Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
I do not have artistic talent.
When I draw a stick figure, it comes out crooked with an oddly shaped head.
This made on particular school assignment particularly frustrating for me.
We had a worksheet we called a meditation worksheet that we used to study Bible passages.
In that worksheet was a section where we had to draw concept pictures to describe the events of the passage.
This, coupled with the difficulty of the assignment, made me dislike that paper.
Looking back, that assignment has shaped me in ways I didn’t recognize.
You all know that my hobby horse is hermeneutics.
The groundwork for that passion was laid with this assignment and my dad’s preaching.
You all benefit from that assignment.
Why do I share all this?
God is sovereign.
He knew that the assignment I hated would lay the foundation to fulfill His later calling.
This same school assignment is what we have adapted as the Scripture Worksheet we will be teaching everyone how to use.
What we are going to see over the next few weeks in Acts is that God is sovereign in the circumstances of our lives.
He is at work providing opportunities for us to speak of Him.
With verse 26 we begin the events that will take us through the rest of Acts.
Starting in v. 26 are the events that take place for the rest of the book.
We have Paul’s arrest, the plot on his life, the transfer out of Jerusalem and the eventual trip to Rome.
Chs.
21:26-23 deal with the arrest alone.
We will learn of Paul’s arrest, the plot on his life, the transfer out of Jerusalem and the eventual trip to Rome.
In our outline of the book this final section of Acts is titled
Paul Is Called To Preach The Gospel In Rome Chs.
21:26-28:31
From 21:26 all the way to ch. 23 deal with the arrest alone.
That section is titled
The Arrest That Will Lead Paul To Rome 21:26-23:22
Our section for the next few weeks is
1.
The curious circumstances surrounding Paul’s arrest 21:26-22:29
Here is what we are going to learn.
When we understand God's sovereignty over circumstances, we are able to see the opportunities he provides.
Understanding God’s sovereignty over circumstances determines our ability to see the opportunities He provides.
Understanding God’s sovereignty over circumstances determines our ability to see the opportunities He provides.
When we understand God’s sovereignty over circumstances we take three actions.
As these actions are taken, opportunities are revealed.
Action #1…
God is in control of my safety
God is in control of my message
1. Give Your Reputation To God vv.
26-29
I want to explain what I mean here by first saying what I do NOT mean.
I am not saying that we can live however we want because our reputation is in God’s hands.
I am not saying that we should be unconcerned with our reputation.
The point here is that God is in control of my reputation.
Meaning that…
God is in control of my reputation
My Reputation Is God’s Responsibility
Everyone say that with me.
If I am walking in obedience to Him, my reputation is in His hands.
Therefore, I surrender my reputation to Him.
Paul gives God his reputation in two circumstances.
Circumstance #1…
a.
In obedience v. 26
READ v. 26
In vv.
23-24 Paul was instructed by the elders in Jerusalem to purify himself with these men.
He is to pay their expenses and demonstrate tot he Jews that he keeps the law.
Those (like Agrippa I) who used their own funds to pay the expenses of Nazirites were considered pious.
This is how Paul is demonstrating that he is still a good Jew.
He is not doing this to be saved, he is doing this to retain the ability to share Christ with his fellow countrymen.
The point I want to make here is that Paul is doing this out of obedience to the elders.
We must understand that our reputation belongs to God.
As purchased possessions of the King of kings, it is His responsibility to determine how we are known.
Our responsibility is simply to obey.
The key phrase for everything else that is about to happen is the words “entered the temple.”
Paul and these men are declaring the end of the purification and making the necessary offering.
Paul has already given his reputation to the Lord.
He has faithfully served as the Lord directed.
Now, in obedience he is in the temple.
agreement or acquiescence
This brings us to circumstance #2.
Circumstance #2…
Give your reputation to God…
b.
In oppression vv.
27-29
READ v. 27
These Jews are in Jerusalem for Pentecost.
Being from Asia they would have been familiar with Paul and his companions.
These Jews see these men who had taken a vow and Paul in the temple.
They get everyone upset and they grab Paul.
READ v. 28
“Crying out” is the idea of screaming.
These people are already in hysterics.
The first thing I want us to see is the exaggeration.
Paul teaches “all men everywhere.”
Really?
That’s not even physically possible.
He teaches against the people, law, and temple.
This isn’t true.
This teaches us a valuable lesson.
When we get out of control, truth takes a back seat to emotion.
The second thing I want us to see is the assumptions.
They assume Paul brought Greeks into the temple.
We learn this in v. 29.
READ v. 29
They suppose Paul took Trophimus into the temple!
They don’t even know!
We’ll get back to that in a minute.
They assume Paul has defiled the temple by bringing Gentiles in.
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