Sermon Tone Analysis

Reading of Scripture

Pray

Proposition

Our Lord empowers us with courage by His Holy Spirit to persevere in God’s ways until God’s will is accomplished.

Introduction to Theme

This word “take courage” (Acts 23:11) is used seven times in the New Testament.

Six times, it is spoken by Jesus.

One time it is spoken on behalf of Jesus.

It is a word of the Lord!

It is always in the Bible a word of command.

A word of instruction.

It is a word spoken to a diverse people — all in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Jesus spoke it to a paralytic man: “Have courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

(Mt 9:2).

Jesus spoke it to a woman who had suffered for 12 years from an illness saying “Have courage, daughter!

Your faith has healed you.”

(Mt 9:22).

Jesus spoke it to his disciples, when he walked to them on the water as they were beaten by the waves and wind in a boat saying, “Have courage, I am he! Do not be afraid” (Mt 14:27; Mark 6:50).

Jesus called out to Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, who was begging Jesus for mercy.

Jesus called him, and his disciples said to Bartimaeus: “Have courage!

Get up!

He is calling you.”

(Mk 10:49).

Jesus spoke it to his disciples, saying: “In the world you will have affliction, but have courage!

I have conquered the world.”

(Jn 16:33).

Six times the Scriptures record this command from Jesus.

And six times is enough!

For if the Lord spoke these words both to those in fear and those with faith, surely the Spirit will remind us of these words when we are in need of such encouragement as well.

The word “have courage” is a command to “have confidence and firmness of purpose in the face of danger or testing” (LN).

But Jesus speaks this command once more.

He speaks this command to “have courage” not as a distant historical figure, disconnected and detached from the events unfolding.

He speaks this command to “have courage” not from his heavenly throne shouting down as a spectator as if to say — “been there, done that…best of luck to you.”

Jesus is not standing far off — but but he is standing by — standing near.

Jesus speaks this command in the night — not on the first night, not on the second night — but on the third night.

Introduction to Text

Jesus speaks this command not on the first night — after Paul had been dragged out of the temple in Jerusalem by the Jews who then tried to kill him.

These were the Jews from Asia, who saw Paul in the temple and did what they were so effective at in Asia and caused a commotion.

As a result of this, the Scripture says “all the city was stirred up.”

There was a riot.

The Jews dragged Paul out of the temple and began to beat him with the intention of killing him.

Word reached the Roman military tribune of what was happening and he immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them (Acts 21:32).

The Roman tribune does not know who Paul is or what is happening.

But he will not tolerate chaos and uproar and rioting in the peace that is Rome.

It doesn’t matter at this point who is in the right, or who is in the wrong.

Chaos is wrong, and peace must be restored.

The soldiers arrest Paul, and at the order of the tribune Paul was bound with two chains (Acts 21:33).

The prophetic warnings of the Holy Spirit, of the prophet Agabus, and of the disciples that Paul would experience bonds and afflictions in Jerusalem, now become a reality.

For after only a few short days in Jerusalem, Paul is suffering persecutions and is bound with two chains.

The violence of the crowd against Paul becomes so intense that the soldiers had to carry Paul to the barracks while the crowd shouted “away with him.”

(Acts 21:36).

Before Paul is carried into the barracks he asks the tribune, speaking to him in the Greek language, if he may have permission to speak to the people (Acts 21:37-39).

The tribune is surprised that Paul can speak Greek.

For he assumes Paul is an Egyptian who stirred up a revolt and led four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness” (Acts 21:38).

In these recorded events, Paul’s identity is continually questioned, and it shows how diverse he is!

As he wrote to the Corinthians:

In the chaos, the tribune must not have connected the dots.

But Paul here clearly tells the tribune that he is a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia.

He is a citizen of Rome.

Paul identifies as a Jew first, but also appeals to his Roman citizenship to gain an audience to speak to the people.

Paul uses whatever gifts God has graced him with to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How has God uniquely shaped us?

What has God graciously given to us?

How can we advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in unique ways because of the way we were made, or raised, or because of the experiences God has given to us?

Paul uses anything God has given him to advance the gospel.

So he receives permission to speak to the people.

He stands on the steps, motions with his hand to the people, and there falls a great silence upon the crowd.

His audience is his Hebrew brothers, so he speaks to them not as a citizen of Tarsus, not in the Greek that he could speak, but in the Hebrew language — the language of his religious training and faith.

This causes the crowd to become more silent and to listen.

Paul says again:

He then tells them about how Jesus met him on the road to Damascus.

How he lost his ability to see in the light of Jesus’ glory.

He tells how he later regained his sight, to know Jesus Christ, as the “Righteous One” (Acts 22:14), to be baptized, washing away his sins, calling on Jesus’ name.

Paul then tells in his testimony how he returned to Jerusalem — this was after his conversion.

We know when he returned he attempted to join the disciples but the disciples were all afraid of him and did not believe he was a disciple too.

(Acts 9:26).

Paul tells how he was praying in the temple, and fell into a trance, and saw Jesus saying to him: “Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.” (Acts 22:18).

Jesus warned Paul from the beginning about how he would be received in Jerusalem. . .

But as a new convert Paul argues with the Lord.

Paul has ambition.

Paul thinks his plan will work!

In other words — Paul believes he can reach the Jews because he used to persecute believers with them!

Who else is so uniquely positioned to lead them to the light of Christ?

Paul did not yet have the maturity that he would later have, when he would write:

Romans 12:3 (ESV)

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…

Jesus responds with these words:

It is when Paul speaks these words to the crowd, that the silence is no more.

The crowd erupts.

I. Acts 22:22-29

The Jews from Asia started this commotion by, in part, suggesting Paul had defiled the holy temple by bringing a Greek Gentile into it.

Now it is this message that Jesus is sending Paul to the Gentiles that fires up the crowd again.

These Jews are upset at the idea of “outsiders,” of other nations receiving the benefits that were promised to Israel — to God’s chosen people.

Fundamentally, God’s promises to Israel were meant to be a blessing to all peoples!

Even the Gentiles!

But Paul’s words sting as the words of judgment they are meant to be.

We as the church of Jesus Christ are reminded with these words, that the gospel of the grace of God is a message for ALL people.

We are reminded that as we gather here this morning there are people all over the world, including in this city, who do not know the name of Jesus, the cross or the resurrection.

If we as a church fail to embrace the scope of God’s love and salvation for ALL — if we are not moved with compassion and resolve to be witnesses for Jesus and to make disciples of ALL people — then God will use others to make His gospel known.

If we as a church become complacent, and gather to worship and pray but yet fail to obey Jesus’ command to make disciples as we go, baptize, and teach then we are guilty of hypocrisy and will experience this same judgment of God.