I remember when I was in junior high school I had an after-school ritual that I practiced almost every day. I would get off the bus, throw my backpack on my bedroom floor, and change clothes. If it was a nice day, I would grab my baseball mitt or whatever equipment I needed for the sport in season and meet the other boys from the neighborhood in the meadow to play. If it wasn’t a nice day and the rain was pounding down, I would sit on the couch and watch television until supper time.

The only problem was that the TV producers didn’t really consider the viewing needs of a thirteen year old when they chose what programs would air between 4 and 6 p.m. I was too old for cartoons, too young to be interested in the news, and no junior high boy would ever be caught dead watching Oprah. That left me with only one option: The People’s Court! Long before anyone ever saw Judge Judy’s smiling face on the tube, Judge Wapner slammed his gavel on injustice.

Even as a junior high school student I enjoyed watching the People’s Court. In addition to laughing at the ridiculous reasons for the cases, I was amused by the way the people would present themselves. Even though I often wondered if some people really could be that dumb, there was something refreshing about seeing people represent themselves in court without some high-powered attorney.

Acts 24, in many ways, is like an episode of the People’s Court. Governor Felix is the acting judge; Paul is the defendant; Ananias and the elders of Jerusalem are the plaintiffs. We have a ridiculous accusation and a courtroom filled with drama. The only difference is that in this case the plaintiff Ananias the high priest brings a high-powered Johnny Cochran-like lawyer named Tertullus to represent his case.

As we watch this case unfold in this morning’s text, we certainly see that Paul is on trial, but I believe if we pay close attention we will see that actually it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that is on trial. If Paul wasn’t a Christian and hadn’t been sharing the gospel with others, he never would have been facing trial in the first place. Every time the message of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is told and heard, it is on trial. And just as every trial demands a verdict, the gospel of Jesus Christ demands a decision. So, as we watch the gospel stand trial, I wonder what your decision will be?

1.) The Prosecution: False Witness Against the Gospel (1-9)
Five days after Paul was transferred to Caesarea, the high priest Ananias and his priestly entourage from Jerusalem showed up to make their case against Paul. Their advocate, Tertullus was a professional rhetorician and a powerful public speaker. Before he launches into his prosecution against Paul, he wisely lavishes the governor with flattering words which weren’t exactly true. Obviously, his intention was to win the governor’s favor when he uttered, “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation.” Actually, Israel had suffered many conflicts and no one really like the reforms that took place under Felix’s administration.

Once Felix was buttered up, Tertullus was ready to eat him alive. He boldly accused Paul of being a trouble maker and stirring up riots all over the world. He also accused Paul of being the ringleader of a Nazarene sect that tried to desecrate the temple. It was true that Paul was the leader of a group of Christians, but it was a flat out lie that he tried to desecrate the temple. Paul was the victim of false witness as he stood trial.

It was more than just Paul who was a victim of false witness; it was the gospel itself. When he lied about Paul he also lied about the nature of the gospel. Jesus himself was the victim of false witness when the Jews lied about him to Pontius Pilate and the gospel has been the victim of false witness in every generation since. When people feel threatened by Christianity, they often try to discredit it by making up lies about it or its representatives.

Have you ever been the victim of false witness because of the gospel? Has anyone ever tried to discredit you by spreading rumors or telling lies? Have others reacted harshly toward you because you are a Christian?

If so, you understand how Paul was feeling. If you haven’t, thank God! It is a terrible injustice to endure. This is a reality that some of us will have to face in our Christian lives. I hope we will always be prepared for it and we will always be willing to suffer injustice for Jesus!

2.) The Defense: Competence in defending the Gospel (10-21)
Once Tertullus and the Jews had their opportunity to present their case, Governor Felix motioned that it was Paul’s turn to present his defense. We have to remember that Paul was a tentmaker and missionary by trade. Although he was trained in Jewish law, he certainly was not an expert in Roman law, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, he defended his case the best he could. Like Tertullus, he employed wisdom by greeting the governor with respect, but he kept his remarks brief and truthful. He did not resort to exaggeration or equivocation to win the governor’s favor.

He went on to explain that he had been away from Jerusalem for a number of years until his present arrival twelve days earlier to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost and deliver money for the poor. He boldly asserted that his accusers were lying. He denied arguing with anyone at the Temple or instigating any kind of riot. He also mentioned that there was a group of Jews from the province of Asia who accused him of crimes but they were nowhere to be found.

Paul made it very clear that the reason he had been accused of crimes was his belief in the resurrection of the dead. As a follower of the Christian Way, he worshipped the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; he agreed with all of the Law and the Prophets; and he believed in the resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked, as most Jews did. He also lived in such a way that his conscience was clear before God and man. Paul’s defense was that he didn’t believe or do anything different than his accusers. The real reason he was on trial was his belief in the resurrection of the dead, which was an essential part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Over all, Paul provided an adequate defense of himself and the gospel.

Like Paul, we should be competent in our defense of Christianity from the world’s attack. As in Paul’s day, there are so many people today who do not believe in resurrection from the dead or that Jesus is the only way to heaven. When people attack our faith, we need to know how to defend it. If someone questioned your Christianity or made fun of your beliefs, would you be able to defend them?

If we are going to be able to competently defend the faith, there are at least two things we have to do: First, we have to live blameless lives! If our actions don’t back up our beliefs, there is no way we can defend the faith. If we say we believe in Jesus, but we live like the devil, the credibility of our faith is shot. This is why Paul strove to have a clear conscience before God. The way we talk to our co-workers, treat our classmates, and live behind closed doors counts. A blameless life is one of the best defenses of the Christian faith!

And second, we have to know our Bibles well enough to support our beliefs! What would happen if someone challenged one of our beliefs and we couldn’t show it to them in the Bible? Again, it loses credibility. The better we know God’s Word, the better our defense of the Gospel will be. Paul’s blameless life and knowledge of the Scriptures allowed him to defend his faith competently. How about us?

3.) The Verdict: Convenience in Responding to the Gospel (22-25)
After Paul compellingly defended himself and the gospel from these false accusations, Felix should have acquitted him. There certainly wasn’t enough evidence to convict Paul, but Felix was reluctant to displease the Jews out of personal political fear, so he delayed his decision. He adjourned the proceedings and told Paul that he would wait until Claudius Lysius arrived from Jerusalem before he made his final decision.

Yes, Felix delayed his decision on Paul’s case, but more importantly he delayed his decision about the gospel. Notice in verse 22, Luke tells us that Felix was already acquainted with the Christian faith. We don’t know how much of the gospel of Jesus Christ he knew or how he knew it, but he at least had a basic understanding of the faith.

In addition to this, Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew, listened to Paul as he shared more of the gospel. Paul filled in all the details which certainly included the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and also discourses on righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Paul’s teaching almost scarred the hell out of him, but not quite. Like Paul’s case, he delayed his decision about the gospel. Even though it appears that Felix believed that the gospel was true, he says, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”

Wow! With amazing precision, these verses describe the spiritual condition in America today. How many people have a basic understanding of Christianity right now, but they delay their decision to become a true follower of Jesus Christ? How many people sit in church week after week and hear sermons about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, but they still resist giving their hearts to Christ? How many people are fearful of their souls perishing in hell, but they still say, “That’s enough for now! When I find it convenient, I’ll respond to the gospel and get serious about God?”

Felix delayed his decision on the gospel; we don’t know if he ever truly embraced it. Two years later he was ousted from power and sent back to Rome. If you are here this morning and know that you haven’t truly given your heart to Jesus Christ, I hope you will do it today! If you have been delaying your decision or waiting for a more convenient time to get serious about God, I want you to know that there will never be a more convenient time than right now! You never know, there may never be another time period!

4.) The Aftermath: Selfishness as an Obstacle to the Gospel (26-27)
At this point in the story, we have to ask ourselves why if Felix believed the message about Jesus and was afraid of the judgment to come, how could he put off his decision until a more convenient time? Why do so many who believe the message today delay their decision? Well, Luke answers that question for us: selfishness! Selfishness is always an obstacle to the gospel!

In verse 26 Luke tells us that Felix sent for Paul frequently and hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe. Since Paul had delivered a large sum of money to the poor Christians in Jerusalem, Felix probably assumed that Paul was rich. He wanted to see if he could get some money out of the deal before he got serious about God.

Likewise, he broke his word to Paul about deciding his case in a few days after the commander arrived and wound up keeping him in prison for two years because he wanted to grant a favor to the Jews. Even though he didn’t have nearly enough evidence to convict or even detain Paul, he knew that pacifying the Jews was crucial for maintaining his position as governor. His selfishness drove him to detain an innocent man and delay his decision about the gospel.

Politicians have a reputation of granting special favors to those who help them maintain the positions, but the fact of the matter is that selfishness is an obstacle to the Gospel for everyone. So, many people delay making a decision for Jesus Christ because they know that once they do, they will have to give some things up and make some changes in their lives. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say things like: “I just want to get drunk one more time; then I’ll get serious about God.” “I just want to sleep with my girlfriend for now; I’ll get serious about God later.” “I just want to live for myself and do things my way now; maybe I’ll live for God and do things his way later.”

Selfishness causes us to make huge mistakes in life, but the biggest mistake of all is delaying our decision for Christ! You never know if you’ll have a chance to make a decision for Christ later! Now is the time!

As we think about Paul’s trial today, I sincerely hope that we will be willing to endure false witness for the sake of the gospel and gain competence in defending the gospel while we resist delaying a decision for the gospel or allow selfishness to be an obstacle to the gospel. And as always, if you want help making that decision for Christ, please let me know! I would love to help you! Always remember, the gospel is on trial! What will your verdict be?