Can God be Trusted? (Acts 23:11-35)

Introduction

Joni Eareckson is an artist, an author, a radio host, a singer and a minister in the body of Christ. It was a summer day when Joni Eareckson went to do one of her favorite things, spending time at the beach with her sister. While there Joni decided to go for a dive and somehow she landed awkwardly and very badly; so bad that her spinal chord was severed. Just like that, Joni would never walk again or have the use of her hands. She has lived her life ever since as a quadriplegic.

Joni was 14 when she gave her life to Christ and only a few weeks before the tragic accident. She was praying to draw closer to God and live the christian life the right way, then this happened.

Was Joni ever able to trust God again? How could she ever trust God again?

Can we trust God when things do not go the way we want them to or when we face opposition?

Paul’s story in Acts 23:11-35 tells us the answer to this question is yes.

Proposition

We can trust God in difficult times because He is faithful.

God’s Purpose for Paul (Acts 23:11).

To lay a foundation for why we can trust God in difficult situations, I want us to look at what the passage reveals about the nature of God. In Acts 23:11

Acts 23:11 NIV

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

we see Jesus encouraging Paul in the difficult circumstance he was facing because he was doing the will of God. Not only that, He also reveals what His next assignment for Paul’s life is. This reveals two patterns we can observe about the nature of God:

1. God takes pleasure in inviting us to participate in His work.

God is in the business of making Himself known to people and thereby calling all men to Himself. In order to make Himself known and bring the lost to Himself, God has chosen us to be vessels through which He displays His glory and propagates His Gospel.

We can see this in the lives of the apostles particularly Paul’s. He was chosen to carry the Gospel to the gentiles and as Paul as obeyed that call we have seen God use him in several places including Jerusalem, where he is, and in Rome, where he will be.

This fits with what Christ commanded in the great commission. Matthew 28:18-19

Matthew 28:18–19 (NIV)

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The same call extends to us today, we are to make Christ known where we are and where we will be.

The question is are we answering that call? Are we fulfilling the great commission where we right now?

The second pattern of God’s nature we see in this verse is that:

2. When God calls, He is also committing Himself.

The illustration of soldiers fighting at the fore front of wars and their commanders in chief sitting the comfort and security of their palaces.

God is not like our earthly leaders, He doesn’t send us to battle and sit millions of miles away watch us as we waste away. God goes to war with us!

We can see in Acts 23:11 that when Paul was in trouble, the Lord was there standing right next to him.

Acts 23:11 NIV

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Again, this appears to be in keeping with the promise in Matthew 28:20

Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Paul was never alone in his suffering, his Master was always there with him. We are never alone in our suffering, our Master is always with us. Because when God calls us, He commits himself to us.

So take courage!

God’s Purpose under Threat (Acts 23:12-15).

Now, that God has called us and the fact that He is committed to us does not prevent the enemy from attacking us. In other words, when God calls us, there will almost certainly be oppositions, trials, difficulties.

Look at what happens immediately after the Lord spoke to Paul?

Acts 23:12–15 NIV

12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

A plot to kill Paul. A plot that, if successful, would have meant that Paul does not make it to Rome and fulfil God’s assignment for his life.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Why do we face oppositions and difficulties? One reason is that we have a sworn enemy in the devil and his forces. The other is that we live in a broken world that is opposed to our values. Another is that we sometimes make bad decisions that leaves us in bad spots. Sometimes, it is God leading us into some of this situations just to shape us and grow our faith.

For whatever reason why we might face opposition, difficulties and trials, we have a God who is able turn everything to our advantage.

That leads us to our next point:

God’s Trustworthiness (Acts 23:16-35).

Before the ink could even dry on the scheme to kill Paul, God’s plan to rescue him was already in motion. Paul’s nephew caught a wind of the plan, told Paul, Paul then made him reveal the plan to Claudius.

God made it possible for

(i) Claudius to believe the boy . POINT:  God moves in hearts of those in authority to make them favorable to his followers.

(ii) Claudius to arranged 470 soldiers to protect Paul.  Because if Paul had made the journey on his own, he might not have made it.  POINT:  God raises forces of men and nature as protection for his followers.

There are two takeaways I would like to state here:

1. God can be trusted to deliver us from trouble.

2. God can be trusted to be with us even when he allows suffering.

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego in the burning furnace.

Now I want us to turn our attention to what this passage reveals about human attitude to God:

Paul’s Attitude (Acts 23:11-35)

In a course on how to study the Bible, one of the the things we were advised to look for when observing a passage is something/someone that you expect to see but you can’t see.

I have been a human being for over 30 years, so I can say I am expert in human behavior. There is a way I expect Paul to react but he is not following that pattern.

In all of this, not once did Luke record that Paul complained to, blamed or denied God, or even questioned Him. Paul appeared to be calm through all he had to go through (or did a good job of hiding it).

To help us appreciate Paul’s calm demeanor in the face of death, trial and imprisonment, let us contrast his reaction to that of the disciples when they were in a somewhat similar situation.

The Twelve and the storm.

In the Gospel according to Mark.

Mark 4:35–41 (NIV)

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

He told the story of how Jesus told the disciples “Let us go over to the other side” just like He told Paul “As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

As they travelled in a boat there was ‘ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.’ Notice that there reaction is strikingly different from Paul’s. They questioned Jesus “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

It seems that Paul understood that when Jesus says “you are going to testify in Rome,” he was going to Rome irrespective of what happens in between. Because when God speaks it’s as good as accomplished.

The disciples on the other hand, probably because they are young in their walk with Jesus didn’t understand that when He says “Let’s go over to the other side”, they were going to the other side, no matter what happens in between.

Our reaction is often more like that of the Twelve than Paul’s. We fail to realize that when God speaks, it’s as good as accomplished.

What factor determined how the twelve and Paul reacted?

Faith! Paul knew he could trust God regardless of the things he has faced and will face in the future. Even as he faces trial before Felix.

Conclusion

How about us?

Joni’s story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVXJ8GyLgt0

How is Joni still able to trust God?

How is Paul able to remain calm in a relatively stressful situation?

Because they have found that God is faithful and He can be trusted.

Have we found God to be faithful? Are we able to trust Him in the face of trials, oppositions, etc.

As a church

As individuals

Because God has called us, because He is committed to us, because He is faithful to deliver us and be with us in our sufferings, He can be trusted and we should trust Him, even in the face of difficulties.

Benediction

It is obvious to see how Paul was able to pen the words in Philippians 1:6 “having been confident of this very thing, that He who did begin in you a good work, will perform it till a day of Jesus Christ.” - Quincy.

You can trust God!

Go and be blessed!!