He was brought before a council that did not care a thing about justice. When he observed that the council was composed of both Pharisees and Sadducees, he divided the group by stating he was a Pharisee, and a firm believer in miracles and the resurrection. Since the Sadducees did not believe this, they began to quarrel over that point and the argument became so heated, that Paul had to be again withdrawn lest he be killed. As strong as the bitterness was against Paul there, it was even stronger on the outside. Let us consider:
I. THE PLOT DISCUSSED
A. THE SCHEME
Verses 12-13, "And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy."
Notice the words, "banded together." This is one thing you can give Satan's people credit for, banding together. I do not wish to sound negative, but in most cases the devil's people seem to know more about how to band together than God's people do. You have observed this in your daily news reports as they tell of the large numbers of abortionists, homosexuals, etc., gathering and marching with placards and chanting, trying to sway public opinion in their direction. Seldom do the Christians band together in large numbers to accomplish anything for Christ. When it does happen that someone is successful in getting enough people together to try to persuade the public to obey God's Word in these important matters, do you think it is reported? Not very often, and not very loudly. However, we can not let that discourage us. It did not stop the apostle Paul. We need to use the strength God provides in joining with other Christians in our goal of winning the lost to Christ!
Illus: Do you remember the children's game, "Red Rover"? The words, "banded together," brings this to mind. The children are divided into two teams. The two teams line up facing each other about 30-40 feet from each other. A spokesman from one team calls out, "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Johnny right over!" Then Johnny runs with all his might because he has to break through the opposing line. Why is it hard for him to do this? Because they all are holding together in a strong wrist grip to keep him from being able to break through. Not only does Johnny run with all his might, he has a plan - he runs and hits between the two people that he feels are the weakest. But if everyone in that line holds strong, he cannot break through and then is obligated to join up with that side.
It is a wonderful thing when God's people understand the value of banding themselves together so that Satan cannot enter in. A church can enjoy a tremendous revival in which souls are saved, sins are confessed and repented of, and love permeates the atmosphere and this is good. But then there is the obligation of banding together in the Lord, because that is the only way to keep Satan from hindering the Lord's work!
Illus: One congregation in South Carolina built a new church building. At the first stage of construction it looked like any other large church building, but as the walls began to go higher it took on a different look from any other church anyone in that area had ever seen. When the walls were finally finished, people began to ask, "Why did they build that church to look like a military fort?" (For it was complete with notches in the top as on a fort where cannons could be placed.) One man, talking to a man that attended that church, asked, "Why did they build that building to look like a military fort?" The man said that they had built that way to keep the devil out of the church.
Well, we all know it would take more than that, in fact it was not long before they experienced some devastating attacks. God lets us know there is only one way for His children to overcome Satan as we march forth to win the lost, and that we cannot win battles all by ourselves. Because of the strength in numbers, God instituted the church, a group of believers, banded together for the cause of Christ. The devil's crowd knows this strategy also, that is why those who hated Paul and Silas, and wanted to stop them from preaching Christ, banded together.
Look at their determination in verses 12-13, "...saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy."
Those men were so fanatical they were willing to face the spears of the Roman soldiers who were holding Paul. They felt it was their religious duty to kill the apostle Paul. When men and women are motivated out of religious duty, no mountain is to high, no valley to deep to discourage them from accomplishing what they want to accomplish.
Illus: Paul was able to relate to that type of motivation, for before He knew the Lord as his personal Savior, he thought it was his duty to stamp out Christianity even if it meant whipping, jailing, and even killing every Christian he came in contact with.
Can you imagine what could be done for the Lord if forty Christians would band themselves together, and be so determined to win souls that they would vow not to eat until souls were saved. Just the thought of such a conspiracy is exciting! And, Satan knows if such a group ever got together, he would not stand a chance of stopping them.
B. THE STRATEGY
Verses 14-15, "And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you tomorrow, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him."
Not only did they recognize they had to cooperate, but that they had to have a plan. Once again we recognize what Satan's crowd is capable of, they know how to band together and plan together. And again, at the risk of sounding negative I must say that at times it seems that God's people do not know how to BAND together or PLAN together. Now, I am not saying that the church does not do this at all.
Illus: Generally, any church that is doing something for the Lord, has monthly teacher's meetings. At that time every teacher should recognize no one can do the job alone. God placed the church, which is a collection of believers, to band together and plan together to do His Work. When believers will BAND together and PLAN together they will be successful in doing God's work.
However, to talk to many who claim the name of Christ, it would lead you to believe that everyone is to do his "own thing," then everyone just sits back and hopes all the loose ends will come together somehow. If you examine the churches that operate on this principal year after year, you will probably find that those loose ends never do come together. It is our prayer that the Lord will teach us the importance of banding and planning together. Those forty men of Paul's day, we see in our text, had banded together and made the plan to pretend to want to ask him more questions, and when he was brought out they planned to kill him.
II. THE PLOT DISCLOSED
A. THE REVELATION
Verse 16, "And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul."
Often adults say things in front of children they should not say. In this case, we can be glad that this young man heard what, I am sure, they did not want anyone to hear. The Bible tells us Paul's sister's boy was nearby and heard what they were going to do, and he went and told Paul. Note, children get criticized a lot, but we adults often forget they are what they are because they watch and listen to us.
Illus: Someone said, "The kind of person your child is going to be, he is already becoming." The problem with most children is their parents. Someone else said, "Children are natural mimics - they act like their parents in spite of every attempt to teach them good manners."
Preachers often quote, "Train up a child in the way he should go..." but we fail to mention to the parents the way they should go is the way we should be going!
Well, this child had been properly trained. He knew what he heard was very wrong. He ran and told Paul. Those men who were plotting against Paul made the same fatal mistake that many other adults make. They think children are not paying attention, but the children hear and see more than we think. They will mimic and will tell what adults SAY and DO!
B. THE RESULTS
Verses 17-22, "Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly. But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me."
Notice, God used a young man to save the life of the apostle Paul. So many times two very important age groups in the church are overlooked:
(1) the elderly
(2) the youth and children
This is two-thirds of God's work force being eliminated because they are being overlooked. There is a tremendous amount of potential in our young people and the elderly people of our church. Why is it we seem to have the notion that God cannot use people until they are twenty-one and will only use them until they are forty-five? Perhaps we follow the lead the secular world gives.
Illus: Uncle Sam calls out those who are 18, and will use them only until they reach a certain age, or give a certain number of years in the service. This is only one example...
However, God will use those of any age who are willing to do His will.
Illus: A young girl came to church with a Christian girl. When the invitation was given that young girl wanted to be saved. A Christian counselor dealt with her, but the comments the little girl made were confusing. The counselor later found out why. The little girl's dad did not want her to go to church, and he made it clear that if she or her mother got saved that he would leave home. The little girl left church wanting to get saved, but the counselor could not lead her to the Lord because the little girl was giving out some very mixed signals. That afternoon the little girl that brought her to church was in her home, and in her bedroom she talked to her friend about salvation. Again, the little girl expressed her desire to be saved, but that she was afraid of her dad. That Christian girl, behind closed doors, led that little girl to the Lord. Her dad would not allow her to attend church, but what the adults could not do, that little ten-year-old girl was used of God to do.
Do you know who brings more people to church than anyone else in most churches? Check it out - young people and children will bring more visitors to church than anyone else in the congregation. God uses children to bring their friends to church, and many times these young people are the vessels God uses to win them to Himself. In our text, God used Paul's young nephew to save his life.
III. THE PLOT DETOURED
A. THE EXTRADITION
Verses 23-26, "And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter after this manner: Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting."
We begin to understand the danger Paul was in when we see the large number of soldiers that were ordered out to protect him.
Illus: The chief captain sent for:
Two centurions
Two hundred soldiers
Seventy horsemen
Two hundred men with spears
The earlier part of this chapter relates that Christ had appeared to Paul, and assured him that He would watch over him in Jerusalem. I can almost picture Paul as he rode out of Jerusalem surrounded by four hundred seventy body guards. No one can ever accuse God of not taking care of His own. Another thing this passage teaches is that God's man, who preaches, stands, and lives by God's Word, still needs "body guards" around him to protect him from the evil that is being used of Satan to stamp out the work God is trying to do.
B. THE EXPLANATION
Verses 27-35 (Read). Notice this captain, in his explanation, only told part of the truth. He said that Paul was about to be killed when he came along and rescued him when he heard that Paul was a Roman citizen. The fact was, when he first came along to rescue Paul from the mob, he accused him of being an Egyptian. Look at Acts 21:38, "Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?"
At that point he did not know Paul was a Roman citizen. He did not learn that until he had given orders to have him beaten and Paul asked him if he had authority to beat a Roman citizen. When he asked that the chief captain became frightened because he did not have that authority, and he knew that if Felix found out he would be in serious trouble. Now, writing to Felix to explain, he wanted to be sure that he looked in Felix's eyes, so he stated that he stopped the violent mob from killing Paul, who was a Roman citizen. It is always interesting how people can give their explanations and make themselves look so good.
Conclusion:
From there Paul was taken to Rome, never again to return to Jerusalem. From Rome he went to his eternal home.
I. THE PLOT DISCUSSED
A. THE SCHEME
B. THE STRATEGY
II. THE PLOT DISCLOSED
A. THE REVELATION
B. THE RESULTS
III. THE PLOT DETOURED
A. THE EXTRADITION
B. THE EXPLANATION
