Shabbat Shalom. Let's turn to Acts chapter 25, this ministry meeting. We are moving along in the book of Acts, and there are sometimes chapters and verses in the Word of God that one wonder why they are there and what the lessons that the Lord is trying to teach us by giving us such texts to read, and it becomes part and it is part of the inspired Word of God. And in this chapter, we have a complete chapter that is devoted to Paul testifying before Festus, the new governor that came to govern over the Roman province of Judea. And as you read this chapter, you will notice that there is a lot of deliberations and things that you might say that it is not so important to be placed in the Scripture, in the Word of God, as part of the inspired Word of God.

And yet we know very well that every Word of God given to us by the inspiration of the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, and that we are to learn something from every portion and every text that God had given to us in his word. So let me read this chapter. Please follow me. 27 verses in this chapter. And it is a continuation of Paul being in prison in Kesaria and the opposition against the apostle Paul. It began with verse 1. Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, and desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.

But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither, Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man if there be any wickedness in him. And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea, and the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, commanded Paul to be brought. And when he was come, the Jews, which came down from Jerusalem, stood around about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. While he answered for himself, neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended anything at all.

But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul and said, Will thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die. But if there be none of these things, whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me to them. I appeal unto Caesar. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Has thou appealed unto Caesar?

Unto Caesar shalt thou go. And after certain days, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix, about whom when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. To whom I answered, it is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.

Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment seat and commended the man to be brought forth, against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed, but had certain questions against him of their own superstition and of one Yeshua which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judge of these matters. But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.

Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. And on the morrow when Agrippa was come, and Bernice with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains and the principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself has appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him, of whom I have no certain things to write unto my Lord.

Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before thee, O King Agrippa, that after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him. This chapter, it seemed to be, as I mentioned earlier, that makes you wonder, why does the Holy Spirit of God place this deliberation there between Festus, the new governor of the Roman province of Judea, and the leaders of Israel in the city of Jerusalem, and then later on, his deliberation and explanation to King Agrippa, who came to visit him, it makes you kind of wonder why does the holy Spirit of God place this in the canon of Scripture some passages such as this we find in the brit hachadasha in the new testament other passages such as this we find in the Tanakh in the old testament where we wonder with lists of names and list of deliberation and makes you wonder the reason that God have placed it in his holy word in the Tanakh in the Scriptures and so we believe and understand that everything that God had given us in his word is for profit is for our own blessing and for our own learning and as we read it in the book of.

Timothy that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and they're profitable for us to learn to grow and i just quoted verse that is found in second Timothy in chapter 3 and verse 16 where Paul said all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the men of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works so we have no reason to doubt why some texts some things are found in the Scripture simply to recognize that it is the word of God and there is a reason why God placed it in the canon of Scripture one of the things that I would like to suggest beloved brothers and sisters that we can see the hands of God throughout the life of Shaul Paul I mean this man have been going from place to place and suffering for the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah this man have laid down his life for his Messiah this man have been the mover.

And the shaker of things in the history of the human race this man was used by our blessed Lord Yeshua to give to us to give to the human race a lot of information concerning the body of Messiah concerning the church of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The mystery that was hid in God and God revealed this to us but he used this man by the name of Paul, by the name of Shaul to give us all this information. All the epistles such as Romans and 1st and 2nd Corinthians and Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians and all the other Scriptures that had been given to us by this man that the Spirit of God used to give us the Scripture, the Word of God.

And he is a man that suffers. He's a man that had been rejected. He's a man that experienced misunderstanding by his brethren, by false brethren, by Jewish people, by Gentile people. He suffers the whole life from the time that he became a believer in Yeshua and here you find him now for two years beloved brothers and sisters is in prison in kesaria yes it was not a dungeon like it will be in Rome he was there in the court at we read here at herod judgment hall at the end of chapter 23 but for two years this man by the name of Felix left him in Caesarea without anything done for no reason whatsoever he left.

Him and he said to him if you remember at the end of chapter 24 in verse 27 for after two years Precious Festus came into Felix room and Felix willing to show the Jews pleasure he left Paul bound. That's how we ended at the end of chapter 24. For two years, the apostle Paul was left there and Felix told him, when I have a convenient season, I will call for you. Paul, I don't have time right now. When I will have a convenient season, I'm going to call you, Paul. So apparently he was a wretched man, this man by the name of Felix. He was the governor of the Roman province of Judea.

And apparently, about 60 AD, Felix was replaced by Festus. This is the new governor. And Nero deposed Felix and took him back to the city of Rome. And instead of Felix, he sent this man by the name of Festus. He was the new governor of the Roman province of Judea. Now a new governor come, the old governor God, and now as the new governor is there, he is beginning to act upon his position. So we find out in the first 12 verses of our chapter that Paul is now standing before Festus who is the new governor. We don't know much about Festus but certain things we will find here about him that will be kind of interesting.

The first thing we find out that Festus came and you know when he got a new Job he's starting to work very hard and you see with Festus he didn't wait for two years like Felix did. It says here in verse 1 that Festus ascended from kesaria to Jerusalem you notice it says and when festus was come into the province again that word for province is the province of judea a then known Roman Empire and the province of judea he became now the new governor he come into the province and after three days it doesn't take too long not three weeks not three months not three years after three days he ascended from.

Kesaria to Jerusalem again the word ascended speaks to us of the fact that he was going up and again as i mentioned many times to go to Jerusalem it's always upward to going out of Jerusalem it always downward and so he's ascended after three days can you imagine he take his Job seriously, and he's going up to Jerusalem to deal with the leadership of Jerusalem, of the Jewish community, immediately as the new governor. So he's going up, he ascending up to the city of Jerusalem, and there we find out that in verses 2 and 3, the high priests and the leaders of our people Israel the Jewish people began to ask him and request from him something you see they now want to awaken again the situation with the apostle Paul with Shaul so it says in verses two and three the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul and they besought him and desired favor against him that he would send for him to Jerusalem laying wait in the.

Way to kill him. Now look, two years passed by. You would think everything will die down. But apparently in those two years, while the Apostle Paul was in jail in Herod's judgment hall in Kessaria, the gospel was continuing to move on. And even though the Apostle Paul was in prison, the word of God was not limited only to the Apostle Paul, but he used him. He shared the message of the gospel already in Asia Minor he finished his three missionary journeys in Jerusalem in Judea there were others from among our Jewish people who were believers and that message of the person and the work of Yeshua the Messiah was still spread and was still mentioned all over and so he's coming to Yerushalayim the first thing that the leaders of our Jewish people who did not yet believe in a Messiah they want to awaken this issue with this person by the name of Paul you know why because they did not like at all what he have done they believe that he was such an influence upon the world that he caused a lot of people some Jewish people as well.

To move out of what they have known and introduce to them what is known the new way the way of the following of the men from Nazareth and so they did not want to keep this situation dead if it will they wanted to bring it up to the surface and they asked him notice they have a plan again and their plan was they asked him a favor you notice who it was it was the high priest by now it was a new high priest it was not the old one that was there before it was a newer one he was replaced and also the leaders the chief of the Jews this is the leadership from the Sanhedrin they informed him against Paul now he knew perhaps very little about Paul about Shaul but they awakened this situation they came to him and they asked him a favor they said to him you know Festus can you do us a favor or what is the favor you would send for him to Jerusalem that is.

Paul. And as you're going to send him to Jerusalem, they had a plan that they have somebody waiting for him and that they ultimately will kill him. You remember earlier in chapter 23 and verse 13 to 15, there were 40 individuals who took a vow that they will not eat or drink until they would kill Shaul Paul. But now it's again, they did not succeed. More than two years passed by, They couldn't kill yet the Apostle Paul. I don't know what they have done for those two years. I hope they have eaten something by that time. But it's amazing because they were vowed that they were going to kill Paul.

Two years passed by. He did not die. He's sitting there in the Heron Judgment Hall. And you know, because Felix gave him liberty, people to visit him, people must have come, heard the message of Yeshua the Messiah, and have gone and spread the news. Others have come, heard the message of the Messiah, and heard about, be strengthened in the things of Yeshua, and have gone out and strengthened others, and built the body of Messiah, whether it is in Israel or outside in the Roman world, in Asia Minor and elsewhere. So, you can see how God used Paul, even when he was there and then in the prison, in the Herald Judgment Hall, there bound.

Well, they asked him for this favor. You know what first is this? Festus at least was in that sense decent in that way. He responded to them and he says, no, I'm not going to send Paul to Jerusalem to be judged. Caesarea is the place where he can be judged right there in Caesarea. I can sit at the judgment hall and I'll judge him. So he noticed he said in verse 4, but Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea and that he himself would depart shortly there down to kesaria and he said let them therefore which among you are able to go down with me and then accuse this man if there will be any wickedness in him so he said to them why should i bring him to Jerusalem you come down from Jerusalem to kesaria if the man is guilty and you have something to accuse him i will be there i will go down and i will see what he is accused of.

Now Festus, remember, it's a new Job for him to become the new governor. Of the province of Judea. So he's been trained that it's not easy to try to understand the situation between the Jewish community and the Romans and the Jewish community among themselves. You have to learn what is going on. And so Festus also had been influenced because the next verses, 6 to 12, we find now Paul stands before Festus the governor. And you notice that we read here in that verse 6, Festus, first of all, is sitting on the judgment seat. It says, when he had tarried among them, more than 10 days, apparently, he was there for more than 10 days in Jerusalem, came to meet the leadership, came to show his presence there among the Jewish people, leadership in Jerusalem then after those 10 days he went down into kesaria again the word down from Jerusalem it is down always and the next day he sat on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought so he's sitting down the judgment seat as the judge ready to hear the accusation against Shaul Paul.

Apparently, there were many grievous complaints against Paul by the leadership of our Jewish people. So sad to see accusation against their own brother, a Jewish believer in Yeshua. There was no reason to accuse him. He didn't do anything wrong, but you can see it's almost like a family story. I mean, the church today, non-Jewish people who read this text, they read an internal conflict among our own people the Jewish people some were sadducees some were pharisees some were messianic or followers of the nazarene and so you can see that here is this man sitting at the judgment seat and in verse 7 when he was come this is the apostle Paul the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many grievous complaints and accusation against Paul which they could not prove they accused him of so many things but there was no proof because he hadn't done any of the things they were accusing him of imagine to be accused by your own brethren your own people when you sit in prison and you are alone accused for the things that you have not done you know you can understand if you're accused because of wrong things that you have done.

You are guilty and if somebody accuses you you will ask for mercy and forgiveness and maybe they will have grace enough to forgive you but this was more than just that and in the whole world in which we live in, brothers and sisters, how many individuals have been accused wrongfully? Some by their own family, by their own friends, by their own nation, by their own people, have been accused for no reason at all because they did not have anything to prove of the wrong deeds that they claim that he had done. So in verse 8, of course, Paul is responding there to Festus, the governor of the province of Judea.

He answered in verse 8 for himself. And he says, notice three times the word neither or nor, I mentioned, neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I offended anything at all. I haven't done three things, he said. I didn't speak against the law of our Jewish people. I didn't speak against the temple. I did not speak against Caesar. I haven't done that. I have not offended in all these things at all, he said to Festus, as he was accused there before him in Caesarea. He has not been guilty in that which he is accused of. And so, in verses 9, Festus' words to Paul, and you know, here you can see that Festus, the new governor now, learned that you cannot be 100% fair.

You're going to try to please people. And you can see the failure of Festus here, because it says in verse 9, Festus willing to do to the Jews a pleasure, he answered Paul and said, Will thou go up to Jerusalem and there be judge of these things before me? In other words, he was saying that if Paul will be willing not to be judge here in that judgment hall in Kessariah, but all the way back in Jerusalem, then I'm going to be the one that is going to judge you. But you know very well that this was not what was going to happen. And Paul knew that.

Paul knew that the moment he's going to be sent to the city of Jerusalem, there he will not be judged anymore as a Roman citizen. Of course, he's Jewish, he's an Israeli, he's a Hebrew, but yet he was a Roman citizen. And he used this situation as a Roman citizen as well in order for him to get a fair judgment. A fair justice. And so we read here in this next verse, 10 and 11 of Acts 25, Paul responding to Festus. And he said to him two things. Number one, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well knoweth.

And if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die. But if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. Paul, as a Roman citizen right now, he knew what was going to happen to him if he was going to go to Jerusalem to allow himself to be judged there rather than by the Roman governor because the accusation was remaining for so many years passes by even when he was preaching the gospel in Asia minor oftentimes he was being persecuted and misunderstood and now two years in the palace there in kesaria he knew what's going to happen to him if he was going to go to Jerusalem he knew that his brethren will not understand it and ultimately they will seek to take his life away so he did not allow this to happen he used the fact that he was a Roman citizen of course he trusted the Lord and you can see how he trusts the Lord here by the expression that he says in verses 10 and 11 in verse 10 he says listen i stand at caesar's judgment this is the judgment i'm really standing before caesar's judgment this seat that you fest to sitting on it is the judgment hall.

That really belonged to caesar and i would like to be judged by caesar if i've done anything wrong i want to be judged by caesar's judgment then he says in verse 11 two things if i be an offender or have committed anything worthy of death i refuse not to die in other words he said If I've done something wrong against the Roman Empire, against Rome, and I deserve to be punished and die, he says, I refuse not to die. In other words, I deserve death. But then the other thing he says, but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them.

You see, he took his Roman citizenship rights, and he knew very well that even though sometimes we think of Rome as an unfair judgment oftentimes because we hear of crucifixion and what's happening in Roman history, yet the Apostle Paul knew that no Roman citizen can be condemned unless he was found guilty. And he was not guilty his conscience was free he knew that he could not be accused correctly and rightfully and that's why he says listen if i deserve to die i should die i refuse not to die but if what they say against me and accuse me is wrong he says no man is going to deliver me to them, I, and notice this expression, I appeal unto Caesar.

In Hebrew, we call him the Keisar, Caesar. He's the one who sat at Rome. He's the one that will be the one who will judge him, and he doesn't want any other to judge him, but none else but the Roman judgment seat, and he appealed unto Caesar, and he took his rights as a Roman citizen to appeal unto Caesar. Well, that was something for him to do. Again, when you look at a story, it's an internal story of our Jewish people. We are exposed here, you know, the Spirit of God exposed the Jewish people and Israel. The nation, before the nations of the world, that when people read such a story, they can see Jewish friction between one group and another group and one person against another person and you can see how much there's a reason why the Spirit of God have allowed this to be revealed in such a way to teach us the lessons about wrongdoing even within families and friends and people of God and so on and one nation and it happened everywhere what we read here in this text concerning Israel it happen in many nations in many groups and in many countries the injustice that is going on that which is wrong that which is not right the wrong accusation and so on that is happening in this case of course it's happened within those that are part of the Jewish community and so it is sad to see that but it is reality and brothers and sisters we know very well the way the Lord reveal the men of God the women of God in the Bible like for example Father Abraham God shows.

Us the faith of this man and how he was a godly man but also God reveals his failure when he disobeyed him and he exposed his failure as well we can think of Noah Noah was a just man Noah believed in he trusted God but we see Noah is being exposed when he got drunk and he failed before God and his son saw him in his drunkenness and his nakedness and so on and so you can see this God revealed that which is for him but he also revealed that which is not for him that which is against him and so he is keeping us naked and we are naked and empty before the Lord and he knows everything about the people of God and here he exposing the reality among our Jewish people that have existed in the first century especially between the Jewish believers and the Jewish non-believers the Messiah and the rest of the nation and in his rejection and so on he's exposing.

This and the world can see that but they should not point to it they should realize that this is existing in every one of our own hearts the hearts of mankind so what we have here in the next verse 12 the answer that festus gave to Paul you asked to go to appeal to caesar okay festus then we read in verse 12 when he had conferred with the council he answered has thou appealed unto caesar unto caesar shalt thou go Paul if you appealed to caesar you appealed to go to caesar you didn't want to go to be judged in the city of Jerusalem, Paul, you are going to go to Caesar.

You are going to go to be judged by Caesar at Rome. Now, when you see that, you can see how God worked behind the scene. You see that the hand of God is right here, because remember, when we read in Acts chapter 9 when Shaul accepted Yeshua as his Messiah and Lord he was told that he will preach. And be before governors and before Kings he already was told that you remember what Yeshua said to Hanania in verse 15 of Acts chapter 9 go thy way I have chosen him this is Shaul He is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles, before Kings, and before the children of Israel.

And the Lord in his wisdom allow all things to work around in order to bring about his plan for the apostle Paul, for Shaul. And so here, beloved brothers and sisters, the hand of God is working to lead Shaul, to lead Paul, to ultimately go to Rome and ultimately to present the message of the Messiahship of Yeshua, not only before the Gentiles, not only before the children of Israel, but also before Kings and leaders and rulers. So you have appealed to go to Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go. And he made the decision that Shaul Paul will go to testify before Caesar. And now here we have two more points that I want to mention in this ministry meeting.

First of all, in verses 13 to 22, we see Festus share Paul's situation with this king Agrippa. It began with verse 13, where Festus received a visit from King Agrippa. It says here, after certain days, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. Now, this is interesting about this man. He's really called King Herod Agrippa the second this man have a lot of history because in his family he was the last Herodian's king this king Agrippa his great-grandfather was this king herald who killed the Jewish boys who were at the time where Yeshua the Messiah was born do you remember in Matthew chapter 2 when the Messiah was born and the magis the wise men came from the east and said where is the king.

Of the Jews melech ha-yehudim well herod did not like this word at all because he was his competition because herod the great was at that time the king and so herod was an edomite And Edomite is really a descendant of Esau, kind of relative to Israel, and he was the brother of Yaakov, the twin brother, and the Edomites came out of Esav, Esav's name was actually Edom as well, the country of Edom, the Edomite came from Esav, the word Edom means red, it's coming in the area called Edom in the Middle East. And so when Yeshua Matthew chapter 2 when Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of judaea in the days of herod this is herod the great the king he said behold the wise men came from the east and they say where is he that was born a king of the Jews melech ha-yehudim where is he that was born the king of the Jews.

Well, when hell was heard that there is another king that was born, and a wise man come all the way from the east to say that there is a king that was born, he was not too happy. And if you remember, if you read the text in Matthew chapter 2, you will notice what he did because he wanted to make sure that he kills the king of the Jews. We read in Matthew chapter 2 in verse 16 Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men he was exceedingly wroth and he sent forth and he slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and all the Kosterov from two years.

Old and under according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men this Herod was so wicked that he have ended up to kill every Jewish boy from two years and under because he wanted to make sure that the newborn king Yeshua the Messiah will be eliminated now of course he was no longer in Israel he was taken sent to Egypt and later on he came from Egypt but that is this king herod agrippa the second his forefather already have sought to kill the Messiah himself and what happened is that when he came to visit this one he was the last herodian's king by the way his father herod agrippa the first was the one who killed James Yaakov the early disciple of Yeshua the Messiah according to chapter 12 in verse 1 about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hand to wax certain of the church and he killed Yaakov James the brother of John with a sword so this Herodian family had a history with knowledge about the Messiah Yeshua.

Knowledge about the servants the disciples the Messiah Yaakov James and many others and now he's coming to visit festus in kesaria the new governor and he's appearing there he's the last herodian Kings he's called king agrippa the second king herod agrippa the second he came with bernice he came into kesaria to salute festus as we read here in verse 13 Here's another thing we find out about this man by the name of King Herod Agrippa II. He came with Bernice. You know, Bernice was actually his sister. And he was living with his sister. He knew that the Jewish community did not like at all, and they condemned him for living this kind of lifestyle, living with his sister as his wife.

And so he knew some of what the Jewish believers understood and believed in Yeshua. He also knew about the Jewish community in general because they had a great history with his father and grandfather and the whole history in connection with the coming of the Messiah. So now he's coming. And apparently when he became the king, he was very young, about 17 years of age, he was a younger king. He's appearing, coming to Kessaria. And by the way, he was the Tatrach of Galilee, But he had responsibility also over the temple in the city of Jerusalem. He had control and rights over the arrangement in the temple in Jerusalem.

So he's coming with all his authority and all his power. He's coming to visit Festus, as we read in verse 13. And what happened here, first of all, in verse 14 to verse 21, Festus gives him all the information about the apostle Paul. He shares with him, because after all, Festus is the new governor, the king, Herod Agrippa II, is responsible, and he's sharing with him all the details concerning the apostle Paul, and the whole problem, the whole issues around it, and I'm just going to point out a little bit, in verse 14, he points to Paul, and Paul's situation, he says, when they had their many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, and he said, there is a certain man left in bonds by Felix.

He's talking to the king, and he says, you know, there is a certain man that is left in prison, in bond by Felix, the previous governor of the province of Judea. And apparently, of course, Paul was for over two years now in prison, in barns. Now you can see Paul, whenever he was, he was always a noose to talk about. Why? Because the message that he had is a message that affected the lives of people, convicted individuals when they heard about the message of Yeshua, the Messiah. And so, there is a certain man in verse 14 that he's left in prison, left in bond by the previous governor.

In verse 15 and 16, Festus pointed to the chief priests and the elders' request. He says in verse 15, about whom, Paul, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jewish people informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. To whom I answer, it is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he which is accused have the accusers face to face. See, he is giving us a clear Roman position. We cannot accuse him, we cannot commit him to death unless he has a reason to be punished. And then in verses 17 to 19, he points to the accusation against Paul.

And I want you to notice, look at the accusation. Against Paul in verses 17 to 19. Therefore, when they were come thither, without any delay on the moor, I sat on the judgment seat, and I commanded the man to be brought forth, against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed. But look at the accusation that he said that they accuse him they had certain question against him of their own superstition and of Yeshua which was dead whom Paul affirmed to be alive you see he's saying you know when i went to Jerusalem to talk to the leaders they have some things to accuse against this man but listen they are also accusing him about certain questions of their own superstition i believe they were talking about resurrection and about a certain man by the name of Yeshua which was dead but Paul says that he's alive see Paul always stood for the truth of the resurrection beloved brothers and sisters the resurrection of the Messiah is such an important.

Point in the message of the gospel we do not tell people about a dead Savior we don't tell people that even that Yeshua died and that's it if you only talk about his death which is very important he died as a substitute for our sins but if we only talk about his death we only give a half a message an incomplete message because the difference between Yeshua Israel's Messiah and all other leaders in this world is simply this that all other leaders came and gone came and lived and died and remained in the grave there is only one that have come have lived the perfect life died a substitutionary death and was resurrected and is alive right now sitting at the right hand of the majesty on high and Paul stood for that he was not ashamed to talk about the resurrection of Yeshua and that is the accusation that they accuse Paul Paul we do not believe in what you say we do not accept the fact that Yeshua is the Messiah.

We do not accept the fact that he died and he was buried and he rose again but that's the whole message of the gospel and so festus sharing this with king agrippa and he's telling them listen this is the points of accusation against Paul there is a certain man by the name of Jesus by the name of Yeshua whom Paul believed that after he died he rose from among the dead that's what Yeshua said throughout his life brothers and sisters every time when Yeshua ministered among our people he spoke concerning his death his burial and his resurrection if you remember he said in the gospel of Matthew chapter 16 and verse 21 from that time Yeshua showed unto his disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem and he suffer many things of the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and be resurrected again on the third day he always spoke about it long before he died the necessity of the Messiah the Mashiach to become the sacrifice in his death.

But also the resurrection that would show to us the approval of God upon the work of the Messiah he was raised for our justification and Paul preached it everywhere he went and so the accusation was against Paul, because Paul believed that there was a man by the name of Yeshua who died, and he also had been risen. That's the accusation that is mentioned here in verses 17 to 19 of Acts chapter 25. Notice now in verse 20 and 21, Festus point when he speaks to Agrippa to Paul's request to appeal to caesar it says here in our verses 20 and 21 and because i doubted of such manner of question i asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judge of these matters but when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of augustus i commended him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar.

The word Augustus in the Greek simply means the revered one. And the Caesars were always being revered by the Romans as gods, as someone. To revere, somebody to honor. And they took oftentimes the place that does not belong to them. The word Augustus is a word that means the revered one, as it's mentioned here in verse 21. So Paul asked to go to Caesar. Festus said to King Agrippa, so I have decided to take him to Caesar. I kept him here for a while until ultimately I will take him to Caesar. So when he ended up his conversation with King Agrippa, look what King Agrippa said at verse 22.

Agrippa was curious. He wanted to hear Paul's testimony. So he said to Festus in verse 22, Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. Tomorrow, he said, you shall hear him. So now you find, beloved brothers and sisters, exactly what the Bible say concerning Shaul Paul that he will give a testimony before the Gentile he's even going to give a testimony before his own brother and the children of Israel but also he will give a testimony before Kings here we find him he's in preparation of giving his testimony concerning Yeshua the Messiah before King Agrippa that will be actually the next chapter it's going to be in chapter 26 well let me just give the conclusion of this chapter in verse 23 to verse 27 now Festus present Paul before King Agrippa it says in the next verses 23 to 27 that when King Agrippa came on a morrow it was the following day no delay when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great pomp and was entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and the principal men of the city at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.

And you know my heart is aching when I think about this apostle how he was dragged from place to place. How he was carried perhaps in chain coming down he was a slave of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah but everyone takes him and drag him from place to place accusing the man that have done nothing blaming him for things he have never done and yet he's true to his testimony about the person of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. His conscience is free. His conscience is clear before God and before man. And yet he faces this opposition and trials and tribulation. And so when they won, they put him in prison.

When they won, they bring him out of prison. They drag him back and forth and back and forth. He was sold for the person of Yeshua the Messiah. He didn't deviate. He didn't change his mind he didn't say oh no please no i don't want to talk anymore about Yeshua forget about this just let me go let me free he didn't say it but he's dragged from place to place from judgment to judgment just like his beloved Messiah if you remember Yeshua our blessed Lord when he was here on earth how he was dragged from pilot to the high priest and he was dragged from place to place the Lord of glory the creator of the universe was placed here in this world in such a condition well here is a servant that following his master being dragged now to court once again no guilt found in him but he's dragged into court once again and so look at king agrippa when agrippa is coming he is a king and we find out that when agrippa was come and bernice his sister who lived with him as his wife he is coming with a great pump this expression great pump mean a great show here comes the king here comes the king big show that everybody will.

See the king is coming king agrippa ii is coming great pump can you imagine the way he came and the way Paul came he came with pride with elegant with eloquency with power and authority here Paul coming with chains and walking carried by others dragged into this place of judgment here's one who is guilty and should be judged and will be judged and here's another one who is an innocent who is coming into this judgment hall and look there how Paul is being exposed because in this verse it says he came with great show he entered into the place of hearing and then he came with the chief captains and with the principal men the leadership and so on of the city and then Festus commanded Paul to be brought forth out to this place of judgment place of hearing and here's the end of this portion before chapter 26 when he's going to give a testimony before king Agrippa those last verses verses 24 to 27 Festus points again publicly now before he did it privately.

To King Agrippa now he does it publicly and he points to the crying against Paul in verse 24 Festus said King Agrippa and all men which are here present with us ye see this man about whom all the multitude of Jews have dealt with me both in Jerusalem and also here crying that he ought not to live any longer see King Agrippa now publicly saying here that is people want to kill him. They said that he should not live any longer. Why shouldn't he live any longer if he had done anything wrong? But they wanted him to be put away. And so in verse 25, Festus pointed to the fact that he couldn't find any guilt in Paul.

He said, but when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself had appealed unto Augustus, I have determined to send him there. King Agrippa, I did not find myself any fault in this man. Again, brothers and sisters, just for time's sake, you remember when Yeshua was standing before Pilate? Three times in John 18 and 19, Pilate said, I found no fault in this man at all. He washed his hands, if you remember, and he says, I'm innocent, I'm not guilty, he washed his hands, but then he sent him to be killed, but there was no fault in Yeshua, in the same way, Paul, Shaul, is standing there, I have nothing to accuse him, Bethesda, as the governor is saying before King Agrippa, no fault, I found nothing in him that he should be accused, and there is nothing worthy of death in verse 26 Festus brought Paul before the king and he says look at this verse 26 of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my Lord wherefore I have brought him before you and especially before thee oh king Agrippa that after examination I might have something to write you You know, when you want to accuse somebody, you have to write something to Caesar to tell him, Caesar, you know, he have done this, and he have done that, and he have murdered, he have done all sort of things.

You have to put a list so you can send this with the person who is going to be judged. But first he says, I have nothing to write. What am I going to write? So King Agrippa, now I brought before you, particularly in all the rest, I brought this man so you will find something so I can write when I send him to Augustus, when I send him to Caesar. I have nothing to write. And the chapter concludes by the statement that Festus now knew that it is not reasonable to send a prisoner who is not condemned of any crime. It's not reasonable. That's why it ended up like this.

For it seemed to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not with all to signify the crimes laid against him. It's not reasonable to do that. King Agrippa, oh King Agrippa, he said to him, oh King Agrippa, it's not reasonable for me to send a prisoner in such a way when there is nothing to accuse him of and yet Paul for over two years is in prison in chain not in a bad condition as it will be in Rome in a good condition in kesaria but still bound limited not free to do as he will well again as i began in a meeting today i said that there are certain things and certain times in Scripture that you don't know why the Spirit of God place all this deliberation you might say well what lessons do we learn out of this passage of these chapters but the lesson i do believe that we learn brothers and sisters that God is sovereign and his plans are going to come about in every one of our lives as well in your life in my life we sometimes don't understand why the Lord allow things to happen in our lives Paul might sit there in Kesaria and say Lord.

I'm your servant I should not be accused for things I haven't done I want to preach the message I want to be free I can go on the streets I can go in public I can tell everybody about you and the Lord said really Paul I have a lesson to teach you I have a purpose in your life just stay close to me and I will use you and bless you and you remember earlier he was revealed to him he said I am Yeshua of Nazareth and he told him about how he is going to use the apostle Paul and to present himself not only in Jerusalem but also in the city of Rome and that's how the Lord used Paul and ultimately brought him from Jerusalem to Kesaria and later on as we will end the book of Acts you'll notice how ultimately arrive to the city of Rome and they're testifying also to the Jewish community and in the king's palace and so brothers and sisters the lesson if we learn anything from this 25th chapter.

Of the book of Acts is that we should just ask the Lord to help us to trust him in many situations that we find ourselves in our life. And to say, Lord, I know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are decalled according to His purpose. May the Lord help us in this as we walk with Him day by day.