I'm going to continue our sermon series in Acts.
So we've been following the journey of the Apostle Paul as he moves in this final section
of the book, chapters 21 through 28, which takes the Apostle Paul from Jerusalem all
the way to Rome.
And at this point in the story where we're going to pick up today, Paul's basically been
arrested in Jerusalem for his own protection.
A crowd was ready to tear him away in anger, and the Roman official, the Roman Tribune,
sort of saves him from the angry crowd.
And this morning we're going to look at how this Roman official is going to put him before
the Sanhedrin, before the Jewish ruling council, hopefully to get to the bottom of what's going
on, of why Paul has been causing so much turmoil in the city.
So let's look together at Acts 23, and let's pick up actually with verse 30 of chapter
22.
Let me read this for us.
But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
he, that is the Roman Tribune, unbound him and commanded the high priests and all the council
to meet.
And he brought Paul down and set him before them.
And looking intently at the council, Paul said, brothers, I have lived my life before
God in all good conscience up to this day.
And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
Then Paul said, 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?
Those who stood by said, would you revile God's high priest?
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.
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.
And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and
the assembly was divided.
For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledged
them all.
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?
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 them by force
and bring him into the barracks.
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 also testify in Rome.
So, let's pray together.
Lord, we're thankful that we get to gather this morning and listen to your word together.
And God, we ask that by your Holy Spirit you would meet with us, and you would cause this
passage of Scripture to come alive, not just in our hearing, but in our hearts, God.
So, Lord Jesus, we ask that you would come and you would make yourself real and make this
passage do its work in our hearts for your name's sake.
Amen.
Well, I don't know what you think, but I think that it is often easy to get distracted from
the main thing.
I was in the DMV the other day to update my registration, my car registration, and I noticed
that there was this sign on the wall at the end of this immensely long line where the workers
were sitting at their windows to help the people.
And this sign said something to the effect of, no obscene language will be tolerated.
If you're being rude or violent, we'll make you leave immediately.
And then it said something like, our overriding mission is to treat everyone with respect and
to be courteous in all our interactions.
That was their mission at the DMV.
And, you know, I couldn't help thinking, well, you know, I'm glad that they want to be respectful
and kind, but after waiting in this long line, shouldn't your mission be to process licenses
and registrations as quickly and as accurately as possible?
I mean, you're the DMV.
That's why you exist, right?
I'm glad you want to be nice, but I just want to get this errand done so I can get on with my life.
Well, it's easy to pick on the DMV, isn't it?
And I know some of you work at the DMV, and thank you very much for the work that you do.
I'm glad you put up with people like me every day.
But it just struck me as a funny example of how it's easy to lose sight sometimes of the main thing.
Of course, as Christians, it's easy to do the same thing, isn't it?
There are all sorts of things that the Christian faith contains, all sorts of implications for how we live.
All sorts of ideas and doctrines.
You know, the Christian faith is sort of like this lush and expansive garden,
and around every turn in the path, there's a new beauty to behold, a new scent to take in.
But, you know, amidst all that, we can lose sight of the center.
We can lose sight of the main thing.
But our passage this morning is one of those passages that brings us back,
that sort of re-centers us and re-positions us once again on the main thing.
In chapter 22, verse 30, where we picked up, we're told that this Roman tribune wants to know the real reason
why Paul is on trial.
And, of course, there are lots of ways of answering that question, right?
Paul's on trial, we might say, because he's been falsely accused of defiling the temple.
That's what we saw in chapter 21.
So maybe that's why Paul's on trial.
But underneath that accusation is a sort of growing animosity and even hatred towards Paul
because of his stance towards the Gentiles.
He thinks that Gentiles can become members of the family of God without getting circumcised,
without coming under the law of Moses.
And in the first century, that was incredibly offensive to many Jews.
So maybe that's the real reason why he's on trial.
But, you know, instead of trying to defend himself on any of these fronts,
Paul goes right to the center of it all.
The real reason underneath all the reasons.
And in verse 6, Paul puts it like this.
It's with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I'm on trial.
That's what's really going on here, he says.
That's the main thing.
That's the reason under all the reasons.
The reality and the hope of the resurrection.
Now, as you look over that paragraph again, you might be thinking,
it sort of seems like Paul's just being a little savvy or shrewd here, doesn't it?
Crying resurrection in the middle of the crowd, in the middle of the council.
He sort of perceives that the council's made up of two opposing parties on this issue.
There's the more sort of liberal Sadducee party who are pretty skeptical about any kind of afterlife,
any sort of soul or spirit, let alone anything like a bodily resurrection.
And then there are the more conservative Pharisees who sort of will take all of that, hook, line, and sinker.
And Paul, sensing that his back's a bit against the wall,
it seems like he's found a strategic way to divide the council and get them fighting each other rather than ganged up on him.
So, cry resurrection in the middle of the crowd and let the argument begin.
You know, it's like crying bomb in an airport and watching everyone run and get crazy.
But at the same time, is Paul merely being shrewd here?
Is he simply splitting the double team so he can get out as quickly as possible?
In other words, is he being a bit insincere?
Well, we have to admit that it was a good strategy on his part.
But I don't think that's all it was.
It would seem that Paul isn't merely throwing down the resurrection card to cause a fight or to create a diversion.
But rather to get the real issue out on the table.
To just come right out and name the 400-pound gorilla in the room.
After all, doesn't all the conflict that Paul finds himself in, all the disagreements, all the disputes,
really come down to one thing?
The hope of the resurrection and its fulfillment in Jesus?
I mean, after all, think about it.
Why are good, faithful Jews like Paul even talking about Jesus in the first place?
I mean, anyone crucified by the Romans, as Jesus was,
didn't really qualify as the long-awaited Messiah in the minds of most Jews.
And yet, here they were.
Fanning out like a flame, women and men,
proclaiming that the crucified Jesus of Nazareth was indeed Israel's true king, the Messiah.
That God raised him from the dead, surprising everyone involved,
and demonstrating him to be the one that they had waited for.
And in addition to that, why were these Christians doing such strange things?
Why were they, after all, eating with Gentiles,
the people that they had spent thousands of years resolutely not spending time with?
And why were they saying such audacious things,
like circumcision wasn't necessary anymore to be included in God's people?
Wasn't that like saying that the law of Moses just didn't apply in the same way anymore?
What could have possibly led them to say and do such things?
And again, was it not the resurrection?
That in Jesus Christ, in his resurrection, God's work of new creation had begun.
That God's work of putting things back in order after sin and the fall had brought chaos and death,
that now, in and through the resurrection of Jesus,
the world was being put right again.
The one thing the law of Moses couldn't actually do.
That men and women were being put right, not just with one another,
but even with God himself,
through this risen Jesus.
And so all the things that got Paul in so much trouble really all came back,
as he says here,
to the reality of the resurrection.
After all, if Jesus hadn't been raised,
Paul probably wouldn't be there on trial before the Jewish high council.
I'm sure he could have found much better things to do with his time.
We read from 1 Corinthians 15 a little earlier in the service,
and there we heard how central to Paul and all of the apostles
was the gospel and the resurrection to the gospel
that they handed down to the churches.
God raised him from the dead.
But you know, Paul goes on in that same chapter,
as many of you know from reading it,
to say that, look, friends,
if Christ has not been raised,
then our faith is futile,
empty,
and vain.
And so again,
it all comes down to the reality of the resurrection.
And you know,
that's actually pretty good news.
It's good news for lots of reasons,
but I think we see that it's good news
for at least two reasons in our passage here.
And we see the first reason in verse 1,
where Paul says,
I've lived my life before God
in all good conscience up to this day.
Paul could honestly look back over his life and say,
I have a good conscience before God.
Now, of course,
Paul doesn't mean that he never sinned,
that he was perfect.
Rather, he means that
he always had strove to live with integrity,
to follow God's will,
to ask for forgiveness when he fell short.
In other words,
he was saying,
look, there's no ongoing blatant pattern
of contradiction in my life,
holding what I hold,
believing what I believe,
proclaiming what I proclaim.
He felt that God could look at his life
and at his message
and be pleased.
Now,
the high priest Ananias apparently
doesn't think
that's true.
And the first thing he does
when Paul says such a thing
is order him to be struck
straight on the mouth,
which was sort of a sign
that Ananias was accusing him
of blasphemy.
Anyone who could utter such a thing
was a blasphemer
and needed to be struck immediately.
Now,
what does that show us?
It shows us that there's this massive gap
between how Ananias
understands a life of integrity
before God
and how Paul understands it,
right?
Now, of course,
the irony historically
is that this Ananias
was sort of known
to be a completely lousy
and immoral high priest.
He was violent
and he was greedy
and no one really liked him.
And he constantly broke the law,
historians tell us,
with little remorse or repentance.
In fact,
his very action
of having Paul
struck on the mouth
is sort of evidence
of his bad character
as Paul's stern rebuke
in verse three shows
doing that
was actually against the law.
So here's Ananias
sort of claiming
that Paul is blaspheming
while at the same time himself
not following the very law
by which he claims
to be judging Paul.
So Paul denounces Ananias
as a hypocrite,
calls him a whitewashed wall
and that makes us
a little uncomfortable.
We think,
oh man,
did Paul sort of
go off the rocker here?
Was this a fit of rage?
Die, whitewashed wall.
How dare you strike me?
No, well, I mean,
I think Paul's
sort of just being clear
and speaking truth to power
and not being afraid.
But of course,
when Paul sort of
rebukes Ananias
for hypocrisy,
he doesn't realize
who he's talking to.
He doesn't realize
the office
that this person occupies.
Someone points out,
is this how you're going
to talk to the high priest?
And you know,
since this was an impromptu
sort of gathering
of the council
at the tribune's request,
it was probably the case
that Ananias
wasn't wearing
his sort of distinctive
high priestly garb.
And since Paul
hadn't been a resident
of Jerusalem
for about two decades,
he probably didn't even know
that Ananias
had occupied the office,
which is probably why
he had no idea
who was talking to him.
In any event,
as soon as Paul
sort of realizes
that he's misstepped,
he refrains from saying
anything further
about Ananias
and says,
I was wrong.
Okay.
But anyway,
the important point
or the important question
really is,
what in the world
allows Paul to say
that he's got
a good conscience
before God
when his lifestyle
is apparently
so offensive
to everyone around him
on the council?
I mean,
this is the sort of
highest Jewish council
in the land.
These are the guys
who call the shots
and they're the ones
who are saying,
Paul,
you don't fit.
What accounts
for such a radical difference?
And again,
I think the answer
has to be
the resurrection.
Paul is operating
out of the understanding
that Israel's king
had arrived in Jesus
and that through him,
God's new creation
was being sprung
on the world.
In Christ,
neither circumcision
nor uncircumcision
counts for anything,
Paul would say,
but now,
a new creation.
And you know,
I think in many ways,
we Christians today
can find ourselves
in a very similar situation
to Paul.
Paul,
and here's what I mean.
I mean that the shape
of a life
that's pleasing to God
in light of the risen Jesus,
a life that is full of integrity
and wholeness
and a life that makes sense
in light of Jesus' resurrection
will often be confusing
or even offensive at times
to those who don't accept
the reality of the resurrection.
Okay,
in what ways?
Well,
here's one.
The resurrection
of Jesus Christ
means that the way
to God
has been opened up
through him
and through him alone.
That Jesus' death
and resurrection
has dealt with sin
once for all
and reconciles us
to God
when we place
our trust in him.
That we're saved,
in other words,
through faith in him
and not through anything else.
And don't you see
that this salvation
through faith alone
in the risen Christ
ends up being
the great leveler
of all the ways
in which we try
to prop up
our identities
and make ourselves
better than each other.
And isn't that
what's at the root
of so much
of the offense
of the high council?
Here are the people
who built their entire life
around keeping
the Jewish law
and hear Paul saying,
actually,
that's not it.
This is what Paul saw
so clearly
that not even
those God-given regulations
were able to make
someone more acceptable
to God.
That Jews were
no better off
than Gentiles.
That the righteous
are no better off
than the tax collectors
and the sinners.
But all of them
come as equals
to God
through Christ
and Christ alone.
Which means
that people
who would normally
have never
spent time together
now
around the risen Christ
are eating together
and praying together
and serving one another
and participating
in deep fellowship.
You see,
the resurrection
was breaking
all sorts
of boundaries
that the comfortable,
normal society
said
shouldn't be broken.
Across race
and gender
and class,
people were coming
together
as equals.
And that made
a lot of people
confused
and even uncomfortable
and sometimes offended.
And that ought
to be the case today
that around
the risen Jesus
is gathered
people
of every sort
coming
as equals
to him
and seeing
one another
as full
of equal dignity
and worth.
So on the one hand,
the resurrection
starts to make us
more accepting
of differences
and less tied
to our old identities.
But you know,
on the other hand,
the resurrection
also gives shape
to a very peculiar
life of sacrifice
and obedience.
You see,
the resurrection
of Jesus
means that for believers,
the best is yet
to come.
If we will be
raised with him,
if our bodies
even are going
to be raised
incorruptible
and in glory
in a new heavens
and new earth,
then there's a future
ahead that far
outstrips any
satisfaction
or pleasure
that this present
life could offer.
which means
that any sacrifice
that we make
now,
no matter how hard,
no matter how grueling,
no matter how inconvenient,
is infinitely worth it.
In fact,
I think so much
of Christian discipleship
makes very,
very little sense
apart from the resurrection.
And not just because
the resurrection
declares Jesus
as Lord
and therefore
the one who has
the right to tell us
what to do,
but it also makes
not much sense
in another way.
I mean,
think about it.
Why follow
Christ's teaching
about radical generosity
or sexual fidelity
and purity
or self-giving service
if this life
was really
your only shot
at happiness
and fulfillment.
That would be insane.
Wouldn't it?
No one would
actually do that.
But if this life
was actually
being swept up
into a new life,
if in Christ
the future to come
were the consummation
of all of our longings here,
longings that money
and sex and power
only hinted at,
then faithfulness
in these areas
suddenly makes
complete sense.
I mean,
think about it this way.
People save
for retirement
without question,
don't they?
Because they think
that every little
sacrifice they make
before the age of 65
is going to increase
their capacity
for joy
after they retire.
every quarter
I get a financial report
telling me
that if I would only
put in
X more dollars
a month
into my
whatever it is,
403B
or 401K,
then oh,
look at how much
more money
I would get
when I retire.
It would be
exponentially more.
Friends,
how much more
will Christ
have in store
for those
who
have made
sacrifices
for Him
in this life.
We cannot dream
what beauties
are in store
in God's future
when He liberates
creation
from its bondage
to decay
and sets us
free along with it
just as He's
shown us
He's going to do
in the resurrection
of Jesus.
And the greatest
gift of all
of that
is going to be
God Himself
to delight in Him
and to enjoy Him,
to be present
with the one
who came up
with the idea
of pleasure
and joy
in the first place.
Imagine
what it must be like
to be with that one
forever.
What sacrifice
wouldn't be worth
the joy of that?
And if Christ
has been raised
then we can know
that no sacrifice
is lost
and every sacrifice
will carry
its own
abundant reward.
So the resurrection
gives us
this good
conscience
before God
that seems
so strange
from the outside
but is so full
of integrity
and purpose
on the inside.
But we see here
that the resurrection
doesn't just impart
a good conscience
but it also
gives us
and it gives
Paul in our story
a great courage.
Look at
verse 11.
Jesus Himself
comes to Paul
in the night
and speaks
a word of courage
to his heart
and He assures
Paul that
Paul will reach
Rome
that even though
things look
as bleak
as could be
that even though
his defense
before the crowds
in chapter 22
and his defense
here before the council
in chapter 23
seem to have actually
done very little good
even though his life
is in total danger
and even though
the opposition
seems to be growing
Jesus promises Paul
that he must
also testify
in Rome.
And the rest
of chapter 23
starting in verse 12
the second half
of the chapter
that we didn't
read together
we see Jesus
starting to make
good
on that promise
right from the start.
We learn there
that 40 men
take an oath
to murder Paul.
They hatch
this plot
to assassinate him
on the way
to the next
council hearing
but it seems
just in time
Paul's nephew
hears of the ambush
and he hurries
to warn Paul
and Paul sends him
to the tribune
and then again
it seems just in time
Paul suddenly being
escorted by the Romans
under heavy guard
out of Jerusalem
into Caesarea.
And in Caesarea
he will appear
before one of the most
powerful secular rulers
in the region
and if that's not all
he's going to arrive
in Caesarea
with a letter
essentially declaring
his innocence
Claudius Lysias
this tribune
who's been keeping
track of Paul
in Jerusalem
writes in verse 29
this letter
to the governor
and says
I found that he
was being accused
about questions
of their law
but charged with
nothing deserving
death or imprisonment.
Paul ends up
leaving Jerusalem
completely vindicated.
And don't you see
friends
Luke doesn't mean
for us
to see all of this
as mere coincidence.
No
the risen Lord
who came
to Paul
that night
and said
keep up your courage
has been
orchestrating
and working
the whole time.
In fact
this whole chapter
has actually
been a fulfillment
of Jesus' words.
In the gospel
of Luke chapter 21
Jesus tells his disciples
that after he's gone
to the father
they're going to lay
their hands on you
and persecute you
delivering you up
to the synagogues
and prisons
and you will be brought
before kings
and governors
for my name's sake.
And then Jesus says
this will be your
opportunity
to bear witness.
Paul's imprisonment
and trial
in the hands
of the risen Christ
is an opportunity
to bear witness.
and an opportunity
he would have had
in no other way
it seems.
I mean think about it
would Paul have been
granted a meeting
with this Jewish council
in Jerusalem
had he just sort of
requested it?
The one who was
sort of public enemy
number one.
Hey by the way
can we get together
and have a chat?
Probably not.
And we can be
nearly certain
that Paul would have
never been witnessing
to the elites
in Caesarea
without what happened
in Jerusalem.
And there's no doubt
that had Paul
made his way
to Rome
on his own accord
as a free man
and not as a prisoner
as he intended to do
there's no way
that he would have arrived
waiting for an audience
with Caesar's own court.
No, the resurrected Lord
took Paul's trials
and imprisonment
and turned them
into these incredible
unique opportunities
to bear witness.
And friends
the same is true for us.
It is no mistake
when you find yourself
questioned
or maybe people
raising eyebrows at you
or maybe even getting
a little offended.
Friend these are moments
that your Lord
has ordained
for you
to be able to step in
and bear witness.
And the resurrection
of Jesus
gives us
the same
great courage
that Paul had.
You see,
the promise
to arrive in Rome
is obviously
peculiar to Paul,
particular to him.
But the fact
that the resurrected Lord
will work
our trials
for our good
and for his glory
is a promise
that belongs
to absolutely
every believer.
John Newton,
the hymn writer,
once wrote,
everything is necessary
that he sends.
Nothing can be necessary
that he withholds.
Everything is necessary
that he sends.
It's all a part
of his plan.
And nothing can be necessary.
Nothing can be necessary
that he withholds.
That's the confidence
and courage
we have
in Christ
the risen Lord.
You see,
friends,
after all,
if Jesus Christ
was able
through his resurrection
to turn
the worst evil
into the greatest good,
when he died
on the cross
and rose again,
if he was able
to turn the evil
of the cross
into our salvation,
then surely,
friends,
he can take
any lesser evil
that comes our way
and make it
a servant
for our good.
And that's why
it's so critical
that we don't lose sight
of the main thing.
Of all the things
that can vie
for our attention
and fill our vision,
this is the thing,
this is the one thing
we need to keep central.
This is the thing
that can't lose its place.
Because when we keep
the resurrection central,
our lives before God
are filled
with this good conscience
and our lives
in the midst of trials
are filled
with a great
and indestructible courage.
Friends,
is that true
for you today?
Are you clinging
to this resurrected Christ
and finding
that good conscience
and that sure courage?
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus,
we praise you
as the resurrected one,
the one before whom
one day every knee
will bow
and every tongue
confess that you are Lord.
Lord,
help us,
your people,
to be doing that
even now,
to be setting you
apart in our hearts
as Lord
and to be finding
in that God
the great confidence
and the great peace
that comes
in knowing you.
Lord,
for those who are here
this morning
who are wrestling
with the reality
of the resurrection,
if it seems like
something that's
just so hard
to wrap their minds around,
I pray that you would
help them
to understand it
and to ask good questions
and to explore it
with friends.
And Lord,
for those of us
who profess a belief
in you,
Lord Jesus,
as the risen one,
O Lord,
would we keep it central
and would it be like
the star
that guides us
through every storm
and every night sky.
Lord,
we pray this
in Christ's name.
Amen.
Well,
friends,
we're going to respond
and we're going to close
by singing a song
about who Jesus is
and what he's done
and particularly
in the last verse
of this hymn
about the power
and the reality
of the resurrection.
So,
let's stand
and let's sing together.
Let's sing together.
Come behold
the wondrous mystery
In the dawning
of the King
He,
the theme
of heaven's praises
Roped in frail humanity
In our longing
In our darkness
Now the light
Of life has come
Look to Christ
Who condescended
Took on flesh
To ransom us
Come behold
The wondrous mystery
He,
the perfect
Son of man
In His living
In His suffering
Never trace
No state of sin
See the true
And better Adam
Come to save
The hell-bound man
It's the great
And sure fulfillment
Of the law
In Him we stand
Come behold
The wondrous mystery
Christ the Lord
Upon the tree
In the stead
Of ruined sinners
Hangs the Lamb
In victory
See the price
Of our redemption
See the Father's plan
Unfold
Bringing many sons
To glory
Grace on measure
Love untold
Come behold
The wondrous mystery
Slain by death
The God of life
But no grave
Could e'er
Restrain Him
Praise the Lord
He is alive
What a poor taste
Of deliverance
How unwavering
Our hope
Christ in power
Resurrected
As we will be
When He comes
What a poor taste
Of deliverance
How unwavering
Our hope
Christ in power
Resurrected
As we will be
When He comes
Yeah
All right friends
That's the end of our service
Let me just point out
A couple quick announcements
Before we go
Tonight we're going to
Continue our series
In the book of Revelation
So if you ever wondered
What that strange book held
Come on tonight
And we're going to
Continue just working through it
Verse by verse
Also
Next Sunday
Our Sunday school
Are starting up again
At nine o'clock
So there's going to be
An adult class downstairs
Starting on the topic of prayer
There's a description of that
In the bulletin
I hope you'll check that out
And I hope you'll come
Next Sunday
To start attending that class
Last thing
In your bulletin
I'm not sure we pointed this out
At the beginning of the service
John did you point this out?
No okay
So in your bulletin
You found this really cool looking
Blue card
About the
I Heart New Haven
Day of service coming up
So this is a way for you
An easy way for you
To sign up
For that big sort of
Inter-church way
Of serving our city
And loving our city
So if you fill that out
Some of you probably
Already dropped it
In the offering basket
You can give it
To any of the staff members
Or anyone who looks like
They know what they're doing
On your way out
We'll also have these
In the bulletin
Next week too
So you can sign up then
The website's on there too
Let me end with a benediction
From the book of Ephesians
Paul says
Now to him who is able
To do far more abundantly
Than all we ask
Or think
According to the power
At work within us
To him be glory
In the church
And in Christ Jesus
Throughout all generations
Forever and ever
Amen
Brothers and sisters
Go in peace
Thank you.