Session #20

Acts 21-23:1
"The Road To Jerusalem" • 4.28.09 • The Power Of One: One Man, One Life, One Mission, Session #20
Intro.

- Paul has had a tearful send off by the Ephesian elders and is now headed for Jerusalem.
- Everyone is clearly concerned for Paul's well being and all have expressed that he re-think his position. Paul, not being one to change course easily, continues forward.
• Acts 21:12-14 : "Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, 'What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.' So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, 'The will of the Lord be done.'"
- The Apostle pressed on toward Jerusalem and after a great meeting with Pastor James, Paul and his posse headed for the temple. This is where things begin to go awry.
• Acts 21:27-30 : "Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, 'Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.' (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut."
- The rest of chapter 21 is a bowl of chaos. Nobody can figure out why the riot was started, nor can anyone get to the bottom of who Paul actually was.
- In verse 38, the commander asks Paul if he wasn't the Egyptian who had led a rebellion some time ealier! Paul tells the commander who he is and asks to address the crowd.
- He speaks to the crowd in Hebrew, which stuns the crowd into silence. Most all of chapter 22 is Paul's recounting of his testimony and his ministry. It was going well too, until verse 21.
• Acts 22:21-24 : "Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!' Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him."
- Before Paul could be scourged, he revealed to the commander that he was a Roman citizen, which was a "get out of scourging " free card! However, the commander was still curious as to why Paul was detained, so he ordered a special audience with the priests for the next day.
- This brings us to chapter 23:1, which also brings us to the place that I would like to examine today. It's the verse that began this journey into Paul's life and intrigued me from day one.
• Acts 23:1 : "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, 'Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.'"
- Paul stands clearly before this hostile environment and speaks pointedly, without shame before his accusers. There are three reasons why. We'll discover that Paul had

I. The Right Motive
II. The Right Goal
III. The Right Audience

Text

I. The Right Motive

• Acts 23:1 : "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council" : Paul has suffered a great deal of "religious persecution" at the hands of the Jewish religious establishment.
- This began quite early in his career and can be followed all throughout the book of Acts.
- Yet, it's fairly clear that Paul maintained a great love and zeal for his people.
- Turn with me to Romans 9. At this juncture in Romans, Paul turns his attention to the people of God and where they fit in the plan of redemption.
• Romans 9:1-5 : "I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen."
- Just a few verses later, Paul declares this about his desire for those that persecuted him.
• Romans 10:1,2 : "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge."
- I don't know about you spiritual guys, but loving my enemies has been a difficult enough chore. Wanting to see them saved, enjoying the benefits of knowing God? That's divine!
- Paul could look back at the case that he had against these people. He had been beaten, imprisoned, driven out of towns and hurt in his reputation by them.
- Yet, it's these men that he wants to be saved. Notice the intensity of this address. He looked "earnestly" at the council.
- He looked intently at them, setting his gaze upon them, seeing in them an opportunity to advance the work of the Gospel.
- Paul always had the right motive: Love mixed with duty to the gospel. Don't misunderstand though, as you cannot have just one characteristic. They must mingle together.
- In this there is a tension, as one wants to be accepting of another, but there must be reciprocation.
- Turn with me to Matthew 23. Jesus, towards the end of his ministry, as He is about to be rejected by the Jews, speaks this amazingly tender sentiment.
• Matthew 23:34-38 : "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate;"
- Paul looked upon the Jews and was burdened in his soul for them, just like Jesus was burdened years before.
- I wonder what contrast might exist between this heart and the heart that we have towards those in our lives who don't know Christ? What is our desire for those who have wronged us?

II. The Right Goal

• Acts 23:1 : "...looking earnestly at the council, said, 'Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God..." : Paul's motive was love for those who persecuted him. But his goal was to live with a good conscience. Let's set the table here:
- We need to recall to our minds that Paul has been justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Further, he has received the Holy Spirit, who has come in and made his home in Paul, to rule and reign.
- That reign is described in believers by Jesus, when He tells us that the Holy Spirit will "convict" of sin, righteousness and judgment."
- Let me offer this illustration that we have all experienced: You sin in action or ommission. You sense God's displeasure and you act to correct that.
- After it's over, you and I say something like, "Good now my...is clean!"
- The conscience that Paul refers to then, is that seat of Holy Spirit rulership. In Pauline literature, the word "conscience" appears 29 times and we can see how the concept is meant to be a measuring rod for action or abstention.
- Dictionary.com, one of my favorite sites on the web, defines conscience this way: "the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action."
- Paul's conscience, that place where God truly rules in our lives, was clean. Everyday he had to answer to this.
- He lived in that daily awareness of what he knew, then examined how he practiced what he knew. His conscience was good.
- Now, let me say that this does not mean that Paul never sinned. That would be a denial of Paul's gospel, and the rest of the counsel of scripture.
- Paul did sin just like you and I. "Living in all good conscience" would never refer to sinless perfection in ourselves or in our work toward the Lord.
- However, the spirit of what Paul is saying is this: "There is nothing that I am currently doing that offends the nature of God or his work through me." This is the negative aspect of sin.
- We must also look at this positively: "Am I participating at the level that God expects from me?" The first is negative, the latter is positive.
- Paul, if he were aware of sin, would deal with it and move back toward the right that the Lord demands of his servants. This is a worthy goal to imitate.

III. The Right Audience

• Acts 23:1 : "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, 'Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.'" : Paul could talk about his integrity before the most religious people and do so honestly because He did this before God! Paul lived before the right audience! It is for us "The audience of one."
- I know that most of you are thinking: "Of course we live before God!" I know. While that is the right text book answer, consider your own heart.
- How many other influences do you satisfy daily? Who are they? If we are honest, often times we'll admit that it's easy to vascillate between influences.
- I have realized that certain Christians hold sway over my thinking. The church as an institution has laid claim to some influence. Friends, family? The list continues.
- In Paul's climate, there were extra pressures that we need to be grasped. He lived in the shadow of his own tradition. On this side, were people who hated his ministry.
- On the other side, he was forging new ground among the Way. Add to this that wherever he went, he was preaching to unregenerate heathens.
- There were plenty of pressures to live before other audiences, the same pressure that we have today. We must constantly re-orient ourselves to this mindset that God alone deserves our loyalty in this regard.
- This topic is needed as a reminder at very young ages, as well as very advanced ages.
- Turn with me to Genesis 16. Abram, around 84 at this time, has been promised a son. In Genesis 15, God promises Abram and Sarai a son, even ratifying it with a very involved covenant.
- When things did not turn out so quickly, another idea was presented.
• Genesis 16:1,2 : "Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, 'See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.' And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai."
- Note the influences on this decision: Sarai, herself impatient, embarrassed by her own infertility, suggests this creative decision.
- Hagar, a slave, is willing to move up the social ladder, especially considering the fact that her son would be the heir to a very rich man. She was an Egyptian. Surrogacy was an accepted practice among the Egyptians.
- And, of course, Abraham doesn't seem to argue at all! All goes through as planned, but the result turns disastrous as Hagar and Ishmael become a strong nusiance.
- Thirteen years later and God finally comments on what has happened. In context, his comments provide a strong rebuke for Abraham and deep warning for us.
• Genesis 17:1 : "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.'"
- God says that to you and I today! God says "Impress Me!" "Please Me!" As men, we have just as much tendency to please some other influence and then think of God's opinion.
- Paul's example in this statement, prayerfully puts that in perspective.

Conclusion

- Paul had the right motive, namely a deep love and passion to reach his people. Do you love your enemies or the ones around you? Do you desire their conversion for their betterment despite how they may have harmed you?
- Paul lived with the right goal in mind, to live with a clear conscience before God. This may not have been your testimony, but today, we can make that our goal.
- Finally, it's time to get serious about our who our audience is. Who are we living to please today? Anything that's not Jesus, must take second place beginning NOW!