Plots and Provision
Notes
Transcript
Control
Control
What are we in control of?
What is unshakable? — Nothing but God’s will.
What is our life?
14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
What changes for the Christian?
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
PRAY
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12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy.
14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.
15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
16 Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.”
18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.”
19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him.
21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”
22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.
24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
25 And he wrote a letter to this effect:
26 “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings.
27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.
28 And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council.
29 I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.
30 And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”
31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him.
33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.
34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.
Hatred
Hatred
What drives people to such a place of fanatic action? At the very core of who they are, they are commited to defending their beliefs.
The Jews believed:
Christianity was a heretical sect that threatened their very way of life.
Paul had violated the law in a way that deserved death.
These violations called for extreme justice.
Normal paths to justice were blocked because of the Romans.
This is what God would have us do.
What were they missing:
Jesus was the true Messiah
Paul had not violated the law but actually upheald it.
Nothing about Paul’s approach threatened lives.
Paul was not being protected by Rome but by god
They were disobeying God and violating the law.
Hatred causes blindness. It lies to the one who holds it and builds upon those lies until the person who hates cannot see the truth.
When can Christians hate things?
10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
When does God hate?
5 The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
Where is the balance?
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
God is the one who gives Grace! Jesus said:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
The world is already under the condemnation of their sin. Our goal is to bring hope and light into that darkness. So we do not judge.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We seek justice but our goal is redemption not retribution. This is why Christianity looks so different. The men in this passage thought they were serving the Lord when in fact they were usurping his place and making themselves into the judge.
Provision
Provision
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God provides a nephew
God provides Roman soldiers
God provides a safe place
Be Grace
Be Grace
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.