A Journey Through The Legal System
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 46:10
0 ratings
· 1 viewFiles
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to Acts 23.
In Acts chapter 22, Paul experienced a Touch And Go Situation as he attempted to speak to a Jewish audience. He acknowledged that they had a zeal or a passion for God, but it was misplaced. They were trying to please God by their own righteousness, but to meet God’s standard, they desperately needed the righteousness of Christ. Paul narrowly avoided being tortured by the Roman tribune, but he exercised his rights as a Roman citizen. God used this to save Paul’s life. In similar fashion, we can follow Paul’s example and exercise our God-given rights today.
Message
Message
Read slowly:
In the mid 1800’s, French author Jules Verne published his classic, Journey To The Center Of The Earth. It was a science fiction novel that successfully blended the latest science of its day with the public’s desire to explore unknown worlds.
While reading an old manuscript, Professor Otto Lidenbrock discovered a cryptic note written by an Icelandic scientist more than 200 years prior. The professor was immediately hooked. He quickly prepared for the adventure and with his nephew in tow, he set out for Iceland and for his Journey To The Center Of The Earth.
I’m sure that Paul the apostle had little interest to go on a journey to the center of the earth, but with his arrest in Jerusalem, he set out on another journey that was much longer: a journey through the legal system of the Roman Empire. The remainder of the book of Acts will tell of Paul’s experiences on his journey that will take him from Jerusalem all the way to Rome.
Acts 23 begins with Paul standing before the religious supreme court of the Jews, called the Sanhedrin. The Roman tribune called the council together so that he could better understand the accusations against Paul.
Read Acts 23:1-11.
Paul’s first stop on his journey is…
Next slide here:
Before the Sanhedrin - Acts 23:1-10.
From the get-go, Paul has an interesting exchange with Ananias, the high priest. He had hardly begun to speak when Ananias commanded that he be slapped across the mouth. This was not permitted by the law because Paul was not condemned - he was innocent until proven guilty.
Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
He strongly called out the high priest for violating the Mosaic law. Perhaps Ananias wasn’t wearing his formal attire since they were quickly assembled by the Roman tribune. Whatever the exact reason, Paul didn’t recognize the high priest, but once he knew, he humbled himself, realizing he should not have spoken so strongly against Ananias.
The high priest, of all Jews, should have been careful to follow the law of the Jews.
Read slowly:
The injustice of the situation was not lost on Paul. He felt it acutely. But he didn’t let the injustice he suffered be a reason for anger, sharp words, or for disrespect against authority.
Application: Christian, your being treated unfairly is never a justification for vengeance or bitterness.
We’ve all been treated unfairly by someone in our lives.
Maybe it was an employer that treated you unfairly.
Maybe it was a government employee - someone in authority that you felt didn’t give you a fair hearing.
Maybe it was a parent - a dad or a mom that applied a rule inconsistently.
It’s likely you’ve suffered at least one and maybe all three of these things in your life. If so, your feelings may be hurt and I won’t minimize that. But you cannot let your pain turn into anger and bitterness that will dominate your mind and destroy you from the inside out.
In verse five, Paul shows us how to break free from that.
Read Acts 23:5.
Here’s how Paul handled being treated unfairly: he humbled himself and decided to let God take care of it.
“Lord, it’s in your hands!” And with that decision, the temptation to be bitter against the high priest fled away.
Next slide here:
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
As the hearing proceeded, Paul observed that the Sanhedrin was made up of two different factions - the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Paul used this to his advantage, identified himself as a Pharisee, and divided the council against itself. The meeting collapsed into chaos but it revealed what the Roman tribune needed to know: the accusations against Paul were religious in nature. He was not accused of breaking any civil laws.
The second portion of his journey is…
Next slide here:
Imprisoned and imperiled - Acts 23:11-22.
Read Acts 23:11-22.
Sitting in his jail cell that night, Paul must have felt incredibly alone. I can only imagine the great comfort that he experienced when the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul and assured him that he would go to Rome. Jerusalem was not the end of the road for Paul; it was just the beginning! Better still, the Lord Jesus would be with him all the way!
“I am with you, Paul! Just as I’m with you right now in the holy city of Jerusalem, I will be with you all the way to the pagan city of Rome.”
God’s presence in Paul’s life wasn’t limited to the Holy Land and it wasn’t limited to the holy city. No, Paul could travel to the heart of paganism and still the Lord would be with him.
We’ve seen previously that Paul had planned to travel to Rome someday. All the way back when he was on his third missionary journey, notice what he said in Acts 19:21:
Next slide here:
After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
Paul followed through with his plans and had made it as far as Jerusalem. Now God was taking over. You see, an assassination attempt certainly wasn’t on Paul’s bucket list, but that was God’s way of getting Paul from Jerusalem to Rome. God was lining up all the details, even if it wasn’t the way that Paul would have picked.
Application: Christian, that’s often how God works. He specializes in turning bad circumstances into good outcomes. He would take this attempt on Paul’s life and use it to accomplish the higher purpose of getting Paul to Rome and it would all be done on taxpayer dime.
Christian, there’s no need to complain about the bad circumstances you are enduring because God is well able to turn it into a good outcome. Sometimes you may see how it plays out, sometimes you may not. Sometimes you may never know how God used it for good, but you can rest assured that He can.
Through all of this journey, Paul was comforted knowing that God was with him.
Application: Do you know that God is with you today? Are you confident of that? And if you say “yes”, how do you know?
If it’s just a feeling, that’s not good enough. Feelings come and go.
If it’s just a hope, that’s not going to get you very far. It certainly won’t get you through a hard time in life.
So how can you know and be confident of God’s presence?
Know that you are saved and thereby have a personal relationship with God.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Know that you are in a right relationship with God and humble yourself before Him.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
If you have been adopted into the family of God, and if you are in a right relationship with God, then you can be confident of the presence of God. Why? Because God promises it. Take Him at His word.
We’ve seen Paul before the Sanhedrin.
We’ve seen him imprisoned and imperiled.
Now the third segment of his journey is…
Next slide here:
En route to Caesarea - Acts 23:23-35.
Read Acts 23:23-35.
At this point, the tribune has figured out what he needed to know. Paul is not some Egyptian revolutionary like was first assumed, neither is he accused of breaking Roman laws. With the Jewish population getting stirred up and the threat of assassination real, its time to rid himself of this mess. He decides to send Paul to Felix and let him sort it out. Four hundred soldiers are mustered to escort Paul, plus seventy horsemen. Under cover of darkness, they left Jerusalem and marched the 35 miles to Antipatris.
Next slide here: map of the Middle East
Next slide here: Paul’s journey to Caesarea
The centurions carried a letter to Felix. In it, we learn the name of the tribune. His name was Claudius Lysias - very much a name that suggests a Greek heritage. This man does a great job padding his own record as he explains the circumstances to Felix.
Next slide here:
In verse 27, he shamelessly writes a lie to make himself look good. See if you can catch it.
Read Acts 23:27.
He understood no such thing! When the riot began on the Temple Mount, he simply grabbed as many soldiers as he could to restore law and order and he had no idea who Paul was or that he was a Roman citizen. That was why he almost made the mistake of whipping Paul to death. Somehow he forgot to mention that minor detail.
Mr. Lysias was a good soldier…and a good politician also.
Application: Take note of his example and don’t overstate the record of your own achievements.
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; A stranger, and not thine own lips.
It is not good to eat much honey: So for men to search their own glory is not glory.
For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
Mr. Lysias said something very noteworthy in his letter to Felix. Look at verse 29.
Read Acts 23:29.
He admits that Paul has done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment. Paul was a citizen under arrest but without any clear charges against him.
Notice what Paul said about himself back in verse 1.
Read Acts 23:1.
Paul had a clear conscience before God. He also had a clear testimony before man. Mr. Lysias couldn’t charge him with any crimes.
Application: With a clear conscience usually comes a clear testimony. Sometimes you may be accused of wrongdoing, even though you are innocent, but never let yourself be accused for good reason. Keep a clear conscience and you have much better odds of keeping a clear testimony.
Felix read the letter and determined that the case fell within his jurisdiction. He would take it up in just a matter of days.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Thus began A Journey Through The Legal System of the Roman Empire. His first stop was before the Sanhedrin. His last would be before Caesar. The Lord Jesus would be with him each step of the way.
My friend, if you ever suffer a terrible injustice like Paul did, don’t let the pain of that experience lead to bitterness in your life towards God or towards the person who caused the injustice. Bitterness is a poison that will destroy you. Instead, get help, humble yourself, and flee to the arms of Jesus.
Perhaps you’ve gone through some difficult circumstances recently. God specializes in turning bad circumstances into good outcomes. Run to God and let your faith grow. Trust him through the trial.
Finally, do you have a clear conscience? It’s a wonderful thing to have. Whereas, it’s miserable to live with a guilty conscience. Many different things can affect your conscience - don’t go through life with a guilty conscience weighing you down. If that is you, I’d love to sit down with you, hear your story, and show you from the Bible how you can have a clear conscience before God.
Invitation
Invitation