Acts  Sermon Series

Wheelersburg Baptist Church 9/21/03 Brad Brandt

Acts 22:30-23:11 "When You’re Standing Alone"**

During his years as premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev denounced many of the policies and atrocities of Joseph Stalin. Once, as he censured Stalin in a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a shout from a heckler in the audience. "You were one of Stalin's colleagues. Why didn't you stop him?"

"Who said that?" roared Khrushchev. An agonizing silence followed as nobody in the room dared move a muscle. Then Khrushchev replied quietly, "Now you know why."    

Have you ever been in a situation where you were the only Christian in a room? Maybe you were in the biology classroom at a secular university and the professor was taking pot shots at creationism. Perhaps you walked into a heated discussion in the break-room at work, the subject being the "narrow-mindedness of fundamental Christians." Possibly it was the locker room at school and you were the only one not laughing at the off-colored jokes. It’s tough to stand alone, isn’t it?

The Bible is full of true stories of people who were willing to stand alone for God. Noah stood alone and built the ark, enduring the world’s mocking for year after year. Joseph stood alone when Potiphar’s wife framed him and sent him to prison. Moses stood alone as he led the fickle Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. David stood alone as he faced Goliath. Daniel stood alone in the lion’s den. Jeremiah stood alone when his own people cast him into a cistern. Stephen stood alone when the Jews tried him and stoned him. The apostle John stood alone when the Romans boiled him in a cauldron of oil and exiled him on the island of Patmos.

In addition to the biblical record, church history is full of stories of men and women who stood alone for the Lord Jesus. John Wycliffe stood alone while critics attacked him for translating the Bible into the English language so common people could read it. Martin Luther stood alone when the Roman Catholic authorities told him to recant of his allegiance to his biblical convictions. John Huss stood alone and was burned at the stake at the age of 42 and died singing, "Lord, have mercy." Hudson Taylor stood alone when his peers mocked his unorthodox methods for reaching the Chinese for Christ. In more recent times Georgi Vins stood alone and went to a Soviet prison for preaching the gospel.

Perhaps you’re thinking, "Hold on. I’m not John Huss, and I’m certainly not Daniel or Noah. No offense to those fellows, but I prefer the smooth road. I’d rather get along with people, even if it means toning down my faith a little."

Know this. If you are serious about doing the Lord’s work, toning down your faith is not an option. You either believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Lord, or you don’t. And if you do believe that He is, then you must give serious attention to this subject, the subject of standing alone.

"Okay," you say, "I’m willing, but I’m not sure I can. I’m a weak person! How can I stand for Christ when everyone else is against Him?" We’ll find out today. In our study of God’s Word this morning we’re going to see a vivid example of a man who was willing to stand alone, not once, but time and time again in his life. His name is Paul.

In Acts 22:30-23:11 we find one of the occasions when Paul stood alone. We also discover in this text two certainties that we must grasp if we are going to stand alone in the face of conflict. Here’s the first certainty. It may not be profound, but it’s vital.

Not maybe, but must. This subject is not optional. This is a General Ed course for Christian living, "Standing Alone 101." If you are a Christian, a true, biblical Christian, there will be times when you must stand alone.

Unfortunately, we don’t talk about that enough. We’d rather emphasize what we get for being a Christian, rather than what it costs to be a Christian.

Please don’t misunderstand me. We pay nothing to become a Christian—and if we think we can pay something to merit God’s favor we cannot become a Christian! To be saved we must admit we are lost, helplessly and hopelessly lost in our sins. We must bring our spiritually bankrupt lives to God, acknowledge that we deserve His judgment, and can do nothing to prevent it. Then and only then are we able to receive what He freely offers us, His forgiveness and acceptance, on the basis of the work His Son accomplished for us at the cross and the empty tomb. God says that whoever believes in His Son receives the gift of eternal life.

Salvation is a gift. It’s free to us. Though you are poverty-stricken you can be saved today because Jesus paid it all. Salvation is free.

But know this. It’s not cheap. If you receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord you will become a minority in this world. You will be hated by the religious crowd and mocked by the irreligious, just as your Savior was. And there will be times when you must, as did your Savior, stand alone. Jesus said in John 15:20, "Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also."

And when it comes to standing alone, Paul can show us how. As we concluded last time Paul was standing on the top step in the Jerusalem temple. A misunderstanding had led to his arrest, so he asked the Roman commander, Claudius Lysias, for permission to speak to the angry mob of Jews. Speaking in Aramaic, he shared his testimony of salvation with them and seemed to gain some ground until he revealed that God had sent him to take the message of the Messiah to the Gentiles. Upon hearing the word "Gentiles," the Jewish crowd went wild. The commander took Paul into the Fortress of Antonia, prepared to scourge his criminal, and then discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen.

Our story focuses on the event that occurred the very next day. Three things happened to the apostle.

A. Paul was accused (30). "The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them."

Claudius Lysias still didn’t know what Paul’s crime was. He’d heard plenty of wild accusations, but none of them made sense to him. So he decided to address the problem head-on. He ordered the Jewish Sanhedrin to assemble for a special session to examine Paul.

The Sanhedrin was the ruling body of the Jews, the Jewish "supreme court," and consisted of seventy to one hundred men (71 being the proper number). Keep in mind that in his pre-Christian days Paul (then Saul) used to hang out with this crowd, and was there when the Sanhedrin passed the death sentence on Stephen.

But now the tables are turned. Now he’s under the microscope of examination. They were accusing him, and he was standing before them. In the next scene it moved beyond mere accusation.

B. Paul was attacked (1-5). Here’s how it happened.

Verse 1 begins, "Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin." The verb is the same one Luke used in Acts 1 for the disciples’ gazing into the sky as the Lord ascended. The Greek atenizo means "to gave upon, to fix one’s eyes upon, to stare." Some say this was due to Paul’s poor eyesight. I think his mind flooded with memories. Two decades earlier, he knew these fellows. Perhaps he’s looking to see whom he recognizes.

His gaze also communicated volumes—our eyes always do. As the Sanhedrin members made eye contact with Paul that day, they saw conviction mixed with compassion. They were looking at the man who just the previous year (A.D. 57) penned these words in Romans 9:1-3, "I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race."

Finally Paul broke the silence and spoke (verse 1 again), "My brothers." The customary way of addressing such a group was, "Rulers and elders of the people" (as Peter did in Acts 4:8), or "Brothers and fathers" (as Stephen did in Acts 7:2). But Paul addressed this solemn bunch with a tone of familiarity, "My brothers," since he knew some of them and considered himself an equal.

He continued, "I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." Remember, he’s standing there to defend himself against their accusations. His first line of defense is one of conscience. "My conscience is clear." Keep in mind that a person’s conscience can be clear and yet misguided (as Paul’s was when he persecuted Christians). If your conscience isn’t triggered by God’s Word, you can be guilt-free and still guilty. Churches are full of people who are convinced they are going to heaven because of their own goodness—their conscience is clear, yes, but it’s clear because it’s misinformed.

Paul’s conscience was clear, he said, because he had sought to please God and not man. That had been true even in the days prior to his conversion. He wasn’t perfect, but he had a pure conscience.

I’m not sure where Paul planned to go next with this line of defense, but he never got there. Luke tells us why in verse 2, "At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth."

Why Ananias responded this way we’re not told. History verifies he was an egocentric, dictatorial ruler. He reigned as high priest for about eleven years, starting in A.D. 47, and was one of the most corrupt high priests the Jews ever had. Josephus says Ananias stole tithes that should have gone to the common priests. Just five years before the event we’re considering, the governor of Syria sent Ananias to Rome on suspicion of complicity in an outbreak between the Jews and Samaritans, but retained his office. He was very wealthy. His pro-Roman policy also made him very hated by his own people, so much so that in A.D. 66 some Jewish insurgents drug him to his death.

So Paul was attacked. How did he respond? The same way most of us would, for two things are true of us when people mistreat us.

1. Our tendency is to be defensive (1-3). The fact is, Ananias actually broke Jewish law in authorizing his men to strike Paul on the mouth. Apparently Paul knew that and responded in a flash with a verbal jab.

Verse 3, "Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!" The Jews painted their tombs white to warn people not to touch them and thereby defile themselves. By use of this word picture, Paul was saying that Ananias may have looked impressive to outward appearance, but was full of deadness and decay on the inside.

On the one hand, you have to admire Paul’s courage. He wasn’t intimidated one iota by this pompous crowd.

As Abraham Lincoln prepared to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, he took his pen, moved it to the signature line, paused for a moment, and then dropped the pen. When asked why, the president replied, "If my name goes into history, it will be for this act, and if my hand trembles when I sign it, there will be some who will say, 'he hesitated.'" Lincoln then turned to the table, took up the pen, and boldly signed his name. 

Lincoln wasn’t afraid to stand alone. But sometimes boldness can blindly go too far. Such was the case with Paul, as he will admit momentarily.

Simply put, instead of responding, Paul reacted. He momentarily lost control, unlike Jesus who, "when they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23)." It’s true that Jesus once called wicked King Herod a "fox," but it’s also true that when he was struck at His trial, He took it silently.

The Bible doesn’t hide the flaws of God’s people. It records David’s adultery, Jonah’s pouting, Peter’s denial, and here, Paul’s angry outburst.

When attacked our tendency is to be defensive. What should we do?

2. Our need is to respond biblically (4-5). "Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God’s high priest?" Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’"

We don’t have a tape recording of Paul’s response, but my hunch is he changed his tone, dropped the volume, and spoke respectfully. Paul was human, but as a godly human he was willing to admit when he was wrong.

He quotes from God’s Word (Exodus 22:28) which says, "Don’t speak evil of your ruler." Please note that although Ananias was a self-seeking leader who mistreated not only Paul but the rest of the Jews, that didn’t give Paul the right to respond wrongly in return. There will be many times in life when people will wrong us, but that doesn’t give us the right to react wrongly.

Suppose your boss takes advantage of you. Your tendency will be to undermine his authority. If you have a parent that says hurtful things to you, your natural reaction will be to become spiteful. If your government leaders use your tax dollars to fund projects that violate your convictions, you’ll find it easy to mock them in casual conversation.

But God’s Word says, "Don’t speak evil of your rulers." It’s not because people in positions of authority are always right. And it’s not that there won’t be times when proper objection is necessary. Yet because God has established human authority—whether it’s parental or governmental or whatever—God expects us to respect human authorities. Yes, God puts rulers in place. He will hold them responsible for how they lead—and He will hold us responsible for how we respond to their leadership. That’s true of how we respond to all kinds of authority figures—presidents, church elders, teachers, coaches, and more.

A few years later Paul himself commented on the subject in Titus 3:1-2, "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men." Christians should have a positive reputation when it comes to authority.

Paul could easily have rationalized, "Not only is this Ananias a bad leader, he’s not even my leader. We don’t need a human high priest any more. We have Jesus. Besides, this guy is part of the very system that killed Jesus. He doesn’t deserve my respect."

But even if the man didn’t deserve it, his God-given position did. So Paul gave it.

Some have raised the question, "Why did Paul say he didn’t realize Ananias was the high priest? How could he not have known he was the ruler?" Some say Paul was being sarcastic, in essence saying, "The way this guy is behaving I didn’t know he was the high priest!" Others say (and I agree) that Paul was sincere. We do know this was a special session and not a regular meeting of the Sanhedrin, so it’s possible the high priest wasn’t wearing his official robe or sitting in his customary seat. We also know that Paul hadn’t spent much time in Jerusalem for over two decades, and in an age before pictures in the news, he probably didn’t know what Ananias looked like.

What’s clear is that Paul took responsibility for his actions. Most of us tend to be defensive. We can be wrong and know we’re wrong, but we won’t admit it! What we need to do is resolve to respond biblically.

Which brings us to scene 3. Paul was accused, then attacked. Thirdly…

C. Paul was able to raise the real issue (6-10). In verse 6 Paul decided it was time to change the direction of this court hearing. "Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."

What’s Paul doing? He’s moving from the defensive to the offensive. He’s raising the real issue and putting it on the table. He could do that because he knew three things.

1. He knew people (6a). Luke specifically says, "Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees." Paul knew his audience.

Years ago, a large statue of Christ was erected high in the Andes on the border between Argentina and Chile. Called "Christ of the Andes," the statue symbolizes a pledge between the two countries that as long as the statue stands, there will be peace between Chile and Argentina. Shortly after the statue was erected, the Chileans began to protest that they had been slighted -- the statue had its back turned to Chile. Just when tempers were at their highest in Chile, a Chilean newspaperman saved the day. In an editorial that not only satisfied the people but made them laugh, he simply said, "The people of Argentina need more watching over than the Chileans. 

There’s a fellow that knew how to read people. If you’re going to minister with people, you must know people.

Lee Iacocca was the long-time president of Ford Motor Company until he was fired, and then recruited by Chrysler to salvage it from its decline. Lee Iacocca offers his perspective on people skills:

Now, there’s one phrase that I hate to see on any executive’s evaluation, no matter how talented he may be, and that’s the line: ‘He has trouble getting along with people.’ To me, that’s the kiss of death. ‘You’ve just destroyed the guy,’ I always think. ‘He can’t get along with people? Then he’s got a real problem, because that’s all we’ve got around here. No dogs, no apes—only people. And if he can’t get along with his peers, what good is he to the company? As an executive, his whole function is to motivate other people. If he can’t do that, he’s in the wrong place.’

Iacocca’s insight is food for thought for us. If a church member has trouble getting along with people, he is in serious danger, and so is the church. The reason is obvious, to paraphrase Iacocca: "If a church member can’t get along with people, he’s got a real problem, because that’s all we’ve got around here. No dogs, no apes—only people."

Paul knew people. He knew something else.

2. He knew what he believed (6b). "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." Why did Paul say that? Was he simply playing politics? No. He just knew he wasn’t going to get a fair hearing that day, and before it ended he wanted to make sure he put the main issue on the table. With this simple statement he did just that. I believe in the resurrection.

Remember his critics accused him of being anti-Jewish. He wants to show that he’s not anti-Jewish, and furthermore, that Christianity is not anti-Jewish, but rather is built upon the foundation of Judaism, and indeed, is the fulfillment of it.

This is the main issue. It’s why Paul stood on trial that day. "I believe in the resurrection of the dead." Paul knew what he believed. He knew something else.

3. He knew that what others believe determines how they behave (7-10). Here’s evidence of that (verses 7-10):

"When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks."

Paul knew that what we believe determines how we behave. He knew that the Sanhedrin was made up of members of two parties. The majority were Sadducees, and the minority (and a vocal one) were Pharisees. Barclay explains the basic differences, "The Pharisees believed in the minutiae of the oral Law; the Sadducees accepted only the written Law. The Pharisees believed in predestination; the Sadducees believed in free-will. The Pharisees believed in angels and spirits; the Sadducees did not. Above all, the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead; the Sadducees did not."

That final difference, the one about the resurrection, was the crux of the matter, and Paul knew it. "I believe in the resurrection." In other words, there’s more to life than meets the eye. Death was not the end for Jesus of Nazareth. Death will not be the end for us. I believe in the resurrection.

I chuckle at how the Pharisees responded. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. Nothing wrong? Moments ago they were furious with him. Now they side with him. No, they definitely weren’t followers of Jesus yet, but they were closer to the kingdom that the rest of the bunch.

I don’t think Paul’s intent was to save his neck. He’s already made it clear he’s willing to die for Christ. What he’s doing is moving the one potentially receptive group in the crowd closer to the cross. F. F. Bruce observes, "A Sadducee could not become a Christian without abandoning the distinctive theological position of his party; a Pharisee could become a Christian and remain a Pharisee—in the early decades of Christianity, at least."

At any rate, Paul knew this. Your theology (beliefs) determines your behavior. Let me illustrate. If you happen to believe that this life is all there is, then you will see nothing wrong with having multiple sex partners or filling your body with drugs, for there is no coming judgment day, not if this life is all there is. Or, if your theology says that man is basically good and that God accepts us the way we are, then you will try to live a good life and be convinced that your good works will be your ticket to heaven. But if you believe, as the Bible teaches, that we are born as depraved sinners and that our good works are as filthy rags to a holy God, you will place your sole hope in the Savior.

It’s true. What you believe determines how you behave. And if you believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven, you will stand alone. That’s certainty #1. At times, you (like Paul) must stand alone. You say, "If that’s the case, I’m in trouble because I’m weak!" Be encouraged. Here’s certainty #2.

That’s not double-talk! It’s what Paul experienced. Notice verse 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.’"

In His message to Paul the Lord revealed three realities that enable us to stand alone.

A. We have the Lord’s presence. Luke says that the Lord stood near Paul. The world can stand against us, but we can make it if we know He is with us. Is He with us? Do remember the final words of Jesus’ in the great commission? "Go, make disciples…and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age (Matt 28:19-20)." I am with you always.

At the end of his life, while awaiting execution, Paul reflected on this very truth in 2 Timothy 4:16-17, "At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth." We have the Lord’s presence.

B. We have the Lord’s Word. Verse 11 again states, "The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said." Those who stand when others fall are those who base their confidence on what the Lord says, not on what they feel.

C. We have the Lord’s plan. Here’s what the Lord said to Paul. He told him His plan, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." This was God’s plan for Paul. As you have done in Jerusalem, so in Rome.

My first thought would be, "Uh, oh. Lord? It didn’t go so well in Jerusalem! And this is what I can expect in Rome?" That shows how limited our perspective is. The fact is, it went exactly as planned in Jerusalem—that is, as God planned. We’re so result oriented. If we don’t see results, we think we failed. Paul didn’t see results in Jerusalem, but God used him. He testified to the gospel in Jerusalem, and that’s what God wanted him to do. And God said, "I’m going to give you the same opportunity in Rome."

Beloved, God has a special plan for each of us, a very special purpose. But know this.

1. The purpose of my life isn’t about me. Rather…

2. The purpose of my life is about Him. And that’s the key to standing alone.

In 1956 five missionaries took a risk to go make contact with the Aucas, a fierce group of Indians in South America. Their goal was to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with these people. They never returned alive. Their choice to stand up for Jesus cost them their lives.

Was it a tragic waste? No. Just a couple of weeks prior to that fateful day, one of the missionaries, Nate Saint, sat at his typewriter to tell the world why they were going—just in case. In speaking these words he spoke for all:

"As we weigh the future and seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a few savages? As we ask ourselves this question, we realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands, rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic Word that there shall be some from every tribe in His presence in the last day and in our hearts we feel that it is pleasing to Him that we should interest ourselves in making an opening into the Auca prison for Christ."

Nate Saint continued, "As we have a high old time this Christmas, may we who know Christ hear the cry of the damned as they hurtle headlong into the Christless night without ever a chance. May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was. May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of darkness. Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha. May God give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost and our responsibility."

Then Saint shared, "Would that we could comprehend the lot of these stone-age people who live in mortal fear of ambush on the jungle trail…those to whom the bark of a gun means sudden, mysterious death…those who think all men in all the world are killers like themselves. If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ. May God help us to judge ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas from a comprehension of Christmas and Him, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through His poverty, be made rich."

The church today needs people like that, people who are sold out for Christ, people who are willing to stand alone. At times you must stand alone. And when you stand alone, you are never really alone.

Let’s do inventory on our hearts and ponder three closing thoughts.

1. The issue isn’t what people think about you.

Acts  Sermon Series