God at work in His plan.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Scripture
Father God, we thank You for Who You are. A great Big God who sees each and every one of us here and cares deeply about us. We ask this day, as we are continuing in this time of worship to You, reading Your Word and hearing Your Word, that You refine us with it. Mold us, make us, shape us, rearrange us so that we can more like You, and more made into the image of Christ. Help us be a people who love You and love others so much, that we are moved into action by whatever it is You are going to show us about Yourself today and what that means in our lives. Help us do this, because all to often our selfish and sinless flesh war against our will to follow Yours. As we are doing this, and as we are coming into Your Word today, we ask that You take away any distraction that we may have, and make it go as far away as it possible can, because we want to see and we want to know You better. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and precious name that I pray, Amen.
12 When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who had formed this plot. 14 These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you[c] as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”
16 But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”18 So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”19 The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”20 “The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. 21 Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush—men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”22 So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”
23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.[d] 24 Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”25 He wrote the following letter:[e]26 Claudius Lysias,To the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law, and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,[f] I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in your presence.[g]31 So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 After he[h] read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.[i]
Context
You will remember last week, how Paul was given a sort of impromptu trial, this was by the request of the Roman commander in Jerusalem, because he wanted to know what sort of chargers or what kind of laws/rules Paul had broken. In essence, he wanted to figure out what was going on with the riot that started in the temple and as far as he could tell, had something to do with Paul.
Finding out that Paul was a Roman citizen in the last second before Paul was about to be illegally beaten, the Roman legal system and justice required a charge, trial, and pronouncement of guilt before Paul could receive in punishment. At this point though, the Roman authorities did not seem to think that Paul was guilty of anything deserving punishment, but were still required to take and see the trial through, if anything, at this point it was more about protecting Paul than anything.
Even in the face of evil, God is at work in your life.
Of all of these details, the most important to remember is what happened in verse 11. That is, The Lord Jesus personally visited Paul in the night and told him something important. That he didn’t need to fear, because he would go and witness the truth of the Gospel of Jesus to Rome, just as he had done in Jerusalem. So, it is clear that God was working in all of this, and it was creating the way that in that Paul would make his way to Rome and have an audience with the most important man in the empire, the emperor.
The truth is, God is always working, never stopping in His purpose and divine will. Just as we saw history progress from the fall of mankind into sin up to to salvation being available to mankind through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins; God is still orchestrating the world and history to glory. Part of that, involves you, as a follower of Christ, as a child of God. Yes, your life has a purpose, and as it has a purpose, God has a plan to see His purpose fulfilled. This all leads up to people being saved, because they have heard the good news of Jesus and responded yes to it, which leads to God being glorified through every soul saved. Yes, you believer have a part to play this, no one is excluded, as we are all expected to be a disciple of Jesus who goes and makes more disciples in the ways that God has gifted. God has given you gifts, ability, and authority to go see your great commission through. That being said, as we have well seen, there will be difficulty as you submit your wants and will to that of Christ’s. In these times, it’s good for us to see how others went through it, and how they remembered to trust to God for our own example and inspiration. In today’s text, we see actions from several people that are important for you to remember as you live out God’s plan for your life. So, let’s jump in and From the text, I want you to see these actions and remember them in your life as you live out God’s plan.
Message
The first action to see and remember is that: Hate seeks to do harm 12-15
12 When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who had formed this plot. 14 These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you[c] as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”
In the morning, forty Jews formed a conspiracy to kill Paul, planning on not eating or drinking until they had done so, thus showing the deed was to be done very quickly. Of interesting word choice note, in verse 12, your bible may use the word “oath” instead of curse. Both of these words, would be correct, as the word comes from the greek anathematizō, which is a oath to do something or else you would be cursed (perhaps even to your own death). So, these men made it a very serious matter. To fulfill their plan, they went to the chief priests and elders, and asked them to reassemble the sanhedrin to do a more thorough trial of Paul. At which, before he arrives, they will kill him. Essentially, their raging hate wanted to use the justice system to draw out Paul, so that they could assassinate/murder him. This was an a huge level of hate, the like of which no one should ever find themselves in, yet here we are.
The Lord Jesus Himself, taught against hate and He would have never condoned this level of hate in anyone that was a followers of His. In fact, even though they hadn’t done the murder yet, In The Lord’s eyes, they had already committed an evil like that of hate as He said in Matthew 5, “43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 [o]But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” Further more the apostle John wrote in his first letter that, “15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” The feeling of hate and the actions it leads to is something that every Christian to eradicate from their life. No matter the evil that is being done to them.
Believer, you have to ask yourself, and check yourself often. Where are you feeling hate in your life? It can be against anyone or anything. A family member, a co-worker, maybe someone who cut your off on the road, maybe a friend swindled you, a system failed you, or something just didn’t pan out like you wanted it to. It’s important to remember, that no matter how vile or evil the action feels against you, that you will be alright. Everything is going to be ok. Why? Because Even in the face of evil, God is at work in your life. And if God is using it, that means that it is good for you. Also remember, not to keep or hold onto hate, as this will ultimately lead to your own sin in some way, as hate always seeks to do harm in some way or another. So, remember that God’s way is better than you wanted and let go of any hate you have because in that, Hate seeks to do harm, and you are called to righteousness and purity, not evil and sin.
The next action to see, remember and to have: Courage in the face of evil 16-21
16 But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”18 So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”19 The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”20 “The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. 21 Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush—men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”22 So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”
So, clearly the scheming Jews were not as careful as they should have been with their plan if they wanted to see it through. While we don’t know the details of how he found out, we do know that one way or another, Paul’s nephew, the son of his sister, heard of the murder plan. You would think that this kind of scheme, you would keep “hush hush” and be very discerning about who you would say it around to and to, clearly they underestimated Paul’s nephew, of what he was capable of and what he would do. This young man was most likely very young, perhaps even a child, pre-teen, or teen, as we saw the Roman commander act gently towards him, taking him by the hand. No matter how young he was we see that he did something very brave, knowing that harm could come to him if the wrong people found out what he had done, as he went and reported exactly what the Jews planned to do.This was a very brave thing to do, and Paul’s nephew showed he had courage, even in the face of evil. Clearly, his report was taken very seriously, and the commander charged the young man to keep it secret that he had told the Romans what was going to happen.
I’m sure you’re all familiar with the brave and courageous classic tail of the three little pigs. Each of these pigs had to face a bad guy, and evil guy, the big bad wolf, he wanted to eat each of them. Each of these pigs, left home and had to go build their own homes, of course with the first two houses falling in. Nether the less, when they were told to let the wolf in, what did each of the pigs say? “Not by the hair of my chiny chin chin.” What where they saying? Nope, no way, i’m not going to let you in, i’m standing up to you right now. Now, the first two houses fell, but the last one stood, and the pigs brave effort paid off. This would not have happened if they didn’t have courage in the face of the evil big bad wolf.
It’s important to remember believer, that evil is going to happen to and to you. People and systems will do wrong against you. Those you love will act like they don’t love you. Whenever you face an evil, don’t let it stop you, instead take a bold and courageous step forward for God, who is always working in your life. Remember Paul’s nephew and remember these words from Paul to his protege Timothy, that, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power,[a] love, and sound judgment.” So many times, it is fear that keeps us from fulfilling our great commandments and great commission, to love God, love people, and make disciples. Don’t let it, ask God to help you overcome your fear so that He can be glorified, even in the face of wicked evil, because Even in the face of evil, God is at work in your life.
Another action to see and remember is to: Have open eyes for God’s plan 23-35
23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.[d] 24 Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”25 He wrote the following letter:[e]26 Claudius Lysias,To the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law, and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,[f] I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in your presence.[g]31 So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 After he[h] read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.[i]
The commander gets right to work, and orders a large guard to accompany Paul safely to the area’s Roman Governor, Felix, under the cover of night. Now, I know the guard size seems absurd, and that’s partially because it is, in fact it is almost half the size of the Roman Garrison in Jerusalem, clearly, protecting the prisoner Paul was a huge priority. Along with the protectors, the commander Claudious Lysias would send (a somewhat embellished) account of what had happened and what needed to be done with Paul. He and the letter was delivered safely to Governor Felix, who would tell Paul that he would hear his trial, once his accusers made their way to him, in the meantime, Paul was kept under guard in the King Herod’s palace, which is also where the governor’s office would be located.
It’s crucial to remember here, that on his way to Jerusalem, that the prophet Agabus visited Paul and company and informed them that The Holy Spirit had said that Paul would be bound and delivered over to the gentiles (non Jewish people). Well, from what we had seen happen to Paul in this short amount of time, this had come true as now he was not only arrested by the gentiles (Romans) but now he found himself facing trial in front of the Roman Governor. Remember also, how all of Paul’s friends had begged Paul not to go into Jerusalem, because they knew of the harm that would come to him, yet he did, and now here he stands.Let’s also add, that Paul had just been visited by Jesus, who would tell him to not fear, to have courage, take heart, because just as Paul had witnessed about The Lord Jesus in Jerusalem, he would also do so in Rome. Now, we are well on the road towards that.
We have the ability today, to see that God’s plan is in action here. Maybe Paul knew this fully, maybe he didn’t. But, we do know that he trusted God with his life, because after all, he had his life because of God and He had assurance of salvation from his Faith in Jesus as the Christ. When you are faceing trial and difficulty and evil, it is important for you believer to not get to caught up in the weeds. It’s important to take an objective step back and look at your situation and remember this truth, that Even in the face of evil, God is at work in your life. So, do not hold onto and keep a spirit of fear, instead have a spirit of courage because even in the darkness, as a Child of God, as a follower of Christ, you know that your God is very near. So, keep your eyes open to God’s plan in those difficult moments.
Conclusion
Beloved, I want to really impress something upon you today. This is that God has given you a purpose and reason for your faith. When you are fulfilling that purpose, you must know that this will make you go into a world that hates God, which means that ultimately, yes bad things will happen to you, but you have the great privilege in knowing that God is trusting you with your important assignment. He trusts you because you are His child, and He knows that you can rise to the occasion, because He will empower you to overcome the difficulty of your trial if you turn to Him. In the meantime, when you are in that trial, difficulty, and evil, it does you well to remember that Hate seeks to do harm, anywhere hate exists, exists a will to do harm. Do not hold onto it, and do not be surprised when it does so. This means that you must have Courage in the face of evil, no matte how evil or dark it is, God is close at hand and working with and through you on His plan, so Have open eyes for God’s plan because you know that God is at work on His plan, always.
With all of that being said, I would be remised if I didn’t share the Gospel (or the Good News) of Jesus Christ with you today, for the benefit of both believer and non-believer in the room. This begins all the way back at the beginning, God created everything, and he created all things good. He gave His most treasured creation (us, mankind) the ability of free will, the ability to choose Him or rebellion. Man was deceived by Satan and desired to be like God and sinned (or rebelled against God). This brought the curse of sin and death into the world and it remains with us to this day; which separates us from God. God though, loved His creation (mankind) so much that He worked through history to redeem all mankind that would turn to Him from sin so that we can experience a full and perfect relationship with Him again. This was through the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the pay for sins. Accepting this free gift from God, makes you new and forgiven. All you have to do accept this free gift by repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus and you will get to experience the good side of God’s justice forever. So, now that you know this, you can no longer plead ignorance. I invite and urge you to respond today non-believer and apply this to every part of your life believers in the audience today.
With that, Let’s conclude. Brothers and Sisters, I love you all. During our last song together, if you need prayer, or want to talk more about Jesus, or have something you want to talk about, I’ll be here, don’t be afraid to come on down. Let’s pray. Father God, we thank You for who You are and what You are doing to us here in this place. May whatever it is that You are doing in each of heart here, continue as we leave go out into the world this week. Change us, mold us, make us, re-arrange us, that we can be both better lovers of You and better showers of You. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and precious name that I pray, Amen.
