Christ and His Church 39

Introduction

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Be of Good Cheer

Training to be a paratrooper, an army private was instructed to jump out of the airplane, count to ten, and pull his ripcord. If his primary parachute didn’t open, he was to pull the ripcord on his front pack, which would open his auxiliary chute, whereby he would float to safety, after which time a truck would pick him up and take him back to the base. The private did exactly as he was told: On command, he jumped out of the airplane, counted to ten, pulled his ripcord—but nothing happened. He then pulled the ripcord on his front pack, but, again—nothing happened.

“Great,” he said. “My parachute didn’t open. My backup didn’t open. The truck probably won’t be there to pick me up, either.”

Recap

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I. Our Life Before God is of Most Importance

Good conscience before God

A. Clean Conscience

Hebrews 9:13–14 ESV

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

It seems many of us live a life of guilt over the past

We might try to fix this by doing good things

Or we might find ways to dampen or sear that guilt

B. Sanctifying Conscience

1 Peter 3:14–17 ESV

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

We need to keep a short account of our life before God

Open door to sin and the schemes of the devil

Destructive to our life and witness - particularly how we treat people

We dishonor Christ and his life, death and resurrection

This meant Paul needed to confess his sinful disrespect of the high priest.

Command in Deut 22

Because our obedience to Christ is not to be based on what others do, or say.

Earlier on Peter speaking of those who rule says,

1 Peter 2:17 ESV

Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

This was during the time of Nero

How can we do this?

Isaiah 40:21–23 ESV

Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

In other words, we learn to trust God rather than ourselves or others and when we fail we repent.

Our own sense of righteousness and justice can get in the way of what God might do, even through our mistreatment for the gospel

II. The Message that Condemns Us

The resurrection - is the claim that Jesus is saviour and Lord

This will rub many the wrong way

A. Judgement - Sadducees

believed there was no afterlife, angels or spirits - only followed the Torah

Most interested in gaining and keeping position and wealth, the ruled the Sanhedrin

They lived for now and this life

We can say we believe in the resurrection but our life can reflect the same as ideals as the sadducees

B. Belief - Pharisees

“They moved the Jewish religion from sacrifice to law”

Thus they not only followed the Torah - written law and the rest of the Tanak, but an oral tradition of their interpretations and applications on the written law which became authoritative

Must follow the written and oral torahs

They however believed that there was a resurrection of the dead, angels and spirits

They believed this resurrection was achieved through obedience to the law, both laws

But Paul teaches in 1 Cor 15 that the resurrection of the dead is not possible with out the resurrected Christ, whom they rejected

C. Hope -

Paul puts the hope and the resurrection of the dead together

1 Corinthians 15:20–28 ESV

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

This is the hope of Paul, the means of his persecution and message of truth for all time

But also the message that condemns him, the rejection of the resurrection of Christ, was the true means of his imprisonment now and the chaos that follows

III. The Lord Who Stands with Us

So when Paul proclaimed that the resurrection of the dead was the reason he was in this situation things blew up

One faction that believed there was no resurrection or after life

And the other who rejected the resurrected Jesus were divided

vs 9 - “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him.”

Point back to Paul testimony to the crowd but still rejecting Jesus as the one who came to him

Afraid Paul would be torn to pieces he is taken back into the barracks

This couldn’t have gone much worse

Paul anticipated this potentially happening

Acts 21:13 ESV

Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

But it still must have been discouraging because the Lord meets with him there in prison

His words to Paul, “Take courage”

A. Stood by - God’s presence

Jesus revealed himself to be with Paul both is what had happened and now in prison

But also that he would be with him moving forward

B. Spoke words of encouragement

You have testified in Jerusalem

Paul may have severly doubted this after the last few days

2. You will testify in Rome

Paul may have doubted he would make it our Jerusalem alive

And so the Lord encourages Paul that he did have a good conscience and had faithfully served Him,

just as he does us

How?

His word

Prayer

music

creation

others

Conclusion