Trust the Lord through Your Troubles
The Book of Acts - Part 77
Acts 21:27-22:1
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - March 8, 2015
*If you were writing the Bible, how would you change it? I think I would have put more in there about Jesus' life as a little boy and young man. Of course, God knows best, but there are so many other things He could have put in His Word.
*It's interesting to me how God chooses to skip over so much, and then go into great detail about certain events. He must have a reason. And these few days in Paul's life must be very important for us, because God goes into great detail about them.
*What can we learn from Paul's arrest? One of the most important things is to keep trusting the Lord!
1. First: We must keep trusting the Lord when our world spins out of control.
*That's what happened to Paul in vs. 27-30. His whole world started to spin out of his control:
27. And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
28. crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.''
29. (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30. And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.
*Remember the background here: Paul had bent over backwards to do the right thing. He had traveled hundreds of miles through Greece and Turkey spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. But that's not all Paul did. He discipled the believers and strengthened the churches. On top of that, Paul and the Gentile churches collected a large sum of money for the poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Then Paul travelled many more miles to bring the gift to Jerusalem.
*But instead of being treated with gratitude and honor, Paul was treated with suspicion and disrespect. Back up in vs. 20-21, the church leaders in Jerusalem said this to Paul:
20. . . "You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;
21. but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs."
*The Jewish believers at Jerusalem were accusing Paul of terrible heresy based on nothing but rumors, but Paul didn't get angry or huffy. In vs. 23-24, the church leaders told Paul to go through a purification ceremony along with four other Jewish Christians. Not only did they ask Paul to be purified, they asked him to pay for the whole thing. And remember that it was a very expensive request. Paul had to buy a dozen prime animals for the sacrifices, along with other expenses. (1)
*And in vs. 26, that is what Paul did, even though it was unnecessary, even though it was unreasonable. Paul was bending over backwards here. He was "dotting all the 'I's' and crossing the 'T's'" But all of that wasn't enough, and Paul's world began to spin out of control.
*We like to be in control, and sometimes we think we are in control. But that can all change in a moment. Sometimes our best isn't good enough. Sometimes our life spins out of control no matter how much we do, no matter how hard we try. What are we going to do then? We must keep trusting in the Lord! Keep trusting God through all of your troubles.
*Carlyle Marney told about a wonderful family who kept trusting in the Lord. They were part of his church in Austin, Texas. One of their children was a beautiful baby girl, who tragically was born without arms and legs.
*But Marney said that family was tremendously courageous and resourceful. They were people with great strength and positive faith. They didn't wring their hands in anger or despair. Instead, the whole family pulled together when they took her home from the hospital. They gave her every kind of help they possibly could.
*As a result, she grew into an absolutely delightful young adult. And though she died at the age of 22, she had become a remarkable and wonderful person of strong faith and knowledge. Even though she was never able to move herself, feed herself, dress herself, or do many other things that we take for granted every day, she never stopped trusting in the Lord.
*Marney told about something that happened when this young lady was 19. Her brother brought home his college roommate. That young man was very smart, but also very shallow and callous. Near the end of his visit, that insensitive student said, "Before I leave, I simply must ask you something. What keeps you from crying out in rage against a God who would let you be born this way? How do you keep from blowing up in anger at the injustice He has dealt you?"
*She looked the boy straight in the eye and confidently said, "I realize that when compared to what other people have, what I have may not seem like much. But I wouldn't have missed the chance to have been born for anything! I have been able to taste. I have learned to read. I have been exposed to some of the world's greatest literature. I have heard incredible, wonderful music. I have had the love and relationship of a wonderful family and friends. I have faith in God's goodness and in His unfailing help. Yes, I know when compared to others it may not seem that I have very much. But compared to not being able to live at all, I wouldn't have missed being born for anything!" (2)
*Church: That's the kind of faith God wants us to have!
2. We must keep trusting the Lord when our world spins out of control. And trust Him when we suffer for Christ.
*Once again Paul began to really suffer for the Lord. In vs. 27-29, Paul was falsely accused by some of the Jews from Asia. Please hear them again:
27. And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
28. crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.''
29. (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
*Paul was falsely accused, and we could be falsely accused too. Every day, so-called progressives call us hateful names. And why? -- Because we trust God enough to believe what the Bible says about issues like abortion and marriage.
*Here some of the things to learn about militant Christ-rejecters like we find in these verses: They are smart, committed, misguided, and eager to stir up trouble. They are deceived and are willing to deceive others. They firmly believe that they are right. They accuse us of hate, but the truth is that they passionately hate us, just like the men in these verses hated Paul. And some of them would hurt us if they could, just like these men hurt Paul.
*The main reason why they hate us is because they hate Jesus. As the Lord said in John 15:15-21:
15. "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17. These things I command you, that you love one another. fs
18. If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
*Here in our country, we have been blessed with freedom of religion that most of the world will never see. And here in the Bible Belt, we are still blessed with a good measure of respect from our neighbors. But Christians are being harassed in our country today in a way that was unthinkable when I was young.
*What are we going to do if someone arrests us or attacks us because of our faith? There are a lot of good answers to that question, but the most important thing to do is keep trusting in the Lord!
3. We must keep trusting the Lord when we suffer for Christ. And trust Him when we don't understand God's strategy.
*Remember that God is still at work. The Lord is always at work, but many times He works in ways we don't understand. Paul could have prayed, "God, where are you? Please don't let this happen to me? God, send an angel! Lord, zap those people who are trying to kill me! Help me!"
*And God did help Paul, but not in the way we might have asked or expected. God used the Roman army to protect Paul. We see this happening in vs. 30-36:
30. And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.
31. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32. He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33. Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done.
34. And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. And when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks.
35. And when he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
36. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him!''
*God used the Roman soldiers to carry Paul to safety. John Phillips explained that "Jerusalem had always been a troublesome city for the Romans to govern. They kept a garrison of troops quartered in the fortress of Antonia, on the northwest corner of the Temple area, just for such an emergency as this. Two flights of stairs linked this fortress with the outer court of the Temple. The troops, always in a state of alert, were ready to deal with this crisis on a moment's notice. And that was a very good thing for Paul.
*The commander of the garrison or "chief captain of the band" was a tribune in charge of a thousand men. He called for some centurions and several hundred men, and promptly they went forth to deal with the riot. It was a most timely intervention for Paul, who was in danger of being torn into pieces by the mob." (3)
*God used the Roman soldiers to carry Paul to safety, but it really wasn't the soldiers. It was God carrying Paul to safety. It was God carrying out the next step in His plan for Paul's life, even though Paul couldn't have possibly have understood it at the time.
*Again, Phillips explained, "Paul was now handcuffed to two soldiers. His career as a prisoner had begun. Little did he know that it was to last for years, and that it would fulfill his fondest dream: To see Rome. Little did Paul know that it would allow him to confront even Nero with the Gospel, that it would produce some of the most impressive epistles ever to come from his pen, and that as a result of his testimony many in Rome would be saved, including in Philippians 4:22, 'they that are of Caesar's household.' (i.e. soldiers in the prestigious Praetorian Guard).
*Paul also didn't know that many other Christians would be inspired by his fearless example in chains, and that they would begin to boldly spread the gospel. All Paul knew at the moment was that he was in some very hot water indeed." (3)
*But since Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem, this was God's next step in His plan for Paul. God used the Roman soldiers to carry Paul to safety, but again, it really wasn't the soldiers. It was God carrying Paul to safety, and He will carry us.
*Remember that God is always at work, even when we don't understand His strategy, and we can trust Him! Thelmarie Curtis gave this great encouragement:
"The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the Hands of God cannot mold you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.
*Everything happens for a purpose. We may not see the wisdom of it all now. But trust and believe in the Lord that everything is for the best." (4)
4. We must keep trusting the Lord when we don't understand God's strategy. And trust Him when we tell the story of our salvation.
*God worked it out for Paul to give his Christian testimony to that mob. We see this begin to happen in Acts 21:37 - Acts 22:1.
37. And as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I speak to you?'' He replied, "Can you speak Greek?
38. Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago raised an insurrection and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?''
39. But Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.''
40. So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,
Acts 22:1. "Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defense before you now.''
*Lord willing, next time we will take a close look at Paul's testimony. But notice tonight that one thing a crisis will do is give us new opportunities. Every crisis gives us new opportunities to tell the story of our salvation.
*And God wants to use the story of our salvation to help reach other people. So, we should tell people about our relationship with Jesus Christ. Tell them what Jesus has done in our lives. And tell them what Jesus is doing in our lives.
*Take every opportunity to tell people what Jesus has done for you. How should we do it? We should speak just like Paul did when he spoke to the Roman tribune and the Jews there in Jerusalem: We should speak courteously and speak faithfully.
*Christians, God wants us to speak, because we have a story to tell! It's the story of God's love, the story of the cross and how Jesus died for our sins, the story of the Lord's resurrection, and how God offers eternal life to all who will receive His Son.
*Our story may not be like Paul's story. But if we are Christians, God has given us a story too! And it can brightly shine, even in the dark times of our lives.
CONCLUSION:
*The bottom line is that we must keep trusting the Lord! When our world seems to spin out of control, when we suffer for Christ, when we don't understand God's strategy, and when we tell the story of our salvation keep trusting the Lord.
*Let's trust Him now, as we go to God in prayer.
(1) Adapted from EXPLORING ACTS by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "Caesarea: Be Sure" - Acts 21:1-17 and "Jerusalem: Be Submissive" - Acts 21:18-26
(2) From a sermon by Dr. Joe Harding - Source: Sermons.com sermon "A Higher Happiness" - Series: The Vision-Driven Life, No. 6 - Luke 6: 17-26
(3) Adapted from EXPLORING ACTS by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "Rescued from the Temple" - Acts 21:27-39
(4) KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION - ID Number: 5671 - SOURCE: E-mail - TITLE: The Will of God (poem) - AUTHOR: Mrs. Paul D. Thelmarie "Thel" Curtis - pdcurtis@ix.netcom.com - DATE: 10/06/1999
