1 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:13,360 Please open your Bibles to the book of Acts, Acts 24, Acts 24. 2 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:18,720 We covered some of it Wednesday, but we're going to delve a 3 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,040 little deeper. The title of this morning's 4 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,040 message is The Danger of Procrastination. 5 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,280 So I nearly wasn't going to come today. 6 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,680 I wasn't sure whether I do this or not. 7 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,920 You know, I hung about the church grounds for a while, and 8 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,960 I'll go. I'll hang in. 9 00:00:43,460 --> 00:00:45,500 Paul is under arrest in Caesarea. 10 00:00:48,180 --> 00:00:56,260 He will remain in this location for two years as Felix, the only 11 00:00:56,260 --> 00:01:01,200 person in the Roman Empire who once was a slave and got his 12 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:06,280 freedom and now is a Roman governor living in Caesarea. 13 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:11,320 Caesarea is kind of like the Netherlands city. 14 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,880 It's more like the City Beach of Israel. 15 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,800 It's a beautiful beach area. It was the harbour then at the 16 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,360 time, but Paul's in prison there. 17 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:28,240 But the Roman governments, governors, Pilot lived there. 18 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,880 Felix lived there. There is a large contingent of 19 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,160 Roman soldiers there. You will remember back in Acts 20 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:44,480 10, it was where the Centurion lived, the Italian band, 21 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:46,800 remember, and the Holy Spirit fell. 22 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:54,160 That's the location. Felix is now the Roman governor 23 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:59,280 over all of Israel. He's the go between between 24 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:06,320 Israel and Rome, Caesar, and he's playing a cat and mouse 25 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:11,960 game with the imprisoned apostle because he knows he's innocent. 26 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,440 He's heard from the religious leaders already. 27 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,320 They're going to come again. He's done no crime. 28 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:24,520 But because Paul's a Roman, Felix is trying to just placate 29 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,240 his position and the Jews trying to keep everyone at rest. 30 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,960 His wife is a Jew as well, Jewess. 31 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,920 But as he's playing this cat and mouse game with the apostle 32 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:44,520 Paul, Felix is playing a cat and mouse game with God. 33 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:48,920 Dangerous. So let's read from verse 10. 34 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:52,560 Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak. 35 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,080 Anton, as much as I know that you have been for many years a 36 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:01,000 judge of this nation, Paul is saying to Felix, I do the more 37 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,200 cheerfully answer for myself, because you may ascertain that 38 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,720 it is no more than 12 days since I went up to Jerusalem to 39 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,080 worship. And those who are accusing me 40 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,760 neither found me in the temple, disputing with anyone, nor 41 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,960 inciting the crowd. I didn't do any of that either 42 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,760 in the synagogue or in the city, nor can they prove the things 43 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,320 which they now accuse me. But this I confess to you, 44 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,520 according to the way, and that is the way is called followers 45 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,800 of Christ. They're called the Way, which 46 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:37,040 they call a sect. So I worship the God of my 47 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,480 Father's, believing all things which are written in the Law and 48 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:42,960 in the prophets. It's the fulfilment of Jewish 49 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,960 religion. He says I'm following the 50 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,440 Messiah prophesied in the Law and the prophets. 51 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,080 I'm still Jewish. That's the problem that seems to 52 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:59,960 be here. Because I've done this, I have 53 00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:04,720 hope in God, which they themselves accept that there 54 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:09,080 will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the 55 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,480 unjust. This being so, I myself always 56 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,720 strive to have a conscience without offence toward God and 57 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,160 men. Now, after many years, I came to 58 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,200 bring arms and offerings to my nation. 59 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,400 The collection that Paul brought to the church in Jerusalem, in 60 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,120 the midst of which some Jews from Asia, they were from 61 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,880 Turkey, found me purified. He was going through the the 62 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:37,360 rite of Nazarene neither with a mob nor with tumult. 63 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,440 They ought to have been here before you to object if they had 64 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,040 anything against me. These Jews that said I was doing 65 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:45,480 the wrong thing in the temple, where are they? 66 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,640 They're not here. It should be. 67 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,800 Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any 68 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:55,240 wrongdoing. OK, speak up. 69 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:57,400 If I've actually done something wrong, prove it. 70 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:01,480 Where's the evidence? Well, I stood before the 71 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,040 council. That's the Sanhedrin. 72 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,440 Unless it is for this one statement, which I cried out 73 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,280 standing among them concerning the resurrection of the dead. 74 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:12,920 I am being judged by you this day. 75 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,280 Verse 22 when Felix heard these things, having more accurate 76 00:05:18,280 --> 00:05:22,880 knowledge of the way Paul has told him all about Jesus than 77 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:26,880 Nazarene told him about him being resurrected. 78 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:32,480 So Felix now has a full picture of the gospel because Paul's 79 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:37,720 given it to him. He adjourned the proceedings and 80 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:41,280 said when Lyceus, that's the commander of the Roman centurion 81 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:44,800 who brought Paul to Caesarea, comes down, I'll make a decision 82 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:48,120 on your case. So he commanded the centurion to 83 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:50,440 keep Paul and let him have liberty and told him not to 84 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,440 forbid any of his friends to provide or visit for him. 85 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:58,000 So he's in prison after some days when Felix came with his 86 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:04,360 wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. So Felix is going to know all 87 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,880 about the Jewish religion. His wife's a Jewess. 88 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,960 She he's going to have full understanding of what Judaism is 89 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:17,440 and also the connection that Paul is making with this guy 90 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:23,400 Jesus being the Messiah that has been long for especially by 91 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:28,240 every Jewish woman. He said for Paul and heard him 92 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,280 concerning the faith in Christ. So Paul, tell me more about the 93 00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:37,120 faith, your faith in Christ. So it's a testimony now, as he 94 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:39,560 reasoned. Paul reasoned about 95 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:44,520 righteousness, self control and the judgement to come notice 96 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:49,120 what happened. Felix was afraid and answered. 97 00:06:50,280 --> 00:06:53,920 Go away for now. When I've convenient time, I'll 98 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,520 call you back. Meanwhile, he also hoped that 99 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,840 money would be given him by Paul that he might release him. 100 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:06,040 He wanted to get a bribe, therefore he sent for him more 101 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:10,440 often and converse with him. But after two years, two years, 102 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,320 this happened. Porsche's Festus succeeded Felix 103 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:18,360 and Felix wanted to do the Jews a favour, left Paul in prison. 104 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:27,800 Felix hears the gospel of Jesus Christ from Paul. 105 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:34,680 The word of God lands in Caesarea to the Roman governor, 106 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:41,600 and it pierces Felix like a gladius. 107 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,920 A gladius was the Roman sword 2 edged. 108 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:51,480 It jabs him in Hebrews 412. The Bible says for the Word of 109 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:57,080 God is quick, that is means it's alive, powerful, sharper than 110 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:02,880 any 2 edged sword, sharper than any gladius, piercing even to 111 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:13,480 the dividing asunder of soul, spirit, joints, marrow, and it 112 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:19,760 is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 113 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,440 The new living puts it this way, for the Word of God is alive and 114 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:28,400 powerful, sharper than any 2 edged sword, cutting between 115 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,080 soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. 116 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,840 It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 117 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,360 Elsewhere in the Bible. It also tells us that the Word 118 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:46,080 of God is a powerful sword. Ephesians 617 Take the harm of 119 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,520 helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is 120 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:55,960 the word of God. Now when you or I or anyone 121 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,200 hears the word of God, what happens? 122 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,720 It penetrates our innermost being. 123 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,280 I want to encourage you, when you have the little kids and 124 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:08,920 you're doing your devotional with them and they're playing 125 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,400 and they're laughing and they're giggling as you know you're 126 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,640 trying to have a family devotion and it's always someone starts 127 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:18,160 laughing or does something funky and you go, this is, is this, 128 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:22,240 are they listening to anything? If you're reading the Word of 129 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:27,880 God, it's going in, by the way. Also, you may be visiting a 130 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:33,280 relative who's in a coma, in intensive care, unconscious, 131 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:35,440 unable. You can't communicate. 132 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,080 You read the Word of God. You know why? 133 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:44,520 Because it bypasses these and it goes into the very spirit of the 134 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:49,240 person who's there. They're still there, just that 135 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:53,160 they their body won't let them communicate back to you and go, 136 00:09:53,560 --> 00:09:55,520 I know you're here. I know you're reading to me. 137 00:09:56,680 --> 00:10:01,520 So I encourage you when you go and visit someone in hospital 138 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:10,520 and they're out read the word of God, thou hear, and it's a 139 00:10:10,680 --> 00:10:13,200 blessed hope that we have that they'll respond. 140 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:18,840 And so when we hear the word of God, it penetrates our innermost 141 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:22,160 being. Bible tells us that it reveals 142 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,880 the rawness of our heart. That's why many times you come 143 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:27,400 to church and go I wasn't happy today. 144 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:29,000 Why aren't you happy? I don't know. 145 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:30,760 I just what he said. I don't know. 146 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,360 I don't know what he said, but I was didn't like waste back 147 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:38,520 didn't like what he said. I've even had had a person, this 148 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:42,800 young lady come up to us many years ago and she went off at 149 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,120 me. I went, well, what's you just 150 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,960 spoke about me, didn't you? Who told you what? 151 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:52,320 What? It just went off and I went 152 00:10:52,920 --> 00:11:00,120 Actually, no. And I think it's rather, I don't 153 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:05,920 know, selfish and proud to think that we would only deal with one 154 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:09,920 person, that you're the only person that this was for and 155 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:16,120 they went away because you see what happens. 156 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,440 That's why sometimes people come and they never come again. 157 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,080 Because even as we read the word of God and we speak the word of 158 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:27,880 God, it goes bang, we get unsettled. 159 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:29,560 And we don't like being unsettled. 160 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,640 We like things being calm. We don't like people poking into 161 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:37,400 our lives, into our into the privacy of our hearts and minds, 162 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:38,760 our thoughts. That's not what I think. 163 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,040 That's not what I'm thinking. That's not who I am. 164 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,120 And we have this facade that we carry around with us very well. 165 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,560 We practise it. We grow and grow and grow and we 166 00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:50,120 have this facade that's, you know, I'm good. 167 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:51,680 No, everything's good. How you going? 168 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:53,520 Good. Used to have a friend I used to 169 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:55,560 work with. Every time someone says how you 170 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:58,880 going, he says pretty terrible. And he just keep walking because 171 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:01,480 he always wanted to know. He said you watch this, there 172 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:03,440 you go, pretty terrible. And we just keep walking with 173 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:05,680 him and they would never turn around there because they'd oh, 174 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:07,720 that's good because people just respond. 175 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:10,160 They don't listen. They're just saying it. 176 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,480 And he would say pretty terrible all the time. 177 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:14,440 And now I said, oh, you're terrible. 178 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:15,880 What was the problem? No. 179 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:17,440 Oh, that's good. Yeah, see you again. 180 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:26,040 Paul stood before Felix unashamed of the gospel of Jesus 181 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,040 Christ, and he gives Felix the word of God direct. 182 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:36,080 Paul spoke of three powerful things direct to Felix's soul in 183 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:41,600 verse 25, and he reasoned, and I like the old King James, the way 184 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:46,240 I put it, he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, 185 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,120 judgement to come, righteousness. 186 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,760 What is righteousness? Righteousness is being right 187 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,800 with God. We only made righteous by the 188 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,120 blood of Christ. That's the only way we become 189 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:02,640 righteous. This table is a table and the 190 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,040 only people that can come there are sinners saved by grace. 191 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:08,400 It's this table is not for good people. 192 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:10,120 Good people don't take communion. 193 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,000 Good people tell I don't need communion. 194 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,720 I'm a good person. I give to the charities. 195 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:17,720 I do the right thing by my neighbours so they don't take 196 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,480 communion. Communion is for sinners. 197 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,640 Sinners have been forgiven who? Not yet. 198 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:28,520 I'm a Sinner. I I need Christ. 199 00:13:29,680 --> 00:13:32,840 So that's what the table, it's a table of Thanksgiving where we 200 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:36,960 remember why we're here, why we can give thanks because of what 201 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:41,600 Christ did for us, righteousness being right with God. 202 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:47,680 Now this made the Roman governor Felix, who was a cruel man, 203 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:51,800 because when a slave came to the throne, man, he got his own 204 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:54,680 back. I've been a slave and so I've 205 00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:57,440 been treated like a dog. Anyone comes to me, you're going 206 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,280 to get, you're going to get it like I had. 207 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:01,840 It's payback time. And he did. 208 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:07,760 He was an immoral man. This was his third wife and made 209 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:11,240 him look back over his life as Paul is speaking the word of God 210 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:17,600 about righteousness, his life, Felix life was staying with the 211 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,080 word as rapacity. It means greedy. 212 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:22,560 He was greedy. It was just for him. 213 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:27,120 It was it's one who lives by catching prey. 214 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,520 He's cunning. He's always shifty. 215 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:34,400 It's a life of ultimate cruelty. That was Felix. 216 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:39,040 He was the opposite to righteous temperance. 217 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,000 Temperance means a life of self control. 218 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,520 You see, when you get saved now God is in control. 219 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:49,080 You're no longer flying off the handle all the time. 220 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:53,880 You're no longer, you know, raging a raging idiot and doing 221 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,040 stupid things. Now you we're under the control 222 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:00,240 of the Holy Spirit and we walk in step with God. 223 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,800 Now it's been a change temperance. 224 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:09,720 But Felix, his life was one of wrong desires, no self control. 225 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:15,760 He had wicked passions. They dominated Felix's life. 226 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,680 It's the if it feels good, do it. 227 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:24,160 It's the Nike slogan, If it feels good, do it. 228 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:27,280 That's the opposite to temperance. 229 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:34,280 Judgement to come. Felix is married to the Jewess 230 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:37,040 Drusilla. They know there's judgement. 231 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:42,560 Jews know about judgement. This struck Felix to his core. 232 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:49,640 Because any man with any savvy knows, you know, at the end of 233 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:53,320 things, how I've lived, I'll face judgement. 234 00:15:55,000 --> 00:16:00,080 A life that he knew that there was a great being that whom one 235 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,160 day he would have to stand accountable to. 236 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:09,880 You see, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the standard of divine 237 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:15,240 truth and truth is absolute. The world says, Oh no, there's 238 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,360 no things such things as absolute. 239 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:21,640 Yes there is jump off a building 10 storeys high. 240 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:33,120 Gravity is absolute. Romans 116 For I am not ashamed 241 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:37,720 of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the power of God unto 242 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,080 salvation. To everyone that believes, to 243 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:45,440 the Jew 1st and also to the Greek, for therein is the 244 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:49,440 righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. 245 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:55,160 It's the truth as it is written. The just shall live by faith. 246 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:02,000 Humanity, mankind as a whole does not set the standard that 247 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,800 defines truth. And this is where people go, 248 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,880 well, I'm good with God, I'm OK. I used to think that before I 249 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,280 was saved. I mean, I, I grew up in a nice 250 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,599 family. You know, I went to Sunday 251 00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:14,880 school when I was like, you know, I went to church and, you 252 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:18,319 know, I thought about God and thought I was right with God 253 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:20,200 until someone showed me the Bible. 254 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:25,079 I went, oh, I haven't done that. I didn't know I had to do that. 255 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:30,360 I didn't know I had to repent. I thought God and I were we were 256 00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:36,840 OK. But no, we don't set the, the 257 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,800 standard. We don't worship God in our own 258 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,560 way. Can't your standard is no good 259 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,920 man's own conscience is not reliable to guide us. 260 00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:52,080 The Bible tells us that Jeremiah 17/9. 261 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:56,720 The prophet says the heart that is our feelings, our emotions is 262 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,280 deceitful above all things desperately wicked. 263 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:04,920 Who can know it? Please deal with crimes of 264 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:10,400 passion people. You know when someone usually in 265 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:12,760 a marriage, someone kills someone in a marriage, who's the 266 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:18,160 first most likely person, the husband or the wife. 267 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:22,000 It's it's a it's but they're the ones that crime of passion. 268 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:25,080 The ones love them and then they kill them. 269 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:33,400 How quickly we can turn even King David man after God's own 270 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:40,320 heart said this Psalm 13923. He said to the Lord, Lord search 271 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:48,280 me, oh God, know my heart, try me and know my thoughts, see if 272 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:52,480 there'd be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of 273 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:57,800 everlasting. One thing I realising even now 274 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:02,920 as I grow older in age and in my walk with God, there are times 275 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:10,440 when I come to myself and I go, man, I'm, I'm not pleasant, you 276 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:14,480 know, the way I've reacted, the something I've said and I go, 277 00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:19,920 I'm disgusted with myself. Because you see, as I grow 278 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:24,440 closer, closer to the Lord, the more of myself is revealed by 279 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:29,960 the word of God and my walk with God and, and, and that's why we, 280 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,360 we had this constantly. I need to come to God and go, Oh 281 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:41,800 God, thank you for your mercy. It's what the Nazis cried out 282 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,720 and we went to Nuremberg, walked into the place where they had 283 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,920 the trial. I stood in the place where 284 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:55,240 Hitler stood and proclaimed the the Reich, the thousands, 285 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,600 hundreds of thousands of people gathered. 286 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:02,480 And then we went, as I said, to Nuremberg, to the courthouse. 287 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:07,640 Where the Nazis sat there and they were brought to judgement 288 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:19,280 for the crimes against humanity, the Nazis said we were just 289 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:25,560 doing what we were ordered no. And that's why it became known 290 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,640 as that statement, just doing what I was ordered to do, the 291 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:33,520 Nuremberg confession, because what you're doing was wrong, but 292 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,640 you just can't be. I wasn't. 293 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,160 There wasn't anything in it. That's the standard. 294 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:47,520 You see, humanity needs standards apart from our own. 295 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:50,480 They're called the 10 commandments. 296 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:55,640 They're written in stone. And the first of them says, you 297 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:58,320 are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul 298 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:01,840 and strength. And it tells us about how to to, 299 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,280 to deal with one another, what we shouldn't do, how we should 300 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,600 live. They're the standards. 301 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:14,840 When Felix heard the gospel spoken by Paul, he's agreeing 302 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:16,600 with it and said, well, I hear what you're saying. 303 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,960 Let's stop talking now and I'll hear some more of this. 304 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:26,080 He heard it, but it did nothing. He didn't do anything about it. 305 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:32,600 James chapter 2 verse 19 James says you believe that there is 306 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,360 one God Oh yeah, many Australians see there is one 307 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:37,040 God. Yeah, you do. 308 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,600 Well, the devils also believe and tremble. 309 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:46,800 They tremble as well. Doesn't make them righteous. 310 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,880 Doesn't make them holy. You know, we have this funny 311 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,760 thing, You know, I've heard people when we try and be nice 312 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:54,880 to people, say, well, I was talking to someone about 313 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,040 something and they said they were spiritual. 314 00:21:57,120 --> 00:22:01,320 And when I mentioned God, they said we have a fear of God and 315 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,720 it means nothing. But we're trying to kind of 316 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:15,600 like, I think they're Christian. No, you can sit in the church 317 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,800 and agree with all that is preached. 318 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,240 You can nod yes. Amen. 319 00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:28,040 But it is what you do with the truth of the gospel, what you do 320 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,800 with it. James goes on to say. 321 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:36,720 I'll show you my faith by my life, by my works. 322 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,600 I'll show you my faith by my life. 323 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:50,000 God's truth, God's Word probed into Felix's soul, stabbed it. 324 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:55,640 When we sit under God's word, the truth of God probes into 325 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:00,280 hidden wounds of our spirit that need healing. 326 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,240 That's why we get upset, because we, we pack those things away. 327 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,680 We don't want to bring them out. They hurt too much. 328 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:10,160 I don't want to go back there. I, I, I, I've hidden that away. 329 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:13,920 No one needs to know about that. God says. 330 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:19,680 I know about it. When we hear God's word, like 331 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:27,960 Felix, the word tears the scab off the the callous scar is 332 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:34,960 removed and it reveals the raw tissue of who we are, and it 333 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:40,200 reveals this. We are all sinners lost. 334 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:47,160 That's what Christ came. Romans 323 says that all have 335 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:51,480 sinned and come short of the glory of God. 336 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,000 In this room, we're all guilty before God. 337 00:23:56,240 --> 00:24:00,520 The difference is, if you sit here today, whether you've 338 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:08,360 accepted the pardon or not, if you haven't accepted the pardon, 339 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,800 you sit here still guilty before God. 340 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,080 God's arrow fired through the lips of his servant Paul to 341 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:25,160 Felix, empowered by his Holy Spirit and the sort of sword of 342 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:30,040 God, plunged into the sinful soul of Felix with the mighty 343 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:33,880 force that truth brings. That old saying, it's pretty 344 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:35,000 true. Truth hurts. 345 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:42,280 Truth hurts Felix. You're the man, you know the 346 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:45,040 things you've done, you're not righteous, you're not tempering, 347 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,320 you're going to be judged. You know that there will be 348 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,240 judgement awaiting you. Paul didn't say that to him. 349 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:55,000 He just gave the word of God. It's the word of God that does 350 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,600 it. Jesus said when the Holy Spirit 351 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,040 comes, what will he do? Convict. 352 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,520 When you sit here and you get that uncomfortable feeling, 353 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,400 there's a difference between condemnation and conviction. 354 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,520 Condemnation says you're useless, you're no good, you'll 355 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,600 never come up to anything. Conviction is yes, you're a 356 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:20,600 Sinner, but there's hope. Change Jesus is the answer. 357 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:23,840 There's hope. That's conviction. 358 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,600 Do you know the difference between conviction and 359 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:32,080 condemnation? No wonder it says Felix 360 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:35,240 trembled. He literally, physically 361 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,240 trembled. In Daniel chapter 5, The Last 362 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:43,760 Night of Life for a Man called Belshazzar, grandson of 363 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:47,480 Nebuchadnezzar, The writing appears on the wall. 364 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:51,720 Many, many tackle you fasten. You've been weighed and you've 365 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:56,680 been found wanting. Your life is short. 366 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:00,400 You've mocked the God that you're drinking wine and 367 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:05,880 celebrating in and of the vessels of the God that we that 368 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:10,400 are used by the Jews to worship back in Israel. 369 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,720 And you're you're making a mockery of the God in whose 370 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:18,040 hands your very breath sits, Daniel said. 371 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:23,880 It's said when Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall, the 372 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:28,480 word of God, the King's countenance changed. 373 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:33,240 Daniel 5, verse 6. His thoughts troubled him. 374 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:38,640 He knows he's guilty. His knees knocked together. 375 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:42,040 It says that his hips dislocated. 376 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:51,680 Felix trembled, answered. Go your way for this time, Paul. 377 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,160 When I have a convenient season, I'll call you again. 378 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,760 Not now. Isn't that often the response 379 00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:59,160 when we're trying to witness to someone? 380 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:02,040 And let's not talk about that now. 381 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:06,520 Convenient. The word convenient in the Greek 382 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:13,240 here means a fixed and definite time, a seasonable time, the 383 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:15,880 right time, a limited period of time. 384 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,360 What Felix did is he procrastinated. 385 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:24,960 He said let's talk about this another time at a more 386 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,200 convenient time, Paul, another date. 387 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,760 Felix is really uncomfortable as Paul is simply sharing his faith 388 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:34,720 in Christ. Remember, Paul hasn't come up 389 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,000 and said you, you, you, this, you're this. 390 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,520 He's just sharing the gospel. You see, the Word of God does 391 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:46,280 the convicting and terror flows now through Felix, every part 392 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,640 causing him to physically tremble. 393 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,840 This is the conviction, as I said, of the Spirit of God 394 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:56,120 through the Word of God penetrating into his soul. 395 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:00,880 Fear flows through his heart. He cuts off the exchange with 396 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,040 Paul sharply. Go away for this time. 397 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,600 Stop. Come back another time when it's 398 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,120 more convenient. I'll call for you. 399 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:14,040 You see, Paul had diagnosed Felix's heart and offered him 400 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:15,440 the remedy. What's the remedy? 401 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,920 He'd spoken of him. Jesus resurrected. 402 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,160 It was up to Felix to receive him. 403 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,920 You see, procrastination is the thief of time. 404 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:32,200 And time, as I've gotten older, I found, is probably the most 405 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,040 precious thing that you and I have. 406 00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:38,440 We can talk about money and other sorts of things, but time, 407 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,960 when it's gone, it's gone. If you miss one child's 408 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:45,720 birthday, you can't go back to when they're six or seven or 409 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:49,200 four and you've missed it. You can't go back and get it 410 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,840 again. You can't recycle and go back 411 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,400 over and go, well, I should have been there that time, let's do 412 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:56,120 it again. You can't. 413 00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:01,080 You can't do that. We can't go back. 414 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,280 Time is precious and procrastination is the great 415 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:11,280 thief of your time. One of these days is none of 416 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:17,640 these days. Procrastination is the thief of 417 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:21,520 souls. The Bible itself declares 2 418 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:27,480 Corinthians 6. Two, now is the acceptable time. 419 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:33,000 Behold, and it repeats. Now is the day of salvation. 420 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:41,280 Felix had a foolish attitude towards God, toward God's Word, 421 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,760 thinking that, well, let's talk about it at a later date. 422 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:47,680 That's very Australian, isn't it? 423 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,360 Yeah, I know, I know. You go to church, we'll talk 424 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,560 about it some other time, but let's not talk about it now. 425 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:58,680 We've got other things to do. It's very Australian, but God 426 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:05,360 says in Acts 1730, but it says God in time Pass winked at the 427 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,600 way that people lived. I covered it. 428 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:16,960 But then Acts 1730 goes on to say but now commands. 429 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:23,640 Notice but now commands. That's not a suggestion. 430 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:32,200 All men everywhere to repent all means all men where everywhere 431 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:33,960 to do what? To repent. 432 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:42,280 That's a command. Felix knew he was a Sinner, yet 433 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,200 he refused to break with his sins and obey the Lord. 434 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:48,600 He had a foolish attitude towards God's grace. 435 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:53,400 Take a step back from this for a moment and look at the scenario. 436 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:57,840 Is this Roman governor the greatest teacher on earth at the 437 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,480 time? Bible teacher there two years. 438 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:08,160 How gracious is God with Felix? I mean, you got the greatest 439 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:13,520 Bible teacher, expounder, one who's seen Christ himself coming 440 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:15,160 for you back and forth, back and forth. 441 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:20,840 Isn't God trying to save Felix the soul? 442 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:25,680 I think he is. You see, God is not willing. 443 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,600 The Bible says that any should perish, but that all should 444 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:35,160 come. How long suffering was God 445 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:39,320 toward this Roman? Yet Felix would not surrender. 446 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:44,280 Felix had no idea of another day's life to be lived. 447 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:46,920 He didn't know when he was going to live or die, yet he 448 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:51,520 procrastinated. Proverbs 27 One says, boast not 449 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:56,000 yourself of tomorrow, for you know not what a day may bring 450 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:57,280 forth. Isn't that true? 451 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:01,080 40 People who are alive today in West Australia will be dead by 452 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:06,960 tomorrow. 40 a day die. 40 alive today will be in the morgue by 453 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:11,480 tomorrow. Procrastinated or 454 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:15,280 procrastination, is a dangerous game to play. 455 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:17,840 It's Russian roulette with your soul. 456 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:20,360 Russian roulette for those you don't know. 457 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:25,080 You get a gun, put one bullet it, you spin it around and you 458 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:31,080 click, spin it again, click. How in contrast, do we see feel 459 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:34,760 as compared with perhaps the Philippian gaoler who also 460 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:40,240 trembled back in the book of Acts Acts 16 verse 27 earthquake 461 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,600 hits the prison doors are open. The keeper of the prison 462 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:46,200 awakened and have his sleep. Seeing the prison doors open, he 463 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:49,520 drew out his sword is going to kill himself. 464 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:56,600 Supposing that all the prisoners had fled, but Paul cried out 465 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,920 with a loud voice saying don't do yourself any harm. 466 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:03,800 We're all here, Paul, Silas. They've been singing at 467 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,480 midnight. Then he called for a light and 468 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:08,720 sprang in and came, came trembling. 469 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:11,640 So the gaoler comes in, he's trembling. 470 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,080 He falls down before God and Silas. 471 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:18,720 And he brought them out and said, sirs, what must I do to be 472 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:20,360 saved? There's the difference. 473 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:26,000 This is the choice that all humanity will face. 474 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:31,920 Procrastination will cause you great harm, Eternal damnation, 475 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:39,160 if you continue to defer and to defer, yet knowing the truth and 476 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:42,520 constantly rejecting it. The trouble is when I talk to 477 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:46,120 people about the gospel and they know what I'm saying is true and 478 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:47,800 they hear it and they go, I know what you're saying is true. 479 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,640 They've said that back, but they don't do anything about it. 480 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:54,080 It's dangerous. It's so dangerous. 481 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:58,640 The Bible writes about this that during the last days, when the 482 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:02,920 Antichrist, the world leader, takes position upon the throne, 483 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:07,760 Second Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 9, this man, the 484 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:11,560 Antichrist, will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit 485 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:16,760 power, signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil 486 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:24,480 deception to fool those on their way to destruction because why 487 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:29,639 they refuse? It's a choice to love and accept 488 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,920 the truth. They know the truth that would 489 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:38,760 save them not interested. So God will cause them to be 490 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:43,800 greatly deceived and they will believe these lies. 491 00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:49,000 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than 492 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,679 believing the truth. Choice. 493 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:59,760 The devil called a meeting, things weren't going well. 494 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:05,480 He's angry he got 5 fallen angels to come before him, 495 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:13,360 demons and he offered a prize with the winning suggestion how 496 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:15,200 to keep people from getting saved. 497 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:21,600 So the devil opened the meeting and said we need a new strategy 498 00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:27,840 to keep people away from Christ. Knowing God the creator, Demon 499 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:33,560 one put his hand up. Simple, let's tell him there is 500 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:35,440 no God. That'll work. 501 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:40,160 The devil looked at him and then responded. 502 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,520 I'd be an idiot. People only have to look at the 503 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:50,040 wonders of creation, birth of a new child, glance up at the 504 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:54,920 heavens, see the stars, the sun, the moon, how the seasons come 505 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:58,640 and go. That won't work at all. 506 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:04,960 Demon 2 put his hand up. Well, how? 507 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:07,520 How about we tell them there's no such thing as evil? 508 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:10,920 Will that work? They can simply just believe as 509 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,680 they like. The devil responded. 510 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,040 That won't work either. They just have to look at the 511 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:21,200 world around them, watch the news, the broken lives 512 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:25,440 everywhere. I think again, Demon Three put 513 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:29,560 his hand up. What if we tell them churches 514 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:34,200 aren't relevant, that they're old fashioned, antiquated, out 515 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:38,520 of touch, and they just after their money and the devil 516 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:40,680 responded, They already think that that way anyway. 517 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:43,040 Don't need to do any more about that. 518 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:48,240 That's not new, Demon Four. Well, my suggestion is 519 00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:49,400 foolproof. This will work. 520 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:55,200 Get the mortals addicted to TV. I can watch it until they just 521 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:57,280 fall asleep. Just waste their lives away. 522 00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:02,720 Not bad, the devil responded, and they'll eventually lose 523 00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:06,080 interest in TV. They might start to think for 524 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,840 themselves. I'll watch podcasts all the time 525 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,760 now. I do church in their own lounge 526 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:16,120 room, coffee in hand, but it's not enough. 527 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:26,400 I need something more better. And the last demon stumbled and 528 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,320 stammered. The devil shouted. 529 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:30,920 Speak up, you've got something to say. 530 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:38,400 I'm not sure, but what? What if we told them that they 531 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:41,720 have plenty of time and that there's no hurry? 532 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:48,760 The devil was silent for a moment, jumped to his feet and 533 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:53,080 shouted. Excellent prize is yours, now go 534 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:56,160 to it. And that's how it is. 535 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:01,400 We wait till we go to the funeral and then we hear those 536 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:05,560 words. They're down, up there, down 537 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:07,400 looking at us. They're now with sunset. 538 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:10,600 And we rattle off all the names of everyone that's died and 539 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:14,840 they're there. And it's so sad because of the 540 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:19,400 cross, says Heaven is not default for every person, 541 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:25,160 otherwise there'd be no cross. The reason that he came is that 542 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:31,120 there is no man comes under the Father, but by me I am the way, 543 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:39,640 the truth and the life. Alexander the Great was asked at 544 00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:43,600 the age of 33 how he had conquered the world. 545 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:48,760 He replied by not delaying did it straight away. 546 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,640 Hebrews chapter 2 verse 3 says this. 547 00:38:52,960 --> 00:39:00,360 How shall we escape if we neglect that's defer so great 548 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:05,560 salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord 549 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:10,640 the Word, and then was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him, 550 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:15,760 the apostles. Atheism has claimed its many, 551 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:21,240 many souls. Vice immorality claim many more, 552 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:26,520 but procrastination has claimed millions of lost souls. 553 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:32,200 Those who know the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and yet 554 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:38,800 procrastinate on receiving it and obey are spoken of by Paul 555 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:44,480 in Romans chapter 1 and God says in Romans 118. 556 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:51,160 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, 557 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:56,560 wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 558 00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:59,280 In other words, they know the truth, push it away, push it 559 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:04,360 away, push it away. They know the truth about God 560 00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:10,600 because He has made it obvious to them forever since the world 561 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:13,680 was created. People have seen the earth and 562 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:18,400 sky through everything God made. They can clearly see his 563 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:22,560 invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature. 564 00:40:23,200 --> 00:40:29,160 So they have no excuse for not knowing God when the second 565 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:32,240 resurrection occurs and they stand before Christ. 566 00:40:32,720 --> 00:40:37,840 It's not a judgement, it's a sentencing and people go, well I 567 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:39,480 see God, I got a few things you want to say to him. 568 00:40:39,720 --> 00:40:42,640 He won't say a word by book of Romans says you won't say a 569 00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:45,080 word. You are not a word because you 570 00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:53,720 know you are completely guilty as you stand before he who came 571 00:40:53,720 --> 00:40:56,080 as a saviour. But now is your judge. 572 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:05,320 Have you been procrastinating? Are you now procrastinating? 573 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:09,000 You come, yet you've not surrendered. 574 00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:15,320 You're walking in a dangerous path that grows more threatening 575 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:19,480 each day. For each day you procrastinate 576 00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:26,320 is like taking a shot of religion in the arm, just enough 577 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:31,120 each time to keep you immune from the faith. 578 00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:38,480 Felix had opportunity. Time after time, Paul's two 579 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:43,720 years of captivity, Felix had the chance to hear and obey the 580 00:41:43,720 --> 00:41:48,800 gospel of Jesus Christ. Felix's procrastination over 581 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:53,040 those two years grew to be a powerful force within him. 582 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:56,240 At first, he trembled. He wasn't at the end of those 583 00:41:56,240 --> 00:42:00,400 two years. For it binds those who hear the 584 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:06,640 gospel, reject it, know it's true, and yet its conviction is 585 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:11,320 set aside. In Exodus Chapter 7, verse 13, 586 00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:14,840 it says this. Pharaoh's heart, however, 587 00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:19,760 remained hard. He still refused choice to 588 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:22,520 listen, just as the Lord had predicted. 589 00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:27,880 You know Pharaoh had seven times that. 590 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:33,360 God gave Pharaoh the opportunity to surrender to the God of 591 00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:34,960 Israel. Let my people go. 592 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:42,400 Each time Pharaoh rejected the offer, his heart hardened until 593 00:42:42,720 --> 00:42:45,240 God said it. That's it. 594 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:52,560 In Exodus 7 three times, Exodus 81 time, Exodus 9 twice, and 595 00:42:52,560 --> 00:43:00,360 Exodus 10 the last time in Hebrews chapter 3, the writer of 596 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:04,320 Hebrews says, and we are God's house speaking to the church if 597 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:09,040 we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. 598 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:17,480 That is why the Holy Spirit says today when you hear his voice, 599 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:23,960 don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, 600 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:26,840 when they tested me in the wilderness. 601 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:32,040 Verse 12 of Hebrews says three says be careful. 602 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:36,360 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, speaking to the church, 603 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:41,760 make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving. 604 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:44,960 Turning your way from the living God. 605 00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:53,160 You must warn each other every day while it is still today, so 606 00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:57,400 that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened 607 00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:01,920 against God. Procrastinate, For if we are 608 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:07,200 faithful to the end, trusting God as firmly as when we first 609 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:11,880 believed, we will share. And all that belongs to Christ. 610 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:18,640 Remember what it says today. And he repeats when you hear his 611 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:22,400 voice. Don't harden your hearts as 612 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:32,640 Israel did when they rebelled. Habitual procrastination, never 613 00:44:32,640 --> 00:44:36,040 done that. How many jobs are in the house 614 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:43,240 are not quite finished? How many projects we we've 615 00:44:43,240 --> 00:44:49,280 begun, we'll get to, you know, guy's going to do up a car, it's 616 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:55,400 in the garage still projects around the house. 617 00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:57,960 We're going to reshape this and change that. 618 00:45:00,240 --> 00:45:04,440 You see, habitual procrastination makes response 619 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:09,280 harder and harder as God convicts you, but you 620 00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:13,640 continually ignore his conviction and you don't act 621 00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:16,720 upon it. What happens is then the 622 00:45:16,720 --> 00:45:21,680 conviction grows fainter, Not God on God's end, but on your 623 00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:25,160 end, on your ability to receive it. 624 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:33,000 Your receptivism to this is a minimism until this scarcely at 625 00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:36,040 all. Finally, a procrastinator 626 00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:42,680 becomes familiar with evil, sin hardened, gospel hardened. 627 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:48,240 Paul warned us that this would come in the last days on Timothy 628 00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:50,960 41. Now the Holy Spirit tells us 629 00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:56,960 clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the 630 00:45:56,960 --> 00:46:00,160 true faith. They will follow deceptive 631 00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:03,760 spirits and teachings that come from demons. 632 00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:09,920 You got time. These people are hypocrites and 633 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:15,760 liars and their consciences are dead, speaking lies in 634 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:19,840 hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot 635 00:46:20,240 --> 00:46:24,520 iron, procrastinated. Paul tells us that in the last 636 00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:28,840 days some will abandoned the faith, follow false teachers, 637 00:46:29,160 --> 00:46:33,680 their hearts so hardened now by putting off the truth, ignoring 638 00:46:33,680 --> 00:46:36,920 it, that their hearts and conscience, that truth is 639 00:46:36,920 --> 00:46:40,120 abandoned, their conscience is deadened. 640 00:46:40,440 --> 00:46:45,920 Each time we procrastinate, the word seared means cauterised, 641 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:48,800 burnt. It creates the scar so there's 642 00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:56,960 no longer sensitivity. Branded without feeling two men, 643 00:46:58,720 --> 00:47:04,960 Paul and Felix 2 alternatives. We are all given death. 644 00:47:05,680 --> 00:47:12,720 That means separation from God means hell, life eternal with 645 00:47:12,720 --> 00:47:17,400 God, heaven. In Deuteronomy chapter 30, Moses 646 00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:23,480 makes his great proclamation, verse 19, he says, I call heaven 647 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:27,960 and earth to record this day against you, speaking to Israel, 648 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:33,560 that I have set before you life and death, choice, blessing, and 649 00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:37,280 cursing. Therefore choose life, that both 650 00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:42,000 you and your seed may live, that you May 1. 651 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:47,920 Love the Lord your God, and that you may obey his voice, 2 and 652 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:56,360 that you may cleave to him 3 for his life four and length of days 653 00:47:56,440 --> 00:48:00,480 five. Felix the Apostle Paul, you and 654 00:48:00,480 --> 00:48:03,360 I have been created in God's image. 655 00:48:03,960 --> 00:48:09,960 We have minds to think with, hearts to feel with, and I will 656 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:14,080 to decide with. And God calls us to make right 657 00:48:14,080 --> 00:48:19,200 decisions today, not tomorrow. We're not machines. 658 00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:22,840 We can hear God's word, as did Felix. 659 00:48:23,280 --> 00:48:27,600 We can learn God's will and decide today whether we're going 660 00:48:27,600 --> 00:48:33,280 to obey it or disobey it. It's a choice. 661 00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:38,760 Jesus said he that believes on the Son has everlasting life. 662 00:48:39,240 --> 00:48:43,400 He that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the 663 00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:47,880 wrath of God abides on him. Today. 664 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:51,720 Choose life. Perhaps you're already a 665 00:48:51,720 --> 00:48:56,760 Christian, but you keep putting off God's call on your life to 666 00:48:56,760 --> 00:48:59,960 serve Him. You know He's called you. 667 00:49:00,320 --> 00:49:03,520 You know there are ministries that you could do that where you 668 00:49:03,520 --> 00:49:11,840 could serve in that God is often impressed upon your heart, but 669 00:49:11,840 --> 00:49:15,880 you keep putting them off. You get uncomfortable. 670 00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:20,760 It's uncomfortable to leave your world and start to live in His 671 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:22,800 will completely. It means change. 672 00:49:24,000 --> 00:49:29,320 You have all the excuses, that's why you procrastinate, and God 673 00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:30,760 knows each and every one of them. 674 00:49:32,160 --> 00:49:35,200 But you do not want to leave this world with jobs left 675 00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:41,640 undone, regrets, lives left untouched before it's too late. 676 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:48,320 Will you finally stop today, putting off God's call on your 677 00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:56,280 heart? You can't go back in time, You 678 00:49:56,280 --> 00:50:01,200 can't go forward in time, but today you can surrender to God 679 00:50:01,680 --> 00:50:12,240 fully. Let's pray, Father, as sure as 680 00:50:12,240 --> 00:50:18,320 your words spoke to Felix, your word and you do not change. 681 00:50:20,560 --> 00:50:25,000 And Father, wherever your sword has pierced souls today, 682 00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:36,240 wherever you have delved deep, deep into our lives, I pray that 683 00:50:36,240 --> 00:50:42,720 we do not respond like Felix and set aside your conviction to a 684 00:50:42,720 --> 00:50:48,760 more convenient time. I pray, Lord, move by your Holy 685 00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:57,520 Spirit amongst all gathered here today, that today is the day 686 00:50:57,520 --> 00:51:02,360 they surrender and walk with you. 687 00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:07,400 This we pray in Jesus name. Amen. 688 00:51:07,400 --> 00:51:08,640 Just to know you.