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A Royal Audience

A Royal Audience
Words of Faith 8-10-16
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2016
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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Acts 25
[13] A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. [14] Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. [15] When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.
[16] "I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges. [17] When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. [18] When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. [19] Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. [20] I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. [21] When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."
[22] Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man myself."
He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him."
[23] The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. [24] Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. [25] I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. [26] But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. [27] For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him."

The fifth trial of Paul was before the king who was visiting. Wow. An audience with the king. This is the sort of thing people live their whole lives for!
The new governor did not know what charge should be sent to Rome regarding Paul so he asked Agrippa and Bernice to examine Paul and help determine the proper charge.
Now Agrippa was the great-grandson of Herod the Great who persecuted the children of Bethlehem when Christ was born. He had been given a small kingdom in the area to the north of Judea. His life was also gripped with scandal because Agrippa and Bernice were brother and sister who lived in an incestuous relationship. This was the highest and most prestigious audience Paul had ever addressed and yet it was before two people who were totally lost and depraved in their lifestyle.
What do you do when you are called before a king? Are you supposed to be impressed? Bow and curtsy? And what if that king has clear moral indifference to the things of God? In the verses ahead we will see Paul's earnest witness before these two. We might ask, "How is it that Paul was able to give such witness?" How was Paul able to keep his head and not placate to the seat of power before which he stood?
It may be as simple as realizing that Paul was well acquainted with much higher authority. Paul knew quite well the one called "King of kings". We sing that phrase especially at Christmas time. In our day, it may not seem as significant but it speaks of one who is King over all the kings of the earth, a supreme authority who rules over all the emperors.
In such perspective, Agrippa and Bernice were just another couple of lost sinners desperately needing the Gospel. They needed the Gospel just much as the Philippian jailer or Lydia or the pagan worshipers in Corinth.
We live in a culture driven by prestige and power. The kings of our age are political officials, media moguls, and pop-stars much more than monarchs and princes. Perhaps the point is that no matter the trappings of power, money and celebrity, there is no difference between a lost person in a palace and lost person on the street. Each one has a desperate need to know the creator of the universe and experience His love in Christ.
Nothing illustrates this point quite as powerfully as the Christmas story in which the King of king, ruler of the universe, came to planet earth arriving in a manger. He was born to peasants from an obscure village and was visited by common shepherds as well as foreign dignitaries.
The Kingdom of God, which He proclaims, is the one truly class-less society in which we are granted audience not because of our titles or lineage but simply because of His grace.
The truth is that today you will be granted a royal audience with kings and queens, people who rule their own lives and desperately needing to surrender to God. They may be wealthy or poor, accomplished or destitute, but they all need the same thing, the Gospel of Jesus.
Tell them God loves them and has made the greatest offer of all available to them. Tell them that no matter how rich or poor, powerful or powerless they may be, we all need Jesus.

Lord, let my life reflect the truth of Your Kingdom today. Focus me on the precious ones you bring across my path. Help me to see with Your eyes and care with Your words. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2001, 2016
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.