It's amazing to think someday we'll be able to thank the Lord Jesus Christ personally, and we can now, but face-to-face, seeing what he suffered for us, understanding more of what he went through to give us his gift of everlasting life and to prove the Father's love for us. All right. I think some of you are aware last week was unusual weather at Ambassador, where Kaylee is, in North Carolina. It's similar to Scotland in that they don't get a lot of snow. And it could be give or take. And we've had kind of a really mild winter here. But they've actually gotten some snow, and they got a significant snowfall. It affected 25 states in the United States, and the winter weather that went through. And so Ambassador was kind of shut down. They made the students last Sunday stay there on campus. They had church on campus. And then in the afternoon, Dr. Beal got out his 4x4, his pickup truck, and put a tow rope on the back. And around the streets of Lattimore, went to college students zipping along on skis, on inner tubes, truck inner tubes that are blown up and pull along in the snow and sledges. And so Kaylee enjoyed that. She went on the inner tubes and had a great time doing that. In the States, we call that redneck winter sports, all right? It's something that we would call that. And a redneck is someone that is down South, their very country, And they're very southern. And they were made famous by a comedian, Jeff Foxworthy. I don't recommend him, but he's the one that came out with a lot of redneck jokes. And so he's got some that are like this. You might be a redneck if, and that's how they all start, and so if your house is on wheels and your car is on brakes. You know, is one way you might be a redneck. You have ever bathed with flea and tick soap? All right, you might be a redneck if. Birds are attracted to your beard. Going to the laundrette means cleaning out the back of your truck. You prefer car keys to cotton buds. That kind of thing, I guess. The funny thing about those, and they are humorous, is even more so down south, where you kind of see a little bit of that culture taking place. They're not really stretching it that much to get there, but they're funnier if you can know somebody and you go, that applies to you, and so you might be if. Other things in life are obviously much more serious, and it's your desire that please, oh please, I pray that none of these things apply to me. We've got in our day here, all these things going on. We don't like that you might have COVID if, and some of us have been through it. and had to take the test and see that little line show up and realize that you've got it. You don't really like to fit that application. You might have diabetes. And again, diabetes is serious, but it can be treated and that sort of thing. But it is a serious thing, and you kind of be concerned when you find out about that. Worse than that, and I think all of us probably know what the next one is, you might have cancer. Yeah, right, that's a very sobering thing and nobody wants to hear that and think, you know, I've got cancer. But praise God, if you can identify it, there's hope that you can be cured of it. If you look at it and say, well, I've got it, I've got the symptoms, that lines up with what I've got, but you take that on board and you think, right, I'm going to go to the doctor, I'm going to get this checked out and see if this is true, that's not necessarily bad that you understood by some facts that you had it. this morning is entitled, In Danger of Hell. Okay, In Danger of Hell. And it's, I think an interesting look at this story and the life here of Felix. And what I wanna preach on this morning is you may be in danger of hell if. And I wanna look at some things and pull them out of this story and say, that was the condition of Felix's life. And as best we know, Felix never repented, Felix never trusted Christ, but this was definitely in his life. It's good for us to examine that and say, are those characteristics in my life? And so as a minister, obviously, as I preach or teach the Bible about hell, or even as a knock on people's door and talking, I hope it's not true, but I suspect many times it is the case that they're going to hell, but my desire in speaking about it is not to make them feel bad about it. And I was thinking about this recently. Jesus Christ didn't come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. So the point of the conviction even of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is to bring us to saving faith, but it's good for us to really examine it and say, when I see that in Felix's life, and if I see that in my life, I might be in danger of going to hell. And so identification. is the key to overcoming. And as we think about it this morning, does God desire to send somebody to hell? Is God in heaven thinking, oh, this is great, and God just can't wait to cast somebody into the lake of fire? Absolutely not. We know Jesus Christ It came, his son, he sacrificed his son. He loved us so much. He so desired that nobody goes to hell that he took his son, his only son, Jesus, and put him on this earth and allowed him to live a life and grow up and mature just so that he could be a living sacrifice and die on the cross for our sin. The Bible says 2 Peter 3 9, the Lord is long suffering to us word, not willing. that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." If you walk down the street, and I mean, in our minds, there's bad people and there's good people, but let's say it was the worst of people that were about you, you can look at those people and say, God is not willing that any should perish. It doesn't matter what their lifestyle is. I met somebody very nice yesterday that had a lifestyle that the Bible says is an abomination. But I'll tell you this, God loves that person, Jesus Christ died for that person, they could get saved. And God doesn't want them to go to hell. God wants them to get right and understand the abundant life that God can give to them, the satisfaction that nothing can give except Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 2, 4, who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. If you want to ask what is God's will, and there's some that teach that God is selective in who he'll save, who he'll not save, but I'll tell you this, the Bible says very clearly, he will have all men to be saved. What is the will of God? The will of God is that nobody perish, but that everybody comes to the truth. So that nobody could listen even to a message like this this morning and say, well, it's God's fault. No, God loves you. Jesus died for you. We gotta look at Felix and say, very sadly, the problem was with Felix, the reason he didn't get saved, and because the truth is this, despite the fact that God loves you, God's love alone will not change anyone's condition. God loves and cares for you, but the only way he could save you is through Jesus Christ. And he's done everything on his part, he sacrificed his son, his son has died so that you could have life, but the Bible says in Revelation 20, verse 15, And whosoever was not found, written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. Can you imagine what it's like at that great white throne judgment? I don't know if they're in a queue. I don't know exactly what's going on. They're called to stand before the Lord. He looks there at the book and he says, I'm sorry. It's not there. And he says, depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And as he moves and as he gestures, you see the nail-pierced hands. You see the marring of his body, his physical body, because the body of Christ is the same. This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall still come in like manner as you've seen him go into heaven. The judge of all the earth is gonna stand there and say, I'm sorry. I died so that you could live, right? He's not desirous of it, but the fact is, that person is gonna perish in hell. 1 John 5 verse 12, he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. And so this morning, we're gonna look at the ifs that take a man to hell, see if we have the symptoms in our life. And so you may be on your way to hell if, is what we're gonna look at. The text, again, is Acts 24. In verses 22 through verse 27, and let's pray and ask the Spirit of God to illumine this text to our hearts. Father, I thank you that we could take a sober truth like hell, and Father, examine it in the light of the Word of God this morning to consider if we're on our way to hell. And Father, that is a sobering truth. And I just pray, Lord, my desire in studying this passage, looking at it, it was eye-opening to me in some ways, and I trust it will be to our church as well as we consider, but I pray, oh God, the greatest need is open the eyes of anybody that is on their way to hell, Father, whether present today or absent online, live streaming, or otherwise listening to this message. Oh, Lord God, may they get saved. Father, I pray, freshly burned in our hearts as believers, we've been born again, we're saved, we're rescued, we're not gonna perish. We can lay our head in our pillows at night and have peace in our heart and joy in our soul, knowing that if we were to die, it's just sleep. We're just gonna go to sleep in Jesus and open our eyes in paradise. But Father, somebody that goes to sleep in death wakes up in hell. And Father, I pray that the Spirit of God would give us soberness and discernment as we study the word of God. Bless the kids in their class, bless Mrs. Shore. Give us ears to hear. Please help me as I speak. It's in Christ's name we pray, amen. All right, you may be in danger of going to hell if, okay, so let me give the background of our story to kind of get up to that part where we're at in our story that we read already about Felix. So Paul was in Jerusalem. He's gotten there, they told him before he went that bonds and afflictions abide you, but he's just there worshiping God. He's in the temple, not doing anything except fulfilling a vow that he had, and he's not leading an insurrection or anything, but the Jews that hated Paul, hated the gospel of Jesus Christ, get all the crowd upset, saying that Paul brought a Gentile into the temple, which never happened. And so the mob is there, they wanna kill Paul, and the chief captain hears about the riot that's taking place on the Temple Mount. He goes down there and gets his soldiers down there, gets into Paul. takes Paul and thinks Paul is a really wicked person. And Paul says, no, I'm just a preacher of the gospel. He's allowed to stand on the steps and talk to the people, speak to them. But when he says, God called him to take the gospel to the Gentiles, they get upset again. And he takes him in, he's threatened to have Paul whipped. And Paul said, you know, I'm a Roman. Oh, you're not allowed to whip a Roman, but they already kind of hooked Paul up to get whipped. And now the man is kind of scared. They find out that there's a plot to kill Paul. The nephew of Paul comes in and tells the chief captain, look, the Jews have taken a vow. They're not gonna eat or drink until Paul is killed. And so when you go to move Paul, they're gonna ambush him and take him. And so by night, they take hundreds of soldiers and take the preacher, the apostle Paul, and send him to Caesarea on the sea. It's a beautiful port area, Herod's Palace is there. Paul's gonna be imprisoned there in that palace. The governor of that province is Felix, and that's who the judge is, and that's who he's gonna stand before. And so, On the day of the judgment, a man named Tertullus comes in, very flowery language and speaks to Felix, very polished speaker and accuses Paul of certain things. Paul gives his defense. And so let's pick it up there in our story, Acts 24, verse 10. It says, then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak. answered, for as much as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto the nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, because that thou mayest understand that there are yet but 12 days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship, and they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues nor in the city, neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But this I confess unto thee that after the way, okay, now I love in the scriptures when it speaks about the way, the path of righteousness or followers of the way, I am the way, the truth, and life. So after the way, the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the law and in the prophets, and have hope toward God, which they also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men. Now let me say, righteousness that Paul's speaking about could not be possessed except by imputation from God. Nobody's righteous. We'll look at that in our story. Okay, so Paul is preaching righteousness through faith in Christ alone to Felix as he speaks about this. Now, after many years, verse 17, I came to bring alms to my nation and offerings. Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude nor with tumult. Who ought to have been here before thee and object, if they had ought against me? Or else let these same here say, if they found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council. Except it be for this one voice that I cried standing among them touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day." And so Paul says it's a doctrinal reason that I'm here. It has nothing to do with what I'm doing. It has to do with what I'm preaching and what I am preaching is Jesus Christ. and faith in Christ and righteousness through Christ. Okay, so that brings us up to verse 22, which is the start of our context of what we're gonna look at as we consider these points. And I have several points this morning. I'll just tell you, I've got 10 of them, but they're quick points and having to do with you may be on your way to hell if. Okay, so here we go, first one. You may be on your way to hell if, You know the truth, but you do not obey it. Okay, you know the truth, but you do not obey it. It says in verse 22, and when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them. Okay, he's gonna put them off a little bit, but the Bible says very clearly that he had knowledge of that way. He had understanding of what Paul's speaking about. As Paul is introducing him to this, it's not first time that he's heard this. He's heard this perhaps many times. Jesus Christ had died 30 years previously, been crucified. He'd risen again 30 years previously. That story would have been popular story in the area. The preachers of the gospel have taken that message around the known world. I mean, this is really getting out to a lot of places. And so Felix is not ignorant of Christianity. He's not ignorant about Jesus Christ. Now Paul is kept as a prisoner in Caesarea for over two years. Another governor comes that replaces Felix and his name is Festus. All right, Felix and Festus. And so Festus is there and then King Agrippa. In Acts 26 verse 22, It says, having therefore obtained help of God, I continue on to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer, that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles. Okay, Paul, what's he preaching? The gospel. Jesus Christ is the light of the world, right? He is the truth, he's able to give understanding. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad, okay? Now, Festus responded that way, did Felix respond that way? No. So in a sense, Felix is okay with hearing it. Festus is like, whatever. Felix is okay, he's getting it, he's taking it in a little bit. But Paul said to Festus, I'm not mad, I'm not crazy, most noble Festus. but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the King, King Agrippa, knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely, for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner. You know, was Jesus Christ crucified in some back alley? No, he was crucified outside of the city of Jerusalem, outside the city walls on a major crossroads. The Bible says they wrote above him the king of the Jews. They put it in different languages because there's all these people that are passing by. The resurrection of Christ didn't happen in a back corner. Jesus Christ appeared to over 500 witnesses at once, and multiplied preachers personally saw Jesus Christ after he rose from the dead. The story of the soldiers, and what took place, and the bribery to keep them quiet, that was probably well known to even Felix, or Festus, or King Agrippa. And he says to King Agrippa, King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. And he's saying it in this sense. Paul said, I believe that you know this to be true. Right? Then Agrippa said unto Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. We're gonna sing at the end of our time together a hymn that was written after that statement. And the truth is this, it's a shame when somebody knows the truth but does not obey it. It's a shame when they have knowledge of the way of escape but they do not take it. You know, this past week we put out about 1,000 gospel flyers in Pennycook. Don Dillman helped me on Wednesday. I went out also Monday and Tuesday to do that. We've done that for years. We've put out hundreds of thousands of gospel flyers. We've talked personally to numerous people about the gospel. Scotland has the Bible. in their homes. They've got apps that they could download, it's free, you could download the King James Bible, have it right there on your phone, very easy to do, right? Nobody in Midlothian is going to hell because they are ignorant of the truth. Now I would say this, they might be ignorant, but the ignorant is willful because the light is like on, right? And so the very sad thing is this, you look at Felix and think, man, Felix, he should get saved. And yet he has this understanding, but he's not obeyed it. He's not stepped out and believed it. You know, praise God, the Bible says, Acts 16, 31, they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. But it's a very sad thing if that person, just whatever it is that is there, that is the stumbling block, that they're not stepping forward to obey it. You may be in danger of going to hell. And when I say going to hell, I mean ending up in hell. Because everybody that's not saved is on their way to hell, but you may be in even greater danger of going to hell if you know the truth, but you do not obey it. Do you see what I'm saying? And so first one, second one, and they'll speed up by the way, once we get to like number six, all right, is where we'll fast forward a wee bit. But secondly, if you are pursuing knowledge, but refusing to believe God's word. If you're pursuing knowledge, but refusing to believe what God says. In verse 22, Felix said, When Lysias, the chief captain, shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. Okay, the matter at hand is Paul's persecution for preaching Jesus. Okay, when Lysias comes, I'm gonna get all this information. I'm gonna know the uttermost of your matter. You know, know the uttermost, in the Greek, the word is diagnosko, all right? Sounds like diagnose. And he's a judge, and it means to know thoroughly, to ascertain exactly. And so it's interesting, I mean, it's like he's saying, I'm gonna know everything about this. When this takes place, I'm gonna take in this information, and then I will know how to diagnose what's taking place. Well, think about this. Scripture is telling us about Paul's trial, but it's also talking about Felix's rejection of the gospel. And so the emphasis of the passage that we're looking at is really on Felix's rejection, in saying that he's gonna, we understand he's gonna reject the gospel, he is saying, when this guy comes, then I'll have enough information, then I'll make my decision. I wanna point out to us that saving faith is not a decision of the mind, but a decision of the spirit. Somebody could be brilliant, They could be brilliant and I mean, they could study it out, but that doesn't mean that they're gonna get saved. Why? Because it's a decision of the spirit in the human spirit to obey the gospel and believe what God has said. And so the Bible says even in 1 Corinthians 2, 14, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they're spiritually discerned. And so, I mean, I could go up to somebody, I could explain, I mean, and I'll do my best to explain, but they're gonna be taking in other information other than Bible information, and they're gonna be trying to crunch the numbers and process those things, and you know, a lot of times, they're just gonna look at it and say, it's foolishness, I don't get it, because of the Spirit of God. is not in them. It's what the Bible says in Romans 1.22, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And I'll just tell you this, if you go up to an unbeliever and say God created in six days, they think it's folly. They're pursuing knowledge, but they're not pursuing a Bible knowledge. If you said to them, everlasting life is through faith in Jesus Christ. Just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Again, they look at that and with their knowledge that they have, they think, well, that can't possibly be true. Why would they believe in a God who exists in a realm that your eyes can't see? I mean, they're too intelligent for that to believe that there's this invisible God. They think if there's a God, why doesn't he reveal himself? I ought to be able to see him. But the Bible says, no man shall see him and live. If men saw God as He is, they would die in their sin. And so knowledge is good. Let me say this, knowledge is good if you anchor it in God's word. It's not a bad thing to have knowledge, but if that knowledge is Bible-based, it's not outside of what God says that somebody's gonna come to some information that's gonna help them to believe in God. But if they'll go to the Bible, That's where the answer is. 2 Timothy 3.15 says that from a child that's known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith that's in Christ Jesus. You know, just from a child, and I praise God, we've got children in our church that have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior because they can look at the Bible too and say that's what God says. This book makes you wise unto salvation. It's not a bad thing today if somebody listens to the message and say, I'm gonna look in the word of God and see what it says about that. That's a good thing. In fact, the Bible says in Acts 17, 11, these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. It's a great thing today if your knowledge that you're seeking is Bible knowledge, but knowledge outside of God and God's word is not the answer to somebody's coming to faith. I met a Baptist, not a Baptist, a Church of Scotland minister's son this past week, and he said this, I don't believe in God, I'm a scientist. And I just looked at him and I said, why is it pretty? Do you remember this past week we had the beautiful sunrise? Did you see it? I think it was Tuesday. It was that same day and I mean, it was gorgeous that morning and I'm speaking to this man and he says that and I said, well, why is it pretty? Evolution can't explain aesthetics. Why does it look good? Why does it taste good? Why does it feel good? Why is it good to me? I mean, it doesn't matter. That has nothing to do with me. If evolution's true, I exist by myself. The fact that it's gorgeous, and that I was looking at my paintings in my office this morning, and there they are on the wall. Somebody painted them. We say, that's glorious, good on you. You created something amazing, and it copies God's creation. But that painting's not alive. And they look at that and they say, there can't possibly be a God. And yet Carly Rose, our little six year old that comes to church here, I asked her on the mini bus, I said, what did you learn this past week? And she said, the water cycle. organized by God. I'm adding to that. Think about that. Water cycle, water evaporates, goes over the land, comes down, goes back into the sea, circulatory system, reproduction, I mean, life and the giving of life by one kind unto the same kind, to the same kind, to the same kind, and all life comes from life, and it just screams there's a God, right? But some people aren't gonna get saved. Why? Because they're too smart to get saved. And so if somebody is pursuing knowledge but refusing to believe God's word, then they're in danger. Third, if you're trusting in your goodness. If you're trusting in your goodness. It says in verse three, I'm sorry, verse 23. You know, I read that about Felix and I think Felix is a good man. And I think even as he's convicted, and the Bible's gonna say that he's convicted, I think it kind of sapped his conscience a little bit because he was treating the man of God good, you know? He's taking care of him. Let him have some liberty. If anybody wants to come to him, that's okay, and I think in his heart, and this is conjecture a little bit, but I believe that Felix felt kind of good about that, and that kind of made him feel okay about the situation he was in. I had another divine appointment this past week, and this man flagged me down, apologized for not coming to the carol sing, and I says, okay. It got canceled, and I really appreciated that he desired to come. But as I spoke with him a little more than I had previously, he said, I'm a staunch atheist. I said, well, it's never too late. And I spoke to him about the sunrise. It was the same morning, that glorious sky was still right there as we're speaking. I was on my run early in the morning as I spoke with him. And I just, I said to him, I said, how do you get rid of your sin? He goes, I just don't do it. And then he laughed and I get what he's saying and yet there's a lot of people like that, aren't they? It's kind of like this, if there is a God, if there is a heaven and hell, I'm okay because I'm a good person. And we understand this morning, again, I'm not gonna belabor this point, but is there such a thing as a good person? You know, we know there's nice people, there's kind people, there's friendly people, there's helpful people, but that doesn't mean they're good because good biblically means that they're without sin. And so the Bible says in Romans 3.10, as it is written, there's none righteous, no not one. Romans 3.23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 5.12, wherefore as by one man's sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, okay? And so a sinner often does this, I'm a sinner, but I'm not like them, and if somebody's gonna go to hell, it's gonna be them. Right? Because they're a really bad person. So if I asked today, and you can answer out loud, should a murderer go to hell? The answer is yes. If I asked, should a child molester go to hell? Yes. Should a wife beater go to hell? Sure. Drunkard, terrorist, right? I mean, we could have a long list and even unbelievers would step up and say, that's right, they should go to hell. Why? Because they broke God's law grievously. But then they say, but not me. I'm not a child molester. I'm not a murderer. I'm not a drunkard. I'm not a wife beater. You know, I'm a good person, right, is what they think. I'm not a lawbreaker like them. Really? The Bible says in James 2.10, for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. And the point is this, I may not murder somebody, I may not be a wife beater, but if I broke God's law in one point, I broke God's law. How many of you had a bike chain break when you were a kid? Riding along, and you look at that bike chain and you say it's broken, and your friend looks at you and you go, no nonsense, there's only one link broken. Well, if you break a link, you broke the chain. And if somebody has broken God's law, it's broken. And the punishment for that is hell. You know, I can make it very simple for us this morning, and that is this, nobody will go to heaven because they are a good person. Galatians 2.16, knowing that a man is not justified, declared righteous by the works of the law, even if they sought their whole life to keep the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified, declared righteous by the faith of Christ, just by trusting in his finished work on the cross, right? It says, and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. I'll tell you this, the greatest reason there's people on their way to hell is because they're trusting in their goodness. And if that's you this morning, then again, that ought to be a wake-up call and say, hey, wait a second, I may be on my way to hell if I'm trusting in my goodness. And then fourth, if your only interest in religion is because of family or friends or some other purpose, okay? If your only interest in religion is because of family, I'll put it that way because of the text. Verse 24. It says, and after certain days, when Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. All right, you read that and think, oh, you know, he's got a Jewish wife and she's interested in hearing about this. So right, let's have an audience with Paul and hear about this. You know, growing up in my youth group, there was a girl that was my age and she was, like 20 years younger than her brother. Her brother has grown up serving God faithfully in ministry. They had a wonderful, godly mother. And they had a good dad. And that good dad was not saved, but again, he was a good man, and they had a good marriage, and God blessed, you know, in a sense, their marriage, and blessed this woman and her children. Her son went into the ministry. Daughter also would go into the ministry as she grew up. But he would be there at church, and he was unashamed to say, I'm not saved. I joke with my dad after church, and my dad was a pastor, and joke with my dad after church and whatnot, he was there week after week, week after week, always there when they were there, faithful, but as far as I know, and I don't know what's happened in totality since then, but as far as I know, he's never trusted Christ as his Savior, but he was there for his wife's sake, he was there for his kids, and he was faithful. You know, Felix often called for Paul, and it seems, as you read this verse, That's because his wife was Jewish. You know, the gospel is to the Jew first and also the Greek. The gospel was that the Christ has come and they were looking for the Messiah. So as a Jewess, she would have a deep interest in this idea that, well, maybe Jesus Christ is who he said. She might've gotten saved, I don't know. She might've trusted in Christ. The Bible doesn't say, but it's interesting that the Bible does point out that Felix would listen to Paul more often because his wife was a Jewess. Praise God, sometimes that works out good. Praise God, it does. We had a man that came to our church as an older man with his wife because he wanted to just be with his wife and his wife was there at church and he would come and we'd pray for him and pray for him and pray for him. We had a week of meetings and the Spirit of God moved in his heart. He came forward, he trusted Christ as his Savior. And just the change was glorious to see in his life that assurance of salvation that was there. But the point is this, nobody is gonna come to a position of faith in Christ who only comes to church for a reason outside of a personal interest in God. Do you see what I'm saying? It may be a, maybe their spouse is saved. Maybe their kids are saved. Maybe there's an interest for whatever reason, they want to be in church. We've had that at different times. People just come to church and you're like, why are you there? It doesn't seem like you have an interest in spiritual things yourself. And until you get that, I would say this, you may be on your way to hell if your only interest in attending is because of something other than a personal interest to find the truth. The Bible says, blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled. Praise God, right? And praise God, but it has to become a personal desire or that's a danger of going to hell just because you're there and you're hearing it but not taking it on board. Fifth, if you tremble, but do not repent. Okay, you may be in danger of being on your way to hell if you tremble, but do not repent. It says in verse 25, and as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix, what? Trembled. There was a fear that was there. The word trembled means afraid, alarmed. Now, Felix might have been a soldier, right? I guess before governor or something like that. I believe he's a man's man. I believe he's a strong man, right? But when Paul came and Paul argued forcibly the truth of the word of God and reasoned with him from the word of God, Felix trembled in fear. What was Paul arguing? Well, he was arguing the righteousness, the truth about righteousness. Righteousness, again, only possible through who? Jesus Christ. That it's not by works, it's not men's ability to cleanse themselves, but that they have to go in humility to God and receive God's imputed righteousness. Romans 10, three, for they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. And it's kind of like this, if Felix was trusting in his goodness, he felt like he was a good man, when he heard Paul speak, he understood that he was a sinner, and that he was on his way to hell, that he had to be forgiven judicially by God, completely cleansed of his sin, and that without that he would perish. And so you can understand there's anxiety in his heart. Why? Because Paul didn't just reason about righteousness, but temperance. What is temperance? Temperance is self-control. As a man, Felix would look at his life and say, man, I've broken God's law so many ways, and my life is kind of out of control. My passions are unrestrained, and I often sin against God, and Paul's speaking about that, and so the Bible even says in Romans 128, even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient. It just means this, man outside of God is very wicked. And so Paul is bringing it to Felix like, Felix, you gotta have God's righteousness. You don't, Felix, you're intemperate. And then judgment to come, the great white throne judgment. The Bible says in Revelation 20 verse 15, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. And so the judgment to come, Felix, you've gotta have God's righteousness and you're intemperate in your life and your life is out of control and there's judgment to come. You're gonna give an answer to God for every thought, word, action, deed that you've ever done. And the Bible says Felix trembled. I love reading revival history and it's amazing at times. Would to God it would come again in God's mercy. But as a preacher is preaching, people passing out because of such intense conviction, people in convulsions because of intense conviction, people shaking because of conviction. Why? Because the truth about heaven and hell were so real in their heart that physically it impacted them. Okay, that's Felix. But the danger is this, you can tremble but not repent. Not everybody that got under conviction at those revival meetings when God's spirit was working, not everybody that trembled got saved. And the Bible doesn't say about Felix. But it does say he was afraid. He was under intense conviction. You know, I wanna encourage you today, God can take that trembling away. Hebrews 2.14, Jesus took part of flesh and blood so that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death, tremblers, were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Praise God if the word of God is so impacting and the spirit of God is real so that somebody comes under conviction, but that conviction itself does not mean they're gonna get saved if they don't repent and trust Christ. All right, I said it. We're gonna go fast forward now. All right, that's five points. Five to come, but they're short. Here we go. If you think putting off Christ is temporary, You're in danger of going to hell if you think that putting off Christ is temporary. The Bible says Felix trembled and answered, go thy way, what's the next phrase? For this time. You think it's temporary. He thought, I'll just put it off this time. He thinks I might get saved, but not today. In my evangelism, a lot of times I'll meet atheists, and I did this yesterday, I like this illustration, but I'll say to them, evolutionist, I'll say, you wouldn't invest your life savings in a supercomputer that I'm gonna make by putting all the components of a supercomputer in a room with a bomb. You're not gonna do that because you know there's no chance that'll happen today. And you know this as well. A week from now, it's not gonna happen. Two years from now, it's not gonna happen. A thousand years from now, listen, it's getting even less and less likely because it hasn't happened, it hasn't happened, it hasn't happened. It's not more likely that it's gonna blow up and go together. It's less likely. but they think it's more likely if I just give it time. And I wonder if it isn't like that this morning. There's some people they really believe, you know, well, not today, but it's more likely in the future. If you think today that putting off Christ is temporary, you're in danger of going to hell. I mean, that's a sobering thought to think, you know, I'm not gonna get saved now, but I'm just gonna put it off a little bit. The Bible says this, Hebrews 6, 14, for it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, their eyes were opened, they understood their need. They have tasted of the heavenly gift. In other words, they understood that is true. The gospel is true. They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God came in and said, look, this is true. They've tasted the good word of God. And it was like real and the powers of the world to come. Okay, so they sense like that is true. Heaven and hell are real, but they put it off. The Bible says it is impossible if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance. If they cast away the only way of salvation, they can't get saved. And so, again, you think about that, it's a sobering truth. If you think that putting off Christ is temporary, you're in danger of hell. And then sixth, or seventh, if you think conversion will take place at your convenience. If you think conversion will take place at your convenience. He says this, he says, when I have a convenience season, Right? I'm gonna hear you again. When it's convenient, Paul, and easy for me, then I'll have you come and talk to me again, and I'm gonna consider again the truth of the gospel. You know, what if the convenient season never comes? Matt can go out and be with mom, I'm not sure. You crashing a little bit, guy? Just go find mom, okay? You know, that convenient season, what if it doesn't come? We just bought a vehicle. I say that to everybody here, but God provided and we bought a vehicle yesterday. I saw in the MOT that, previous MOT, that said the tires were bad. Praise God, we got there, they had put new tires on it. But you know, you get an MOT and they say the tires are bad, you gotta replace them. And we don't like MOTs, but the good thing about an MOT, it makes you recognize a problem and fix it. Because if it wasn't for that, somebody could just put it off when it's convenient. I don't really like to change my tires when it's raining, you know, and it's raining a lot here in Scotland, so I'll just put it off, I'll just put it off, I'll just put it off, I'll just put it off. And surely the truth is this, there are people that have died in auto accidents because they knew something about their vehicle, but they put it off. Because they thought, when I have a convenient season, Well, look, you don't put off things that are serious like that until you have a convenient season. You take care of them as soon as you know about them. And it's the same with this truth of the gospel. You do not look at the gospel and say, well, I get it, I understand, I understand my need, but I'm just gonna say when it's easier, when it's easier, because that easy day may not come. Again, I don't wanna preach the funeral of somebody that was waiting for a future date to decide to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. You get what I'm saying? Last thing I wanna do is stand there and say, I have no idea if this person trusted Christ. They knew it, they understood it, but they rejected it. I went to God, I'd never have to do that. I'd rather be at a funeral and say, praise God, this person didn't wait for a convenient season. They didn't put it off, but they trusted Christ as their Savior. And so you're in danger of hell if you think conversion will take place at your convenience. And then if you believe you will do in the future what you will not do now. If you believe you will do in the future what you will not do now, he said, I will call for thee. He's gonna reject Jesus now, but I'm gonna call for you again, Paul, and come and tell me the gospel again. This thing, again, I'll do it in the future. I wonder how many people are in hell today who really thought that one day they'd accept Jesus Christ as their savior. Seriously. I wonder what the percent is. I mean, they died without Christ, not because they didn't know the gospel, they knew the gospel, but because they put it off and they thought, I'll do that in the future, right? Our church has been praying for a building. We had some disappointment this past week in the providence of God. God slowed us down in getting the planning permission idea figured out until the day that I looked at the planning permission and thought, oh, we could do that. And then I looked online and it said under offer, right? And that was disappointing to us, but the comfort to us as believers is God and his providence slowed us down. It's okay. God's got a plan. He's going to work it out. I'll say this. God is not slowing anyone down from accepting the gospel, but there could come a day where it's too late. And no man knows the day or the hour. No man knows when that accountability is over and we enter into eternity. We stand before God and we could have gotten saved. And our thought was this, I will someday. In our heart of hearts, I believe that's Felix. I'm gonna call you again, Paul. I'm gonna call you again. If you believe you'll do in the future what you will not do now, you're in danger of hell. 9th, okay, and 10th, we're getting there really close here. If you're looking for personal benefit in religion, if you're looking for personal benefit in religion, look at verse 26, it's kind of interesting. And that's why, again, I say, it's speaking to us about Felix, exposing Felix's heart. It says, he hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul that he might loose him. Wherefore he sent for him the offener and communed with him. Now, maybe he has a concern for Paul. He wants Paul to be set free, but I see in there kind of a greed as well. He calls for Paul, hoping that soon he's gonna financially benefit from it. You know, very sadly, there's people in church today that are there because they want it to be like a blessing to them. They want what God can give to them. There's something called the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, and it's a church full of people that are there just trying to put that seed of faith in because of what they could get from God. If I got what I deserve from God today, where would I be? Hell. See, I deserve nothing from God. Somebody ought to come to hear Paul, not because of what he can get, not because of what he can gain, but because of an understanding of what God did and of what God is worth, right, or worthy of. And so if you're looking for personal gain or personal benefit in religion, then lastly, and I think very significantly, You may be in danger of hell if you desire to please men, but refuse to please God. If you desire to please men, but refuse to please God, you're in danger of hell. The Bible says in verse 27, but after two years, Porcius Festus came into Felix's room, and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. He's heard it, he's heard the truth from Paul. It's not only a bad judgment against Paul, it's a bad judgment against the gospel because he cares more about what the Jews think than about what God thinks. And again, as we stop and examine that today, how many people are in hell today because they wanted to get saved, they knew they needed to get saved, but what would their friends think? What would their family think if they came out as a holy roller, standing up for God, obeying the gospel, receiving Jesus Christ? Oh, they feared what they would say, and so they're in hell today. Why? Because of the fear of man. You know the Bible says in Proverbs 29, 25, the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be saved. Oh, what a snare. What a snare. All the people in hell because they feared what people would think. Kaylee is learning Southern culture. She got redneck winter sports last week, and they got a little bit of snow, probably wasn't enough this week, but learning about that, and you might be a redneck if. There's things that are serious in life, isn't there, that you might be if, cancer, as we mentioned. It's not a fun thing for us to stop and consider hell, but you know it's a good thing if somebody looks at this list and say, you know what, that's me. That's me. You know, I know the truth, but I don't obey it. I'm pursuing knowledge, but I'm refusing to believe God's word. I'm trusting in my goodness, you know, if there is a God, God's gonna be okay with me because I'm good. If your only interest in religion is because of family or some other reason. If you tremble but do not repent. If you think putting off Christ is temporary. If you think conversion will take place at your convenience, you know, when you feel like it. If you believe you will do in the future what you will not do right now, if you're looking for personal benefit in religion, if you desire to please men but refuse to please God. You know, I praise God, having looked at that list, that anybody could look at that and say, that's true of me, but I don't have to stay there. because I'm not gonna put it off. And I would say this, the Bible says, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation. Whether somebody listens to this message online or hears it audibly right now, the truth is, if the spirit of God's convicting, now's the time. I mean, surely the truth that we looked at says this, you're in danger of going to hell eternally if you don't obey the gospel. And you know, George Mueller preached, no, D.L. Moody preached a message in Chicago the night of the Chicago fire. And as he got to the invitation time, he did not have a come forward invitation. He said this to the people, think about it this week, then next week, come back and make a decision. Do you know, for the rest of his ministry, he never did that, and the reason is this, that night was a Chicago fire. Not only did buildings perish, but many people that were in that service died. And those that did not repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, not only perished in a fire, but went into eternal fire. And D.L. Moody swore in his heart, I'm never gonna do that again. Every single time I preach, I'm gonna give an invitation to that person to come to Christ. And I say that now. I wanna say that more frequently as a pastor. I do not want anybody to think I can put off Christ and it's okay. And as we witness, let's have that in our minds. They need Christ today because they can get saved. God's opened the door. Take it. Take it. Let's pray. Father, I pray about that. Lord, our greatest delight would be to take a Bible and to show somebody that they can accept Jesus Christ right now. Now is the accepted time. Nobody's guaranteed tomorrow or that convenient season may never come. The conviction goes away. The trembling goes away. Everything seems fine. Start trusting in your goodness again. Feel like, well, you know, I'll just trust in science, you know, all these things that we looked at. Oh, Satan's good to get us away from conviction. We got entertainment. We can go turn on the telly. We can go listen to stuff and, and it'll go away. Yes, it will. But the fact that that person is gonna die and spend eternity in hell will not go away. And Father, I pray, please, oh God, we long to see people get saved. Obey the gospel, trust Jesus Christ as your savior. And Father, as believers, I pray that this message would just put us in the fear of God, that we look at our neighbors, look at our friends, look at our family, and say, man, you need to get saved. Oh, Lord, we long to see it. Would you do it? It's in Christ's name we pray, amen. Now we're going to stand and sing a hymn, I mentioned it. It's off of that passage, King Agrippa is saying,