WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.799 Welcome to DeSoto Hills Baptist Church. 00:00:02.959 --> 00:00:07.200 Our Sunday morning services are weekly at 9 and 10 30 a.m. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:11.439 You're listening to an audio recast of this past week's service. 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:12.960 We hope you enjoy. 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:14.240 God bless. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:18.320 If you have your Bibles this morning, we will be in Acts chapter 22. 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:23.440 We're going to start in verse 22 and read down through chapter 23, verse 11. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:32.079 As you turn there, as I was studying and preparing this week, I thought of a movie that came out several years ago. 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:37.039 It's based on a true story of a soldier named Desmond Doss. 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:49.679 Desmond Doss was a medic uh in the in the army, in the military uh during the uh invasion of Normandy, and then he became famous for a battle at Hacksaw Ridge. 00:00:50.159 --> 00:01:06.480 Hacksaw Ridge was, if if you don't know about it, if you haven't seen the movie, it's set on a the battlefield was at a steep embankment, and the only way for the Allied forces to get there was to climb ropes or this rope ladder and get up there. 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:19.920 And then once they got on the battlefield, they faced insurmountable uh I mean the the enemy was just coming and kept coming and coming, and they faced all kinds of casualties and and things like that. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:22.079 And Desmond Daws, he was just a medic. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.159 He uh didn't have a weapon or anything like that. 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:33.359 And as as the battle went on and the Allied forces at one point retreated, went back down the mountain. 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:35.680 Doss stayed behind. 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:44.079 And as he was there, he would quietly go around the battlefield because if the enemy had found him, they would have shot him. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:46.319 They wouldn't have cared if he was a medic or whatever. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:02:02.719 And he would go and he would find soldiers who needed attending, who needed attention, and he would he would treat them to the best he could, and then he would drag them to the edge of the cliff and tie a rope on them and slowly lower them to the ground. 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:13.199 And and history tells us that each time he lowered one to the ground, he would say a quiet prayer that said, Lord, help me get one more. 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:16.879 Help me get one more. 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:24.560 By the end of the day, he had actually saved somewhere around 75 soldiers that day. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:32.000 Sometimes he would even treat and save the enemy soldiers and lower them down as well. 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:36.000 Lord, help me save one more. 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:42.240 You know, the the Christian life can be filled with peril. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:46.319 It is not a life of ease that we've been called to. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:55.919 It is filled with with sometimes dangerous times, but at least times that are hard and difficult for us to go through. 00:02:56.240 --> 00:03:02.960 But in that as we go, we we can learn the alliance, learn the prayer of Desmond Dawes. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:12.319 And maybe not, Lord, help me save one more, but maybe we can say something like, Lord, help me take one more step. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:17.680 God, help me to make the next step that you're calling me to. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.159 Help me to take one more. 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.439 Kind of see that in the life of Paul today. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:28.080 We really need to begin the passage by looking at the last verse. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:30.400 And in this passage, I'll read it quickly. 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:31.599 We're gonna come read the whole thing. 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:53.039 But in the last verse, Paul says this, or Luke writes this, on the following night, the Lord stood by him, the Lord stood by Paul and said, Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome. 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:58.240 God is coming to Paul and he is encouraging him, yet also challenging him. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:01.439 He is encouraging him that he has done well. 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:04.240 Paul, you have done well in Jerusalem. 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:07.919 But Paul, one more step. 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:09.919 One more step. 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:11.680 I need you to go to Rome. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:14.479 Paul, let's take one more step. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:20.800 And he is encouraging, challenging him to take that one more step, but also at the same time encouraging him. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:34.000 And what we see in Paul this week, what Paul has done throughout this passage this week is we're gonna see him courageously witness to the kingdom of God among the Jews in Jerusalem. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:51.600 We saw it last week that he presented his salvation, his testimony experience of his salvation experience, but but we're gonna see some more things come up and he him face a riotous crowd and people rioting and coming after him. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:59.199 And we're gonna see uh a Roman uh tribune judging whether he should be condemned or not. 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:09.360 And while we may not face some of the same challenges, we probably are not facing a rioting crowd when we go and we're called to be a witness to the kingdom of God. 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:15.680 We're probably not facing a tribune who is deciding, judging whether we should be condemned or not. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:17.920 We're probably not facing those things. 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:36.480 But but I hope what we can see and what we can recognize is that no matter where God has put us, because I believe God puts us in the places that we are, whether that be our job, school, the city we live in, the family that we're in, wherever, none of it is by happenstance. 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:49.040 Just as God had Paul right here at this place, he has us right here at these places that we are, and we can, wherever God has us, we can proclaim the kingdom of God. 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:55.199 The challenge for us is really the same challenge that we've seen throughout this book of Acts. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.240 Be witnesses to the kingdom of God. 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:00.959 Be witnesses to the kingdom of God. 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:07.360 So the question that we seek to answer today is this How did Paul courageously witness? 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:12.319 We know he courageously witnessed because God's gonna tell him, take courage. 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:14.480 You've done well in Jerusalem. 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:16.240 I need you to go to Rome. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:19.199 He's done well, he's been courageous in Jerusalem. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:20.639 How has he been courageous? 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:25.759 How was he able to do well and receive the Lord's praise in Jerusalem? 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:27.680 We hope to see that today. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:35.839 So I invite you if you're able to stand with me as we give honor to the reading of God's word, again, starting in Acts chapter 22. 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:38.480 I'm gonna start reading in verse 22. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:44.240 Up to this word, they listened to him. 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:52.240 Then they raised their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:07:08.720 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out that they were shouting again find out why they were shouting against him like this. 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:19.839 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned? 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:25.120 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, What are you about to do? 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:27.519 For this man is a Roman citizen. 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:32.000 So the tribune came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:33.680 He said, Yes. 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:38.000 The tribune answered, I bought this citizenship for a large sum. 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:41.360 Paul said, But I am a citizen by birth. 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:53.759 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and their tribune also was afraid, and he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen that he had had and that he had him bound. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:08:06.720 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and be and he brought Paul down and set him before them. 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:15.120 Looking intently at the council, Paul said, Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day. 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:21.279 And the high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:26.240 Then Paul said to him, God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:32.720 Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law, you order me to be struck? 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:38.559 Those who stood by said, Why would you would you revile God's high priest? 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:46.559 Paul said, I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:57.519 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:03.200 It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:16.879 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided, for the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledged them all. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:24.240 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply. 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:26.399 We find nothing wrong in this man. 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:28.960 What if a spirit or angel spoke to him? 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:41.519 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:55.759 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:57.440 Let's pray together. 00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:01.360 God, we thank you for your word. 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:07.600 We thank you for the opportunity that we have now to study, to encounter. 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:17.600 God, you have revealed yourself to us through this word, and so we pray that today we see you help us. 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:19.919 Open the eyes of our hearts. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:22.240 Jesus, it's in your name that we pray. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:23.200 Amen. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:34.559 So again, the question, how did Paul courageously witness? 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:45.279 Well, the first thing I think we're gonna see happening in Paul's life, and and hope we we've mentioned it already some today, is Paul relied on God's sovereignty. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:47.440 He relied on God's sovereignty. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:53.919 He believed that it was God who had brought him there for this reason and that God was going to continue to work in his life. 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:56.240 He believed in God's sovereignty. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:00.320 We see that, first of all, in the Jewish resistance. 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:05.759 Say, Grant, how can we see God's sovereignty in people who are rebelling and rejecting him? 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:08.559 Well, let's look and see see how we see that. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:10.320 So we talked last week. 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:13.039 Paul gave his salvation experience. 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:21.440 He gave the experience of being in the temple and having a dream of God sending him to the Gentiles. 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:32.320 We we saw that last week in verses 21, and he said to me, That's the angel, go for God's, that's God, for go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:46.320 And then when the Jews heard this in verse 22, up to this word they listened to him, but when they heard this, then they raised their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live. 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:53.039 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air. 00:11:53.200 --> 00:12:01.519 What happened is God had brought Paul, God had used Paul, God had taken the gospel message to the Gentiles. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:07.600 God had done all of this, and now God was ready for Paul to go to Rome. 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:14.000 And he had worked this plan and worked this design out so there's this last chance for the Jews. 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:23.840 And Paul comes to the Jews and he gives them a salvation experience, but they are so opposed to the idea that a Gentile be brought into the kingdom of God. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:29.759 They're so opposed to it that they begin rioting and throwing him and throwing him out. 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:33.679 And the the Roman tribune really doesn't know what to do with him. 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:35.039 So he's taking him out. 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:41.600 And what we're gonna see happen in just a minute, Paul is going to appeal to Caesar, so he is going to be taken to Caesar. 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:51.200 But in the Jewish resistance, what we're gonna see is God hardening their hearts so that Paul can now freely go to Rome. 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:53.919 We've talked about this. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:56.320 Remember the story of Moses. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:58.480 Remember? 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:08.240 God told Moses to go to Pharaoh, and in that story, we find ten times that Pharaoh hardened his heart. 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:14.960 But we also find ten times in that same story that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:19.919 What we see in that story is God's sovereignty working. 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:25.919 What we see here in this story is God's sovereignty at work. 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:30.080 He is moving Paul to Rome. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:33.200 He is sending Paul to Rome, and he is doing it. 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:39.039 He is using the hardness of the Jews' heart here, the hardness of these folks' heart. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:42.960 He is using that to send Paul to Rome. 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:47.360 We also see it in the Roman impatience. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:54.639 At one time he was carrying Paul away. 00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:08.480 Remember back earlier in chapter 22, he was carrying Paul away because he thought Paul was a guy from Egypt who had tried to lead a rebellion, an assassin who had tried to lead a rebellion against Rome. 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:13.759 He finds out Paul's not that guy, so he gives Paul the opportunity to address the Jews. 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:17.759 And now Paul does that, and now the Jews are coming after Paul more. 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:20.320 So he's just trying to get to the bottom. 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:28.799 So he takes Paul in, and instead of sitting him down and questioning him, which would seem like the right thing to do, he sets Paul up. 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:31.919 He has him out and they're tying him out and laying him out to whip him. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:37.039 He's not just going to ask him questions, he is going to beat the truth out of Paul. 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:41.200 Now, why is he is he going to these great leaks all of a sudden? 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:45.759 We're not real sure, other than he is just impatient and he's trying to get to the bottom of this. 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:48.159 So he so he has Paul spread out. 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:51.039 They're tying him up so that they can whip him. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:15:03.440 And finally, Paul he looks over at the centurion there and says, Hey, is it legal for you to beat a Roman citizen who has been uncondemned? 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:07.679 This is the first time Paul has mentioned his citizenship. 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:09.120 Here. 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:10.480 We've seen it. 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:16.639 He mentioned it back in Philippi earlier in Acts, but this is the first time in this situation why Paul has waited so long. 00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:21.840 We don't know, we're not sure, other than just God working and God's timing. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:25.519 But the centurion is totally taken aback by this. 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:29.039 He goes to the tribune and says, What are you trying to do to us? 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:30.720 This guy's a Roman citizen. 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:34.000 The tribune comes to Paul and says, Are you a Roman citizen? 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:35.120 Paul says, Yeah. 00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:37.120 And the tribune says this, this is interesting. 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:40.799 The tribune says, I paid a bunch of money to be a citizen. 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:45.200 I paid a large sum so I can be made a citizen. 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:50.159 And Paul says, I'm a natural born citizen. 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:55.759 I was born a citizen of the Roman Empire. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:06.240 See, in this, what we see God doing in Paul's life. 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:14.080 Is there's really no no better person to fulfill the ministry that Paul is fulfilling than Paul? 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:17.039 God has worked his life to this. 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:23.519 He was born in Tarsus, of a well-known Jewish community. 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.320 He was raised in Jerusalem. 00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:30.000 He was educated by Gamaleel. 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:33.600 Yet he was a Roman citizen. 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:47.120 Who better to take the message to the Jews and then the message to the Gentiles, and then who better to fulfill the prophecy that we saw back in Acts chapter 8 that Paul was going to deliver this message even to kings? 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:51.679 Who better than Paul to take this message to the Caesar? 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:53.600 Because a Jew couldn't do it. 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:57.200 It had to be a Roman citizen. 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:01.360 Paul has worked and orchestrated and moved. 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:07.119 God has worked and orchestrated and moved in Paul's life to have him right here. 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:12.319 And what Paul is doing is he is relying on God's sovereignty. 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:17.359 God has brought him here, and God's gonna take him where he needs to go. 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:20.240 Church, hear me. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:23.839 I've already said it, but let me say it again. 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:28.000 You're not in this place by accident. 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:32.400 You could say, Well, my job brought me here. 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:47.039 You may have it, God may have used your job to bring you here, but you are you are in this place, in your position in life, because God has directed your path and has you here. 00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:54.079 He has worked and moved in your life and have you has you here for this moment. 00:17:54.960 --> 00:18:10.319 Listen, if we are going to be courageous and we are going to courageously proclaim the kingdom of God, we need to recognize that God has got us exactly where he wants us and he will take us exactly where he wants us to be. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:13.519 We must rely on him. 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:17.200 We must trust him. 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:21.359 Paul relied on God's sovereignty. 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:26.559 Not only that, we see that he relied on God's word. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:33.839 It's interesting that the tribune at this point, he decides, hey, I still got to get to the bottom of this. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:37.920 So he calls the council, the Jewish council, together. 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:41.200 Now he doesn't go to the temple because he can't go to the temple. 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:48.240 So he brings them to him, and they are gathered together, and he brings Paul in, and he's going to try to get to the bottom of this. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:53.039 So they sit down in this room together, and Paul begins, and he begins to talk. 00:18:53.200 --> 00:19:10.720 He says, I love in verse 2, he says, or verse 1 of chapter 23, he says, Brother, brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up until this day, which I have to pause. 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:18.559 I mean, I know right now Paul is living his life in good conscience to the will of God. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:20.240 We believe that. 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:24.480 But you know, there was a day when Paul was Saul. 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:33.119 We've even seen Paul lament the times when he was Saul and some things that he did. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:36.880 We'll see it even more that he laments that time. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:49.599 So how can he say, we we come to the question, how can he say that he has lived his life before God in all good conscience up to this day? 00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:54.640 I think in order to see that, we we have to turn back to John chapter 3. 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:02.559 We sang this morning, we basically sang John 3.16 in a psalm. 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:05.519 But let's move down past John 3.16. 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:07.920 Let's look at, let's start reading in verse 18. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:18.000 Here's what he says whoever believes in him, that's Jesus, whoever believes in him is not condemned. 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:26.240 But whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:28.880 And this is the judgment. 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:35.680 The light has come into the world, and people love the darkness rather than the light, because their works were evil. 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:42.240 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light lest his works should be exposed. 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:54.799 But whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:21:02.559 How can Paul, with his past of Saul, say he has lived his life in good conscience? 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:09.119 I believe he can say that because he has believed in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:15.839 He is no longer condemned, he no longer stands before God condemned because he has been saved. 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:19.440 He has been transformed, he has believed in the name. 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:23.279 His works, even his evil works, have been exposed. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:29.279 They have been shown out so that they can be forgiven by his Savior who died for him. 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:34.160 His past has been forgiven. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:40.400 So he can say, I've lived in a good conscience. 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:56.799 But right after that, what we find back in Acts is these Jewish leaders, we see their hypocrisy because as soon as those words come from his mouth, the high priest looks at people who are standing by Paul and has them slap him in the mouth. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.079 He's saying, Your words are untrue. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:03.039 This is not right. 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:04.400 This can't be so. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:13.279 And Paul immediately looks in verse 3, and Paul said to him, God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall. 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:16.079 Are you sitting to judge me according to the law? 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:20.319 And yet, contrary to the law, you order me to be struck. 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:30.000 Now, immediately upon reading this, I'll be honest with you, immediately upon reading this, I thought about Jesus' words in Matthew chapter 23. 00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:50.079 In Matthew chapter 23, verse 27 and 28, Jesus says this woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:58.720 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:02.160 Now that immediately that was the passage I thought of. 00:23:03.440 --> 00:23:06.079 And the sentiment is pretty much the same. 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:08.240 Paul is saying, look, you are a hypocrite. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:14.799 You're saying you judge by the law, but you have me, you have me struck, even though I'm only speaking the truth here. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:17.519 You are hypocrite. 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:25.279 But notice that Jesus says whitewashed tombs, and what Paul calls him is a whitewashed wall. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:34.079 Many commentators believe that Paul is actually referring back to a prophecy of Ezekiel in Ezekiel chapter 13. 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:42.160 In Ezekiel chapter 13, Ezekiel the prophet is writing against false prophets of the day. 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:46.880 Prophets who are coming and telling Israel, look, you have nothing to worry about. 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:48.400 Everything is good. 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:49.680 We have peace. 00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:51.359 Don't worry about anything. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:55.599 It is okay, when in reality it was not okay. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:59.279 They were telling Israel exactly what they wanted to hear. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:04.400 And here's what he says, beginning in verse 10 of Ezekiel chapter 13. 00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:11.599 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, Peace when there is no peace. 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:18.240 And because when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:24.319 Say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall. 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:38.240 There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out, and when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, where is the coating with which you smeared it? 00:24:38.480 --> 00:25:00.079 Therefore, God says, The Lord God, I will make a stormy wind and break out in my wrath, and there will be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end, and I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:06.960 When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:17.200 Thus I will spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, the wall is no more, nor those who smeared it. 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:26.240 The prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Lord. 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:36.319 What he's saying here is the people of Israel, they've built up built up these walls, and they have this false security, metaphorically speaking, in their lives. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:40.000 They have built up that everything is good. 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:50.000 Things were good, and they wanted to hear good things when in their hearts they had turned away from God. 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:54.799 So they built up these walls that that were false walls that couldn't stand. 00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:58.799 And the prophets who should have been saying, No, your hearts are far from God. 00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:06.720 No, instead of doing that, they whitewashed the walls, they made them look good and told them the things that they wanted to hear and said, Everything is gonna be okay. 00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:23.039 But what God said is what's going to happen is I'm going to come in my wrath because your hearts have turned away from me, and I'm going to tear down the walls, and your whitewash has done nothing because you have not said and proclaimed the message that I have called you to proclaim. 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:32.960 What Paul is doing in Acts is saying, you are proclaiming this message that everything is okay when it is not. 00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:06.000 Now, there's some debate about this. 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:08.960 Some think Paul is speaking sarcastically. 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:11.920 I didn't know he was the high priest. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:31.599 Some think, though, that because they were not in the temple, they were in this Roman place, that the high priest could have been there without his priestly garments, sitting in a place of position, that he was just among the people that he actually, and Paul has not been in Jerusalem long. 00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:34.880 Remember, he has been traveling, he's not been in Jerusalem long. 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:39.359 There's a good chance that he doesn't know who the high priest is, actually. 00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:44.000 And so then what he does is, I didn't know he was the high priest. 00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:58.559 So what we find in Paul is we find him repenting here in honesty, I believe, because he says, You shall not speak evil, for it is written, you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. 00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:03.039 There he's quoting from Exodus chapter 22, verse 28. 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:07.119 I think what's happening in Paul's life is this. 00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:17.039 Paul, as he has faced each situation, where we find him turning to is words of scripture. 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:23.039 When he gets slapped, he turns to scripture. 00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:30.799 When he does something wrong, he turns to scripture and repents. 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:48.720 Where we find Paul, and I think where we find Paul in this, and why God is said he has proclaimed well the kingdom of God, while he has proclaimed this well before the Jews is because Paul's life has been so in tune with the word of God. 00:28:48.880 --> 00:29:09.839 He knows what God's word said, he knows how God's word applies to his life, he knows how God has revealed himself through the word because it is so much part of his life, and he has become so reliant upon the word of God, and he must continue to be reliant as he goes to Rome and church. 00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:14.160 We must be as reliant upon the word of God. 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:22.000 Not my words, not your words, his words. 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:28.559 We must allow his words to tell us when we wrong when we're wrong so we can honestly repent. 00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:39.839 We must his words must be must be so in part and in tune with our lives, so as things come up, we can take his word and we can apply it to what's going on in our lives. 00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:44.480 We must be in tune with God's word as Paul was. 00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:48.319 We see him relying on God's word. 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:53.759 Finally, this morning, where we see Paul. 00:29:54.480 --> 00:30:01.440 We see him relying on God's sovereignty, we see him relying on God's word. 00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:07.279 Finally, we see him relying on God's resurrection. 00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:09.920 Here's what happens. 00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:14.559 He recognizes in the group that there's Pharisees and Sadducees. 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:26.000 And he comes and he says, in verse 6, brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. 00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:35.920 It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial. 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:47.200 What Paul realizes and narrows it down to is it is because of the resurrection that he is on trial. 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:48.559 Hear me? 00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:57.839 If there were no resurrection of Jesus, Paul would not be there proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah. 00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:16.880 The reason he's there, the reason he's faced persecution after persecution after persecution, the reason he's there even before his brothers, the Jews, and proclaiming and receiving this torture and receiving all this these things is because of the resurrection. 00:31:17.119 --> 00:31:22.000 If it were not for the resurrection, Christianity is nothing. 00:31:24.079 --> 00:31:26.720 We are just another religion. 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:32.079 But the resurrection changes everything. 00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:36.640 It is because Jesus arose that we have hope for tomorrow. 00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:40.480 It is because that Jesus arose that we have hope for today. 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:44.319 It is because that Jesus arose we have victory over death. 00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:48.319 It is because that Jesus arose that we have victory in this life. 00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:52.640 It is because that Jesus arose that we have anything that we have. 00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:56.720 It is because Jesus arose that we can take yet one more step. 00:31:56.880 --> 00:32:01.519 It is because that Jesus arose that we have life ourselves. 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:03.759 It is because of the resurrection. 00:32:03.839 --> 00:32:17.279 And when Paul comes, he is telling them that he is relying on the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the will of the Father, because that is where real hope is. 00:32:55.920 --> 00:32:57.039 Chuck Colson. 00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:17.519 Because the resurrection removes despair. 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:20.880 Think about it. 00:33:21.839 --> 00:33:23.680 Think about where Paul is. 00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:40.079 He's been cast out of the temple. 00:33:41.680 --> 00:33:48.319 He is standing before a Roman tribune who is going to either condemn him to live or die. 00:33:49.519 --> 00:33:54.160 He is standing before brothers and sisters who want him to die. 00:33:57.279 --> 00:33:59.359 Yet there is no despair. 00:34:00.880 --> 00:34:04.160 Because the resurrection is real. 00:34:06.960 --> 00:34:20.320 Church, if we are going, if we are going to courageously proclaim the word of God, we must know the resurrection is real. 00:34:22.639 --> 00:34:32.239 Because the resurrection is real, we can rely on the sovereignty of God that He has you here. 00:34:34.079 --> 00:34:36.800 Right here at this place in your life. 00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:39.119 Right here. 00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:44.480 He has given you his word and his revelation of himself. 00:34:46.159 --> 00:34:54.320 And he has given you the hope of the resurrection so that we can be witnesses to the kingdom of God. 00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:57.119 Let us do that. 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:07.599 If you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, here's the pivotal moment. 00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:14.320 Jesus Christ arose from the grave. 00:35:15.360 --> 00:35:20.480 He died taking upon himself the punishment for your sin. 00:35:22.880 --> 00:35:23.760 We sang about it. 00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:32.320 We talked about it for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:33.679 God did not come into the world. 00:35:33.840 --> 00:35:38.880 Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. 00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:46.000 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already. 00:35:46.239 --> 00:35:51.840 This is the judgment that Jesus is the light of the world. 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:58.079 If you have never walked into the light, come today. 00:35:59.199 --> 00:36:00.480 Come today. 00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:03.199 He came to save you. 00:36:03.599 --> 00:36:06.239 He came to remove your guilt. 00:36:07.760 --> 00:36:12.239 So you can stand like Paul in good conscience. 00:36:12.639 --> 00:36:18.480 If you've never trusted in Christ your Savior, we invite you to come in just a moment as we stand and sing. 00:36:18.960 --> 00:36:30.480 If you have, but you need to know that God is going to faithfully walk with you as you courageously proclaim the word of God. 00:36:30.639 --> 00:36:32.320 Maybe you're not doing that. 00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:35.519 Maybe this morning you need to repent. 00:36:36.639 --> 00:36:45.039 You need to say, I will proclaim, I will be a witness to the kingdom of God just like He has called us. 00:36:45.840 --> 00:36:51.679 However, God's moving in your life, if you're looking for a church home, we would love to have you here. 00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:55.199 However, God's moving you, we invite you to come. 00:36:55.440 --> 00:36:56.960 Let's pray together. 00:36:57.679 --> 00:36:59.599 God, I thank you for today. 00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:13.519 I thank you for this moment and this opportunity that we have now to respond to your call upon our lives. 00:37:16.960 --> 00:37:22.559 God, I pray that you will give us the faith that we need to answer your call. 00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:29.360 However you are moving, however you are leading, however you are working. 00:37:30.079 --> 00:37:31.360 Help us, God. 00:37:32.880 --> 00:37:34.800 Help us to come to you. 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:37.119 Draw us to you. 00:37:37.920 --> 00:37:40.639 Jesus, it's in your name that we pray. 00:37:41.360 --> 00:37:42.000 Amen. 00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:45.519 Thanks for listening to this week's sermon. 00:37:45.679 --> 00:37:51.440 If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at DeSoto Hills.com.