Courage Amidst Divisiveness (Acts 23)

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CPT: Amidst a divisive and dangerous situation, Jesus provided a way of protection for him to proceed on his mission.

Purpose: The church needs to know how to live as a Christian in a divisive culture.

CPS: You need courage amidst a divisive culture.

You need courage to proclaim the gospel because it is divisive.

You need courage to trust in God’s authority amidst divisiveness.

You need courage to move forward on mission amidst divisiveness.

Introduction

It seems like at every turn our culture is divided.

Divisiveness in our culture: I think we are all sickened and tired of school shootings. We want the school shootings to stop, but leaders are divided on how to make them stop. Division.

In a few weeks, we’re likely to get a decision from the Supreme Court that is already causing more division in our country. It looks like they will overturn the Roe vs. Wade decision, and that is causing more division in our country, as people clash on both sides. Division.

Try to raise your children with a biblical view of sexuality, that God created sex as a union in a marriage between a man and a woman. Immediately, your kids are thrust into a culture war on sexuality. Division.

We can’t even agree with the culture anymore on the definition of a man and a woman! Division. I think the only thing we can all agree on is that we don’t want to spend so much for gas.

Problem

How do you uphold a biblical worldview in a culture that is so divided? How do you preach Christ in a divided culture? We will see Paul doing just that in our chapter in Acts today. We will be in Acts 23.

Scripture Reading

In Acts 23, Paul is currently in Roman custody. Still, the Roman commander is not quite sure why Paul has upset the Jews so much. He wants to figure out what his charges are. So he calls together a meeting of the Sanhedrin, which was this ruling body of Jews, made up of a group of Jews called Sadduccees, and another group of Jews named Pharisees.

So Paul is standing in front of the chief priests and the Sanhedrin. In Acts 23:1, we read.

Acts 23:1–11 CSB

1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” 4 Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?” 5 “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.” 6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all. 9 The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party got up and argued vehemently, “We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks. 11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”

After the Lord encourages Paul, it tells us that a group of Jews make a plot to kill Paul.

Acts 23:14–15 CSB

14 These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”

However, a young man, the nephew of Paul, hears about this plot. He reports it to Paul, who in turn has him share it with the Roman commander. The Roman commander orders that a large group of soldiers, cavalry, and spearmen get Paul out of Jerusalem safely. He writes a letter to the governor, Felix, who he is sending Paul to. The letter tells the governor about the plot against Paul, and the commander needed to get him there safely. That gets us to verse 31.

Acts 23:31–35 CSB

31 So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 After he read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

Pray

This chapter is quite dramatic, as Paul finds himself in the middle of a chaotic and divided culture. The message of the gospel is causing a culture war, and Paul is right in the middle of it. This chapter shows us a number of things about sharing the gospel in a divided culture.

First,

You need courage to proclaim the gospel because it is divisive.

State the point; Anchor the point; Validate the point; Explain the point

Text: Acts 23:6-7; Luke 12:51-53; Hebrews 4:12

Paul found himself proclaiming a divisive message in a divided culture. He understood the culture that he was in. Jesus warned his followers that his message would bring division. Paul knew the message of Jesus would bring division, but he didn’t shy away from it. He proclaimed with boldness the message of hope in Christ.

Paul found himself preaching a divisive message. He observed the culture that he was in. He understood what were the underlying religious ideas, and preached his message right in the middle of that. Take a look at verse 6.

Acts 23:6–7 CSB

6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

He is standing in front of the Sanhedrin, which was kind of like the Jewish Republicans and Democrats. One group believed one thing and one group the other. The Sadduccees didn’t believe in a resurrection or angels or spirits, and that made them sad-you-see. But the Pharisees believed in all of that.

So Paul, knowing their differences, preached the message of the hope of Jesus right in the middle of that. He says, “You know why I’m here? Because I believe that Jesus rose from the dead.”

The thing about the Christian message is that, by it’s very nature, it is divisive. Look at how Jesus describes his message in Luke 12, starting in verse 51.

Luke 12:51–53 CSB

51 Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

When the message of Jesus is preached, immediately there is a reaction within the person. People don’t have passive reactions to Jesus. When God’s Word is preached, there is a piercing of the soul that judges hearts. Look at Hebrews 4:12:

Hebrews 4:12 CSB

12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The message of Jesus is living and effective and sharp. It judges thoughts and intentions, and causes a reaction within people. It divides, because some will fight against the judgment within them, and reject it, while others will submit to Jesus as Lord.

Courage to proclaim a divisive message: What is it like to proclaim a divisive message? Have you ever seen a bathtub just caked with dirt? It’s hard to clean a bathtub. You have to bend over it, and it hurts your back. You have to get in and scrub, and sometimes its so hard to scrub the dirt. I remember the first time we purchased this scrubbing product. It’s this white foam product that you let sit on the dirt in the bathtub. It starts to penetrate the dirt. It creates this scrubbing, and the friction in the soap as you scrub starts to clean away the dirt.

You may get hurt along the way in proclaiming the gospel. When you share the word of God, it may separate you from some folks. But you need to have courage. When you proclaim the good news of Jesus, as you share the word of God, it will penetrate the dirt.

You need to have courage to proclaim the gospel. Second,

You need courage to trust in God’s authority amidst divisiveness.

State the point; Anchor the point; Validate the point; Explain the point

Text: Acts 23:11; 18:9-10; Isaiah 41:10

Paul needed to be reminded of God’s authority amidst a divisive and dangerous culture. The Lord spoke to him and strengthened him. We can take courage knowing that God is in control and has authority over all things. He directs our path.

I think what’s encouraging about Paul is that he needed to be encouraged. If maybe the greatest missionary ever had to be encouraged by Christ, I don’t have to feel so bad.

Paul is in the middle of this divisiveness. He is preaching the hope of Jesus in Jerusalem, and it’s getting messy. It’s chaotic. People are ready to tear him apart, and he constantly has to be rescued.

The Lord knows what he is going through because of the gospel, and he knows where Paul is in his heart. He stands by him, and encourages him. Look at verse 11.

Acts 23:11 CSB

11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”

“Have courage, Paul!” The Lord encourages him in his testimony. “You know how you testified about my work in your life in Jerusalem? Have courage, because I’m going to get you through this. You are going to continue the work I have for you, Paul.”

This isn’t the first time that Paul needed to be encouraged in a chaotic situation. Paul also had to be encouraged when he was in Corinth. Look at chapter 18, verse 9.

Acts 18:9–10 CSB

9 The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”

What does this encouraging of Paul tell us?

God is with Paul in the chaos

In the middle of the chaos, in the middle of a divisive and dangerous culture, God is there. The Lord Jesus stands with Paul in the middle of the chaos. Isn’t that encouraging for us? We can know that, as we make a stand for Jesus in a culture that fights against the message of Christ, the Lord Jesus is with us. God is with you in the chaos.

God’s mission will not fail because he is in control

Because the Lord Jesus is with Paul, he can not lose. God’s mission will continue. God will use Paul for his glory until he calls him home. And that’s the thing about being on mission for God. When God has put you on a path, when he is directing your way, you don’t have to be afraid. We are invincible because of Christ in our life, until he calls us home.

God’s prophets had to be encouraged along the way

We see God encouraging his people and his prophets in Scripture. The prophet Isaiah also shared an encouragement he received, which was for him and the people of Israel. In Isaiah 41:10:

Isaiah 41:10 CSB

10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.

That’s an encouraging message for us. We don’t have to fear because God is with us in the chaos. He will help you. He will strengthen you with his righteousness. We don’t have to fear because God is in control. In the middle of a chaotic situation, trust in the authority of God.

God’s authority amidst divisiveness: We recognize authority. I remember looking at traffic lights when I was younger. One thing I learned early on was that red means stop, green means go, and yellow means go really fast. No, it doesn’t. That traffic light resembles authority. We realize that when we drive down the street and we reach an intersection, it is good for us to obey the authority of the traffic light. I should stop at the red light at an intersection. Sure, I could choose to start driving down the street and running through all of the red lights. But chances are, as I run the red lights, that’s going to have serious consequences. I could get hit, and I don’t want to get hit. So I obey the authority of the traffic light at the intersection. The traffic light controls the flow of traffic at the intersection.

How to trust in God’s authority amidst divisiveness: In the same way, people argue against the one who has control in the world. They don’t want to obey the rules. But God has ultimate authority over the way the direction of life is supposed to go. When I submit my life under his authority, I don’t have to be afraid. I don’t have to fear. I can trust his direction, I can have courage, knowing that he has ultimate control over the direction of life.

You need courage to proclaim the gospel, to trust in God’s authority, and last:

You need courage to move forward on mission amidst divisiveness.

State the point; Anchor the point; Validate the point; Explain the point

Text: Acts 23:16-17, 23-24; Matt. 10:16

Paul took courage in the words of Christ and moved forward on mission. He saw God’s protection because there was still work for him to do. He needed to continue to testify about Christ in his life. Wherever you are, God has you on mission. He has a plan and purpose for you. Amidst the divisiveness, stay focused on the mission that God has for you in your life. Take courage in Christ, and stay on mission.

Paul gets news about a plot that is being planned against him. The Jews are going to try and stop his mission. They plan to kill him. It says over forty Jews planned this attack against him. But a young boy, Paul’s nephew, here’s what is planned against him. Look at verse 16.

Acts 23:16–17 CSB

16 But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”

The commander hears the report about the Jews planning to kill Paul. He knows that Paul is a Roman citizen, and is therefore under his protection. He springs into action, and makes a plan to get Paul safely out of Jerusalem safely.

Acts 23:23–24 CSB

23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”

See, the Lord Jesus told Paul that he needed to have courage, because his mission was not done. Paul didn’t know how Jesus would rescue him from this plot. But he needed to have courage to stay on mission. He needed to know that God is in control, and that he needed to continue to have resolve to move forward. God had him on mission.

Jesus says something interesting about the mission that he has called his people to. Look at Matthew 10:16.

Matthew 10:16 CSB

16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.

If you look at this story in Acts 23, Paul is a sheep among wolves. He is in front of the Sanhedrin and facing danger from this plot because of his testimony for Christ. It is because he believes and is proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is on trial because of the work of Christ in his life.

He needs to be shrewd and innocent. He needs to observe the situation he is in and act with wisdom. But he needs to be bold with the gospel and righteous in his ways. He needs to make sure that his heart is encouraged and strengthened. He needs for his witness to be strong. He needs to stay focused on the path that God has for him.

Moving forward on mission in a divisive culture: I am someone that gets easily distracted. When I was completing seminary, I had to learn to focus. There are so many distractions! I would have to write these long papers that required a lot of focus. I would have to put on noise-canceling headphones because the sound around me was distracting. Sometimes, the things around me would distract me, so I would have to put on a hat to avoid seeing things around me and focus on writing the paper on the screen. I learned to put my computer on do not disturb, so I wouldn’t get any distracting notifications on the screen. I muted my phone so I wouldn’t get any ring tones. In fact, I would put my phone somewhere else in the room. I did everything I could to focus on what was in front of me.

How to move forward on mission in a divisive culture: There is a lot of noise in the culture. But as a Christian, you might have to put your blinders on to focus on the mission that God has in front of you. In a divisive culture, you speak the truth, and move forward in the mission God has for you. As a church, we are moving forward to reach this community with the gospel. As individuals, God has a mission that he has put you on. You might need to put some blinders on to focus. If you have children, God has given you a mission with them. Put things on do not disturb, focus on your mission, and speak the truth of God to them. If its your workplace or wherever God has you, take courage. Move forward on the mission that God has for you, because he is in control and he has already won the battle.

Conclusion

You need courage to proclaim the gospel because it is divisive.

You need courage to trust in God’s authority amidst divisiveness.

You need courage to move forward on mission amidst divisiveness.

Conclude

Have you heard the message today and realized that you need Jesus? Are you ready to put your faith in Jesus? We want to pray with you, and celebrate your new life. Please see one of our pastors after the service.

Prayer

Song: How Great is our God

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Don’t forget to gather on our patio for the opening of our Welcome Center. That will begin in about five minutes. Have a great week in the Lord!