Misunderstood In The Temple Series

Misunderstood in the Temple

Text: Acts 21:26-36

Introduction

1. Illustration: One day, C.H. Spurgeon was walking through the English countryside with a friend. As they strolled along, the evangelist noticed a barn with a weathervane on its roof. At the top of the vane were these words: GOD IS LOVE. Spurgeon remarked to his companion that he thought this was a rather inappropriate place for such a message. “Weathervanes are changeable,” he said, “but God’s love is constant.” “I don’t agree with you about those words, Charles,” replied his friend. “You misunderstood the meaning. That sign is indicating a truth: Regardless of which way the wind blows, God is love.”

2. When we face rejection for our faith or for sharing that faith with someone, it often stems from a misunderstanding. Those rejecting us see it as us trying to force our beliefs on them or trying to take their way of life from them.

3. However, this is the result of a misunderstanding. They think we’re forcing something on them they don’t want, but we are just trying to share the greatest love the world has ever known.

4. Read Acts 21:26-36

Transition: In our text today, we see…

I. The Green Goblin of Jealousy (26-30).

A. Roused a Mob Against Him

1. “Jealousy is a negative emotion that involves feeling resentment, bitterness, or hostility towards someone who has something you don't.” Keep that definition in mind because we’ll come back to it.

2. Paul finally makes it to Jerusalem, and as usual, false rumors follow him. Some of the Jews have been saying that he has been telling Jewish believers not to follow the laws of Moses. So, the church leaders in Jerusalem ask Paul to go with four men they had selected and join them in a purification write in the Temple. Paul agrees to their request.

3. In v. 26, Luke tells us, “So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.”

a. Paul’s willingness to go with these other men to the Temple was a sign of his humility. He had been all over the world, preaching the Gospel, leading people to Christ, starting new churches, and even had a following in Rome, although he had never been there.

b. He had performed miracles, trained new leaders, and had a bigger impact on the Kingdom of God than these elders could possibly imagine.

c. Yet, he did not lord it over them or ask them, “who do you think you are?” No, he didn’t do anything of the sort.

d. Instead, he agreed to their request, although they were politically motivated, and went to the Temple to satisfy the religious zealots.

e. He showed himself as a Jew to the Jews in order to try and win them for Christ.

f. However, his humble gesture didn’t win over enough of these leaders to stop them from being against him.

4. Now, Paul was trying to play nice with these people, but their jealousy of him caused them to attack him. In vv. 27-28 Luke writes, “The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, 28 yelling, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.”

a. It’s a bit ironic that Paul’s antagonists weren’t even from Jerusalem, but rather they were non-Christian Jews from Asia.

b. They recognized him in the Temple while he was finishing his purification ritual.

c. The only reason that these Jews were even in Jerusalem at this time was because it was the feast of Pentecost, and they recognized Paul from his time of ministry in their country.

d. So, these Asian Jews grabbed Paul and stirred up the crowd against him. They began shouting a series of bogus charges against him, saying that he was against the Jews.

e. He had not been everywhere, as they claimed, and he had not been against their laws or the Temple.

f. And the biggest charge they filed against him was bringing Gentiles into the Temple.

1) The outer court, known as the Court of the Gentiles, was the only place that the Gentiles could go in the Temple, and to go beyond was a serious offense.

2) The Gentile that they were referring to was a man named Trophimus, who was from Ephesus and happened to be traveling with Paul. But he was not in the Temple with Paul on this day.