The Plot of the Church
ACTS: Be The Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
The late great pastor and southern statesman, Dr. Adrian Rogers, the long time pastor of the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, tells the story of a pastor approached by two deacons who wanted to have a conversation with him. One of the deacons said, “sir, there are some of here that no longer want you as pastor and therefore we want you to resign.” The pastor said, “I am sorry to here this. I tell you what, let’s take this matter before the Lord and pray about it and we will talk in a few days.” The deacons agreed and they all met together a few days later. The deacon asked, “Did you take our matter before the Lord?” The pastor replied, “As a matter of fact I did. I prayed and mentioned you by name, and the Lord did not even know who you were.”
Dr. Rogers went on to say, “Sometimes those who are most religious do not have a relationship on which their religion should stand.”
The same concept is taking place on our study of Acts 23 today. In summary, Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and the Sadducees as shown in Acts 22:30
30 The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
We see the rest of the story unfold in Acts 23.
Your Bible may have a subheading in this chapter that says, “The Plot to Kill Paul.”
Acts 23 mentions the word “plot” three times (vs. 13, 16, 30). Interestingly, each of these three times show three different Greek words. In Acts 23:13
13 More than forty men were involved in this plot.
The word is sunomosia and it simply means “conspiracy.”
16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
The word is enedra and it means “lying in wait or an ambush.”
30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.
The word is epiboule and it means “a plan formed against one.”
An conspiracy, an ambush, a plan against one all stem from four different areas: power, position, principle and personality. The plot against Paul is summed up for us in the letter from Claudias Lysias to Governor Felix:
26 Claudius Lysias,
To His Excellency, Governor Felix:
Greetings.
27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.
The Plot of Power
The Plot of Power
Let’s look at the plot of power. Whenever there is one or more that disagree, there are charges brought forth.
The Charges
The Charges
28 shouting, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place.”
The charge was that Paul was teaching against the Jewish faith and bringing non-Jews into the temple. One time I was teaching students in New Mexico at a camp. I started teaching against the Morman religion and said they were a cult. Afterwards, a young man came up to me very upset. He said, “Before you start saying bad things about people, you need to know who is in your group.” He then showed me the Book of Mormon that he was carrying. I was taken back because this was a Christian camp, yet he had come with friends who had invited him there. I looked at him and explained that God loved him and gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could have a relationship with Him and not have to do the works the Book of Mormon teaches. Later in the course of that week, he became a Christian. However, at first the charges against my teachings created a plot of power in mind. Paul faced the same thing.
The Control
The Control
When this happens, there is always an attempt to gain control. Paul simply declared, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” This led to a quick contesting from the high priest.
The Contesting
The Contesting
2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
The plot of power becomes the plot of position.
The Plot of Position
The Plot of Position
Has someone ever said something to you that gets your blood boiling? If so, that probably means you are human! Notice the humanity of Paul.
The Humanity of Paul
The Humanity of Paul
3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”
In Iredell County, that might have sounded like, “bring it big boy!”
The Honor of Paul
The Honor of Paul
Paul is quickly to realize he made a mistake. He uses scripture to correct himself.
28 “Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
The humanity moves him to the honor and humility.
The Humility of Paul
The Humility of Paul
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Paul, as a student of the Word of God, recognized that his pride was about to get in the way so he humbled himself and became wise. Oh that we would stop our mouths from being engaged in our anger! Paul demonstrates this beautifully!
The Plot of Principle
The Plot of Principle
It was not just a plot of power or position, but a plot of principle.
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
The Fact of the Resurrection
The Fact of the Resurrection
The fact of the resurrection has long been disputed. There were even plots to say that the body was stolen. Matthew 28:12-15
12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The Faith of the Resurrection
The Faith of the Resurrection
We have already seen in our study of Acts the faith of the resurrection. Acts 1:3
3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
We exist today as a church because we have faith in the resurrection of Jesus, that He was crucified by the Romans, died and was buried in a borrowed tomb, but resurrected from that tomb on the third day conquering death, evil and overcoming all of sins so we can have a relationship with God the Father! We have not only faith in the resurrection of Jesus but in the future because of the resurrection!
The Future of the Resurrection
The Future of the Resurrection
We are justified! Romans 5:1-2
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
We are united with Christ! Romans 6:8
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
We have defeated death! Romans 6:9
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
We have a living hope! 1 Peter 1:3
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
We are made alive! 1 Corinthians 15:21-22
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
As I looked closely at this passage in Acts 23, I have realized that the ultimate plot noted here is the plot of personality.
The Plot of Personality
The Plot of Personality
The One Who Talks
The One Who Talks
We have the one who talks but does not necessarily walk what they talk! Men who claimed a close walk with the Lord but their self-righteousness separated them from Him more than ever!
Psalm 36:4 (NIV84)
4 Even on his bed he plots evil;
he commits himself to a sinful course
and does not reject what is wrong.
The One Who Takes
The One Who Takes
We have the one who takes.
“What is in it for me?”
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Ever see how “the greedy”are listed in the list with such?
The One Who Trusts
The One Who Trusts
However, the example of Paul is the one who trusts.
Psalm 31:20 (NIV84)
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.
Where are you sheltering these days? The plot to kill Paul teaches us a few things.
Trust God in EVERYTHING, including struggles and expect His deliverance!
Know Jesus stands by you in trouble, even if you do not see visions or hear voices.
Understand that God can use secular government to protect peace and save lives from anarchy!
Be grateful that God knows ALL about you… even your failures and fears…. AND HE LOVES YOU!
There was one verse we did not mention. Before the plot is initiated, Jesus reminds Paul something that you and I need to be reminded of:
11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
Jesus reminded Paul that He is near and His plan will come to fruition!
There is a plan for you. You may thing the world is plotting against you. You may not see any hope. But take heart my dear friend, God will always make a way for His purpose and His way.
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God can turn the wrath of our enemies into a safe trip of where He wants us to go. Trust Him.