Praying through Acts- Acts 23

Intro:

Acts 9:15–16 NKJV

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

As we continue to pray through Acts, we will focus on chapter 23.

I have thought a lot about our world lately. It seems everywhere we turn something new happens. We do not know what to expect, so we’ve learned to expect the unexpected.

Just when we think we’ve seen it all, something else comes across the news that shocks us.

How does this affect us as followers of Christ?

We’re living in times as a the church that we’ve not experienced in our lifetime. The times have caught up with the church. We live in a world filled with:

immoral people

insconsitent people

inconsiderate people

It seems that nothing is off-limits. Politicians of both parties are hounded by people who disagree with them. Families have become target. Social media preys on vulnerable people.

So what do we do? What are we to expect as the church in these last days?

Let’s think of what the Early Church faced:

Acts 1 - promise of power

Acts 2 - received power

Acts 3- exercised power

Acts 4 - prayed for more power

Acts 5- people lied and God displayed His power

Acts 6- conflict arose and God used people of power to help the church

Acts 7- Stephen reminded them of God’s power in history

Acts 8- walked in power to spread Gospel in Samaria

Acts 9- Saul was converted through an encounter with God’s power

Acts 10- the power of God fell on the Gentiles as Peter preached

Acts 11- Peter defended Gentiles receiving power

Acts 12- the church prayed and Peter was released from prison

Acts 13- God sent Barnabas and Paul as a result of prayer

Acts 14- Paul and Barnabas took the gospel to new regions proclaiming God’s message with power

Acts 15- they prayed and God gave powerful discernment

Acts 16- Paul and Silas prayed and praised in prison, and God set them free

Acts 17- Paul stayed consistent in the face of hardships because of his prayer life

Acts 18- Paul prayed and God helped him reach the city of Corinth.

Acts 19- Paul put what he prayed for and believed into practice and God answered

Acts 20- Paul prayed as he headed to Jerusalem, knowing difficulties laid ahead

Acts 21- Paul Told everyone he was ready to go to Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit led him there

Acts 22- Paul took time to witness to those who hated him

If we desire to be a New Testament church, we MUST get ready for the unexpected. However, if we will commit to pray and seek God, He will help us.

Nothing catches God by surprise. If we stay close to Him, He will lead us through the expected and unexpected.

Once Paul came to Jesus, he expected that God would use him to spread the Gospel, as we read in the Lord’s words to Ananias. However, Paul shows what to expect as he nears to Rome to witness about Christ before Caesar.

What can we expect in these last days?

[Expect Confrontation], [Expect Comfort], and [Expect Care].

Let’s begin

1. Expect Confrontation

Acts 23:1–5 NKJV

1 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?” 4 And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” 5 Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”

Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin. Included in the Sanhedrin were Jewish leaders who were the ruling judicial body of the Jews.

About twenty years before this, Paul was stood with the Sanhedrin to determine the fate of Stephen and Paul watched as they stoned him to death.

Paul told them that he had a clean conscience in all that he did through his ministry to the Gentiles. Instead of claiming insanity, he wanted them to know he simply did all that the Lord called him to do.

Immediately, Ananias, the High Priest, commanded the men next to Paul to slap him on the mouth. I am sure that was unexpected, immediately Paul was so upset that he told them that God would strike them.

This insulted the people, especially because it was forbidden that anyone should speak to the High Priest in this manner. Paul defended himself, because he wasn’t aware that Ananias was High Priest.

This was not a smart aleck excuse, it was reality. Paul rarely visited Jerusalem, so he was not present when the Romans placed Ananias as High Priest.

Acts 23:6 NKJV

6 But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”

Paul knew his audience was made up of the {Pharisees} and the other was the {Sadducees}. At first, the Sadducees and Pharisees were against Paul.

To point out the division of those who came against the church, Paul mentioned the fact that he was a Pharisee, his father was a Pharisee, and he believed in the resurrection,

This led to a confrontation, but now against Paul. Now the Pharisees and Sadducees fought. One group believed in the resurrection and the other did not.

By the end the Sadducees really wanted him dead, but the Pharisees wanted him to live. Another riot was about to erupt, therefore the Roman Commander had to rescue Paul once again.

Division and confrontation will increase. God will give us wisdom in how to stand for what we believe.

2. Expect Comfort

Acts 23:11–13 NKJV

11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” 12 And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy.

Paul had a vision of Jesus giving him a promise, {do not worry}, {be happy}, you will go to Rome, I promise!

Paul needed this encouragement. In all likelihood he was discouraged. He planned his trip to Jerusalem to be brief, and then he was on his way to Rome and then Spain.

Now he was been in Jerusalem longer than expected and the chains that awaited him were much worse than expected. But Paul had a promise, he was going to go to Rome no matter what people tried to do otherwise.

Though God promised Paul that he would go to Rome, the enemy influenced certain Jews, likely Sadducees against Paul. These forty Jews went on a hunger strike.

They determined that they would not eat until they killed Paul. They then plotted against Paul’s life.

They decided that when the Commander moved Paul to his next destination, these men would hide on the road and when the timing was right, they would kill him.

But God protected Paul. He used Paul’s nephew, who overheard the plots against Paul’s life. He went to the commander and shared the news.

What a comfort for Paul. When he felt alone, God used someone close to him to help protect and comfort him.

God always knows where we are. He never forgets us and will do what is necessary to comfort us.

3. Expect Care

Acts 23:23–24 NKJV

23 And he called for two centurions, saying, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night; 24 and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

Once again God used the Romans/Gentiles to come to the aid of Paul. When the commander heard of the plot against Paul’s life, he knew he had to do something.

Because Paul was a Roman citizen, he had rights, and one of those rights was protection when in custody. If Paul had been assassinated while in custody the commander would have been executed.

It was the commander’s responsibility to protect Paul and he spared no expense. He called for {200 foot soldiers}, {70 horsemen} and {200 spearmen}, men who had weapons to surround Paul.

Imagine, being arrested, but also being protected by this large crowd of people. Furthermore, it is likely that they tried to hide Paul so that he could not be noticed and threatened.

Then he wrote a letter to the governor, to let him know how Paul’s enemies plotted against him. He verified that he found no fault in Paul, especially anything deserving death.

The chapter ends with Paul being kept in Herod’s Praetorium, also known as a Palace.

(Isn’t it something?) It would be as though we were brought to the governor as a prisoner and he let us stay in his mansion while we awaited trial.

God took care of Paul even when his enemies desired to destroy him.

God will take care of those who follow His plan for their lives.

Close:

Expecting the unexpected. Now more than ever, I keep seeing the importance and necessity of prayer. When we pray, we partner with God, remaining close to Him.

What does the future hold?

From a natural perspective, it seems that conflict is on the horizon. People are more divided now than ever in my lifetime.

Therefore, we have to pray for God’s help not to take sides, but to stand on the WORD OF GOD.

Scripture outweighs every opinion and takes precedence of arguments and conflict.

We have got to live according to the Bible and stand on God’s word.

Should the enemy attack, we can give thanks for God will comfort and care for us.

Does Jesus care? O yes. He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief. When burdens press and the cares distress I know my savior cares.

God knows what will happen to us. No matter what we face, if we keep close to Him, He will always take care of us.