Confronting Power: The Gospel's Call to Transformation

"Felix was one of two brothers in fact he had a twin brother whose name was calles PA double-l AAS these two boys had been born as slaves but they were intelligent piles they are ability and they used it and they'd been so successful that they had succeeded in achieving their Liberty now that was no small thing to become a free man at the great Roman Empire now these two boys brought up in slavery that so used their intelligence and ability to obtain freedom not only that they got on really well and Palace had actually become the great favorite of the then Emperor he was his right-hand men he was the one to whom the Emperor constantly turned the kind of ancient dr. Kissinger you know the man who seems to be advising President Nixon of the United States at the present time he was in that sort of position and the palace of course having got into this good position himself thought about his brother so he used his good offices and influence with the Emperor to obtain promotion for his brother you see they did that sort of thing in the first century that's not confined to today and the result was that we find Felix now as the governor of this conquered province or territory of Palestine well there he is all honor to him for having used his ability and his intelligence and here he is in a very high position but unfortunately as the reading at the beginning reminded us though he held a very high position and though he was no longer a slave there was something still very mean about his character the Apostle Paul is brought before him there's no charge really to answer at all Paul was guilty of nothing and any man with any sense of justice would have said the apostle of liberty not so this men one of the Roman historians I think it was Tacitus who said of this men that he exercised the prerogatives of a king with the spirit of a slave." [00:05:21]

"Paul reasoned with them about righteousness and temperance and judgment to come what's this mean all that we might realize that this is the greatest need in this country and every other country tonight I haven't come here my dear friends to tell the government what to do about the pound it would be impertinent for me to pretend to attempt to do so I don't know enough I'm not here to give it the government's or two leaders Prime Minister's or leaders of the opposition or to express my personal views on apartheid and all these various other matters that's not the Christian message the Christian message is a message about righteousness what is this well you know this is the great word of the Bible from beginning to end and it's the greatest need of this present of what is this righteousness about which Paul reasoned with Felix and Drusilla it's very difficult to put it into words let me be try it like this righteousness ultimately is a characteristic or an attribute of God God is righteous God is light and in him is no darkness at all God is holy God is just God is true righteousness in other words is the extreme opposite of antithesis of everything twisted and perverted everything that skulks is it well it's upright it's noble it's clean it's pure it is absolutely true righteousness that's the character of God but the Bible goes on to tell us this that when God made men he also made men righteous God made men in order that he might have a companion that's why he created men that he might have a companion for himself and of course if you have companionship there must be a likeness and as God is righteous he made men righteous man hasn't evolved through the animals from some primitive slime that's the mere theory of certain scientists without any proof whatsoever men according to the Bible was created in the image and the likeness of God a special creation and God puts something of himself into men man was pure he was clean he made him upright even in a physical sense but still more so in a spiritual and immoral sense he had a character corresponding to the character of God himself no sin no evil no wrong nothing twisted nothing perverted nothing shady nothing in any way wrong that's righteousness not fortunately for us we can define it a little bit more closely God in His infinite condescension has taken the trouble to define righteousness for us if you want to know what righteousness means you'll see it for instance in the Ten Commandments that's a detailed definition of righteousness that is how man is meant to live according to the Ten Commandments our relationship to God we must worship Him and have no other gods we must not make graven images we must not bow down to them we must honor God's Day and all these things and then you remember the second table the more practical ones this is the definition of righteousness now should not kill thou shalt not steal thou shalt not commit adultery these are aspects you see of righteousness and that's the thing that Paul reasoned about with these people living in adultery the preacher should always preach to his congregation not to some people who are not in the congregation so you see we don't preach about South Africa we preach to those living in Great Britain not a constant attack on people living thousands of miles away righteousness here it is Ten Commandments you mustn't covet and all these things you get it still more perfectly perhaps in the Sermon on the Mount preached by our Lord Himself well now then this is the thing about which Paul reasoned that man was meant to live that righteous kind of life this is what God has made him for this is what God is going to demand of him our Lord summed it up perfectly one afternoon if you want to know what righteousness is here it is thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all my heart and all thy soul and all my mind and all thy strength and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself that's righteousness." [00:21:30]

"Paul not only reason about righteousness but about temperance discipline and self-control well you say why did he do this we isn't it enough just to tell people about righteousness why does he talk about temperance well the explanation is simple the relationship between righteousness and temperance can be put like this righteousness states the thing in general as a principle temperance is concerned about the practical application in daily life of this great principle of righteousness and I want to show you what a great teacher Paul was why he didn't merely leave it at righteousness but also came down to the particulars namely temperance and daily living this is most important let me show you why there are many people in the world you know who can get very eloquent on the question of righteousness but don't know so much about temperance I remember hearing what was in many ways the most eloquent speech oration that I've ever heard in my life by a statesman it was during the First World War and his theme on this occasion was what he called the sanctity of international contracts you see his theme was that Germany had marched into Belgium in 1914 she got a treaty with Belgium promising not to do this torn it up scrap of paper and he was telling us about the sanctity of international contracts and it was most eloquent was moving he was moved to the depth of his being by a sense of righteous indignation sanctity of international but by now the biographies have been written and the number of autobiographies and reminiscences and we now know perfectly well that while this man was waxing so eloquent on the sanctity of international contracts he was not being true and loyal to his own marriage contract he was guilty of adultery at that very time you see it's one thing to get eloquent about international contracts that's righteousness but temperance includes the application of that great principle to yourself and your daily life and living he also mem Felix is the government he sits on the bench he judges cases yes but what's he doing in his personal life it's all really well to be interested in righteousness but is he righteous in his personal dealings easy template easy self-controlled is he disciplined now this is what Paul reasoned about let me put it like this in its modern form don't you see how this is so needed at this present time the gospel is that which reminds us that we are men men and women not animals what's the difference between a man and an animal well it's quite simple the animal is controlled by its instincts by its desires it's got a desire for food and for drink and for sex and this theme of us comes and the animal responds it's quite right it's perfectly right in doing so God created the animal he put the instincts and the desires into the animal and when the animal of bears its desires and its instincts and examples is it's behaving according to the law of its nature that's an animal what's the difference between an animal under men well you see the Bible teaches us this that the men he has a body and in this body there are instincts and impulses and desires as with the animal the desire for food the desire for drink the desire for sex there's nothing wrong in sex it's God who's created it and he's put it into our bodies there is nothing wrong in all these impulses well what's the difference between the moment an animal oh it's this that men is not only a body he's got a soul in the spirit and because of this his whole position is different from that of the animal man has got a reason he's got understanding he's got the power of judging himself condemning himself evaluating himself he can do gone at himself the animal can't man has got this great power of reason and this spiritual element that links him to God and because of this man is not to be governed by the instincts and impulses and desires he is to govern them he doesn't crucify them that would be quite wrong the Roman Catholic Church went wrong of that with our monks under nuns and or monasteries or all the rest of it no no man isn't to put an end to these things but he's to control them is to discipline them he has to be temperate is to exercise this great quality of temperance and the whole tragedy of the world tonight is this that men and women are not behaving as such they're behaving like animals they want a thing of they immediately take it they don't stop to think they don't reason any impulse must be obeyed any instinct must be followed and so you've got license in temperance no discipline in the home no discipline in schools no discipline in colleges no discipline in industry no discipline anywhere every man does that which is right in his own eyes if I want to think I take it why shouldn't I that's the argument now that is the lack of temperance so the Apostle reasoned with Felix and Drusilla about righteousness and about temperance she reminded them that they were a man and a woman they were not animals they would not have be governed by their lower instincts they would have governed them and to control them and to use them to the glory of God righteousness and temperance and then the judgment to come what's this well this is the thing that you never read about in your newspapers you'll never hear a politician talking about judgment to come unless you really hear rarely hear it in the so-called Christian judge even today it's go out and that's why the churches that she is and that's why the world is as it is men and women have forgotten judgment account what's the modern idea the modern idea is this this is the only life and when we die well it's like a death of an animal the death of a flower death is the end there's nothing else and we've never had it so good you've all got Neuticles television Marla's never have it's so good affluent society isn't life wonderful all this of course it was all right for people to listen to preaching in the past life was so hard in this world that they look forward to some wonderful world beyond the skies but now we put an end to all that and this is the only life and this is the only world and they're laying to the full they don't think of the morrow let us eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die this is the philosophy of the modern men and what he needs to be told about his judgment to come what is this well this is the great theme of the Bible from beginning to end that God has made men as I've told you in his own image and likeness ma'am is a responsible being whether he believes in God or whether he doesn't he is held responsible by God and every one of us has got to die now this is the thing my friends that people don't like hearing and this is where mankind is so foolish every one of us has got to die every man who lives is born to die it is appointed unto all men once to die and after that the judgment this is the greatest compliment to men that is not an animal he's a responsible being and God is amend reply to his questions every one of us will have to stand before God you see I don't like this I don't believe it do what you like my dear friend I'm simply telling you the teaching of the Bible teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and all these apostles if you think you know better well alright you carry on it's your responsibility I'm telling you what the Son of God preached what the Apostle Paul preached judgment to come and I can hear him speaking on this to Felix and Drusilla and I can hear him saying something like this to Felix Felix you're the Roman governor I'm the prisoner I was in court before you the other morning I've been there several times you were the judge and I'm the prisoner let me remind you there's a day coming when you will be the prisoner and God will be your judge and as I have to give an account to you you will have to give an account to God every one of us will have to God will say to us I gave you a soul what did you do with it did you ever think about it I gave you reason did you gives it I meant you to control yourself not to be an animal but to live like a man how have you lived I made you that you might love me with all of your being have you done so my dear good friends the tragedy of the modern world is this and it's the cause of all lawlessness and all the troubles in every realm and Dept of life at this present time is that men and women do not realize they are living their lives under God our times are in his ends you don't know where they're going to be alive tomorrow morning but I can tell you this that the day is coming when every one of us elliptical and then we shall have to give an account of the deeds done in the body whether good or bad judgment to come that's the theme of Christianity not a target not Vietnam or any one of these things but righteousness temperance judgment to come but thank God the message of the gospel doesn't stop at that point if it did there'd be no voting for any one of us there is none righteous no not one all have sinned and come short of the glory of God the whole world lieth in wickedness thank God what I've been talking about righteousness temperance and judgment to come is but the introduction to the gospel and they sent for Paul asking to speak about what the faith in Christ yes your gospel but let me emphasize this I can tell you why people don't listen to the gospel and won't accept it they've never seen any need of it what's missing in the church today is the introduction to the gospel it's now you're stepping up and saying to people come to Jesus they say we don't need your Jesus we've never had it so good why should they come to Christ you know there's only one reason that brings them into Christ truly what's that that he's terrified that he's alarmed about his eternal destiny and he flies them how light of the fountain fly wash me Savior or I die the faith in Christ oh thank God that there is still such a message the day of grace is not ended the faith in Christ what is it well this is the great theme as you know of the New Testament and I can hear Paul expanding it to Felix and Drusilla he said to them look young though you know you're unrighteous and intemperate though you know you're not fit to die and to stand before God let me tell you since Paul that God in spite of all that's true of you and of all of us that God has so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life listen sis Paul God sent His only Son into the world what for to justify the ungodly I'm here to tell you since Paul that you'll never put yourselves right but that if you recognize your sin and your hopelessness and your helplessness and believe that the Christ of God can save you that he's died for your sins risen for your justification if you believe on him I faith in him believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved your sins will be blotted out you'll be made children of God you begin a new nature and a new hope you'll put his spirit into you and you'll make aware of his eternal place that's the faith in Christ that the way of salvation is not that you do a number of good deeds or that you're better than somebody else but that you see or a hopeless wretched vile sinner and that you believe that Christ has died for you and that you're offered freely by the grace of God not only forgiveness and reconciliation but as I say a new birth and you start a new life and an everlasting hope of joy eternal in the presence of God the faith in Christ my friends that's the Christian message showing us the need showing us the perfect provision that God himself has provided for us in the person of his own dearly beloved son very well that's our second listen oh how I wish I could go on to say before I sit down that there's the result of hearing this sermon on righteousness temperance judgment to come and the work of Christ and salvation through grace by faith and justification by faith only oh how I wish that I could tell you that hearing this Felix and Drusilla repented and believed the gospel and went on their way rejoicing but unfortunately I can't tell you that because they didn't do it what the story tells us is that hearing these things Felix trembled unstopped Paul and sent him back to the cell and said I'll hear you on some other occasion concerning these methods they rejected the gospel they refused it why did they do so here's my third and my last point why is it that men and women reject this gospel do you know my friends this to me is the most urgent problem in the world tonight much more serious than the pound and what's happening to it much more serious than unemployment and all these other problems the world is hurtling itself to destruction there is only one thing that can save it this gospel yet it's the one thing the world rejects and thinks it's clever in doing so why do men and women reject the gospel is there someone here tonight who's rejected it until this very moment why do you reject the gospel ask people that and the answer they'll give you is this oh the men will say it's perfectly simple I reject this gospel because I'm a 20th century men and because I've got a mind I've got reason I've got brains I've got an understanding your religion it's sentimental it's slop as I was saying at the beginning it stops people thinking it's been the break on the forward march of the human race it's been the dope the opium of the people people had been drugged they lived in slavery almost simply because they were drugged by the gospel they didn't think but now we've thought and we've emancipated ourselves and I reject your gospel because I reason because I think because I've got brains tried dear friend if I've got nothing but there's one story I could easily prove to you all that is hopelessly wrong because if you tell me that the reason why people reject the gospel is that they have great brains and understanding and can exercise logic well then what you're telling me is this that Felix and Drusilla go to brains in the Apostle Paul all believe the gospel they rejected it and you're asking me to believe that they've got greater brains than Paul one of the greatest brains the world has ever known we'll know it's ridiculous no no people don't reject the gospel because they've got brains and reason I'll tell you why they reject the gospel because they cannot reason or because they won't reason had you ever thought of that look at the way people in this country and other countries are rejecting the gospel tonight had you realize this I wonder if only everybody in this world tonight lived according to the teaching of the Bible there'd be no war in Vietnam there'd be no apartheid in South Africa there'd be no drunkenness no divorce no theft and robbery and pilfering none of the tragedy of the modern well if only people believe this gospel the most elevating influence the world has ever known or ever will know but they rejected why reason no no its irrationality it's the lack of reason the world is mad people are cutting their own throats you can see them doing it in almost all departments of life at the present time they will not think they're governed by desire by lust it's the opposite of reason that's why people reject the gospel Felix and Drusilla acted contrary to reason but they not only acted contrary to reason they acted contrary to their own consciences and any man who rejects this gospel is defying his own conscience as Felix did how do I know that Felix went against his conscience quite simple Felix trembled why did he temple because he knew that what Paul was saying was right he knew he was wrong in living in adultery he knew that Paul was right but he liked what he was doing so he violates his conscience he stops Paul and any man who rejects this gospel is going against his conscience you know that when you deny your belief in the belief in God and in Christ and the Christian Way of life you know that this is right and that you were wrong why'd you go under because you love the darkness and hate the light instead of loving the light and hating the darkness you're attacking and violating your own conscience and the third element in the rejection of the gospel is this helix not only went against reason and against conscience even strove against and fought and quenched the Holy Spirit when this man pulled preached he was preaching in demonstration of the Spirit and of power and the spirit of conviction was there and Felix trembles the Spirit of God is dealing with him but he doesn't want to give him and so he quenches the spirit he struggles he stops the preacher and you know I've known many people do this people have told me many times the prior to their conversion they'd come under conviction but they could see the consequences of giving in they'd have to go home and tell their family they wondered what they would be said in the office or in the forum or in the factory the next morning or in the college of the school and they deliberately shook it off they opened the hymn book and turned it over they began speaking to their friends they fought the Spirit of God that was leading them to repentance and to conversion and salvation deliberately resisted the Spirit it's a terrible thing to do but that is what every unbeliever does that's the explanation of unbelief and the rejection of the gospel there are other elements which are put before us yah what a terrible thing unbelief is what are the basing thing the life of sinners did you notice what we were told here about this governor let me read it to you he hoped Felix hoped also that money should have been given him a pole that he might lose him have you ever heard such a thing here's the Roman governor and the hopes that the poor prisoner is going to give him money a man in such an exalted position the representative of his Imperial Majesty hoping to get money from an impecunious prisoner why is this I'll tell you that's the result of a life of sin he was keeping two wives and if you start playing that game you soon be in financial trouble you go into the life of sin you will soon get yourself in trouble financially look at the poor prodigal son all his money's gone he had plenty of companions well he had money in his pockets but then the money finished and then no men gave unto him and he's in the field with a swine of the asks that's what a life of sin does to you and here's a great men in a great position hoping to get money from a poor prisoner what a disgraceful thing a life of sin is even further worse after two years posse asbestos came into Felix's room and Felix willing to show the Jews a pleasure left Paul bound well this is amazing why does he need to show any pleasure to the Jews he's the governor and they're the conquered people but he leaves Paul bound he should have said him at Liberty he had no business ever to have arrested him and to have kept him in the prison but now he goes to another post and instead of setting Paul at liberty in order to please the Jews he leaves Paul bound instead of stating him free why did he do it in order to have the good opinion in the favor of the Jews isn't it pathetic a man with such power sensitive the popular applause to popular approval you're Hitler's him oh great men striding the world burger colossal oh how anxious he was to have the plaudits of all the people they even organized em clapping is his sin it fools men and makes them fool themselves men and women who reject the gospel our rear a tional what they do is to put the opinion of men before the opinion of God they put time before eternity the pleasures of this passing evil world before the joys of everlasting and eternal bliss that's the cause of unbelief are you in that position my friend have you rejected this gospel are you ready to die under face God without believing in Christ have you learned the lesson of Felix and Drusilla here it is speaking to you showing you the nature of the gospel showing you the only reason why men and women rejected God grant that we all may have learned this lesson will you bear with me for a moment if I tell you the sequel to this story it'll make your position still more urgent it's not here but it's in the secular history books again you know what happened after this I'll tell you very briefly quite soon after this event Palace the twin brother of Felix fell out of favor with the Emperor why nobody knows that's a lot of people thailand's are you maybe the great favorite today you be on the scrapheap tomorrow with no reason at all suddenly the emperor hood exalted palace threw him down and because Felix had got his post because of his brother when felis went down Felix went down as well lost everything he'd held on to it and rejected the gospel but now he is lost what he held on to and there he is what about Drusilla well this is an extraordinary story in AD 79 Drusilla and her son we're spending their winter in the famous city of Pompeii you've read perhaps the book the last days of Pompeii you may have visited the ruins of Pompeii just to the south of Naples as you know in Italy well now in the first century Pompeii was the place to go to to spend a winter if you were anybody if you got money or position they didn't go to the south of France then still lists of the Bahamas but they went to Pompeii and it was a marvelous place it was a wonderful climate of course to start with and the wily clever able men that seize their opportunity built gorgeous palaces and buildings everything to attract tourists and the people who got money to spend the winter in the sunshine and it was the thing to do and amongst others have gone there this winter where he Wed Lucilla and her son and halfway through the season of Riga there was always what they called a Gollum night generally about halfway through the season and there was a great banquet and after the banquet great dancing and everybody looked forward to this great occasion well it came along in AD 79 the great night the night of nights and everybody was agreed that this really had surpassed and excelled anything that had ever been done before the ladies and never been so beautifully dressed the experts in this matter had rarely excelled themselves but me and of course were suitably attired in the in attendance everybody agreed that the chef's really had quite surpassed everything that ever produced the meat was cooked to perfection vegetables everything but and the wine Oh vintage the cellars that never produced anything so stimulating so enjoyable and there they were eating and drinking and talking and the band was playing and the maestro had selected the most perfect pieces and the orchestra seemed to be inspired and everybody's was saying they were all simple we really have never known anything like it it's beyond all our wildest dreams and on and on they went eating and drinking and talking and listening to the music and then at the end of the banquet the dancing and the drinking continued and on and on it went into the early hours of the morning and beyond more dancing more drinking but that long lost it came to an end the band stopped every good thing must sooner or later come to an end and yeah they were they watched as best they could to their beds of their couches of their servers and cast themselves upon it all agreeing that it had been the night of nights this was life with a capital L this was the way to live when suddenly and without a second morning Mount Vesuvius just at the back of Pompeii Saturday erupted and began belching forth its molten lava and completely destroyed in but a few seconds the whole upon pay and its residence the great buildings were reduced to rubble you can still go and visit them and all the great people who were wintering the sound died and passed from time to eternity and in their midst Drusilla and her son she heard the gospel which had told her change and decay in all around I see set not your affections and things on earth moths and rust doth corrupt thieves break through and steal set your affections and things about have your treasure in him she did all this of the argument and Paul had reason it rejected it all in early rationality going against our conscience and against the spirit he'd held on to the joys and the pleasures of time and it rejected the glory and the joy of eternity but in a moment in a flash she has to leave all her worldly pomp and show and ceremony can't take any bid will and is our show did not have nakedness into the presence of our God and of our maker hating is the weldings pleasure all his busted tom Panchal solid joys and lasting treasure none but Zions children now my dear friend have you learned the lesson of Felix and Drusilla have you seen the relevance of this gospel to you have you seen that it isn't about a party to Vietnam but about you the way you're living the fact you've got to die and stand before God that you've got a soul and that there is eternity ahead of you have you heard it have you trembled have you seen your need you lost your helplessness your hopelessness but above all do you know and have you believed that in spite of all your folly and your sin that God has so loved you that he sent His only Son into this world to live and to die for you that he might forgive you freely block out all your sins and transgressions give you a new life make you a new man give you a new start and make you the joint heir with Christ for the glories of eternal brisk may God bring all who've never learned this lesson to see it now and you show that by repenting confessing your sin not to me but to God that knowledge in your hopelessness and asking him to enable you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Redeemer." [00:27:14]