We are this morning – this is December, probably the 4th, yes, this is my wife’s birthday today.

And so we’re going to do something; this is on Felix this morning; we’re doing a series here on Paul’s testimony, and even though these things seem a little different, these have a lot to do with, does our testimony have have to match Paul’s? No, it doesn’t. The way Paul was saved, and the healings, and all those things that he was doing – that was my point. We’ve been over that. But we still see Paul doing these things even up to this point, and we’ll wrap it up here pretty soon, but today and tonight — this morning and tonight – I  like to look at Paul’s stuff because what he does have happening in his life does often happen with us; the people he meets, we meet the same kind of people.

So we’re looking at Felix this morning in Acts 23, and then tonight we’re going to look at Festus.

(I got a dog walking around in here right now. You know, you’d think he could be quiet like he’s been for the last week since we got him, and now he’s just stirring around here. But that’s the way dogs are; he’s been a good pal though.)

So we’re looking at Felix; let’s go to Acts 23, and we’re basically just going to read through these things with a few stop-off points, but let’s keep in mind here, right now Felix, what he is, he’s the Roman governor, OK, so he’s got some power kind of a thing, and he’s got a Jewish wife.

And Festus — it’s a funny thing , and I’m going to really try hard to be careful with this thing today, but why is it important that we know that Felix comes to talk with Paul, and Festus comes to talk with Paul, and both times they bring their wife. And when Festus comes he brings his wife (not his wife, we see later - but close) and she comes in all pomp. It says there, “Comes with pomp.” So she’s all fancy shmancy, that whole kind of thing. And I think there’s a reason for it. And it; and it may be an underground reason or a hidden reason or whatever; it may be just my experience in life with people, couples and with men, and in doing the fair booth. There is something to do with a man making some heavy-duty decisions, and his wife is with him, and I think that’s something that’s in here for us to be aware of. Why else would he mention that their wives (ladies) came with them? Who cares – kind of a thing. So we’ll get to that here in a few minutes, but Felix is big on flattery, he buys into this flattery thing, and we know from Scripture that flattery actually blinds people.

(Oh, hang on, I’ve got to let the stupid dog out. That’s irritating as nothing is; that will never happen again, believe me.)

So this flattery thing, we know that flattery in Proverbs blinds a person’s children, so flattery is blinding; they think they are really special, they think they are very intelligent, they think they’ve got wisdom – what it is that you’re – they think they’re an artist, they think they’re a musician, they think that they’re skilled on something. I’ll tell you, the schools they are – not we – they are huge on flattery, and I’m not. If they’re going to be told that they did a good job, they’re going to have done a good job on their confidence, etc., etc.

And then there’s a verse in here that says that he had more perfect knowledge of “that way.” That’s a very interesting statement, so we’ll look at that in a few moments here as well.

Now, remember it was stated that he came with violence. No, he didn’t come with violence; just because you have an army doesn’t mean you’re going to do the violent thing. So there will be a lie here coming up here with – what’s his name there? Tertullus, there we go – “And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.” So Paul is innocent through this whole thing, and it seems like everybody knows it, but nobody has the stuff.

You know, when we are talking with people, we’re Christians; we’re talking about God, we’re talking about Jesus, we’re talking about salvation. We’re just like all the other Christians are willing to talk about — same subjects, you know – heaven —  and everybody just kind of accepts that. But when we start talking about what we talk about if we talk anymore with anybody, then they know they don’t like what they hear, but they see you flipping through the Scriptures, and they know that it’s scriptural, they know that it’s in the same Bible they believe; but they’re just are not going to go along with it.

Anyway, so this is why I say that we’re going to learn a lot from this Felix guy.

OK, so let’s go down here now. Let’s go into chapter 24 now; uh, let’s see, no let’s go back to 23 verse 35: “I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.”  So everybody is waiting for these accusers to come by; they have heard the charges but they have not heard them from the people themselves.

OK, 24 — now we’ve got this Tertullus guy; we’ve already talked about him, 2 and 3, Tertullus is big with his own flattery to Felix: “Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness,” so Paul comes in and disturbs these things; it’s like looking at your pastor: “You know, pastor, you’ve done so well for us and you taught us so well, and our lives are quiet. And then this Paul guy comes along and disturbs the quietness.” That’s what he’s getting ready to do here: “very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence” – "you’ve been a great pastor. The church is growing well; we got a new parking lot, we’ve got better music, we’ve got an electric piano — all this kind of stuff, you know.” “We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.” We’re very thankful toward our pastor; he’s done such a marvelous time in our life.

“However,” he says, “Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee” — "You know, pastor, I hate to bother you with such trivial matters, but this guy keeps talking to me about this Paul stuff." So there’s where we’re at.

Then it goes on here;  listen to last week’s sermon for those who haven’t heard it; verses 5 and 6 are exactly what people say about us or about Paul’s teaching: “a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition” – you know, we’re going to take away the morals. Modern Christianity says you can’t do this, thou shalt not do this, thou shalt not do that, and apparently Paul said you can. You know, so they think we’re going to spoil their morals, “mover of sedition” — we’re going to get get people churned up in church, we’re going to take the quietness and the peacefulness away from people.

“And a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” We’re in verse 5; and so we’re ringleaders of this Paul stuff, you know, we’re problems here. And verse 6: “Who also hath gone about to profane the temple.” You know, we’re making the church a nonreligious building; we’re making the altar a table with statues on it. We’re taking the cross down from the wall. Bob, remember when we did that year. We were taking the holiness and the sacredness out of the church service; everybody just seems to have to play church and all that. So this is what they’re complaining to Paul about. Anyway, that’s ____ list; you can listen to the sermon from last week about that, and we’ll go down to verse 5 here; he hears the complaints; this is just setting up the reading here.

Verse 9: “And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.” But they never had any proof.

So we get to this point with Felix now. He’s the governor, he’s heard all this stuff, he’s heard churches come in here and lift him up and then show him how Paul is going to destroy everything that Felix has done in his governorship. And they bring Paul to him. Here’s where Tertullus says in verse 7, “with great violence.”  He didn’t come against them with violence; it’s just a typical lie; people lie to the pastor about “what you taught”. I didn’t teach it. I see that phrase on Facebook sometimes, or people write it and they say, “Paul says you can do anything you want. It’s OK to do everything you want.” No, it’s not OK; I mean, all things are lawful, but there are five strings attached, OK? So there’s one thing you remember. And, two,  they’re not OK; Christ had to die on the cross, go to hell, for that stuff that we say is OK. No, it’s not OK. Yeah, it’s not going to be imputed, because for one thing there is no law that says it’s wrong. But if it’s going to cause somebody to stumble, if it’s a power over you, if it’s an occasion for the flesh, if it’s not expedient and it doesn’t edify, then, yeah, it’s not OK. And when you say to somebody out there, “Well, it’s OK to do that,” they just look at you and go, “What? What are you talking about? Now that you’re a Christian, you can go out and do this stuff?”

And it seems to me when I see what people are doing, and I hear are doing what people are doing, everybody seems to think, “Well, it’s just OK.” Well, it’s not OK. What a Christian should be doing is what Paul teaches. The way a Christian’s life out to be is the manner of life. And from what I understand, few people want to live like a Christian. It’s sincere, Paul-following, risen Saviour-following, Paul learning — there we go — risen Saviour-following, King James rightly-divided Bible — do we still want to dress, act, like Christians? Sure, we can be critical of 50 years ago, when everybody got caught up in religion. Paul’s stuff still existed. But the Christians went to Paul’s books, and they went to live like a Christian. OK, so they were doing it in the flesh. OK, so they did have a religion. OK, so they were doing it with the wrong motive. But they were doing it — at least on the outside. At least when people went to church, or whatever, I mean, all this stuff — no, it’s not just “OK”. It’s not lawful. All things are lawful — but — and don’t forget, Christ has to die in order to make that thing kick into gear. He walked the walk, and he did not sin.

OK, should that have been enough? Well, apparently not. Because when he was killed, he had shed his blood, and he imputes his righteousness. The fact that he walked the law — it’s been paid for. So, yeah, from that standpoint, we’ve got to remember that.

I mean, no! That’s not the point! Yeah, we lose it in the Judgment Seat. Yeah, but the Judgement Seat? C’mon, man, that’s pretty wild stuff. I know it says that, but we just don’t think about it. We don’t have our affections set on things above anymore. We have our affections set on things of this Earth.

I can be just as guilty as far as my miserableness comes, and my depression, all this kind of junk, it’s because I’m setting my affection on this day. The people I know, or things that I’m doing or the things that other people are doing, or the community or the town or the economy or the country, the nation, the world, the politics — all that stuff. You get caught up into that stuff, and there is no reason in the world to ever put a smile on your face again.

And walking like a Christian is going to be tough. It’s just going to be tough. So this Felix guy here, see, he recognizes all that stuff with Paul, and Paul knows it. He just got done with Jerusalem, and now God says to him, “Well, hey, be of good cheer, Paul; now you get to go to Rome.” Yeah, but they didn’t like it in Jerusalem; well, guess what, Paul? They’re not going to like in Rome either. Isn’t that exciting? But, he goes.

You know, somebody says, “Well, you guys believe that Such-and-Such...” I can’t say that. “Well, yeah, all things are lawful, so you can do anthing you want.” I didn’t say it that way. That kind of stuff, you know.

“Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.  But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.” See now, today people can’t understand, they really cannot get their grasp on the fact that we believe that the final authority, in the wisdom and the knowledge and the daily practice in our lives, whether we’re doing it or not is not the point, the point is we believe this Bible to be the word of God. Not the Greek before it, not anything after it. This is that which is perfect; this is from the mouth of God. Now before we had the King James Bible, they had all these other bibles, but God still talked to people in their hearts and in their minds and had the prophets and the pastors and da-ta-da-da. But when 1 Corinthians 13:10 says what it says, that’s this Bible. They can’t handle that.

I mean, I’m hearing from the mouth of God. Yes! Every word, every “has” or “have” or “had,” or “it is” or “it will,” any word is exactly the word God wants. And if you look at it closely enough, every word has a point to be made within that sentence. And we believe — this is what’s written — and he says in the law and the prophets. Well, of course, he didn’t have the New Testament yet, because he was the New Testament, but what he had, he believed it — the things that are written. So do we now, that this has come to this point.

“And have hope toward God, which they themselves —” the Jews “— also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” So there was nobody who believed in a reincarnation that he was talking about. They know that God was God, and when you die, you’re going be in front of God. So, you know, the Jews believed the same thing as Paul was saying here.

“And herein do I exercise myself.” This is Paul. He’s going to talk about the resurrection of the dead. It’s like today. People believe that Jesus died and rose again. Christians believe that. But some of them think he was married, some of them think he was homosexual, some of them think that he was — tadatada, a bunch of junk — but they still, like Paul says, hey, at least they’re talking about Jesus, right? Yeah, but, now, Paul gives us the way of God — that’s the Jewish teachings — and he talk the way of God. Now, Paul teaches the way of God more perfectly, more complete. There’s more to learn now since Jesus Christ has risen. So, now, let us learn what Jesus Christ — the risen Christ — is teaching.

Make sense? Makes total common sense.

But, as soon as you talk to Christians, they go, “Well, why can’t we just believe what he says in the Gospels?” Because the Gospels were not written to the Gentiles; they were written to the Jews. Now, those miracles, signs and wonders were carried out during the Great Commission; it was the Jews who were doing those things, and if somebody were to be saved as such, they could do that stuff — that’s the Great Commission. No problem.

But that’s gone. We’ve been over that in the Book of Acts before too. Find that series in there. We’re looking at what Paul here is looking toward the Gentiles, and he’s just about to go to the Gentiles only — not totally, quite yet. It’s just, you know, we’re saying the same thing they are; we’re just showing more detail. They don’t want to hear the detail. Why don’t you want to hear the detail? Because that means your Bible has to be the word of God, and it means you can’t just go from Genesis to Revelation and claim all that stuff. My simple question is, why aren’t you building an ark yet, if you believe that whole Bible is written to us? Why aren’t you following the law? Is the Sabbath a holy day? Is God in this Temple? Is God in that building. You read in that stuff, and it says “Yes, he is,” and in some places it says No, he’s not. Acts says no, he’s not. Old Testament says yes, he is. There’s where your contradictions come about — trying to make this whole Bible apply in your life. It’s full of contradictions, huge contradictions. I knew those two guys wouldn’t last down there. It’s amazing.

See, it’s amazing, isn’t it? The risen Saviour talking to the Gentiles. Why bring in the other teachings, other than to learn them, just to see what the Jews had to go through, and what’s going to happen during the Millennium. There’s a lot of learning behind all this stuff. We go to Nehemiah to find out what it’s going to be like to witness to people and build your wall up. We can learn from that, but what’s applied to us is the risen Saviour teachings through Paul. And pastors will not talk about it. They just won’t.

And it’s a frustrating thing, you know, because it’s too simple — like Paul. Come on, you guys, I have hope toward God, you also want to hear about the resurrection of the dead, I’ll teach this to you, of the just and the unjust, Paul will teach all the details about that. Why don’t you want to hear that then? And he says even, “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” This is the verse that got me out of Ruckmanism, right there. I read that verse and said, “Booof! I’m done!” Along with the Paul stuff, I mean, but that just shows right there. Because this guy would say, and his people will say, pastors will say, “If I’m unwilling to offend somebody in this sermon, then I’m not doing my job.” Well, it turns out that that is just the opposite of what Paul wants us to know. And, so as many people as I have offended — I offended on purpose, I guess, in the past — and I am sorry about that. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. But that proves that I was following Baptistic, Ruckmanitish style of teachings. And that’s my fault. And I’ve burned enough bridges with that stuff.

But he does also say to us, “In meekness the servant of the Lord must not strive.” “In meekness, strengthen those that oppose themselves, that they may recover themselves...” You can’t yell at them, you can’t get mad at them, doesn’t do any good. They will not get out of that snare except on their own. That’s been the hardest fact for me to learn, and I’m still fighting it. But this thing about “toward men,” how can you be devoid of offence toward God, conscience? Well, you’re trying to do the right thing. But toward men? That’s rough. Because, for one thing, you just tell people about Paul and you’ve offended them. But you’re not offending toward them — you’re not doing it on your own. You know, Christian here — Christmas is coming. And you’ll go out there, and you’re going to attack people for believing in Christmas and the whole thing — and I’ll guarantee you, you’ll get nowhere with it. There’s ways to deal with Christmas, and it’s still hard; it’s still a tough thing. But to be offensive toward somebody is not Paul’s way; it’s that simple. Yet they will be offended, and they will fight back to you. But you don’t need to fight with them, anyway. No more application. But that’s the verse right there.

And then the verse, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, that got me started looking at Paul stuff. So those are my two key verses.

“Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.  Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.  Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.” So, if these people had something against Paul, they should have come to Felix and said, “Hey, this is what this guy has done.” And they can’t do it.

Verse 20: “Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,  Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.” So Felix — here’s my point — Felix is hearing people complain, and he knows what Paul told to him — “I haven’t done anything wrong,” it’s just like what we tell people — so Felix wants to hear from Paul. Now, you’ve got a friend out there, you’ve got a neighbor or a worker or something, he’s heard people complain about “Paul guys,” you know, the “hypers,” and the “mid-Actsers,” you know, and the people that stand on the street corners and yell and scream at people that you need to quit being a homosexual or queer, if you want to get to Heaven, and all this stuff. You hear all this stuff going on, or they just hear what Paul “supposedly” teaches — yeah, you can hear anything you want now, kind of a thing. So, you’ve got a friend who’s heard all that, and this friend still wants to listen to you tell them about Paul. And, by the way, this friend can be a family member as well. You know, whatever.

“And when Felix heard these things.” Here we go now. “And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way.” Now, what is “that way”? And “more perfect knowedge.” He knows more about it. He has a more perfect knowledge. Of what way? Is it Paul’s way? He has “more perfect knowledge,” see that word “perfect” being used in the same fashion again.

“Knowledge of that way.” If he’s talking about, he understands Paul, what he’s teaching, then why would he tremble in verse 25? So it can’t be Paul’s way.

“More perfect knowledge of that way” has to be what Paul is saying about what the Jews believe — hope toward God, resurrection of the dead, the written law and the prophets — Felix understands all that stuff. He understands it very well.

Verse 14 says, “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy.” And then Paul explains what it is that they believe, and he’s called a heretic for believing that way. Felix says, “Listen, I understand all this stuff.” You’re going to talk to this “Felix” guy of yours, your friend, just call him a “Felix,” and he understands Christianity, he understands what has been taught in the church, he understands baptism, the Lord’s supper, he understands all that stuff, he’s a good Christian man from as far as the church part goes. That’s who you were talking to now. You got friends like that you talk to? Husbands? Wife? Growing up children? Neighbors? Friends? They got the question thing down; they understand this godliness. They have a form of godliness, but “denying the power thereof,” they have no idea what Christ really has done, because I have the risen Saviour, but they have this “form of godliness,” they’re very religious, good people. Nice guys, I mean, probably a better Christian walker than you are, than we are. Well, they have to be, because if they’re not, they lose fellowship with God.

We don’t lose fellowship with God, so we can go off and do these things anyway. Cause we know we don’t lose fellowship, we know that we don’t lose our salvation. No, it just means these things are going to burn all up, but, ha, ha, ha, right now that’s the way it’ll have to be.

I have to do this. I have to dress like this. I just have to. I have to walk. We have all sorts of “justifications,” don’t we. But these people that are “Christians,” according to their “godliness,” they’re better walkers than a lot of us are.

“And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.” Well, that was nice of him. Well, why is he being so nice? Cause he knows this guy has got something to tell him.

So, verse 24, here we go: “And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess.” There we go; he’s married to a Jewish lady. “And Drusilla...” Ha! Come on! I wish I could think of the names of — who is the name of the lady in 101 Dalmatians? Cruella? Yeah. Cruella De Ville. “Drusilla.” There’s a name, there’s another one, too. “Drusilla,” “Cruella,” there’s another one out there. Why would he put this in the Scriptures?

And “he came with his wife Drusilla.” Let’s see if I can find something here with Festus. I want to look at my notes for tonight, but Festus comes with his wife (not quite his wife) too. Where’s it at here? And she comes with pomp. Ah, I can’t find it. We’ll run across it tonight, but it’s in there somewhere. Not far from it, either, should be able to find the stuff, but oh well. My mind’s on Felix this morning.

Comes with his wife. Now, if you’re going to hear this guy out, a supposed criminal and the whole schpeiel, you know, and he’s heard what Paul has to say apparently a little bit here, and he can’t prove that he’s wrong. He brings his wife. OK, which was a Jewess.

“He sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.” Now, set that aside about his wife — maybe I’m just being, you know, following the “cue” stuff here.

“And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled.” Now, this is where we stop for a little bit here. What caused him to tremble? Paul taught this guy some things. Now, since when is Paul’s message ever one to cause trembling? We are told the grace of God — this is the dispensation of grace — yes, it is — so we always talk to people with grace, we always give them the good stuff — “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” We know that. But here’s Paul, and he’s talking to this Felix guy, and he talked about righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. Whatever it is Paul said, this guy trembled.

Now, he could have very easily talked about the good stuff about righteousness, his righteousness imputed to us, faith is our righteousness, that’s fine. He could have said, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death.” Felix, you’re going to die — you know, from that standpoint.

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” But Felix doesn’t know that. Felix has never been told that. Romans chapter 2: “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man,” (verse 1) “whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another.” This could be Felix, because he’s a judge; he’s the governor. “Thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.And thinkest thou this,” Felix, “O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?”

And I just am sure that Paul threw in, not just half of verse 4, but I’m sure he gave it all to him: “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart,” Felix, “treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds.” And it just goes on down there, Tribulation “anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil.” And just goes on all the way down through that whole thing.

There’s some “tremblable” things in there.

I kind of have a feeling, though, that most of the trembling because of what he said about judgment. “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Now, that’s still applied to a Christian, but maybe if this Felix guy understands this kind of stuff. “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” Maybe that’s some of the righteousness Paul talks about; God knows exactly what’s true and what’s not.

And so, this Felix guy is somebody that we talk to, and we give him the goodness of God, and sometimes we talk about the wrath of God to a lost person. That’s the lost, still. It shows that they’re a sinner, and Galatians talks about this stuff, and there’s all sorts of ways we can go talking with people. Not purposely offending them. It’s going to offend them, but not purposely toward them.

So, back to Acts. And so Felix gets the same thing. And then, after this for some reason — and I think I know part of the reason, I really do — he says in verse 25: “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” Now, how many times have you had somebody say to you, “That’s interesting stuff, but, you know, I’ll talk to you later about it.” Well, some of them go to their pastor, some of them are caught up in their busy-ness, and they don’t get it. Somebody told me 25 years ago that we’re supposed to follow Paul’s teachings, and I laughed and said, “OK, I’ll look at some of the day." Years later — what would it have been like for my family, for me, for my jobs, for my life, if I’d have called out — well, I know I would have had to resign then and there. But if I’d have done that, gone with Paul, who knows where this thing would have gone? You really don’t know.

Instead, I chose the life of preaching about music, and all the struggles we had all those years, one of us working, no second income and all the sacrificing and all this kind of stuff — now look where I’m at. See? I mean, I have no idea what would have happened during that time.

But this guy says, “Let’s wait for a convenient season.” I wonder what was so inconvenient about this? Well, verse 26, he says, “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.” So he spent time with Paul, but he was hoping he would get money for this whole thing.

“But after two years.” Two years this guy was waiting for a convenient time! You know, what I think it was that was inconvenient is because Drusilla was there. That’s just me. I know it says, “He hoped also that money should have been given him,” you know. People try to buy Paul away from him, so he could let him go. You know, he didn’t get any money out of the deal. He trembled; he heard the message, and it hit his heart. But it wasn’t convenient right there to say, “You know what, Paul? That is fantastic, dah-dah-dah-dah,” and drop it right there.

And why do you say that? I never thought about that until Festus brings his wife and does that same thing. It’s funny — these two guys both bring their wives. These two guys know Paul is right, but they don’t do anything about it. They can’t.

“But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.” Now, why would he have left Paul bound? He gave him liberty. But because it made the Jews happy, he roughed him up a little bit. You know, when you’re with some of these guys, and you’re trying to witness to them about the risen Saviour, and they say, “Well, let’s talk about it some other time,” and they’ve got some friends there — or his wife is there, or the husband, that’s supposing you’re talking to her or whatever — they’ll kind of beat on you a little bit, they’ll kind of laugh at you and mock you, because it gives his friends a “pleasure.”

This friend of yours knows what you’re talking about, and it causes him to think — but he won’t deal with it right then, and while he’s waiting, he’ll make you look bad in front of his friends. We all know a Felix. And you can give him all the stuff you can about Paul, but they’ll want to wait till later.

I have a guy in town here talk to me about the King James Bible. He believes it’s the word of God. I’ve had a guy talk about home schooling and the problems, talk about schools. We’ve talked about Paul, understands those kinds of stuff, wants to get together with me and his pastor. And has it happened yet? Waiting for a more convenient season. How long do we wait? Well, I’ve never talked to him with his wife there, but I’m sure he’s talked about it, and he was very interested. We talked for hours, which I’m good at doing — and yet, where’s it at? And his two family members — a grandpa and an inlaw or something, something like that — I’ve also talked with. And they all three say, “We’ll talk about it sometime.” Oh, OK. Uh ... when?

Do you have a Felix?

I know that you guys have a Felix.

And I know that there’s somebody you ladies want to talk with. But they’ve blown you off. “Let’s talk about it some other time.” In the meantime you keep being their friend, you keep being their with them. And who’s falling down? You are. You will be the one that will go downhill, because of their influence on you, you want them to be your friends, you’ll have to get closer and closer to be their way more and more. Before you know it, in a year or two, you’ll be dressing differently, you’ll be acting differently, you’ll be doing things with your friends with this Felix or this Felixette, to keep them as your friend, and you’ll never talk about Paul again. Felix did this with Paul for two years before Festus comes and gets in.

So we have our Felixes. And we’ll talk about Festus tonight.

---

M Paulson
Kadoka, South Dakota
Trying to do the work of an evangelist by teaching Paul's gospel of the Risen Saviour!
www.scatteredchristians.org

---

The entire King James Bible is written FOR us, but it is not all written TO us!
We learn from the "For" and we learn to apply the 'TO!"