Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts Series #47

Back to the Beginning: When Church Was Church

*When the Majority Isn't Right*

*Acts 27:5-12*

 

Well let's take a step back from the story.

Last week Aaron took us to Rome and Paul being held there.

I want to go back to Paul's trip for the these two weeks.

And then in a couple of weeks we will wrap up our Journey through Acts.

As Aaron so powerfully reminded us last week, we do not live in an easy world.

And, just because we are believers in Jesus Christ doesn't mean that we have a life laid out on a velvet pillow.

Just because we have a Deliverer doesn't mean that currently we are delivered from the difficulties of life.

As we have seen in this book, troubles, hardships, suffering are part of the journey on this sin cursed rock.

Because of the world we live in, the fact that our value system, and our commitment to truth and righteousness is counter to the values of a sin controlled world, we OFTEN find ourselves in the minority.

As we look at this story we see something about which we as Americans ought to be very familiar.

We see Democracy in action.

Democracy.

It's a wonderful way to determine right and what's best isn't it.

Now, you should know, that WE didn't invent it here in America.

As a matter of fact, it was very well known by Paul as it began in Ancient Greece and had invaded culture of the known world by this time in history.

The word comes from two Greek words /demos/ = people; and /kratos/ = rule; that is literally "rule by the people".

Now we have a Representative Democracy, in that we elect Representatives that make the decisions for us.

Rome had developed that form of democracy but the traditional Athenian form of democracy was Direct Democracy where the people directly voted on the decisions.

Direct democracy or representative, we are shaped today by the feeling of the majority.

We are affected in the society, in decisions, even in the church.

But is the Majority always right?

The Majority has voted … AND … The World is Flat

The Majority has voted … AND … the Sun, planets, stars, revolve around the Earth

The Majority has voted … AND … Slavery is a good commercial practice

The Majority has voted … AND … Women are Property

The Majority has voted ….

AND non-white ~/ non-European are sub-human

The Majority has voted and an embryo in the womb is NOT a baby, it is also, sub-human or pre-human.

And if we are not careful, a majority vote could determine that, since they are sub or pre human, then an embryo is open game for experimentation, and commercial manipulation.

Some call it a

"Stem-Cell Initiative"

 

Some call it Somatic Nuclear Cell Transfer

 

Some call it cloning, but it is an attempt at a majority vote to further dehumanize humanity.

Now, I didn't set out today with an ax to grind.

I simply was continuing in our journey through Acts and just like my Father always told me, preach the Word as you find it and it will speak for itself to the issues of the day.

Let's read the story beginning in *Acts 27:5-12*

 

Well, the Majority Voted

The Pilot Spoke

The Owner of the boat spoke

The Leader of the Soldiers Spoke

And God spoke …

 

Well the Majority went one way and God's voice was another …

 

So, living in a wonderful world of democracy, what do we do when the Majority isn't right?

Well, I want to answer two questions …

 

*1.

When is the Majority Wrong?

*

 

*  A.

When the Bible clearly Counters* it, the Majority is Wrong

    1.

In Matthew 21:12,13 --- Jesus comes to the Temple where an interesting practice had developed.

The people who brought their sacrifices to the Temple would have their animals checked for purity.

Often the priests would say "your animal is not clean, here buy one of ours."

Then they would sell them one, and often take their animal, put it in the pen and sell it as "clean" to someone else.

In addition, people without sacrifices would have to buy sacrifices.

However, the priests wouldn't allow "pagan" Roman money to be used in the Temple, so they would exchange it for Hebrew money at a high rate of exchange and then if they needed money back they would exchange back at a low rate.

2.

Jesus entered and overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves and said /"it is written, 'my house will be called a house of prayer' but you are making it a den of robbers"/

 

    3.

This had become a practice accepted by the Majority but it was in direct contradiction to the Word of God

Isaiah 56:6,7 - / "foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve him, to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant - 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."/

4.

What was happening was that the focus of the Temple had become a watchguard to determine who was acceptable and who was not.

Their money wasn't good enough, their sacrifices weren't good enough.

They needed to cheat them for fear of not having enough.

They had lost their focus of prayer and petition of God.

God said, "you focus on ME, and if they seek me purely, I will take care of accepting their sacrifice"

 

    5.

We face many things today that we don't need to seek the opinion polls or ask our peers, or follow conventional wisdom because the word of God is clear.

a.

the word of God is clear on drunkenness; premarital sex; homosexuality, the sanctity of marriage; commitment to your mate.

b.

seek the word of God FIRST, and trust it, though the whole world may choose a different course.

The Majority is wrong when the Word of God clearly counters it

 

    6.

When it violates the Spirit of the Word.

The law said "thou shalt not murder" Jesus said "but I say, if you have hated your brother in your heart, you are guilty of murder" … Don't split hairs in order to follow the majority

 

  *B.

When God Speaks Against it*, the Majority is Wrong

    1.

Paul suggested that they NOT leave.

I believe he did this for two reasons.

Paul was a seasoned traveler and KNEW that this was a dangerous time to travel in the Mediterranean on the open sea.

This would have been late Sept. to early Oct. and travel was rough from that time until early November and then NO ONE traveled until about February.  2 Cor 11:25 tells us that 3 times he was shipwrecked.

So he had been down this road a couple of times.

But Paul had something these other men didn't have.

He had spiritual discernment.

I believe he had intuition from the Lord. 

 

    2.

The Word of God may not speak about everything, but the Lord WILL give you direction.

Let me say that SOMETIMES the Lord speaks to YOU, FOR YOU ALONE and YOU are the only one accountable.

That is what we call Personal Conviction.

The Lord has told YOU, that for YOU, this is a "NO."

So it doesn't matter what the world or the majority do, it is NOT what God wants you to do.

But Don't impose your conviction on someone else if the Word is not clear on it.

But if God speaks different, then the Majority is Wrong

 

  *C.

When Unnecessary Harm will Follow *

    1.

the Majority is Wrong

When it violates Human Decency.

    2.

I am not saying that harm is always a factor for acting or not acting.

Obviously in this fallen world there is a time to defend yourself, to defend the innocent or protect.

Wars happen, and self defense is necessary.

But, unnecessary harm inflicted because the majority says so, is NOT right.

    1.

The people on this ship, as we will see next week, were subjected to horror, harm, suffering, of a shipwreck, a night floating in the open sea, all because the Majority said, "yea let's go" and unnecessary harm was brought on them.