Paul's Odyssey #10 - Festus the People Pleaser
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Grace Church By John Demo

Paul's Odyssey #10 - Festus the People Pleaser

The 3rd Missionary Journey of the Apostle Paul

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Grace Church holds a Meet & Greet for those who are newer to Grace Church on the 4th Sunday of each month. Our next Meet & Greet will be Sunday, September 28th, following the service in CJ's coffee shop. It is a great opportunity to meet the staff and leadership of Grace Church and learn a little more about the church. It also gives us an opportunity to learn a little about you! Contact Leslie Booher if you have any questions ([email protected]).
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Sunday, September 7th - Robert Schilz
Tuesday, September 9th - Jillyn Boldrey
Wednesday, September 10th - Linsey Wright
Thursday, September 11th - Victoria Jerzyk, Roman Schilz
Friday, September 12th - Nikki Yargeau, Megan Noteboom, Julia Mater
Saturday, September 13th - Hailey Dykhouse, Tim & Stacy Schilz
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Odyssey: "A long and adventurous journey or experience."
In 2023 & 2024 we spent the summer months on the life of the Apostle Paul and covered his first two missionary journeys as presented in the book of Acts. This summer we're looking at his 3rd missionary journey which lasted about 5 years and covered over 2,500 miles.
A couple of take-home thoughts from last week included:
1. Are we simply religious or are we a true follower of Jesus...is He both Lord and Savior of our life?
2. If we are procrastinating a decision about committing our life to Jesus (like Felix), then we run the risk of our life ending or our heart hardening.
Last week, in Acts 24:27 [NLT] we saw a transition in the authority over Paul's situation from Felix to Festus.
Today we look at Acts 25 and find Paul interacting with a new Roman official or procurator. His name was Porcius Festus. A procurator was in charge of the province's financial affairs, including collections of taxes, paying bills and salaries, and land prices. We might call him a "career politician" as he lacked insight into the people he was ruling or even the situations in which they were placed. Acts 25 is a great example of this.
Acts of the Apostles 24:27
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27 After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
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As we look at Acts 25 [NLT] today, we'll look at just the first half of the chapter and focus primarily on Porcius Festus.

Acts 25:1-2
Historians have written that Festus was a decent guy with some potential as a leader but he inherited a tough spot as Felix had made a mess of things in Israel.
So in comes Festus and he headed off to Jerusalem to try and smooze with the Jewish leaders. But he immediately had to deal with the Apostle Paul mess. Have you ever had to deal with or try to fix someone else's mess? And was your future, reputation, and even maybe your life on the line?
Acts of the Apostles 25:1-2
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1 Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,
2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus
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A lesson we see from Festus...information gathering before decision making.
We see a few common sense principles in verses 3-5.
1. We must be aware of the agendas that others may have.
2. A slow cautious approach is usually best when handling problems that have gone on for a while.
3. A change of environment...neutral ground can put everyone on equal footing.
Acts of the Apostles 25:3-5
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3 to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
4 But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
5 So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.”
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In verses 6-8 we see that Festus reopened the Jew's case against Paul.
Festus is sitting in a seat of judgment; he had the power.
The Jewish leaders had the floor.
Paul had the evidence, his integrity, and his God. It's at this point where our faith is truly revealed.
Acts of the Apostles 25:6-8
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6 After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in.
7 When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.
8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
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In verse 9 we notice a flaw in the character of Festus - he is a people pleaser. He wanted to please or appease the religious leaders.
People pleasing can stem from trauma in one's past including abuse, neglect, and dysfunctional family dynamics. This is also known as a Fawn Response. An unconscious survival strategy that involves using excessive agreeableness to avoid conflict, punishment, or disapproval from others particularly in childhood or abusive relationships.
The motive here is not about others, but one's self.
People pleasing is a form of idolatry because it places the approval and opinions of other people above God's approval and opinion of us.
We should not be trying to serve or please a human "god" rather than the divine.
Acts of the Apostles 25:9
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9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”
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In verses 10-12 we see that Paul stood up for his legal rights. It was the right of every Roman citizen to have his case heard by Caesar himself after initial trials and appeals failed to reach a satisfactory decision. This was in effect an appeal to the supreme court of the Roman Empire.
Acts of the Apostles 25:10-12
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10 Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.
11 If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
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Some things to remember...
1. We must understand that the world and life are usually not fair.
2. A nation that honors God has a greater likelihood of having a justice system that we can count on.
3. People pleasing is not a positive trait and in its worst form, is a form of idolatry.
4. Sometimes in life all we will have is the truth (evidence), our integrity, and our relationship with God.
5. Judgment Day will set all things right...make sure you prepare for it!
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