Acts  Sermon Series

Wheelersburg Baptist Church 10/5/03 Brad Brandt

Acts 23:12-35 "A Life and Death Matter"**

The following words were found penned on the wall of a prison cell in Europe: "I believe in love even when I don't feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent."

When the emperor Valens threatened Eusebuis with confiscation of all his goods, torture, banishment, or even death, the courageous Christian replied, "He needs not fear confiscation, who has nothing to lose; nor banishment, to whom heaven is his country; nor torments, when his body can be destroyed at one blow; nor death, which is the only way to set him at liberty from sin and sorrow."

This morning the Word of God will address a critical subject for us, one we seem to hear very little about in a culture that’s consumed with comfort. It’s this. True Christianity is a life and death matter. Doing the will of God cost our Master His life. It may well cost us ours.

We don’t often view the Christian life that way. So often it’s, "Believe in Jesus and life will get better for you. You’ll be healthier and wealthier." That’s not so. In a very real sense if you become a Christian, you become a wanted man or woman. You put a target on your back. You become the enemy of a world system in the hands of Satan himself that hates the Sovereign Lord and anything associated with Him.

Think about this. At the Nicene Council, an important church meeting in the fourth century A.D., of the 318 delegates attending, fewer than 12 had not lost an eye or lost a hand or did not limp on a leg lamed by torture for their Christian faith. And we think it strange if we lose a few friends because of our allegiance to Christ.

Please don’t misunderstand me. It’s worth it, yes. Indeed it will be worth it all when we see Jesus. But this is an age of suffering, of hostility, of rejection for the true child of God. As with Jesus, so for the follower of Jesus—first comes the cross, then the crown; first the suffering, then the glory.

Jesus talked a lot about cost-counting with His would be disciples. It’s not because we earn our salvation, for we can’t. To be saved we must admit we have nothing to offer the merit of a holy God, and then we must accept the One He sent to save us, Messiah Jesus. But to receive Jesus is to identify with the One the world crucified two thousand years ago. It ought not surprise us, then, that the world would resist and even hate us.

Our study of the Word today will help prepare us for the battle. By examining what happened to Paul in Acts 23:12-35, we’re reminded that living for Christ is a life and death matter. Paul’s story involves three scenes. We’ll investigate the story and then discuss four things the story teaches us about God.

As the story begins Paul is being held in the fortress of Antonia in Jerusalem. He came to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey to deliver a benevolent offering to the needy there. Some angry Jews slandered Paul in the temple and a mob nearly tore him apart. The Roman commander, Claudius Lysias, intervened and saved Paul’s life.

The next day Paul appeared before the Jewish Sanhedrin, but was unable to clear his name. After another mob nearly tore him limb from limb, the commander took him back to the barracks. That night, according to verse 11, "…The Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’"

It’s amazing if you think about it. From a human perspective it was going from bad to worse for Paul. But God wasn’t wringing His hands. Nor was Paul. Luke says, "The Lord stood near Paul." When the Lord stands beside you it makes all the difference in the world.

Here’s a tip on how to study this story. Look for God. See God in this story. He’s at work, orchestrating His perfect plan for His servant, Paul (just like He is working in your life). But know this. Sometimes God’s plan includes danger.

It certainly did for Paul. Notice two sources of peril that confronted the apostle.

A. The Jews took an oath to kill Paul (12-13). "The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot."

Do right, and everybody will like you, right? Not so. Here are forty men who hated Paul so much they took a vow to not take food or drink until they murdered the man they considered to be a menace to society—and they did it in the name of God and religion.

You say, "Why would they want to kill Paul? What crime had he committed?" No crime. Simply put, they hated his message.

"What was his message?" you ask. He preached that all men, including Gentiles, could be saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That message infuriated them because there was something they loved more than God. They loved their traditions and national identity.

The vow they took was called a cherem. When a man took such a vow he was saying, "May God curse me if I fail to do this."

Let the number sink in. It’s not one assassin after Paul, nor ten, nor twenty, but forty. Paul has forty terrorists who are willing to die for the cause of killing him.

It’s frightening to see what hatred will do. H. E. Fosdick observed, "A man who hates to be slapped on the back packs his coat with TNT and waits for this man who always slaps his back. His idea is when he hits me I will get him. I'll blow him up. Hate kills both the person who you hate, but also yourself as well. Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat."

My friends, if you are harboring hatred in your heart, beware! You are destroying yourself. I urge you to look to the One who can transform hateful hearts.

The forty Jewish zealots weren’t alone in their scheme…

B. The Jewish leaders joined the plot (14-15). The religious leaders, that is. Luke records, "They went to the chief priests and elders and said, ‘We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 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.’"

It’s stunning what people will do in the name of religion. Talk about a perversion of justice! The zealots ask the chief priests (these are the men who are supposed to be the spiritual leaders in Israel) and the elders (men who are supposed to be mature and wise) to lie to the Roman commander so they can kill Paul. They are blatantly violating at least two of God’s ten commandments and yet they are convinced they are pleasing God.

You ask, "Well, did the leaders agree to join this plot?" Apparently, they did, as verse 20 indicates.

The whole episode brings to light two features of genuine Christianity.

1. Real Christianity is attractive. It’s like a magnet that attracts the steely hearts of lost men and women. There’s something very magnetic about a vibrant Christian. However…

2. Real Christianity is also threatening. When a real Christian enters a room his very presence exposes the spiritual shortcomings of the non-Christians. And when the Christian begins to share Christ, his message exposes the inadequacies of the non-Christian’s belief system. And once exposed, the non-Christian has a choice to make. He must either repent and turn from his fallacy, or he will seek to remove the reminder of his need to repent.

The Jewish leaders chose the latter course with Paul. Paul had preached grace while they clung to a system of works. Paul had insisted they were sinners who needed a relationship with Jesus, but they insisted they were good people who already had religion. So, since they couldn’t disprove the message, so they chose to eliminate the messenger.

That’s scene #1. We see the danger.

God brought the dangerous plot to light in scene 2. He protected his servant Paul by using three human instruments.

A. God used Paul’s nephew (16). "But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul." Here we learn something new. Paul had a sister. Many scholars feel that when Paul became a Christian his family disowned and disinherited him, for he testifies in Philippians 3:8 that he "lost all things" for Christ’s sake. We don’t know if this sister’s son was a believer or not, but apparently he was at least sympathetic to Paul. Apparently, he had connections to high places—maybe he was in Jerusalem for rabbinic training as his uncle had been thirty years before. When he caught wind of the murderous plot, he went to see Paul and informed him.

B. God used a centurion (17). "Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, ‘Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.’" The centurion was the man directly responsible to guard Paul, but he didn’t call the ultimate shots. The commander did. So Paul urged the centurion to take his nephew to the head-man.

C. God used a commander (18-22). "So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, "Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you." The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?" He said: "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request." The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him, "Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.’"

In studying narrative literature in the Bible, look for repetition. Notice how Luke here repeats the details of the plot. That’s not filler in the text, but intentional. Luke could have said, "All this happened but the sovereign Lord saw it and intervened." Rather than saying it, however, Luke just tells the story, knowing we’ll get the punchline.

And the punchline is this. God uses all kinds of things to accomplish His purposes. Here he used a nephew who overheard a conversation, a centurion who was willing to listen, and a Roman commander who took the report seriously, to unveil the sinister plot against Paul. In my life he used my dad’s job search to move my family to a new town and a new church so that I could hear the gospel and be saved. Nothing just happens in life.

It was Christmas Eve 1875 and Ira Sankey was traveling on a Delaware River steamboat when he was recognized by some of the passengers. His picture had been in the newspaper because he was the song leader for the famous evangelist D.L. Moody. They asked him to sing one of his own hymns, but Sankey demurred, saying that he preferred to sing William B. Bradbury's hymn, "Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us." As he sang, one of the stanzas began, "We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way."

When he finished, a man stepped from the shadows and asked, "Did you ever serve in the Union Army?" 

"Yes," Mr. Sankey answered, "in the spring of 1860." 

"Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a bright, moonlit night in 1862?" 

"Yes," Mr. Sankey answered, very much surprised. 

"So did I, but I was serving in the Confederate army. When I saw you standing at your post, I thought to myself, 'That fellow will never get away alive.' I raised my musket and took aim. I was standing in the shadow, completely concealed, while the full light of the moon was falling upon you. At that instant, just as a moment ago, you raised your eyes to heaven and began to sing...'Let him sing his song to the end,' I said to myself, 'I can shot him afterwards. He's my victim at all events, and my bullet cannot miss him.' But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly: 'We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way.' Those words stirred up many memories. I began to think of my childhood and my God-fearing mother. She had many times sung that song to me. When you had finished your song, it was impossible for me to take aim again. I thought, 'The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be great and mighty.' And my arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side." 

I repeat, nothing just happens in life, not when there’s a sovereign God on the throne.

The Bible says that our days are numbered by an all-knowing God. Since Paul’s number wasn’t up, his life wasn’t going to end no matter how many zealots took a vow. So…

A. God removed Paul from the danger. Here’s how. He used three means.

1. He worked through Roman soldiers (23-24). "Then he [the commander] called two of his centurions and ordered them, ‘Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.’"

This guy is taking no chances (another riot wouldn’t look good on his resume!). Do the math.

200 foot soldiers

200 spearmen

70 horsemen

2 centurions

472 bodyguards!

I see two things here. One, I see a very cautious commander. And two, I see a very powerful God who is fulfilling His Word. Remember the Lord’s promise to Paul? "You must testify in Rome." And God is making sure that Paul would get there, in essence saying through this massive military operation, "I’ll take care of you. You’re in good hands!"

Let this lesson sink in, beloved. Perhaps you’re feeling alone and forgotten. Be assured that God is at work. He knows what He is doing. You can trust Him. Though you can’t see Him, He’s working behind the scenes, orchestrating His good plan for you.

I like the application Swindoll draws from this, "If He [God] is able to stir up four hundred seventy-two earthly bodyguards to get Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea, safely and securely, He will have no trouble getting you from here to wherever, safely and securely. After all, how many angels are there?" Be encouraged.

2. He worked through a letter (25-30). "He wrote a letter as follows: Claudius Lysias [Luke finally tells us his name], To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him."

Notice the spin Lysias puts on the situation in this letter. What he says is true enough, but he tells Paul’s story in a way that will reflect well on him. In fact, notice the repetition of the pronoun "I" throughout the letter. Lysias is not a Christian, but a self-protecting albeit honest civil servant. Yet God used him. Yes, God can and does use unregenerate people to accomplish His plan.

3. He worked through the legal process (31-35). "So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris [Antipatris was a Roman military post and rest stop for travelers heading from Jerusalem to Caesarea. This leg of the trip was about 35 miles, and the fact that the soldiers made it in one night indicates a double-time march.]. The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea [this leg of the trip was 28 miles], they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace."

Our God controls not only people, but even legal processes. When Governor Felix asks what province Paul is from, he has legal process in mind. The region of Cilicia [where Tarsus was located, Paul’s home town] was part of the territory under the jurisdiction of Felix, hence his response, "I will hear your case." If Paul had been from another region, Felix would have deferred the case.

This Felix was quite a character with a remarkable story. He started life as a slave. His brother, Pallas, was the favorite of Nero. Through the influence of Pallas, Felix made the remarkable move from being a slave to a freedman and then to being a governor. Tacitus, the Roman historian, said of him, "He exercised the prerogatives of a king with the spirit of a slave."

He was no saint, for sure. He married three princesses, one right after the other—the second was a granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra; the third was Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa I who left her husband to marry Felix. This man was known to hire thugs to murder his own closest supporters.

And this man is the one Paul was about to face.

My friend, if you refuse to acknowledge the sovereignty of God you will be a basket case when life takes an unexpected turn. But if you believe God is truly in control, you can face the uncertainties of life with great assurance. You may not know what’s coming, but He knows. The stable Christian is the one who lives with the big perspective in mind.

That’s what kept Paul going. When God saved Paul some twenty years before this, the Lord made it clear, "This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings (Acts 9:15)." God meant what He said, and what He promised He was now fulfilling. When Paul was a freeman, he didn’t testify before kings. But now he is, as a prisoner. In Acts 24 he will testify before Governor Felix, in Acts 25 before Governor Festus, in Acts 26 before King Agrippa, and in Acts 28 he will be in Rome, speaking to the highest dignitaries of the then known world.

I don’t know what God is up to in your life, but this I know. He is up to something. He is doing something very strategic in your circumstances that will result in His glory and your good, that is, of course, if you know Him and will submit to Him.

The next time you struggle with doubts about God’s control, remember this. Paul left town with an escort fit for a king. He left behind him forty hungry men. God will have His way.

Lorrie Anderson, missionary to the head-shrinking Candoshi Shapra Indians of Peru, was looking for a quiet place for her daily time of Bible reading and prayer, so she went down by the edge of the river. After reading the Bible, she took up her prayer list. Eyes closed, she did not see the deadly anaconda weaving through the water until it struck, burying its fangs into her flesh. It withdrew to strike, hitting her arm again and again as it held her, screaming, in its coils. It reared up for the death blows. Then suddenly the giant snake, never known to release its prey, relaxed its grip and slithered off through the water. While Lorrie was being treated, a witch doctor from a nearby village burst into the hut and stared at her. She couldn't believe Lorrie had survived. She said her son-in-law, also a witch doctor, had chanted to the spirit of the anaconda that morning and sent it to kill the young missionary. "I'm certain," Lorrie said, "that except for the protection of God, it would have worked." 

In scene #3 God removed Paul from the danger. He can do that in your life, too, no matter how big the problem is. However, please know this…

B. God doesn’t always do that. Sometimes He takes us out of danger. Sometimes though, He leaves us in it. We’re not alone, for He’s with us, but we’re still in the danger, nonetheless. On this occasion God used the Romans to deliver Paul. Ten years later He allowed the Romans to kill him.

Dear friends, let this simple truth sink in. The Christian life is a matter of life and death. We must face that fact. We also must come to grips with the truth about God.

1. God never promised us a life of ease. Paul faced danger soon after he became a Christian, and it never let up until the day God took him home to glory. From the day Paul left Damascus in a basket under the cover of darkness (Acts 9:22ff.), until this day, it wasn’t easy for Paul. But God never said it would be. Nor for us.

2. God uses ordinary circumstances to accomplish His extraordinary plan. Yes, God can do the miraculous, and sometimes He does. But what He delights to do, and what He typically does, is work through the little things. The extraordinary God often works in ordinary ways to bring about extraordinary results.

Somerset Maugham, the English writer, once wrote a story about a janitor at St. Peter's Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him. Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny tobacco shop, where he prospered, bought another, expanded, and ended up with a chain of tobacco stores worth several hundred thousand dollars. One day the man's banker said, "You've done well for an illiterate, but where would you be if you could read and write?" "Well," replied the man, "I'd be janitor of St. Peter's Church in Neville Square."

Augustine once said, "Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence."

3. God isn’t in a hurry. From the human perspective Claudius Lysius was just doing his job. In reality He was doing God’s job.

That makes me think of another Roman soldier. From the human perspective the centurion who authorized his men to crucify Jesus was just doing his job. Little did he know, he was working for God. According to the divine plan he was nailing to the cross the Chosen One who had come to die for the sins of His people. That’s your sins, my friend, and mine.

God did not deliver His Son that day. He judged Him in our stead. The deliverance came later, on day three. Our God has a plan, and He’s not in a hurry.

4. God wants us to trust Him. Don’t turn from Him. Turn to Him. Trust Him now.

Acts  Sermon Series