Let's open our Bibles tonight to the book of Acts chapter number 24 as we continue our study in the life of the Apostle Paul. Acts chapter number 24 tonight. And we'll begin our reading this evening down around verse number 24. Not got too many verses that we'll deal with tonight. Going to be verse 24 down through verse 27, the end of the chapter. And so not as many verses as we've been dealing with for the last couple of Wednesday nights. Let me give you just a little bit of background, remind you of where we're at now. Paul, he's been taken out of Jerusalem, down to Caesarea, and he has been, last week we saw him on trial before Felix. And you'll recall how that the Jews brought down with them Tertullius, the professional speaker, the lawyer, if you will, The orator, the Bible called him. I'll think of it in a minute. The orator, the Bible called him and brought him down to speak on behalf of the Jews and on behalf of the high priest against Paul. But if you'll recall last week, I think it's pretty safe to say that the Apostle Paul won the court case last week and Felix postponed it. there toward the end, sent the Jews home, said that he would hear from the captain, and that's where we left off reading and studying on last week. Man, let's look at verse number 24. The Bible said, and after certain days, when Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, go thy way for this time. When I have a more convenient season, I'll call for thee. He hoped also that money should be given him of Paul, that he might loose him whereof he sent for him the oftener and communed with him. But after two years, Prochrius Festus, sorry, Porchius Festus came into Felix's room and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. We pray that God would add blessing to the reading of his word tonight. Help us preach a little while and enjoy our fellowship around the word of God. Let's look and see now, Paul, he is in Felix's custody. And as we saw there in the last verse, some two years Paul stays in the custody of Felix. Maybe I should put it like this. It's almost as if Paul was in protective custody of Felix. He had a lot of liberty to move and go about doing things, and yet Felix kept the Jews from killing Paul in a lot of ways, if you study the Word. Now, we know that Felix, he's a mighty procreator. He's a judge. Like I said last week, there's things that history tell us about the man Felix. And history would tell us that he is a man that is in many ways crooked. He's always on the take. We'll see that tonight. He's always looking for a bribe. And so we see that here is this man. Now he's married to a woman by the name of Drusilla. We're gonna see her as well tonight and talk about her a little bit. Let's jump in and get to studying together the Word of God. Don't you love your Bible? Amen. I tell you, it's awful lonesome in here at church and there ain't nobody here but Steve's back there running the sound and praying game. They're not saying amen. Steve said amen. Trangate not gonna say anything. You know, they got the lockjaw. They ain't gonna say, same here. And it gets awful lonely being here in church. I was thinking about something. I was just thinking about how the word of God is just as true and just as real. whether or not the fuse is setting full or whether or not it's a Wednesday night online service only, thank God. I'm glad that the Bible is just so wonderful. We can get in it and study it, understand it. Boy, that we ought to be thankful for that tonight. Let's look and see what the Bible has to say here. First of all, I would point out to you tonight, the interest of Felix, the interest of Felix. Now, something was said, oh, let me remind you, toward the end of Paul's defense in court, he brings up the resurrection of the dead. And Felix hushed him up right there, stopped his talk. Of course, we know the high priest being a Sadducee wouldn't have liked that. He shut him up, postponed the case. But something that Paul said had got Felix's attention. I'm gonna tell you what I believe. I believe that he probably went home talking about it. We'll see that here tonight. Now Felix, history tells us he's been married three times. As a matter of fact, he marries Drusilla when she's only 16 years old. And what we know about Drusilla from history is that she was a very beautiful, as a matter of fact, exceedingly beautiful woman. And she was, the Bible tells us here that she was a Jewess. She was Jew. She was Jewish in her heritage and in her nationality. I began to think about how that no doubt Felix had heard a lot of cases in his time. He had conducted court a lot of days. Folks would come in, make an argument, whatever. But something about Paul got after Felix, and he went back to the house and no doubt, Drusilla said, well, how did the day go? And he said, you know, that fellow they brought down from Jerusalem, man, he is a strange guy. He gave a talk today and they did something different about that fellow. Boy, her ears perked up. And she probably said, Oh, I've heard of him, speaks about Jesus of Nazareth. And probably a conversation ensued, and of course, Drusilla would have understood the Jewish law and would have understood the prophecy concerning the Messiah. She no doubt would have heard that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the Savior of the world. No doubt had heard about what Jesus, and boy, it got her ears perked up. They got to talking about it, and whatever happened that night at the house of Felix and Drusilla, they decided at a later date, they said, we need to go down there one night and just sit down and talk to this fella, the Apostle Paul. And so they did. The Bible said that after certain days when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was at Druas, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning faith in Christ. And I see, in my mind's eye, I see Felix and Drusilla. One evening, maybe they go down to his judge's chambers, and he looks over, Felix looks over at the old centurion that he's charged with keeping Paul, and he says, bring me Paul. And they go down there in the cell where they've been keeping Paul, and they said, well, Felix wants to see you. And Paul probably thought, what in the world? Maybe the captain has come down. Maybe I'm gonna have to give another account. Maybe they decided to hear my case again. But he walked in the courtroom that night, and there sat Felix, and there was beautiful Drusilla. And Paul, he said, He comes in and Felix said, hey, tell me more about faith in Christ. He said, hey, Paul, you sounded like you sure did have confidence about resurrecting from the dead, and if you're that confident in it, boy, I'd like to hear some more. And he's interested, his interest has been piqued. And the Bible said that he heard him, verse 24, and he heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Boy, I tell you tonight, Felix may not have realized it, but right here tonight he's in the very best place that he has ever been in, because faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Felix has invited what is arguably the greatest preacher of any age into his courtroom, And Paul hears the words that he's been wanting to hear. Paul, tell us about Jesus. Oh, I'd like to have been a fly on the wall and heard that message. Boy, I'm telling you, and we see that Luke gives us the outline here, and we're gonna look at the outline. But wouldn't you have liked to have heard Paul? Boy, he'd been down there in the jail cell, no telling what all he's got studied up and ready to go. And as soon, no doubt as Felix said, Paul, tell us about Jesus. Boy, he hit the floor of preaching and telling about the living Son of God and telling about the hope that he had in Christ. Now we see the interest of Felix. But then we see the instruction of Paul. We see Paul's preaching. That's interesting to note tonight. Paul, he shares a three-point outline. Here's what Luke said Paul preached on. He reasoned. Oh, that word reason, I want to mention it. It's Diagos, the same word where we get our word dialogue. Paul reasoned with Felix. That was the manner of Paul's preaching a lot of times. Now Paul was subject occasionally to just stand and give a message like I'm giving a message tonight. But we find Paul oftentimes reasoning, this word reasoning, having a dialogue. And so he just started up and he said, let me tell you about righteousness. He'd been preaching on it and he'd say, now Felix, do you understand that, Drusilla? Do you have a question? Can you say something about right? And so they'd been talking back and forth, having a conversation. Three poets here, let me give them to you. Number one, righteousness. Righteousness. And so I believe that Paul started out by pointing out that Drusilla and Felix had both fallen short of God's righteousness. He may have started out with something like this. Well, I'm glad you asked for me to speak about that. But before I talk to you about Christ, let me start back there and tell you. You know, the Bible said that our righteousness is as filthy rags. So let me talk to you just a minute about being good and being bad. And you may not understand this, Felix, but we're all bad. We've all sinned, we've all come to show the glory of God. None is righteous, no, not one. I believe when Luke said the very first thing that Paul talked about was righteousness and reasoned with Felix on righteousness saying, I believe that he was pointing out to Felix that he had a righteousness problem. Boy, and I'm telling you something, I always tell young preachers this, and I believe it to be the truth. I believe that evangelical preaching should always, and preaching in general, should always pose a problem. I realize on Wednesday night it's a little different, we're doing a Bible study. But I believe that preaching should always pose a problem. but a problem should never be posed without there is a solution given. And so Paul, he's posing a problem. He said, let me talk to you about righteousness. There's nobody righteous, no, not one. Your righteousness is as filthy rags. And he begins to reason with Felix about a problem he's got. And the problem is that he is not righteous. And then he starts to reason with him about temperance. Notice the Bible. Said that he reasoned with him of righteousness, temperance. So after he got done with the first point, he said, listen, he said, let me lay this out to you. There's none righteous, no, not one, and what you think is righteousness is as filthy rags. We all have a sin problem. He's laying his foundation saying, we all have a sin problem. Then he said, while we're on it, let's talk a little bit about temperance. Now what does temperance mean? Temperance means self-control. So no doubt Paul didn't mince words right here. He said, listen, Felix, there's been times when you've lost control. Down in his heart, Felix is saying, yeah, you're right. I mean, he's working on his third marriage. He's married a 16-year-old girl by the name of Drusilla, if by no other means he had lost his temperance in the area of adultery. And so Paul said, listen, you've got a problem with temperance. No doubt you've, and maybe he pointed out, maybe he said, no doubt you've put men to death. Maybe it's cause you were angry. Maybe you shouldn't have put him to death or put him in prison. And you've had a problem controlling yourself. Here's the question. Here's the question. Here's the question, Felix. Why is it that you have trouble controlling yourself?