurrection of the dead because he believed the word of God, the God of my fathers, whose words are written in the law and in the prophets. And I tell you, brothers and sisters, it is the very same accusation that our Jewish brethren who believe in Yeshua today in the land of Israel, accused by our own brethren who do not yet believe in Yeshua.

The same thing. Because they believe in this Yeshua from Nazareth. Because they believe that he is the Messiah. Because they believe in the resurrection. They're accused by others. How could you believe in this thing? But it's in the Bible. What do you want me to do? Not to believe in the word of God? You see, that's the struggle, the conflict that's existing today. Even among us, Messianic believers and non-Messianic Jewish people, we are having that conflict concerning the person and the work of Yeshua the Messiah. Now, let's conclude with this interesting account in verse 22 to 27 of this chapter. The last verses here, we see the response of Felix.

See, Paul was faithful to the word of God. He said, I believe in Yeshua. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He died, he was buried, and he rose from among the dead. Basically, he was telling him the gospel message, even though we don't see it in very much detail, but he was definitely speaking about the resurrection of the Messiah, Yeshua. And so Felix now, apparently, he was convicted. But you see, it's not enough to be convicted. It's one thing to be convicted and accept the Messiah. It's another thing to be convicted and reject the Messiah. That is exactly where people have to make a decision today.

When they hear the message of the gospel and they are convicted, they either accept it or reject it. I'm sure you heard the expression that the same sun that melts the wax harden the clay. The same message that soften our hearts and bring us to the knowledge of the Messiah. It's the same message that harden us or we are hardened towards it. And we end up getting further and further from the word of God. And here we see Felix who was convicted and yet delayed his acceptance of Yeshua the Messiah. So you see in verse 22 and 23 we find how he was convicted but he delayed his decision it says in verse 22 when Felix heard these things having more perfect knowledge of that way he deferred them and he said when Lysias the chief captain shall come down I will know the uttermost of your matter and he commanded a centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him so we find out first of all what felix did he was convicted and he knew the truth and because it says he heard these things from Paul about the resurrection and the resurrection of the Messiah and then he had more perfect knowledge of that way in other words he knew because he was a governor for over five years and he was a commander of some of the military in judea he knew about that way he have already heard about these Jewish believers who believed in the men from Nazareth that he was the Mashiach he knew he was.

Acquainted with that he was convicted he knew the truth but instead of accepting the truth look what he said he deferred them he says you know what when Lysias the chief captain shall come down then will I hear a little bit more of you he said to Paul and you know how many people today they hear the message of the gospel and they say you know what it's not the time right now for me i'm kind of busy i don't have a lot of time to spend with you i don't have a lot of time to hear what you have to say say you know what we'll talk about it later we defer that and we say you know later on later when the chief captain gonna come then i'm gonna hear a little bit more about what you have to say Paul he was convicted and then you see notice that in verse 23 he knew very well that Paul was not guilty because he should have maybe right now.

Maybe pronounced judgment on him but you notice what he does with Paul it says that he commended verse 23 the centurion to keep Paul in other words he locked him but look how he locked him and he led him to have liberty that he should not forbid none of his acquaintance to minister and to come to him now remember where Paul was he was Paul was now in the judgment hall in the palace of herod in kesaria in other words he put Paul in the palace there and he kept him for a little longer but he says you know what Paul you can have visitors people can come to see you to minister to you can have plenty of food plenty of liberty because he knew that Paul was not guilty he knew that he could not accuse Paul and ultimately judge him and condemn him to be killed he knew that he was convicted but he says you know what Felix said to Paul he said listen I will know more about what you have to say about this resurrection and the resurrected one.

A little bit later on he says we will wait let's leave it a little bit for later on like we also when we tell somebody about Yeshua I said you know what brother Gideon I'll talk to you about this later on I don't have the time for this right now you see there's time for so many things but no time to hear about the lover of our souls you know last night I was so happy with the discussion that we have at the home there was a young lady who came to hear us talking about the Lord and you know what we talked about we talked about what will you do when you're going to have to end up your life here and you have to stand before God do you know where you're going to spend eternity there is one appointment that none of us will miss and this is an appointment with death it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment and people try to delay it and to say we'll talk about God and my eternal soul.

Later on you know we will talk about it a bit later on and time comes when they haven't made a decision for Yeshua and their sins haven't been dealt with and they're going to end up where the Lord going to tell to them depart from me ye workers of iniquities you rejected the Messiah in your lifetime you will eternally suffer distance from him and that's why it is important for us to deal with the question of our relationship with the Lord here and now and not to defer it and to delay it like felix did and look what he's did even more and i'm going to conclude with this in verse 24 25 and 26 here is felix's second visit with Paul he now called him in verse 24 felix wanted to hear from Paul about the Messiah look at this and after certain days When Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewish woman, he sent for Paul, and listen, and hear him concerning the faith in Mashiach, in Christ, in Christos, in the Messiah.

You see, that apparently what Paul said about the resurrection to Felix, he knew very well that it is connected with the Messiah, Yeshua. So after a few days, he's coming with his wife. This is, by the way, his third wife. And he's coming to Kessaria and he's calling for Paul. He's calling to have a visit with Paul. He sent Paul to come to him because he wants to hear about Paul's faith in the Messiah. What an opportunity Paul had. What an opportunity Felix had to hear now about the Messiah from Paul and to accept him and to embrace him and to make him the Lord of his life but look what he did look what we read in verse 25 Paul preached to felix about the truth of the gospel it says verse 25 and as he reasoned of righteousness and temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled and he answered go thy way for this time when I have convenient season I will call for thee you see Paul came to him Paul did not beat around the bush Paul spoke honestly I believe graciously and fairly and he spoke to him about three things he said to Felix he spoke to him about righteousness he spoke to him about temperance mean simply means self-control and he spoke to him about judgment Felix was an unrighteous man Felix did not have self-control and Felix was awaiting judgment of God And he didn't like to hear that.

He didn't like to hear about that. So you see, when Paul spoke to him, by the way, he was not temperance, he was not self-controlled by the very fact that he took somebody else's wife and make her his own. But he's done so many other things, did not have self-control. Like we don't have self-control at the time, we fail the Lord so much. He did not have righteous life at all. He was unrighteous man. And the only thing that is left for him was judgment, but he refused to accept the judgment that the Messiah took, Yeshua, when he was judge for us, so we do not receive the judgment that we deserve to get, and so Felix said to him, he trembled, by the way, he trembled, he was afraid, he was afraid, But again, brothers and sisters, you know, trembling should drive us to the Lord, should drive us to repent and to say, Lord God, I've sinned.

God, be merciful to me, a sinner. But instead of trembling and confessing, he trembled and deferred to accept the Messiah. He answered and he says, you know, Paul, go your way for this time. When I have a convenient time, I'm going to call you. Well, brothers and sisters, we never read in the Bible that ever Felix had a convenient time. He never had the right time. And how many people today do not take the time to say, Lord, I need you in my life. I need you to save me for my sin. I'm a sinner. Save me. Here he had an opportunity but he rejected the message that Paul shared with him when i have a convenient time i will call thee and so we finally read in verse 26 how the heart of felix was really so hardened because felix was hoping that he will receive some money from Paul in other words he thought that Paul will tell him you know what felix i want to go out of jail here's some money take me please out of jail because it says in verse 26 he hoped also that money should be given to him of Paul that he might lose him in other words he thought that Paul gonna say please felix take me out of here he'll take money i want to buy myself out of prison but you know Paul he did not buy himself out of prison he says every time wherefore he sent for him often time and commune with him.

In other words, he sent people to him hoping that every time Paul will seek a release, but Paul didn't. He remained there in prison, even though they have treated him very well for a long time, and he did not buy himself out of prison because he was not guilty. He didn't do anything that he should be in prison. And chapter is concluding, brothers and sisters, in verse 27, how long Paul was in Kessaria in jail? The Bible tells us that he was two years in Kessiah, in that judgment hall of Herod's, the palace there, for two years. It says in verse 27, But after two years, Porcius Festius came into Felix, in the Felix room, and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.

Now look at the wicked man that he was. He wanted to please the Jewish community and he left Paul, an innocent man, for two years, bound in prison in the palace of Herod, in the judgment hall, for those whole two years, just to get his own way. You see, we learn from Felix, a man who hardened his heart towards the things of God. And we never in the Bible ever read of him ever turning to the God of the Word of God like Cain, very similar to Cain when God said to Cain, Cain there is sin offering laying at the door Cain, take the sin offering, offer it and you will be accepted, shall not thou be accepted and we read in the Bible that Cain went out of the presence of the Lord and we never ever read that Cain ever turn back to the presence of the Lord.

That's what happened to Felix. He rejected, waited for a convenient time. It probably never came. And by the way, we find from history that at about 60 AD, Felix was replaced by Festius. That's the next person we're going to read about in chapter 25. It was Nero who deposed Felix and brought him back to Rome. And Felix was no longer the governor of the Roman province of Judaea in about 59, 60 AD. He was removed from there and was. Brought by Nero to the city of Rome. And we do not know, at least I do not know how he ended up his life, but we never read from history that he became a believer in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

May the Lord soften hearts, brothers and sisters, and not allow hearts to be hardened. And let's, if there is anybody here who is not a believer in Yeshua, don't make the same mistake that Felix did. Don't say, when I have a convenient season, then I will call for you. Take the opportunity, accept the Lord into your life. Today, don't delay. Today is the day of salvation. May the Lord bless his word to us all. Let's say Amen, everyone. Amen.