It’s my intention to try to preach the gospel using this scripture next Sunday morning.
But in the mean time, this evening I’d like to think about the preaching of the gospel.
And not just the preaching of the gospel, but the hearing and mishearing of the gospel.
Assuming that you will be in our services next Sunday
we both need to consider what we are trying to accomplish.
He wanted to know more about the charge of disturbing the peace there in the temple.
The best person to offer evidence in that part of the case was the Chief Captain, Claudius Lysias.
As to Paul, being a ringleader of the Nazarenes, Felix was willing to listen to Paul more fully about that, and to let his wife hear and advise him as well.
But that was not something criminal.
Felix was just curious about it and thought that his wife would be as well.
But first, a couple of points about those two things:
First, there is no indication that Lysias was ever actually ordered to come down from Jerusalem.
After two years, Paul was still in Roman custody and the supplementary trial hadn’t taken place.
And if it hadn’t been that Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus, who knows if there would have ever been a second trial.
And some say that now that Paul had explained himself, Felix knew that he needed to get more facts about the case.
But if we take Luke’s words at their face value,
and that he refused to be confused by the arguments and flattery of the priests and their lawyer.
If he did have a more perfect knowledge of that way, it was probably through people like Cornelius, the Roman Centurion, or through Philip the Evangelist, who both lived in Caesarea.
This makes me wonder how much about Christ Felix really did know?
And that is my theme for this evening.
and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.”
And “he sent for [Paul] the oftener, and communed with him.”
There is a sense in which, whenever and for whatever reason, we can get people to listen to the gospel it is a good thing.
The gospel is something absolutely unique; it has a kind of life of its own, or a life from God.
It is at the heart of the Word of God, which is a “discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
When people are saved they are “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
So even though someone may not have the highest purposes in going to hear the gospel, what those people might hope for may be entirely different from what the Lord accomplishes with that gospel.
However, if the evangelist could pick the kind of heart that he would like to have in his hearer, it would be one that is already broken over sin and longing for God’s salvation with humility and surrender.
If I had my way, everyone here tonight would have a hunger and thirst after righteousness, with a willingness to immediately do whatever the Lord would tell them to do.
I wish that we were all on the edge of our seats, waiting for the next command, or exhortation or revelation.
We should all be like little birds, with our mouths wide open as the mother returns from her successful hunting expedition
But what is ideal and what is reality are two different things.
The preacher will gladly take any hearer who is listening for whatever reason, even if it isn’t the best.
Do you suppose that Paul was aware that Felix want to use him for a little extra income?
“He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.”
Paul may have been confined to the barracks in Herod’s Judgment Hall, but the guards were told to permit any visitors who wanted to see him.
And Philip was probably there a couple of times a week along with the pastor of the church.
Aristarchus and Trophemus came to visit with perhaps other saints from as far away as Corinth.
He had heard Paul refer to the fact that he was in Jerusalem with his pockets full of alms for his nation.
He assumed that this ringleader of the Nazarenes had access to lots of money.
It was flatly illegal for Felix to demand or accept bribes or ransoms, but there on the outskirts of the Empire that sort of thing was common.
And as Tacitus has already told us, “Felix lived like a King but had the heart of a slave.”
So Paul was invited into the livingroom of the Governor with the hope that he’d bring a pile of gold with him.
Well then, why didn’t Paul pay that bribe and get back to the work of world evangelism?
That might be the sort of thing that warrants an hour of discussion during Sunday School or around the dinner table.
Its an intriguing moral question that you parents might discuss with your children.
Paul could have asked some of his visitor to send out the word, and money would have been pouring in from Asia, Macedonia and Achaia.
Do you think that there weren’t any offers by the brethren? Sure there were.
So why didn’t Paul accept them, collect that money and give it to Felix?
Was it that Paul felt that if he had payed that bribe, it would become nothing more than the down-payment in an on-going blackmail scheme?
Was it because the Lord made a special revelation to Paul that he was to stay there until Rome released him?
Even though Paul must have known why it was that Felix often invited him to meet, he kept going in order to preach Christ to him.
Felix’ motive was evil, but Paul did his best to make some good out of it.
Another poor excuse to hear the gospel, is to be ENTERTAINED.
Remember that electricity hadn’t been harnessed back in that day, so the radios, TVs, and computers didn’t have any energy with which to run.
I’m sure that there were lots of evenings when the Governor and his wife, got bored with their usual entertainments and that they sought for something different.
“Hey, that preacher is good for a laugh. Why don’t we invite Paul to join us for supper?”
Do you ever wonder how many visitors come to Calvary Baptist Church to be entertained?
How many come out of CURIOSITY?
There are two kinds of curiosity which might come into play in this case:
First, there is curiosity about what we preach – curiosity about the gospel.
They buy ads in the newspapers, or print up fliers and handbills, with pictures of the speaker and long lists of his accomplishments or his previous preaching engagements.
In the next chapter we are going to see Agrippa coming for a visit, and at Paul’s name, Agrippa got all excited about hearing Paul preach.
“Oh, I’ve heard about this man; let me hear his case.”
Other poor reasons to hear the gospel include a DESIRE TO PLEASE SOMEONE ELSE.
Some people would never visit the house of God, but they do come because they have been asked.
We wish that everyone were searching for a true gospel church to attend, but that just isn’t so.
Does that mean that we shouldn’t invite people to come with us to the house of God?
If out of respect to you, a neighbor or relative is willing to come to a gospel service, praise God!
That may not be the best reason in the world, but if it’s good enough to get him here, then use it.
It’s certainly not the same thing as offering him a hundred dollars to come and fill a seat.
There are a lot of people who use religion in order to EASE THEIR SOULS and to appease their consciences.
They go to mass every week, because it makes them feel good about themselves, even though they got drunk three times during the preceding seven days.
And if they are invited to hear the Apostle Paul, they might go to hear him for exactly the same reason.
There are some who think that the hearing the gospel, somehow sanctifies their sin, in the same way that making confession to a priest somehow washes away their transgression.
This is probably a terrible reason to come to the services of a gospel-preaching church, but if while they are there the Lord breaks that person’s heart and pulls him to his knees in repentance, then praise the Lord!
There may be all kinds of poor reasons to attend to the preaching of God’s Word, but the Lord can use even the worst reasons for His honour and glory.
Even though they weren’t the highest and holiest, Paul went anyway.
In other words, he knew his audience.
And he knew that Felix and his adulterous wife needed Christ Jesus.
It didn’t matter if they were Jews or Romans, they needed the only salvation which is available to man.
And so Paul preached to them of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come.
Have you ever notice how similar those words are to John 16:7-11?
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
Just as John the Baptist did to Drusila’s forefather, Paul probably pointed out the couple’s adultery.
He built on his statements about resurrection and clearly declared that they were going to stand before Christ to be judged.
He preached the gospel to them.
And he didn’t dilute his message by bribing them with money, bubble-gum, Starbucks or rock-singers.
The various reasons that people might have in coming to the house of God,
demand that the preacher stay focused on his responsibility.
He needs to be aware of his hearers needs rather than their wants and reasons.
I’m not sure that it is a Biblical principle,
is morally more guilty than the man who hasn’t heard the command.
Nor can I say that there will NOT be something like that at the Judgment.
But besides that, there will be those, like Felix, whose consciences will shiver until they tremble before the gospel.
I’ve pointed out the word “reason” before:
And that suggests to me that it wasn’t emotionalism and super-charged rhetoric which made the man tremble.
The trembling came as the Holy Spirit worked upon the conscience of that wicked man.
But despite the work of the Lord Himself, Felix was apparently NOT saved.
There will be occasions when people who come before the gospel for the very best reasons, and they go away lost.
And there will be occasions when people come for very poor reasons, and yet the Lord saves them.
And there will be occasions when people like Felix, will come for selfish reasons, they will be convicted of their sins, but they will go home in their sins, to eventually die without Christ.
All of which reminds us of the importance of faithfulness and prayer.
It is the Lord who saves the sin-dead soul.
But the means which God has ordained to bring about that miracle is the faithful evangelist.
What an awesome work you and I have to perform.