Fly High – Acts part 21
Opening Illustration: On the lighter side of life
Thesis: Acts 23 teaches us that “Flying high” for the Lord means we understand that our testimony – our witness - does impact the direction of nations and that the natural law of sowing (planting) and reaping (harvesting) is also a spiritual law. Our personal witness and our spiritual act of sowing and reaping will impact our nation.
Scripture Text:
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM: Ac 23
Ac 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.”
Ac 23:2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
Ac 23:3 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!”
Ac 23:4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “You dare to insult God’s high priest?”
Ac 23:5 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.’”
Ac 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, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
Ac 23:7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
Ac 23:8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)
Ac 23:9 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?”
Ac 23:10 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.
Ac 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 Plot to Kill Paul
Ac 23:12 The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
Ac 23:13 More than forty men were involved in this plot.
Ac 23:14 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.
Ac 23:15 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.”
Ac 23:16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
Ac 23:17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”
Ac 23:18 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.”
Ac 23:19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”
Ac 23:20 He said: “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.
Ac 23:21 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.”
Ac 23:22 The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”
Paul Transferred to Caesarea
Ac 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.
Ac 23:24 Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
Ac 23:25 He wrote a letter as follows:
Ac 23:26 Claudius Lysias,
To His Excellency, Governor Felix:
Greetings.
Ac 23:27 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.
Ac 23:28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.
Ac 23:29 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.
Ac 23:30 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.
Ac 23:31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris.
Ac 23:32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.
Ac 23:33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.
Ac 23:34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,
Ac 23:35 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.
Introduction:
Paul appears before the Jewish ruling counsel – these are the men of God for Israel – men who are suppose to represent God to the people. These are the spiritual leaders of this nation. These are men who are responsible to God for teaching the people of Israel the ways of the Lord Jehovah. As you can see from our situation Paul is mistreated – note just like they mistreated Jesus himself. These men have no clue about the Lord – they could not even recognize their own Messiah Jesus – not can they recognize that Paul is doing the will of the Father.
In our story I want you to notice the character of these so-called religious spiritual leaders of Judaism:
The High Priest orders someone to slap Paul for saying something he does not like.
This is a violation of the law – Paul rebukes him and they all inform him that he is the High Priest – Paul apologizes even though he is in the right – he still does not want to violate the teachings of the Lord about – criticizing a spiritual leader. He apologized for being disrespectful to him – not for correcting him.
Paul knowing the sinfulness of these men brings up a controversial thought and a dispute – an argument – a fight - a violent one breaks out between the two parties the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Let me put it into a modern day scenario in other words a fight breaks out in the Senate between the Republicans and the Democrats. Let me put it another way a fight at a God convention breaks out between the Pentecostals and the Baptists.
The commander of the soldiers observes this unbelievable scenario and removes Paul before he is torn to pieces by these spiritual leaders. His soldiers move in by force and remove Paul from the mayhem again!
Can you imagine what is going through the mind of this unsaved commander?
That night the Lord appears to Paul and says he will be a witness to the Gospel in Rome – Why? – Did God have a plan for Rome and for the Roman Empire? Jesus said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
A mob decides they are going to fast until they kill Paul – they go and share their evil plot with the spiritual leaders of Israel – remember the ones who represent God and they approve of their plan. They come up with a lie to set up the murder of Paul and the spiritual leaders go along and become part of the conspiracy.
We now have these spiritual leaders plotting murder and lying to get rid of Paul.
One of Paul’s relatives hears of the plot and informs Paul and the commander.
Paul is taken to the Governor of the region and placed under guard at Herod’s Palace until his accusers come and present their case to the Governor.
T.S. - As we conclude our summary of the events of Acts chapter 23 I see two spiritual lessons that we can learn from our text and from the life and the witness of the Apostle Paul.
I. Does God have a plan for nations and can He use my life to make a difference in them?
a. Did Paul’s arrest and his eventually being sent to Rome to stand trial be a part of God’s divine plan to win a nation to Jesus Christ?
i. Paul’s testimony was used by the Holy Spirit to change the direction of one of the most powerful nations of the era.
1. The Roman Empire is impacted by Paul being sent to Rome!
2. It takes a couple 250+ years but Paul’s testimony and the working of the Holy Spirit convert a nation to Christ – the very force they tried to snuff out!
ii. The story of the conversion of Constantine and the Edict of Milan.
1. See sermon from Sermoncentral.com called Did Constantine Have a Conspiracy? By Scott Weber
2. Christian History Magazine – Special edition 100 Most Important events of Church History.
3. Christian History book by Bruce Shelley called Christian History in Plain English.
4. History of the Christian Church by Schaff
iii. As I have read from the above sources this is what I piece together about the impact that Paul the Apostle had on Rome and the Roman Emperor Constantine.
1. Paul went to Rome by the guidance of the Holy Spirit and for trial. Paul was told by the Lord that he would be a testimony for the Lord in Rome like he was in Jerusalem. Many historians have explained that Paul’s arrival to Rome was really this first cities exposure to the Light of the Gospel. Paul arrived and immediately started ministering to the people and the guards that he had. It has been reported that many of his guards were saved as a result of guarding him. He spread the Word just like he did in the rest of the Roman Empire. Over a period of years Paul’s influence and the message of Jesus had spread throughout this city, it’s military and its government. This all was 250 years plus before Constantine was on the scene. But when he is born it is reported that his mother was a believer a spiritual descendent of the apostle Paul. Her influence on his life helped him to be open to the Gospel while his predecessors were persecuting the church of Jesus Christ. Note: Diocletian and Galerius became so threatened by Christianity and the number of Christians in the Roman Army that they ordered it purged of all Christians. They also persecuted and sought to wipe out all the Christians in the Empire but it failed and Galerius eventually issued and edict of toleration of Christians one of his final acts. Remember many of Constantine’s family were military and Christians. After Galerius death the struggle for power between the East and West emerged. Constantine advanced on Rome leading his army to stunning victories. His epiphany experience of the Lord came shortly before the battle at the Milvian Bridge in 312. His army was outnumbered and it says that he prayed to the God of the Christian for help and insight into whether he should attack Maxentius and his forces. Bruce Shelley notes, “In a dream he saw a cross in the sky and the words, ‘In this sign conquer.’ This convinced him to advance. When on 28 October 312 he achieved his brilliant victory over the troops of Maxentius, Constantine looked upon the success as proof of the power of Christ and the superiority of the Christian religion” (108).
a. Christian History notes that the other result of this victory was the “Edict of Milan in 313” which was an agreement between the ruling powers that declared that Christianity was no legal but an accepted religion of the Roman Empire. It would soon become the dominant religion of the Roman Empire.
b. Bruce L. Shelley adds, “From the year 312, he favored Christianity openly. He allowed Christian ministers to enjoy the same exemption from taxes as the pagan priests, he abolished executions by crucifixion; he called a halt to the battles of gladiators as a punishment for crimes; and in 321 he made Sunday a public holiday. Thanks to his generosity, magnificent church buildings arose as evidence of his support of Christianity. This public Christianity was matched by changes in Constantine’s private life, Making no secret of his Christian convictions, he had his sons and daughters brought up as Christians and led a Christian family life. Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia baptized him shortly before he died in 337. After his baptism, Constantine refused to wear again the imperial purple and thus left this life dressed in his white baptismal robes” (108, 109).
2. We see that God did have a plan for Rome and the testimony of Paul and his preaching of the Gospel to the soldiers and the residents of Rome made a huge difference in the direction of an Empire.
b. The question for us today is, “Did God have a divine plan for America?” And did people make the ultimate sacrifice for this country the USA and become part of God’s plan? Did their personal witness, testimonies and personal sacrifices for the Lord carry out His plan?
i. Share insights from the Light and The Glory by Marsall and Manuel.
1. The power of the testimony is what is being highlighted in the book of Acts and it was very instrumental in the forming of this nation in which we live in.
2. The Holy Spirit was actively at work in the founding of this nation and still is! Our country is and was a Christian nation and I encourage you to seek the truth about our history and the founding truths of God’s influence and direction for it.
3. Listen to this story about America from Wallbuilders and the meaning of Thanks Giving: Thanksgiving in America by David Barton
a. The tradition of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back almost four centuries in America. While such celebrations occurred at Cape Henry Virginia as early as 1607, it is from the Pilgrims that we derive the current tradition of Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims left England on September 6, 1620, and for two months braved the harsh elements of a storm-tossed sea. After disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they had a prayer service and began building hasty shelters, but unprepared for a harsh New England winter, nearly half died before spring. Yet persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer. The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends — America’s first Thanksgiving Festival. This began an annual tradition in the New England Colonies that slowly spread into other Colonies. The first national Thanksgiving occurred in 1789. According to the Congressional Record for September 25 of that year, immediately after approving the Bill of Rights: Mr. Elias Boudinot said he could not think of letting the congressional session end without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining with one voice in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings He had poured down upon them. With this view, therefore, he would move the following resolution: "Resolved, That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States to request that he would recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. . . . Mr. Roger Sherman justified the practice of thanksgiving not only as a praiseworthy one in itself but also as warranted by a number of precedents in Holy Writ. . . . This example he thought worthy of a Christian imitation on the present occasion." The resolution was delivered to President George Washington who heartily concurred with the congressional request, declaring: Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor. . . . Now, therefore, I do appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 . . . that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection. National Thanksgiving Proclamations occurred sporadically following this one, and most official Thanksgiving observances still occurred only at the State level. Much of the credit for the adoption of an annual national Thanksgiving may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale, the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book. For thirty years, she promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day, contacting President after President until Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of November, declaring: We often forget the Source from which the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies come. . . . No human wisdom hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God. . . . I therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States . . . to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. For the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincoln’s precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday. As you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this year, remember to retain the original gratefulness to God that has always been the spirit of this, the oldest of all American holidays. Congress recommends a day of . . . thanksgiving and praise so that the people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts . . . and join . . . their prayers that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, to forgive our sins and . . . to enlarge His kingdom which consists in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Continental Congress, 1777 --Written by Signers of the Declaration Samuel Adams and Richard Henry Lee) I appoint . . . a day of public Thanksgiving to Almighty God. . . to ask Him that He would . . . pour out His Holy Spirit on all ministers of the Gospel; that He would . . . spread the light of Christian knowledge through the remotest corners of the earth; . . . and that He would establish these United States upon the basis of religion and virtue. (Governor Thomas Jefferson, 1779) I. . . appoint . . . a day of public thanksgiving and praise . . . to render to God the tribute of praise for His unmerited goodness towards us . . . by giving to us . . . the Holy Scriptures which are able to enlighten and make us wise to eternal salvation. . . . And to pray that He would forgive our sins and . . . cause the religion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among all the people of the earth. (Governor John Hancock, 1790)
4. See video clip from Bluefish TV on Presidential Thanksgiving.
ii. The problem today in America is the re-writing of History and the removing of God from the picture. Listen to this article from Wallbuilders and David Barton:
1. God: Missing in Action from American History by David Barton (First published in the June 2005 issue of The NRB Magazine magazine): American history today has become a dreary academic subject. Yet, most who are bored by American history view Bible history quite differently: they love the stories of David and Goliath, Daniel and the lion’s den, and Peter walking on the water. So it’s not that people don’t enjoy history, it’s just that they don’t respond favorably to the way American history is currently being taught. One reason Bible history is interesting and American history is not is that the Bible (as well as American education during its first three centuries) utilizes biographical history - that is, it presents history through the eyes and life experiences of those involved (i.e., the biographies) rather than through the recitation of a string of dates and places. It is the difference between reading the stories in Guideposts and the numbers in a phone book. Looking at history the way God presents it is exciting and informative; and in numerous verses, God even commends its study: “Remember the former things of old: for I am God” (Isaiah 46:9); and “Call to remembrance the former days” (Hebrews 10:32); etc. But why would God want us to know history? The Apostle Paul answers that question in 1 Corinthians 10:1: “All these things happened unto them for example; and they are written for our admonition” (see also Romans 15:4: “Those things written aforetime were written for our learning”). In short, we learn from history; and what we learn affects our behavior. American leaders long understood this Biblical truth. For example, Thomas Jefferson noted: “History, by apprizing them [students] of the past, will enable them to judge of the future.” And what can be learned by being “apprized of the past”? According to Benjamin Franklin: History will afford frequent opportunities of showing the necessity of a public religion from its usefulness to the public; the advantage of a religious character among private persons; the mischiefs of superstition; and the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern.Franklin understood that history, when accurately presented, would demonstrate the need for Christianity because of both the societal and the individual benefits it produces. In fact, the presenting of an uncensored and unrevised history actually causes a recognition of the hand of God - for, in the words of the great statesman Daniel Webster: “History is God’s providence in human affairs.” Today, however, history is presented in such an edited, revised, and politically-correct manner that God’s hand is rarely visible - and even the historic role of famous Godly leaders in education, business, politics, and the military is now virtually unacknowledged. An obvious example of the secularization of history occurs each year around the Fourth of July. Americans are taught that “taxation without representation” was the reason America separated from Great Britain; yet “taxation without representation” was only reason number seventeen out of the twenty-seven reasons given in the Declaration of Independence - it was not even in the top half, yet it’s all that most ever hear. Never mentioned today are the numerous grievances condemning judicial activism - or those addressing moral or religious or other issues. What religious issues? In 1762, the king vetoed the charter for America’s first missionary society; he also suppressed other religious freedoms and even prevented Americans from printing an English language Bible. How did Americans respond? They took action; and almost unknown today is the fact that Declaration signers such as Samuel Adams and Charles Carroll cited religious freedom as the reason they became involved in the American Revolution. And significantly, even though Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin (two of the least religious signers) are typically the only signers studied today, almost half of the signers of the Declaration (24 of 56) held what today would be considered seminary or Bible school degrees. Clearly, for many Founders, religious issues were an important motivation behind their separation from Great Britain; but that motivation is largely ignored today. Moral issues are accorded the same silence. The greatest moral issue of that day was slavery; and after several of the American colonies moved toward abolishing slavery in 1773, the King, in 1774, vetoed those anti-slavery laws and continued slavery in America. Soon-to-be signers of the Declaration Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush promptly founded America’s first abolition society as a direct response against the king’s order. The desire to end slavery in America was a significant motivation not only for Franklin and Rush but also for a number of others; but the end of slavery in America could be achieved only if they separated from Great Britain - which they were willing to do (and six of the thirteen colonies began abolishing slavery following the separation). There were many other significant issues that led to our original Fourth of July; so why aren’t Americans familiar with the rest? Because in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, a group of secular-minded writers (including Charles and Mary Beard, W. E. Woodward, Fairfax Downey, and others) began penning works on American history that introduced a new paradigm. For this group, economics was the only issue of importance, so they began to write texts accordingly (their approach is now described as “the economic view of American history” and since the 1960s has been widely embraced throughout the education community). Consequently, since “taxation without representation” was the economic grievance in the Declaration, it became the sole clause that Americans studied. As a result, God is no longer visible in American history; and His absence is now construed as a mandate for secularism. Texts now forcefully assert that the American founding produced the first intentionally secular government in history - even though the Declaration officially acknowledges God in four separate clauses. (But who still teaches the Declaration - or even reads it?) Similarly, leaders such as John Hancock and John Adams receive credit as being the source of our independence, even though John Adams himself declared that the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Mayhew and the Rev. Dr. Samuel Cooper were two of the individuals "most conspicuous, the most ardent, and influential" in the "awakening and revival of American principles and feelings" that led to American independence. Regrettably, God (and His servants) have largely disappeared from the presentation of American history in general and America’s founding in particular. As a further example, consider the legendary Minutemen: even though they are still honored in many texts, their leader, the Rev. Jonas Clark, is no longer mentioned - nor the fact that many of the Minutemen were deacons in his church. And the Rev. James Caldwell is no longer acknowledged as a key leader of military forces in New Jersey - nor the Rev. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg (who led 300 men from his church against the British) as one of Washington’s most trusted generals. Regrettably, we no longer know much about the indispensable role of pastors and Christian leaders in the founding of our civil government. Americans have been subjected to “revisionism” - defined by the dictionary as “the revision of an accepted, usually long-standing view; especially a revision of historical events and movements.” Revisionism attempts to alter the way a people sees its history in order to cause a change in public policy. Consider how successful this has been. Under the economic view of American history, Americans now believe that the early colonists came to America seeking land and gold rather than for the reason most cited by the colonists: evangelization. And most now accept that the colonies were founded for trade, fishing, and other economic enterprises, even though more than half were founded by Gospel ministers for religious purposes (e.g., Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Georgia, etc.). And if religion is discussed in a text, it will be to present the 21 deaths during the Salem Witch Trials rather than the Great Awakenings, the Civil War revivals, or the turn-of-the-century revivals that led to widespread urban renewal and the end of child labor. Having now come to believe that economics is what created and made America great, it is not surprising that few Americans commented on the fact that, during the 2004 presidential debates, “jobs” and “economy” were mentioned hundreds of times but “marriage” less than a dozen. Nor is it surprising that over the past decade, 45 percent of evangelical Christians say that economic issues are more important than moral issues when it comes to voting. There is so much of our wholesome, God-centered American history that we no longer know today. This is especially true when it comes to the average American’s knowledge of African American history. Consider, for example, African American achievements during the American Revolution. Few today know that almost 5,000 of the patriots in the fledgling Continental Army were African Americans - that, for example, a hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill was African American Peter Salem. His heroic actions saved the lives of scores of Americans, and he was honored before General Washington for his courage. And Pastor Lemuel Haynes was involved in several major Revolutionary battles and became an ardent admirer of George Washington, regularly preaching sermons on Washington’s birthday. This patriot preacher was the first African American to be ordained by a mainstream Christian denomination (the Congregationalists, in 1785), to pastor a white congregation (a congregation in Connecticut), and to be awarded an honorary Master’s Degree (by Middlebury College, in 1804). Yet who today has heard of Lemuel Haynes? Or who has heard of James Armistead, the courageous spy at Yorktown whose remarkable service considerably shortened the War? Or Oliver Cromwell and Prince Whipple (depicted in several famous Revolutionary War paintings) who served directly under General Washington and the general staff? Or Jordan Freeman, the gallant soldier to whom a monument was erected for his heroic service at the Battle of Groton Heights? Then there is also African American church history - including the amazing story of the Rev. John Marrant, the first African American to evangelize successfully among American Indians; the Rev. Richard Allen, who gained his freedom from slavery, served in the American Revolution, became a preacher in a church of 2000 whites, and founded America’s first black denomination; and the Rev. Harry Hoosier, who delivered the first recorded Methodist sermon by an African American and drew crowds larger than the great Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury. And consider African American political history. Who today knows the story of the Rev. Hiram Rhodes Revels, the African American missionary who became the first black U. S. Senator? Or the Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, the first African American to deliver a sermon in Congress? Or Joseph Hayne Rainey, who overcame slavery to become the first African American elected to the U. S. Congress, even presiding over the U. S. House? (In the picture of the first seven African Americans elected to the federal Congress - all as Republicans - the Rev. Revels is the first from the left, and Rainey is second from the right.) Or who today has learned that nearly every southern Republican Party was started by African Americans - or that the first 190 African Americans elected to office in South Carolina (and the first 112 in Mississippi, the first 42 in Texas, the first 127 in Louisiana, etc.) were all Republicans, and many were ministers? I have spent years collecting thousands of original and priceless documents from American history in general and black history in particular; God’s fingerprints are evident throughout. I have been asked why I, as an Anglo, would spend so much time in the study of African American political history. The answer is simple: I am an American; and since the story of African American history is part of American history, it therefore is part of my own history. Furthermore, I am inspired by all stories of sacrifice, courage, and Godly character - regardless of skin color. The stories of African American heroes such as Phillis Wheatley, Francis Grimke, and John Roy Lynch are as thrilling to me as are the stories of Lewis & Clark, Helen Keller, and Alvin York. The reintroduction of a truthful and complete telling of American history is long overdue. Daniel Webster was right: “History is God’s providence in human affairs,” and it is time for Americans once again to become aware of the remarkable hand of God throughout our history. (By the way, our newest DVD, "Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black and White," available from www.wallbuilders.com, helps reintroduce the forgotten heroes and untold stories from our rich African American political history.)
2. America has a Christian foundation and the Lord was highly involved in its formation and the continual witness of this “One Nation Under God” to a lost world.
a. Do not be deceived by the false teachers and prophets in our society today who want to re-write history to take God out of the picture.
b. The Devil has been trying this tactic for years and our job is to stand up and be the witness the Lord has called us to be.
c. Revelation 12:11, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
c. Reflective Thought Back to our text in Acts: recall from our historical story in Acts 23 all the violations of the Jewish law and think of how this commander viewed the Jewish spiritual leaders and their God – can you imagine the disbelief of this Commander at these spiritual leaders – these men of God are conspiring to kill an innocent man and lying about it. He sends Paul off to the governor under heavy guard for his own protection.
i. Let me ask you a question – What kind of witness is this for Jehovah God?
ii. Do you think this commander had a very distorted view of the Lord God Jehovah from the testimony and the actions of these so-called spiritual leaders?
iii. Now you can understand why the Temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70AD.
1. The Romans had no respect for the spiritual dimension of the people of Israel because of the way they acted and lived their lives.
2. They demonstrated to the Romans no tangible difference between Israel and its claims of God and other heathen nations they had already wiped out.
a. They were brutal – intolerant – murderers – insolent and rebellious!
b. Their actions against God and the Gospel and their lack of Godly actions led them to be wiped out by the Roman Empire.
c. Jesus prophesied it in Mark 13!
3. Reality Check for America today: The Barna report again shows that there is no spiritual tangible difference between Christians and non-Christians in this country.
a. George Barna wrote The State of the Church in 2002. Barna conducted a survey of self-pronounced Christians and here’s what he found about their knowledge of the Bible.
Now, remember these are Christians..
• 48% could not name the four Gospels.
• 52% cannot identify more than two or three of Jesus’ disciples.
• 60% of American Christians can’t name even five of the 10 Commandments.
• When asking graduating high school “born again Christians” over 50% of them thought Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife.
• 61% of American Christians think the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham.
• 71% of American Christians think “God helps those who help themselves” is a Bible verse.
No wonder George Barna said, “Americans revere the Bible but, by and large they don’t know what it says. And because they don’t know it, they have become a nation of Biblical illiterates.”
Contributed to Sermon Central by: Timothy Smith
b. In the article "The American Witness" in the Nov/Dec 1997 issue of The Barna Report, George Barna examined 131 different measures of attitudes, behaviors, values, and beliefs. In that study he concluded that in the aspects of lifestyle where Christians can have their greatest impact on the lives of non-Christians there is no visible difference between the two segments. For example, Christians are just as likely as non-Christians to have been divorced, bought a lottery ticket, watch MTV or have subscribed to cable television. Christians are also just as likely to watch PG-13, R, and even X rated movies as non-Christians. Contributed to sermon central by: Steven Chapman
d. The truth is our personal testimony does make a difference in our nation. What I do and do not do for Jesus has an impact on this nation as a whole.
i. Just as Paul’s witness in Rome impacted that nation. Our witness in Amery makes a difference in our nation!
ii. Just as the religious leaders actions and non-actions in Israel impacted them in a negative way.
iii. Reality Check: Your witness in Amery will make a difference in this country- it’s a spiritual truth!
T.S. – We learn that our testimonies are very important in influencing others and even a nation and they can change a nation’s course. But there is another spiritual lesson that I see in this section and it deals with the Law of Sowing and Reaping.
II. The spiritual Law of Sowing and Reaping is also highlighted in this chapter.
a. What is the Law of Sowing (planting) and Reaping (harvesting):
i. Quote from the book on Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend:
1. The law of cause and effect is a basic law of life. The Bible calls it the Law of Sowing and Reaping. “You reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit” (Gal. 6:7-8 NRSV). When God tells us that we will reap what we sow, he is not punishing us; he’s telling us how things really are. If you smoke cigarettes, you most likely will develop a smoker’s hack, and you may even get lung cancer. If you overspend, you most likely will get calls from creditors, and you may even go hungry because you have no money for food. On the other hand, if you eat right and exercise regularly, you may suffer from fewer colds and bouts with the flu. If you budget wisely, you will have money for the bill collectors and for the grocery store (84, 85).
ii. Let me ask you another question in 70 AD the Romans sent an army to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem that these spiritual men over saw for the Lord. Can you see why the Lord would allow such a thing to happen to Jerusalem and their Temple of wickedness?
1. Remember -- They killed Jesus and other faithful witnesses so the spiritual truth is, “What you sow is what you will reap!”
a. When Jesus died is says and earthquake hit and the temple veil was ripped apart to state “I the Lord no longer have a barrier between me and you because Jesus has now opened the door to my presence.”
2. This is the way things work with the Kingdom of God and it’s not about Gods punishment it’s about cause and effect. God says you do this and this will happen back to you! It did! It will today as well!
a. Note the truth from the Word, “If you sin you will reap the consequence of it!” Cause and effect!
b. Bible states in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death...!”
c. Numbers 32:23, “…you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”
b. Scripture texts on sowing – spiritual law in action.
i. Proverbs 11:18
1. The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward
ii. Proverbs 22:8
1. He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
iii. 2 Corinthians 9:6
1. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously
iv. Gal. 6:7
1. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
c. Paul reaped what he sowed – He sowed the seeds of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit used that to spread the Gospel across the Roman Empire and to change the course of a nation.
i. The religious Pharisees and Sadducees reaped what they sowed and the end result was their Temple was destroyed.
ii. The spiritual truth that we need to see and understand is that what we plant with our lives will either glorify God and uplift this nation to God’s blessings or cause it to collapse and fall.
1. If we sow the seeds of the Gospel then our nation will prosper and be effective if we will reap the harvest of God’s blessings. But if we continue to sow the seeds of evil, wickedness, self-centeredness and the like then we reap the harvest of cursing on this nation.
Conclusion:
The Lord used Paul to change the course of the Roman Empire!
The Lord can also use us to change the course of this nation and county!
Paul reaped the rewards of what he sowed – eternal life and many crowns for being a faithful witness of Jesus.
The religious leaders of Israel reaped what they sowed which was the judgment of God for their sinful ways and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
