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Message for June 20, 2010
Posted on 06-07-10 |
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MCC: 06.20.10
Text: Acts 22.22-23.35
Series: Moving Forward
copyright, Timothy M. Brokaw. Permission granted for non-commercial purposes
Moving Forward—When Under Pressure
Intro) A) I heard about a guy named Charlie Moore whose job required him to move to a different city. As a way to meet people and make some new friends, he signed up to play on the company softball team, even though he was not a very good softball player. When he played in his first game he was surprised to hear someone in the stands yelling, "Come on, Mr. Moore. You can do it, Mr. Moore." On the way home, he said to his wife and son, "I didn't think anyone here even knew me, but during the game I heard someone in stands rooting for me - they were saying, 'Come on Mr. Moore.'" His son said, "That was me." Charlie asked, "Why didn't you call me 'Dad?'" The son said, "I didn't want anyone to know I was related to you."
B) Happy Father’s Day to all of our Dads. We Dads often have a lot of pressure placed on us, don’t we? Our kids want us to perform at a satisfactory level in Softball. We’re expected to be both strong and sensitive. We’re to work hard at the office and then be emotionally available at home. It’s a lot of pressure.
C) Of course, Dads aren’t the only ones among us who find ourselves under tremendous pressure. Perhaps you’re a student juggling your personal life and a part-time job. Or, you’re a parent with the concerns of both work and home. Some of us are in that generation in which we’re trying to help with our grandkids while also dealing with aging parents. If I didn’t cover your particular situation, I’m sure that you can fill in the blank.
D) We are in our fourth week of a series of messages based on the final chapters of the book of Acts. We’re following the Apostle Paul as he moves forward from Asia to Rome. As a church, and as individuals, we’re seeing how we can all be “Moving Forward” in faith.
E) When we left the Apostle Paul last week, he was speaking to a group of his own countrymen and was sharing with them the good news of what Jesus had done in his life. And things were going fairly well. Until, in verse 21 of chapter 22 of Acts, Paul mentions that he has been commissioned by God to share the good news of Jesus with the Gentiles (non-Jews). The crowd erupts with anger and we Paul’s life is in danger.
F) As we go through the end of chapter 22 and all of chapter 23 of Acts, we’ll discover that the pressure in Paul’s life doesn’t end there. The Roman army prepares to scourge Paul in order to get information from him. Later, he is brought to trial before the Sandhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. He is ordered to be struck in the face by the Jewish High Priest. Forty individuals swear a vow to not eat or drink before they kill Paul. And Paul is hoisted off at night to Caesarea, the capital city, where he is brought before the Roman governor. So, how was your week? Is that enough pressure for you?
Trans) This morning, want to go very quickly through these incidents in the life of Paul and learn some truths about how we can move forward in life when we’re under pressure.
Here is the first: If we’re to move forward when under pressure, we need to:
I) Utilize our Resources.
A) Let’s pick Paul’s story up in verses 22-25 of Acts 22: 22The crowd listened to Paul until he said this (the commission to the Gentiles part). Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" 23As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?"
B) Paul is about to be scourged. Scourging was a typical Roman way of getting information from prisoners. And it was brutal. John Stott writes of scourging that “If a man didn’t die, he would be crippled for life” (The Message of Acts: The Spirit, The World, and the Church (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1990), 349).
C) It is exactly at this point that Paul says, “Oh, by the way, did I fail to mention that I’m a Roman citizen?” We’re not sure why Paul chose to wait until this point to mention that he was a Roman citizen but being a Roman citizen was a big deal. These soldiers are preparing to torture Paul before a trial and that is a serious no-no for a Roman citizen. As the story continues, the Roman soldiers who are about to scourge Paul get real nervous when they discover that he is a Roman citizen. The sergeant reports this back to his commanding officer. The commanding officer goes directly to Paul. Then Luke tells us in verse 29: 29Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. You see, if the Roman commanding officer had been responsible for torturing a Roman citizen before a trial, being fired would have been the least of his concerns.
D) This is not the first time in Acts that Paul has brought up the fact that he was a Roman citizen at a strategic time. In the sixteenth chapter of Acts, Paul and his traveling companion Silas are beaten up and thrown into jail by the officials of the city of Philippi. The next day, the jailer tells them, “OK. The city officials say that you can go.” Paul says, “Are you kidding. They beat up some Roman citizens and then expect them to go quietly out of town. That’s not going to happen.”
E) Paul was willing to use his Roman citizenship when it was to his advantage. He was willing to utilize his resource of Roman citizenship when it served to further the kingdom of God. Now, Luke probably has a specific reason for giving us these examples from the life of Paul. Luke wants his readers to know that Christianity is not a threat to the Roman Empire. One of Christianity’s leading teachers was a good, law-abiding Roman citizen.
F) Yet, Paul serves as an example for us when we’re under intense pressure. We may not be Roman citizens but we do have resources that we can use when we’re under the gun. What are those resources? Well, it differs from person to person. You most likely have a resource that I don’t have and vice versa (I hope!).
G) When you’re under intense pressure, ask yourself: “What gift do I have that I can utilize in this situation?” “What strength can I utilize in order to get me out of this pressure cooker?” What other resources might I draw upon? Perhaps, if your doctor gives you a negative diagnosis, you can seek out a second opinion. That’s a resource. Perhaps you can fall back on some training that you received years ago that you’ve almost forgotten about.
H) At the very least, we all have resources of intellect and creativity that God has given us. Sometimes, we need to use those gifts to think outside of the box. Pressure can cause us to get tunnel vision. We begin to feel trapped and we think that there is no way out of the situation. But perhaps there is and we’re just not able to come up with it. I wonder if Paul has been stripped of his clothes, he’s been tied to the mast, and he’s thinking to himself, “This is not good.” Then he has this epiphany: “Hey, I’m a Roman citizen! I can use that privilege to get me out of this situation.”
Trans) When we’re under pressure, we need to utilize our resources. Next, we
II) Accept Help from Others
A) In verses 1-10 of chapter 23, Paul is brought before the Sandhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. There is some really interesting material there that we don’t have time to look at in great detail. I will point out that the beginning of Paul’s appearance before the Sanhedrin does not go well. The high priest orders Paul to be slapped and Paul responds in anger. After apologizing, Paul says in verse six, “Listen, the reason that I’m here is that I’m a Pharisee and I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.” You see, the Sanhedrin was composed primarily of two parties: the Pharisees who believed in the resurrection and the Saducees who didn’t. So, once again, Paul utilizes a resource that he has. He is a Pharisee and when he points out his affiliation as a Pharisee and his hope in the resurrection, the meeting becomes a session of Congress—a lot of talking on both sides of the aisle and very little getting accomplished. Verse 10 says: 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.
B) The pressure on Paul increases exponentially in verses 12-15: 12The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15Now 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." It’s looking really bad for Paul at this point. Most of us have not been under the pressure of more than 40 people wanting us dead. At least, not 40 people who were in the same room and had decided to do something about it. It looks like Paul is not going to get out of Jerusalem alive.
C) But look at verses 16 and 17: 16But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. 17Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him."
1) When things get really bad, when the heat of the Pressure Cooker is at its highest, God sends help to Paul in the form of another human being.
2) In this case, it is Paul’s nephew. I listened to a sermon this week in which the preacher said that Paul’s nephew basically dropped out of the sky and that is a pretty good description. We know very little about Paul’s family. Scholars and commentators have a field day with the possibilities for how this nephew shows up.
3) Some say that it is probable that Paul’s family had disowned him when he became a follower of Jesus but Paul’s sister’s love for Paul overcame the barrier and she sent her son to warn him. Others suggest that Paul’s nephew was in Jerusalem studying to be a rabbi like Paul had some thirty years before and he got wind of the plot and warned Paul. Still others suggest that Paul’s nephew had become a Christian, perhaps due to Paul’s witness, and he chose to warn Paul. Perhaps he had even been working undercover when he discovered the plot.
4) We’ll never know. What we do know is that God sent someone to help Paul and Paul accepted the help.
D) As the story continues, Paul continues to receive help from the Roman soldiers. After the Roman commander learns of the plot against Paul’s life from Paul’s nephew, he responds in this way according to verses 23-24: 23Then 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. 24Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix."
1) Do you see the beauty in this? Twenty years previous to this, Paul would not have been caught dead next to a Roman soldier. Now, he is surrounded by more than 400 of them.
2) The very people whom Paul had once despised are now protecting Paul and keeping him from being killed.
E) God sends a nephew who drops out of the sky. God sends despised Roman solders. And Paul accepts help from them both. Lloyd Ogilvie writes, “When we get involved in the adventure of doing the Lord’s will, we are amazed by the people He has ready to help us” (Acts. The Communicators Commentary Volume 5. (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983), 322).
F) If we’re to move forward when we’re under pressure, we need to accept help from others. The truth is that very little in life of any worth is accomplished alone.
1) We think of Thomas Edison as THE inventor of the Light Bulb. While Edison’s genius and innovation are undeniable, the truth is that Edison had dozens of co-workers.
2) We think of Alexander Graham Bell as THE inventor of the telephone. Yet many of us remember that the first words spoken over the telephone by Bell were, “Mr. Watson, I need you.” Those very words tells us that Bell had a co-worker.
G) So, when you’re under pressure, accept help from others. Join a study group at school. Ask a co-worker to help you on your project. Call a professional counselor or ask a friend to lend an ear or a hand. Join a Sunday School class or the Worship Team or some other small group here at Midlands Christian Church.
Trans) Under pressure, we need to utilize our resources, accept help from others, and
III) Trust in God’s Presence
A) I skipped a particular verse earlier. It may very well be the key verse in this entire passage. It is probably THE most important step that we can take in moving forward when we’re under pressure. It comes between Paul’s appearance before the Sandhedrin and the appearance of Paul’s nephew. In verse 11 of chapter 23 we read: 11The 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."
B) Did you get that? The Lord Jesus stands near to Paul. He gives Paul the assurance of his presence. This is the one of whom the writer of Hebrews quotes as saying: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." The Lord promises to be with Paul.
C) Then, he says to him, “Take courage!” The phrase can be translated “be of good cheer.” Lloyd Ogilvie writes, “Courage is a gift offered by the Lord…The Lord said to (the writer of Psalm 31): ‘Be strong and let your heart take courage.’ One the night before His crucifixion, the Christ said, ‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.’
The Lord knows when we need the gift of courage and comes to us to offer it for the challenges He has given us. Our only responsibility is to take what He has offered” (ibid., 318).
D) The Lord promises his presence and he gives us the provision of courage when we’re under pressure. But notice something about what the Lord says to Paul. He does not tell Paul, “Listen, take courage. I’m going to get you out of this and then things will be easy.” No. He says to him, “Take courage, because you’re not going to die in Jerusalem, you’ve got work to do in Rome.”
E) The Lord never tells us, “Hey, life will be easy. You’ll never be under pressure.” No. He promises to be with us when we’re under pressure not to get us out from under pressure. In fact, the Lord’s words to Paul can be translated literally as, “In the same manner that you witnessed for me in Jerusalem, you will witness for me in Rome.” In what manner? Perhaps, in jail. Paul is in jail in Jerusalem, he’ll spend at least two years in jail in Jerusalem, and then he’ll spend as much as three years in jail in Rome.” How is that for pressure? But Paul can trust that the Lord will be with him.
F) Leroy Eims is the one who got me thinking about this. He writes, “It is interesting to note why God encouraged Paul. The Lord still had work for him to do…We might have expected the Lord to say, ‘Cheer up, Paul. Soon it will all be over. Shortly you can retire to a pleasant villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and spend the rest of your years enjoying a well-earned rest.’ But no. His word was, ‘Cheer up, there are still many miles left to travel and much work still to be done.’ When you think about it, this makes sense. Jesus had performed his most important work during the last moments of his life. He did not come to teach the multitudes, train the apostles, and then spend his last years in retirement” (Disciples in Action (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1981), 278).
Conc) A) Pressure can destroy us. Stress and pressure can lead to bad health and bad attitudes. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
B) Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State, once said: “A diamond is a chunk of coal that is made good under pressure” (http://thinkexist.com/quotation/a_diamond_is_a_chunk_of_coal_that_is_made_good/145787.html).
That, my friends, is exactly what God wants to do in your life and my life. God wants to take the pressure in our lives and use it to turn us into diamonds. And God can do exactly that if we’ll utilize our resources, accept help from others, and, most importantly, if we’ll trust in God’s presence.
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