Open Handed in Danger

Introduction

Whats up guys! Its been a long time since I’ve been up here teaching. Not for any reason in specific, but because of the chaos of the past few weeks with Winter Retreat, COVID, esc, we haven’t gotten back around to having me up here. But, I’m so stoked to be back tonight!

If you’ve been staying tuned with whats going on in NXT Senior High over the past month or so then you know we are in a series titled Riot about this! where we’ve been talking about a dude named Al Mohler’s Theological Triage.

I want to take a moment and address a concern that I have because of the timing of this message. Obvious, our series is called Riot about this. This is both timely and unfortunate. I want to be clear: Rioting is never the will of God. He is not honored by it or pleased by it. However, this does not negate the evil of racism in our world. Peaceful protests honor God when done in a response to sin in our world. This message is not talking about the same kind of rioting as has been happening in our city.

TAKE TIME TO PRAY!

To review, and if you look at the screens or here on the stage you’ll see what this looks like. Danny kicked us off week 1 in March by introducing the three tiers of the Theological Triage. Starting with die for. These are the things that if it came down to it we would be willing to die for their truth. I call these the Dogmas. Things like Jesus Christ being the son of God, Jesus Christ rising again, Jesus being born of a virgin, God creating everything, that Jesus is coming back some day (hopefully) soon. These are things we’d die for.

The next is defend. This is pretty self explanatory, but these are the things we won’t die for, but we’d certainly defend. This is going to be your important theological opinions. If you’ve been coming for some time then you’ve heard be describe these are Doctrines. Things that we may disagree on, but they are important enough to you individually that you’d defend them. For instance, for me a doctrine that i’d defend is Calvinism. For some its things that are known as the sign gifts, things like healing and speaking in tongues.

The last is discuss. These are theological positions that are open for discussion. These are not the foundational elements of your faith, and though they are important you may find yourself changing your mind on them multiple times throughout your journey as a Christian. You’ll find in this room alone we all have beliefs that no one will 100% agree with, there is variety! A great example of this level is eschatology. Your belief about how, why, and when Jesus is going to return. I guarantee you, if we had all of our parents in this room, there is no chance everyone would agree.

Now, this is the framework that we are working within. Tonight we’re going to talk about what it means to be open handed in danger. The big idea is this- and its super similar to what Pastor Troy talked about this Sunday so go and give that message a listen if you weren’t able to be there, If we’ve properly prepared ahead of time, when we’re called by God to face the unthinkable, we will be able to stand firm in GOd’s faithfulness.

In a world and a culture that is moving faster towards a rejection of all of Christianity we have to be prepared to faithfully stand on the Word of God.

To highlight this, we’re going to look at Acts 21: 27-36

Acts 21:27–36 ESV

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”

Content

People in culture will be angry about what you stand for.

Acts 21:27–30 ESV

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

If you remember, about a month and a half ago I talked about Paul’s ministry and how it almost always led to an uprising in the town that he was in, that led to Paul being driven out of the city. This exact same pattern is continuing to happen to Paul here in Acts 21. Just like the uprising in Ephesus, there is an uprising here in Jerusalem.

Because of Paul’s words here the Jews immediately rile up the people and seize Paul. Now, their accusations were that Paul teaches against the people (Jews), the law, and the temple. One thing that stands out in this text is this section, “Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple”

Let’s unpack this accusation. They say that Paul has defiled the temple, or “this holy place,” but why? The temple was divided into sections: the outermost area was the court of Gentiles, beyond that area no gentile was permitted to go. The Jews are falsely accusing Paul and Trophimus of breaking that prohibition.

In no time the whole city devolves into an uproar, and the people take Paul, drag him out of the temple, and begin to beat him with the plan to kill him.

Which brings us to point number 2,

2. Understanding why you are being beaten for Christ is vital.

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

We know that in this fallen & sinful world we will have tribulation. Jesus didn’t say you might He said you will. This is important to remember, because in many cases it explains the world’s response to true Christians.

He says that he has said these things to us, but what are these things? Lets rewind to John 15:18,

John 15:18–21 ESV

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

Matthew writes something similar in his account of Jesus’ ministry,

Matthew 10:22 ESV

and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

But friends dare I say for many, this is not the case. There are many Christians in our culture who are hated by the world and they claim that as proof of this text. But I am afraid in our culture the reason for so much hate of Christians is not because of Jesus’ name’s sake. But because they are just jerks. We have to be careful and utterly precise when it comes to our understanding of why we are being “beaten.”

I think of Jesus words in Matthew 7,

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Sheldon Vanauken was a close friend of C.S. Lewis’ and he said this about Christians (you heard me read this on the livestream Q&A a few weeks ago)

The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians--when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.

Friends, I want us to ask ourself this question. Is Christianity dying a thousand deaths in our culture today? Is Christianity dying a thousand deaths because of the way you live and treat people?

Now, don’t get me wrong, we are in a scary time in American history. Currently our neighbors in Canada are experiencing Church-persecution unlike anything the western/modern world has seen of late. There are barricades surrounding a Church keeping people out. That is not good. The equality act, like Pastor Troy talked about this past Sunday, has scary and severe implications for me as a Pastor, us as a Church, and you as a Christian. These are not things we should ignore. BUT! When the world says they hate us, we must make sure actually is because of Matt 10:22, and not because of a lack of Matt 22:39,

Matthew 22:39 ESV

And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

The scene in Acts 21 was mayhem, but God was in control and protected his servant.

Acts 21:31–36 ESV

And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”

God’s sovereign hand was over Paul even while he was in the grips of a murderous crowd. It was God’s sovereign hand that prompted a servant to give word to the tribune (a roman official) about the uprising in the city. And it was the hand of God that led the tribune to respond with soldiers and centurions (scholars believe it would have been more than two hundred soldiers, because there was more than one centurion).

In this time of history Herod the Great built a citadel called the Antonia Fortress whose chief function was to protect the temple in Jerusalem. This fortress had 4 towers which housed the soldiers and centurions as they looked over the temple. As the tribune heard about the uprising he would have ordered these soldiers out of the tower and down the steps of Antonia. Where they would have found the roaring murderous crowd with the Apostle Paul in its grasp, they bore Paul away from this crowd and back up the steps of Antonia as the crowd shouted, “Away with him!” — Just as they had done with Christ years before.

Paul, being dragged away by a new crowd, this time a crowd of soldiers, did this—

Acts 21:37–40 ESV

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

Not only did God’s sovereign hand protect Paul from the murderous Crowd, but He also held up Paul even after being beaten nearly to death. For this reason, liberal (liberal in theology is different than liberal in politics, so this is not a democratic theologian) German theologian Ernst Haenchen believes the story is a fabrication:

A man who has only just been beaten up by a fanatical mob is physically no longer capable of making such a speech. This reason suffices to prove that the speech and the dialogue preparing for it are unhistorical

Haenchen is wrong. For a dude with a heart like Paul’s, dependent on the Holy Spirit and the sovereign hand of God, such an accomplishment is attainable.

Conclusion

What was it that caused the bleeding, broken, and beaten Apostle Paul to ask for permission to speak to the crowd that wanted to kill him? A swelling passion for his people— the desire even to be cursed for their sake, that they might know Christ.

And so is the same for us. In a looming culture that may soon threaten us as they threatened Paul, that certainly already scream to Christians “away with them!” as they did Paul. The Reason why we still speak into this culture is a swelling passion for these people. It is a desire even to be cursed for their sake, not so that they would come to our side of the aisle politically. But that they might know Christ.

Let’s pray.