Podcasts about Festus

In this episode of Extreme Resurrection James and Steve cover ECW on Cci-fi from March 18th and March 25th 2008 Topics include A 6 man tag match cm punk,jessie and Festus vs Miz, John Morrison and Shelton Benjamin, Chavo Guerrero vs Colin Delaney Steven Richards & Kelly Kelly vs Layla & Mike Knox and much more! For all of your extreme needs listen right here on Extreme Resurrection!

Title: Light of the World Text: Acts 26:12-23 FCF: We often struggle responding from our hopelessness to God's sovereign redemptive plan. Prop: Because God is absolutely sovereign over his global redemption plan, we must be law abiding citizens of His Kingdom. [Slide 1] Scripture Intro: Turn in your bible to Acts 26. In a moment we'll begin reading starting in verse 12 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Last time we heard the beginning of Paul's defense… not of himself… but of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He pointed out that resurrection and revelation deniers cannot receive the gospel but he also confesses that even self-righteous religious zealots like himself couldn't receive the gospel either. Something prevented both groups from seeing the truth about Jesus of Nazareth. Today, we will see the dramatic conclusion of Paul's defense of the gospel before Festus and Agrippa. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Sovereign Lord, You are mighty to save. Just as we have seen and declared from the scriptures, there is nothing You purpose to do that man's will can prevent. If You purpose to save men, You will save them. Lord, in the last few months, we have discussed much of Your providence and Your orchestration of all things to accomplish the purposes of Your will. Help us now to see that even Your global redemptive plan is not something that You have left to chance or man's discretion or performance. Help us to see what Your scriptures teach so plainly and help us to receive it. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: We have much to get to today, so let's get to it. I.) God is absolutely sovereign over His global redemption plan, so we must repent and believe the gospel. (12-18) a. [Slide 2] 12 - While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 - at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. i. This is the third, final, and shortest account of the conversion of Saul in the book of Acts. ii. It is the second one given by himself before a hostile crowd – although this is easily the least hostile of the two. iii. As we compare the three accounts of Saul's conversion we notice some slight differences in their details. Most of these are easily explained by the target audience. We'll not take the time to trace through all the differences between the accounts today… but none of them are contradictory. iv. But let's unpack what Paul says this time. v. First, he, for a second time, mentions that he went to Damascus with the authority of and by commission of the chief priests to apprehend Christians in foreign cities. vi. Second, Paul mentions the setting of his conversion in slightly greater detail than has yet to be described. 1. He says it was midday - noontime in his previous testimony. 2. Then he says that he saw a light from heaven. A bright light that suddenly flashed brighter than the sun. a. Although he doesn't speak to the suddenness of this light in this context, in the previous two versions this was mentioned. b. Here though, he does compare it to the sun and mentions that it was brighter than the sun. 3. And everyone who journeyed with him saw the light. a. Not only did they see it, but it completely engulfed them. b. They were surrounded by pure light. c. No doubt this is part of the reason every single account calls this a light… from heaven. d. It is a supernatural brightness. A kind of light that cannot be explained by natural means. e. It cannot be a glare off a meteor or the flash of a dying star. At midday, the sun is high in the sky. To be completely engulfed by light at this time… it must be a light from heaven. f. Some suggest that this light was the reason that Paul went blind. But the fact that all of them not only saw but were engulfed by the light tells us that it wasn't the light that caused his blindness. It was something else. b. [Slide 3] 14 - And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, i. Next Paul relates a small detail that has been omitted from the previous two accounts. ii. The entire party fell to the ground – not just Paul. iii. We don't know whether they were thrown off their horses or merely put their face on the road and covered their eyes to escape the brightness of the light… but we do know that, most likely, the guards who accompanied him were not watching what comes next. iv. Paul records that a voice spoke to him in the Hebrew language. Which could mean either Hebrew or Aramaic – probably Aramaic. v. This could be the reason the guards did not understand what was said, but Paul doesn't actually draw that conclusion here. vi. He doesn't even mention that the guards didn't understand what was said. vii. Which begs the question, if Paul is not mentioning this detail to explain why the guards didn't understand what was said, what is it's significance? 1. As Paul stands before a primarily Gentile audience of pagans, and a Jew of convenience, Agrippa, the fact that he heard a voice from heaven would not have alarmed them in the least. 2. Although the spiritual view of the world was being attacked on all sides by Epicureans and Stoics, there still existed a general superstition of oracles and receiving visions and messages from the gods. 3. In fact, a good deal of weight would be given to whatever was said from a vision, particularly if whatever was said was obeyed and came to pass. 4. The world had not become pure materialists quite yet. 5. The only questions on their minds would be which god is speaking to Paul on the road to Damascus and what did that god say? a. By Paul mentioning that this voice spoke in the Hebrew language, it eliminates every single god… but one. b. Jews were Monotheists. If a voice from heaven, a god, speaks Aramaic or Hebrew – it must be Yahweh. 6. So, the only question that remains is what does Yahweh say to Paul? viii. Yahweh begins by calling him by name, twice. ix. There only seven examples in all of scripture where God calls to a person using their name twice. We can look more deeply into these on Thursday night if you want to join us… it is very easy to join the TEAMS meeting.

Guest Greg Chick, an irrigation engineer, and Festus Langat, a teacher and project leader in Kenya, share how they partnered with Global Water Works to bring rain harvesting systems to rural Kenyan villages. These gravity-fed systems, now installed in five locations, provide clean water and save residents hours of travel each day. Festus leads local volunteers in maintaining the systems, while Greg discusses their next project—composting toilets—and offers listeners a free digital copy of his book via his website. Podcast Recorded on July 24, 2025

Title: Defending the Gospel to the Religious Text: Acts 26:1-11 FCF: We often struggle convincing religious people they need the gospel. Prop: Because religiously engaged people with prideful or worldly hearts will attack the gospel, we must be ready to provide a defense for the hope we have in us. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 26. In a moment we'll begin reading from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 1. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week Luke gave us a glimpse into a conversation between Festus and Herod Agrippa the Second. This conversation reveals to us not only that selfishly motivated politicians are not a new development of our time, but also that Festus is quite perplexed about how to handle an innocent man appealing to Caesar. Essentially Festus is caught playing favors and now he has to report to the Emperor a valid reason that Paul is present in his court. However, he hopes that Herod Agrippa can help him. Herod is highly favored of Emperor Nero and his father before him. If Herod Agrippa says that the only reason Paul is there is because he appealed prematurely – then Festus may not look completely inept. So, the stage is set for this deposition. It is not a trial or even a hearing. It is simply a fact finding endeavor so Festus can fill out his paperwork properly. How will it begin? Will Paul endure questions? If so, who will ask? Let's find out. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Most High God, You are unlike all others. Yet You have condescended to reveal Yourself to us, most fully in Your Son Jesus. You have sent Your Spirit among us to reveal truth and illuminate our hearts through the inspired texts of Your scriptures. Father… I pray that You might send Your Spirit among us today and prevent us from being religious scholars and zealots only, without also becoming Your children. Adopt us through Christ and enable us to repent and believe on Him. Then train us to defend the gospel to those who are merely religiously educated and zealous. We beg You to be with and prepare Your people for the warfare we engage in every day. Do this today we ask in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: Let us get right to the text this morning. I.) Religiously educated people with worldly pursuits are unable to believe the gospel, so we must provide a defense for the hope we have in us. (1-3) a. [Slide 2] 1 - Now Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul, stretching out his hand, began to make his defense: i. Festus gave his opening remarks and addressed King Herod Agrippa the Second as the primary audience member of this deposition. ii. He also clearly laid out what the purpose of this deposition was. He needed something to include in the paperwork being sent up to the Emperor that requires Paul's presence in his court. iii. At the moment Festus has nothing to write. iv. It makes sense then that Festus would cede the floor to King Agrippa. v. Agrippa does not ask any questions, but informs Paul that he can go forward and give his defense. vi. So as is custom at this time, Paul stretches out his hand to signify to the listeners that he is about to speak. vii. And although Luke describes this as a defense, and although Paul will address the charges against him indirectly, we should understand that his speech here is not a defense of himself, but is primarily a defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how belief on Jesus is the next step in true Judaism. viii. So much so, that if you reject Jesus, then you cease to be a true Jew. ix. Paul will go to great lengths here to not only defend the gospel, but to defend also a Pharisaical view of Judaism that must evolve into Christianity if it is to remain true to the prophesies and promises that God has given to the Israelite people. b. [Slide 3] 2 - “Concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I regard myself blessed, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; 3 - especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; i. Paul begins his defense addressing the judge, as is customary in a trial. ii. But Paul is not fawning over or buttering Agrippa up at all. Instead, he consistently gives praise to God throughout his entire defense for what God has done, even to deliver him to this point at this very moment. iii. Paul considers himself blessed. 1. This word blessed is the same word that Jesus used in the sermon on the mount when He spoke of the B-attitudes. 2. The word means highly favored or fortunate. 3. In a secular or pagan context, such a word might be used to indicate that someone is favored of the gods or was granted a divine wind on the open sea when no wind was present. 4. Scripture writers often use this word to speak of God's grace applied to someone. iv. Paul's view then, is that he is graced of God. Why? v. Because he has a chance to defend himself against the accusations of the Jews before Agrippa. And especially since Agrippa is well aware of, an expert in, the customs and theological disputes among the Jews. vi. With Festus, Paul had a judge who really was ignorant of the finer theological details on which the trial revolved. That is why Festus wanted to move the trial to Jerusalem and that is why Paul insisted on not going to Jerusalem – Festus sought clarity and Paul knew well the dangers that he faced in that city (if he got there alive). vii. Paul believes he is favored of God to sit before a man who is the secular head of the Jewish Religion. He is well aware of the intricacies of Jewish law and the disputes between the Pharisees, the Sadducees and even the Nazarean sect. viii. Now Agrippa being of the ruling class, an aristocrat, and not only Hellenized but Romanized as well – his sympathies would probably favor the Sadducean view of Judaism. But – if pressed, Agrippa would probably not publicly affiliate himself with any faction or party. He was Jewish but it was a faith of convenience. He was, primarily, a statesman. A politician. ix. What does Agrippa need to do with what Paul is going to say? c. [Slide 4] therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. i. Paul begs, implores, pleads with Agrippa to listen. ii. Not merely hear his words, not merely hear his defense, but to intently pay attention to all that he says and to do so with forbearance and patience. iii. Paul is asking Agrippa to listen, not merely as a judge, but as a man who needs to hear the message that he is about to be given. d. [Slide 5] 4 - So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; i. Paul now transitions to speak about himself. ii. As is customary to do in a defense speech, the accused typically will go back in their life to demonstrate a record of right living. iii. This illustrates that it would be out of character for them to be guilty of whatever the accusers are claiming. iv. Paul establishes, firmly, his Jewish and even his NON-Hellenized Jewish background. v. We spoke of this several months ago now – but there was a pecking order within Judaism. Judean Jews were seen as serious Jews. Jews who lived in Judea, who worshipped at Jerusalem, and who generally adhered as closely as they could to the law – many of them even learning ancient Hebrew instead of just speaking Aramaic. vi. Though he was born in Cilicia and is a Roman citizen, from an early age he moved to Jerusalem and therefore spent his whole young life being brought up among his own people and associating and fellowshipping with Judean Jews. vii. Paul establishes himself as a long time Judean Jew, well aware of the customs and teachings of the Jews. viii. Such claim could only be made by an elite few. ix. He continues. e. [Slide 6] 5 - since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. i. Not only was this how his young life was characterized, but his own accusers could verify that it was so. They knew well where he came from and who he was. ii. If they are willing to say so, and not too cowardly to admit it, they have known about him for a long time and know the prominence of Paul. iii. Not only was he a Judean Jew practically since birth, but he was also raised in the strictest sect of Judaism, keeping rigidly the entire Mosaic law, while adopting a more progressive view of the scriptures, to include all the Old Testament both the law and the Prophets as God's Word. iv. The Pharisee party was the party of the people and included not just the wealthy and nobility but even less prominent lineages. v. They believed in miracles and adopted a stricter interpretation of the scriptures concluding that if God has not said it is permissible, then we must refrain. vi. As we saw earlier, he was trained at the feet of Gamaliel a highly respected Rabbi. vii. He knows his stuff and had a reputation for being the REAL DEAL with his faith. viii. And it is because of this theological background that he is on trial. f. [Slide 7] 6 - And now I am standing here being tried for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; 7 - the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. i. The hope that Paul speaks of here is most certainly the gospel of Jesus Christ. ii. But the core concept of that teaching is the belief that God would resurrect the righteous and the unrighteous dead. iii. Indeed, Paul calls this the hope of the twelve tribes, who earnestly serve God night and day. iv. Well, the twelve tribes have been scattered to the winds. v. So, what is Paul speaking of? vi. He is certainly speaking of the restoration and fulfillment of promises to, largely, dead people. Promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Moses, and David. vii. Those who have died but still have a hope that one day the Lord will resurrect them and fulfill His eternal promises to them. viii. The Sadducees would not accept such a teaching, and it is primarily the Sadducees that accused Paul before these Roman courts. ix. The irony should not be lost on us. Paul is on trial today because believes in the hope of the promise of all of Israel… and yet is still being accused… by Jews. x. This is what springboards Paul into his question he poses to all those who listen… g. [Slide 8] 8 - Why is it considered unbelievable among all of you if God does raise the dead? i. This question seems to come out of nowhere. But it is actually the foundational question that will drive the rest of this speech. ii. Paul says elsewhere that the resurrection is foolishness to the Jews and a stumbling block to the Gentiles. Not today, but soon we will see both of these reactions to Paul's defense. This is the tipping point of the gospel. What do you do with a crucified and risen Savior? iii. Paul has already established that he has been a Judean Jew under the strict sect of the Pharisees since his youth. He has always believed in the resurrection of the dead and eventual renewal of the kingdom of Israel. iv. But now he asks this question. v. Why is it considered unbelievable among all of you if God does raise the dead? vi. There are a couple ways to take this question by Paul. vii. The first way and the most obvious way is to express disbelief or frustration on Paul's part that the resurrection of the dead, by God Himself, is such an untenable idea. 1. If God is who He has claimed to be, and who the Jews have been earnestly worshipping Him to be, resurrecting the dead is completely plausible. 2. It isn't like He is unable to do it. 3. So, if there are scriptures to indicate such is true – as Jesus demonstrated even from the Pentateuch where God addresses dead patriarchs in the present tense and not the past – then our worldly pursuits and materialistic leanings should not suspend our belief on the matter. 4. We must admit that God can do this. 5. Paul speaking to Agrippa and the Gentiles both of which would wrestle with this idea of the dead being able to be resurrected. viii. Another way we could take this question is that Paul is not expressing frustration but is asking his audience to search themselves. This is not an accusatory question but a diagnostic one. 1. Why is it that they consider it unbelievable that God could, would, and does raise the dead? 2. What is truly preventing them from believing that this could be? ix. I think both ways are possible for this question to be asked and both of them fit with where Paul goes next. x. But let's pause first and review what we've seen so far. h. [Slide 9] Summary of the Point: So, if Paul is giving a defense of the gospel, who exactly is he defending it to and what exactly are their arguments? Paul lumps the gentiles, Agrippa, and the Sadducees into one group in these first 8 verses. In short, they are the resurrection deniers. They are religiously educated people who have been captivated by worldly pursuits. And what I mean by worldly pursuits is not just sinful practices, but even the pursuit of this life, this existence, this earthly kingdom rather than some future, eternal, and spiritually perfect kingdom that is to come. In a way, Paul defends the Pharisaical understanding of the Scriptures as the primary avenue to understand and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, he shows that the Pharisaical way of understanding the Old Testament is the only way any Jew can remain a Jew… namely by receiving their Messiah, the God-Man Jesus of Nazareth. Because as it stands, Gentiles who think the resurrection of the dead is foolish, Jews who are religiously educated but purely secular, and even Jews that are religiously practicing but selectively applying the scriptures to only this earthly existence – all of these are unable to receive the gospel message. Therefore, Paul offers a defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And in order to do that, he must defend the resurrection to the religiously educated but worldly focused people. We too must provide a defense of the hope we have in us, and one of the audiences of that defense will be those from other faiths, those who call themselves Christians but are purely secular, or those who call themselves Christians, go to church, but have rejected essential doctrines of our faith. We must be ready to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ to these revelation deniers. Transition: [Slide 10(blank)] But is this the only kind of people that we must be prepared to defend the gospel to? Are there others? II.) Religiously zealous people without humility are unable to believe the gospel, so we must provide a defense for the hope we have in us. (9-11) a. [Slide 11] 9 - So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. i. The opening two words, “so then” could be taken emphatically. ii. Meaning that Paul is not merely moving the timeline along of his story, but is saying something to the effect of – “in fact, of course, or indeed” iii. He is expressing that he also demonstrated disbelief. Not necessarily in the possibility of the resurrection of the dead. And not in the truth of the resurrection of the dead – but specifically in the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. iv. In fact, he was WORSE than Agrippa, or Festus, or the Sadducees, because he believed in the resurrection of the dead for the righteous and the unrighteous but could not believe in the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. v. Indeed, he opposed Christ in the most aggressive way that he could. b. [Slide 12] 10 - And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. i. Paul recounts how he, with the authority of the chief priests, many of whom were no doubt still alive and possibly even still well known, did take prisoner many of the saints – meaning those who professed faith in Jesus as the Messiah. ii. He even cast his vote to put Christians to death. iii. “cast his vote” is a euphemism saying cast his pebble. iv. In the Sanhedrin they would cast pebbles into the center to count votes for a guilty verdict. v. This could indicate to us that Paul was on the Sanhedrin council, but it doesn't necessarily mean that. The expression could simply mean he approved of it in an unofficial capacity. vi. And if he is talking about Stephen's trial – if we remember – they didn't really cast a vote. They just got so angry at him that they rushed him out the door and stoned him to death. vii. But regardless of what Paul means – his heart was in full agreement with thinking that those who follow Jesus deserved to die. viii. But for what? c. [Slide 13] 11 - And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. i. Paul tried to force every single one he found to blaspheme. What he means by this, is to deny Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. ii. Paul agreed that these Christians should be killed because he thought they were heretics. iii. Even though he believed in the resurrection… he didn't believe in Jesus' resurrection. iv. And Paul not only heartily approved of stamping out this faith in Jerusalem, but he even pursued them to foreign cities. v. He kept pursuing them. He wouldn't let them flee. vi. His aim was total annihilation of this faith. vii. Paul reveals that although the Pharisee party was closest to receiving this gospel, if they continue to oppose Jesus of Nazareth – then they also cannot receive the gospel. They cannot continue to be truly Jewish. viii. So let's review this point from Paul's early religious zealousness. d. [Slide 14] Summary of the Point: After asking the question of the gentiles and Agrippa, why is it so unbelievable that God can raise the dead – Paul immediately back pedals and confesses that he too struggled to believe the same about Christ. In this Paul depicts for us someone who is religiously devout and zealous but lacks humility to receive truth or be shown they are still in need. They lack the fundamental aspect of the truth of the gospel in that men need a Savior and cannot live a holy enough life by themselves to be counted righteous and worthy of God's Kingdom. Indeed, the pride and self-sufficiency of Paul's Judaism had reached such heights that though he himself believed in a future resurrection where all God's people would be raised to inhabit a new and eternal Kingdom, he could not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the firstborn of the resurrected dead, the Savior of His people. He could not believe it so aggressively that he imprisoned, killed, and pursued those who did and tried to force them to reject their own Messiah. In the pursuit of being the best Jew he could, Paul killed, imprisoned, and tried to damn those who had found the way, the truth, and the life – the only way to the Father. Such people cannot believe the gospel. Paul's defense here, is against his former self. We too must defend the gospel against those who are religiously zealous but lack humility. We must give a defense of the gospel to the legalist, who earnestly believes he contributes something to his salvation, and in so doing find themselves unable to believe the gospel. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today to inform our belief and guide our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 15] God has blessed Paul to be in the position he is in before Agrippa and this great crowd of prominent gentile people. What an opportunity it is for Paul to make much of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he doesn't squander it. Rather than setting out to defend himself, Paul makes a defense for the gospel of Jesus Christ. And his audience is anything but a friendly one. He makes a Jewish case for the Messiahship of Jesus in front of the secular head of the Jewish faith and a bunch of pagans. That is going to be a tough crowd. But that is why the gospel must be… defended. These two groups of people Paul addresses today are some of the most difficult groups we would ever share the gospel with in our lifetime. They are both religious people, but two specific kinds. First, are the deniers of God's Word. Either they have cultic, pagan, or false religious beliefs, or they are Christians in name without practice, or they are Christians who have rejected essential and core doctrines of the faith. This group of religiously educated people who are pursuing worldly goals are actually unable to believe the truth of the gospel. The second group Paul references, is actually his former self. It is those who are religiously devout and zealous but who lack humility to see their desperate need for a Savior. Their religion, even their Christianity is a cooperative effort between God and a man to save himself from sin. And men like this will go to great lengths to silence any who might suggest that salvation is not of works at all… but purely and completely of God. These folks too cannot believe the gospel. And so, we must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have – even to these kinds of religious people. But what does that look like practically? 1.) [Slide 16] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that religious people, as long as they are sincere, are bound for heaven. a. One of the great lies of our day is that we are somehow all on the same faith journey or faith mountain. And no matter which path you take or which side of the mountain you are on, the path and the mountain both lead to God. b. We are all God's children and why wouldn't He want to save all of us. c. Meaning of course that it doesn't actually matter which religion you follow or creed you hold to as long as you are sincere, a good person, and try your best. d. This teaching is called, syncretism. e. Many secularists have believed and taught this but influential leaders in broader Christendom have said similar things including the late Pope Francis. f. However, syncretism is abundantly false on both a logical and theological basis. i. Islam claims that Jesus was not crucified, did not rise again, was not God, and is not the greatest prophet, priest, or King. Islam also claims there is one god and once you die you are subject to Allah's judgment. ii. Hinduism and Paganism claims that there are several gods and once you die you come back as something else depending on how well you lived. iii. Christianity claims that Jesus is God the Son, with a united but distinct human and divine nature. Christianity says there is one God in three distinct persons and once you die you face His judgment. And the only way to be acceptable to the Father is through Jesus His Son. iv. So how can all of these be on the same mountain? It is logically false. The only way it cannot be false is if each of these religions are equally untrue in their doctrine. v. And if all of them have essential doctrines that are not true that means that syncretism is, in itself, a new religion altogether. g. The scriptures teach, here and in many other places, that those who sincerely follow other gods and/or put their hope in anything but Christ alone, will be rejected and suffer the wrath of the only true God, Yahweh. h. The gentiles seated there, Herod Agrippa, The Sadducees and the Pharisees all are held accountable to the exact same standard. What will you do with Jesus of Nazareth? That is the only question that matters. i. There is exactly one way to the Father and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. j. Therefore, we must deny that sincere people who trust in anything except Christ and Him crucified and risen again – can somehow still enter the Kingdom of God. 2.) [Slide 17] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm religious people of various stripes often mount the greatest assaults upon the gospel of Jesus Christ. a. In the gospels, the greatest opponent to Jesus continued to be the Pharisees. b. As we've seen in the book of Acts, the Pharisees had a lot of things right. c. As Paul rightly says, in order to go to the next phase of Judaism it required you to see the Old Testament scriptures the same way that the Pharisees did. d. That is why in the book of Acts, we have seen that the greatest enemy of the church was the Sadducees. Because their form of Judaism made it impossible for anyone who firmly held to it to receive Jesus as the Messiah. e. From the scriptures and down through the history of the church we can affirm that some of the greatest opponents of the truth of God has always been those who are religiously devout. f. Israel was opposed by nations serving other gods. Christ was opposed by conservative Jews. The church was opposed by liberal Jews. Then the church was opposed by pagans. Then the church was opposed by the state church of Rome. g. And some of the greatest opposition formed against the gospel of Jesus Christ, comes from those who are abundantly close to the truth with minor modifications. h. Think about how close to the truth the Pharisees were? Paul believed that God would one day resurrect all of Israel and bring about the eternal kingdom of David. But when confronted with the Son of David, who had died and now lived – he could not and would not believe it. i. Jehovah's witnesses, Mormons, and those who hold rigidly to official Roman Catholic dogma, are so close to the truth of the gospel – but have a history of adamantly opposing it. j. We also see liberal Christianity today rising up to oppose the gospel too. k. Churches who have affirmed female pastorate, have affirmed and accepted LGBTQIA+ lifestyles, these same churches have rejected the inspiration and authority of the bible and have even called into question the believability of the resurrection of Christ. l. All of those whom I've just described would call themselves Christians – but would oppose the orthodox definition of the gospel. 3.) [Slide 18] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us to those who are religiously educated and zealous. a. We need not defend the gospel to someone who is asking to hear it, who is steeped in sin and desiring a Savior. We simply need to give it to them… b. But to those who are religiously educated and zealous for their false faith, we must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. c. To those who deny the Word of God and those who deny that God accomplishes ALL of their salvation, to these religious people we must defend the gospel. d. Now the defense does not need to result in convincing the person opposing us. e. Just a spoiler here – Paul doesn't convince anyone in his defense of the gospel here. Not one single person. f. The results are not what we are responsible for. Instead, we are to stand for truth and rebut error. Whether the person sees it or not is not our role. We leave that to God and His Spirit. g. As Paul asked – we too must ask – why is it considered unbelievable that our entire salvation rests in the finished work of Christ? Why is it considered unbelievable that Jesus is God and Man? Why is it considered unbelievable that our works do not contribute at all to our salvation? Why is it considered unbelievable that the Scriptures are breathed out by God and are infallible and authoritative? Why is it considered unbelievable that God would design man immutably to be either male or female and to enter into a relationship with someone of the opposite gender that begins their sexual experiences and continues in marital and sexual fidelity until death? h. My friends… our questions have answers and they are found in the Word of God. i. When we challenge them with “why is it considered unbelievable” eventually they must come to the conclusion that they hate what God has said. There is something in them, preventing them from receiving all that God has revealed. j. We must defend the gospel in this way. Let us be ready to make a defense, which means we must know why we believe what we believe. k. But this sounds so aggressive and confrontational! I am not looking forward to this… 4.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm we are blessed of God to defend the gospel before those who are religiously educated and zealous. a. Paul said that he was graced by God to defend the gospel to Agrippa. b. We too should recognize and affirm that defending the gospel, the hope we have in us, is not a drudgery and it is not a chore. c. It is certainly aggressive and confrontational. We are, after all, in a war. A war of ideologies and a war for truth. d. War is confrontational by nature. e. But God has blessed us indeed if He has selected us to defend the gospel to the religiously educated and zealous. f. And furthermore, He will sustain us as we do so. 5.) [Slide 20] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The gospel of Jesus Christ is not opposed to religious education or zealousness but both understanding and passion come as a result of salvation and not as a means to it. a. The gospel as presented in the scriptures, has a logical and predictable outworking in all those who genuinely receive it. b. Mankind, in their wickedness, often try to turn the order of this on its head. c. Just like Satan in the garden tempted Eve with acquiring knowledge of good and evil to be like God – on her own timing and in her own strength – so too we try to put the spiritual cart before the spiritual horse all too often. d. Religiously educated people pride themselves in knowing a wide variety of beliefs, yet their knowledge in each is relatively shallow and must deny much of what each religion teaches. Religiously zealous people pride themselves in knowing a belief deeply and this leads to self-sufficiency and dependence on their own performance of ritual and practice. e. But the most religiously educated and zealous people, when they come to Christ have effectively hit the reset button on their understanding and passion. f. This is exactly what happened to Paul. He was religiously educated and zealous… but when he came to Christ he spent the next 3 years in Damascus and Arabia relearning everything through the filter of Jesus being the Messiah, the Son of God. g. One does not study Christianity and begin to practice it in order to somehow arrive at God saving them from sin. h. Now it isn't wrong to come and learn from sound biblical teachers what the bible says and what it means. This is a good thing. i. It isn't wrong to teach our children the Lord's precepts and grow them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. j. But until God moves upon them and gives the gifts of repentance and faith – their learning hasn't really yet begun. k. True, deep, intimate understanding and zealous passion for God does not really begin until you are given a new heart. l. Out of that new heart, repentance, faith, and growth can finally begin. m. So if you are here trying to learn your way to Christ. If you think if you can just know enough about the Lord to be pleasing in His sight… I beg you friend. n. Instead of pursuing Him in this way. Won't you begin with repentance and faith? Won't you reject and turn from your sin and place all your hope in what Christ has done? o. It is only those who are able to do this… who become the true learners and pursuers of Him. [Slide 21 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Reformer Menno Simons O, Lord, Father, how very broad, easy, and pleasing to the flesh is the entrance into a miserable, carnal church. But how wonderfully narrow, O Lord, is your way— the gate which leads into your poor and holy church (Matthew 7:13). The way is so narrow that its gateposts strip off the gold and possessions, the flesh and blood, and all the lusts and inclinations of those who desire and sincerely seek to enter at this narrow gate. And so, by your grace, we come to rest and remain forever in your holy church. In Jesus name we pray this, Amen. Benediction: And now may He grace you with his presence, So that the weak might say, l am strong, And the poor will say, 'I am rich', And the feeble will say, 'I am upheld' Until we meet again, go in peace.

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.” 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. 4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

(00:00-21:34) Head Coach of the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team, Tony Vitello joins us on the phone lines. Good memories of Pearl Jam in St. Louis. Coach Vitello tells us what the Cardinals are getting in Liam Doyle. Doyle getting in shape and improving his velocity. SEC dominance in college baseball and the intimidating venues to play in. Building a culture in Knoxville. Tanner Franklin another Vol signing with the Cardinals. Great beard on that Coach Vitello.(21:42-34:01) Bangers. Never a bad time for some CCR. Welly gets his wish and Pestus from Festus is on the line. Pestus wants Pallante gone. Sonny Gray gone. Get rid of three catchers. Would you rather get hit in the face with a baseball or a hockey puck? Goalies not wearing masks.(34:11-55:38) Classic Francesa clip talking San Francisco Giants coming home to New York. Revisiting Francesa's reveiw of the Superman movie. Jackson's best asset is his ability to learn. Doug can't get past Grown Up 2. Chairman is trying to produce Movie Boy. Bob Barker's beauties. Welly's favorite cities in the Great Plains.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get ready for a wild ride as we dive into the latest weekend antics of the Rizzuto Show crew! Imagine a wedding that starts off all sweet and romantic but quickly spirals into a whirlwind of unexpected twists. And just when you think it can't get any wilder, Rizz shares a hilariously awkward story about a naked sculpture model – yep, you heard that right! You definitely don't want to miss the juicy details. Plus, we'll chat about the aftermath of a wedding speech that went south faster than a plane with a missing wing with Rizzuto's wife, Emilia. It's all in good fun as we reflect on the beautiful chaos of life, love, and laughter. And of course, we'll serve up the latest celebrity gossip and trending topics that are sure to crack you up. So grab your headphones and join us for this entertaining episode of The Rizzuto Show – it's gonna be a blast! Show Notes: ‘Crazy stalker' toasts bride and groom with unhinged wedding speech confession: ‘What does she have that I don't?' ‘Chimp Crazy' star arrested by U.S. Marshals. Feral cat feeding banned in Festus. Long Island man killed in freak MRI accident was wearing 20-pound chain necklace with padlock. Douche Bag - Naked Repeat Offender Roamed Apartment Halls, Harassed Pets With Dog Whistle: Lyndhurst PD. Follow us @RizzShow @MoonValjeanHere @KingScottRules @LernVsRadio @IamRafeWilliams - Check out King Scott's Linktr.ee/kingscottrules + band @FreeThe2SG and Check out Moon's bands GREEK FIRE @GreekFire GOLDFINGER @GoldfingerMusic THE TEENAGE DIRTBAGS @TheTeenageDbags and Lern's band @LaneNarrows ⁠http://www.1057thepoint.com/RizzSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Title: Problematic Paperwork Text: Acts 25:13-27 FCF: We often struggle remaining focused when the ungodly use political means for selfish gain. Prop: Because God providentially accomplishes His plan through political maneuvering, we must stay focused on the Kingdom of God. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 25. In a moment we'll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 13. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul once again faced a preliminary hearing in front of his Jewish accusers. But this time he sat before the new governor of the area, Festus. Festus is historically known as a fair and wise ruler who helped ease the tensions between Rome and the Jews in the few years he served as the procurator of the province. But last week we saw how, in an attempt to establish good will and favor among the more elite Jewish men, he tried to move Paul's trial to Jerusalem. He also knew that if he desired to better understand the religious disputes between Paul and the Jews, the best place for this would be Jerusalem. But, as we know, Paul used a Roman law which protects Roman citizens from unjust judges and unscrupulous accusers. Paul appealed to Caesar. This effectively ended the preliminary trial and set in motion the events that would lead to Paul arriving in Rome as Jesus said he would. But today, we will see an interesting interaction between two local rulers. Festus has a problem and he is hoping Herod Agrippa the Second can help him find a solution. His problem boils down to… of all things… paperwork. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Almighty God and infinite Father You are above all things. You are surprised by nothing. You have written everything. All things are known to You and Your arm is never too short to reach or too weak to lift that which You desire. So much so that even the will of men is not in Your way. Instead, You paradoxically work through men's wills to accomplish Your purposes while still maintaining absolute control and giving men responsibility for their choices. It is a tension in scripture that many attempt to explain but often cheapen one or both of these truths in the process. Father help us to see how You have ordered all things so that we can trust Your promises that all things work together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purposes through Your Son. Use Your Spirit today to teach us once again these valuable truths. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Transition: Let us get right to the text today to see what the Lord has for us. I.) God providentially accomplishes His plan through political maneuvering, so we must trust the Lord. (13-22) a. [Slide 2] 13 - Now when several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. i. So who is Herod Agrippa and Bernice? ii. Herod is a name mentioned several times throughout the New Testament, but logic would dictate to us that not all Herods can be the same Herod. iii. Furthermore, we have second names added to the end of some which help to differentiate some Herods from others. iv. The Scriptures mention Herod the Great, Herod Philip I, Herod Antipas, Herod Archelaus, Herodias, and Herod Agrippa. But who's who? v. [Slide 3] On the screen behind me we see the Herodian dynasty and where each person is mentioned in the scriptures. vi. Herod the Great ruled when Jesus was born. He had several wives giving many kingly heirs who divided the region of Judea. vii. All of the Herodian line served as Jewish Kings ruling under the direct supervision of the Roman Empire. They were uniquely suited to rule because they were Jews but were loyal to the Empire. viii. In the book of Acts we've seen Herod Agrippa the I, who is the grandson of Herod the Great, he killed James the son of Zebedee and imprisoned Peter in Acts 12. ix. In this text, this is Herod Agrippa the First's Son. Herod Agrippa II. x. Herod Agrippa II studied in Rome under Emperor Claudius. Claudius was quite fond of him and was prepared to give all of Judea to him to rule, but when Herod's father died he was only 17 years of age and was not old enough to navigate the tensions growing at the time. xi. When he turned 21 Emperor Claudius gave him rule over several territories to the East and Northeast of Judea. Still, Claudius, up to his death, gave more area for Agrippa II to rule as often as he could. This continued through to Nero, Claudius' son, and Nero actually awarded Agrippa II the city of Caesarea Philippi, which he renamed Neronias in honor of the Emperor who gave him the city to rule over. xii. One of the territories Claudius gave Agrippa came with the role of becoming curator of the temple. From the vestments that were required, to the appointing of the High Priest, Agrippa the Second was the official secular head of the Jewish religion. xiii. But who is Bernice? Well, keen observers would notice that Bernice is listed next to Herod Agrippa and Drucilla. What does this mean? xiv. Bernice and Drucilla are both Herod Agrippa II's sisters. xv. Drucilla, we know was married to Felix, but who is Bernice married to? xvi. Well, that is the awkward part. In her lifetime she was married three times. She was also the mistress of Emperor Vespasian's son Titus. xvii. And while we could see her here as an adviser or co-ruler with her brother, rumors abound implying an incestuous relationship. Probably these were fueled by the fact that every time one of these marriages or adulteries failed, she returned to live and rule with her brother. xviii. Scholarship seems sharply divided over whether or not there was actually an incestuous relationship here. Modern scholars seem to favor the idea that although the rumors abounded, this was probably all they were. Rumors. xix. In fact, many scholars note that Agrippa II and Bernice were actually fairly moral people for being Hellenized and Romanized Jews. They often aided the poor, supported justice, and generally upheld the common good of the people over which they ruled. xx. They were no where near righteous people and certainly they could do all these things and the rumors still be true. xxi. They arrive, no doubt to greet Festus and welcome him to the area. But Festus intends to benefit from their visit in another way. b. [Slide 4] 14 - And while they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, i. It was a great opportunity for Festus to involve Herod and Bernice on this case for several reasons. I'll try to highlight that as we go forward. ii. Festus will go on to describe his impression of the preliminary trial which ended in Paul's Provoactio Ad Caesarem. – his appeal to Caesar. iii. The Emperor at the time was Nero. 1. When we Christians hear that name, immediately we wonder why Paul would have appealed to this man for help. 2. But at this time, Nero is only 22 years old and about 5 years into his reign. He has been aided by Seneca and Burrus, two tutors who helped him make wise decisions as a ruler. 3. Most recently in the spring of AD 59 his mother committed suicide, at least that is what the general population thought. In reality, he had his mother killed. 4. So, Nero is starting to go off the rails a little, but he is nowhere close to where he would be in AD 64 and beyond. 5. As long as his tutors are alive, he will continue to make wise decisions. Up to, a little after Paul stands trial before him. 6. Interesting how his good leadership lasts until Paul is released. iv. But why does Festus even bring this up to Herod? v. As we'll see in a few moments, Festus truly is perplexed by this case. vi. As one of, if not the first case he tries as a governor, he must be a bit discouraged to have it be so odd. vii. Herod Agrippa, though not being a righteous person, had already been a successful ruler in the area for over a decade. He's had experience with Jewish people, being one of them, and with the Jewish religion and its intricacies and finer points of theology, being the temple's curator. He is also a favorite of Emperor Nero and his father before him. viii. It makes a lot of sense actually that Festus would open up to Herod in this way and seek his perspective on the matter. Because Festus has a problem. ix. That problem is that this case seems open and shut but because Paul has appealed to Caesar, he's got to figure out what to put in his report to the Emperor. x. So the following is Festus' view of the case. Let's break it down. c. [Slide 5] “There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix; 15 - and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 - I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. i. So already we see a few things that Festus says that is different than what Luke recorded previously. ii. The details though are very compatible with what Luke said and do not contradict anything, therefore, it is best to assume that any difference in Festus' story is PROBABLY to paint himself in the best possible light. iii. Right off the bat he shifts the blame to Felix. He seemed all to eager to take the case and deal with it himself… but now that he is in the thick of it, he wants to blame Felix for not getting the job done. iv. Then he says that the Jews were not merely wanting Paul brought to Jerusalem for a trial – but their aim was to condemn him to death. He does not tell Herod that they were asking for this to be done as a favor to them. That might imply a seedier political relationship than he wants to be associated with before this influential King. v. But Festus refused them based on Roman customs. According to Roman custom, the plaintiff must charge the person to their face and allow them to give a defense. vi. This is why he insisted on them joining him in his court in Caesarea. vii. Festus continues… d. [Slide 6] 17 - So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18 - When the accusers stood up, they were not bringing any charges against him for the evil deeds I was expecting, 19 - but they had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man whom Paul asserted to be alive. i. Festus once again paints himself as a just ruler. He got right to judging the case immediately. Without the information about the Jews seeking this as a favor it makes it seem more like he is a kind and efficient ruler rather than someone seeking to placate some powerful and influential Jewish men. ii. Festus' perspective of the charges against Paul and Paul's defense are intriguing. iii. They are intriguing because the Jews no doubt charged Paul with some level of sedition against the Emperor for starting riots. No doubt Festus came into this thinking that this would be their primary charge against Paul. iv. But Festus doesn't mention it here. v. Most likely he has utterly dismissed these charges from his perspective simply because there was no evidence to conclude such a thing. vi. But as the trial neared the end, Festus summarizes the trial as basically a religious disagreement all concerning a certain man named Jesus who was dead and whom Paul claims to be alive. vii. Festus shows his ignorance of the area and the history of the area. No doubt Herod Agrippa II was well aware of the Jesus in question. viii. Paul has successfully, by the grace of God, made the trial about the gospel. ix. But since it is about the gospel… how is Festus, a Roman, supposed to deal with this? e. [Slide 7] 20 - And being perplexed about how to investigate such matters, I was asking whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there to be tried on these matters. 21 - But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” i. Festus once again avoids any hint that his actions were motivated by political favors. Luke tells us they were. So we affirm that truth with certainty. ii. This doesn't necessarily mean that Festus is lying though. At least not completely. Certainly, if he wanted to rule on a religious matter, in order to do so it would be best to go to Jerusalem and seek counsel from those who understood the religion better. iii. And that is why I think Paul actually appealed to Caesar. I think Paul understood that even if he survived the journey to get to Jerusalem, the case being about religion would certainly leave him vulnerable. iv. He could be kept in prison for a long time, and with Rome somewhat backing this decision it could lead to great persecution among all Jewish Christians. v. Festus says that Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor's decision. vi. Festus doesn't have any problem doing that… vii. But you can tell that Festus is bothered by this. We won't understand fully why until the end of this passage. But what is clear is that Festus wants Agrippa to weigh in and hopefully weigh in in agreement with how he handled the situation. f. [Slide 8] 22 - Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.” i. Here we see that Herod Agrippa has an interest in the case. ii. Being a Jew himself and being part of this great Herodian dynasty which has been woven to this time of Jesus, it would be of genuine interest for Herod to meet Paul and understand this sect of Judaism which has turned all the world upside down. iii. He is in town for a few days. He might as well hear the case himself. iv. Festus readily agrees, because that is what he was shooting for anyway, and plans to have another hearing for Paul the very next day. g. [Slide 9] Summary of the Point: One of the difficult things about teaching through a book, is that oftentimes the lessons overlap significantly. For the last several sermons we've seen the same truth repackaged in several different ways. Rather than skipping over this material or blitzing through it, I see it instead as an opportunity for us to really be stretched on this teaching. If God repeats Himself, it seems to me that what He is telling us over and over again might be important. Paul is over two years into these legal proceedings. He is on his second governor. And the case just can't quite move forward. Yet he has been assured that he will go to Rome and preach the gospel. He has also been told by Jesus Himself that he will present the gospel to Jews, Gentiles and to Kings. So far, Paul has not yet shared the gospel to Kings and he is not yet in Rome. And perhaps he saw that as one prophesy to be fulfilled when he speaks to the Emperor. But the injustice of the case against him, the nature of the charges, the weakness of Felix, and now the political maneuvers of Festus to try to not look like a completely incompetent ruler to the Emperor himself, is all coming together to fulfill exactly what God's will is for the apostle Paul. He will go to Rome. He will present the gospel to Kings. Putting ourselves in the position of Paul acquires our first application from this text. We must trust the Lord. Oh how easy it would be to disbelieve. But we have similar promises the Lord has made to us – promises which have taken much longer than 2 years. Paul's story here provides the pattern. We too must trust the Lord. His promises are always true. Transition: [Slide 10(blank)] And in a familiar pairing, one we've seen several times, we must again understand that trusting the Lord is not passive. We have more to do than simply watch and wait. We have other callings we must fulfill while we wait on His promises to come to pass. II.) God providentially accomplishes His plan through political maneuvering, so we must be ready to give a defense for the hope that we have in us. (23-27) a. [Slide 11] 23 - So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the hall accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the order of Festus, Paul was brought in. i. So, this is actually a rather big to do. ii. Herod and Bernice come in with great fanfare and celebration. The hall is filled with many military commanders and prominent people of Caesarea which would certainly be primarily gentile people. iii. In other words, this is not like the trial before Felix and the trial before Festus, in that Paul does not face a large contingent of JEWISH accusers. iv. Instead, his fate is already sealed. He is already going to Rome to Caesar's court. v. There is not really anything impeding Paul from saying whatever he wants to. He needs to be somewhat careful not to make a case of sedition against the Empire – but given the fact that Festus thinks this is about the gospel – Paul is going to be able to completely let loose with it… in front of a large number of prominent Roman officials. And of course – Herod Agrippa. vi. Paul is called to join them and the deposition is under way. b. [Slide 12] 24 - And Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer. 25 - But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. i. Festus gives all in attendance a very brief overview of the previous trial and how they arrived where they are. ii. Notice that Festus does not indicate any wrong doing on his part. Paul's appeal to Caesar here is not so subtly painted as the ONLY reason Paul is still incarcerated. iii. It has absolutely nothing to do with Festus wanting to give a favor to the Jews in a religious case that he could have simply dismissed. iv. But his appeal must be honored regardless. v. But there is just one problem with that. vi. And its what has been perplexing Festus this whole time. vii. Its… paperwork. He doesn't know how to fill out his paperwork… c. [Slide 13] 26 - Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 - For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.” i. Festus reveals that he is going to send Paul to Caesar… but according to Roman trial custom, he must send Paul with official notes from the trial. ii. Since no verdict had been handed down, and since the charges were mostly about religious differences between Judaism and the sect of the Nazareans, there really is nothing Roman to send up the chain. iii. This is absurd, and even quite dangerous for Festus to do. iv. To send a case to the Emperor without cause could lead to ramifications against Festus. The Emperor might conclude that he is incompetent or inept. Why did he not dismiss the case? Why did he not hand it back to the Jews jurisdiction? v. And now we see a wonderful set up for what exactly will be written to the Emperor. And Herod Agrippa II is the key. vi. If Herod hears the case and agrees that the only reason Paul is being sent to the Emperor is because he appealed to him… then Festus won't be seen as an inept ruler. Paul will get the blame as a citizen who jumped the gun and appealed before it was really necessary. vii. But more on that in a couple weeks. d. [Slide 14] Summary of the Point: Again, the political situation of Festus and his reaching out to Herod for help are all part of the providential plan of God to bring about His prophesied will for Paul's life. Not only will these events hasten forward Paul's trip to Rome, but it will also allow Paul to truly give the gospel… to kings. King Herod Agrippa II, like several Herod's before him, will hear the gospel. And although we won't see it today, the application here is again drawn from putting ourselves in Paul's position. His appeal has been granted. He is going to Caesar. Does he really need to stand before this group to say anything? Could he just remain silent? Since there is some risk in him speaking and potentially provide charges he could be convicted for – isn't it just best for him to be quiet? Jesus was quiet before His accusers. Shouldn't Paul also be? Jesus was prophesied to die – Paul is prophesied to preach in Rome and before Kings. Therefore, as an act of faith and obedience, Paul must give a defense for the hope that he has in Him. We too must give a defense. We have been promised trouble. We have been promised difficulty. We have been promised an eternal kingdom. So we must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have. Conclusion: So, CBC, what have we learned today to guide our belief and our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 15] Once again, God's will for us is a tapestry of events that He has orchestrated to accomplish His purposes. He promises us that these events are always for our good and His glory. He promises never to leave or forsake us. He promises that all we experience will lead to the perfecting and endurance of our faith. And if God's providential hand works in all things, then it also works in something like political maneuvering. Festus is trying to cover his own butt here. He is trying to make sure his goose doesn't get cooked because of his very first case in this new province he is governing going a little sideways. How is he going to go about doing that? He is going to enlist the advice and help of a favored and seasoned ruler. This should keep him from getting into trouble for sending Paul to the Emperor for virtually no reason. But through even this, the Lord providentially orchestrates the fulfillment of what He has prophesied to Paul. Next week Paul will share the gospel with a King. And after that He will be sent to Rome. Paul's struggles are often ours. We struggle to trust God when His promises look like they aren't moving forward. We struggle to correctly identify and capitalize on opportunities to share our faith with people around us. But God's control over every aspect of life motivates us to not only to continue to trust His promises but to share our faith boldly. Let's look into this a little deeper. 1.) [Slide 16] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God providentially works through political maneuvering to accomplish His will. a. We all assume that political maneuvering will happen. Why? b. Well, you don't have to be a student of history for very long to understand this. c. Anyone who has had a brother, sister, or even a close cousin knows what it means to maneuver a situation to be personally advantageous to you. d. No matter what happens you expect every person to make it seem like they did the best they could under the circumstances and if there is a chance to make yourself look good or like the helpless victim – you are going to do that. e. Why? f. Well although many deny it theologically, the truth of the matter is that our entire being is naturally corrupt and sinful. g. Any parent will tell you this of their child. They know that there is no such thing as a child that has never stolen, never hit, never bit, never yelled, never disobeyed or never lied. They don't exist. h. Why? i. Because all men are wicked and depraved and it all begins at conception. j. David said, in sin my mother conceived me. He wasn't talking about her sin, but his own. He was a sinner the moment he came into existence. k. The surprising part of this text is NOT that Festus tries to present himself in the best possible light. It is NOT that he tries to get Herod on his side to leverage the Emperor's view of him. It is NOT that Festus uses every opportuinity here to try to get OUT of trouble in this particular case. l. So far, everyone acts as we would expect them to. m. What we might NOT anticipate is God using and even orchestrating these events to accomplish His will. n. But as we've pointed out several times, there are a myriad of examples in the scriptures where God overtly uses the sin or selfishness of men to do what He has planned. There are even some examples where God designs what He has planned around the sin of men. As with Pharoah – his sin was necessary so that God could judge Egypt to the extent that all nations would know He is God. o. The bottom line is that there is nothing that happens that God has not already designed and written to be. That gets sticky and tough for us to swallow when we start talking about sin and humans choosing to live sinfully and selfishly. p. We know that God doesn't tempt anyone to sin and that God doesn't sin. But we also know that men sinning is part of His plan, which He has written for His creation. q. These truths must be allowed to blend together. r. And in this text Festus' natural compulsion to protect himself politically, leads to God's promises to Paul coming to pass. s. But if we serve this God, and we trust this God, knowing that His orchestrating of all things is no real concern to us. He has allowed us to have at least a perception of freedom in our decision making and even requires us to consider His will and His ways as we do this. But somehow along with that nothing that happens will ever disrupt, alter, delay, or in any way go against His will for His creation. t. And we shouldn't want it any other way. u. We should want a God who does this. We don't want a God who has ceded control in any real way. v. God has not left anything to chance or human discretion. And because of that… His promises are always true. 2.) [Slide 17] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that God merely works around men's sinfulness to accomplish His purposes. a. Some have suggested a work around for the paradox we are experiencing and wrestling with in these last few chapters of Acts. b. That goes something like this… God allows men to freely choose to do what they will, even to sin… c. But God is stronger, faster, more knowledgeable, and able to weave and maneuver all things and bend all things back to accomplish His will and ways. d. However, this solution does not actually solve the problem. At best is presents man's decisions as a mere illusion. One that if we go too far with, God is quick to hit the undo button or arrange it in such a way that it still does what He wishes. e. At worst it contradicts clear texts of scripture that indicate that God's will for all of creation has already been written. f. And in this text we see clearly God is not working around but in and through man's sinfulness to accomplish His purposes. g. That being said, we ought to deny what is called open theism, this view where the future is undetermined and God responds to man's actions to weave the course He desires. h. We ought also deny that God has every possible decision of man mapped and figured into His divine plan – since this again is not what the scriptures teach. i. Instead, God has written the end from the beginning. There is nothing that happens that was not already written and orchestrated for His will to be accomplished. And all that happens to those who love Him and are called to His purpose is for their good. j. Even though this view does not answer all the questions – the other solutions create more problems than they do solutions. k. It is best simply to confess that God works in and through man's sinfulness to accomplish His purposes while at the same time not being the tempter. l. Confessing these truths motivates us to apply this text in two ways. Both of which are based on putting ourselves in Paul's shoes. 3.) [Slide 18] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must trust the Lord. a. How comforting it is to know that it is absolutely impossible to find ourselves outside of God's Hidden will for our lives. b. We can and often do find ourselves outside of God's moral will. When we find ourselves overcome by a sin and seek forgiveness and cleansing through confession and repentance – certainly we have stepped off God's moral will for us. c. But we NEVER deviate from His hidden will. d. When others sin against us, when political corruption and maneuvering happens before us, we can know and rest assured that God is not sitting in heaven wringing His hands, shrugging, saying, “I can't do anything buddy. Sorry! I have to let them choose what they want to do.” Nor is God in heaven saying, “Ok, they played knight to D4 so I'll move my rook to make them take it back and that will lead to…” e. No! f. Instead, God has all our days planned. All we experience is designed to lead us to what He has planned. g. That means we can trust Him. Fully. Not his ability to play a game. Not His ability to win in the end somehow… but that all our ways are known to Him. h. There is no reason to fear. He has us exactly where He wants us… ALWAYS! i. What does that mean? 4.) [Slide 19] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must always be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. Even to those who can do terrible things to us. a. Every situation is a great opportunity to share the gospel. b. Before judges, juries, kings, Federal agents, no matter whether justice is being served or subverted, no matter whether we face enemies or friends – it is always a good time for us to share the hope we have. c. The bible is clear – all kinds of men are being called by God into His family. Even the most corrupt political people you can think of – they are exactly 1 measure of God's saving grace away from being His child and living holy lives. Exactly 1. d. Will you be the instrument God uses to unite them to saving faith in Jesus Christ? e. Knowing God is in control of everything always should embolden you to share your faith without pause and without fear. f. Why? g. Because God isn't playing a game of chess and God isn't helpless against man's supposed free will. Instead, God has written everything in your life already. h. So go for it. Unleash the gospel. i. And speaking of the gospel. 5.) [Slide 20] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The gospel is primarily about Jesus' death and resurrection. It isn't about you. a. Notice what Festus did understand. b. The gospel was about a man who was dead that Paul said is alive. c. Festus wouldn't understand or believe naturally that such a man could have been raised from the dead. d. But in one sense he does understand that the whole of what Paul preached depends on this man being alive. e. My friends the gospel is all about Jesus' death and resurrection. The fact that Jesus died for sinners and was raised according to prophesy, is the essence of the gospel. f. Everything hinges on these facts. That Jesus died and rose again. g. And I know, many well meaning preachers have advised people that when they want to share the gospel with people that they should share their testimony. And I know that really sounds like smart advice. h. But listen – the gospel is not about what YOU believed, what YOU experienced, what YOU confessed, or what YOU did. i. The gospel is about what they MUST believe, what they MUST confess and what JESUS experienced and did. j. I would caution you away from your personal testimony, especially if you do not practice it over and over again to ensure that you make it about Jesus and not about you. k. It is very easy for us to talk about ourselves. And that is why many personal testimonies of salvation end up being as much about us as they are about Jesus. l. But listen, you are merely the reward Jesus acquired for fulfilling His mission. Obedient, faithful, holy people are the reward for His suffering. m. The gospel is Jesus. His death and His resurrection and much more. But that is where it starts. n. If you have believed anything less, then you do not have the gospel. o. And if you don't have the gospel I'd like to invite you to come speak to an Elder today. We would love to tell you more. [Slide 21 (end)] Let me close in a prayer by the Puritan Philip Doddridge May God's grace visit all who suffer loss, and may your compassionate eye regard them where they live. May your providence cement, strengthen, and adorn them. For unless the Lord builds the city, they labor in vain who build it. May the candle of the Lord shine on them, and your Spirit enlighten and renew their souls. May peace and prosperity, friendship and faith always flourish in this neighborhood and city. Fill my neighbors' troubles with compassion, Lord, so they may exchange joy for mourning, and beauty for ashes. So that those who lament may rejoice with you, and that at length you may share with them the security and joy of the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, where no flames will be felt except those of love. In the meantime, may our eyes be lifted up to heaven, in the humble hope and fervent prayer for those around us, that true Christian faith would spread throughout the entire world. And may that faith prevail in our own hearts, that we may faithfully practice and grow in you. So will we understand your lovingkindness, Lord, as we live our daily lives. And though there may be mysteries of providence we cannot explain, we will believe that your paths are mercy and truth, and find the truest and securest peace in our passage to everlasting joy. In Jesus name we pray this, Amen. Benediction: May the Lord who does not forsake those who earnestly seek His face, Who provides a safe retreat for weary souls in troubled times. Show you to be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in time of trouble. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Title: Politicians and A Provoactio Ad Caesarem Text: Acts 25:1-12 FCF: We often struggle trusting the Lord and remaining law-abiding citizens amid rampant corruption. Prop: Because God providentially accomplishes His purposes through human government, we must trust Him while using every legal means to pursue His known will. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 25. In a moment we'll begin reading in verse 1 from the legacy standard bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week was the conclusion of the episode of Paul's trial before Felix. And although we observed that Felix didn't have any reason to prevent Paul from being released, for selfish reasons he kept him in prison for two years. But in this particular case, the injustice of men was still used to serve the providential plan of God. Paul will arrive in Rome to preach the gospel at exactly the time that God desires Him to do so. Not a moment sooner or later than that. Today a new episode begins. This episode consists of several scenes spanning all of chapter 25 and 26 in the book of Acts. In the first scene we fast forward in time two years and a new governor takes the judgment seat. Will Festus be more reasonable and less selfish of a politician? Will Paul get justice? Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Sovereign Lord, you are master of all that is. Even the hearts of all the Kings of the earth are in your hands. You direct them like a stream to go which way you desire. All things come together by Your infinite and Sovereign will and nothing is left to chance or human discretion. In this we find great comfort and relief in spite of Kings abusing their power and perverting justice. May we see with eyes of faith that you are in control and let us use every legal means we have to pursue your will for us. Use your Spirit to guide us into truth today we pray in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] I don't know how much you pay attention to the news. My recommendation would be to do very little of it if you can help it. However, one recent piece of information that came to light was the release of video footage that supposedly proved that Jeffery Epstein's death was actually a suicide and not a murder. Of course, the video footage has been analyzed with video technology and it was proved to have been edited and saved multiple times. On top of this the conservative majority government just passed a massive bill adding several trillion dollars to our national debt. Many conservatives are fairly put off by both of these things since the current president ran on a campaign of eliminating government waste, balancing the budget, and uncovering and exposing government lies. Some have even said, different party… same old games. I say all this, not to make a political statement one way or another – but merely to prove to you that human government has always been this way. Last week we saw Felix's injustice, and this week we'll see political intrigue too. But the question we really need to ask is… Does God use human government to accomplish His purposes? If you've been with us for the last several messages in the book of Acts, I would hope that you could answer that question already. But let's dive into this text this morning to reaffirm the answer. I.) God providentially accomplishes His purposes through human government, so we must trust the Lord. (1-6) a. [Slide 3] 1 - Festus then, having arrived in the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. i. Porcius Festus, has just become the governor of Judea, Samaria, and Syria. ii. He has replaced Antonius Felix, the savage, brutal, greedy, lustful governor who has since been shipped back to Rome to face trial for his poor governance of the province. iii. Only three days after moving in Festus goes up to Jerusalem. iv. Although Caesarea is the capital of the Roman province, the primary city in the region was, without an equal, Jerusalem. v. So much so, that only 3 days after beginning his new role, Festus is already going 60 miles south to Jerusalem to spend time with prominent Jewish figures who possess a great deal of influence and power in the region, whether they are appointed leaders or not. vi. In this way Festus attempts to network with those who have power and influence. vii. The ruling aristocracy of Jerusalem were not that opposed to Felix's governorship. It was the greater majority of the Jews who suffered under his oppression. viii. But now we find that this Jewish aristocracy, led by the new High Priest, Ishmael Ben Phiabi, who was appointed by Herod Agrippa the second in AD 59, desired greatly to use their power and influence to sway the new governor to deal with their festering problem… ix. A loose end that Felix did not adequately take care of. b. [Slide 4] 2 - And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with him, 3 - requesting a favor against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (while they set an ambush to kill him on the way). i. The Jews really waste no time seeking Festus to do what Felix would not. ii. They bring charges against Paul – Luke doesn't tell us if they are the same charges or different ones. iii. But they begin pleading with Festus to move Paul back to Jerusalem so that they could force him to stand trial for his crimes and ultimately so that Paul could be condemned to death. iv. They ask this as a special request, a favor to them. v. Something offered to help improve relationships between Rome and the Jews. Something offered to secure their loyal support in the coming years of his tenure as governor. vi. Luke also reveals to us that there was yet another secret plan to ambush Paul on the road from Caesarea to Rome. vii. So, will Festus fall for it? c. [Slide 5] 4 - Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 – “Therefore,” he said, “let the influential men among you go down there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him.” i. Although he's new here, Festus is no push over. ii. He knows the proper procedure to deal with accused Roman citizens. iii. Paul is incarcerated in Caesarea. If they have charges against him, they should bring them to Festus' judgment seat. iv. He insists on the Roman way of doing a trail. Paul's accusers should come to him face to face to accuse him. v. So Festus is going to treat the Jews fairly, but not preferentially. vi. He informs the Jews that he himself will be going to Caesarea soon and he invites them to join him on the journey to bring a case against Paul. d. [Slide 6] 6 - And after he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought. i. Luke is obviously uncertain about the exact timing of when Felix came back to Caesarea. ii. This pushes right up to our understanding of how the bible was inspired by God. iii. God breathed out His words through the personalities and memories of the human authors. iv. Here Luke is uncertain – perhaps his memory has failed him or perhaps his sources have two different dates. Or perhaps the uncertainty is based on when Festus left Jerusalem vs when he left the company of the Jewish Elite if they traveled with him. v. In any case, Luke's timetable is only significant in that it was not months and months later that this trial takes place. vi. Although Paul is a problem Festus inherited from his predecessor, he sits down in the judgment seat to deal with the issue immediately. vii. No doubt the list of cases that needed judgement had begun to stack up as the governorship was transferred to Festus. viii. In an ironic twist, the Jews lack of patience regarding Paul's verdict inadvertently leads to Festus taking the case immediately. Paul could have sat in the Praetorium for years waiting for his trial to recommence. ix. The Jew's bloodthirstiness and lack of contentment at Paul's incarceration actually moves the time table forward for Paul. e. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Throughout the course of this scene Luke will show us one primary aspect which God uses to providentially accomplish His purposes. God uses human government to orchestrate the counsel of His will. In this particular section we see that God is using political intrigue to move Paul out of Israel and off to Rome. The various behind the scenes favors and political moves position Paul at the head of the line as the first case Festus will try after becoming the procurator. Paul could have potentially rotted away in prison for many years if it were not for the political aspirations of the Jews and the pressure they desired to put on Festus their new governor. But what appears to be a curse is orchestrated by God for the good of Paul to move him closer to God's plan of having Paul preach the gospel in Rome. Once again, Paul is called upon to trust the Lord that His promises are true. He must be courageous and face the uncertainty that another trial will present – but know that God's will cannot be thwarted. We too must trust the Lord, even when human government seems to be making all the wrong decisions and corruption abounds… God has not lost control. For He even uses this to accomplish His will. Transition: [Slide 8 (blank)] This is one aspect of human government that God uses to accomplish His will, but there is another less seedy and underhanded aspect of human government that God uses too. And what is great about this one – is that we can and should use it to pursue God's will. II.) God providentially accomplishes His purposes through human government, so we use every legal means to pursue God's known will. (7-12) a. [Slide 9] 7 - And after Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, i. This time, the Jews did not hire a professional non-Jewish attorney. ii. Instead, they bring prominent Jewish men to lay out their case against Paul. iii. Luke's portrayal of this event is quite aggressive. They all stand around him like wolves circling their prey. iv. They bring many serious charges against Paul. v. Luke again does not record what they are. vi. More than likely, they are similar to the charges brought two years before. vii. Luke chooses to summarize this second trail before Festus. viii. We know that there was probably a good deal more said, especially when Luke records Festus' understanding of the case in his explains it to Herod Agrippa later in this chapter. ix. Luke continues to point out – these charges could not be substantiated by any evidence or proof. b. [Slide 10] 8 - while Paul said in his own defense, “I have committed no sin either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” i. Luke sums up Paul's defense here. ii. Again, Luke is probably not giving us an in depth record of this trail, more than likely because it has already been recorded to a certain degree in the previous trials before Felix and the Sanhedrin. iii. In Luke's record here, Paul simply denies sinning against any Jewish law, against the temple or against Caesar. iv. In this we hear the previous accusations from two years before come back again. v. The law and the temple might easily fit into the claim that Paul led a heretical movement and that he attempted to defile the temple. vi. The defense about not sinning against Caesar may be the charge that he caused riots throughout the Roman Empire. This could be the portrayal of sedition – a crime against the orderly rule of the emperor. vii. Paul categorically denies all three. c. [Slide 11] 9 - But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and to be tried before me on these matters?” i. Festus is in a difficult position. ii. Once again, he has inherited this mess from his predecessor. iii. He really doesn't want the headache. iv. But he is going to have problems either way. v. On the one hand, it is obvious that Paul is innocent. The case against him is very weak. We know he thought this because of what is revealed later in this episode when he meets with Herod Agrippa. 1. Festus' impression is that nothing that Paul was accused of was worthy of death. 2. Furthermore, what the Jews accused him of amounted primarily to religious disputes and disputes over someone named Jesus who is dead but Paul claims to be alive. 3. Festus very much sees Paul's case as the stronger one. vi. On the other hand, his predecessor was just brought back to Rome for constantly oppressing and abusing his power against the Jews. The last thing he wants to do in the third week of his job is to immediately enrage those same folks. 1. More than likely Festus does not understand the dynamics of Jewish life at this point. 2. He doesn't realize that most of the Jews are not represented by the aristocracy. 3. Opposing these men may not irritate the Jews as much as he might assume. 4. Still, not wise for him to cut so hard against the influential and powerful leaders of Jerusalem. vii. Festus is in quite a pickle but he thinks he has a solution. viii. He suggests to Paul a compromise. ix. The Jews want to try Paul's case in Jerusalem. Yet they have not adequately established his guilt according to any law. x. So, he wants to see if Paul would be willing to help him out. xi. Perhaps if Paul was tried in Jerusalem but under the judgment of Festus himself, this would both make him look good in front of the Jews but he might also have the ability to release Paul finding no fault with him. xii. And since the alleged crimes occurred in Jerusalem and they were primarily religious in nature, perhaps the Sanhedrin could be called upon to clarify a few things for Festus regarding these religious differences. xiii. But alarm bells sound in Paul's ears when he hears this. d. [Slide 12] 10 - But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 - If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” i. Paul's argument is a symmetrical argument. ii. [Slide 13] What I mean by that is that he drives down and then back up. And it all has to do with who should be judging Paul. Who has jurisdiction in this case? iii. A - Right now he is in a Roman court. He sits before a Roman official. He is under Caesar's jurisdiction. He thinks this is the right place for him to be. Why? iv. B - Because he's done no wrong to the Jews. Festus knows this. Everyone knows this. They can't prove anything. Therefore, there is no reason for them to have any say in what happens here. v. C – But if he is guilty of something for which he should die, he isn't going to fight that. Again – that must be handed down from Rome and not from Jerusalem. vi. B – But if none of the things the Jews accuse him of is true – then he is in the right court. And no one can legally say that he must be handed over to their jurisdiction. vii. A – I appeal to Caesar. 1. Every Roman citizen had a right to appeal to the Emperor's judgment on matters when they felt that the lower courts dealt unjustly or they feared for their life because of those pressing charges. 2. In Paul's case, it seems like both are true. 3. I'm not personally convinced that Festus was attempting to hand over jurisdiction to the Jews. I think he was merely trying to find a compromise to legally deal with Paul without harming the relationship with the ruling class of Jews. 4. But it seems like Paul may have thought Festus' intentions were suspect. 5. And why shouldn't he? Festus has no record to look to. He hasn't proven himself to be reasonable or not. And going back to Jerusalem to the Sanhedrin, even if there was a new High Priest, seems more like a step back than forward. 6. An appeal to the Emperor works kind of like an appeal to the supreme court in the US. 7. Once the Emperor made a decision it was final and there were no more appeals. 8. And the process to get before the emperor was usually a long one. 9. Meaning that citizens would appeal to Caesar knowing that they would be in prison for a good deal of time before they saw the Emperor. 10. We know for Paul it took at least two years once he actually got to Rome to go before the Emperor for judgment. 11. So, it wasn't something a citizen would do lightly. 12. Paul feels cornered and uses the last legal trick he has up his sleeve. 13. Now, why didn't Paul use this with Felix over the two years he was in prison? We don't know. Perhaps Paul thought Felix might come to Christ? Perhaps Felix keeping him safe in Caesarea gave him hope at being released. 14. Certainly, entering Rome as a free man would be preferable to entering as an accused criminal. 15. But Festus suggesting moving the trial to Jerusalem almost guaranteed that Paul would be executed either by assassins or by legal verdict. 16. So, he makes his appeal to Caesar. e. [Slide 14] 12 - Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.” i. No doubt part of Festus' discussion with his council was regarding the nature of the appeal. ii. It is irregular for someone to appeal to the Emperor before a verdict has been rendered. iii. Also, we see from the coming verses that Festus is quite perplexed about this whole case. iv. Festus knows that Paul has not been accused of anything worth killing him, yet the Jews insist not only that he has done something against Rome but that they should be the ones who try his case in Jerusalem. These are incompatible. If it is a crime against Rome worthy of death, then Rome should have jurisdiction. v. Adding to this confusion, Paul is claiming that this is a Jewish religious matter, but desires for his case to remain in the hands of the Romans. Which is also incompatible. If it is a Jewish religious dispute, it ought to be given back to the Jews. But again – the Jews want him dead. Which they aren't permitted to do without Rome's approval. vi. Festus confers with his council to try to understand what his options are. vii. The council probably informs him that once a citizen has appealed, regardless of what his decision would have been… they must be sent to Caesar. viii. This is no skin off Festus' nose. He must honor Paul's appeal and regardless of what is decided, he won't get blamed for it. It's a win-win for him. ix. So, Festus comes back with his statement. x. You want it? You got it. xi. Paul will go to Caesar. f. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: The institution of this law to appeal to Caesar had existed since the beginning of the Empire. In fact, it actually predates the Empire and was originally an appeal to the people. So that the people would have the final say in a case. Caesar Augustus changed this law to go to the Emperor rather than the people, establishing the Emperor not only as the Executive branch of the law but the judicial one as well. In this we see that almost 90 years before Paul stands before Festus, his means of escaping to Rome had been secured. This law, written by pagan men hungry for power, had been orchestrated by God to accomplish this purpose for His servant Paul. And Paul uses that law, knowing that it is the Lord's will for Him to go to Rome. We too should use every legal means we have to accomplish the known will of God. Conclusion: So, CBC, what have we learned today that informs our belief and governs our practice? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 16] We have been shown time and time again in this final Act of the narrative Luke records, that God is providentially, sovereignly governing and orchestrating all things to accomplish His purposes. If He has written the end from the beginning, we must recognize that all things that have been, were because God willed them to be. God even uses human government, at its best and at its worst to accomplish His holy purposes. In the life of Paul, we've seen a lot of political intrigue. It seems like everyone wants to use Paul as a pawn for their own political agendas. That doesn't happen today probably

On this episode of Rightly Dividing, the book of Acts, or The Acts of the Apostles, shows us the life and ministry of the apostles of Jesus Christ from the gospels, including one who is “born out of due time”, the apostle Paul. But before he was an apostle of the Lord, Saul was a fearsome type of Antichrist, and we will look at that as well. Think you're called to the ministry? You better think again, the book of Acts shows you what the ministry is, and you may not like it much. Join us as we study the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles, verse by verse and chapter by chapter.TONIGHT'S STUDY: Paul is on trial for his life, and he is going to stand before Felix, Festus and Agrippa to give his complete testimony and credentials. But before everything is wrapped up, Paul will find himself in Rome, standing before Nero who was the reigning Caesar at that time. The Bible doesn't say explicitly when Paul died, but 2 Timothy 1:17 shows Paul is in Rome when he wrote to Timothy, and by the end of that epistle, Paul says he is “ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand.” All signs point to Paul's soon homegoing.

On this episode of Rightly Dividing, the book of Acts, or The Acts of the Apostles, shows us the life and ministry of the apostles of Jesus Christ from the gospels, including one who is “born out of due time”, the apostle Paul. But before he was an apostle of the Lord, Saul was a fearsome type of Antichrist, and we will look at that as well. Think you're called to the ministry? You better think again, the book of Acts shows you what the ministry is, and you may not like it much. Join us as we study the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles, verse by verse and chapter by chapter.TONIGHT'S STUDY: Here in Acts 23, Paul is brought before the council and has to deal with a plot to assassinate him. Amazingly, it is going to take a small army of 200 soldiers, 200 spearmen and 70 horsemen to keep Paul alive long enough to testify in Caesarea. The scene in the courtroom is going to be wilder than anything ever dreamed up by Judge Wapner or Judge Judy. Paul is on trial for his life, and he is going to stand before Felix, Festus and Agrippa before it's all done.

The sermon recounts Paul's defense in Acts 26, where he shares his transformation from persecutor to apostle, emphasizing repentance and Jesus' resurrection. Paul appeals to Agrippa and Festus, urging belief in Jesus as Messiah. The sermon highlights the power of personal testimony and the transformative grace of Christ. Brandon Bachtel | Acts of the Church www.stonepointchurch.com

Acts 25:13-26:32 / June 25-27, 2025 Pastor Chuck Swindoll presents Paul's final trial before Festus and King Agrippa in Acts 26. He stood tall by boldly proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. From the Series: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit read more

Earthly heroes are those who stand tall in moments when others shrink back. They use their voice to speak truth, and their actions follow suit. In those moments of standing tall, they seem invincible.Pastor Chuck Swindoll presents Paul's final trial before Festus and King Agrippa in Acts 26. He stood tall by boldly proclaiming the truth of the gospel.Those who stand tall might not know the impact of their words or actions, but they do what is right regardless. They leave the results to God. How will you stand tall in response to this message? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/82/29

Acts 25:13-26:32 / June 25-27, 2025 Pastor Chuck Swindoll presents Paul's final trial before Festus and King Agrippa in Acts 26. He stood tall by boldly proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. From the Series: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit read more

On this episode of The Collector Car Podcast, I visit Manns Restoration in Festus, Missouri—one of the nation's premier restoration shops where history, horsepower, and hand-built craftsmanship collide. I sit down with Jason Manns to talk about some of the extraordinary projects currently in the shop, including a wild and rare Spohn-bodied custom, a restomodded 1970 Mustang Boss 429 with modern muscle under the hood, and a stunning prewar Bugatti receiving concours-level attention. Jason shares insights into what it takes to prepare a car for the elite concours circuit—from Pebble Beach to Amelia Island—and how every detail matters when you're aiming for that Best of Show trophy. We also explore how his team balances authenticity and innovation, especially when it comes to blending classic style with modern performance. If you're passionate about preserving automotive history—or pushing it forward—you won't want to miss this deep dive into the world of world-class restoration.

Earthly heroes are those who stand tall in moments when others shrink back. They use their voice to speak truth, and their actions follow suit. In those moments of standing tall, they seem invincible.Pastor Chuck Swindoll presents Paul's final trial before Festus and King Agrippa in Acts 26. He stood tall by boldly proclaiming the truth of the gospel.Those who stand tall might not know the impact of their words or actions, but they do what is right regardless. They leave the results to God. How will you stand tall in response to this message? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/82/29

Acts 25:13-26:32 / June 25-27, 2025 Pastor Chuck Swindoll presents Paul's final trial before Festus and King Agrippa in Acts 26. He stood tall by boldly proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. From the Series: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit read more

Acts 25:13-26:32 / June 25-27, 2025 Pastor Chuck Swindoll presents Paul's final trial before Festus and King Agrippa in Acts 26. He stood tall by boldly proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. From the Series: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit read more

Earthly heroes are those who stand tall in moments when others shrink back. They use their voice to speak truth, and their actions follow suit. In those moments of standing tall, they seem invincible.Pastor Chuck Swindoll presents Paul's final trial before Festus and King Agrippa in Acts 26. He stood tall by boldly proclaiming the truth of the gospel.Those who stand tall might not know the impact of their words or actions, but they do what is right regardless. They leave the results to God. How will you stand tall in response to this message? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/82/29

(00:00-14:32) Running down the prima nocta definition for Doug. Hang out over in the 101 YouTube chat for now. So much to get to, Doug, so what's the lede? Tyrese Haliburton with a rough looking achilles injury in Game 7. Audio of Stephen A Smith pre game going after Kendrick Perkins.(14:40-27:24) Doug says the Plow Wedding should be next in the dossier. Doug braved the heat to head to yesterday's Cardinal game. Cards just 4.5 in the Central. Miles Mikolas with the second most career starts at Busch Stadium III. Gonna be a hot week at Busch.(27:34-53:05) You don't hear many Chets these days. Doug did a wonderful job officiating the Plow Wedding. Martin in talks to do a Sports Final from Chairman Steve's balcony? The Redbird Express. Pestus from Festus is on the phone lines. His takes on the Cardinals and Cubs and the NBA Finals. Trying to convince Pestus to dip his toes in the EMOTD waters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comActs 26 Paul defends himself before King Agrippa by recalling his life, his conversion to Christ, and his mission for God. He begins with his strict upbringing as a Pharisee and his zealous persecution of Christians. Paul then describes his dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, where he was blinded and chosen to become a witness to both Jews and Gentiles. He explains how Jesus commissioned him to open the eyes of others, converting them from darkness to light and from Satan to God. Paul's message from Jesus emphasizes the forgiveness of sins for those who repent and turn to God. Festus interrupts, accusing Paul of madness, but Paul remains composed and appeals to Agrippa's understanding of the prophets. Agrippa is impressed but chooses not to respond to the gospel.  Paul's defense starts with a recounting of his past before Christ redirected him. This illustrates his humility, as he acknowledges that he believed he knew what was right but was mistaken and needed to repent. We should share aspects of our journey before coming to Christ when possible. This is a wonderful way to give all glory to the grace of Christ, who redirects and redeems us. Paul further explains that Jesus has given him a mission, which is why he risks his life and remains tireless in his teaching. Like Paul, we should be honest and bold about our mission of service to Christ, living with integrity, and challenging others with scripture in a wise and hopeful manner.  Great God of kindness and grace, thank You for bringing us through our sinful past and to a place of hope and faith. Please help us to always give glory to You for who we are in Christ Jesus. Open doors today to share our story with others, to praise the name of Jesus, and invite others to repent and turn to the Lord so that times of refreshing will come. Will You please soften the hearts of people like Agrippa, who are so close to committing their lives to Christ? How can we help? Use us for Your redemptive work today. Thought Questions: -       How was God patient with you in the years before you became a Christian? Is that a story that can help someone believe in God's grace? -       Do you believe God has a mission for your life? From what you know today, what is that mission? Are you passionately engaged in it? -       Agrippa was almost persuaded, but something held him back. Who can you pray for today who has that mindset and needs encouragement?

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comActs 25 Paul remains imprisoned in Caesarea as the new governor, Festus, takes power. The Jewish leaders aim to bring Paul to Jerusalem with plans to ambush and kill him, but Festus insists on conducting the trial in Caesarea. During the hearing, the Jews present accusations they cannot substantiate, while Paul defends himself, asserting his innocence of any wrongdoing against Jewish law, the temple, or Caesar. When Festus, seeking to appease the Jews, proposes sending Paul to Jerusalem, Paul appeals to Caesar, exercising his rights as a Roman citizen. Festus sees nothing deserving of death in Paul's actions but is willing to send him to Rome. Later, King Agrippa and his sister Bernice visit Festus. Festus discusses Paul's case, and Agrippa expresses interest in hearing from Paul before he is sent to Caesar.  God's timing and will are often beyond our understanding. Paul faces lengthy and challenging struggles among the Jews. Even in these trials, God is using him, and we must trust that He is doing the same with us. Paul's appeal to Caesar demonstrates that we have the right to defend ourselves and seek fairness and legal protection. The key is to remain steadfast in our faith, confident that God is in control of every situation. Political leaders and individuals in all forms of power may be fickle and unreliable in their support, as seen in the lives of Jesus and Paul. We must continue to share Jesus with everyone, regardless of their position, and direct all glory to the Father. All-knowing Father, help us trust You in every situation. Grant us the faith to be holy and courageous in the name of Jesus. Also, bless us with the wisdom to utilize opportunities and resources for Your glory and for our protection. We pray for safety and health in our mission. However, we accept any circumstances that best fulfill Your will of reaching souls. Please be with our political leaders. Open their hearts to scripture and guide them to use their power to protect the innocent. May we remain innocent in all that we do in the name of Your Son. Thought Questions: -       God was at work providentially to protect Paul's life. Do you believe God is at work today protecting you? How do you show gratitude? -       Paul was willing to die but continued to assert his innocence. How do you know when to assert your innocence and when to remain quiet? Festus tells Agrippa that Paul's central message is his belief that 

(00:00-13:04) Tamm Avenue Capital Partners may need another cash call. Tim's still perfect. Audio of Oli Marmol talking about getting out-executed in the sweep. Noot on the struggle bus. Bussin' With The Boys. Call in and air your grievance. Gentleman's Sweep.(13:12-47:27) Were Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch Inspired by the Beach Boys? The chemistry between Jackson and Doug is palpable. Mad Dog was in the camera screaming about the Kershaw/Cardinals thing. Pestus in Festus on the line. He doesn't care what Clayton Kershaw says. Pestus wants Jackson to do the wave. This call's losing air. Shaun on the phones is down on Pestus. Keith is up next and he's got some in game entertainment ideas. An SEC umpire is on hold talking The Wave. Talking umpiring in the SEC and Minor Leagues. The Gerbil is up next batting cleanup.(47:37-1:05:41) Six years ago today the Blues won the Stanley Cup. Audio of the radio call of the final seconds of Game 7 in 2019. Stories from 2019.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Martha Festus bedryf al sewe jaar lank 'n sopkombuis in Havana in Windhoek. Met die winter op hande vra die gemeenskap haar ook vir komberse. Festus versoek hulp van die publiek en sy kan op 081 7435 442 geskakel word vir skenkings. Kosmos 94.1 Nuus het met Festus gepraat wat meer verduidelik.

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comActs 24 Paul stands before Governor Felix to defend himself against accusations made by High Priest Ananias and a lawyer named Tertullus, who seeks to flatter the Governor. They charge Paul with causing dissension, leading a sect, and attempting to desecrate the temple. In his defense, Paul asserts that he worships the God of his ancestors, believes in the resurrection, and strives to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people. Felix postpones his decision, keeping Paul in custody while allowing him certain freedoms. Felix frequently calls for Paul, intrigued by his teachings on faith in Christ, righteousness, and judgment. However, Felix seeks a bribe from Paul, which he refuses to pay. Unfortunately, Felix does not respond to the gospel and, after being replaced by Festus two years later, leaves Paul imprisoned.  Accusers are adamant that Paul is a divisive man who deserves punishment. Considering this, Paul presents a compelling defense. He shows respect to the Governor and calmly recounts his recent actions in Jerusalem, asserting that the accusations are baseless. He directs attention to God, in whom he believes and places his hope. He points out that he and his opponents share a love for God and a belief in the resurrection of the dead. Paul emphasizes that he has acted with a clear conscience every step of the way. This sincerity resonated with Felix, who often invited Paul to teach about Jesus. This entire discourse is an example to us of how to testify about Jesus with integrity.  Dear Lord, please protect Your people from the unrighteous in this world. Some openly deny You, while others believe themselves to be righteous. We pray that You stop their ungodly actions and soften their hearts to know Jesus. Whenever we encounter such unbelievers, grant us wisdom and patience to share Your truth with the right attitude and intent. May it never be about ourselves but always about honoring You and opening the hearts of others to Christ. Create opportunities today to discuss righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Challenge us to live by these fundamental truths in our lives.  Thought Questions: -       Paul was labeled “a real pest.” While not the description Christians seek, are you willing to be labeled if it means standing up for God?  -       Is there an appropriate way to defend yourself against accusations? How do you do so while also honoring God in the process? -       Felix heard the truth but kept procrastinating. What is the danger of putting off important spiritual truths for a later time?

As Paul concludes his defense before King Agrippa, Festus interrupts Paul to remark that he is out of his mind to claim the things he has! Paul does not back down though, and with boldness makes an invitation to believe. Join us as Pastor Nathan walks us through the conclusion of this section of Acts, as we consider what it means to invite others to accept and believe that the Gospel is true.

Even though Paul is not present, Festus speaks to King Agrippa and Bernice about his words and actions for Jesus. (Lectionary #301) June 6, 2025 - Cathedral Rectory - Superior, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci - www.studyprayserve.com  

(00:00-23:20) Hate texts coming in before the show even gets started. Where would you even release a nude? Jackson vs. Doug on retractable roofs. Workshopping Thursday's problems. The Mack was a real who's who on Saturday. AI on the Fan Page. Name change season. Martin got to meet some of the listeners at The Dotem.(23:28-45:26) Sunny Delight, Kool-Aid, & Tang. Good conversations with old school 101 listeners who hate us. Time for our weekly Pestus from Festus call. Pestus has a question for Jackson about NBA on TNT and ESPN. Cardinal game on Roku. Pestus didn't like the commercials. Prime Karen years.(45:36-1:02:40) Fine human craftsmanship. Everybody hates everything. Ranking MLB's Top 25 games of the 2000's. Doug's struggling with this one.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textGo back a few years my friends. Back to when you were a kid. This episode will probably take you there when you hear GENE AUTRY, ROY ROGERS & DALE EVANS and then TEX RITTER. Believe it or not, even the great movie star JACK PALANCE did a country album ,as did KEN CURTIS, or as you might recognize him as FESTUS. Hey, LORNE GREEN and DONNY PARENTEAU as well as JERRY LEE LEWIS are all here. All of them HEROES in my book. Hope you enjoy and share.

Rizz's son is on the road for good. Do you know music then play the game with us today. Google search data reveals most misspelled word for Texas.Charges have been filed against Festus resident Jack Roper, 56, following an eventful vehicle pursuit that ended dramatically on the Chain of Rocks Bridge.St. Louis City SC's Olof Mellberg fired less than a year into his coaching tenure.The top 10 Tom Cruise movies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join us as we discuss Paul's appearance before Festus and his appeal to the Roman Emperor to hear his case. Do we exhibit tremendous peace and trust in God like Paul in our difficult circumstances?

Monday, 26 May 2025   But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; Matthew 10:19   “And when they should deliver you, not you should be disquieted how or what you should say. It will be given for you in that hour what you should say” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus informed the apostles that they would be brought before officials as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. He now continues with, “And when they should deliver you.”   This is referring to the act of taking these apostles to the forum where the leaders just mentioned sat, be it in a proconsul office or a speech to kings and others, such as occurred with Paul in Acts when he addressed Festus, Agrippa, and others. They would be taken before these men and asked to state their words concerning Jesus. At such a time, Jesus says, “not you should be disquieted how or what you should say.”   Jesus uses the same word, merimnaó, that He used 6 times in Chapter 6 to alleviate the concerns of the disciples, and by extension, the others who attended the Sermon on the Mount concerning various issues. The word gives the sense of being over-anxious.   The apostles, as they went forth, were not to be in such a state because, as Jesus next says, “It will be given for you in that hour what you should say.”   The meaning is that until that point, they may be curious about what they will say as a witness, but that curiosity shouldn't concern them. Rather at that very hour, when they are brought forward to speak, they will be given words suitable to the situation. The next verse will explain why Jesus says this to them.   Life application: Of the words of this verse, Cambridge says –   “Curiously enough this has been quoted as if it justified want of preparation for sermons or addresses to a Christian congregation.”   The words “curiously enough” indicate that the commentator understood that such a thought is nonsense. And yet, these words of Jesus are cited quite often by people as they claim they will be inspired by the Spirit to speak.   There is nothing to suggest that this is the case, and a proper understanding and application of context will tell the student of the Bible that such is not the case. This is especially to be considered true because a large majority of Christians don't know the Bible very well. They may not know sound doctrine at all.   If this is so, why would the Spirit of the Father work through people with opposing viewpoints on theology to make their case through leaders today? Rather, we have the Bible. It is our responsibility to learn it and then tell what we know as best we can to those who ask. This is why Peter says –   “And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.' 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:13-17   Peter did not tell his hearers that they would be given words at a particular time concerning what to say. And Peter knew better than most that proper doctrine counts. His epistle came after his rebuke from Paul for not holding to sound doctrine, as is recorded in Galatians 2.   We are given brains to use. If we fail to use them in studying theology, we will not know proper theology. God is not going to bail us out when we stand before others, having failed to do our best to learn what His word says. Jesus' words are given in a particular context for a particular reason. Let us remember this and keep things in their proper context!   Lord God, it is true that Your word is big and complicated. It requires a lot of time and difficult thinking to get its almost infinite number of nuances. And so, please be with us as we study and prepare ourselves to present our defense for the hope that is in us. Guide our minds now to prepare so that we will be prepared when needed. Amen.  

Sunday, 25 May 2025   You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. Matthew 10:18   “And also upon governors and kings, you will be brought because of Me for a testimony to them and the Gentiles” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told his apostles to beware of men because they would deliver them up to councils and scourge them in their synagogues. Continuing with this thought, He next says, “And also upon governors and kings, you will be brought.”   A new word is introduced here, agó, translated as “brought.” It is a primary verb signifying to lead, bring, drive, etc. In this case, it is future tense with a passive voice, thus “you will be brought.”   In the Bible, the word translated as governors includes positions such as proconsuls, procurators, etc. The title of king is one that is seen at times in the NT, such as Peter's being arrested under the authority of King Herod in Acts 12.   The words of Jesus here certainly would have applied to these apostles to some extent later in their ministries, but the majority of the interaction with such positions, as recorded in the Bible, was between Paul and such men. This is because Luke especially followed the life of Paul as he traveled among the Gentiles.   In fact, the name Paul was probably one taken on by him after his meeting with Sergius Paulus, as is recorded in Acts 13. After that encounter, he is never called Saul again, except when quoting past events. From that time forward, he was known as Paul. As for the reason for being brought before them, Jesus next says, “because of Me.”   This was their life calling. They were apostles of Jesus, and He was sending them forth bearing His name. It may be that even during this early period, they would appear before such positions, but there is nothing specifically recorded concerning it. Whenever it did happen, however, it was “for a testimony to them and the Gentiles.”   The stating of two different categories, “them and the Gentiles,” seems to indicate that the testimony was for the leaders to hear and then bring a positive influence for the gospel on those under them. As many of these would be Gentile leaders, this is where their influence would rest.   As such, what appears to be the case is that this is referring to something such as the trial of Paul in Acts 25, where Festus, Agrippa, and others held trial. The testimony concerning Jesus was to both Jews and Gentiles there, as it was in other situations Paul found himself in. But Paul, like the other apostles, knew in advance this would be the case –   “Then Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.' 15 But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake.'” Acts 9:13-16   The words tend to give weight to the thought that while Israel was rejecting the gospel, the Gentiles would begin to be receptive to it.   Life application: The words thus far are intended to show that Israel was given every opportunity to accept Jesus as their Messiah. The testimony to foreign positions of authority and foreigners was actually a part of this. Jesus spoke concerning the sign of Jonah, meaning his preaching.   Jonah said that in forty days, Nineveh was to be destroyed. In the Bible, the often-seen application of such a statement as this is a day for a year. In other words, when Jesus said that the sign of Jonah would be given to them, He was saying that they had forty years to acknowledge Him.   The witness to Gentiles was intended, even from the beginning, to get Israel to see this and turn to Him –   “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.'” Romans 9:25-27   Paul wrote this during that forty-year period, and from other passages in the New Testament, it seems that it was believed that this blindness would quickly be replaced with sight, the kingdom would be ushered in, and Jesus' return would have taken place.   And yet, we are still waiting for this to take place two thousand years later. Jesus' plan is being worked out, and His church continues to be built. Israel was destroyed, they were exiled, having rejected Jesus, but they will be spiritually restored to usher in the promised millennial kingdom. Their regathering at this time is for this purpose.   They will go through the purification of the tribulation period along with the rest of the world, but they will be saved through it. God's promises will never fail. Let us trust in this and be confident that everything promised will come about as prophesied.   Lord God, there are times in the past when we have misunderstood Your word. Maybe that is still the case today. There may be a long haul before the return of Jesus comes about. All we can do is wait patiently and continue to faithfully proclaim Your word until then. However, it is our desire to see Him really soon! May You speed His coming. How we long to see Jesus. Amen.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day. And a big shout-out today to Jeffrey Brewer from Festus, MO. William, thank you for being a part of this movement through Project23. You are making a difference. This one's for you. Today, we're looking at Mark 3:13-19: And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. — Mark 3:13-19 Jesus went up a mountain, away from the crowds, and called a group of disciples to himself. Not to witness his miracles—but to be with him. That's where all true Christian mission begins: with presence, not performance. After all, Christian mission has Christ in the name. Jesus calls them in before he sends them out. Don't miss that basis. Before they ever preached a sermon or cast out a demon. Before they healed. Before they traveled. Before they led. Before they were sent. Jesus called them in to be with him. It's easy to miss that in a world that celebrates productivity. We often think God is most pleased when we're doing something for him. But Jesus modeled that relationship with him always comes before responsibility for him. We must experience his transformation from within to accomplish his duty without. Jesus's mission always starts with this: sit with him—then step out for him. Our mission is rooted in presence, not performance. It's about being formed by the one we follow—not just doing ministry in his name, or worse, doing it in our own strength and slapping his name on top. For example, consider the men mentioned in this text today. They were ordinary disciples, like you and me. There was nothing extraordinary about them. Except for the fact that they had been with Jesus and he empowered them to extraordinary things because of him. They were not impressive men. Not one of them. But they did extraordinary things. Take John Mark, for example. There was nothing extraordinary about him. He bailed on Paul, and then Paul refused to take him on another mission trip. In this Gospel, he writes down the story of Jesus told by Peter, who was very impulsive and even denied Jesus. Today, we hold an extraordinary book in our hands because men like the ones listed here have been with Jesus. Today, focus more on being with Jesus than doing for him. Let that time fuel the work he wants to do with you—and through you—tomorrow. ASK THIS: How has your busyness overshadowed your time with Jesus? What keeps you from simply being with Jesus before serving? In what ways do you rely on your strength instead of his? Who are you seeking to impress—Jesus or others—and why? DO THIS: Sit quietly with Jesus for ten minutes today before doing any task for him. PRAY THIS: Lord Jesus, thank you for calling me into your presence before sending me out. Help me rest in your nearness so I can serve from your strength. Amen. PLAY THIS: Abide.

(00:00-23:00) Doug's nursing an oblique strain today. Mark us down for another series win. Saturday's game was a little too quick for Doug. Thriller at the BattleDome. Tractor pulls. Big Tank DelVecchio is surging. Oli Marmol talking about missing out on some offensive opportunities to get the sweep. Great starting pitching. Ivan Herrera. Audio from Jordan Walker and Alexa Datt after Saturday's win. Youngry Birds is taking off. Doug threatens to shut down the text inbox.(23:00-38:49) Rich Gould didn't like working on Sundays. Another Doggies L. Leafs get trounced in Game 7. Leafs fans were down on their team. Audio of Biz Nasty in the studio during the beatdown talking about the "pathetic performance." Jackson's new hockey sounder. Audio of Craig Berube after the Game 7 loss. Mark Scheifele playing after losing his dad. People aren't happy with the topic.(38:58-59:40) Doug likes the jazz flute and the Tigers are in town tonight. What will the crowd at Busch look like? Doug's an attendance homer. Prod Joe gets suspended for some reason. Pestus from Festus on the line for his weekly hit. Timber isn't Jackson's bailiwick. Friday's storms. You gotta log off, brother.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Things done in a corner are concealed from general knowledge. It seems evident that Luke, the writer of the book of ACTS was with Paul on some of his travels. Ch. 27 v.1 shows he was with him as he travelled after his appeal to Caesar (v.1,3,4 &c “we” experienced this and that). The defense of Paul before King Agrippa and the Roman Governor is given in such detail it is evident it is a personal report. Festus, the Roman Governor struggles to comprehend what Paul is saying, he desires to write a report to Caesar detailing the nature of the accusations against him.Paul declares, “To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” [26 v.22,23] Festus is confused saying, “Paul, you are out of your mind.” Paul responds, “I am not out of my mind … I am speaking true and rational words … for this has not been done in a corner” {v.24-26]The events of nearly 2,000 years ago are powerfully evidenced by history – not just the Bible text – but in Roman history. Alongside this we can put our reading today in Deuteronomy 28. Moses sets out the blessings the nation will have if they truly serve God when they enter the promised land. The first generation did so – as the book of Joshua we are about read shows.!But the latter part of our chapter details the curses that would come upon them for turning their back on God – ending with an awesome description which had its ultimate fulfilment in the Holocaust 70 years ago. “The Lord will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul. Your life will hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread …” [v.66,67] Some try to deny the Holocaust but “this has not been done in a corner”What position do we take? There is no neutral position! Jesus said, “whoever denies me before me, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” [Matt. 10 v.33]

In Acts 25 tells us that, when Festus was determined to send Paul to Jerusalem, the Apostle had no alternative but to make his appeal to Caesar. After a short period of time Festus conducts another hearing of Paul's matters. Festus was again seeking the favour of the Jews and at this time Paul announces that he would exercise his right as a Roman Citizen to be judged by Caesar. We then hear of Herod Agrippa and his wife Bernice visiting Caesarea and at this time Festus requests that they hear Paul's case as Festus was struggling with the wording of the charge to be made against Paul. Festus explains to Agrippa that in his opinion there was no commuting or a capital crime, but simply matters concerning Jewish law. With great pomp and ceremony Agrippa, Bernice and all the other dignitaries enter the judgment hall. Festus seeks Agrippa's view about the nature of the charge to appear on the letter to be sent to Caesar. Chapter 26 records Paul's defence and his earnest appeal to Agrippa to embrace the Christian cause. Paul tells his audience of his fervour for the Jewish way and his concerted opposition to Christianity. But when he was confronted by the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus everything changed. He tells the audience of his great commission and then knowing king Agrippa to be a man who read the prophets he appeals to the king to adopt the Christian belief. Festus, being embarrassed by the situation, attempts to finish the hearing immediately by declaring Paul to be mad due to his great learning. Paul was not to be silenced so quickly and continues to ask Agrippa whether he believes the prophets. Paul states plainly I know you believe them king Agrippa. At this point king Agrippa and all the dignitaries rise and leave with the king stating Paul's innocence.

Acts 25:1-26:32 - Speaker: Lukus Counterman - In Acts 25-26, Paul stood before the Roman governor Festus and King Agrippa II. Festus couldn't figure out what charges to put down against Paul before shipping him off to Rome. So, he had King Agrippa listen to the Jewish accusers as well as Paul's defense. While the path of obedience hadn't been easy, and although many people resisted the message of God's grace, Paul wouldn't be silenced. He used every opportunity to speak about the resurrected Savior. Only Jesus can turn people from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, from sinful enslavement to freedom. So Paul proclaimed Christ to all who would hear. May the Lord use his word to encourage each of us to walk in his will and share his message of grace.

(00:00-18:38) Jamie Rivers checking in with us. What the Blues need to do to get back in this series. Third period has been the Blues' nemesis. The atmosphere at the Enterprise Center tomorrow night. Jets trying to get in Binner's kitchen. Story of Jamie playing against Mario Lemieux. The importance of scoring the first goal. Rump pats. (18:46-35:11) Doug can't keep his feet from moving. Oli Marmol talking about the offensive performance and Pallante and Matz on the mound. Needed this one. Nolan Gorman talking to The Cat postgame. Maypole celebration. They're not happy with the late puck drop in Minnesota. (35:21-58:56) Taylor Twellman joins the show talking about the dire situation STL City is in. Dealing with injuries in training. Fans still showing up. Just not scoring any goals. The ownership's need to spend money. But need more than just one player to fix this. Still 2-3 pieces away. Are there any needlepoint belts in Festus? Chairman has always been fashion forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

(00:00-18:38) Jamie Rivers checking in with us. What the Blues need to do to get back in this series. Third period has been the Blues' nemesis. The atmosphere at the Enterprise Center tomorrow night. Jets trying to get in Binner's kitchen. Story of Jamie playing against Mario Lemieux. The importance of scoring the first goal. Rump pats.(18:46-35:11) Doug can't keep his feet from moving. Oli Marmol talking about the offensive performance and Pallante and Matz on the mound. Needed this one. Nolan Gorman talking to The Cat postgame. Maypole celebration. They're not happy with the late puck drop in Minnesota. (35:21-58:56) Taylor Twellman joins the show talking about the dire situation STL City is in. Dealing with injuries in training. Fans still showing up. Just not scoring any goals. The ownership's need to spend money. But need more than just one player to fix this. Still 2-3 pieces away. Are there any needlepoint belts in Festus? Chairman has always been fashion forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(00:00-16:25) Doug, you wanted Gloria? You got it. Cardinals celebration songs over the years. The Vengaboys. Buzz wants to talk it over with the boys. Total fat in Buzz's jalapeño and cheese sausage roll. Buzz's abstinence has lead to this Blues run. Festus flare ups. The female listeners are lining up for the Real Housewives of TMA. Be better, not bitter. (16:33-39:02) Doug didn't watch much Glee. Jane Lynch. 90 minute White Lotus finale this weekend. Enthusiasm towards the Cardinals. Rays North. Has the Marmol hate lessened at all? Nolan Gorman to IL, Saggese with the call up. The Battle Turf. Bring the Bengals home. (39:12-44:02) Puck Cancer charity game tonight. Joel Quenneville. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

(00:00-37:20) Jackson and Robert Thomas have really bonded. Incessant babble. Tim's phone is a pipeline to former Listeners of the Year. The Tim Curse has been broken. Doug says line em up, and knock em down. What a moment for Kevin Hayes. Falling asleep in the MRI machine. Audio of Jim Montgomery talking about coming out flat and still getting the W. Jimmy Snipes gets his first NHL point. Rich Gould's having his heel scraped. St. Louis Hills Country Club. (37:28-1:04:11) What's the deal with the Stanley cups? Tim missed Lern's birthday party. Was it Jackson's fault? Martin's profile pic is a picture of a bull. Jerry Lewis and Andy Dick. Why was Andy Dick in ProdJoe's hotel room? Crosby having dinner at Schenn's house. (1:04:21-1:15:41) Chairman says Stevie Wonder is not blind. Songs of jubilation. Pestus in Festus has some Blues updates for us. Pestus gives his take on Chairman's Stevie Wonder theory. The byproduct of a hard working husband. The Real Housewives of TMA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

(00:00-16:25) Doug, you wanted Gloria? You got it. Cardinals celebration songs over the years. The Vengaboys. Buzz wants to talk it over with the boys. Total fat in Buzz's jalapeño and cheese sausage roll. Buzz's abstinence has lead to this Blues run. Festus flare ups. The female listeners are lining up for the Real Housewives of TMA. Be better, not bitter.(16:33-39:02) Doug didn't watch much Glee. Jane Lynch. 90 minute White Lotus finale this weekend. Enthusiasm towards the Cardinals. Rays North. Has the Marmol hate lessened at all? Nolan Gorman to IL, Saggese with the call up. The Battle Turf. Bring the Bengals home. (39:12-44:02) Puck Cancer charity game tonight. Joel Quenneville. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(00:00-37:20) Jackson and Robert Thomas have really bonded. Incessant babble. Tim's phone is a pipeline to former Listeners of the Year. The Tim Curse has been broken. Doug says line em up, and knock em down. What a moment for Kevin Hayes. Falling asleep in the MRI machine. Audio of Jim Montgomery talking about coming out flat and still getting the W. Jimmy Snipes gets his first NHL point. Rich Gould's having his heel scraped. St. Louis Hills Country Club. (37:28-1:04:11) What's the deal with the Stanley cups? Tim missed Lern's birthday party. Was it Jackson's fault? Martin's profile pic is a picture of a bull. Jerry Lewis and Andy Dick. Why was Andy Dick in ProdJoe's hotel room? Crosby having dinner at Schenn's house. (1:04:21-1:15:41) Chairman says Stevie Wonder is not blind. Songs of jubilation. Pestus in Festus has some Blues updates for us. Pestus gives his take on Chairman's Stevie Wonder theory. The byproduct of a hard working husband. The Real Housewives of TMA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How can we stay grounded in an anxious political climate?   Leadership anxiety expert Steve Cuss joins the Good Faith Podcast to help us navigate Trump's turbulent second term without becoming overwhelmed. We explore how chronic anxiety spreads through reactivity, why political leaders and their followers often amplify fear through straw man arguments, and how we can break free from the cycle. Drawing from his experience as a trauma chaplain and beyond, Steve shares practical tools for maintaining spiritual and emotional balance. If political division is making your mind race, heart pound, or body tense, Steve offers wisdom and encouragement to help you find calm and clarity in the chaos.   Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: askcurtis@redeemingbabel.org   Send Campfire Stories to: info@redeemingbabel.org   Resources or references mentioned in this episode: Frederick Buechner's Whistling in the Dark The Evangelical vote in 2024 The Los Angeles Times: Is Donald Trump a new King David? “Remember the Lord” from Proverbs 3:6-16 GNT Jacob's assurance from Genesis 28 NLT  Jesus' trial before Pilate John 18:28-40 NLT Paul's trials before Festus and Felix Acts 24-26 NLT Jesus calls Herod a “fox” Luke 13:31-32 NLT Freedom to love others Galatians 5:13 More about Gregory Boyle More From Steve Cuss: Steve's podcast Being Human Steve's book Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs Steve's book The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space between Our Beliefs and Experience of God Steve's website (free access to the Life Giving List and Conscious List of Relationships) Register for the Illuminate Arts & Faith Conference   Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   Sign up: Redeeming Babel Newsletter