Acts 23

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

Luke 21 · chapter mention

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.

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,

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

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

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

When He comes

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

Yeah

Yeah

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.