83 Acts 22:30-23:11 HaveCourage

June 08, 2025

Christopher C. Freeman

Title: Have Courage Text: Acts 22:30-23:11 FCF: We often struggle having the courage to share our faith when we face uncertain days. Prop: Because God’s unfailing providential plan includes all events, we must courageously proclaim the gospel. Scripture Intro: NET [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 22. In a moment we’ll begin reading in verse 30 and on to verse 11 of chapter 23 from the New English Translation. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Last week we saw Paul reviled by the sinful Jews and treated with respect by the pagan Romans. In these events we see God’s providential hand accomplish His purposes. Even orchestrating the choices of men to compose His perfect story. Today the narrative will advance again in a new Episode. Paul will be granted a hearing before the spiritual leaders of Israel. But in a rare occurrence we will see the righteous character of Paul falter as he faces frustration at the ongoing spiritual rot of the Jews. We will also see the wisdom of Paul to lay a firm foundation for his defense in every trial he will face in the rest of the book. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Sovereign Lord, You are master of all things. You have decreed the end from the beginning and all things work to accomplish Your will and Your purposes. Indeed, there is nothing too small or too big that You have not already woven together and written for Your ends. In this grand story the gospel shines bright as the center of it all. And as one of Your servants once said, “The whole gospel is contained in Christ.” At the center of Your already written story, is Your Son. We pray that You would make much of this gospel to us today. That Your Spirit would enable us to see it clearly and preach it courageously. We pray this in Jesus’ name… Amen. Transition: Let’s get right to the text this morning. I.) God’s providential plan includes unjust rulers; we must courageously proclaim gospel. (22:30-23:5) a. [Slide 2] 22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer wanted to know the true reason Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council to assemble. He then brought Paul down and had him stand before them. i. So, we see the predicament that the commander is in. ii. He tried questioning the crowd and got nothing. iii. He tried beating it out of Paul and to his horror, discovered that he had bound a Roman citizen. iv. While it makes sense that perhaps he should just ask Paul what the issue is, for whatever reason, he doesn’t. v. Perhaps there is an assumption that Paul will not willingly incriminate himself? Perhaps he has tried to question Paul and he has kept silent. vi. What is clear is since Paul is a Roman citizen, this is now a Roman matter. But in order for the commander to send the matter to be judged in a Roman court, he must have a definitive charge from the Jews against Paul. vii. So, he releases Paul and arranges an audience for him with the Sanhedrin and the chief priests. viii. Hopefully the Sanhedrin will either dismiss their case against him or agree on formal charges. b. [Slide 3] 23:1 Paul looked directly at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God to this day.” i. If we would compare Stephen’s defense before this same council and Paul’s defense before the Jewish mob in chapter 22, we’d see a remarkably similar style. ii. Essentially the defense in each case begins with a look to the past to establish the innocence of the person in the present. iii. They are saying that it is not odd what I am doing, in fact there is a precedent for my actions. iv. This is clearly where Paul is going. He will probably move to remind this council of his zealousness in the pursuit of God and the law. v. His clarity of thought and determination of spirit. vi. In fact, he is probably going to show them that the only thing that deterred, interrupted, and circumvented him not being the exact same person he has always been was the experience he had on the Damasus road with Jesus of Nazareth speaking from heaven. vii. What begins with great promise is met with a strong and violent resistance. c. [Slide 4] 23:2 At that the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. i. There are some things we need to understand about the office of the High Priest in the first century and how that compared to the office in the Old Testament. 1. In the Old Testament, God chose to have the High Priest come from the line of Aaron exclusively. 2. As time went forward, Zadok, one of Aaron’s ancestors, because of his unwavering loyalty to God and David and Solomon, became the chosen line from which the High Priest would come from that time forward. 3. In the Old Testament a high priest would serve for the duration of his life and then another would be appointed. 4. But during the 400-year silence where God did not give any Word to Israel, a group called the Maccabees began to normalize the granting of the role High Priest to… well… anyone. 5. As the Romans took over, they began appointing and removing Jewish High Priests to accomplish certain political objectives in the region. 6. Ananias was appointed High priest by King Herod Chalcis, the brother of Herod Agrippa the First. He appointed Ananias High priest around AD 47 and then died shortly thereafter. 7. Josephus, the Jewish historian records that Ananias was harsh, cruel, and greedy. 8. Indeed, in AD 52, right before Paul came back to Jerusalem between his 2nd and 3rd missionary journeys, the governor of Syria sent Ananias to Rome on charges of excessive violence toward the Samaritans. 9. Due to the influence of King Herod Agrippa II, Ananias was acquitted of these charges and returned to his office in Jerusalem. 10. It was no doubt because Ananias was a much better politician than he was a High Priest that he managed to keep his office for as long as he did. ii. Thus, when Paul is ordered to be struck here, we do not see this order coming from a holy and just man called by God to be His High Priest of Israel. iii. Instead, we see this come from a man who has a history of cruelty and violence. iv. A man put in his position by the wickedness and greed of men. v. And he orders Paul to be struck because he has already determined that what Paul is saying is a lie. d. [Slide 5] 23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law you order me to be struck?” i. Paul reacts to being physically assaulted as you and I might react. ii. He gives a prophesy and it does come true. Ananias will be hunted down and murdered in his burning home by zealots at the beginning of the revolt in AD 66. iii. However, this prophesy doesn’t seem to be spoken with a godly purpose. iv. In fact, it almost seems like a curse in God’s name uttered in retaliation for a personal. v. And then he calls Ananias a whitewashed wall. vi. A wall pretending to be strong and fortified but only seems that way because the white wash hides the imperfections. vii. In other words, Paul calls him a hypocrite. viii. Why? ix. Paul calls Ananias a hypocrite because he is presiding over a trial to determine if Paul violated the law but in doing so Ananias violates the law by striking an accused person. x. The Paul we’ve seen throughout the entire book of Acts has never reacted this way to being persecuted or mistreated. xi. The most he has ever done was to refute false teaching and even demand justice from people who did not treat him as a Roman citizen. xii. And it is here we see the contrast. When Paul announces that he is a Roman citizen, the Roman commander, the Roman centurion, indeed every guard steps back in fear and seeks to treat him with the respect that he deserves and give him the legal rights he deserved as a Roman. xiii. But the High Priest, presiding over the Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin, cannot even afford a fellow Jew the rights guaranteed to a Jew. xiv. In a sense, the Romans were better at being Roman than the Jews were at being Jewish. xv. Why does Paul react so strongly? xvi. I think he is supremely disappointed and frustrated at the absolute corruption of the Jewish Spiritual Leadership. And he is fed up with it. And he lashes out. xvii. Counter to many scholars attempt to defend him, I do think Paul reacts in the flesh here. He is not like Jesus who did ask why he was struck but did not insult or curse those who struck him. xviii. Paul doesn’t even act as he advises the Corinthians in chapter 4 of 1 Corinthians when he says that when we are cursed, we bless. xix. Paul succumbs to his flesh here out of frustration. Why? Because even the High Priest of Israel is wicked. e. [Slide 6] 23:4 Those standing near him said, “Do you dare insult God’s high priest?” i. Here we see the reaction of those near him in this court room. ii. They are aghast that Paul would have the gall to insult the High Priest. iii. Was what Paul said not true? iv. Just because something is true of someone doesn’t mean it is any less of an insult to say it to them, in public or in private. v. Also to pronounce judgment on a judge at your own hearing could be seen as an insult. An insult borne of not knowing your place or respecting the authority over you. vi. Paul’s response to these men is somewhat of an enigma to us, so let’s get to it. f. [Slide 7] 23:5 Paul replied, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’ ” i. There are two basic points that Paul makes in his response to their protest. ii. First, he did not recognize the High Priest iii. Second, he quotes Exodus 22:28, which is listed in an assortment of miscellaneous laws with little connection between them. iv. So, the primary question of interpretation here is… is it really possible that Paul did NOT know that the person who ordered him to be struck was the High Priest? Wouldn’t the High Priest be wearing different robes? Shouldn’t Paul know who the High Priest is? Doesn’t the fact that the man gave an order and it was followed seem to indicate that he was the High Priest? There are 4 basic views. I’ll cover them more fully on Thursday Night. 1. Some scholars point to Paul’s eyes as a continued issue. Paul did not recognize the High Priest because he could not see him. 2. Some scholars suggest that this was not a formal meeting of the Sanhedrin and because of this the High Priest was not wearing his robes. 3. Some scholars suggest that Paul simply did not know that Ananias was the High Priest. 4. Finally, other scholars suggest that Paul is being ironic with his statement. Meaning that Paul is saying he didn’t know it was the High Priest because High Priest’s don’t act this way. v. Although each option has their strengths, each option has some significant weaknesses as well. vi. If I was forced to pick one, I’d lean more toward the ironic option. vii. But, in the end it seems best to leave this unanswered. viii. What we do know for sure is that Paul proves that he does know the law and is not intentionally violating it. He desires instead to please God as he tried to say before he got punched in the mouth. g. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Although we know that God’s plan is for Paul to go to Rome to preach the gospel, in the apostle’s mind, this is still not certain. Remember what he told the disciples of Christ before coming to Jerusalem. That if God wanted him to, he is prepared to die for Jesus’ name. Paul has no idea how this is going to end. And in the midst of that, he is put in a situation where those who are the religious leaders of Israel, who know the scriptures and have studied them thoroughly, are now in a position to hear the gospel from the lips of one who was formerly among them. All of that comes crashing down when after uttering his first sentence in this hallowed hall, Paul was struck in the mouth. Where should he seek justice when the religious leaders of Israel are unjust? Where should his hope be when his own kinsmen will treat him with less respect than pagans? Paul, in a rare moment of weakness, reacts in anger and frustration over unjust rulers allowed to treat him this way. He has forgotten how the providential hand of God includes unjust rulers. God uses, and orchestrates unjust rulers to accomplish His purposes. Paul corrects himself for his momentary lapse in character but he needs to get back to the reason he is there. He must courageously proclaim the gospel of Christ. Even in these hollow halls of whitewashed walls – he must proclaim the gospel to them. Should we ever be in a similar position, may we remember our primary objective. To give a defense for the hope we have in us. [Slide 9 (blank)] Transition: But one thing he most assuredly realizes because of this interaction, is that he will NOT get a fair trial by this court. And that is why he changes his tactics in the next scene. II.) God’s providential plan includes theological opposition; we must courageously proclaim gospel. (6-10) a. [Slide 10] 6 Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” 7 When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) i. Using a rather well-known tactic for defense, Paul decides to sow a little chaos by dividing the council. ii. Paul looks up and notices that the council has both the Pharisee party and the Sadducee party represented among them. iii. We’ve talked about their primary differences several times before but Luke takes the time to show Theophilius the exact reason that Paul’s comments would have elicited such a reaction. iv. The Sadducees only believed that the Pentateuch (The first five books of the bible) was the authoritative Word of God. They denied that there was ever a resurrection of the dead or that after death a person would become an angel or a spirit of some kind. They insisted upon annihilation. v. But the Pharisees affirmed the whole Old Testament as God’s Word, they believed in miracles, in angels and spirits, and in the resurrection of the dead. vi. The divide between them was so sharp that it led to many disputes, some of which are recorded in the gospel accounts. vii. So, Paul starts a fight. viii. But we have to ask the question here… Is Paul lying? ix. He shouts that the reason he is on trial is because he is a Pharisee and that he believes in the hope of the resurrection. x. But… that isn’t true. Is it? xi. In fact, it is abundantly true. xii. Paul pivots the entire trial to the REAL reason that he is there. He remembers that although he won’t get a just and fair trail, that isn’t why he is there in the first place. xiii. Although the Jews from Asia accused him of speaking against the law, the people, and the temple, the real reason he is there is because his opponents hate the gospel of Jesus Christ. Something he now has a unique opportunity to proclaim. xiv. So, Paul has three objectives in claiming to be a Pharisee and stating he is on trial because he believes in the resurrection of the dead. 1. His first objective is to gain allies. a. Paul claims to be of the Pharisee party. b. The New Testament scriptures never record for us anywhere that a Sadducee ever came to Christ in conversion. c. In Acts 15 we see that there was an entire group within the church who were comprised of former Pharisees. d. That doesn’t necessarily mean that no Sadducee converted. e. But Christianity is MUCH MORE compatible with the Pharisee’s perspective on doctrine. f. To the extent that the teachings of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension and future return are not at all compatible with the Sadducee party’s doctrine. g. In order to confess Christ, a Sadducee would first need to reject their beliefs. h. So, in some ways, Paul is a Pharisee. i. So, the council is immediately not united against him any longer. 2. His second objective is to end the trial. a. The High Priest has made it clear that this trial is not going to be about establishing clear accusations against Paul. b. It will instead be designed to destroy Paul any way they can. c. If Paul is interrupted by being struck every time he says something the High Priest disagrees with, this will be a long and painful trial. d. So, Paul needs this trial to end. Now. e. The quickest way to do that is to throw a theological grenade in the middle and let them clamor over it. f. Since he is still a prisoner of Rome, he knows this will stop the trial. 3. His third objective is to make the gospel the center of every future Roman trial. a. Paul wisely pivots the entire dispute to be about the main issue. b. The gospel of Jesus Christ. c. This assures him that not only will he go before Roman judges over a purely religious issue and not a legal one… which means barring any injustice in the law, he will be released. d. But also, it means he will have legal right to proclaim the gospel to every Roman judge he encounters since it will include discussion about the resurrection of the dead. xv. So, Paul is not lying about what the trial is about. Because it is most certainly about the resurrection of the dead, meaning Christ crucified, risen, and coming again to reclaim His people. xvi. His statement here is a brilliant way to make the gospel the center of the trials that are to come. b. [Slide 11] 9 There was a great commotion, and some experts in the law from the party of the Pharisees stood up and protested strongly, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” i. Paul’s gambit pays off. There was a great commotion and he actually gains unlikely allies. ii. The Pharisees and their experts in the law say they find nothing wrong with Paul. iii. Then they suggest that it is entirely possible that an angel or spirit spoke to Paul. iv. This suggests to us that members of the Sanhedrin were present during Paul’s first defense to the Jewish mob. v. The Pharisees are willing to entertain the possibility that Paul was met on the road to Damascus by something… not the risen Messiah, not Jesus the second person of the godhead, but perhaps an angel or a spirit. vi. In this way they simultaneously advocate for their theological position while also not believing the Jesus heresy. As a byproduct of this, they exonerate Paul. vii. This, however, doesn’t quite settle the matter… c. [Slide 12] 10 When the argument became so great the commanding officer feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, he ordered the detachment to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. i. The Pharisees would not have the majority view on the Sanhedrin. ii. If they did, the trial would have been over and Paul would have been released. iii. Instead, the Sadducees who held a clear majority continued to argue over the theological matter in question. iv. The Roman commander put Paul before the Sanhedrin hoping they would be able to dismiss or clarify the matter. v. But their fighting over doctrine has led the Romans to conclude that the issue with Paul has nothing to do with legal matters and everything to do with theological ones. Which is true. vi. But as they fight over these issues, it is incumbent upon the Roman Commander to protect his prisoner. vii. So, having received the reason for their treatment of Paul, he brings him back to the barracks and will begin the process of arranging for his next trial. d. [Slide 13] Summary of the Point: In this scene we see how God not only uses unjust rulers to accomplish His will, but He also uses theological disputes to accomplish His will too. God uses this dispute between the Sadducees and the Pharisees to ensure that Paul goes before Roman judges on trial for something they cannot find him guilty for, and in which he can proclaim the gospel as his defense. And that is exactly why Paul comes back to the reason he is there and brings the issue to the surface. He isn’t there to dispute these doctrinal issues – but he is there to make this all about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We too should look for ways to turn, even difficult situations to a proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Transition: [Slide 14(blank)] God uses so many things to accomplish His will that we should trust Him without question. But He knows we are weak. And oftentimes, He aids us by supplying clear promises of purpose and plan. In this final scene of this episode, we’ll see Christ do just that for Paul. III.) God’s providential plan will not be undone, we must courageously proclaim gospel. (11) a. [Slide 15] 11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Have courage, i. After all of the dust settles and Paul spends another night in the barracks, the Lord Jesus comes to Paul again. ii. Jesus stands next to him and tells him… commands him… to have courage. iii. We’ve seen Paul courageously get up after being stoned and go right back into the city. iv. We’ve seen Paul courageously face down several Jewish mobs and imprisonments. v. We’ve seen him courageously go to Jerusalem knowing that he would be imprisoned and suffer for Jesus. vi. He even said that if it was the Lord’s will for him, he was not afraid to die for Jesus’ name. vii. But today, Paul proved that he was afraid of something. viii. Paul was afraid of his life ending before he completed his race. ix. In 2 Timothy, when Paul faced his second imprisonment by the Romans in Rome. And he was soon to go before Nero and be judged. Almost certainly facing death – he wrote to Timothy and assured him that he was ready to die because he had fought the good and worthy and noble fight, and that the has finished the race and kept the faith. x. But that was after he had completed what Jesus said he would. xi. Today - Paul is afraid. He is afraid that he will stumble before the end. That his life will not accomplish what God has planned for it to. xii. On this night, Jesus stands next to him and provides to him what he needs. xiii. First… a command. xiv. Be courageous. Don’t be afraid. xv. Why? b. [Slide 16] for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” i. I haven’t forgotten my plan for you. ii. You have borne witness to me in this city. iii. You have testified before men what I have said. iv. You have preached the gospel. v. You have kept the faith and fought the good fight. vi. Don’t be afraid… because you must go to Rome. vii. Why? viii. So, you can do the same thing there. ix. Do not be afraid. Be courageous Paul. x. My will will be done. c. [Slide 17] Summary of the Point: God uses various means to accomplish His will. Many of them surprise us because they include evil and unjust people doing evil and unjust things which eventually lead right back to what God wants to happen. But the long and the short of it is that God’s providential plan will come about. It will not be broken. It cannot be undone. Jesus assures Paul – You must testify about me in Rome. Not you might. Not you could. You WILL! Everything that happens is a means God has used to accomplish His purposes. So, what is the only response? Courageously proclaim the gospel. Paul you are going to do it… so go and do it courageously. We too should go and courageously proclaim the gospel because our Lord has assured us that the Kingdom is coming and that He is returning. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC and how then shall we live? What are some basic principles we can take away informing our faith and commanding our practice? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 18] Luke continues to develop the theme of God’s providence working in various ways to accomplish His will for His church. This last act of the narrative has focused on Paul’s going to Jerusalem and then on to Rome. The connective tissue of all this is in verse 11 when Jesus tells Paul overtly to have courage because just as he has proclaimed the gospel in Jerusalem, he must and will do the same in Rome. This becomes our primary lesson of practice. We must courageously continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter where we are in life. But all of this is predicated on the fact that God providentially leads all things to accomplish His will. Luke has demonstrated in this episode specifically that God’s appointment of unjust rulers and even theological opposition are all orchestrated and used of God to accomplish His purpose. Indeed, part of Jesus’ words in verse 11 to Paul are to guarantee him that he will preach the gospel in Rome. Essentially Jesus sums all this up by telling Paul that the providential plan of God cannot be undone and that all things work to accomplish His purpose. And that purpose for Paul is for him to preach the gospel in Rome. Once again, Luke forces us to see an abundantly practical side to the absolute sovereignty of God. But let me try to help you see those practical things. 1.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God even uses Opposition and Injustice to accomplish His will. a. In this text we clearly see God use unjust rulers and theological opposition to accomplish the purpose of Paul going to Rome with the gospel. b. The amazing part is that Paul is still two and a half years away from setting foot in Rome. c. Isn’t that wild? d. Paul has really just begun this journey to Rome. But Jesus assures him, that he will go and proclaim the gospel. e. We won’t linger long on this this morning, but we must again recognize that God’s decreed and perfect will cannot be thwarted by anything men do. f. In fact, all things work together to accomplish that good and perfect will. From the insignificant all the way to wickedness and everything in between. g. There is not one rogue molecule in God’s creation. There is not anything that God has left to chance or to a free choice of even one member of His created order. h. Isaiah 46:10 teaches us that God has decreed, published, declared or proclaimed the end from the beginning. This is a cohesive novel that God has already written. We are characters in this play. i. Though we experience the play in real time and have the very real perception of freedom of choice and agency, so much so that God holds us accountable for what we choose to do – at the same time, nothing happens that God has not already determined. j. Even God’s opponents are Opponents He owns and has designed to accomplish His will. k. We must confess this – otherwise we have a very puny god indeed. l. We must also… 2.) [Slide 20] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God’s Sovereignty is the necessary backdrop for proclaiming the gospel courageously. a. If God has left even one man, truly free, and able to freely choose to do things that He did not plan, then we as believers must live in fear of that one person no matter who they are, because at any moment the plan of God could be toppled by their freedom to do what God has not willed them to do. b. Jesus has no right to declare to Paul that he should have courage. Because that one person could prevent Paul from preaching the gospel to Rome. c. But skeptics of the teaching of God’s absolute sovereignty do not settle for merely one man but that all men have absolute freedom to make their choices. d. Is Jesus saying have courage Paul because no matter what happens I’ll make sure you get there? Or is Jesus telling him to have courage because He has willed him to be there? e. Indeed, looking at all that will happen to Paul over the next two and half years – if we take the first option we are left with a god that is quite puny indeed. He is able to run faster, hit harder, know more, and generally do more – but ultimately, he is little more than a demigod that just slightly better than humans at making sure he gets his way. f. But if we take the second option that Jesus has willed Paul to go to Rome, when we look at the next two and a half years we see that Romans 8:28 and Isaiah 46:10 assure us that Paul experienced all that he did as the plan which God had written for him from before the foundation of the world. g. Indeed, it is only the second option that leads us to any courage to continue our mission. h. If God wills it… then none can oppose it… and if none can oppose it…then how can I fear? 3.) [Slide 21] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that the primary mission of God’s people is correcting social ills or theological opposition. a. This application is borne out of Paul’s fleshly response and affects many Christians today as we seek to right the social wrongs or theological quagmires of our day. b. Paul was frustrated by the Spiritual leaders of Isarel being experts in the law and occupying such titles as High Priest, being so absolutely devoid of justice and mercy and goodness. c. Indeed, for a moment he cursed them for being hypocrites and demanded justice rather than injustice. d. After an apology, or at least a recognition of the law of God against cursing rulers – Paul refocuses on his primary mission. e. He starts a religious fight. Not to prove out the truth… but to get to the heart of the gospel and make sure it is the primary talking point in every trial that follows. f. Paul gets back on mission. g. And Christian we must get back on mission too. h. We do not exist in the United States of America to right all the country’s problems. We don’t need to know the scriptures only so we can cast down all the false teachings out there. i. My friends our primary mission is to make disciples – baptizing them and teaching them to follow Christ. j. We can be politically active, we can mourn injustice, we can defend the gospel against error – but these must play second fiddle to our primary mission. k. Which is what? 4.) [Slide 22] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must courageously proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, in season or out of season. a. In times when things are going good for us and in times when the world seems to be crashing down around us – the primary mission of God’s people is the same. b. Make disciples. Proclaim the gospel c. Paul told Timothy later to preach the word in season or out of season. d. To be ready to proclaim the truth whether it was convenient or not. e. As far as opportunities to preach the gospel go, standing before a bunch of judges, Jewish and Roman, who could have you killed, doesn’t seem to be like the ideal place to preach the gospel of Christ. f. I think we all could think of much less hostile environments to proclaim the gospel. g. But this is Paul’s mission. And it is our mission. h. Most of the time our opportunities to proclaim the gospel risk very VERY little. Especially compared to Paul. i. But we have to ask ourselves – If I can’t share the gospel when all I’d face is rejection… how can I ever hope to proclaim the gospel when I face death and torture? j. We must be bold in our witness. k. But not just with our words… With our actions too. 5.) [Slide 23] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must not allow uncertainty or irritation to compromise our character or witness. a. We understand Paul’s plight. b. Until Jesus tells him in verse 11, he doesn’t know what is going to happen in Jerusalem. He doesn’t know what the outcome will be. c. But the moment he is put in the hands of the Sanhedrin, he is guaranteed that they will not let him go without snuffing him out. d. We too can become irritated and frustrated when we are uncertain about what is to come. e. We become worriers and can even get impatient and downright rude when we are in a position of uncertainty. f. And when we look to people who claim to be spiritually minded, and their advice or actions prove ungodly… we can get pretty cranky then too. g. What we must realize is that our knowing what is going to happen or the spiritual strength of others cannot be the basis for our holy living. h. The bedrock of faith and practice is Jesus Christ. To know Him in His death and resurrection is the core of being who He has called us to be. i. When we start depending on what we know will happen or on the spiritual strength of others… that’s when failure is sure to follow. j. Paul failed in this text. He was not thrilled about being struck in the mouth and essentially called a liar. He was not happy that the supposedly spiritual people of Israel were still failing so badly. k. And for a moment he let it get to him. l. We must trust the Lord. We must be courageous and trust that He is our only hope. He is what gives us life abundant. m. Only then will we maintain holy lives when faced with uncertainty or the failure of others to do justly. 6.) [Slide 24] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored” The gospel of Jesus Christ centers on the resurrection of the dead. a. The resurrection of the dead is the keystone in the concept of the gospel. b. Not just because Jesus rose from the dead, but because all who are in Christ will rise with Him. c. Sin and Death are the problem. d. Although there are many ills we face in society, in our lives personally, and bodily ailments – the greatest plight mankind faces is that we are born in sin and under the wrath of God as children of Satan. e. Satan being condemned as a vile sinner himself, and Satan earning eternal death for himself one day, he wields sin and death as a kamikaze pilot wields his plane. He too will be destroyed by these things. f. And he has succeeded in plunging all of mankind to share his fate. g. That is why we are born his children. Adam has joined him and in Adam we too have joined him. h. The effect of death is its finality. Which wouldn’t be so terrible if it were not for sin. Sin is called the STING of death. Why? i. Because all who die… in sin… remain in sin. j. Sin separates us from God. Not in the sense that God can’t be in the presence of it but in the sense that God is holy and anything unholy cannot abide His presence. k. And God’s wrath is revealed against ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. l. Meaning what? m. Everything unholy will have God’s wrath eternally revealed upon it. n. But what if sin could be killed? What if death was not final? o. Do you see what Jesus has done? By His death He has took away the sting of death which is sin. He became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. p. By His resurrection he took away the finality of death being the first fruits of many brothers. q. The keystone of the gospel is the resurrection of the dead. Because in His death and resurrection Christ has defeated both sin and death for His people. And who are His people? Those who endure in turning from their sin and believing on Him. r. Do you want the sting of death removed from you? Do you want to live again? Not in an eternity called a second death… but in something called eternal… LIFE? s. If that is what you desire… don’t leave this place this morning without talking to an Elder. We’d love to share with you more about what Jesus has done. [Slide 25 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs Lord, you have given me a portion in the world. You have given me credit and a reputation among others. But what is all this to me, if I am without Christ? If I do not have the one who gives grace to my soul, the one who is my all in all? Lord, you have taught me this day that the distance between you and me is so great that without a mediator, I perish forever. So whatever else you deny me, give me Jesus. It is in His name I pray this… Amen. Benediction: May the God who works wonders, Who has made His strength known among His people, And by His power redeemed them, May He be your joy and may He delight in you always Until we met again, go in peace.