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Righteousness, Self-Control, and Judgment to ComeText: Acts 24:24-25 Introduction:
I. Background of the text.
II. Felix
A. He had a high priest murdered, taken bribes, a wicked
and unprincipled ruler, etc.
B. He “exercised the authority of a king with the spirit of
a slave,” and that, by reason of the powerful influence
at his command, “he supposed he might perpetrate with
impunity every kind of villainy.” – Tacitus. (Vincent)
C. Talked Drusilla (the daughter of Herod Agrippa I who
killed James in Acts 12:1-2) to leave her husband and
marry him. So this was an adulterous relationship.
III. Paul preached on Righteousness, Self-control, and Judgment
to come.
A. You would think that Paul would have spoken words that
would have made Felix feel good or flatter Felix in an
effort to win Paul’s freedom.
B. Yet these are the subjects that Felix needed to hear.
C. One may only grieve for the fact that widespread
preaching of eternal judgment has subsided or
disappeared altogether in many churches; but right here
is the power that convicted sinners like those who heard
Paul; and if modern churches would have any convicting
power, let them preach the word of God on such subjects
as this. (Coffman)
Body:
I. Righteousness
A. Definition:
1. Thayer – 1. In a broad sense: state of him who is as
he ought to be, righteousness, the condition
acceptable to God. …b. integrity, virtue, purity of
life, rightness, correctness of thinking, and
acting.
2. “Righteousness”…signifies the moral quality when one
does what receives the approval of the divine judge.
The term is always forensic; God judges and declares
righteous either a man’s conduct (as here) or his
entire status (righteousness in Christ Jesus), C.-K.
315, etc. (Lenski)
2. Righteousness is a comprehensive word describing the
will of God. (Harkrider)
B. I suspect that “Paul made Felix and Drusilla aware
of their responsibility to live in accordance with
God’s teaching.” In addition, he must have stressed
to them, as he did to the Corinthians, that unrighteous
conduct will prevent one from inheriting the kingdom of
heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Inasmuch as righteous
living was contrary to their unrighteous ways, Paul’s
teaching emphasized the need for drastic change in
their lives. We suppose that he taught them that if
they submitted to God’s conditions, they could be
forgiven of all past unrighteousness and thus be
righteous in God’s sight—but not unless they turned
from their unrighteous conduct.” Johnny Stringer
D. Titus 2:12
C. How can we know we ought to be, have purity of life,
correct thinking and life? Psalm 119:172
1. The right conduct:
a. Towards others: Matthew 7:12
b. Towards family: Ephesians 5:22-6:4
2. The right speech: Ephesians 4:29; Matthew 12:36-37
3. The right thinking: Philippians 4:8
4. The purity of life: 1 Corinthians 6:18
5. This is just a few of the teachings of the
Scriptures that teaches us “integrity, virtue,
purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking,
and acting”.
II. Self-Control
A. Definition
1. Thayer – the virtue of one who masters his desires
and passions, especially his sensual appetites.
2. The original word here denotes a restraint of all the
passions and evil inclinations; and may be applied to
prudence, chastity, and moderation in general.
(Barnes)
3. God demands that we exercise the self-control
necessary to make ourselves do the things that are
required of us and abstain from sinful practices.
(Springer)
B. Scriptures:
1. Part of the Fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23
2. One of the things which we are to add to our faith –
2 Peter 1:5-10
C. Application: (Drinking, Drugs, TV Sports, Computer;
Pornography, the Internet, Gambling, Video Games, etc.
III. Judgment to come.
A. All must face the Judgment. Hebrews 9:27
B. Jesus Christ is the Judge. Acts 17:30-31
C. The Standard by which we will be judged.
1. John 12:48
2. Shows the need and importance of studying the Bible.
D. Purpose – 2 Corinthians 5:10
E. Result – Matthew 25:46 (There is a Heaven to gain and a
Hell to shun)
1. Heaven – Revelation 21:4, (Revelation 21 and 22)
a. “If you miss Heaven, then you have missed all that
there is.”
2. Hell
a. Matthew 25:46 – Eternal punishment
b. Matthew 25:41 – Lake of Fire
c. Mark 9:48
Conclusion:
I. The results of Paul’s sermon:
A. Felix was afraid.
1. afraid – alarmed, or terrified. Barnes
2. Lit., having become in fear. Rev., better, was terrified. Vincent
B. Yet he said “when I have a convenient time I will call
for you.”
C. Yet as far as we know, the “convenient time never came.
II. Don’t let this be true of you.
A. 2 Corinthians 6:2
B. Satan will do what he can to make sure that no one will
obey the Gospel or give up the pleasures of sin.
C. If you:
1. never have been a Christian, you need to …
2. have been a Christian but have been unfaithful, you
need to…
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