Faith: The Golden Key
A Sermon on Acts 24:24
Scripture
24And 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.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Acts 24:24 titled “Faith: The Golden Key” that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached to Bridgnorth Baptist Church in 1975, he focused on how the gospel is to be preached and listened to. The tragic story of Felix and Priscilla unfolds as a prisoner talks to this Roman governor and princess. What happened then is still needed now. Take a look at the Ten Commandments and God’s design for humanity to be made in His image as a righteous companion. Temperance and self-control are crucial. All people are made of both body and soul and will one day stand before God in judgment. What distinct characteristic divides human and animal? Are humans merely a product of their instincts? Surely not. The gospel is absolutely necessary for humanity’s hope and it is at this very point in which God steps in. Turn to God, cry out for mercy, and He will give it. Christ died that all might be forgiven and made good; it only requires belief. Unbelievers should heed the warnings of the story of Felix and Priscilla as the “Night of Nights” in Pompeii ended in tragedy for them and confess their sin today.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage for the sermon is Acts 24:24-27 which describes Paul reasoning with Felix and Drusilla about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come.
- Felix was the Roman governor of Palestine. He started life as a slave but rose to power and influence. However, he was unjust and corrupt.
- Drusilla was a Jewess who broke tradition by marrying a pagan prince. She later left him for Felix. They were living in adultery.
- Paul was a prisoner who had the opportunity to protest his imprisonment but instead preached the gospel.
- The message of the church is righteousness, self-control and judgment - not a political or social message. Righteousness is about God's holiness and our responsibility to obey his law.
- Self-control means putting righteousness into practice. It is the opposite of obeying our lusts and living like animals. The world today lacks self-control.
- Judgment to come means we are accountable to God and will face his judgment after death. This is a neglected truth but the reason to turn to Christ.
- Faith in Christ means that through repentance and belief in him, we can be saved from judgment. This is the good news.
- Felix and Drusilla rejected the gospel. Unbelief is irrational, against conscience and resists the Holy Spirit.
- Unbelief makes people despicable, like how Felix hoped to get money from Paul.
- Felix chose to please men over God. Unbelievers prefer this world over the next.
- Felix later fell out of favor and lost everything. Drusilla died in Pompeii, rejecting the gospel to the end.
- We must learn from them, repent and believe to escape God's wrath. The door of salvation remains open.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers about Felix, Drusilla, and Paul's Preaching
What was Paul's message to Felix and Drusilla according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul's message to Felix and Drusilla focused on three main elements: righteousness, temperance (self-control), and judgment to come. Paul reasoned with them about God's righteousness and how humans are meant to live upright lives in accordance with God's standards. He spoke about temperance or self-control, particularly relevant as Felix and Drusilla were living in adultery. Paul also warned them about the judgment to come, that all people will have to stand before God and give an account of their lives. Alongside these warnings, Paul spoke to them about "faith in Christ" - the good news that despite their sins, there was a way of forgiveness through believing in Jesus.
Who was Felix according to the historical background provided in the sermon?
According to the historical background provided in the sermon, Felix was a Roman governor of Palestine. He had been born a slave but managed to gain his freedom. His twin brother, Thalus, became a favorite of the Roman Emperor, and through this connection, Felix obtained his position as governor. Despite his high position, Felix was described by a Roman historian as one who "exercised the prerogatives of a prince with the spirit of a slave." He was an unjust man who kept Paul imprisoned despite there being no legitimate charge against him. He hoped Paul would offer him a bribe, showing his corrupt character. When he was replaced by Festus, Felix left Paul bound to please the Jews, demonstrating his desire for popularity.
Who was Drusilla and what was her relationship with Felix?
Drusilla was a Jewess who belonged to the royal family of the Herods. She was the great-granddaughter of the King Herod who tried to kill Jesus as an infant, and the great-niece of the Herod who beheaded John the Baptist. Against Jewish tradition, which prohibited marrying outside the faith, Drusilla had married a pagan prince out of ambition. Later, when she met Felix at a reception, they "fell in love" (which Dr. Lloyd-Jones characterizes as mere lust). Drusilla left her husband to live with Felix. Though Felix likely obtained a paper divorce, Dr. Lloyd-Jones states they were living in a state of adultery rather than a true marriage.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the true message of Christianity with what many people think it is?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasts the true message of Christianity with the popular misconception that Christianity is primarily a political or social message. He notes that many people get their idea of Christianity from media coverage of ecclesiastical conferences passing resolutions against apartheid, wars, and social injustices. However, he argues this is a complete misunderstanding. The true Christian message, as demonstrated by Paul's approach to Felix despite being unjustly imprisoned, focuses on spiritual matters: righteousness (our relationship with God and moral standards), temperance (self-control in daily living), judgment to come (our accountability before God), and faith in Christ (the solution to our sin problem). Rather than focusing on reforming society or political activism, Christianity addresses the human heart and one's personal standing before God.
According to the sermon, why did Felix tremble when Paul preached to him?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Felix trembled because his conscience was convicted by Paul's message. Felix knew what Paul was saying was right, but he didn't want to act on it. This created an internal conflict: "Conscience said, listen to him. Do what he tells you. Lust said, no. Hold on to what you've got." This tension was so great that Felix physically trembled, his knees "literally began to knock one against the other." Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Felix was not only battling his conscience but also resisting the Holy Spirit who was convicting him through Paul's preaching. The trembling reveals that Felix recognized the truth of Paul's message even though he ultimately rejected it with his famous response: "Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."
What happened to Drusilla according to the historical epilogue Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares?
According to the historical epilogue shared by Dr. Lloyd-Jones (which he notes is not found in the Bible but in history books), about 15 years after this encounter with Paul, Drusilla and her son were wintering in the city of Pompeii. They attended a gala night with feasting, drinking, dancing, and music that continued into the early hours of the morning. Shortly after everyone had gone to bed, Mount Vesuvius erupted without warning, and the molten lava poured down on Pompeii, killing everyone there, including Drusilla and her son. Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses this as a sobering illustration of how Drusilla, having heard and rejected the gospel, was suddenly "hurtled out of this world and finds herself standing before her God and her maker" - the very judgment that Paul had warned about.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe righteousness in his sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes righteousness as "ultimately an attribute of God." He explains that "God is righteous. God is just. God is also holy, and God is love." He quotes the biblical statement that "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" as a good definition of righteousness. When God created humans in His image, they were also righteous - innocent and without sin. Righteousness means "straightness, uprightness," and is "the opposite of anything twisted or perverted." It means "light in contradistinction to darkness, cleanliness in contradistinction with impurity and filthiness and violence." Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that God has given humans both an internal conscience and external guidelines (like the Ten Commandments) to understand righteousness, which includes both our relationship with God and our treatment of other people.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the meaning of "temperance" in Paul's preaching?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that while we might think of "temperance" today as merely abstaining from alcoholic drinks, the biblical meaning is much broader. It "rarely means self-control. It means discipline. It means that you order your life." While righteousness provides the general principles, temperance is about "putting your principles of righteousness into daily operation." It means not just knowing what's right in theory but practicing it in detail.
Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasts humans with animals, noting that animals simply follow their instincts for food, drink, and sex. Humans have these same instincts, which are not wrong in themselves, but unlike animals, humans have souls, spirits, reason, and understanding. Therefore, humans are "not to be governed by impulses and desires and instinct" but are to control them. When these desires are under control, "they're normal, they're right," but when a person is "controlled by desires and lust and impulses," they are behaving "like an animal and not like a man."
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.