The Perils of Spiritual Procrastination

April 25, 2021

Preached by Benjamin Vrbicek

Scripture Reading

Acts 24:1-24

1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”

22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.

Let me mention a few things before we pray. First, two weeks ago I mentioned that after church our staff was jumping in the church van to ride nine hours to Indianapolis for The Gospel Coalition’s conference for church leaders. It was a wonderful time. For three days we prayed and laughed and were taught by thoughtful women and men who love Jesus. I’m thankful you sent us and we went. 

Second, there is a handout in the bulletin about the church meeting next week. The meeting will begin a few minutes after the third service and is especially for our membership but anyone who wants to hear more about what’s happening at our church is welcome to attend. We’ll be affirming a new pastor-elder, a new deacon, and a new deaconess. We’ll also be talking about our church’s five-year goals and several other items we can be excited about. 

Final comment. As the passage was read, you may have noticed an issue with three of the verses. The second half of v. 6, all of v. 7, and the beginning of v. 8 have been removed. Most Bible’s will have a footnote about that. These verses were in early manuscripts of the Bible, so when the chapters and verses were added to the Bible, these verses were in there. Now, because so(!) many thousands of manuscripts of the New Testament have been collected, we can know that those three verses were additions and not original. Nothing theologically dramatic happens in those verses; the “missing” verses just clarify a bit more about the story. I’m sure even mentioning this detail may be troubling to some of you. Like, how can we trust the Bible with all these verses shifting around? Let me just say, this is very rare, and when it does happen, Christians don’t hide it; they draw your attention to it, as I have just done, so that, rather than undermining our conviction about the accuracy of the Scriptures, I want you to be encouraged that Christians take the Word of God seriously, and we have nothing to hide. It’s all there—for our good and God’s glory. 

Would you pray with me as we begin? “Dear heavenly Father . . .”

Introduction

“I have to be honest with you right off the bat. This week was a doozy. I kept trying to make time to write my sermon, and . . . well . . . it just didn’t happen. It wasn’t so much that the dog ate my homework, so much as I just do it. Things just kept coming up, and I put it off. I don’t know what to say. It’s rather embarrassing. But it’s what happened.”

Now, how do you feel if I started my sermon this way? I think you’d be pretty confused, especially if you’re visiting. Is this normal? you’d wonder. Most of you would probably be okay with me stumbling through a reading of the passage and making a few comments along the way because you know that in 150 sermons, it’s never happened before. And it didn’t happen this last week. I did prepare a sermon.

I said what I said to prepare us to hear about procrastination. But I don’t mean simply procrastination as a temperament or your general way of going about life. Rather, I mean procrastination as a spiritual disposition of your heart—a very dangerous disposition. What we see in this passage and in our lives is that delaying obedience today only makes obedience tomorrow harder—and maybe even impossible. This passage confronts a spiritual temperament in our church that needs to be confronted: the pride in our hearts that wants to have a version of Christianity that isn’t warm toward God, but rather is cool and aloof. This passage confronts a version of Christianity that is passionless and professional and that has calculated affection that delays obedience to God, which is to say, this passage confronts a version of Christianity that is not real Christianity. And it also gives us something much better, a version of Christianity that offers real hope and real stability. 

In Acts 24 there are two trial scenes, two scenes with someone on trial. Let’s start by looking at the first trial. 

The First Trial: Paul (vv. 1–23)

I won’t recap all of the book of Acts, but when we pick up vv. 1–23, we find that Paul is on trial. He’s in a city called Caesarea. The trial is before the Roman governor Felix. Many of the key Jewish leaders are there, including the high priest Ananias. The Jews, it seems, have hired a big-shot lawyer named Tertullus. If we had lived in ancient Israel, we would have seen Tertullus’s picture on billboards throughout Israel. Tertullus would have been making a power move of some kind or another, pointing his finger or crossing his arms. His phone number would be all one number repeated seven times so you could remember it easily. Of course, if you call the number, you’ll never get Tertullus because he’s too busy. Except for when he’s not. If you had a flamboyant case, as the Jews had against Paul, you’d get Tertullus. And what do you have when you have Tertullus? Look at his remarks in vv. 1–8.

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

Did you notice his thick flattery? “Enjoy much peace” and “your foresight, most excellent Felix.” Tertullus speaks of “reforms . . . for this nation in every way and everywhere,” and he speaks of “all gratitude.” And because Felix is so important, Tertullus wants to “detain [him] no further,” and so on. Flattery. When Tertullus speaks of “enjoying much peace” under the rule of the governor Felix, that is crazy talk—and everyone knew it. History tells us that Felix was the worst governor to date, and under his reign there were so many uprisings that he had to be removed by the emperor. I don’t mean this as a slam against our former president, but what Tertullus does here would be like a religious leader who is full of baloney engaging with President Trump on Twitter and telling him how kind he is to all who follow him on Twitter. I don’t mean that as a cheap shot against him or to evaluate his presidency solely based on his social media presence. I’m simply telling you that Tertullus was full of baloney. 

Tertullus makes three accusations. First, he says that Paul is a plague who spreads the disease of riots throughout the Roman empire—a serious accusation that Felix would have to take seriously because he was in charge of peacekeeping. Second, Tertullus says that Paul is a religious leader of a small, splinter group. Tertullus can’t even say the name of Jesus or Christianity, so he uses the negative connotations of the backwater town of Nazareth: “the sect of the Nazarenes.” Third, Tertullus says that Paul tried to profane the temple, but we, the Jews, stopped him. That last part isn’t exactly what happened. Look at how Paul responds. 

10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’” 22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

First, Tertullus accused Paul of uprisings. Paul says that he doesn’t do that. In fact, he was only there 12 days, not long enough to stage a revolt. Paul was only in Jerusalem to give money to the needy. Second, Tertullus accused Paul of being a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Paul says that’s sort of true, but not really. Actually, Paul says, “I worship the same God as them, the God of our Jewish fathers (v. 14). I have the same truth as them, the truth in the law and prophets (v. 14). I have the same hope as them, the hope of a resurrection (v. 15). And my conscience is clear, meaning ethics and integrity matter to me (v. 16). So, am I a ringleader of a sect? Well,” Paul says, “if by a sect you mean that I understand myself to be in the exact center of faithful Judaism, the Judaism that embraces Jesus as the Messiah, then I guess I am.” Third, Tertullus accused Paul of profaning the temple. Paul says there were lots and lots of witnesses and that he did no such thing. 

Felix says he’ll delay his verdict, that he’ll procrastinate doing what he knows is right, namely, letting Paul go. Instead, Felix puts Paul in prison and goes to see him. The first trial is over. 

The Second Trial: Felix (vv. 24–27)

This leads to the second trial in the passage. It’s not a formal trial but still something of a trial. This time, Paul, the one accused, helps Felix and his wife Drusilla know what it will feel like for them to stand trial before God. Let me read vv. 24–27. 

24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” 26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. 27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

In the opening lines of the gospel of Luke, Luke mentions that he investigated everything about Christianity and wrote it down. Some scholars speculate that these two years were significant in that research. Paul was stationary, and they were in a geographically central location for Luke to conduct his interviews. We can’t know for sure, but it seems plausible that God was using even this frustrating two-year delay. Maybe you feel like something in your life is delaying you. And you hate it. Know that God wants you to use the time of apparent delay to still serve him.  

And speaking of using the two-year delay, God used Paul to speak to Felix about Jesus. A few weeks ago I was helping us to remember what was going on in the book of Acts and said, “Paul is not a Christian at the beginning of the book. In fact, for the first third of the book, Paul is not a Christian. For the next third of the book, Paul is a Christian and completes several missionary journeys. And the last third of the book, Paul is in one jail or another on his way Rome to stand trial before Caesar.” What I said there is true, but it overstates a key point. Paul’s missionary journeys do not stop when he goes to jail. They keep going. Paul in prison and on trial looks a lot like the same Paul who was free to travel. I mention this because some of you, again, feel like you just can’t serve God in your current situation. If only this would change or that would change, then God could use me. Not so. Let God use you now.  

And God certainly uses Paul here. Paul has a three-point sermon to Felix and Drusilla. What was his three-point outline? Look at v. 25. “[Paul] reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment.” You need to know something about Paul’s audience that Paul knew, but we don’t know except by study. 

Drusilla was Felix’s third wife. The two previous wives were both, as one commentator put it, princesses because of their connection to royalty. The same was true of Drusilla. At the time of this encounter with Paul, history tells us, she’s just under twenty years old and beautiful. Felix is the kind of ruler who only marries young, wealthy princesses. Also, history tells us, Drusilla had been previously married. And Felix had forced the ending of her first marriage, so she would marry him. Felix was also known for being ruthless and for taking bribes, so perhaps it caught his attention when Paul said he had a large sum of money to deliver to the needy. Now you know more about Paul’s audience. 

Today we can talk about preaching sermons that are relevant. Paul believed in preaching relevant sermons too. It’s just what we often mean by relevant isn’t often what God means by relevant. Felix had no righteousness of his own and no self-control. Paul wanted to shock Felix with the smelling salts of a coming judgment. One day Felix would stand before God in all of God’s blazing holiness. And so will you and I. When Felix hears this, Luke records that Felix “was alarmed.” He began to tremble, so Felix sent Paul away to hear more later. 

As the start of the sermon, when I mentioned the eternal, spiritual dangers of procrastination, this is what I was talking about. Felix thinks, “I’ll get right with God later. I’ll do my thing now—I’ll have sex with whoever I want to have sex with; I’ll rule my kingdom however I want to rule it—and if I feel like it later, I’ll get right with God.”

Luke points out in v. 22 that Felix had a “rather accurate knowledge of the Way.” Felix knew about the way of Jesus, the way of the cross, the way of forgiveness with God, the way of everlasting enjoyment with God. But that’s all he had: knowledge. He didn’t couple his knowledge with humility and submission. And one day, Paul tells him, how wrong he is to procrastinate obedience to God. 

At the start of the sermon I said that this passage confronts a spiritual temperament that needs to be confronted: the pride in our hearts that wants to have a version of Christianity that isn’t warm toward God, but rather is cool and aloof—a version of Christianity that is passionless and professional and that has calculated affection, which is to say, this passage challenges a version of Christianity that is not real Christianity. Procrastination as a spiritual disposition of your heart, is very dangerous. We’re told that Felix was alarmed once, but we’re not told it happened again. When he had time to think about it, he got to wondering if he might get a bride from Paul out of all this. At the same time, Felix left Paul in prison to gain favor with the Jews. In summary, Felix’s chief concern is not obedience to God, but satisfying his greed and preserving his career. The point for us is this: delaying obedience today only makes obedience tomorrow harder—and maybe even impossible.

Young people, I’ll speak to you directly. Do not delay holiness for another day. Young person, if you hear a voice in your head and heart telling you to not follow God or telling you to delay following God, telling you that it’s okay not to be obedient to him, that it’s okay to get your career, look at whatever you want on your smartphone, make your money, and then, some day in the future, you’ll have time to get right with God, I want to tell you clearly that that is not God’s voice you hear. 

This isn’t simply about the initial step of becoming a Christian. Who here doesn’t have something God wants to tell us? To be a Christian is to be a house where God has taken up residence. And he’s a home remodeler. You can’t just keep God in the living room or kitchen. God wants to renovate the whole house. To be a Christian is to be a living version of a fixer-upper. And that’s good news. What rooms do you need to let God in so he can repair you and restore you? Delaying obedience won’t make it easier.

Conclusion

As we close, I want to come back to one word: hope. We’re told in v. 26 that Felix is hoping that Paul will give him a bribe. That understanding of hope is more like wishful thinking. It’s a pretty flimsy hope. 

But look back with me at a line from Paul’s defense to the courtroom. Look back in v. 15. Paul speaks of “having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept.” Notice the phrase, “hope in God.” In this passage, who has real hope, the kind of hope that changes you? These Jewish people would have said they had hope in God—but do they? Not everyone who claims hope in God actually hopes in God. Some of you have been hurt by churches and pastors and other religious organizations who said they hoped in God but didn’t hope in God. If that’s you, notice again who really has hope, who has real hope. It’s only Paul. The Jews are frantic. They hire a big shot lawyer to lie for them. They scramble. They resort to name-calling. They grasp for the power falling through their hands like sand. And they are terrified, so they hire Tertullus because they hope he will save them. That’s the Jews. And Felix, well, he just hopes he can have more money. 

Paul is in the thick of it. He’s up against well-funded Jewish in the court system of the massive Roman empire. But Paul knows they would have no power over him if it were not given to them from God above (cf. John 19:11). God promised Paul that he would stand by Paul (Acts 23:11). But Paul is okay because he is enjoying the hope that comes with not procrastinating. Everything around him was crazy, but he has peace in his life because he is following the living, resurrected Jesus, and that changed everything for him. And following the Living Jesus, without procrastination, will change everything for you too. 

I’ll invite the music team back up as we pray . . .