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.
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.