Month: November 2014

Unless you have recently immigrated to our country, you are aware that for the last five years parts of our government have become fixated on the term “bullying”. The term has been defined in the newly organized “stopbullying.gov” website, which states:

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance…In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include: an “Imbalance of Power” (Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others) [as well as]…”Repetition” (Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once). Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

I cannot be the only American that wondered how the government got involved in the antics of school yard children, but – like it or not – the fact is that they have decided to make this a part of their governmental oversight. I also cannot actually grasp how they will monitor the child who feels excluded on purpose. I think I was that guy a few times – the last picked for the team – and then only because a teacher MADE them choose EVERYONE to play. I do recognize there are extreme examples, but I remember a number of bloody noses as a child fighting on the playground and I don’t recall any federal charges, but my memory isn’t what it used to be. Perhaps I am being too insensitive; I don’t mean to offend someone who has been through a difficult experience with your own child. Most of us recall some cruelty by others as we grew up – it seems a part of the condition of living with a fallen humanity.

My focus on bullying in this lesson is on an ancient case…As we follow the life of the Apostle Paul. We have observed some true bullying in recent lessons, though none in a school yard. Paul was beaten by a mob, swept away into a barracks and offered some chances to defend himself. We are following those defenses found in the first century record of the Book of Acts that detailed each defense he gave before a variety of proceedings. Most recently we have examined the first of three “Roman Provincial Defenses” recorded by Dr. Luke on Paul’s behalf. They are part of a string of seven defenses in which we learn an important truth, perfect for this generation of believers. The truth is…

Key Principle: God modeled the defense of the Gospel so that believers will know how to be clear, confident and concise about the message we were given by the Lord.

The three defenses we already noted in our study were:

• The first defense of Paul was before the Jewish crowd in the Temple, given in Hebrew, from the stairs of the Antonia Fortress (Acts 22).

• The second defense was before the Sanhedrin, under the guard of the Chiliarch (commander) in Jerusalem (Acts 23).

• The third defense was before Antonius Felix, the Roman Procurator (Governor) of the Province of Judea.

As we looked closely, we began with a focus on three elements of each recorded defense which were:

• First, the players – it is essential that we clarify the picture of the setting by sharpening our focus on Paul’s audience.

• Second, the content – we want to look closely at HOW Paul defended the faith, and what elements of the story he highlighted according to Luke’s brief overview.

• Third, the results – sometimes it is encouraging to see the responses to those who went before us so that we have some idea what to expect.

As with the defense before Felix, will use these three as our rough “outline” of each defense, and then take the time to apply the lessons we find in the record. Think back for a moment to our last lesson… We observed several important principles of defending our faith taking Paul’s circumstance as a model for the days ahead. We noted that:

• Paul didn’t need to be rude, presumptive or defensive in spirit to stand for Jesus –and we don’t either.

• Paul didn’t assume that his audience understood his faith (he didn’t “Christian-eaze” his way through his defense), nor did he attack his opponents to get his point across – and we don’t need to either.

• Paul didn’t wander between issues, but stayed focused on the essential point of making the heart of his faith clear to the hearer – and we must do so as well.

• Paul didn’t like disagreement, and didn’t want it in his life – but that didn’t make him so soft that he refused to stand his ground – and we cannot either. This is a time for believers to make it clear that the message of the Bible is non-negotiable. What the Bible calls on us to do, is what God expects us to do – and we intend to do it.

These are good principles, but the record is not complete – we have more in front of us. Keeping that in mind, let’s look at two more defenses, as Luke recorded them in Acts 25 and the beginning of Acts 26.

Paul’s Defense before Procurator Porcius Festus (Acts 25):

The Player: Porcius Festus

Porcius Festus took the post of Procurator of Judea after Antoninus Felix vacated it and likely held the office between the years 59-62 CE, though these dates are still disputed. The change in the provincial coinage evidences Nero’s fifth year points to A.D. 59. As inheritor of the raft of problems in part caused by his predecessor Felix, Festus faced a growing controversy between Agrippa II and the Jerusalem priests regarding a wall erected at the Temple to break the view of the new wing of Agrippa’s palace. Jewish hostilities grew and played an important part in the coming Jewish War of 66 CE.

Here is how the text of the Book of Acts introduced him:

Acts 25:1 Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, 3 requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem ([at the same time], setting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4 Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him.” 6 After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.

Festus looks in the passage to be a “means business” straight-shooter. He arrived by sea, and spent only three days before he went to Jerusalem to collect the list of troubles that would need to be faced. When the priests made Paul a big deal, he came back to Caesarea, took up his tribunal seat and got down to business. Luke recalled the man as being on the job and serious – just what seemed needed in Judea.

The Defense: Clear presentation of the issues.

Paul’s appearance is carefully presented by Luke, as a radio announcer in a ball park. He gives us the “blow by blow” description of the interaction. Luke wasn’t just reporting the scene – he was offering a pattern for us under the controlling breath of the Spirit of God. Look at how Paul handled the defense of his faith..

Once again, Paul got right to the heart of the accusation – he was DIRECT.

Acts 25:7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, 8 while Paul said in his own defense, “I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

In many cases in modern life, the audience rewards brevity. They need enough to understand, but in this world full of information overload – stick to the facts. When I deal with a naturalist, I simply posit that there are powerful, precise and unvaried formulas at work in operating the delicate balance of forces that make life in this universe possible. Since that is a fact that all can grasp, the question of how these forces came to be and how they continue to operate is a philosophical one – not a scientific one. Once the veneer of science is stripped away, it is possible to address presupposition and belief – and no system has more in its favor than the simplicity of an intelligent Designer. Driving the discussion to its clearest components will strip all the frills and distractions.

In Paul’s case, he lunged into the heart of the matter and simply said: “I have committed no offense worthy of my detention, period.” That about says it. Paul insisted they PROVE HIM GUILTY, not simply yell about how they felt.

Paul wouldn’t let someone move the proceedings in an inappropriate venue for trickery sake – he was INFORMED about his legal defense.

Acts 25:9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these [charges]?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried.

Paul knew the possibility of a plot was great, and the embarrassment of the many who had taken a vow and then failed earlier. He wasn’t going to Jerusalem, because he could be sure he would not make it alive. He knew he could get a fairer chance at a hearing right where he was – and that was the appropriate venue.

Here is the point: The believer can and should be aware of legal maneuvers that will be used against him. I believe in law enforcement, and I support their attempts to do a difficult job, but I also am not unaware that many who work in that field are jaded, and their work is to catch people who are hiding the wrong doing in which they are involved. As a result, my interactions with law enforcement are carefully worded. Let me explain: If you walk into an interview with the police and anticipate they will understand your humor and innocent personality, you will almost certainly be spending some time in their guest facilities. I answer directly and respectfully, but I don’t look at them as friends, and I don’t answer them casually. I recognize the need to be careful about what I say and how I say it. The same thought process is what I use speaking to reporters today.

Paul was aware of the backroom dealing, and he made sure the authorities knew that he knew the proper venue for dispute. His example reminds us that believers who face the system ignorant of it will face heartbreak if they don’t learn quickly how things work. If persecution comes to our country in a real way – we will need to understand legal precedent for our positions and try to defend ourselves within those – and Paul’s template will be useful! Look at how he faced the charges as you continue reading in Acts 25:10…

Paul made clear that his hearer knew the truth about the charges, and put that on the record – he wasn’t SHEEPISH.

Acts 25:10b “…I have done no wrong to [the] Jews, as you also very well know.

Paul wanted it to be a matter of record that he was being set up by the offer of a change of venue for his hearing. He left a clear pattern – being polite doesn’t mean being a patsy. We can know our legal rights and we can press the point that wrong is wrong when it is obvious. Recently a public school system required middle school students to memorize portions from the Qur’an to help the student understand what it termed “the beauty of the faith of Islam”. A parent filed suit and made clear on the evening news that if the plain reading of John 3:16 couldn’t be recited in a classroom because of separation of church and state, “mosque and state” needed to be kept equally apart. The school board was flooded with phone calls and responses by people who did not share the faith of the parent –but they made their point. Because the believer used a point of law that the society could otherwise rally around – the believer affected change. Paul continued…

When he recognized there was no other choice, he made a direct appeal to head to Rome – he was CONFIDENT of God’s leading.

Acts 25:11 “If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is [true] of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”

Look at the courageous way Paul phrased his commitment. He told Festus that he wasn’t unwilling to die – but that he knew he wouldn’t get a fair trial if he was going to be forced to go to Jerusalem – and that is what it looked like would happen. Romans loved “wirtus” (a word that meant more “manliness”) and they routinely abhorred cowards. Paul was a Roman, and he wanted Festus to know that he shared the values of a Roman.

When modern believers defend our faith, it is not wrong to show that we value our country and what it has been. It is not wrong to express trust in her courts and systems – but we cannot be uninformed of which appeals can and must be made when things are not going well. Remember in his case, Paul’s confidence was in God’s revelation that he was Rome-ward bound – so Paul exercised the only option he could see that would get him that result. The alternative was to be ambushed on the road to Jerusalem or miraculously protected by God.

The Results: Held for structuring of case and subsequent transport to Caesar.

The end of the account in Acts 25:12 made clear that Festus couldn’t grease the wheels with the priests, so he was going to ship the problem to Nero. Luke recorded:

Acts 25:12 Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”

Paul’s Defense before Herod Agrippa II and Berenice (Acts 25:13-26:32):

The Players: Herod Agrippa II and Queen Berenice

Before Paul could be sent to Rome, Festus needed to structure the charges and have a document accompany Paul – but that wasn’t easy. He hadn’t broken any laws! For help, Festus called on the King of the Jews – Herod Agrippa II as recorded in Acts 25:13-14.

Herod Agrippa II was born during the ministry of Jesus before the Cross (27-29 CE) the final king from the Herodian dynasty. His father was Herod Agrippa I who died “smitten of worms” in Acts 12, his aunt was Drusilla (second wife of the former Roman procurator Antonius Felix) and his sister and consort was Bernice (who is in the story of Paul’s defense with her brother). Agrippa was educated in the court of the Emperor Claudius, until his father’s untimely death (when Agrippa II was only seventeen years old). Claudius held the youth in Rome and sent a Procurator to Judaea, while Agrippa supported Jews at every opportunity before the Emperor. Eventually he was granted the Syrian territory of Chalcis (after the death of Herod of Chalcis in 48 CE) as well as the right of superintending the Temple in Jerusalem and appointing its high priest. Late in Claudius’ reign (53 CE), he was made ruler over the territories of Herod Philip. Josephus, the Jewish historian, repeats the gossip that Agrippa II lived in an incestuous relationship with his sister, Berenice. She acted as a “client queen”, and the relationship may have been as suspected. In 55 CE, Nero gave him administration of Tiberias and Taricheae in Galilee, Iulias and all of Peraea. Agrippa dramatically beautified Jerusalem but routinely appointed and deposed high priests – making him increasingly unpopular. Agrippa failed to stem off the Jewish rebellion in 66 CE against the Roman procurator Gessius Florus, and found himself expelled along with Berenice as the reviolt against Rome grew. He supported both Vespasian, and Titus – accompanying the latter on some campaigns, and was even wounded at the siege of Gamla. After the capture of Jerusalem, he went with his sister Berenice to Rome, where he was invested with the dignity of praetor and rewarded with additional territory. He died, childless, sometime late in the first century.

The Defense: Clear presentation of the issues.

It was customary for Roman officials to ask local monarchs for help in local adjudication matters – and this one was particularly difficult for Festus. He stood to lose favor of Jerusalem’s key players for not handing Paul over to a plot, but that would have put him in violation of Roman protection laws. He called in help…

Acts 25:13 Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. 14 While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king…”

Festus explained to Agrippa and Berenice how Felix stuck him with the problem of Paul in 25:14b-19. He made clear that he saw it as a debate about Jesus and resurrection – an internal theological debate of Jews. He admitted it was not in his purview and said:

Acts 25:20 “Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. 21 “But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.”

Agrippa was intrigued and asked to have an opportunity to examine him. An elaborate stage was set, and Dr. Luke says they wasted little time:

Acts 25: 23 So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

Procurator Festus made a speech at the beginning of the proceeding, and offered some thoughts:

1. Jews appealed to me and pressed their case loudly to execute this man (25:24).

2. I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death (24:25).

3. He appealed to the Emperor, and I agreed to send him. but I have nothing to write to the Emperor concerning charges.

Agrippa began to address Paul in Acts 26:1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and [proceeded] to make his defense:

For the sake of time in our lesson, I want to focus on the meat of what Paul said – because it is powerful. He opened thanking Agrippa II for hearing the case and being a studious Jew (26:2-3). He made clear that his testimony is well known and easy to verify – a life as a Pharisee until he met Jesus while persecuting Christians at the behest of Temple authorities. He “dove in” to his testimony:

First, Jesus found me when I wasn’t looking for Him (26:12-15). Jesus interrupted my life and made clear I was heading the wrong way. He struck me down and spoke…

Acts 26:14 “And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

He made clear that Jesus was powerful, alive and acting on his life when Paul had no intention of believing, following or serving Jesus. The heart of the Gospel is that Jesus is not dead – He is alive, engaged and moving. Heaven is not far from us – for our Savior is near. He walks beside us each day. He hears what we hear. He sees what we see – but then so much more. A true gospel presentation MUST center on the living Christ. He is not an influence. He is not an inspiring leader Who lived and died long ago. He is a Living Savior – able to reach into lives and transform them today!

Second, Jesus took control of my life, my directions and my goals. I chose to follow His lead, and that is what I am doing!

Acts 26:16 But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the [Jewish] people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you…

Third, Jesus’ promise is to pull people out of the darkness of Satan’s realm and give them both forgiveness of sin and a new family – a new inheritance.

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’

Fourth, Jesus’ message includes proclamation (we are called to preach the Gospel) and repentance (we are called to live distinctly).

Acts 26:19 “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but [kept] declaring both to those of Damascus first, and [also] at Jerusalem and [then] throughout all the region of Judea, and [even] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. 21 “For this reason [some] Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.

Fifth, Jesus did what the Prophets foretold – suffered, died and rose again! He called me to preach to everyone I can that He is alive!

Acts 26:22 “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 that the Christ was to suffer, [and] that by reason of [His] resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles.”

The Results: A near response, a clearing of charges, a trip to Rome.

• Festus told Paul he was a nutcase (26:24) – but Paul was confident in asserting that he spoke the honest truth (26:25).

• Agrippa II was pressed in his heart, and conviction began – but he quickly dismissed it (26:26-28).

• All three rulers recognized secretly that Paul was innocent – even though they wouldn’t say it to the crowd (Acts 16:19-32).

Paul didn’t lose if he faithfully fulfilled the role God commanded Him to play. Three powerful ruler left the room curious, empty of God and filled with turmoil. One man was being sent in a chain but he was free inside and full of peace.

I want you to stop now, as I close this lesson and think about something. If this life is all you have, then time is slowly chewing up your life. At the end, you will have nothing.. a hole…to dust you will return. Your friends will cry. Your family will miss you. In a few years they will laugh at the funny family stories and cherish your memory. Yet, time is chewing on them as well. As the years pass by, your grave stone will be left unread. Your memory will fade. Your great-grandchildren may not know your name, and they certainly will feel nothing staring at a stone with your name on it. If this is all you have – time wins and you lose. It is pointless to try to get more things – you are only increasing the estate sale. It is pointless to keep pictures of a thousand events – soon no one will know where you were or who you were with anyway. You are a speck of dust drifting through the solar system for a moment in time. What meaning can there be to your little insignificant existence?

Now stop. What if God DOES know you? What if He DID create with an intention as the Bible says? What if YOUR NAME is known in Heaven, and your life is part of God’s wondrous movie to show the cosmos Himself? What if your life matters to the Creator? What if the places you went, the scrapes and bruises you got there – all of it – is destined to become part of Heaven’s story in the ages after the ages, in time after time? The Bible says you CAN know God – because He made a way for you to have a relationship with Him through the sacrifice of Jesus. He is waiting for you to come to Him, believe what He said, and trust that He can begin a work in you that won’t end until you are home with Him… and then the celebration begins!

Think about the pattern of Paul’s witness and the truths you need to embrace:

Jesus wants to meet you, even if you weren’t scheduling a meeting with Him. He wants you to surrender control of your life to Him, and He wants to transform you to something very different than you are. He wants your life in darkness to end – and your allegiance to the rebel enemy to be put aside. He wants to create in your life new fruit that shows He is at work in you. He died for you, and now He lives with outstretched arms, waiting to draw you in to your new life! These are the truths Paul preached – because that is what God made clear to Him…

God modeled the defense of the Gospel so that believers will know how to be clear, confident and concise about the message we were given by the Lord.

Before WWII, the world was able to see the political strength of Adolph Hitler growing – it was not a secret rise to power. He was not particularly clandestine about his extreme beliefs, and he was not known for being silent about his thoughts. Yet, many in the west appeared to favor the strategy of “appeasement”. Clearly, the government of Neville Chamberlain in London settled on that approach.

The Treaty of Versailles at the end of WWI maintained a separation of Austria and Germany, but in 1938 the Austrian-born Hitler instructed pro-German Austrians to create disturbances and then he sent troops in to “restore order”. Though France and England complained about the breach, the policy of appeasement prevented war by a series of negotiations. After that, Hitler threatened war if the territory inhabited by three million German speakers living in Czechoslovakia were not allowed to be annexed to Germany – and the appeasing forces went to Munich and agreed to let him have the territory in exchange for a promise he wouldn’t illegally take any others. Six months later, all those governments realized they were duped, and appeasement was nothing more than a delay tactic while Germany armed and trained soldiers.

Though true statesmanship is often about nuanced compromise; appeasement in the face of evil doesn’t work – history is clear. Telling people what they want to hear is only helpful if what you are telling them is the truth. If not, what starts off sounding like a reasonable argument, ends up surrendering valuable territory, costing lives, and allowing an enemy to entrench himself and fortify his position while good sits by idly and blissfully ignorant of the direction events are headed in.

We may be living in a time when world powers are posturing again (can you spell “Ukraine”?) but that isn’t my focus today. The simple fact is that we are living in a generation that has swallowed a moral relativism that hungers to appease evil and easily ignores truth. The strange symptom that indicates such a climate of moral relativism is that any verbal form of judgment of wrongdoing becomes the biggest sin of all. It isn’t wrong actions that bother people in such a climate – it is calling wrong by its name that angers them. Many people honestly feel that no one has the right to judge their actions – even when those actions change the society for everyone and pose a real cost to the rest of the community. It is a surreal disconnection of cause and effect caused, in part, by appeasement and a general lack of vigilance concerning truth.

Raise a generation of believers in the soup of moral relativism and you will eventually hear open arguments for appeasement growing inside the walls of the church. “Love” will be cited. “Tolerance” will be noted; but often truth seems to get lost in the mix. Those who stand with the Bible will slowly, but very deliberately, be framed as the intolerant ones “out of step with outreach” and “insensitive to the needs of others”. The Biblical record in such arguments becomes increasingly ignored or discounted as “irrelevant to modern sensitivities”– as if this is the first generation with sinful desires that pushed to get a new definition of morality. This is an old ploy, but it appears more dangerous this time – because this generation doesn’t appear to possess the inoculation of Biblical knowledge to slow the spread of the appeasement disease. As we draw late in the calendar of mankind, as the Bible reminds that we truly are, this certainly seems like no time for the message of Jesus to get fuzzy inside the church. In fact, now more than ever, we need a clear understanding of what we are saying to the lost world, and a concise but thorough presentation of it.

Fortunately, we have the record of those who went before us in the church’s beginnings to keep us moored to the past – and more importantly connected to God’s heart as expressed in His Holy Word. As we continue to follow the path of the Apostle Paul, we have a record of exactly how he defended the faith in the face of powerful pagans of his time – and that is at the heart of today’s lesson. These defenses are such a treasure; they occupy chapters of Dr. Luke’s writing in the Book of Acts. Here is the truth…

Key Principle: God modeled the defense of the Gospel so that believers will know how to be clear, confident and concise about the message we were given by the Lord.

I love that Paul was clear and Luke was concise. Sometimes I feel we live in a world befuddled by theological complexity. Some of the problem is that some believers major on minors and don’t recognize what the core message is, as opposed to other important but non-essential teachings. Some of the problem is as simple as the fact that some people don’t think clearly and cannot communicate clearly whether they know Jesus or not. Thankfully, we have a pattern to follow – a repeated model left behind by the first generation of church planters and Gospel defenders.

Follow the text in the Book of Acts to three Roman Provincial Defenses of the Apostle Paul. They are part of a string of seven defenses that Luke took the time to record for Theophilus, who may have been hired as Paul’s advocate before Nero to plead his case in Rome. We have identified two defenses already in our study:

• The first defense of Paul was before the Jewish crowd in the Temple, given in Hebrew, from the stairs of the Antonia Fortress (Acts 22).

• The second defense was before the Sanhedrin, under the guard of the Chiliarch (commander) in Jerusalem (Acts 23).

The next three defenses were at the highest level available in the Province of Judea where Paul was arrested – and we want to look more closely at these three stories. As we examine these three accounts, we want to focus on three important parts to each recorded defense and draw some important conclusions about how to defend our faith when necessary. The three foci are:

• First, the players – it is essential that we clarify the picture of the setting by sharpening our focus on Paul’s audience.

• Second, the content – we want to look closely at HOW Paul defended the faith, and what elements of the story he highlighted according to Luke’s brief overview.

• Third, the results – sometimes it is encouraging to see the responses to those who went before us so that we have some idea what to expect.

We will use these three as our “outline” of each defense, and then take the time to apply the lessons we find in the record.

Paul’s Defense before Procurator Felix (Acts 24):

Let’s start with Acts 24, where Paul has been taken to Caesarea and placed in the judgment hall of the Procurator named Felix – the favored name for slaves that meant “happy”.

The Players: Antoninus Felix and Drusilla

Here is how Luke recorded the scene:

Acts 24:1 After five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders, with an attorney [named] Tertullus, and they brought charges to the governor against Paul. 2 After [Paul] had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying [to the governor], “Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation, 3 we acknowledge [this] in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. 4 “But, that I may not weary you any further, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing. 5 “For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 “And he even tried to desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him. [We wanted to judge him according to our own Law. 7 “But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands, 8 ordering his accusers to come before you]. By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him.” 9 The Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so.

Since we know about Paul and his background as well as something of the people attacking him already, let’s see what history has kept alive concerning the Procurator before whom Paul stood.

Marcus Antonius Felix was born about the same time as the Apostle Paul (circa 5 CE) and held the post of Roman procurator of the Province of Judea between 52-58 CE. He rose to power in a unique way. Though probably born a slave, his family may have actually descended from the Greek kingly line of Arcadia, in southern Greece. He probably gained status because of the service of his younger brother, the freedman Marcus Antonius Pallas, who became the secretary of the treasury during the reign of the Emperor Claudius. The historian Josephus called Marcus by the name “Claudius Felix” signaling the possibility that he was “adopted into the gens (clan) of the Claudii”. By petition of Pallas, Felix’ seemed to have gained his title. His wealth building strategy apparently included taking bribes (Acts 24:26); but that led to cynicism about Roman justice and an increase of crime in Judaea. His rule was stained by a series of bitter disturbances followed by his often too severe responses. On returning to Rome, Felix was accused of participation in a dispute between two parties in Caesarea with a plan to divest some of the inhabitants and get some of the money. His brother Pallas came to his aid before Emperor Nero, and Felix avoided punishment. History reminds us that Felix married three times. Felix’ second wife was Drusilla of Judea, daughter of Herod Agrippa I & Cypros (who also divorced a king to marry him). Of possible interest to those who visit Pompeii in Italy, Felix and the Judean Drusilla, had a son, Marcus Antonius Agrippa, who died along with his mother Drusilla and many of the inhabitants of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 CE. After the loss of his family in that tragedy, Felix married for a third time, but little is known about his third wife – or anything else that happened to him.

The Defense: Clear presentation of the issues.

More important for our lesson than the identity of the players is the specific record of the defense. The text offers six clues as to how Paul kept his defense clear, concise and focused. Consider these traits as modeled for us – because God kept them in the record for us to read about as we face days we will need to defend our faith before authorities.

Note that as Paul defended the faith, he waited for his opportunity to speak – he wasn’t RUDE.

Acts 24:10 When the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded:

There may have been a time when it wasn’t necessary to add this point, but that time has passed. Christians need to remember to be polite when they stand before the world. This is one of the very impressive parts of Ravi Zacharias – his vast intellect and clear-thinking pattern of speaking is enhanced by his careful gentleness and polite manner.

If you keep reading, you will note that Paul acknowledged the authority of others – he wasn’t PRESUMPTIVE.

Acts 24:10b “…Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation…”

Some may consider this part of being polite, but I think it is deeper – I think he respected authority. Respect wins listeners, while denigrating another’s position – even if you think they aren’t acting uprightly – only leads to discounting our collective testimony. At the same time, we must recognize that position and accomplishment don’t mean you can assume character. Many people were hired for their skills – not for their emotional maturity or social adeptness. If the famous men and women from the world of competitive sports have taught us anything, it is this: outstanding ability is not necessarily sterling character; outstanding accomplishment is not synonymous with inner maturity. In short, skill is not maturity.

Verse ten continues, and in it we see he offered his defense with a smile – he wasn’t DEFENSIVE in spirit.

Acts 14:10b “…I cheerfully make my defense…”

I LOVE that line. Paul was illegally arrested and brutally handled – but cheerful in his defense. This reminded me of the time at Philippi he and Silas held a “hymn sing” from a jail cell. The man knew how to keep his spirit “up” and ready! Defensive presentation shows a lack of confidence in our position. If we know and trust the power of God, we can sing from the jail cell – because God hasn’t forgotten us during the time of our testing. It is easy to say from my life of comfort – I can only hope to grasp the instruction should the days ahead necessitate.

Luke continued with a simple assessment: Paul gave the facts – he didn’t ASSUME knowledge.

Acts 24:11 “…since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.”

Paul didn’t make the Procurator guess about the circumstances – he shared the straight facts with no frilly details.

Though he openly challenged the opponent to show solid evidence – he didn’t needlessly ATTACK them.

This is important! Paul said:

Acts 24:12 “Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city [itself] did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. 13 “Nor can they prove to you [the charges] of which they now accuse me.

In essence, Paul said, “They don’t have any evidence to present, and they won’t be offering any! They are going to TELL you I did things, but they cannot OFFER VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE of any of it.

Finally, Paul made clear the true issues involved – he didn’t WANDER into side areas of conflict.

Paul knew what he intended to bring forward. He said:

Acts 24:14 “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; 15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16 “In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience [both] before God and before men. 17 “Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings; 18 in which they found me [occupied] in the temple, having been purified, without [any] crowd or uproar. But [there were] some Jews from Asia—19 who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation, if they should have anything against me. 20 “Or else let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before the Council, 21 other than for this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them, ‘For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.'”

As you examine the defense in detail, did you notice in the details of Paul’s statement of defense? First, he said that he was a leader of the “people of the Way” – and in that he was prepared to be accused and suffer penalty if he was guilty of a real crime. He didn’t deny he belonged to Jesus and was a part of the church. We need to be careful not to cover over this point. Denying of Jesus and our relationship to Him cannot and must not be part of the strategy of defense of the Gospel. Jesus was clear that He would deny before the Father those who denied Him before men.

Second, Paul made clear that he saw himself as a Jew, obedient to the Scriptures and seeing no conflict in them with following the Risen One. He did not concede that he was a renegade outsider. In fact, he made clear that he was accused of being outside the Jewish mainstream when he truly was not. This is a detail that offers warning – don’t feel the need to admit to things that aren’t true because you are trying to find “middle ground” with those who are attacking the Gospel.

Third, Paul made clear that he stood before the authorities with a clear conscience, and that his faith did not consist of trickery of those in authority. In a time when many would bribe and play political games – Paul made clear he was a “what you see if what you get” kind of man. This is helpful to remind us not to get involved in back room deals to keep out of trouble. We must be honest, above board and straightforward – with a clear heart.

Fourth, Paul pointed out that his opponents lacked witnesses that could offer any direct testimony of wrongdoing on his part, and didn’t provide them to the Sanhedrin when he was questioned at the time. It is important that false charges be called exactly what they are – deceptions. Believers don’t have to let people lie and falsely charge them and sit quietly. When the time is right, make clear that lies are being told!

Fifth, Paul summarized the whole issue as a singular one – the fact that he believed with his whole heart that Jesus was raised – and that was the heart of the Sanhedrin’s issue with him. The resurrection is not an incidental part of the Christian message, but at the heart of it. The center of our faith is rooted in the idea that there is a SPIRITUAL WORLD, and the short stint of physical life is not all of life for people. The fact that we maintain that afterlife is real and life now has an effect on life then will be offensive to many – but it is the truth.

Sixth, a bit later in a later defense before Felix (this time with his wife in attendance), Paul spoke of something that cause Felix to back away from his message – righteousness, discipline and future judgment.

Acts 24:22 But Felix, having a more exact knowledge about the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and [yet] have [some] freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him. 24 But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him [speak] about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.”

We must remember that our message is not just one of salvation and heaven, but of submission and judgment. Many believers find it difficult to embrace the idea that the Gospel includes the depravity of man and impending judgment – but Paul did not find that to be something he wanted to hide. People need to recognize that a Christ-less eternity is no joke!

Seventh, it is worth noting that a bribe was anticipated, and that Luke knew that was the case. Paul surely understood that as well.

Acts 24:26 At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him.

Paul wouldn’t offer a bribe to get a release, because he trusted that God had him where he was. He was less intent on getting free than he was on being used of God.

We are almost finished observing Paul’s defense of the faith before a governor of the Roman Empire and his wife. Step back for a moment and look at what we learned about defending our faith.

• Paul didn’t need to be rude, presumptive or defensive in spirit to stand for Jesus –and we don’t either.

• Paul didn’t assume that his audience understood his faith (he didn’t “Christian-eze” his way through his defense), nor did he attack his opponents to get his point across – and we don’t need to either.

• Paul didn’t wander between issues, but stayed focused on the essential point of making the heart of his faith clear to the hearer – and we must do so as well.

• Paul didn’t like disagreement, and didn’t want it in his life – but that didn’t make him so soft that he refused to stand his ground – and we cannot either. This is a time for believers to make it clear that the message of the Bible is non-negotiable. What the Bible calls on us to do, is what God expects us to do – and we intend to do it.

The testimony before the world may get much tougher in the coming days. As naturalism nails down every board in the floor of our school systems over the next generation, and as skepticism and agnosticism become the hallmark of the learned, we may find a cold wind blowing in our face. We will have a month of witches at Halloween but never a single mention of Jesus at Christmastime – and this generation will accept that as normal. A single comment like: “A child needs a mother and a father” will be reason enough to be pilloried in public as a cruel and unthinking person. Suggesting that people have “no legal right to expect to live their lives without ever feeling offended” will get you a world of trouble – unless the offense is because of anything that has to do with the church, a Bible of Jesus. You will be able to quote the Qur’an in class, but never a Bible verse – for that will surely bring an end to the republic. You will feel it – fairness and justice is listing to one side.

As that happens, don’t lose your cool and don’t lose heart. We have a pattern to follow.

The Result: Continued imprisonment.

Acts 24:27 But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.

It is easy to view the defense as a failure – because Paul was still under arrest. That would be true, but that wasn’t the goal. God wanted Paul to head to Rome, and that is still where he was going. God knows His timing, and Paul needed to learn to be content with his place while God moved in other areas and with other people.

The most important ingredient has been staring us in the face for the whole of the study – but I never mentioned it. Paul WANTED to be used of God to bring the message of Jesus to people. He was willing to sit in jail at the instruction of Jesus and wait his turn to head to Rome – because he knew that is where he belonged. He did it because he loved Jesus. He did it because he was burdened by the lost. He did it because he LOVED PEOPLE.

In his book The Gospel According to Jesus, Chris Seay mentioned a profound lesson he gained from his father about how to love people. He wrote: “Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money, so we used to get outfield deck seats (aka ‘the cheap seats’) to see the baseball games at the [Houston] Astrodome. Most of the people buying the cheap seats did so to save more money for beer. After the first few innings, they were drunk, and by the time the seventh-inning stretch rolled around, there would be beer mixed with peanut shells on the floor, spilled beer down your back, and a brawl two rows over and back to the left. It was ugly out there. As a kid, I learned from a lot people that we were sitting with the ‘bad people.’ There was one consistent drunk fan named Batty Bob. He was a self-proclaimed Houston Astros mascot. He’d come to all the games wearing a rainbow wig, and he’d lead slurred cheers in the stands. I remember one time my dad went out to sit and talk with Batty Bob. He spent the whole game with Bob, then walked him out to the parking lot to bring him home with us. I was more than confused, because this guy was one of the ‘bad people.’ When we got home, my dad came to me and explained how God loved Batty Bob. I remember thinking, Really? Batty Bob? And he stayed with us for a few days to get back on his feet. This is when I started to realize that God did not despise these people; he dearly loved them.”

We must remember that the church was designed to be a place, not simply where people would be “saved” – but where their broken lives would be transformed. The slavery to sin has been bested by our loving Creator – and the message of freedom awaits those who will hear our voices. The church is where God’s Spirit is working to change people once enslaved to their appetites to be like our Savior in character, and where we – in love with Jesus and people – will work together to show the power of the Savior graphically to the world. God modeled defense of the Gospel so that believers will know how to be clear, confident and concise about the message.

Not to upset anyone, but I am not particularly a Beatle’s fan, and I never was. The emotional and spiritual journey of the “fab four” never really appealed to me – though I cannot deny they were talented young men a generation ago, and they cut new ground in their lyrics and musical scores. I was interested to learn, however, that the last song the four recorded together was a song that captured the tumultuous stages of their break-up as a band, and highlighted something we will see in our text for this lesson. Let me explain:

The song called “The Long and Winding Road” was primarily written by Paul McCartney as the tenth track on the Beatles’ album “Let It Be”. It became their last “chart topping” song in the US for the group back in 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet while all four were still alive. McCartney recalled later that the song was composed at his farm in Scotland, and it reflected the growing tension in the group as it was coming apart. The original recording was a piano piece, but it became heavily mixed in the studio using 18 violins, four violas, four cellos, three trumpets, three trombones, two guitars, and a choir of 14 women – none of which was approved by McCartney before the album release. In fact, it was in direct contrast to the Beatles’ stated intentions for a “real” recording. When McCartney first heard the mixed version, he blew up and about a week later announced the Beatles’ breakup.

“The Long and Winding Road” lyrics leave you feeling like a man knows where he will end up, but nevertheless feels like he is floundering on the journey…The song says:

The long and winding road that leads to your door – Will never disappear. I’ve seen that road before it always leads me here – Leads me to your door. The wild and windy night that the rain washed away – Has left a pool of tears crying for the day. Why leave me standing here? Let me know the way! Many times I’ve been alone and many times I’ve cried. Anyway you’ll never know the many ways I’ve tried. And still they lead me back to the long and winding road.

It doesn’t take psychoanalysis to recognize that McCartney was hurting by the pending breakup, but still somewhat hopeful that things would somehow lead the men back together – as though it was their collective destiny. He knew they should be together, but he didn’t see how the path was going to lead them back to that place.

In some ways, that is exactly the sense the Apostle Paul must have felt as he sat in one imprisonment after another – not sure how he was going to get to Rome – where Jesus told him he was going. In a strange way, God was teaching Paul through a series of experiences a truth that He decided to explain to us in the record of His Word…

Key Principle: God’s will for us is not only about us – it also fits into His larger plan.

Christians need humility when looking at the experiences of their life. We often don’t know where things are going, even though we know where all things will end. The Bible offers us the ultimate destination to world history, and to our own final state – but the path to get there is not always clear. We need to be careful not to oversell our understanding of events as they come across our path. Before I get into the text for the lesson, let me offer an example that I believe will help to set the stage. The story came from a missions conference I attended many years ago…

Back in the 1970’s a young, unmarried woman went to Bible school because she believed God called her to a life in foreign missions. By all accounts, she did well in school, and she prepared very carefully for the field, reading everything possible on the African people group to whom she was assigned by her mission board. She traveled from church to church on deputation, raising the funds to go to the field. That process took almost two year, but she was nearing the end of it when she received life-changing, tragic news. Her younger sister and her husband had dropped off their three children at a baby sitter’s house, and journeyed off on a “date night” together in Texas, when a drunk driver plowed through a red light and crushed their car. Both were pronounced dead on the scene. Our young mission bound woman lost her only sibling, and she was the only family left, as they had lost their parents a few years before. Without any other family, the three children were heading for emergency foster care. The young missionary cancelled her plans to go to the field, and on the advice of the mission board, she stayed in Texas and raised her sister’s three wonderful children. Her heart was broken. Her family was gone. Her dreams and plans were crushed. Yet, right in front of her was a new family – three little children that needed love to get through the blow of losing both parents and having their whole lives changed. She poured herself into loving and raising the three – and each ended up as missionaries on an international field. She never went to foreign soil – but her legacy was multiplied by pouring vision and love into the field God gave her. God’s will was evident, and He used her training, passion and preparation in a way very different than she had planned for Him to use it all. She knew that was God’s right.

While that story sinks in, let’s drop our eyes into the scene found in the Book of Acts, when the Apostle Paul faced a mob but was assured by Jesus that he was Rome bound. The encounter with Jesus, like the one long before at Corinth that kept him ministering during the second mission journey settled Paul – he would not die at the hands of the Sanhedrin. His time was not near; some of his work for the Kingdom was still incomplete. At the same time, the path Jesus took him on was neither straight nor easy. Why not? The answer lies in the truth that God was doing other things – He was also providing solutions to other problems and addressing other needs while dealing with Paul in his series of personal defenses of his faith, imprisonments and delays to be heard.

In Acts 23, Paul stood to defend himself before what had to be considered, from the Jewish perspective, the premiere educational and religious institution of his day. These were ostensibly the leaders of God’s people, yet nothing was as it seemed that day – and it often isn’t in our journey, either. God was at work staging the events – and Paul had to learn to lean on God’s provision – no matter how “long and winding” the road.

Look at how things were so different than they appeared to be…

What looked like a setback in Paul’s arrest was actually God providing a paid bodyguard service for him to deliver a message to the Jewish leadership (Acts 23:1-10).

At this stage in the story, Paul had been “rescued” by Roman guards out of a mob scene at the Temple, taken to the garrison building, and held overnight as much for his own protection as to stop any rioting in the city. In the morning, the Apostle was walked under guard to the Sanhedrin chamber – likely beneath the southern porch of the Temple in the chamber between the two “Hulda Gates”, still visible (though closed) on the south retaining wall. We “enter the scene” with Paul on a witness dais, while the assembly of leaders was gathering in a less formal array – for not everyone had their full regalia on, signifying their various positions.

Acts 23:1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 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!” 4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!” 5 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.’”

Paul had been away from Jerusalem for a long time, and he wasn’t keeping up with the changes on the roster of Temple leadership. Add to that the fact that the High Priest was apparently not dressed for the occasion, so it seems Paul simply “goofed” and called the High Priest a name – a definite “faux pas” for such an occasion. Thankfully, Luke included the incident (no doubt shared in detail by Paul in embarrassment shortly later), so that Paul could reflect a simple truth: Even when God was using him, Paul still needed to be humble and guarded about the way he shared his message.

I love that the Bible doesn’t hide his mistake, and since Luke was not there – it was Paul’s choice not to do so. Paul reacted to a face slap, apparently thinking that the one who ordered it was violating the rules of the debate chamber – not recognizing he was the High Priest, who could make such an order and must never be addressed in a harsh tone. When the men scolded Paul, the Apostle apologized and admitted his error – he simply didn’t know that Ananias was High Priest at that time, or he had never seen the man in person. He went even further and showed that he understood the Law concerning his wrong behavior –verbally admitting that was an outrageous thing to do. That settled the room, as they saw he was not trying to be boisterous and rebellious.

There are two important thoughts I want to highlight about this brief exchange. First, we must be careful to be humble even when what we are saying is right, and what they are saying is wrong. Many believers spend time learning an apologetic of the faith, and become emboldened to speak truth in difficult circumstances – that is a good thing. At the same time, we who spend so much time around other believers need to be very careful about how we sound, and how we react in particular, to the world. The best evidences are lost in discourteous behavior.

I mentioned in the last lesson the idea that we should not enter a public discussion, such as that on social media sites, and simply “bomb them” with what is obvious to us – “But God’s Word says it, so that settles it” – kind of language. We need to take the time to carefully show why the instruction of the Word has proven itself reliable and worthy of heeding in the past. Truth has a track record of helpfulness. That record helps people connect to the idea, even if they aren’t believers – and that bridge may lead them to connect to the Biblical idea’s author – God Himself. Even more, let me raise a specific caution flag about how you and I answer when being “struck in the face”. The unanticipated response, and especially the cruel one can drive us to over-react, and we must understand that is ever a temptation. If we do step out of line, we should be humble and accept correction. Meekness is “power under control” – and Jesus said the meek are blessed. In fact, in all of the Gospel accounts, the only self-description of His character Jesus offered was that word…”I am ‘meek’ and lowly of heart.”

A second truth can be gleaned from the short exchange. We need to learn that God isn’t always doing what we think He is! Think of it! There is certainly irony in the “Apostle to the Gentiles” getting a Roman escort to the Sanhedrin that was currently accusing him of taking a Gentile into the holy precinct of the Temple. This account drips with irony! They had Gentiles in their chambers, but Paul never did. Yet they accused him!

Acts 23:6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial 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 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) 9 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?” 10 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.

God sent Paul with a specific message to give to the Sanhedrin leadership – and it was successfully delivered. The message was that Jesus’ resurrection was their key offense, but not all Jews disagreed with it. That belief didn’t put Paul and other Messianic believers “outside” of Judaism – so they needed to be careful about tossing them all away as though they were not faithful Jews. Some who were not believers began to defend Paul, and the meeting escalated. The Roman commander stepped in and “pulled the plug” on the meeting.

Yet that is not the only thing that was not as it appeared…Paul was whisked away to a quiet place, his heart pumping fast from the whole highly-charged incident. Eventually, he settled down and the day passed by.

What looked like an arrest was actually a guarded and secure meeting space to meet with God (Acts 23:11).

Follow Paul down the hall to a place to rest, and Luke recorded what happened next…

Acts 23:11 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.”

The Roman tax sesterces provided a bed in seclusion for Paul to have a meeting with Jesus. That simple verse reminds me of how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego got a private meeting hall provided by Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3. Now it’s true, the meeting hall looked like a fiery furnace – but nevertheless God provided a place at government expense to meet the Savior and have a chat. Here God did it again!

What looked like a discouraging abandonment by friends and family was actually the stage for an encouraging opportunity to show hidden support (Acts 23:12-15).

Acts 23:12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.” 16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.

We know much about Paul and his companions, but little about his extended family. Interestingly enough, in this one instance we see one of his nephews saving Paul. The plot had to bother him a bit, but after all – this wasn’t exactly new to him. He had been dodging men who wanted his head for years! The encouragement was that God used his family – however distant to him in belief at the time – to send a message of rescue. Yet, there is more…

What looked like a threat to his life was actually a select invitation to an otherwise “closed” palace (Acts 23:17-24).

Acts 23:17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” 18 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.” 19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?” 20 He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 21 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.” 22 The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul eventually had to stand before Roman authorities – so this back story bode well for Paul. It was clear, at least in the report of the commander, that Paul was being “set up” and the Roman guards were preventing an injustice. Seeing this, the commander responded…

Acts 23:23 Then he 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. 24 Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”

Paul is staying in style and traveling in the most secure fashion he has ever traveled – and all this was provided by God! It is true that he was not free to leave yet, but it was clear in the narrative that the commander helped Paul escape alive, and his continued intervention kept Paul well.

We have to remember that God doesn’t always provide the way we think He is going to – because there are issues beyond the scope of our own understanding that He is also carefully monitoring and caring for.

By all accounts, eagles are very responsive to their eaglets. The “mother eagle” dotes over the eggs, then over the hatchlings. That same “mother” knows that to help them, she must force them into discomfort to get them flying. She does so by taking them as high as possible and then drops them. They have never flown before, so they plummet downward. As they gain their senses, the ground is approaching quickly, so she swoops to save them and takes them high in the air again. After several drops, they begin to use their wings to fly. She is providing a way for them to live as they grow. She is giving them experience while keeping them from the ground.

Consider this: Sometimes God places us in situations that are terribly uncomfortable, so that we can learn, step by step, how to follow Him better for the next encounter. Paul was receiving help and assistance from the Romans to reach Rome with the Gospel – and we must remember that the Gospel DID reach and transform Rome – all in God’s time. God kept “giving” Paul help that didn’t look helpful, but it was…

What looked like an arrest warrant was actually a letter of introduction (Acts 23:25-35).

Paul was escorted to the palace at Caesarea with a safe escort, and a letter accompanied the entrance…

Acts 23:25 He wrote a letter as follows: 26 Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings. 27 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. 28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29 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. 30 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. 31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. 33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 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.

I am certain that Paul did not want to be kept under guard, but it was better than being dead on the road somewhere, which is what would have happened had God not stepped in to rescue him from his countrymen. God works, very often, in mysterious ways… but we need to be aware that it is STILL GOD at work. Let me illustrate…

A cheerful but elderly, Christian widow was financially struggling. Her house was in desperate need of repair, yet she praised the Lord continually for His provision for her. There was an old man who lived next door who had no time for God, and he kept deriding her in conversation, saying there was no God – and she was wasting her life in belief of a fantasy. One day, the old man happened by her window moving his hose around his yard and overheard the old woman in prayer. She called on the Lord and asked for provision, for her cupboards were bare, and no additional money was expected until the following week. She simply prayed: “Lord, somehow, if You would, can You send some groceries.” Her neighbor crept away and thought to himself: “That is perfect! Now I can show her there is no God, and she is wasting her time!” He went to the nearby grocery and bought milk, bread, and some other food essentials, and placed them at her door. He rang the doorbell, and hid from view. As she opened the door and observed the provisions, she cried: “Oh, thank you God! You have done it again!” Just then, the old man came around the corner and said to the woman: “You see! I heard your prayer. I bought these things! God has nothing to do with it!” He sneered at her, but she smiled back and said: “Oh my, how exciting!” The old woman stopped and looked at the frumpy old man. “Jesus not only got me these groceries, but he got an unbeliever to pay for them! Isn’t He grand!”

You can’t go by what things look like – God may be doing many other things at the same time! God’s will for us is not only about us – it also fits into His larger plan.

Let me close this lesson by urging all of us to make the effort to seeing things differently. That’s hard to do – but it the best way for us to begin to humbly admit that most of our complaints about how things are happening are unjustly blaming God when He is busy doing what is best. Let me explain:

When a young woman seeks God for a husband and cannot find one, or a young man seeks a relationship with a young woman and she isn’t interested – all they can see on the surface is the pain of unhappiness. Yet, there could be literally a thousand things God is doing in each case to bring about His plan. Maybe she wants a husband who is being prepared in another place – and they haven’t met. Maybe he is resisting God and the Lord wants him to work out his walk before they meet. Maybe the young man wants a woman who appears to have her walk with God worked out, but secret sin exists in her life and God is sparing the young man from the pain of that situation. We know what we want – and we know if God isn’t giving it to us despite our energies chasing it. What we don’t know is WHY He is doing what He is doing. Discouragement is allowed to grow when our patience and trust in His goodness wanes.

Maybe you did all you could to raise your children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” and they aren’t walking with God now. You are heart-broken, and God hasn’t changed them. You are asking, and He doesn’t seem like He is listening. In your church family, you will hear the stories of the many “heartbreak kids” that eventually became blessings – but that guarantees nothing – and nothing short of a guarantee will make you feel better. Let me give you one: God will not leave you nor forsake you. He will tell His story. When you see Him in Heaven, you will know that He knew best and did best. That is your guarantee. Heaven has no complaint department, because it doesn’t need one. The wisdom of God is unsearchable and beyond measure.

For the one who is hurting, you are getting impatient with God’s slow response time to your prayer for healing. For the one who is working with all your strength at a job that appears to be fading – you may think God isn’t keeping track of your real needs – but He is. He is doing more than counting hairs on heads and falling sparrows today – He sees and He knows. The problem is we see only what we see – and do not understand how what we purchased today kept afloat the company of a believer half a world away. God has all of it to keep working – not just my problem. A bit of patience, mixed with a sincere dose of humility, topped by a pouring of honest trust in the character of God expressed in His Word is exactly what we need. Listen to the testimony of one woman, who was grasping for hope:

I sat in the bathroom. It was the middle of the night. No people, no “miracle” medicine, no strength left. I was too tired to fight. I sat there — four walls surrounding me. And a bleak, monotonous “bleep” from my battery-operated IV filled the silence. I couldn’t stop the sound of that miserable machine, anymore than I could control my own miserable life. So I sat there — dull, miserable, in pain, with no hope. [Then I heard] something else. I didn’t hear it with my ears — but I did in my spirit. I heard someone crying. And I immediately knew that it was Jesus crying for me. I was shocked — totally surprised. I didn’t think he would do that for me. This experience did not leave me emotionally elated. Nor did I feel a physical touch. Life was the same, except I now knew I really was not in this battle alone. Jesus cared in a way my wildest imagination would never have hoped for or expected. Slowly I got up and shuffled back to bed, my IV still “bleeping” in my ears. Life was the same but different entirely… When there was absolutely no one else that would help me, he cried for me. (From “Where the Battle Is Fought” by Lee Eclov).

The long and winding road of that woman wasn’t ended in that bathroom – it was somehow lightened when she realized she didn’t need to walk it alone. If pain continued, it was happening because it needed to happen to fulfill a purpose she could not see yet – and she needed to trust Jesus Who hurt with her.

I don’t play soccer or ice hockey. I don’t think I have the tenacity to keep moving at the rate of speed and intensity necessary to pull off either. Yet, I can watch, and as a fan, I have determined that if there is one position I KNOW I would not want to play in either sport, it is GOALIE. I don’t want to be a target, and that is what these positions make you. Everyone on the playing surface is aimed at getting something past YOU. If they have to hurt you to do it, all the better. I don’t like the sound of that…but it may increasingly become our life as we follow Jesus bravely into the post Christian west.

If you feel the way I do – a discomfort about the rising need to defend our faith in the public square – you should know that the Apostle Paul was in that position before any of us. There was a time in his life when everyone around him saw nothing but promise in that young man. He learned the Law and lived according to the rules of the culture around him. In a sentence: “He fit in.” It wasn’t until God met Him on the road to Damascus that his life was changed forever. Like anyone who has ever cruised through life, making the best of it, and had their life startlingly interrupted by God – Paul was changed by the experience in a way that made him unpalatable to his old professors and seminary companions. He went from being a rising star to a “flame out” in their eyes… and that was as painful for him as it would be for any of us.

None of us wants to get drawn into a fight to defend our faith – but sometimes it becomes unavoidable. Christian teaching isn’t pro-revenge, nor does it look with favor on sarcasm and witty retort – these things are not the stuff of the early Christian record concerning our faith’s defense. Yet, the early believers DID defend their newfound faith and hunger to follow God.

Here is a question worth pursuing: “Does the Scripture offer any example or counsel on how to defend our faith before a crowd?”

In fact, the record shows that it does. Paul began his defense of Christianity to Jews in the Temple from the steps that led to the Antonia Fortress during a riot – but thos was only one of seven different recorded defenses before different audiences. Since Luke (the author of the Book of Acts) seven defenses – but this was a PUBLIC defense offered in the form of Paul’s personal testimony.

Key Principle: Testifying of the work of Jesus in our lives is a necessary skill that every believer must learn.

In the beginning of your walk with God, it is enough just to know Him, delight in Him and follow Him. As time passes in your growth – more will be necessary. People will confront you and many times they do it with sour hearts or angry voices – so you and I need to know how to follow the example of the Scriptures in that defense without becoming defensive in spirit, and angry in heart.

Let’s go back in time, to the first century. We are zooming in to a man who has been beaten and is bleeding from his nose and mouth, but who has been “rescued” by the Roman authorities and whisked up the stairs on the north west side of the ancient Temple mount. Paul has secured from the centurion in charge the right to address the crowd – and he turned and began an address in the language of their Fathers – the ancient Hebrew tongue. His ability to do so got their attention, at least for a few moments…Here is Dr. Luke’s remembrance of the events: It began with Paul asking the crowd to hear him, and identifying with them in language.

Acts 22:1 “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now [offer] to you.” 2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said…’

We stopped short of reading WHAT Paul told them, because there is an important lesson to be grasped when we read these opening words in HOW he made his defense. Paul asked permission to speak, and he spoke in a language they recognized and understood. That sounds obvious, but as I watch believers, I am increasingly convinced that it is NOT OBVIOUS to many.

To defend our faith, we must speak in a way that people follow what we are truly saying.

Christians, like all subcultures have developed our own language. We will call it: “Christian speak” – a language laced with Scripture and hymnology, platitudes and proverbs. The language works well when we are gathered together, and it may communicate to others of like precious faith on our t-shirts, but it does little to reach the lost world. A fish on your bumper with Greek letters isn’t the most effective way to witness, unless you plan on being followed by Greek truck drivers along the road. We must be careful not to be “cryptic” in our words, and not be partisan in our sharing.

One of the first things the enemy does to blunt our witness is to use against us the constant bickering that can go on between believers as we go out into the world. When we share about Jesus, we need to share about Him – and not about why our church is right on other doctrinal issues and other churches are wrong. The: “Let me share with you Jesus and explain why the other political party yesterday was really wrong” method will only get others in the circle on the defense, and cause even other believers to end up bickering over the finer points of their belief system while the lost wander off and see our whole discussion as annoying and pretty much irrelevant. The best defense of the faith is one in which the hearer gets a clear presentation of Jesus – not our politics or our church’s particular bend on some “issue du jour”.

Paul asked them to take a moment and listen, since they needed to catch their breath after pounding him for a bit. It wasn’t the request that got their attention – the text is clear – it was his language. He spoke to them in a way that proved he was learned in the area they were debating. That is important. If we are going to address science, we might want to learn a bit about it before we start dropping verses in the middle of the discussion. The hours Paul learned the language paid off in the minutes he had to present Jesus to his foes that day.

To defend our faith, we need to be real about our credentials.

Paul went on to speak:

Acts 22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers…”

Before people “buy” the message, they want to know what the “angle” is from the messenger. Paul understood the people he wanted to present the Gospel to on that afternoon, and he knew what parts of his resume they would want to know. In essence, he said: “You hear my Hebrew. Let me tell you about my education so you can recognize where I am coming from.”

He didn’t claim to be a member of the Sanhedrin, or a professional athlete – he just shared his actual pedigree and background. Here Paul modeled an important truth: “Don’t oversell yourself in the presentation of the faith.” If you have background in a specific area, you may find it useful to mention it as you help people to “place” you in their thinking. You may find it helpful to share something like: “I am not here to sell you something, and my thoughts on life are just my own – but I am passionate about what I have found in my discoveries of life’s important questions.” Personalizing your responses takes you from the court of Heaven and plants your feet on the earth. There is nothing wrong with just being a human being. We don’t save people, we reflect Jesus and present His message. Pumping up our “expertise” will generally backfire in witness. Humility and grace attract people, arrogance repels them.

By the same token, if you have expertise in some area, it is not wrong to say that. Paul didn’t pull some: “Aw shuks, guys, I am just another everyday guy.” Paul told them what expertise he had, and where he got it. The Pharisaic party present would have been significantly impacted by his mention of Gamaliel, while some Sadducees would have been quick to find fault on that basis alone. That’s fine, because Paul knew they would at least see him as educated in the field about which he spoke from the stairway.

I sometimes get concerned about the way my brothers and sisters express their faith and defend it, when they engage in a level they have no background in. The fact that we believe the Bible is literally true does not therefore make us experts in the finding of Noah’s ark in eastern Armenia, nor does it help us know “the very place” Jesus performed a specific miracle. Our faith informs us that Jesus is the Eternal Son of God, the Messiah of Israel and the full payment for justification. Knowing all that doesn’t tell me where the actual “Last Supper” room was. We need to humble ourselves and not oversell who we are and what we truly have expertise in. Being “sure” of where the Ark of the Covenant may be located is not a requirement for you to be an obedient believer and an effective witness. Don’t mix issues and oversell – or your witness will be blunted in the process.

To defend our faith, we can still acknowledge the passion of others.

As Paul continued, he told the crowd of his own background, and then added this important phrase:

Acts 22:3b “…being zealous for God just as you all are today.”

Paul made clear that he accepted the premise that the men who just beat him were attempting to be zealous for God. The fact is the way they were acting reflected little or nothing of God’s way of doing things. He could have begun by telling them they had “bad attitudes” and needed to get their lives right with the true God of the Bible. That isn’t what he did – and with good reason – it doesn’t work and is wholly ungracious in presentation.

Not long ago I was in Rome near St. John in Lateran Cathedral. Across the street are the “Scala Sancta” – the “holy stairs” where some believe the steps of the Antonia Fortress were taken from Jerusalem. In their understanding, Jesus was led up the stairs to see Pontius Pilate, and the steps mark the walk of the Savior heading for the lashing and eventual sacrifice at Calvary. They believe these steps were taken from Jerusalem, and have some certain “sanctity” because Jesus tread on them and bled on them. Some believers travel up those steps on their knees. Some even slap their own backs as they knee their way up, step by step.

Standing outside the open doors with an American Pastor I had recently met, I was a bit shocked when he snickered at the pilgrims and remarked: “What a bunch of nonsense! These people don’t know anything about Jesus!” The third person in our little group was a searching friend from a Catholic background who had strayed from any faith and was incredibly offended at the caustic words. I had been sharing with that friend about a personal commitment to Jesus, and this buddy of mine just blew days of witness in his little unkind remark. Go back to Paul…

Couldn’t Paul tell these guys were “way off the mark” when it came to their zeal? I suspect he saw, and felt blow by blow their misplaced zeal. Yet, he acknowledged their yearning to know God, their desire to zealously follow God. If my friend had taken his cues from Paul, he could have remarked at the “Scala Sancta” something like: “Wow, that’s a tough thing to do. I wonder if the people going up the steps know how much Jesus loves them, even without whips and personal punishment? I wonder if they know the Scriptures say that He was willingly bruised so they didn’t have to be? Don’t you think my friend who was struggling with their faith would have had more to think about than just hearing a rebuke of people who were “doing it wrong”? We do the Gospel no favor by offering scathing judgment of people who are seeking God but looking in the wrong direction. Criticism and sarcasm are lousy evangelism methods. They may build up other believers and graduate them from timidity, but they do little to bring people from darkness to light.

To defend our faith, need to start on common ground.

Paul kept speaking and told the crowd:

Acts 22:4 “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.

The Apostle started his witness where he started his life – opposed to the faith of Jesus. None of us were born Christian – it was a choice we made at some point in our life. When Paul presented Christ, he made the point that he was a persecutor – and understood why they felt believers were a “threat” to the order and theology of the Temple. He reminded them that he zealously sought to shut down that threat, because he held the same high regard for the Temple and the authorities of that Holy Place that the crowd did. He reminded them of the letters he took to go to Damascus and round up people of the “Way” and bring them back to Jerusalem to face their punishment.

Think of it this way: we all made a choice to follow Christ at some point in our life – and part of our witness may be to explain why we made that choice. As a believer of many years, I find it hard to recall all the ways I thought before I knew Christ as Savior – but I do know how Jesus met me on the journey, and why I was open to hear the Gospel. Sharing that humanizes our testimony. Jesus doesn’t just win our minds – He confronts our heart – our longings, our emptiness, our hunger for something more than 100 years on a plot of ground before we get tossed into a hole with a stone on top. I wanted more, and Jesus met that hunger and filled it with Himself. We need to start with where people are – and not simply where we want them to be. In Paul’s case, it was reminding them that he understood why they felt threatened by Christianity and its startlingly different teachings. He started on common ground, addressing what they were concerned about.

To defend our faith, we must make clear the actual choice to follow Jesus.

Our faith isn’t just about an ethic – it is about meeting a Person. Paul shared:

Acts 22:6 “But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 “And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 “And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10 “And I said, What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’ 11 “But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.

The apostle took them back to the grit of the Roman Road that passed northeast toward Damascus. He told them it was about high noon, and he made clear the flash from Heaven was unmistakable. Tossed to the ground, Saul of Tarsus was confronted with a Person. He didn’t come to a theology, nor did he join a church – he fell before a Person who confronted him and brought Paul up short. The voice from Heaven wasn’t muffled – it was a clear challenge: “Why are you persecuting Me?” No one in the audience that day would have been wondering who the messenger was for that particular demand. Paul explained that Jesus clearly showed Himself to be the One in Heaven Who struck him down and showed him the error of his ways. Jesus told him to get up and go to Damascus, but left him blinded and unable to do so without an attendant – showing the whole party with him that the event was a “God thing”.

Often in presenting the Gospel, we forget what the heart of the message truly is. The message of the Gospel is not that I was a sinner bound for Hell and now I am a saint bound for glory. The message of the Gospel is that God loved the world enough to send us One who could bear our sin and take the place of our penalty that was demanded by our rebellion against the Holy One. The center of the message is this: I need to confront God and have my sin resolved by the substitute – Jesus Himself. If Jesus is not the center of the defense of our faith – we are not defending the faith at all. We may be defending some important ethical stance that is derived from our faith – but that isn’t the same thing. Paul presented to the crowd that he MET JESUS – because that is the heart of the salvation experience. Note also that Paul made clear that Jesus told Paul he was dead wrong about what he was doing. Jesus didn’t just say, “I love you – come to me!” He said: “Stop what you are doing and follow Me!” There is a difference.

To defend our faith, we may need to validate our testimony with other credible sources.

Paul didn’t stop at the point that he met Jesus – he continued the story…

Acts 22:12 “A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, [and] well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him. 14 “And he said, The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. 15 For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’

The message of the Gospel is about more than a meeting – it is about the surrender that happened during the meeting and about the change that happened because of the meeting. Notice what Paul told them:

I followed the instructions to go to Ananias, and you may know him to be a reliable person of balance and standing in the community there. He called out to me, and I received my sight back! He gave me a message that he said came from God – the message to speak what I have seen (a stunning light from Heaven and heard (Jesus speaking from Heaven). He told me that I needed to get up, get into the mikveh (the ritual bath) and symbolize that sin was washed from me in the name of the One who struck me down!

Paul didn’t simply explain that he met Jesus – but rather he explained that his life path changed – and he began to FOLLOW Jesus. Where Jesus told him to go – he went. He checked in with a well-known and credible man as instructed – and he got his marching orders to relate the message. When the confirmation was matched with the power to open his eyes, he knew that God had spoken and he wasn’t delusional. His new sight brought profound understanding into his life. He was ready to stand up as one cleaned inside!

We must, in the process of defending our faith, make plain that we are not Christians because we are good people – but because we recognized that we are NOT good people – but broken, rebellious, stubborn and self-reliant people that have faced the truth – we cannot earn righteousness. We need a Savior. Not only that, we need that Savior to be a Transformer and change our stubbornness into servanthood. We don’t need to become servants for Him to save us, we need to be servants because He already did save us. We don’t need to earn His love, we need to walk in it so that we can show the world we truly know Him.

Religion is heavy, and starts with external behavior adjustment in hopes of changing the broken heart. Relationship with Jesus is light, because it started with Jesus doing the work necessary to save me, and allows me the joy of showing Him how thankful I am that He did that! While religion seeks to earn the right to be heard of God, relationship celebrates the fact that God has already shared how much He loves listening to my voice! In the process of defending our faith, we must make clear the difference between the duties of religion and the joys of walking with Jesus.

To defend our faith, we may need to explain the path that led to the offensive sound of our message clearly.

Paul had only a few more sentences before the crowd cut him off…

Acts 22:17 “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, 18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ 19 “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. 20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ 21 “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'” 22 They listened to him up to this statement, and [then] they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”

People don’t agree with our message – but that doesn’t make the message wrong. We need to understand where they are coming from to be able to help them hear us without becoming the offense that keeps them from listening to the Savior. In Paul’s case, the whole issue stemmed from “why a good Jewish boy was spending all his time with pig-eating pagans these days.” It was an understandable concern for his former friends and family.

Paul explained that his change didn’t start out in the world, but right inside the Temple itself. God spoke to him and told him that people in Jerusalem would not be willing to hear about Jesus yet, and that his life would be in danger. Standing on the stairs that day, dripping blood from his nose, that observation seemed all too obvious. At the same time, Paul reflected that he resisted God’s call to leave the Jewish people and go off into the Aegean sunset. He loved the people and the Law. He stood shoulder to shoulder with them when the deacon Stephen was being pummeled by rocks because he wouldn’t shut up about a stone worker from Nazareth that had come back to life and was now on the throne beside the Holy One of Heaven. Paul understood why they were offended, but he couldn’t deny what he knew was true. He had a real encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, and he was bound to follow what the Master told him to do – even if that meant taking a message to the streets of Gentile cities, after being openly tossed from one synagogue after another.

The people cut him off right there. If this guy was told to go be with Gentiles, he had no business speaking the Hebrew tongue and lecturing the people of God in the Holy Temple! They needed to toss him out now! They shut down the dialogue and made clear that his point of view was worthy of death.

Did Paul do a poor job of defending his faith? After all, the people didn’t listen did they? How can we evaluate this as anything other than a failure?

The truth is, God was working other plans. Paul gave the message until he couldn’t. He represented Jesus with poise in the toughest of places under terrible circumstances. Yet, the measure of the witness was not whether the crowd came to Jesus that day – this was a work in progress. Look at the last part of the chapter, and see if you can pick out what God was beginning to do in the story…

Paul was about to take the message into a strategic place – the Roman barracks of Jerusalem – and make plain what the whole problem was all about. Later in his arrest, Paul will note that many who heard the Gospel in such circumstances were deeply attracted to Jesus, and the testimony was effective. That wasn’t THIS TIME, but this was part of his “learning curve”.

Acts 22:23 And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks…”

Paul was about to exercise lessons in defense learned back in the second mission journey at Philippi (Acts 16) and stop the legal establishment from abusing him in an unlawful way. He had learned what to say and when to say it, and that would serve him well in the days ahead. Because he knew Jesus, didn’t mean he couldn’t use every temporal right he had to defend himself – and Christians are learning that lesson in the west again, even as we are studying this passage.

Acts 22:24b “…stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25 But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard [this], he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27 The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born [a citizen].” 29 Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.

Paul was about to get an ordered hearing before important men that was supervised, rather than a “free-for-all” that would have certainly ended badly had the Roman authorities not been involved. God knows how to open doors, but believers have to follow His lead and obey His commands. Paul had to bleed to get the right to be heard by the Sanhedrin in a supervised and peaceful assembly.

Acts 22:30 But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

Patrick lived in the fifth century, a time of rapid change and transition as the Roman Empire was beginning to lose its grip on outlying areas, and Europe was one the doorstep of what later historians would call “the Dark Ages”. Rome’s slow downward spiral led to successful barbarian invaders sacking the city in 410. Shortly after, Roman legions were withdrawn from Britain and the once ordered life found under Roman domination became chaotic and uncertain. “St. Patrick” ministered in the world of that tumultuous time.

Though much about his life is uncertain, some biographical facts are well-established. Patrick was born Patricius somewhere in Roman Britain to a relatively wealthy family. He was not religious as a youth and, in fact, claims to have practically renounced the faith of his family. While in his teens, Patrick was kidnapped in a raid and transported to Ireland, where he was enslaved to a local warlord and worked as a shepherd until he escaped six years later. He returned home and eventually undertook studies for the priesthood with the intention of returning to Ireland as a missionary to his former captors. It is not clear when he actually made it back to Ireland, or for how long he ministered there, but it was definitely for a number of years. By the time he wrote the Confession and the “Letter to Coroticus,” Patrick was recognized by both Irish natives and the Church hierarchy as the bishop of Ireland. By this time, also, he had clearly made a permanent commitment to Ireland and intended to die there. Scholars have no reason to doubt that he did. He died on March 17 the day we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. (Original source unknown).

I mention his story to make a point. The day he was captured he had no idea that God wanted to use him to reach the people who hurt him and changed his life so badly – but that is exactly what happened. Listen to the compendium of the words of this man as they were handed down to us:

“I am Patrick, a sinner, most uncultivated and least of all the faithful and despised in the eyes of many…If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples; even though some of them still look down on me…Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and he who is mighty came and in his compassion raised me up and exalted me very high and placed me on the top of the wall…That which I have set out in Latin is not my words but the words of God and of apostles and prophets, who of course have never lied. He who believes shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be damned. God has spoken…Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.” Could this man defend his faith. Yes, I know you can see that he could. Now the question is: “Can we?” Testifying of the work of Jesus in our lives is a necessary skill that every believer must learn.

I doubt if anyone was thinking that a movement was going to be fostered by the ballad songs of a baby boy born in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota – but that is what would happen some eighteen years later… as Robert Allen Zimmerman entered the stage as Bob Dylan. One of the popular lyric writers of the 1960’s he penned these words:

“Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside ragin’.
It’ll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’.”

A platform favorite of demonstrators was the plea to “heed the call” of the masses. In Christian circles, we used the terms “heed the call” to refer not to political movements – but the movement within the follower of Jesus by God’s Spirit to the place of ministry. Believers are called by God and placed in service by that call.

As we continue walking the Roman roads with the Apostle Paul through the Christian Scriptures, (New Testament) we have come to see Paul as a seasoned shepherd of the early church, a well-recognized author of Holy Scripture, and a bold and zealous witness for Jesus across his known western world. Looking up close, no one who examines the record of accomplishments of the Apostle Paul’s life would doubt that he was a man who was “called” by God to accomplish great things. Few Christians would argue that as believers we don’t follow a call of God to be saved, and even to serve God. Yet, we don’t spend much time describing what the call of God DOES to daily decision making…a “how it works in practical life” view, if you will.

We do repeat some truths about the call of God to believers often enough that they are well known, partly because they are easy to establish from the Word. For instance, God called you to Himself for the purpose of life-changing transformation. The people that are “the called according to God’s purpose” of Romans 8 were the same believers that were “made alive by God” in Ephesians 2, “brought out of death into life”. God’s call was evident, and God bought you to place you on a mission. That call refers to God’s choice of you – to bring you to Himself. It is not the only way we use the term, however.

A second use of “call” is related to your service for the Lord as a believer – as in: “What ministry were you CALLED to do in the body?” In that case, we often note that a believer’s call is usually indicated by the spiritual gifts God bestowed on your life at the time of your salvation. Your “call” often follows your expressed passion and normally works within your personality – as Moses who early in his life burned with a sense of injustice was called to set the Hebrews free later in his life. In addition to these ideas, every believer who has observed Scripture carefully can tell you that a believer’s call must lead them only to works that are in harmony with the values of God’s Word.

The call for service is real, and important. Yet we don’t often point out how it works its way out in daily life. In this lesson we want to look past the simple truths of the call, and peer into the functioning or the call to serve while we see how it worked in Paul’s life – on the way to instructing our own walk. Watch Paul, and you will observe some valuable traits that are the outgrowth of following the call of God – perhaps even some that are less known and harder to grasp – especially as a young believer. It all begins with the singular observation…

Key Principle: God’s call in my life should show in the choices of my life.

Let’s look through the story of Acts 21, the rough and tumble of the Prophetic warnings of incarceration to Paul into the actual arrest of Paul, where we will see “seven truths about God’s call” that may not be clear to growing believers – but are essential lessons.

Because I have God’s call – I must weigh all of the other directions that come my way (Acts 21:1-4).

When God calls a man or woman from service, it doesn’t mean there won’t be other voices calling them to do something else…

Acts 21:1 When we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara; 2 and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

You are led by the Spirit, and you will grow to know God’s call for you – but not every believer will understand what He is telling you to do – even some who are following God wholly and love Him deeply. When God is at work in you, every spiritual “word” or “piece of advice” given to you must be measured through His call. Others may mean well and be thoroughly convinced of “God’s will for your life”, but they only know the part that God impressed upon them about their call – not your whole plan. We must learn to follow God’s direction, and cannot be so easily dissuaded by those who love God, but may not see all He told us about the situation.

I have seen this often, but it requires some explanation.

Years ago I worked in Elkhart, Indiana for a time, building robots on a shop floor in a manufacturing unit. During that time, the company I worked for was led by a nominal Christian man, who had a son in Seminary at a good school. The company owner knew I was a believer, and pulled me aside one day to lament that his son was making the decision to take his new bride and move overseas to Africa on a mission endeavor. He complained, “Don’t you people know how many people live in the US that needed God? Why in the world do you insist on traveling far from home in places like this to preach, when we have churches to preach from right here?” I tried to explain that his son wasn’t choosing where to go – only WHO to follow. If God told him to go – obedience was demanded.

It wasn’t hard to see that my boss was lamenting “losing” time with his son and future grandchildren. I understand that pain – but he didn’t understand the choice – because he didn’t grasp how a call to service works. God called the play – his son was just being obedient. His son knew what Jesus wanted.

Not to be overly personal, but this has happened many times in ministry through my life. When I came to Sebring, Florida, I got the amazing opportunity to serve in the church beside some fabulous men and women. Several of them are with Jesus now. One in particular stayed with our ministry and NEVER shared his thoughts about my teaching and preaching (out of loyalty) with anyone else but me. Would it surprise you to learn that not all the senior men who stood by my side truly agreed I was handling the pulpit properly? I am not saying that they thought I wasn’t preaching the Word. I am saying they weren’t happy with the diet as I planned it from the Word. One in particular believed that I wasn’t open to topical preaching, and he made it clear on a dozen occasions that his ministry was built on holiday preaching and hot topics. He told me many times I was “off the mark” preaching through books. I loved him, and still do –but I knew what God wanted me to do – and that was cover as many chapters as I could in the year. I began a second service and didn’t do what anyone else did – and heard repeatedly how I should repeat messages.

Stop for a second and hear what I am saying. I am not hurt, and those memories are not painful at all. I am not bringing this up to put down someone or elevate me – I am making a point. I knew God’s call for me. Others weighed in, and had I not been certain of God’s direction, I would have changed what I was doing – as I have countless times after consulting with our leaders on issues in which God hadn’t given me a specific direction. The point is this: even good people led by God will weigh in on some things that you must stick to because of what God told you to do. Paul understood that. They told him –nudged by the Spirit of God – that Jerusalem was a costly choice– and he booked a boat anyway.

Because I have God’s call – I cannot allow emotional attachments to stop me from following a walk of obedience (Acts 21:5-14).

Related to the first truth, but a bit different is the recognition that emotions cannot drive decision making when it comes to God’s will. Take a look at the following verses…

Acts 21:5 When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until [we were] out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. 6 Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home again. 7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day. 8 On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses. 10 As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'” 12 When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents [began] begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!”

Other prophetic words were handed down by God’s people, and they all sounded like: “Danger ahead!” Agabus dropped by to offer a graphic picture of Paul’s coming days… and it was not going to be any picnic! I am not making light of the issue. It was clear that it broke Paul’s heart to think that he would be taken from the other believers, and not see their faces again. Paul knew the stakes; but Paul knew God’s leading. If arrival in Jerusalem was the instruction from God for Paul, failure to arrive was disobedience. He couldn’t shirk his responsibilities for the sake of more time with loved ones. What foreign called missionary couldn’t say they understand Paul’s feelings and his tears?

The call of God to accomplish an area of ministry doesn’t mean you DON’T feel what anyone else feels – it means you trust God to care for your needs, and you know what He told you to do. The choice comes down to following Him or not – and you care more about His will than your feelings. As our culture continues to exalt one’s personal feelings above all else – this is fast becoming a foreign concept to people – to deny ourselves and follow God. The words of Jesus must still ring true in His people:

Mark 8:34: “And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

Notice how Paul responded when people pressed him about the future in verses thirteen and fourteen. First, he instructed the people that he felt as they did. Second, he made the point that he was following a path and was ready to do so. It appears to me from the narrative that did NOT stop the people from pressing him – but he would not be persuaded. Even in the first century believers were unsure about how the call of God worked in overruling the emotions – but Paul knew what he needed to do.

Because I have God’s call – I cannot allow rumor and misinformation to drive my path unless it will confuse the Gospel (Acts 21:15-25).

Finally arriving in Jerusalem, Paul was not finished demonstrating how God’s call worked in his life. Luke recorded:

Acts 21:15 After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 [Some] of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge. 17 After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After he had greeted them, he [began] to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it they [began] glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; 21 and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22 “What, then, is [to be done]? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 “Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. 25 “But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.”

Paul eased into the Jerusalem scene along with some friends and travel companions. He was “gladly received”, so we should picture some hugging, sharing and maybe even a few tears as God’s people joined together. He sat for a time with Jerusalem’s Pastor (James) and some of the other elders of the church and reported to them all that God was doing in and through him, and something remarkable happened in the room… An entire group of kosher believers began to praise God and celebrate the work of God among the Gentiles! They may not have had great experiences with these God was transforming, but they were excited that God was at work calling people to Himself!

After a time of praise, the leaders presented to Paul a local issue that needed to be dealt with – that of his reputation among Jewish believers. The words of Paul were, in some cases, misunderstood. The letter to the Galatian believers still is largely misunderstood by many as an antinomian rant – when it is nothing of the sort. Add to the uncertainty from Paul’s friends the blatant lies and deliberate rumors of his foes to Jerusalem’s leadership in the Temple – and it was no wonder that Paul was maligned in Jerusalem. The elders were excited that so many Jews knew Jesus and also kept the laws that God told them never to set aside. Jesus didn’t cancel the command for Jews to keep Sabbath – it was a forever command. Jesus didn’t cancel circumcision for Jewish infant boys – it was a forever symbol of the covenant God had with Abraham. Jews didn’t cancel the food laws given to Jews in Leviticus 11 – for they were restrictions God placed specifically on the children of Israel for signs of a special covenant relationship. The symbols didn’t justify them – that came from the payment of Messiah on Calvary. At the same time, Messiah didn’t cancel them or the men would have been embarrassed admitting these men were both believers in Jesus and active in keeping the Law.

Don’t forget that Paul didn’t CORRECT them for having Jews that followed the Law –he went out of his way to make sure those very believers DIDN’T believe that he was saying that at all. Bible teachers that make this seem like “he was just being a Jew to Jews, but didn’t think Jews needed to keep the Law given them” make Paul into the worst kind of pandering politician in my view. The record seems clear. The elders were thankful the Jewish believers kept the Law, and Paul didn’t want them to believe he wasn’t one of them. Either that was genuine, or it was pandering to the polls.

Note the assurance of the record: “…all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you.” It seems clear enough from the Scriptures that integrity of the leaders would demand they not be putting a false front on Paul’s beliefs – they didn’t think he was teaching Jews to stop keeping the Law – and they reiterated the fact that although there was but ONE WAY to be declared righteous by God (the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary), there were two distinct paths of sanctification – the walk of obedience of one who knows and follows God. Verse twenty-five reiterated the four standards for Gentiles passed by the Jerusalem Council years before – i.e. “meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication” – as a clearly different occurrence than what was happening in Jerusalem among Jewish believers.

Paul wanted to clear the air, not to protect himself, but because what was being said was confusing to the Gospel. God didn’t tell Jews to accept Jesus and stop being distinctly Jewish in lifestyle. God didn’t “kosher” the hams. At the same time, God wasn’t interested in Gentiles trying to replace the Jewish people by acting like them. God created one new man – Jew and Gentile, bond and free, male and female. All entered justification the same way. Each had a separate path for sanctification – because God wanted to do different things by different people. Paul wanted that message clear. He wasn’t doing things to defend his reputation – but for the clarity of the Gospel.

People don’t have to like us as God’s servants, but we have a sacred responsibility to make sure the message we were given is communicated lovingly, but carefully. We must not adjust the message, nor hinder people by giving it in a way that is distracting from the message.

Because I have God’s call – I must expect the opposition of the Deceiver and his planted forces (Acts 21:26-28).

The clarity of the message wasn’t Paul’s only problem. He also had a problem that was caused directly by the interruption of the father of lies and those who promoted darkness. Luke told the story…

Acts 21:26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them. 27 When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, [began] to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

He went to take a vow, though he knew he had a score of enemies in that place. Men openly lied about the things that happened and acted as if they were defending the purity of God’s holy place. They were doing nothing of the kind. Paul knew their type. He spent many years surrounded by arrogant men who pretended to have more concern about God’s reputation than was real.

Paul lived day to day following God guiding hand. He never expected that to mean that things would “always go well” for him. In 2 Cor. 11:24-25, Paul told the church that:

• Five times he was beaten with 39 stripes of Jews (Dt. 25:1-3 says 40 stripes, one less was offered so the punishment was not overdone).
• Three times he was beaten with rods (at least one was recorded in Philippi in Acts 16:22).
• He was once stoned and left for dead at Lystra (Acts 14:19)
• He had three times been shipwrecked (with one day and one night in “the deep”).

We can now add to that list a number of things that happened after 2 Corinthians was written:

• Paul escaped a plot against him in Corinth (Acts. 20:3).
• This scene of his arrest in Jerusalem was anything but “just” (Acts 21:32).
• Another (fourth) shipwreck in Acts 27 was in his future here.
• A lengthy imprisonment in Caesarea and later Rome awaited him (28:30).
• After a second arrest, and eventual execution brought his service to an end.

All of that, and he served with a “thorn in the flesh” of some kind, which was apparently an eye problem. (2 Corinthians 12:5-10; Gal. 4:12-15). What is the point? Paul FOLLOWED God and SERVED God – and that kept him in trouble – not in constant peaceful circumstances. He learned contentment amid trouble, not blessing amid ease.

Because I have God’s call – I should anticipate hatred and unfair treatment that is not rational (Acts 21:29-31).

On the contrary to learning in ease, Paul anticipated unfair treatment, and recognized that was part of following Christ. Listen to what Luke recorded during the scene of his tumultuous arrest…

Acts 21:29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the [Roman] cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

They dragged him. They wanted him dead. A lynch mob didn’t seek proof he did anything wrong – after all, in the keeping of the purity of God, too bad if he wasn’t actually, you know… guilty. They wanted to keep God’s reputation, so they skipped past all the parts of the Law that cautioned against injustice to get to the parts where they could just kill the one the mob said was guilty!

If you have ever been ganged up on in a class because you had the audacity to stand up and say you believed that God actually created the world, or that God had standards for things like human sexuality – you know what I mean by the fear and adrenaline push that can easily take over under attack. People in packs are incredibly brave. Without their buddies, they would whimper if they were attacked – but together they are strong and have no problem attacking you. Anyone who believes that followers of Jesus aren’t actually HATED today, hasn’t been in a chat room or on a thread in social media. Our Savior is STILL hated. Our message is STILL despised. We should not be surprised. Following God doesn’t exempt us from feeling the hatred of God’s enemy and his followers. They did not spare our Savior – and they will do all they can to eliminate us. Maybe it won’t be killing, but it will be marginalizing and muscling us to the corner of the society. We should expect it, and we should challenge it while we can – but that won’t go on forever.

Because I have God’s call – I should anticipate even physical opposition and pain (Acts 21:32).

Luke included the note that:

Acts 21:32 At once he took along [some] soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

The people were beating Paul. He wasn’t tried by a court, he was beaten by a mob. They didn’t SEE him do something wrong, they HEARD that he might have committed a crime. He was guilty because he associated with Gentiles, and that was enough for people to lash out. Here is a special word for our time…

Be especially careful about “piling on” on the web. When someone makes a “report” about something, check sources carefully. Believers are being duped into passing false reports on many things, and it is bringing the cause of Christ into derision. What is more, some believers will argue and fight on the web with the worst of tempers – sounding like those in the world. Remember this: you can say the right thing the wrong way – and it is worse than if you never said anything. Don’t feel pressure to defend God’s reputation and pile on unless the nudge is from God – and not your ego or angry streak. In the end, I am certain some well-meaning people were throwing punches at Paul because they thought he did something, but they weren’t sure of the fact. Don’t join into the chorus of protest unless you are sure of the facts and the sources of those facts.

Because I have God’s call – I should look for any opportunity to share Jesus with people (Acts 21:33-40).

The remarkable this about Paul was that in the tumult, he had the presence of mind to try to move the scene to a presentation of Jesus. The text recorded:

Acts 21:33 Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he [began] asking who he was and what he had done. 34 But among the crowd some were shouting one thing [and] some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 When he got to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; 36 for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, “Away with him!” 37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 “Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 But Paul said, “I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” 40 When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying..”

Where many would see only a need to defend and struggle, Paul was looking carefully for an opportunity to share the truth of Christ. Where many would focus on pressing for their rights, Paul felt his responsibility to the Gospel. I love that level of composure! Remaining composed in the face of trouble likely occurred because Paul knew his call to ministry…

I don’t know if you know the preacher from Texas named Tony Evans. If you do, the story is only better… Tony hates elevators, and is always afraid they will break while he is inside them. A few years ago, the elevator of a high rise met his expectations and stopped half way up to its destination, many floors above the lobby of a large building. Tony tells the story well, and I won’t do it justice – but he talked about how some people began screaming, hoping loud noise would be noticed. Others pounded on the doors and walls, hoping that would get the attention of the world outside. Tony looked in dismay as the small gathering unraveled, but as he scanned the area next to the door, he saw a little door with the symbol of a phone on it. He moved across the elevator, and picked up the small handset, and called the front desk of the building – the phone got an immediate response. All the shouting and pounding looked more effective, but a quiet phone call got them help… because a man had composure in a tight place.

Composure helps us serve with a view toward our real goal – to honor the Lord in each circumstance. That is just another way that God’s call in my life should show in the choices of my life. God will lodge in your heart a burden – perhaps not unique to others, but deeply resonant within you. It is your opportunity to serve Him!

Your call from God is not a PROJECT; it is the means through which God will show you the PRIZE of your life!

There is an old story about a large boulder that blocked the normal passageway of the roadway along a pass outside of a village, half way to the neighboring township. Traveler after traveler used the road, and found it difficult to pass the boulder, because it forced them to stop and carefully move their carts around to the edges of the road, veering off the main ruts to get around this inconvenient obstruction. People passed, day after day muttering, “Can you believe that? Someone should get that big thing out of the way. What an inconvenience!” One day a man came by and saw the blocking boulder, took a branch from a tree and used a small rock as a fulcrum, dislodging the boulder and pushing it from the roadway – clearing the path. Directly beneath the rock, he noticed a small bag and a handwritten note. Curious, the man snatched the note and read it. Scribbled on it were these words: “Thank you for being a true servant of our kingdom. You did more than recognize the work that needed to be done; you took the time to actually do it. Many have complained; you have acted on the problem. Please accept this bag of gold that traveler after traveler passed by simply because they didn’t act to serve everyone else.”