God's Formula for a Deeper Purpose

Last week we discussed Paul being arrested yet again after addressing a crowd in Jerusalem. Careful in his approach, Paul gave testimony of his former zeal for Judaism, his encounter with the Lord, his new found purpose, and his vision in the temple. Upon sharing this vision of being sent to the Gentiles, a riot broke out he was arrested and ordered to be beaten and flogged. Just before Paul was stretched out to be flogged he asked the Roman centurion standing close by “if it was lawful to flog a man who is a Roman citizen?” Paul, having been a Pharisee, knew such practices were illegal against a citizen of Rome, so they unbound him and on the next day brought Paul before the Jewish high court also known as the Sanhedrin.

Lets pray before we pick up in Acts 22:30.

Pray.

Before we begin reading, I want you to have in your mind a formula, a simple flow of events, that takes place after we have committed our life to Christ. We begin a journey where we are challenged by significant opposition, protected by God’s boundless mercy, and preserved for deeper purpose which brings greater glory to God.

Opposition. Protection. Purpose.

Let’s begin reading Acts 22:30 .

Acts 22:30–23:11 CSB

30 The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. He brought Paul down and placed him before them. 1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” 4 Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?” 5 “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.” 6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all. 9 The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party got up and argued vehemently: “We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks. 11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”

Opposition

We will see Paul in deep conflict with the Jewish crowd, the Jewish Court, and the high priest, Ananias. Paul angered the Jewish crowd by affirming that he was sent to minister to gentiles, angered the high priest Ananias for defending that he has lived life in good conscience, and the Jewish court for believing in the hope of the resurrection. Paul is literally at odds with everyone.

Lets look at verse Acts 23:1ff where Paul interacts with the Sanhedrin and the high priest. Paul says to them, “Brothers, I have lived my life in good conscience up to this day!” At first glance, one should wonder if such a simple comment would warrant a punch to the mouth.

This would have been a bold declaration by Paul considering the charges and accusations brought against him just a day ago. Paul says his “conscience is clear that he is acting rightly before God” which immediately suggested his innocence and pointed guilt toward the Sanhedrin and the high priest for arresting him without just cause and stripping him of the benefits his citizenship afforded him. Understanding this a little better we can see why Ananias would order Paul to be struck in the mouth.

Then we see Paul respond directly to Ananias the high priest “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?”

Keep in mind Paul is surrounded by enemies who were seeking to kill him. You can imagine the tension increasing as Paul blasts the high priest, calling him a hypocrite in front the religious council! God will smite you was not Paul’s way of hoping that one day God would intervene, but a prophetic prediction that vengeance is the Lords! And that God would render judgment against Ananias for his hypocrisy and unjust behavior (Ananias would later be killed in a city invasion).

Those standing by questioned Paul saying, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest? Paul quickly responded, he was unaware Ananias was the high priest. Paul’s lack of awareness in this case has been the subject of debate for years, some saying Paul couldn’t see well, others would say Ananias was not acting like a high priest, or Paul was unaware because he was not dressed like the high priest; or the more plausible answer which was that Paul had been away from Jerusalem for 14 years as we learn in Galatians 2:1; whatever the reason, Paul seems repentent and truly unknowing of the office Ananias held and although Ananias’ behavior wasn't enough to restrain Pauls rebuttal, perhaps having a deep respect for the office, Paul would have refrained from using the same language.

Acts 23:6 After realizing some of the Sanhedrin were Pharisees and some were Sadducees and amongst the confusion and bickering of the crowd, Paul cried out, “I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” Immediately more opposition surrounded Paul as he had ignited a riot between two sects of the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

The Pharisees who believe in spirits and angels and of resurrections shouted “we find nothing evil in this man! What if an angel has spoken to him?” In other words we the Pharisees find nothing contrary to law of Moses, no conduct in spreading the doctrine of the resurrection which we do not approve. The doctrine of the resurrection was so closely held by the Pharisees that they put to the side other elements of Paul’s beliefs (like the resurrection of Christ), and fought to uphold this doctrine against the Sadducees.

The Sadduccees who deny the existence of angels and spirits and deny the idea of any type of resurrection began to riot and fight with the Pharisees turning shouting... violent.

Now imagine this scene just for a moment: you have the Sanhedrin, the jewish high court, seventy men who have been given charge over religious matters, with dignified positions of power and the trusted legal advisors of the day breaking out into an all out violent riot!

This would be the culmination and the height of opposition that Paul would witness in Jerusalem; he was facing an impending death!

My question to you is what is your opposition this morning? What is the thing that standing directly between you and your ability to connect with God? What in your life is a hindrance to you loving God? Who or what in your life is keeping you from fulfilling your purpose in Christ? Perhaps the deeper question is what do you need God’s protection from?

Gods Protection

We will see in Acts 23:10 that Paul will be protected by God and preserved for a greater purpose. His protection however came from an unlikely source which turned the entire scene upside down!

Opposition then Protection.

In the heat of the moment where disruption and chaos ruled the day and Paul would surely face his demise, the convening commander of the Sanhedrin would interrupt the entire scene!

Let’s read Acts 23:10

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 23

10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks.

Its important to note that the commander had not originally had the best intentions surrounding Paul and his hearing. We see that although he wanted the “truth,” this commander who had enough power release Paul from shackles and convene the Sanhedrin watched as Paul was disrespected and assaulted before him by Ananias the high priest. Make no mistake, it wasn’t the commander seeking to protect Paul by ordering that he be taken away to the barracks, but the Holy Spirit moving in the midst of the chaos to preserve Paul although death was near!

Some of you in the room may not be facing death, but there are circumstances in your life right now where you need God in his infinite power and wisdom to speak a word to your situation! It takes one word from the Lord to dismantle your circumstance and make it work for your good!

We serve a God who parts seas and aligns stars, we serve a God who breathes on dry bones and they become flesh, we serve a God loves us so much that he would send his Son to die a brutal death on the cross that we might live eternally worshipping his name forever, surely He can meet you where you are right now and save you, surely he’s big enough to show up tangibly in your life and heal your situation!

God’s Purpose

In verse Acts 23:11 we will see a prophetic fulfillment of God’s purpose for Paul.

Opposition. Protection. Purpose.

Let’s read verse Acts 23:11

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 23

11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”

One could imagine the sheer joy Paul must have felt when the Lord appeared and immediately encouraged him. Have courage Paul! I have been watching from heaven what you have endured and I am rewarding by personally giving you the object of your desire…to bear witness of my name in Rome just as you have done in Jerusalem.

Paul longed for years to minister in Rome.

Turn to Romans 1:8ff

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world. 9 God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you, 10 always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I want very much to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12 that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

13 Now I don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians,,z both to the wise and the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

We not only see that God rewarded Paul by giving him the desires of his heart, we also see God’s promises being fulfilled through Paul.

Turn to Acts 9:10-16

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 9

10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”

“Here I am, Lord,” he replied.

11 “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Pauls purpose had been established before the foundation of the world and spoken by the Lord upon his conversion. God called and purposed Paul to be his chosen instrument to take His name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites.

Just like Paul’s purpose was established so was yours! He who began a good work in you is faithful and just to complete it!

Eyes have not seen nor have ears heard or even entered the heart of man what God has planned for those who love him!

Oh God awaken our purpose within this place we have endured opposition, we have witnessed your protection, now God we are calling on your name for our individual and collective purpose! Awaken the wonder within us God, help us to see where you have called us, use us God in a way that you never have before that your name would be great in the earth in Jesus name!