This is the season of Thanksgiving—a natural time for reflecting and remembering with gratitude all the blessings in your recent history.

What do you see when you look back over the past year or years? Is your heart filled with gratitude or do you have other thoughts about your life?

Today, we’ll see some looking back in the life of Paul who you will remember was falsely imprisoned these last 2 years. The last thing one would expect when Paul looks back would be gratitude…but I get ahead of myself.

Acts 25:13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. 16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges. 17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.

Looking back over the situation, Festus sees unfinished business from 2 years ago. Governor Felix had left him with a loose end—a falsely imprisoned Paul. And looking back over it, Festus totally gets it that Paul is under arrest because of his belief in Jesus Christ and the Resurrection.

20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. 21 When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”

Festus places his own actions in the best light possible and acknowledges to King Agrippa that Festus is not well equipped to think about Jewish stuff. Instead of saying that Roman law didn’t really address Jewish law and freeing Paul, (and risk getting the Jewish faction in Caesarea all riled up for more of the same kind of revolt that undid Felix before him) Festus looks back and explains away his role in perpetuating this injustice. He didn’t know what to do…or have the moral courage to do it if he did…so what do you do when you don’t know what to do? Delay, do nothing, and hope the situation goes away. Festus was no doubt relieved that Paul appealed to Caesar.

What a stroke of luck to be able to pass the buck! It reminds me of the scene in White Christmas where Wallace and Davis and the Haynes sisters are singing “Gee, I wish I was back in the army…” to encourage General Waverly who was also looking back at the glory days of military life.

• When I was mustered out
• I thought without a doubt
• That I was through with all my care and strife
• I thought that I was then
• The happiest of men
• But after months of tough civilian life
•  
• Gee, I wish I was back in the Army
• The Army wasn’t really bad at all
• Three meals a day
• For which you didn’t pay
• Uniforms for winter, spring and fall
•  
• There’s a lot to be said for the Army
• The life without responsibility
• A soldier out of luck
• Was really never stuck
• There’s always someone higher up where you can pass the buck
• Oh, gee, I wish I was back in the Army

Festus was looking back and not so much grateful as relieved. He was off the hook. He passed the buck on up to the next level.

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”

Passing the buck had just one little problem. What to state on the governmental form regarding the charges. I wonder what Paul thought of this. Looking back, Festus even declares to Agrippa, his sister Bernice–the whole pomp and circumstance crowd—that Festus found he had nothing to put on the form. Paul, after all, was innocent.

In light of Festus’ statement, did Paul suddenly look back and wish he hadn’t appealed to Caesar? No. Because promised Rome was ahead. “As you have testified before the Jews, so also you must testify in Rome.” Looking back for Paul was not for the purpose of justification or regret. Looking back was only to remember with gratitude.

What about you? What do you think about at Thanksgiving? Or on any other day really? What do you see when you look back? I hope it’s gratitude.

Acts 26:1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

“I consider myself fortunate,” Paul says. Wow! He’s been a prisoner for 2 years and counting. He’s outlasted one governor and stymied a second one. What does Paul see when he looks back? Gratitude for all of life’s circumstances—both good and difficult—given by the hand of the same God. And it reminds us that God who is good…is all about redemption. And no one is redeemed out of paradise. Cutting short the vacation at the beach is not the same as being delivered out of hardship. Paul was grateful for it all.

He looks back and remembers where he’d been and what he was. Paul was grateful to be able to share his testimony once again (the 3^rd time in Acts):

4 “The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. 12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen– 23 that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

Paul has looked back over his childhood, his upbringing, his early career and this life-changing encounter with Jesus—a life-giving, life-changing event! And I love Paul’s attitude. “I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.” It’s looking back with gratitude at all the right things. He wasn’t grateful for his pedigree or his zealous persecution of Christians. He was grateful that in spite of all that, Jesus rescued him and had mercy upon him. And grace beyond that! Instead of punishment for all that persecuting, Jesus gave him the most fruitful missionary work of any human being to walk the planet apart from Jesus Himself.

If the definition of justice is getting what we deserve, and mercy is not getting what we deserve, then grace—that unmerited favor—is getting what we do not deserve in place of what we should have gotten. Paul understood grace because it had changed his life in radical ways.

It’s interesting that Paul states before King Agrippa who was familiar with Jewish sects in a Roman world that Jews and Gentiles alike (who BTW were grumbling against each other in Caesarea) were to be united in receiving this grace of God. You want healing of the races, of communities, demographics, or of ethnic groups? Give them the Gospel! The Gospel unites what Satan tears apart.

Festus might not have known the details of theology and argument, but he already knew that this whole Jew-Gentile thing got his predecessor in trouble so:

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

Paul goes for the spiritual jugular. Do you believe the prophets? There is more contained in that question than just a yes or no answer. Do you believe the prophets? If you do and I know you do, then do you believe what the prophets said would happen? Sure you do! Then take the next step: I want you see that Jesus is the foretold Messiah.

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

He evaded answering the question and responded with a question of his own. He could see exactly what Paul was asking. Agrippa probably had a very uneasy spirit knowing what Paul said was true and the finger of Jesus was pressing in on Agrippa’s heart with the invitation to receive Him.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Jesus was knocking. Agrippa needed to open the door. Paul even says so.

29 Paul replied, “Short time or long– I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

All who are listening today is not just referring to Agrippa and Bernice and Festus and a few court officials. Paul’s testimony is told 3 times in Acts so that you will listen. I will listen. We will hear Jesus knocking and open the door. That we would be Christians and become what Paul was…except, hopefully, for the chains of prison.

30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.” 32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

They all knew Paul wasn’t doing anything deserving of death…deserving of imprisonment. To them Paul could have been set free. But it wasn’t a guarantee even if Paul hadn’t appealed to Caesar. Could have. Not would have. But looking back, they experienced a bit of conviction at the imprisonment of an innocent man. The knocking on the door by Jesus and at this point, at least, they only look back and see that Paul ought to regret his decision to go to Rome. Hindsight, looking back as 20/20 vision, the choices from Agrippa’s and Festus’ perspective would have been Paul could appeal to Caesar or be free. But that assumes a lot. Not the least of which is that the government would have the moral courage to do what was right.

To them, Paul’s 20/20 hindsight ought to bring regret. Paul, however, looks back with gratitude. He knows he’s a sinner saved by grace.

He knows what he deserved in terms of wrath and justice from God. He knows that Jesus is real and alive and not only delivered him from that wrath, but Jesus paid it Himself with His very own blood at the cross. And then Jesus gave Paul a ministry second only to His own. Amazing! Looking back, how can there be regrets? Paul is grateful for grace and purpose.

There’s a lesson here for you and me as well. Do you have a problem? Paul did. But like Paul we can find some gratitude in it. Praising and thanking God will go much farther to solving it than regrets, grudges, bitterness, resentment, or taking revenge.

And gratitude needs to be more than a once a year deal accessorized by a turkey and accompanied by football. Looking ahead, Thanksgiving ought to be our daily heart condition as we reflect upon all that God has done for us.

Looking ahead, Paul sees Rome in the distance and it’s assured because God promised it. And there’s purpose for him in going to Rome. More testimony before small and great alike!   Looking back, Paul sees no regrets. Only gratitude for deliverance, mercy and purpose…as God’s amazing grace.

Let’s pray.

Thanksgiving is a natural time for reflecting and remembering with gratitude all the blessings in your recent history. Looking back over the past year, what do you see?  In today’s passage, Acts 25:13-26:32, Paul looks back and models for us the attitude of gratitude.

Today’s message comes with an important re-working in light of situations like the terrorism we witnessed on Friday.  Those acts of war in Paris—these catastrophic events of desperate evil—will require a reaction of universal condemnation of both the violence and any rejoicing over what happened by anyone.

No sane person ought to rejoice in terrorism.

I believe that each person standing up to a microphone today owes the listeners a sense of reassurance that terrorism is wrong and that God will someday and in some way bring good from it.  Evil will be punished and Good will prevail.  With that preface, today’s message is not so much global like what happened in Paris or Beirut…as it is personal. What you can do when confronted with choices that are all lemons. Choices that are all bad but choose you must.

When we last left off with the Apostle Paul, he was still sitting in prison. For years, he’d been the personal on-call evangelist to Governor Felix who was our case study in how many obstacles there are to someone who is rich and powerful getting into heaven. Satan does what Satan can do by way of throwing obstacles at us, but way too often, we’re our own worst enemies. Felix had—from the world’s perspective—everything working for him. From eternity’s perspective, he had it all against him. A false sense of security that would only betray him in the end. A warped understanding of power and authority that would leave him without a leg to stand on. Riches that could buy him most anything earthly and temporal…but nothing heavenly and eternal.

Felix is now removed from office so even what he had is gone and he was replaced by Porcius Festus who really isn’t a whole lot better from Paul’s standpoint. More prison. More trials. More self-defense. It’s like someone simply hit the Restart button.

Today, we’ll see an example of what to do when confronted with decisions that are less than ideal. How to make lemonade when the world offers us choices that are nothing but lemons.

How to yet achieve a greater good when confronted with nothing but greater and lesser evils.

Felix is gone and Paul has experienced a Restart even while in prison. But behind it all, there’s a greater good in the lesser evil in Festus. Living proof of the vastly misused Romans 8: 28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” The new guy Festus’ actions—though improper and unjust—served to advance Paul’s ministry and God’s Kingdom in a myriad of ways. The greater good from the lesser evils.

Felix had been profoundly unpopular and the infighting between Jews and Gentiles in Caesarea led to an investigation and that recall of Felix out of his governorship. The good news is that the monogrammed towels GF at the governor’s mansion could still be used. No more Governor Felix but now a Governor Festus. It’s all good. Sort of.

Festus is new on the scene at the seat of Rome in Caesarea and is making his way through the province when he passes through Jerusalem. Not missing a trick, the Jews let him know of one of Felix’s loose ends. There’s this guy Paul in prison. Acts 25:1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

Festus may be new but he wasn’t born yesterday, so he figures he’ll do things by the book. They’d already presented the charges in v 2. But it wasn’t official. It needs to be done in Caesarea to be official.

4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.”

“If he has done anything wrong.” Open mind. That’s good.

6 After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. 7 When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.

These chief priests and other Jewish leaders obviously have had Paul living rent free in their heads. It’s been 2 years and they still haven’t forgotten Paul and how ticked off they are! They still have serious charges…seriously false charges. They can’t let it go! They cannot prove a thing and yet, here they go again! Paul must be thinking he’s having a recurring nightmare. They’re still trying to dazzle the Governor with the same old shtick. Same old false charges. One wonders if that lawyer Tertullus was there again or if he through with billable hours and told them they’re on their own this time as he pondered how a prisoner got the better of a professional lawyer the last time. No mention of Tertullus, but here goes Paul. He gives his defense again.

8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

I wonder if Festus sort of felt like one of those judges on daytime TV. I only know these shows exist because they’ve been on while I’ve been in waiting rooms that have had a TV on. I always look at those judges and the people coming in who clearly don’t play well in groups and wonder about those people. Even the judge. Invariably there’s some petty and relatively unimportant thing that went bad and no one has the maturity to say, “Hey, you know this is really petty. Let’s just settle this ourselves.” But then again, they might end up like Alexander Hamilton and just have a duel and be done with it. I’m not sure that was the best system of conflict resolution but they did weird things back in the colonial era. And weird things, too, I guess back in the days of Festus.

9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, [Why a favor to these guys? Why???] said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”

Let’s rephrase: Hey Paul, are you willing to throw yourself to the vigilante justice crowd and let yourself be sacrificed in Jerusalem? Better there with a mess than in my back yard. I need to get you out of my jail, off my docket, and out of my life. I don’t want to go the same route as Felix since chances are good the next governor would have to get new monogrammed towels. I need to soothe tensions between the Jews and the Gentiles in my province to keep my job and to keep out of trouble. So how about it, Paul? Can we throw you to the wolves there in Jerusalem?

Paul, far from speechless, points out the obvious…that the seat of Rome where Festus is…is Caesar’s court:

10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

Appealing to Caesar. The right of every Roman citizen was to seek the highest court possible. It was kind of like appealing your way up to the Supreme Court in search of genuine justice.

Paul saw this as the lesser of two evils and God saw this as the greater good. Rather than go back to Jerusalem where Paul had already testified and would be sure to die, Paul remembered that God told him that he’d testify in Rome…and that meant Caesar. Standing trial before Caesar’s court might mean death (and eventually, yes, Paul will be martyred for his faith) but Paul was ready to die for the Gospel and had a promise from God that he’d testify in Rome also (Acts 23:11). So to Rome he’d go. He’d appeal to Caesar.

We’ve all experienced decisions we must make in which there is no genuinely good choice. It’s about making the best of a bad situation. Lemonade from lemons. Choosing the lesser of two evils, even while upholding our own integrity in the process.

In a perfect world, the choices would be perfect. But ours is a fallen world and the choices aren’t always good ones.

So here are some biblical thoughts to help you when faced with less than ideal options:

1. Mark 12:17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.” Identify what belongs to God in the situation and make sure that is not compromised. Paul knew that truth, testimony, and devotion belonged to God. The verdict and the trial would be Caesar’s. Jesus modeled it. Paul simply followed the way that Jesus walked ahead of him.
2. John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Identify the most loving thing you can do for the benefit of others and do that. That’s what Paul did. Death was ahead no matter what, either back in Jerusalem or ahead in Rome. Paul embraced the uncertain future trusting that God who had promised Rome would faithfully bring fruit from Paul’s testimony between now and his end. Rome, he knew, was promised.
3. Romans 12: 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” Identify where the faith issue is most obvious and press into it. It took greater faith for Paul to trust what was ahead—a promised yet uncertain future path, than for him to take matters into his own hands to get his own vengeance. Greater faith than for him to guess what was certain: that he’d end up dead if he went back to Jerusalem. Paul believed God even if vengeance upon the false-accusing-Jews would never happen in his lifetime. Paul did not go back to Jerusalem, round up a bunch of Christians to fight for him and to try to get his pound of flesh, calling down fire from God upon those false accusers. Had Paul chosen the path of self—the taking of matters into his own hands—it didn’t mean that God was obligated to deliver Paul from bad choices. The truth is God is not obligated to rescue us from what we’ve chosen even if He can deliver us to serve the greater good.
4. Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Identify where the peace of God rests. The peace of God is resting in Paris—and available to all who seek it—even if we can’t see it clearly there. Why? Because it’s not always the same as world peace. It’s not external and on the streets, but within and by faith. God does not want us making compromises with our enemies which might be peace in a different sense, but certainly not in the godly sense. The peace of God isn’t the same as peace the world gives. Peace with God comes from having that sense of shalom—an undivided heart…undivided by doubt, undivided by sin, and undivided by self-interests of human pride, expectation of reward, and rebellion against God. Paul wasn’t looking at this for what was in it for him. He was patiently trusting God with the outcome. It was trust in God that told Paul to appeal to Caesar and be patient.

So here we are, confronted by worldwide terrorism and the hard, dire, really bad choices in a global sense. Everyone from the terrorists to the victims is a sinner from God’s perspective. So what do we do?

Before the terror in Beirut and Paris occurred, back when my sermon was done on Friday morning, my contemporary application was this: In a far more muted sense, in the US, we’ve been in the middle of debates and campaigns for the 2016 Presidential Primaries. Every one of the candidates on both sides is a sinner. We’re faced, irrespective of political party, with imperfect choices.

So what do we do on a global scale or on a personal scale?

My advice…and Paul’s advice…would be to do what Jesus did and what Paul did. Let’s recap:

1. Don’t compromise on what belongs to God. Don’t give God’s authority over to the Caesar. The truth, testimony, and our devotion belong to God. Don’t compromise that.
2. The most loving thing isn’t always the nicest thing. The loving thing is sacrificial. Self-sacrifice isn’t the same as irresponsibility. Sacrificing self for the benefit of others is a responsible move. Why? Because the next generation needs today’s truth and Christian testimony every bit as much as we needed it. We don’t need to throw ourselves to the wolves in order to be loving. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do looks more like tough love, speaking the truth in love. Both the truth and the love are important. Don’t compromise truth or love on the altar of expediency, in search of the quickest Band-aid, or trading truth and love for a tin halo of nice;
3. Don’t contrive ways to punish others or gain your own revenge. That’s not your job. Your job is to pursue grace and faith and truth and love…and leave the punishment, the revenge, the getting-even-with-‘emism, and the perceived disparity of blessing to God. Will He not do what is right? Felix, last week, you’ll remember…he had it all. And yet he had nothing. To a world, Felix might of epitomized the 1% and economic injustice. To Jesus, when He looked down from heaven, what did Jesus see? Felix was a guy who worshiped the wrong god. Big picture here, folks. We treat each other with grace and faith and love and truth…but in the end, God is more about elevating … changing people’s hearts far more than their circumstances.
4. Seek shalom. That peace of God and peace with God which come from having that undivided heart…undivided by doubt, undivided by sin, and undivided by self-interests of human pride, expectation of reward, and rebellion against God. Learn His truth. Live like Jesus. And have faith. That’s the key to a true and lasting peace.

Today, my heart grieves for Paris and Beirut. Do I believe that God can bring a greater good even from great evil? Absolutely! Perhaps only in a Kingdom perspective and eternal view. If people see how unsatisfactory a life is without God, then perhaps they will return to Him. The Paris of WWII—the last time they experienced this kind of carnage—the 1940’s Paris was far more Christian than the Paris of today. Generations of people have abandoned God and His truth and yet when confronted with unadulterated evil, the survivors stated that they saw “the final” flash before their eyes and described the carnage as “hell”—biblical images both! Perhaps this great evil will awaken the citizenry and bring people back to Jesus for the kind of comfort needed when faced with unspeakable tragedy. The kind of comfort only a good God can bring. Jesus said, John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We’re in a world of bad choices, of fallen options, and limited information. But we can be still before the Lord and know His peace. He can bring greater good from greater and lesser evils. He did it in the life of Jesus and of Paul and He can do it in your life as well. Let’s pray.

In a perfect world, there are perfect choices.  But how many of us have faced decisions in which there is no good option?  It’s a case of being forced to choose the lesser evil while attempting to hold onto our integrity.  There are some biblical principles to help us in our decisions with the reassurance that God can bring greater good from greater and lesser evils.

Imagine the excitement in a football game when it’s the last few seconds of the 4^th quarter when one team has 4^th down and goal to go. The ball is spotted a mere foot from the goal line. The difference between 6 points needed to win the game (or none and losing the match) involves muscling through the hard journey from the center’s snap to breaking the goal line before it’s “game over.”

Who you’re rooting for depends on whether your favorite is presently the offense trying for a touchdown or the defense trying to prevent it… or here, I guess, who will place the Packers in the best possible situation. If you want the offense to score, then you want the players—either by superior wit or by brute force—to push past the defenders, over, under, around, or even through the obstacles to get over that goal line and touchdown! Adding that needed 6 points at the final countdown to zero. If you’re the offense, it’s all about the goal.

If you want the defenders to hold the line, then you will want them to throw every obstacle in the book at the offense in order to keep them from that goal line. No matter what!

In the Christian world, we have an adversary. He wants to keep us from the goal line of faith. He will throw everything at us trying to keep us from crossing that line and be saved. For us, it’s more than 6 points added to our score, it’s a matter of life or death. Eternal life or an eternity of hell.

The hardest journey can be the one from darkness to light, moving from unbelief to faith, and traversing the hardest 12 inch journey—the hardest journey is the distance from one’s mind to one’s heart. A mere 12 inches that mean everything.

Today in Acts 24:22-27, we see a whole playbook from the devil, our adversary, carefully crafted to keep a person, in this case Governor Felix, from crossing that goal line of faith. Let’s take a look at this playbook of penalties so our team can penetrate this hardest 12 inches and make it through the goal line and win big. Jesus is at the goal line and He’s waiting to help you. He’s got the perfect plan and He is the perfect Way, but Satan will do anything:

Obstacle #1. Move the goal post. Convince someone they are already there.

Acts 24: 22 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way adjourned the proceedings.

Felix was already acquainted with the Way. Nothing new here. Nothing to see. Same old same old. What does the adversary tell you? Don’t worry, Felix, you’re already in and you’re powerful. You’re winning big. Wrong. Well acquainted or passing a pop quiz on the information isn’t the same as faith. That 12 inch journey from head to heart requires getting to the heart. Because no one gets into heaven by knowing facts and figures about Jesus. No one gets to heaven by simply celebrating Christmas or even Easter. It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know. Do you know Jesus? And moreover, does He know you?

Obstacle #2. Telling you to punt, yielding your power to someone not even on the field.

“When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.”

Punt. Punt! Paul really should have been set free according to the rule book, but Felix didn’t want to make the call or have the Gospel impact him so he’ll punt, giving the adversary control over the game while Felix waits for Lysias. Our adversary tries to convince us to punt. But punting the ball away doesn’t make that 12 inch journey any less hard. That 12 inch span is your great field position and Jesus is ready to break the line of opposition, but no one gets into heaven by punting on the decision.

Obstacle #3. Unsportsmanlike Conduct. Attempt to influence the officials’ decision. Think that good deeds can buy influence or credit.

23 He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.

While house arrest and having Paul’s friends able to visit and care for him might be nice things and delay Felix from having to do anything now, good deeds still don’t get a person out of the decision-making required. Ultimately the game isn’t played in the locker room with x’s and o’s on a blackboard no matter how much the adversary might tell you that’s good enough to get you the win. Good deeds are just a trap to convince someone that they’ve already moved from head to heart. We don’t earn heaven. We can’t erase our sin nature with good deeds. We need Jesus at game over. No one gets into heaven by good deeds alone. We must have faith.

Obstacle #4—Delay of Game. Later. Always later.

24 Several days later

Putting off the decisions and actions by saying there’s always tomorrow…isn’t getting anyone any over the goal line. Delay is a favorite obstacle of our adversary. He tries to convince us that there will be other days when in fact, the game is now and that 12 inch journey from the head to the heart needs to be crossed NOW. Many people will procrastinate and they say they’ll cross over when they’re on their deathbeds, which can happen unless they die too quickly. Later is a favorite delay of game trick. For many people the delay of game has been happening their whole lives. They may even think that as long as they’re continuing progress down the field and the chains are moved…that it will make the chains of bondage to sin go away. The chains aren’t gone. No amount of 1^st downs get you over the goal line if you keep getting delay of game penalties. No one gets into heaven by waiting for the clock to run out.

Obstacle #5—Personal Foul. Position on Shoulders or Coattails.

(v 24 continued) Felix came with his wife Drusilla,

There is no position atop another player (e.g. shoulders, coattails) that counts. You cannot get through the hardest journey of 12 inches from mind to heart by letting your wife, husband, children, or friends do it for you or think they’ll give you an advantage. Ultimately crossing the goal line as a Christian … is not a team sport. It’s individual. You need to do it personally. No one gets into heaven on anyone’s merit other than that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Obstacle #6—Sideline Interference Unsportsmanlike Conduct

who was a Jewess

Felix’s wife, Jewess or not, wasn’t in a position to tell him what to do. One of our adversary’s favorite tactics is to convince us that we need input from experts and those on the sidelines. Ultimately it’s your 12 inches from your head to your heart and no one else is going to advise you on it. No one gets into heaven by getting a consensus of outside experts or enough good sideline interference or play calling. I can’t get you into heaven. Pastor Glenn couldn’t get you into heaven. Your next pastor cannot get you into heaven. No one but Jesus can get you into heaven and the 12 inch span of faith is all that separates you from Him. There can be no sideline interference between you and the goal line. The 12 inch journey is all yours.

Obstacle #7—Illegal Participation—Listening without intending to hear.

He sent for Paul and listened to him

It doesn’t matter how many times Felix sends for Paul or how many times he has Paul tell him the old, old story. It’s like people who are described as in 2 Timothy 3:7 “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.”   If you listen and listen and even learn and learn but don’t hear or take it to heart, you’re not getting past that 12 inches from head to heart. James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

No one gets into heaven for having simply heard the Gospel.

Hearing the Gospel is not enough.  We must respond to the Gospel by admitting our sins and repenting of them. Satan wants to convince you that listening to the Gospel each week, here, on TV, on the radio… is good enough. It’s not. Your head and your heart require your hearing with the intent of responding.

Obstacle #8—False Start. Pretending to simulate action.

He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid

Jesus tells us that it is not enough to be convicted of our sin. We need to repent. No one gets in heaven just by being afraid of God. James 2:19 “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that– and shudder.”

Obstacle #9—Intentional Grounding. Calling it quits.

Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave .When I find it convenient I will send for you.”

Felix didn’t mind having his personal on-call evangelist, but he wanted to stop play whenever he wanted. Intentionally grounding the play does not stop the clock from running in a journey of faith. Time is not your friend in this. Jesus is returning when He is supposed to and any delays on your part only work to your disadvantage. That 12 inch span won’t get any shorter by calling it quits and waiting until later. Our enemy wants us to believe that there will always be a more convenient time to believe…after we get all that sinning out our system. No one gets into heaven by virtue of convenience.

Obstacle #10—Illegal formation. Wrong heart.

26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe so he sent for him frequently and talked with him 27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

Felix heard about the Gospel, about righteousness, self-control and judgment and yet, he had a wrong heart…still waiting for a bribe and wanting to entrap Paul to sinning too. Even after 2 years–not an insignificant time in the life of Paul–Felix still had a wrong heart and instead of letting Paul go, he played politics and left Paul in prison.

Jesus talks about how hard it is for the rich and powerful to get into the kingdom. Matthew 19:24 “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

The richest among us have everything working against them. And those who are powerful or hell-bent on living a life of sin will ultimately find themselves with the game clock running out. When the clock hits zero, we are all revealed for who we really are. This past week, we learned that IL’s Fox Lake Police Lieutenant, Joseph Gliniewicz, was not in reality the kind of man we celebrated nationally as a fallen hero. Instead, he was just plain fallen. The whole world now knows, there was nothing heroic in what he did, in the string of betrayals he left behind, the vast sums of money from the manhunt for suspects that never existed, and all that’s left is for us to wonder if he confessed and repented in the moments before his staged suicide or if the obstacles meant he’d left that hard journey of 12 inches from his head to his heart to be penetrated only by a bullet… instead of by the Gospel.

Satan, our adversary, doesn’t care who you are or how he can fool you. He’ll do anything and I mean anything to keep you from salvation in Christ. Look at all Satan will do to keep a person from Jesus.

Obstacle #1. Satan will move the goal post to convince people they are already Christian when they’re not.

Obstacle #2. Satan will hint that punting for now is fine and dandy…when just takes you off the field where your hard journey decision might be made.

Obstacle #3. Satan will engage in unsportsmanlike conduct and tempt you to believe that good deeds can buy influence or earn salvation.

Obstacle #4—Satan will suggest a delay of game. Later. Always later. Never now…which too often means just plain never.  Delay until it’s over and over really means “Too late.”

Obstacle #5—Satan will convince you to pursue a personal foul. Suggesting that your position on the shoulders or coattails of others is good enough when it’s not. It’s gotta be personal to you.

Obstacle #6—Satan will make you feel like you need sideline interference when it’s really just unsportsmanlike conduct. Like you need an army of experts and a consensus of friends to get into heaven. Look: Jesus is all you need. Pick up the ball and run with it.

Obstacle #7—Satan will assure you with illegal participation—Show up at church. Listen, listen, listen but without any intent of hearing.

Obstacle #8—Satan will tell you that a false start of fear is good enough. Fear God, great! But don’t do anything. Simulate action and do nothing. That’s what his demons do.

Obstacle #9—Satan will encourage your giving up. Intentional Grounding. Calling it quits. It’s too hard, too time consuming, too inconvenient. He wants you feeling like a chronic failure without a win, and without victory in Jesus.

Obstacle #10—Satan wants an illegal formation and a genuinely wrong heart. Don’t give up that sin. Don’t give up your power, prestige, or pandering.

There’s a hard journey of 12 inches between your head and your heart and Satan is working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to convince you that 12 inches is insurmountable. Satan says you can’t do it. Satan says God doesn’t care. Satan says you’ll never amount to anything.

But Satan is the opposition!

It’s 4^th down and goal to go. A mere 12 inches separates you from faith in Christ. A mere 12 inches that Jesus is waiting to help you through. He wants to save you. He’s willing to help. He’s only asking that you do some simple things. Acknowledge that you need His forgiveness for sin and you know He is able to do it. There’s more than 6 points at stake and the clock is running. Stare those obstacles straight in the face and trust Jesus…He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Run to Jesus like there’s no tomorrow because there might not be one.  Simple things for the hard journey of 12 inches, because God is faithful.  Repent for the Kingdom of God is near.  Confess and be forgiven and you too can be victorious.  There is victory in Jesus!  Let’s pray.

The hardest journey is a 12-inch distance from a head of knowledge to a heart of faith.  There are many obstacles to a rich person to entering the Kingdom of God.  In Acts 24:22-27 , Governor Felix displays many obstacles that Satan commonly uses to keep us from a life of faith.  This message was first preached at Plymouth Congregational Church of Racine, WI on November 8, 2015 by Barbara Shafer.