Introduction:
A. M. Scott Peck’s 1978 best-selling book, The Road Less Traveled, opens with these words: “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult – once we truly understand and accept it – then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”
B. Not only is life difficult, the Christian life is, at points, even more difficult.
1. Sometimes following Jesus gets even tougher and tougher, even as it gets better and better.
2. There are some Christians who voluntarily, or involuntarily, have it even tougher.
3. The Apostle Paul was certainly one of these.
C. Last week in our sermon in our series from the life of Paul, we looked at Paul’s leadership.
1. Paul’s leadership principles are so helpful to us as we follow his example.
2. Last week, we left Paul with the Ephesian elders who had come down to Miletus to meet Paul as Paul was heading toward Jerusalem.
3. Paul made it clear to them that the Holy Spirit was compelling him to go to Jerusalem, but the Spirit also was warning him that prison and hardships awaited him there.
D. Today, I want us to journey with Paul as he headed right into those hardships that awaited him in Jerusalem.
1. From today’s lesson, I hope that we can come to understand something that Paul understood.
2. Paul understood that God was with him always.
3. Paul understood that God would not remove the hardships from his life, but would enable him to courageously face whatever obstacles and opposition that he might face.
4. Because Paul understood these things, he put his trust in God.
5. I hope and pray that we can do the same.
I. The Story
A. We pick up Paul’s story in Acts 21:1-16: 1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven (How awesome, Philip, one of the seven of Acts 6, the one who taught the Ethiopian Eunuch, he is still serving God faithfully). 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord's will be done.”
15 After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples. (Acts 21:1-16)
1. We notice in this reading that in spite of the continued warnings about the hardships ahead, Paul would not be dissuaded from going to Jerusalem.
2. Notice that Luke, the author, says “we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem (vs. 12).”
3. Luke, Paul’s friend and traveling companion was part of the chorus that tried to get Paul to change his mind.
4. Paul understood that he was in God’s hand, and he was ready to serve God, even in death.
B. The story continues in verse 17: 17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised God. (Acts 21:17-20)
1. So Paul was greeted warmly by the church and the church leaders in Jerusalem.
2. Together, they praised God for all God had done among the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry.
3. But in the verses that follow what we just read, Paul was encouraged by the church leaders to enter into a seven day Jewish purification rite in order to show the Jews of Jerusalem that Paul still respected the old Law.
4. So Paul agreed to do so, but as he was carrying out that purification rite, trouble began.
C. The Bible says: 27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place.” 29 (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.)
30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Away with him!” (Acts 21:27-36)
1. Did you notice who it is that stirred up trouble for Paul? It is his enemies from Asia that have followed him all the way back to Jerusalem!
a. After seeing him in the temple, they decided they had endured enough of his menacing presence.
b. Once again, they leveled criticism at him that was not based on facts, but that never matters to an angry crowd.
c. The mob was out of control and they began to beat Paul with the intention of killing him, it must have been terrifying for Paul and any who were with him.
2. Thankfully, word of the riot quickly reached the ears of the Roman commander responsible for maintaining order in Jerusalem and at the temple.
a. The identity of this Roman commander is revealed to us in Acts 23:26, when the commander identifies himself as Claudius Lysias in his letter to Governor Felix.
b. The large police force was able to break up the crowd and stop the beating of Paul.
c. The Roman official was just doing his job, but it saved Paul’s life.
3. The commander wanted to get Paul into a place of safety and figure out what was going on, but Paul had a different idea.
D. The Bible says: 37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” 38 “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. “Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?”
39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.” 40 Having received the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: …” (Acts 21:37-40)
1. Paul figured that this was his opportunity to not only speak to the crowd, but also to build a relationship with the Roman commander.
2. The commander was surprised that Paul wasn’t the infamous troublemaker from Egypt.
a. Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian, tells us that three years earlier an Egyptian appeared in Jerusalem claiming to be a prophet and managed to recruit several thousand men to help him overthrow Roman rule. The uprising was stamped out and the Egyptian fled.
3. Paul denied any connection to that situation and spoke to the officer in Greek, informing him that he was from Tarsus and was a citizen in good standing.
4. All Paul wanted was a chance to proclaim Christ to the hissing mob, and he did so using the language of Palestinian Jews – Aramaic.
5. In Acts 22:1ff, Paul gives his testimony.
a. I wish we had time to look at it all, but we don’t.
b. As you would expect, he tells of the Damascus road experience.
c. He tells about being baptized to wash away his sins.
6. And everything was well received by the crowd until he said, “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” (22:21)
a. Did Paul just mention “Gentiles” to the Jews of Jerusalem? Yes he did. He used the “G” word, and it was like dropping a bomb – the crowd exploded.
E. The Bible says: 22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!” 23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?”
26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”
27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. 28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a big price for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. (Acts 22:22-29)
1. So, the Roman commander again stepped in and saved Paul from the crowd.
a. Unfortunately, his patience with Paul was running out, so he ordered that Paul be flogged.
b. He was determined to to the bottom of this and to teach Paul a lesson.
2. As Paul was being stretched out and bound hand and foot to be whipped, he managed to speak in the direction of a soldier and in a calm voice asked, “Is it lawful for you to do this to a Roman citizen?”
a. Imagine the shock on that soldier’s face – he had no clue that Paul was a Roman citizen!
b. Under Roman law, citizens were not to be tortured without a trial.
c. These soldiers were about to commit an infraction punishable by death, their own!
3. Perhaps recalling the stiff bribes the commander had paid for his own citizenship, he snorted, “I had to pay a big price for my citizenship!”
a. Paul said, “Not me, I was born a citizen,” which was even more prestigious.
F. With the Roman commander, not really sure what to do, the Bible says: 30 The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them. (Acts 22:30)
1. Paul was brought before an emergency meeting of the Sanhedrin and a kangaroo court scene begins.
2. Paul knew that he would not receive a just hearing, and so knowing that the room swelled with Pharisees and Sadducees, he sought to divide and conquer.
3. The Bible says: 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, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in 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 acknowledge them all.) (Acts 23:6-8)
4. Meanwhile, the Roman commander was having a major Maalox moment outside the door.
a. When he heard the uproar on the other side of the door, he was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces.
b. So he took Paul back into his own custody and put him behind bars until he could come up with a workable plan.
5. So picture Paul praying to God in the barracks that night, having been beaten badly by the crowd, and then having been rescued from the mob and the volatile Sanhedrin.
a. How do you think he was feeling? What was he thinking?
6. Then suddenly the Bible says: The Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23:11)
a. Just when Paul needed assurance the most, God provided it.
b. The Lord assured Paul of his present safety – nothing would keep Paul from testifying about the Lord in Rome.
c. I’m sure Paul slept like a baby that night. Divine reassurance cured any insomnia he might have felt.
G. That divine protection for Paul was going to be needed sooner than he might have imagined.
1. The Bible says: 12 The next morning the 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 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.” (Acts 23:12-15)
2. Is it ironic to you that these Jewish men declare a fast while they put into motion a murderous plot?
a. I wonder how long they fasted before they admitted their failure and resumed eating?
b. And how ironic that they would tell the Sanhedrin about their plan and ask for their assistance and it looks like the Sanhedrin was willing to be part of the plan!
3. Remarkably, Paul’s nephew played a major role in Paul’s survival.
a. This nephew is not mentioned by name, and we never hear about him again.
b. But God allows this young man to learn of the plot, and he immediately told Paul about it.
c. Paul asked his guard to take his nephew to the commander because he had important information.
d. The commander listened, and told the nephew to tell no one that he had tipped them off.
4. The Bible says: 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 mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.” (Acts 23:23-24)
a. Wow! Talk about divine protection!
b. 40 fasting Jewish men were not about to overcome Paul’s 472 bodyguards!
c. Talk about overkill! 200 soldiers, 200 spearmen, 70 horsemen and 2 centurions.
d. Paul was safely delivered to Caesarea and to Governor Felix who would hear his case.
II. The Application
A. What a comforting story this is to me. How about you?
1. Despite the odds stacked against him, Paul was never removed from God’s protective hand.
2. Paul knew that God was in charge of his life; this is something he clearly understood.
3. From the time the Lord visited Paul and reassured him until the very last trial of Paul, we do not see Paul anxious or uneasy, because he trusted in God’s promises.
4. Paul knew that God was at work; that God was there behind the scenes, working out His plan.
B. Although Paul’s situation is not exactly like our own.
1. He was especially chosen by God to play a major role in early Christianity and God appeared to him on numerous occasions to disclose His plan and convey His promises.
2. Nevertheless, we can still understand the things that Paul understood.
3. We can know God’s general promises for all His children.
4. We can trust in those promises just like Paul did.
C. Sooner or later all of us are going to face our hardships and difficulties, because life is hard.
1. All of us are going to face times when it feels like our lives are spinning out of control.
2. Left unchecked, fear will run its course and we will be paralyzed to the point of helplessness.
3. If we are not careful, we will spend our days wringing our hands and obsessing over our encroaching circumstances.
4. All this will cause us to focus on what might happen instead of on what God has promised.
D. Paul didn’t allow that to happen in his life.
1. Paul’s clear understanding of God and God’s promises allowed him to think straight and remain calm in the midst of crisis.
2. That kind of straight-thinking calmness is rooted in the promises of God’s Word.
3. Take for example, the promise of Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Ps. 46:1-3)
4. Nothing anyone or anything can throw at us will erase that promise, or any promise of God.
5. Our final home is not planet earth and our future is sure.
6. In the meantime, God is in control and we can trust Him, because He is our refuge and strength.
E. Like Paul, we need to understand what he understood.
1. Even if the foundations of the earth shift beneath our feet, it takes a heart that is willing to trust God’s Word, and is willing to submit to God’s plan and remain calm and relaxed in God’s hands.
2. The literal rendering of Psalm 46:1 goes like this: “God is our refuge and strength; abundantly available for help in tight places.”
3. When in tight places, we don’t have to fear, but can just trust.
4. God is able to see that we arrive precisely where He wants us to be.
5. If God was able to round up 472 earthly bodyguards for Paul, then He will have no trouble getting us to wherever He wants us to be.
6. After all, how many angels does He have at His bidding?
a. And when we understand this, we realize all we may need is one angel.
F. Let’s finish where we started, with M. Scott Peck’s words: “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult – once we truly understand and accept it – then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”
1. James, the brother of Jesus put it this way: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)
2. Paul understood that, so he remained calm and trusted God when he faced his trials.
G. Let me finish with this illustration: Once there was a man who was trying to establish himself as a peach grower.
1. He had worked hard and invested his all in a peach orchard which blossomed wonderfully, but then came a frost.
2. After the frost, he did not go to church the next Sunday, or the next, or the next.
3. His minister went to see him to find out why he was staying away from worship.
4. The young peach grower exclaimed: “I’m not coming any more. Do you think I can worship a God who cares for me so little that He will let a frost kill all my peaches?”
5. The old minister sat a few moments in silence, then said kindly: “God loves you better than He does your peaches. He knows that while peaches do better without frosts, it is impossible to grow the best men without frosts. His object is to grow men, not peaches.”
6. It is impossible for God to grow us without having us go through trouble and hardships.
a. And we grow best through those troubles and hardships when we trust in God.
7. The sooner we understand that, the better off we will be.
8. Paul understood it, and it make all the difference in the world for him.
9. If we will understand what he understood, it will bless us just as much.
Resources:
Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit, by Charles Swindoll, Word Publishing, 2002, Chapters 17.
“Some of Life’s Difficulties,” Sermon by Steve Shepherd, SermonCentral.com.
