God’s Providence

When I was 10 years old, my parents surprised me with the news that they were getting a divorce.

To me this came out of left field.

I didn’t know it was happening.

I couldn’t see any of the “signs” of a dividing marriage.

But hey I was 10 and I was more consumed with video games, television, and friends than I was with my parents.

You know in movies and TV shows when a character is near a bomb or blast and to make you feel like you are there they director silences the sound and all you hear is a ringing noise.

That what I experienced as my world came crashing down all around me.

But even in this difficulty God had a plan to redeem this situation.

I had no idea how God was working, but he was.

Just a few short years after the divorce we moved to Fort Worth, Texas.

I was an angry 13 year old.

I hated being away from my friends.

I hated that I needed to start over in a new school.

I hated that my parents were divorced.

I hated that it seemed like my life was collapsing around me.

Quick background.

My mom was raised baptist, my dad was raised catholic.

We didn’t attend church regularly as really young kids.

But eventually, Mom and Dad thought it would be good if we started going to church.

Dad said that would be cool, but he would only go to Catholic Mass.

My brother and I became altar boys and went through first communion, confirmation, and baptism in the catholic church.

But we hated it.

We hated every moment of church.

The sitting, standing, kneeling.

The boredom. The repetition.

In fact, we hated it so much that there were times we would sneak into our parents room and turn off the alarm Sunday mornings so that we didn’t have to go to church.

But God knew what he was doing.

Soon after my parents split we started to go to a Baptist Church.

It was extremely traditional.

Loud Preaching.

Choir Singing.

Piano Playing

Hooting and Hollering.

And I loved it.

Mostly b/c it wasn’t like the church we had been going to.

People had personality.

Honestly, I probably wouldn’t like it today, but back then i thought it was awesome.

Well then we moved to FTW.

We didn’t have a church family, so we became complacent with not going to church.

That is until I was invited to attend by one of the youth leaders while having lunch with some of my new friends.

I eventually convinced Momma to take me, but we started only going on Wednesday.

Mom was working 2 jobs to make ends meet, mostly in the evenings and weekends, and I was too young to drive, so we went when we could but we enjoyed it when we went.

This church is the place where I first heard the gospel.

Where Jesus finally revealed himself to me.

Where I finally understood the essentials of the faith.

I also met Corrie there and 8 years later we would be married.

That was where I first felt the call to ministry.

(I didn’t listen, but the call was there)

And because of all that I stand before you today.

Obviously there is much more to my story, but suffice it to say that God used the things that happened in my life to ultimately place me here today.

The Providence of God is an interesting and compelling Doctrine.

It simply means that God is involved in his creation.

That he governs with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe.

Yet not just in the universe, but in our lives as well.

Sometimes what seems like small and insignificant God uses to direct your story.

Likewise, when there is a tragic event like divorce, death, or disease God will use it to shape your story.

I am sure if each of you took some time to reflect on your life that you would see God’s hand at work.

And if you haven’t done that, I would encourage you to do so.

God is never not at work.

His finger prints are always on our lives.

Even when we don’t see it he’s working.

Even when we don’t feel it he’s working.

He never stops working.

We will see and read about that today in our continuation of Paul’s story.

Things that could be taken for granted or overlooked are going to play a huge role in God’s plan for Paul’s life

For Paul we are going to see God’s providence in protection, heritage, and education.

But before we get there let’s pray.

Acts 22:22–23 ESV

22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,

Uproar

Why was there such an uproar by those that listened to Paul?

Well lets go back one verse to see.

Acts 22:21 ESV

21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

Paul was already in trouble with the crowd b/c they thought that he had brought a Gentile into the temple.

To the devoutly Jewish people, simply mentioning the word Gentile was akin to cursing.

These people had listened to Paul’s testimony.

They heard about his transformation.

They heard about his encounter in the temple.

They were dedicated to his recounting of the story until he said something offensive to their ears.

So what did they do. They became angry.

And they started waving their coats in the air as a demonstration of their anger and frustration while screaming

“Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!”

The fact that any Jewish person would spend time with a gentile was offensive to their senses.

It was offensive to their heritage.

It was offensive to their core of who they were.

And Paul, a Pharisee, was willingly going to teach the Sacred Scriptures to the Gentiles.

Not only that but he was going to proclaim Jesus as messiah.

So another riot was about to break out, but Paul was going to receive protection from the Roman government.

Acts 22:24 (ESV)

24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this.

Providence through Protection

Protection by the Government

The first level of protection that Paul receives is through the government.

The Roman commander senses the reality that the situation is going awry and whisks the battered and beaten Paul to safety away from the crowd.

This is providential because if the commander hadn’t been there to begin with Paul would have been murdered by his own people.

Now the commander moves Paul from another volatile situation and continues to protect him from the murderous intentions of the Jewish people in the temple.

Even though Paul is under arrest by the government his life is preserved by this unforeseen turn of events.

Here’s what we have to realize sometimes God will use undesirable circumstances to accomplish his purposes.

I can assure you that Paul didn’t want to be in chains.

Paul would have rather been a freeman.

But his freedom in this circumstance would had cost him his life.

Notice this also, Paul was following Jesus.

Paul was obeying Jesus.

Paul was in the center of God’s will.

Yet Paul was a bloody mess.

Paul was bound in chains.

Sometimes following and obeying Jesus is going to lead us to places we don’t want to be.

Places of discomfort.

Places of Pain.

Places of despair.

It’s not always going to be easy.

But I can assure you that God is still working.

God is still moving.

God is still directing you to where he wants you to go.

As bad as it gets, as painful as it gets, as confused as we get, we can hold to the fact that God is moving his story forward.

God is never going to be surprised, overcome, or in despair about your situation.

His mission is never going to be stopped regardless of how hopeless is seems to us.

He is never surprised or overwhelmed.

Paul is exactly where he needs to be.

Now even though Paul has been protected by the Roman commander, Paul now faces an interrogation by that same commander.

The commander is still confused as to why all of the violence broke out in the first place.

When he removed Paul from the crowd he asked but didn’t get a clear answer.

After Paul had spoken to the crowd he still didn’t know what had happened.

So he is going to result to torture to get the answers he is looking for.

Paul was going to be “examined by flogging”

This was a fairly common way of extracting information from someone.

The soldiers would use what was called a Flagellum

Flagellum- Wooden Handle with leather straps on the end. The straps were lined with pieces of metal or bone so that when it would strike flesh would be ripped.

This is the same kind of tool that was used to beat Jesus before his crucifixion. Jn 19:1

Many people didn’t even live through the beatings with the flagellum.

They died on the whipping post.

But Paul was going to be protected from the beating b/c of his heritage.

Acts 22:25–29 ESV

25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

Providence through Protection

Protection Because of Heritage

I can only imagine how confused the Roman Commander had to be at hearing the Paul had Roman Citizenship.

He first thought Paul was an Egyptian.

Then he found out that Paul was Jewish and from a Prominent City.

Finally he discovers that Paul is a Roman Citizen.

Here’s the thing, lying about being a citizen of Rome is punishable by death.

And becoming a citizen of Rome can only happen a couple of different ways.

One way is the way that the commander became a citizen, through bribery at the cost of large sums of money.

Another way is to have parents that are citizens and that citizenship is passed down.

That’s Paul’s route.

Now we know that Paul’s father had to be a citizen.

Now for Paul’s dad to be a citizen he had to have helped the Empire in some way to be granted citizenship.

Most likely b/c they were tent makers by trade, they aided in campaigns by building tents and supplying the army with those goods.

But regardless of the way by which Paul’s father became a citizen, b/c Paul was born a citizen that means that according to Roman Culture he outranks the commander.

And from this point forward the commander is going to treat Paul with great respect b/c he no longer sees him as insignificant.

If Paul was a regular Jewish man, he could have been scourged and beaten without any recourse.

The Romans after all wanted to keep law and order in their country.

But as a Roman Citizen Paul had certain rights that could not be violated.

He could not be beaten without a trial.

And to do so would make the commander in violation of the law.

If the commander violated the law, he could have been punished by death.

So instead of beating Paul to find out information, the commander needed to change strategies.

Acts 22:30–23:2 ESV

30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. 1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

Paul ends up before the Sanhedrin.

The Commander brings him there hoping to finally discover why Paul is surrounded by chaos.

Why do the Jews keep wanting to kill this man.

So Paul sat before these teachers of the law.

These men that are tasked with keeping the Jewish People in line with what they believe the Word of God teaches.

Paul is bold in his stance and he says to them, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”

And this infuriated the High Priest Ananias.

Ananias commands that someone Strike Paul on the Mouth.

So Paul is slapped across the Face.

There are a few things we need to know about Ananias.

He is despised by the common people

According to Jewish Historian Josephus, Ananias was in collaboration with the Romans.

He was also merciless, greedy, and cruel towards his own people.

Those he was suppose to protect.

He hated Christianity.

He Hated what Paul was preaching.

He hated that Paul had abandoned the religion that he had grown up in for Christ.

He Thought Paul was wicked and deceitful.

He thought that what Paul taught was blasphemy.

So without giving him the time to defend himself or state his case, Ananias ordered someone to Slap Paul across the face.

Which was actually against the same law that Ananias was claiming to uphold.

Again we see that those that sought to obey the law were willing to break it just to try and stop the message of grace.

Why was Ananias so mad?

Because Paul said that he has lived his live before God in all good conscience up to this day.

Paul didn’t feel any shame for following Jesus.

He didn’t feel any condemnation for abandoning the faith of his childhood.

He knew the truth. He had seen Jesus.

He knows the grace, mercy, and love of God.

Not tied to rules. Not tied to the law, but found in Grace.

Think about it.

Paul was living shame free.

This same man that arrested Christians.

That placed them in jails. Men and Women.

That stood by as Stephen was stoned to death.

He felt no shame because he had been forgiven.

He had been made free.

He had been awakened to the reality of who Christ is and the depth and meaning of his sacrifice.

Do you ever think about the forgiveness that you have received as a follower of Jesus?

If not, you should.

Too often as believers we look back on our lives and we regret or feel shame for what we did or how we acted.

We look back at those we have hurt.

Those we have wounded.

But the reality is God has actually forgiven you.

Hear me again, “Jesus has forgiven you!”

There is no need for you to dwell on your past sin.

There is no need to live in the past.

There is no need to wish you would have done better.

Those sins, those trespasses, that rebellion was forgiven when Jesus saved you.

Yet now that you are a follower of Jesus there is an expectation that you live a life above reproach.

That you strive to live a life of holiness.

A life of Godliness.

A life chasing after the things of God.

You will fail at times, for sure.

You will stumble, absolutely.

But are you striving for the things of God.

That is how you can give the best defense of the gospel.

You were one way and now you are another.

You were dead. Now you are alive.

You were condemned. Now you are free.

Your past is forgiven. Your future is secure.

In your present strive for godliness, strive for holiness, strive after the heart of God.

Then you can stand with Paul and say, “I stand here in good conscience.”

Let me tell you about the Jesus I love, follow, and serve.

However, that opening statement didn’t sit well with Ananias.

He saw a blasphemer.

He saw an antagonist against God.

So he has one of those with him strike Paul.

And Paul responds.

Acts 23:3–5 ESV

3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”

Outburst and Apology

Paul was incensed by the fact that he was slapped before giving his testimony.

Have you ever been slapped in the face?

It’s not a pleasant experience.

On top of being painful, it is extremely humiliating.

Now does Paul respond in a holy and gracious way…no.

He curses the giver of the command.

He responds differently than he should.

He doesn’t turn the other cheek.

If Paul really wanted to imitate Jesus he would have stood there silent, without responding to the violence thrust upon him.

But remember Paul wasn’t Jesus.

He was a regular person.

With Real feelings.

Real responses.

Real anger.

And that is on full display here when he calls on God to Strike Ananias.

He even points out the hypocrisy?

“Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” v. 3

From Lev 19:15

This phrase “whitewashed wall” should remind us about what Jesus said about the Pharisees.

Matthew 23:27 ESV

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

Paul is angry. Paul has an outburst.

But then those present are shocked by Paul’s brazen act of disrespect when it comes to their High Priest.

So after they relay to Paul that he has cursed their Leader, he immediately repents.

No one knows why Paul didn’t know that it was the High Priest who had ordered the strike.

The high priest had changed since Paul was last in Jerusalem.

Paul had bad eyesight. Per the letter in Galatians.

There was too much commotion to know where the order came from.

B/c this was an impromptu gathering of the Sanhedrin they weren’t in their proper attire.

Regardless of why Paul didn’t know who was who, the moment he found out that he had cursed the HP, he asked for forgiveness.

Quoting

Exodus 22:28 ESV

28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

He sees his wrong.

He also demonstrates that he isn’t above the Law.

He shows respect.

He may not have respected the person, Ananias, but he definitely respected the office.

As followers of Jesus, we may not like the person residing in a certain office, but we should respect the office.

We shouldn’t speak ill of the office.

We need to remember that any time a specific office is filled it is done so at the hand of God.

His providence doesn’t escape even the highest of earthly offices.

Nothing is outside of God’s power and providence. Just remember that.

Now Paul apologizes, but he still stand on trial.

But he isn’t done using the tools that God has given him.

Acts 23:6–10 ESV

6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

Dividing Discourse

Paul is an intelligent man.

He knows several different languages.

He was trained by one of the greatest Rabbi’s in Judaism.

He knows theology, politics, and human nature.

All of which were ordained and provided to him through the providence of God.

So here he uses his knowledge to create a ruckus during his trial.

We need a short history lesson on the Jewish schools of thought during the 1st Century.

There were 2 basic schools of Thought

There were the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Both of these parties made up the Sanhedrin.

Mostly Sadducees, but there were some powerful and influencial Pharisees in the mix too.

Much like everything that is divided into two parts there were the liberals and the conservatives.

The Sadducees were the liberals. They didn’t believe in the supernatural.

No angels. No resurrection.

They only observed and obeyed the Torah. (first 5 books) Gen., Ex., Lev., Num., Deut.

The Pharisees were the conservatives.

They observed and enforced the Law at all times.

They believed in the Supernatural.

They believed in Angels.

They believed in the Resurrection.

Paul was a Pharisee.

Do you see God’s providence in that?

He was primed for belief in the resurrection.

He was primed to believe in the supernatural.

He adhered to the law that found Grace in the cross of Christ.

Paul knew these two schools of thought and he knew the tension and division that you could cut through with a knife in the sanhedrin.

So what does Paul do?

He stirs the pot.

He isn’t disrespectful.

He isn’t arrogant.

He simply tells the truth.

“The reason I am here is b/c I believe in the Resurrection.”

I believe that I saw Jesus alive after you killed him.

I believe that God does miraculous things.

I hold on to my teaching as a Pharisee.

I believe in upholding the law.

That is why I apologized when I was in the wrong.

I believe that God still moves and works today.

Not only was I a Pharisee, I was trained under one of the most important and influential Pharisee’s of our time.

He was trained under Gamaliel.

Gamaliel was such an influence during this time this was written of him

“When Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, regard for the Torah ceased, and purity and piety died.”

So Gamaliel was revered and respected and Paul trained under him.

Paul had the education and pedigree of an important person.

So he wasn’t someone to be pushed to the side.

He wasn’t a peasent.

He was educated and trained.

Because his views lined up with the other pharisees, they naturally took his side.

They saw nothing wrong with Paul.

They even contended that maybe he did see or hear something.

They didn’t believe it to be Jesus, they the at least were open to the possibility that a Spirit or angel spoke to Paul.

The division between the two parties was so great. That violence soon ensued.

Paul was once again saved by the commander and swept away to the barracks.

The commander still had no idea why Paul was sought after.

He was still clueless as to the hatred toward Paul.

But nevertheless, God used this commander to protect Paul from harm once again.

(if your counting that’s a total of 3 times)

Paul is no doubt beat down and exhausted.

He must be physically, mentally, emotionally, and possibly spiritually tired.

But the Lord is going to come and comfort him.

Acts 23:11 ESV

11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

Holy Reassurance

Jesus Comes to Paul.

This is the 4th of Five times that Paul gets a personal appearance from Jesus.

One happens on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9)

One Happens as he is on his Journey and Jesus tells him to go to Macedonia (Acts 16)

Then Jesus appears to him in Corinth to assure a respite from persecution (Acts 18)

Also here in Acts 23. And Finally in Acts 27.

We are not sure what Paul is thinking.

Or how Paul is feeling, but we do know that the Lord shows up when Paul needs him most.

So maybe Paul is beginning to think that it was a mistake to come to Jerusalem.

Maybe he is overwhelmed by the hatred that he is receiving.

But regardless, Jesus Showed up to encourage Paul.

“Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

Jesus addresses the end goal: Rome.

Paul’s longing and desire to get to Rome is solidified by Jesus’ confirmation.

He is on the right Track.

He is exactly where God needs and wants him to be.

Jesus wants to reassure Paul that all is not lost.

The goal still lies ahead.

Be strong. Be courageous. Stay Faithful.

This communication right here is Jesus telling Paul that he is doing a good job.

Well Done, my good and faithful servant.

Paul’s journey and calling give him the right and power to write these words.

2 Corinthians 4:7–18 ESV

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Paul sees the providence of God in his life.

He understands that the hand of God has directed his every step.

That even while he opposed God he was being used by God.

That even when he suffers for God he is be transformed by God.

That even when he doesn’t know what else to do, he can trust and obey.

he can trust b/c he knows that God is faithful.

He can look back on his life and see God working.

He can see God moving.

He knows that even in the pain and suffering God is still in control.

God will still be glorified.

Listen to me you may not know or understand what is going on in your life.

But let me assure you that if you belong to him, God is working it out for your good and for his Glory.

We may not see know how.

We may not be able to see through the circumstances.

But God is working.

God is moving.

That’s the trust that we have in the providence of God.

That’s the faith that we can have in the God of the universe who saw our sin.

Saw our shame.

Saw our rebellion.

And still came to save us.

He came so that we could be in relationship with him.

God orchestrated your life right now so that you could hear this message.

Do you need to place your trust in him.

Do you need to commit to following him closer

Do you need to take the next step in obedience to him

We are going to have a time of reflection.

The altar is open if you wish to come and pray.

I am here if You need someone to talk to.

Have faith. Have trust.

See the providence of God in your life.

Let’s pray.