Praying through Acts- Acts 25

Intro:

Acts 25:10 NKJV

10 So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know.

We will continue to pray through the Book of Acts, focusing on chapter twenty-five.

I find it incredible how God’s word consistently speaks to our day. Look at Acts for instance, when the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to write the history of the Early Church, He had us in mind.

The Christians of the first century took the world by storm. There had been many religions, but none like the followers of Christ. There were less than one percent of Christians in the Roman Empire but they persecuted them.

And the persecution all came down to their faith in Jesus. Unlike the pagans that worshipped many gods. Christians worshipped ONE God.

Their faith caused economic problems. As more people came to Christ, they stopped purchasing animals to sacrifice to false gods.

Finally, they rejected the Roman Empire as the final authority and considered themselves citizens of heaven. (Sittser, 32, 34, 36, 41, and 51).

By the time we get to the book of Acts, there is increased division, especially between the Jews and the Christians.

We see this pronounced through the life of the Apostle Paul. However, God continued to use him, bless him, and keep him to where even his enemies, the Romans, defended him.

How did Paul attain this?

Proverbs 16:7 NKJV

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

How did the followers of Christ in the early church please the Lord?

They walked close with Him, through the work of the Holy Spirit, communicating with Him through prayer.

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

Acts 23 closes with Paul waiting for his accusers and for the governor, Felix to determine his fate.

Acts 24- Paul shared the truth of the Gospel with His accusers and enemies

Now, Paul awaits trial. Felix, the governor, kept him under house arrest for two years. Tonight, we will see how God protected and helped Paul in the face of his enemies.

Our day is similar to Paul’s day. We live in a fractured time where division is RIGHT in front of us.

How do we make in a society with so many different opinions, ideas, and thoughts, and KEEP our testimony?

I want to emphasize the word testimony?

Having a different opinion and the ability to share that does not exempt us from walking in the fruit of the Spirit.

On the contrary, we should pray and let the Spirit help us live in peace with those who disagree with us.

We are like Paul in that we have to [Deal with Attacks], [Deal with Accusations], and [Deal with Appeals].

Let’s begin

1. Deal with Attacks

Acts 25:1–5 NKJV

1 Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, 3 asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. 4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.”

There are a number of names in this chapter that are important to understand if we want to see how God helped Paul with his enemies.

The first is Festus. He was a local leader, a governor of sorts, over the area where many of the Jews and Christians lived. He had authority to issue death warrants, collect taxes, and even put his face on money.

He went from Caesarea, and traveled fifty-three miles to Jerusalem. The high priest went to him and complained about Paul.

He told them all the bad things Paul ever did and then asked Festus to allow Paul to return to Jersualem.

Was the high priest pure in his request?

Not at all. Luke let’s us know that he planned on having some people ambush Paul and kill him on the way.

Festus decided that Paul should stay in Caesarea and any of the Jewish leaders who had an issue with Paul could make their case.

Clearly Paul had enemies. They not only disagreed with Paul, but they were ready to kill him because of their deep distrust and dislike of his teachings and beliefs.

I find it fascinating HOW God protected Paul. I know God protects His people, but sometimes He does it in ways that surprise me.

Festus was not a friend of Paul. Neither were the Jewish accusers. But God chose to help Paul from an unlikely source, a Roman governor who could have easily sentenced him to death with the stoke of a pen.

We have to trust God will protect us from attacks. We also have to let God help us in the way He determines is best.

Trusting God includes letting Him deal with the attacks of the enemy. His methods and ways might not make sense to us, but He always has a plan.

2. Deal with Accusations

Acts 25:7–9 NKJV

7 When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, 8 while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.” 9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?”

When Festus returned home, he brought Paul in to face yet another trial. He sat on his chair and allowed the Jewish leaders to make accusations against Paul.

It is something, for at least twenty-five years the Jews tried to stop Paul. They threatened him, they beat him, they stoned him, they nearly killed him, but nothing could stop him.

Now, they have turned to their enemy, the Roman Empire, to help them. They hated Paul so much they were willing to trust a foreign empire who continuously took advantage of them.

They make their same old accusations again, but like before, they couldn’t prove Paul was guilty of any wrongdoing.

Once again, Paul denied any wrongdoing against Judaism or the Roman government. We also see that Festus was not his friend, for he tried to use Paul as a bargaining chip to curry favor with the Jews.

How could Paul have made it through all of this?

2 Corinthians 4:8–12 NKJV

8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.

Nothing could stop Paul, not ever the threat of death, because He learned to die to self.

How do we die to self and become alive in Christ?

We have to spend time with the Resurrection and the Life. We have to make an effort get into His presence through prayer. When we are close to Him, nothing else will matter.

Did Paul get tired of the false accusations. I know I would. But he had faith that God would get the glory in the end.

Though Satan makes false accusations, when we pray we do not have to live in intimidation.

3. Deal with Appeals

Acts 25:10–12 NKJV

10 So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. 11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!”

When Paul heard Festus agree to send Paul back to Jerusalem, he spoke. Paul was born Jewish, but he was also a Roman citizen. Therefore, he had certain rights and privileges.

He restated his innocence and then made a final appeal— I want to go to Caesar.

Caesar was the emperor of Rome. At this time, his name was Caesar Augustus. In essence, Paul pulled rank. He wanted to go all the way to the top.

He had enough of local governors and Jewish leaders with an angst. Festus’s hands were tied. Paul had the right to a trial before Caesar.

In the meantime, Luke introduces us to another person of interest— King Agrippa.

His real name was Herod Agrippa. He was the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who was alive at the time of Jesus’ birth.

If Festus was the local governor and Caesar was the ruler over the empire, Agrippa was the king over Israel/Judah/Jerusalem.

Festus told Agrippa all about Paul. He explained why he was sending him to Rome. Paul’s request was huge, he was in Caesarea, which as over 1300 miles from Rome.

Festus was in a predicament. He used Paul to get favor with the Jews and Paul called his bluff. Now, he has to send a prisoner to Caesar.

The only problem was, this particular prisoner did nothing to deserve death, let alone prison. And Festus tried to explain this to Agrippa in a letter.

Acts 25:24–27 NKJV

24 And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. 25 But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. 26 I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.”

Isn’t it interesting that Paul’s enemies did not even believe that he was guilty?

Likewise, our enemy, Satan, knows that because of the blood we are not guilty of sin. However, he will attack us and accuse us, but we have one more card to play— we can make an appeal to heaven.

When we appeal to God for help, He will always listen and come through for us.

Instead of attacking those who disagree with us, we can take our needs to God and trust Him to help.

Close:

Paul’s real enemy was Satan. However, Satan used people to try and stop Paul from living. Therefore, Paul knew where to turn. Instead of attacking people, Paul’s ways please the Lord.

Having a different opinion and the ability to share that does not exempt us from walking in the fruit of the Spirit.

If we are followers of Christ, we are not exempt from displaying the fruit of the Spirit. We have to be:

love,

joy,

peace,

longsuffering,

kindness,

goodness,

faithfulness,

gentleness,

self-control

It doesn’t matter if we like or dislike someone.

It doesn’t matter if we agree or disagree with someone.

It doesn’t matter if we trust or mistrust someone.

God requires us to display Him to others.

How is this possible? Notice, they are the fruit of the SPIRIT.

Through the Help of the Spirit we can do all things.

How do we get the Spirit’s help?

Romans 8:26 NKJV

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

It goes back to prayer. When we pray, the Spirit helps us.

When we do not know how to pray, the Spirit will pray in and through us, petitioning God on our behalf.

Prayer pleases God, when our ways please God, we will have peace with our enemies.