Acts 24:22-25...And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. 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. 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 convenient season, I will call for thee.

 

Here, Paul has been brought before Felix to be judged on the matter of the resurrection from the dead. There had been a great theological debate on the matter of the resurrection from the dead between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees believed there was a resurrection from the dead, and the Sadducees did not. (To remember the differences, just remember the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection and so they were "Sad you see.")

 

As normal, Paul was not only ready to proclaim the truth and fact of the Resurrection from the dead, but he was prepared to share the Gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ. To Paul's dismay, Felix was not prepared to hear Paul's message and debate about the resurrection from the dead. Felix was clearly a procrastinator when it came to the matter of spiritual affairs. No one will be shocked to find out that most everyone procrastinates when it comes to their spiritual health and welfare.

 

Paul is then placed in a type of house arrest to wait for Felix to prepare and ready himself on the issue of the resurrection from the dead. Strangely enough, he procrastinated on one of the things that affects the way that we live our lives here and now. After some time, Felix calls for Paul to be brought before him to be judged on the matter at hand. Once Paul shares with Felix the importance of "Faith in Christ" and the power of the resurrection from the dead, Felix begins to try to find a way out. Felix uses the excuse that he was being pressed for time and that it was not a "convenient season" for him to discuss or deal with spiritual issues.

 

In our text, we read that Paul in sharing Jesus with Felix stirred up at least three problems in Felix's life. Felix was stirred by the message of righteousness, temperance and the judgment to come! I imagine he was awakened to the fact that he was unrighteous before the Lord Jesus Christ. I imagine that Felix also had a short fuse when it came to anger, for temperance is mentioned in our text. We also see that Felix was stirred over the matter of the judgment to come after one's life is over. When being made aware of his great spiritual need for repentance, forgiveness and justification through the Lord Jesus Christ, Felix excused himself by simply not having the time to deal with such an issue!

 

Sadly enough, Paul is bound in prison for an extended stay all because one man procrastinated doing what he knew he should have done. Felix goes on his merry way trying to run from the message that to this day still haunts him. Again, all of us have a tendency to procrastinate dealing with spiritual issues. Please don't wait too long to do what you will have wished you had done someday. The old saying, "Don't put off till tomorrow what you could have done today" is good words of advice!