{"id":32526,"date":"2024-09-16T22:00:53","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T05:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/acts-24_1-16-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-08-06T20:47:49","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T03:47:49","slug":"acts-24_17-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/acts-24_17-27\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways We Can Box Jesus In"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 24:17-27 \u00a0 (CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Acts 24:17-27.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Acts 24:17-21 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance.
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me.
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin–
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.'”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 17-21:\u00a0 Paul continues his defense at his trial before governor Felix in Caesarea.\u00a0 Paul notes that he did not do anything unlawful or illegal, unless believing in the resurrection of the dead is a crime (v21).\u00a0 When it came to any possible charges that Paul\u2019s critics would try to lay on Paul, Paul was blameless.<\/p>\n

As Paul stands before governor Felix, Paul is a representative of Jesus in governor Felix\u2019s life, the closest person to Jesus Felix had ever met.\u00a0 Yet, as we will see in the following verses, the way Felix treated Paul is the way a lot of us treat Jesus: we box him in, preventing him from doing what he wants to do in our lives.\u00a0 Here in these verses we\u2019ll find 5 ways that Felix boxes Paul in.\u00a0 Ask yourself: do I box Jesus in any of these ways too?<\/p>\n

Acts 24:17-22 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 22:\u00a0 When Felix said that he would wait for the Roman commander Lysias to come before he would decide his case, this could very well have been a delay tactic.\u00a0 As verse 27 tells us, Felix would unjustly delay Paul\u2019s case for over two years.<\/p>\n

Just as Felix kept putting off making a decision on Paul\u2019s case, so\u00a0the first way we box Jesus in is that we delay making a decision about Jesus<\/strong>.\u00a0 We keep putting off the decision to receive Him or obey Him, despite having already heard what he has to say.\u00a0 We come up with bogus excuses for not trusting in Jesus now.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t delay trusting in Jesus and obeying Him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Acts 24:23 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n23\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 23:\u00a0 Just as Felix gave Paul limited freedom to move around,\u00a0a second way we box Jesus in is that we give Jesus very limited room to move in our lives<\/strong>.\u00a0 We might give Jesus access to an hour on a Sunday morning, or maybe a quick prayer time before we go to bed, or maybe a day of fasting, but the rest of the time there remain large areas of our lives where we still call the shots and refuse to give Jesus freedom to move in with His presence.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t just give Jesus limited room to move and work in your life.\u00a0 Give Him all the room and let Him be Lord of everything in your life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Acts 24:24-25 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n24\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.
\n25\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 24-25:\u00a0 From Felix\u2019s actions we learn\u00a0a third way that we box Jesus in: we only listen to Jesus to the extent that it is convenient and comfortable for us<\/strong>.\u00a0 The moment things get uncomfortable, the moment Jesus starts talking to us about sensitive topics like how to use our money or our bodies, like Felix we say \u201cThat\u2019s enough for now!\u00a0 You may leave.\u00a0 When I find it convenient, I will send for you.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t follow Jesus only when it is convenient.\u00a0 Be willing to adjust your life based on what Jesus says, for He knows better than you and I do.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Acts 24:26 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n26\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 26:\u00a0 A\u00a0fourth way that we box Jesus in: just as Felix was hoping that Paul would offer Felix a bribe in exchange for Paul\u2019s release, we box Jesus in when we deal with Jesus only on a transactional basis.<\/strong>\u00a0 In other words, every interaction with Jesus is a negotiation: \u201cJesus, if you do this for me, I will do this for you.\u201d\u00a0 But Jesus is not into negotiation.\u00a0 He is the Lord, the King of kings.\u00a0 We either go his way or not at all.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t try to negotiate with Jesus.\u00a0 See Jesus as your King, the one you get your marching orders from.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Acts 24:27 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n27\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 27:\u00a0 Felix had allowed two whole years to pass while Paul remained in prison waiting for his trial date.\u00a0 Even when it was Felix\u2019 time to be replaced by a new governor, Felix still kept Paul in prison \u201cas a favour to the Jews\u201d.\u00a0 That\u2019s\u00a0the fifth way that we can box Jesus in:\u00a0 we\u2019re more interested in pleasing other people than pleasing God, so we willingly sacrifice Jesus for the sake of someone else.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t sacrifice Jesus for the sake of someone else.\u00a0 See Jesus as the One you live for and the One you were born to please.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lord Jesus, may I not box you in by using any of the above tactics that Felix used.\u00a0 Instead may You have all the room You need to speak, work, reign and move in my life.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Acts 24:17-27.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nActs 24:17-21 (NIV)
\n17\u00a0\u00a0“After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings.
\n18\u00a0\u00a0I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance.
\n19\u00a0\u00a0But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me.
\n20\u00a0\u00a0Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin–
\n21\u00a0\u00a0unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.'”
\n\u00a0
\nOn verses 17-21:\u00a0 Paul continues his defense at his trial before governor Felix in Caesarea.\u00a0 Paul notes that he did not do anything unlawful or illegal, unless believing in the resurrection of the dead is a crime (v21).\u00a0 When it came to any possible charges that Paul\u2019s critics would try to lay on Paul, Paul was blameless.\u00a0
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32528,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32526"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32529,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32526\/revisions\/32529"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}