Dealing with Your Antagonists - Acts 25:1-26:32

“Dealing With Your Antagonists”

Acts 25:1-26:32

©Copyright 2004 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, February 22, 2004

One of the most frustrating parts of the American legal system are the delays in getting cases to trial. It is not uncommon for a major trial to take well over a year before the trial ever begins. There are motions from the defense and the prosecution that are designed to buy more time for preparation (and more billable hours?). It is a frustrating reality.

This reality is not something new. Over the past several weeks we have been looking at the charges and trials of the Apostle Paul. If you think you are wearied by the drawn out accounts . . . imagine how the apostle Paul felt. He was in jail for several days in Jerusalem, five days before he appeared before Felix, and he was in jail under Felix for two years before Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus. Festus, to his credit brought Paul to trial within two weeks of taking office. As we will see, this is not going to be the end of the story.

We are taking a passage today that is much longer than is comfortable in the short amount of time we have. However, there is much material in this passage that is repetition to us and so I thought we could handle the larger amount of material. This morning, in addition to finding out what happened to the Apostle Paul, we are discover some important lessons for how to deal with the antagonists in our lives.

UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT

Paul Before Festus

From all the historical records available, it appears that Festus was a fairly competent governing official. We notice that he took over as the Governor from Felix and immediately he went to work by traveling to Jerusalem. While in Jerusalem he is introduced to the case of the Apostle Paul. It is two years later and the Jewish leaders still wanted Paul dead! It is apparent that these leaders in Jerusalem really carried a grudge!

These leaders suggested that Festus bring Paul back to Jerusalem for trial (still intending to assassinate him in the journey). Festus resisted the pressure of the Jews and invited the leaders to come to Caesarea to make their case against the prisoner. When they made their case it was obvious to Festus that Paul hadn’t done anything. We know this because of what Festus said to Agrippa in verses 18-20,

When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. 20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. [25:18-20]

Festus knew Paul was not guilty but realized that Paul’s case was a political “hot potato”. Rather than risking the ire of the Jews in his first month on the job he asked Paul if he would be willing to go back to Jerusalem and answer the charges that seemed to be religious in nature. Paul wasn’t going to let this happen. Paul knew about the plot to assassinate him and knew he would never come to trial.

Paul told the Governor that he was willing to be punished if he had done something illegal. However, he was innocent. Rather than agree to another change in venue he took advantage of a right given to every Roman citizen; he appealed his case to Caesar himself! This is the equivalent of taking your case to the Supreme Court.

Paul Before Agrippa

Agrippa II was the King of the region. He came to welcome Festus as the new governor of the area. Bernice accompanied him. Bernice is not described as to her relationship with King Agrippa II because it is complicated. The Harper Bible Dictionary explains,

Agrippa’s sister, Bernice, had been the wife of one of Herod of Chalcis, and she came to live with her brother after her husband’s death. Their relationship became notorious as an incestuous affair, which apparently lasted throughout their lives in spite of her brief marriage to Polemon of Cilicia and her scandalous affair with the Emperor Titus. [1]

Sounds like a fun couple, doesn’t it?

As these two rulers (Festus and Agrippa II) were talking, Festus shared the problem he had with Agrippa. He told him about Paul and the bogus charges against him. Since Paul has appealed to Caesar, Festus would send him to Rome. However he had no idea what to write in the brief about the case. He knew it wasn’t going to look good to send a prisoner to Rome without and charges. He asked Agrippa for help. Agrippa agreed to listen to Paul.

Paul once again made his defense. Paul told Agrippa about his past, his conversion, and his message. He grew up as a Pharisee, one of the most law-honoring groups in Judaism. He was focused on obeying the law and eager for the coming of the Messiah. At one time, he believed Christians were a cult to be opposed. He opposed the early believers with vengeance. Paul put believers in jail and participated in their execution.

On one of his trips to arrest believers Paul was going to Damascus. In the middle of the road he was struck blind by a brilliant light. He heard a voice saying to him, “”Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (A goad is a pointed object used to prod on an animal. Kicking against a goad would just hurt the animal and train him not to kick). In other words, Paul was hurting himself. Paul asked who was speaking and was told that it was Jesus. Jesus commissioned him to be an apostle to the Gentiles (an astounding transformation for a Pharisee, as Agrippa would realize). His message was simple: “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ.” (26:18)

Paul did what he was told and went to the Gentiles and told them that they should: repent (or recognize, admit, and turn from their sin); turn to God (for the forgiveness that can come only through Jesus Christ who suffered, died, and rose for our sin v. 23); and live new lives (as a result of the new life found through God’s Spirit) thus proving that their repentance and new life was genuine.

Paul once again argues that this is not a new religion . . . it is the fulfillment of everything spoken of in the law and the prophets. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Jewish faith!

The Response of the Judges

Notice, these two leaders have two different responses. Festus believed Paul was a madman. He had no idea what Paul was talking about. Paul said there was nothing crazy about what he is saying. His words were true and reasonable.

This is important to understand. Some believe faith is a “jump in the dark”. It is believing something even though there is no evidence to support your belief. That is NOT what God asks us to do. Biblical faith is to believe the evidence that Jesus is the Savior,

· The fulfilled prophecies which point to Him

· His supernatural birth

· His incredible miracles

· His powerful teaching

· His unique resurrection from the dead

· The eye-witnesses to his resurrection

· The transformation of millions of lives

If you put all these things together, Christianity is very reasonable. If you examine the evidence you will recognize that Jesus was no ordinary man. If you understand your own sinfulness and hear the proclamation of the gospel you will see that Christianity “makes sense”.

As reasonable as the Christian faith is, there are some who will not believe. In 1 Corinthians 1:8 Paul said, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” In 1 Corinthians 2:14 Paul makes this sobering statement. “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” In other words, natural man does not understand the clear truth of the Scriptures. Satan and sin have blinded their eyes, hearts, and understanding. God’s Spirit must first open our eyes and our hearts so we can see and understand the truth of the gospel. Festus just doesn’t get it.

Many of the people you talk to about Christ aren’t going to “get it” either. This is why the most important tool of evangelism is not a gospel tract, a learned program or a powerful song. The most powerful tool for sharing the gospel is prayer. We must pray for God to open the hearts and understanding of the people who hear the message of salvation.

Agrippa didn’t think Paul was crazy. He seemed a little more open to Paul’s reasoning. Paul, turning his attention to Agrippa, asked if he believed the prophets. Agrippa saw the trap Paul was setting. If he said, “No” he would have problems with the Jews. If he said, “Yes!” Paul was going to show him the various prophecies that point to Jesus. Paul will ask “If you believe the prophets, why don’t you follow Jesus?” He is on the horns of a dilemma and wants no part of this.

Agrippa dismisses Paul by saying, “Come on Paul, you don’t really think you are going to convert me, do you?” Paul is ready for the King. He responded, “I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” In our vernacular Paul was saying, “You bet! I’m praying that God will open your eyes to the truth and lead you to trust Christ just as I do. I want you to know the joy of forgiveness and new life.” Agrippa still turned away from the truth. The best Agrippa can do is agree that if Paul hadn’t appealed to Caesar, he could have been set free.

These two leaders remind us of the parable of the seeds. In Mark 4, Jesus told a parable about a Sower who scattered seed. He said the seed that is scattered on the ground would grow or not grow depending on the soil it landed on. Some ground is hard (like Festus) and the seed doesn’t penetrate at all. Some seed falls on shallow ground and might begin to grow but will soon die because there are no roots (is this like Agrippa?); other seed will grow for a little while but will be choked out by thorns and weeds (the troubles and concerns of the world). The only seed that will bring a harvest is the seed that falls on good soil.

The message of the parable is that different people respond differently to the message of the gospel. Some don’t respond at all, some respond a little, and some even look like believers for a little while. However, the true believer is like the fertile ground that grows and bears a harvest. Our job is to scatter the seed. We need to be prepared for the fact that not everyone will embrace the message.

UNDERSTANDING THE APPLICATION FOR OUR LIVES

I’ve titled this message, “How to handle the Antagonists in Your Life”. Every one of us faces antagonists like Paul did. It may be a Professor or a co-worker; a family member or neighbor. It could be a friend, teammate or even a mate. This antagonist might be aggressive or passive, verbal or non-verbal. I think we can learn from Paul some tips for dealing with these people.

First, We must always remember that people are sinful and in need of a Savior. Paul understood that antagonists are often just people lost in their sin. Sin blinds people’s minds and hardens their hearts. We must remember that this is the reason Jesus came to die. We were lost, and He came to help us find our way home. We must not be surprised by the fact that people act in sinful ways. (Even believers do that). Our job is not to fight the antagonist; our job is to point them in the direction of home.

Second, Christians have a different worldview than everyone else. Festus, Agrippa and Bernice enter the court with all kinds of pomp and fanfare (25:23). The word for pomp in verse 23 is the word for our word, “fantasy”. The contrast in the passage is great. On the one hand you have the superficial pomp and illusion of riches of the rulers and on the other hand you have the simple prisoner who is equipped with the power of God.

As we deal with the antagonists in our lives we are often pursuing different things. The people of the world are pursuing that which is fantasy. They believe if they have more stuff, more power, and indulge themselves more fully, they will have what they are looking for. They are wrong. As someone has said, “How much does a person need? The answer? Just a little more than what we have.” These treasures will not last and will not satisfy. It should be no surprise that these people are frustrated and cranky! Once again, our job is introduce our antagonists to the treasure that will never fade, rust or spoil.

Third, we must remember that suffering often comes with the territory. Since we are moving in a different direction than the rest of the world, friction and conflict is inevitable. Listen to Eugene Peterson’s wonderful paraphrase of 1 Peter 4: 12-16,

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. If they’re on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that’s a different matter. But if it’s because you’re a Christian, don’t give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name!

Peter reminds us of several things. First, we should not be surprised if suffering comes our way. It is the natural result of two different worldviews. Jesus suffered, we will too. Second, we must make sure that the suffering we are enduring is because of our faithfulness and not because of our sin. If we are sinning we must repent. If we are suffering because we are living for the Lord, we should be grateful that others see Christ in us. Third we need to remember that suffering is purposeful. God does not promise that we will not suffer . . . He promises that we will not suffer needlessly. Through our suffering, God molds us and helps us to grow. Through our suffering God often gives us platform from which we can proclaim His grace more effectively.

Finally, this passage reminds us that the best response to an antagonist is to see them through the eyes of God’s grace. Paul did not become hostile with the Sanhedrin, Felix, Festus or Agrippa. He had every right to be angry. He was being framed for something he didn’t do. Rather than respond in anger, Paul saw an opportunity to share the gospel with those people he believed God had brought his way. Paul saw his antagonists through the eyes of God’s grace. He didn’t see enemies, he saw people who were in need.

So, let’s get personal. Is there an antagonist in your life? If so we must begin by asking some questions:

· Have I done something to offend this person? (If so, seek forgiveness)

· Do I threaten this person in some way? (If so, seek to assure them)

· Has this person been brought into my life by God to correct me and turn me away from wrong behavior or corrupted values? (What am I supposed to learn?)

· Is this person spiritually lost and crying out for help? (share the truth with them)

Many times we will find that the antagonists in our life are simply hurting people who like hurt animals will strike out at anyone who comes near them. God calls us to see others with the eyes of compassion, understanding, and grace. We are to do this even to those who annoy us, assault us, and cause our hearts to churn. Why? Because at one time, we were one of those lost people ourselves.

Are you antagonistic toward another? Have you forgotten how patient Jesus was with you? Is it possible that you are angry because you are pursuing that which is fantasy rather than pursuing the treasures that lasts? Could it be that even though you go to church, you have not yet turned to Christ for forgiveness and eternal life? Is your negative attitude and hostility toward another a symptom of a much greater spiritual problem? If so, it is time to put your confidence and faith in our Lord Jesus. It is time to trust Him with the circumstances of your life. It is time to receive the new life that only He can give you through Jesus. Turn to the one who can heal your hurt and fill your heart with life, purpose, and peace.

I hope you have seen this morning that even the most frustrating times and people in our lives are opportunities to bring glory to God and to demonstrate our love for Him. May God help you to be faithful as you deal with the antagonists in your life.

©Copyright 2004 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, February 22, 2004

[1]Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row, P., & Society of Biblical Literature. (1985). Harper's Bible dictionary. Includes index. (1st ed.). San Francisco: Harper & Row.