The Mission: Be Ready (Part 3)

Jonathan Douglass

Acts: The Mission of the Church • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

Acts 22:30–23:11

0 ratings

· 5 views

Notes

Transcript

Handout

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

Intro

Our study in Acts has slowed down over the past couple of weeks because chapters 21 to 23 are loaded with so many important truths that are really healthy for us as a congregation to dig into. I think the big question our text asks us is, “Are we ready?” God preserved this account of Paul’s life so you and I will be prepared to look like Christ at all times.

We have been blessed to live during a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity, but cycles of history prove that peace is followed by persecution. Though I don’t want this to happen, I think we, Christians in the USA will probably be called to suffer for Christ in some significant ways. Are we ready for that? Paul was!

Two weeks ago, we considered the question, “Are we ready to look like Christ we are persecuted?”

Last week we considered the question, “Are we ready to show grace to all people, even people who want to kill us?”

You will remember how Paul shared his salvation testimony with the Jewish crowd on the temple mount and they listened respectfully until Paul said how God sent him to be a missionary to the Gentiles.

The crowd completely lost it, the soldiers intervened, Claudius ordered Paul to be stretched out to be flogged, but that didn’t happen because Paul claimed his rights as a Roman citizen, which brings up to Acts 22 verse 30 where Paul found himself in the middle of an unfair trial, surrounded by many wicked leaders, and that trial was presided over by a very wicked high priest.

We might not be ready if we found ourselves in this same situation. We might lose joy, we might lose hope, we might despair of life itself, we might even doubt if God really does exist.

But Paul did not seem to be effected by those sinful responses, so it is wise for us to consider why and we have discovered that the Spirit over his entire lifetime prepared Paul for an unfair trial. If Jesus’ trial was unfair, isn’t it logical that Paul’s own trial would also be unfair? Therefore it would be logical if you or I were put on trial for our faith, we also would encounter an unfair trail. We need to be ready for that.

Paul was ready to testify about Christ and the first proof in that...

Paul pointed worldly authorities to the supreme authority. (23:1-8)

Let’s dig into our text and read how the first few minutes of trial went for Paul beginning in Acts 22:30…

(Acts 22:30–23:5 ESV) “30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. 1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”

In AD 48, Herod Agrippa the Second, appointed Ananias to replace Caiaphas, who was the High priest at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. Ananias was wicked and served under two wicked Roman emperors: Claudius and Nero from AD 48 until AD 59. To keep the timeline in perspective, this morning’s events occurred in or closely around AD 57.

According to Josephus, Ananias was wealthy, rude, arrogant, and cruel. He collaborated with the Romans against the Jews. He embezzled temple tithes and also liberally bribed the Roman empire to act against the Jews.

Paul’s excellent public example proved his readiness. (23:1-2)

The way Paul lived his life proved He was a God-fearing man. This fact alone would have been a prick to Ananias’ conscience. You might highlight or mark up Acts 23:1 because Paul’s words are significant. He looked intently at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”

Paul had been living in a state of readiness (from the moment of his salvation up to that day.) (23:1)

Paul loved God. The greatest pleasures Paul experienced was when He knew God was pleased by his obedience. Paul loved making God happy! Readiness was so incredibly important to Paul that wrote elsewhere that “beat his body into submission.” Paul never knew what trial was just around the corner. He never knew what might happen in a day, so Paul always had to be ready. When tough times looked him in the eye, Paul already had to be walking arm-in-arm with Jesus because he would Savior because he instantly and desperately need His power and His comfort.

Parents, do you remember when you were anticipating the imminent birth of your child? Did you have a “go bag” prepared with changes of clothes, toiletries, identification, insurance cards, and so on that you could just grab and run as soon as the baby was on the way? I think for at least three of our children, my wife’s go-bag was packed about a month in advance. She wanted to be ready to hit the ground running when the moment called for action.

That is what Paul had done and that is the sort of mindset Paul testified to in his opening address to the jury. Every moment we choose to be like Jesus prepares us for that next moment, and that next moment, and the next. That is what “living before God in good conscience” means. No moment can catch us unawares so that we act against our good conscience. Look at the stark contrast between Paul’s choices and Ananias’ choices...

Ananias was not ready to look like Christ. (23:2)

He didn’t beat his own body into submission, he tried to beat other people’s bodies into submission. Look at verses 2 and 3...“And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.”

To which Paul responded… “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?”

Ananias turned the corner, so to speak, and came face to face with a difficult situation and immediately gave in to his temper and hatred. Ananias violated God’s law because he was not ready and Paul called him out! “you whitewashed wall!” I’ll take the liberty to paraphrase Paul… “Ananias, you look pure and spotless on the outside but your boards have been eaten by carpenter ants and termites and you are falling apart inside! You are not ready to meet God face to face!” Pleasing Christ was the last thing Ananias was thinking about in that moment.

Look at verse 4. the other counsel members, to paraphrase again, didn’t skip a beat. They immediately asked Paul, “How are you any different? you say you want to honor God but you also violate God’s law?” “Would you revile God’s high priest?” “Does Ananias’ sin justify your sin against him?”

Paul, response to Ananias’ blow causes a dilemma here. Was Paul really ready? If he was ready, then why did he curse the high priest? If Paul was ready, why did he speak when Christ himself was silent.

(pause)

(FLIP SLIDE HERE>>>>>>) We have to pause here and answer two troublesome questions.

The answers to two difficult questions prove Paul’s readiness.

I believe the text does in fact prove Paul honored Christ even though he spoke out against the high priest, so why did....

First, why did Paul curse the high priest?

Paul was not a saint and we know he did struggle with sin. We have to assume that Paul was being honest when he apologized in verse 5, because Paul was an honest man.

Paul answered the council honestly when he said what is recorded in Acts 23:5 (ESV) “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”

We could call Paul a liar. In fact, several Biblical scholars over the years came to the conclusion that Paul sinned and that Paul was a liar. I cannot come to that same conclusion. I believe all of Acts and the remainder of the New Testament speaks to Paul’s character. I believe this morning’s text holds the answer, and I believe Paul knew the world was watching.

Remember that grace-based approach I talked about last week? I believe grace-based living directly impacts how we read and interpret Scripture. How? Because we could easily try to condemn and pass our own judgement on Paul. Paul needs only to defend himself before God, who was reigning as the ultimate high priest, even on that day.

Also, Paul is not here in this room to defend himself. We cannot establish Paul’s guilt before two or three witnesses and we don’t have to! Those witnesses in the council did! We will deal gracefully with him even though he lived two thousand years ago, and that means we listen to what Paul said. He said he did not know Ananias was the high priest.

The high priest was probably unrecognizable.

Paul had hardly spent time in Jerusalem and likely had not interacted with the Sanhedrin council since the days of Ciaphas when Paul became a Christian. Paul might have fully expected to see Ciaphas sitting on the high priest’s seat.

The high priest usually dressed in a specific way and sat in a specific place in the council room. History tells us that when the Sanhedrin held emergency sessions, those protocols were not always followed. It would have been difficult to see who was in charge.

Because Paul was trained as a Pharisee and may also have once been part of the Sanhedrin, he would have known that the high priest was not supposed to be involved in the proceedings nor should the high priest break the law or order another to break the law.

The council seems to agree that, yes, things were indeed confusing, and the council dropped that matter against Paul. They believed him. It would be a mistake for us to major on something that the council did not major on, so we are going to deal gracefully with Paul.

There is another reason Paul spoke out against the high priest, so listen to that reason because it also answers the second question...

Why did Paul speak when Christ was silent?

Christ didn’t open his mouth, he didn’t defend himself, he was led as a lamb to the slaughter. Why was Christ silent?

I’ll answer this as simply and quickly as possibly… Jesus is a perfect judge. When Jesus speaks things happen! Jesus was involved in Creation in Genesis 1. When he spoke, things happened! Then, Heb 4:12 tells us that when Jesus speaks, he moves hearts and minds.

(SLIDE) Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Quite simply, if Christ had spoken out, his all-powerful words would have clearly proven that he was the Christ and that was not the plan. He needed to be crucified. You might also recall a couple of occasions in the Gospels, where Jesus told his disciples NOT to tell others that he was the Christ, probably for this very reason. Christ needed to be crucified. Sometimes Christ needed to speak but, at His crucifixion, His silence was necessary.

Paul chose to speak out against Ananias’ violation of the law then, in Acts 23:6, Paul spoke up again. Let read what he said there...

6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

Paul had to decide… be silent or speak. Which was the correct choice? Maybe Paul believed his silence would have been a sin against God. This is certainly a valid argument and is in line with Scripture. Do you remember when David faced off against Goliath? David was so frustrated at Israel’s cowardice and lack of faith in god and was so enraged by Goliath’s sin that he had no choice to speak up.

(4 SLIDES!!!) In 1 Samuel 17:45–47 (ESV)...

45 David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

Paul, like David, was a Spirit-led person and a person who was deeply grieved by sin. When he ordered those by Paul to strike him on the mouth, Ananias violated Roman law, Jewish law, and divine law. Ananias believed he was above the law, he believed he could do whatever he wanted, so Paul had to speak up. God had placed Ananias in that position of power to point others to God and to teach others to love obeying God’s divine laws. How could Paul be silent?

This is very interesting. As we will learn in the coming chapter, Ananias brought two charges against Paul. He claimed Paul was guilty of insurrection and that Paul had desecrated the temple. Ananias, not Paul, was the insurrectionist. Ananias, by making a sinful order, led the Sanhedrin to rebel against God’s authority. Ananias, not Paul, had been desecrating the temple. Ananias had been the one embezzling funds from the temple. He needed to be held accountable to God’s law. So....

Paul was ready to speak up for Christ (and he seized that moment). (23:6-8)

This brings us to verse 6. Paul cried out to the Pharisees… “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

Again, Paul used a grace-based word… “Brothers” we have something in common here.

Acts 23:7–8 (ESV)7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

in Acts 15:5, we know many Pharisees had become Christians, perhaps several of those men were in the room with Paul when he cried out to them. Paul could not help but show that Ananias and the Sadducees were rebelling against God. Someone needed to speak truth and Paul seems to have been the only one courageous enough to call their sin into question. God’s law is good and perfect. God must always be obeyed.

Did Paul make the wrong choice by speaking up? The Pharisees delivered their verdict in verse 9. There they declared, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” They were spot on! Paul, was full of the Spirit! Paul had a direct message from the Spirit to those men. Paul loved speaking the Spirit’s words to all people! look back to verse 1, even in that intense situation, Paul was ready to point worldly authorities back to God’s authority and he did so with a clear conscience before God. This brings me to point 2...

Paul was ready to courageously testify. (23:9-11)

Status, position, and wealth were not obstacles. The gospel message is too important to keep to ourselves. The world might end any day! The gospel’s hope must be spread at all times and it should not surprise us when the Gospel causes people to respond in chaos. Let’s read what happened next from Acts 23:9–11 (ESV)

9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. 11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

What happened during Christ’s trial? Chaos happened! Paul’s trial looked like Christ’s trial. Again Claudius Lysias protected Paul. Claudius, a government official and brutal Roman soldier acted more lovingly toward Paul and obeyed the law when those entrusted to uphold the law failed! The government was more trustworthy than God’s own people. The irony here is amazing! Paul was almost torn apart by “God’s own people.”

So imagine with me, there Paul sat, probably securely bound in chains on the filthy jail cell floor. It was night, and dark, and Paul sat just reflecting on the days events. I imagine he had spent much time praying for his persecutors by name. Then he wondered, did I do what Christ would have done? Was I selfish? Did I speak on my own behalf? Was Christ really magnified? Was my Abba- was my daddy pleased with how I represented him today? (pause) Maybe that was the thought on his mind when Jesus showed up in verse 11.

(walk down and role play w/Ryan?)

This is such a beautiful picture… all of the sudden, everything Paul suffered that day became worth it! from what we can tell, Paul had only heard Jesus’ voice , and here, all of the sudden Jesus showed up in that cell and stood right next to Paul. No, not COVID distance. We have maybe forgotten what “stood by” means. Not there, but here, right by Paul’s side. Jesus was in the cell suffering with Paul as he suffered. Jesus was right here comforting Paul and telling Him what an excellent job Paul did that day looking like Christ. Listen to Jesus words...

“Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

You have testified about me today, yesterday, and in fact the whole rest of the week, since you have arrived in Jerusalem. You have done so with courage, but things are about to get even tougher. Be ready! Gird up! Continue to do what you have already been doing, but press on even harder and don’t give in! I love you , you are doing my will, and your reward will be great in Heaven.

(ANDREW - I won’t state this next point… put it up anyway)

(Am I ready?)

Can you imagine how Paul must have felt in that moment? He saw Christ face to face! He was indeed completing the correct mission! There is no possible way Paul could have had an Eeyore response (do eeyore voice), “Ho hum, woe is me, I’ll do it… if I have to… I suppose....”

No, I think Paul was more like Dude Perfect! He was like, “Wooooo!!!! Let’s go! Let’s do this!!!!”

Am I ready? of course I am! So we have to examine ourselves and answer these questions...

Am I ready to courageously testify?

Testifying sometimes means we need to speak and sometimes it means we need to be silent. How do we know what to do?

Moses was afraid to speak, but in Exodus 4:12 (ESV) God said....

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

In Mt 10:19 Jesus stated his expectation that we should speak...

Matthew 10:19 ESV

19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

and sometimes we do too much. Sometimes we have to be reminded of

Psalm 46:10 (ESV) 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Do what the Spirit tells you to do and not what you would naturally do. Silence is comfortable for many of us. It is too easy to hide by not speaking. When silence is too easy, it is probably an indication that we should speak. And some people have a really time not being quiet. Talking is easy. When talking is too easy, it is probably an indication that we should be silent. Remember when Paul was in Ephesus and the crowd poured into the theater? Paul wanted to speak. It would have been easy for him, instead his friends pulled him away probably saying, “Now is not the time.”

Whether we testify with our silence, or whether we testify with our voices, we, the righteous “the just shall live by faith.” When Paul spoke up during the trial in verses 1 and 6, he spoke up for Christ, not himself! That is a big difference! Faith must be the force behind our choice.

Am I ready to courageously testify to the wicked?

The wicked are kind of like the poor, for they will always be around us. Yes, God allows the wicked to rule for a time. This doesn’t mean God blesses them. God will deliver justice in his time and that justice will horrible for them when they are cast into hell for eternity. Sometimes God delivers justice in this world. About 9 years after Ananias and Paul met in that courtroom, God honored Paul’s curse. Ananias was caught and killed by Jews during the great rebellion against Rome in AD 66.

Wickedness is of our own making, redemption is of God’s making. Job’s friends wrestled with these questions and came to understand maybe read the book of Job. “Who knows the thoughts of God?” Were we there when God fashioned the earth?” God has a plan and a purpose, and we must live by faith.

Psalm 115:3 (ESV) 3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

and Psalm 103:8 (ESV)

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

God is always good. Sometimes, we might not understand how he is good, but we simply must trust and obey. Faith must be the force driving us forward.

Am I ready to courageously testify, even if I am the last person standing?

Remember how all Paul’s nearest and dearest friends encouraged Paul to stay away from Jerusalem? Even people today say, “if Paul hadn’t gone to Jerusalem, he wouldn’t have been imprisoned! He wouldn’t have faced all those hard things!” Look at verse 11 one more time. Jesus said, “You also must testify in Rome.” Jesus and compelled Paul to go to Rome. Paul had to go! It was God’s will! Jonah ran from his mission, but Paul, Paul was compelled by such a great love for his savior that he could not do anything but obey!

Sometimes it seems like Paul was the only person standing up for God. Even if you or I are the last man or woman standing, will you still do it? Will you still stand?

“For he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Didn’t Jesus prove that in verse 11? Paul wasn’t alone, Jesus was right there in that cell comforting Paul. Faith must be the force that causes us to stand with much courage.

CLOSING STATEMENT

(SLIDE: Sabina Movie)

We will only be ready to courageously testify when we faithfully live with a good conscience before God every moment of every day. Tonight we have an exciting opportunity to watch a brand movie from Voice of the Martyrs. This movie ties together everything we learned from Sunday school this morning and couldn’t come at a better time during our study in Acts.

If you come tonight, you will learn at least three things...

You will learn that God uses broken, ordinary people to accomplish incredible things for His glory! Most of the movie shares just how far from Christ Richard and Sabina were from Christ before they came to trust Him as their Savior! They were ordinary people who struggled with and overcame hatred, doubt, and fear.

if you come tonight...

You will learn what being ready looks like. Richard and Sabina were compelled, like Paul to live every moment in good conscience before God and because of that, they were ready!

and if you come tonight..

You will learn why being ready is urgent. Please come tonight!

PRAYER IDEAS

Related Media

Related Sermons