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Acts 23:12-35 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
Good morning. Turning your Bibles to Acts 23.
0:12
We are moving ever closer to finishing the book of Acts.
0:17
! We've been going through for quite a while now.
0:22
!
0:30
I don't want you to think that this is really just for me.
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I really think that real students of the Scripture,
0:41
if you ever really want to be a serious Bible student
0:46
and really dive into the world,
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you have to dive into the world of the Bible.
0:50
You have to stop and consider the context in which you're reading
0:55
because this was written a long time ago
0:57
and things are made a lot more clear and vivid
1:01
when you actually understand the world that you're reading about.
1:05
A lot of just historical context all through the book of Acts
1:09
in the first century.
1:11
And today, when I was thinking about this,
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I thought, I don't think there's another text in the Scripture
1:19
that talks more about Rome than the text that we're looking at today.
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And so I really, a lot of people just don't know much about
1:28
Rome in Judea in the first century.
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Now, of course, I'm going to spare you
1:34
because I understand that there's a whole range of people here
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from people who love history to people who hate it.
1:41
And so I'm going to try to go in the middle somewhere.
1:44
But I just kind of want to give you an introduction
1:45
just to get you into the world of what we're reading about right now.
1:50
And so maybe it becomes more vivid to you.
1:53
You'll understand it a little better.
1:56
And then we will unpack our text with this kind of stuff in our heads, I hope,
2:02
that will become a little more real to you.
2:05
And so there's a lot of great books out there
2:08
to help you dive into the world of the Bible,
2:11
the culture, the language, the geography.
2:14
All that kind of stuff matters in a lot of ways.
2:17
Now, I do agree that I can nerd out a little too much this morning,
2:21
so I'm going to try not to do that.
2:22
So I'm going to try to go in the middle, like I said a minute ago.
2:27
But I guess before we do that,
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I would just like to pray for our time.
2:32
Then we'll give an intro, and then we'll dive into our text today.
2:37
Let's pray together.
2:40
Lord, we do gather this morning as your people to worship you
2:45
as those that have been saved and redeemed.
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And God, I just ask during this time,
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you would help us to forget about things that are going on in our lives
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that we'll be thinking and doing after the service.
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You allow us to be completely here,
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giving us eyes to see, Lord, and ears to hear your word.
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Lord, help us to not blaspheme your word by walking away
3:13
and forgetting it so easily.
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So help us to remember this morning,
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work in your people, Lord, by your spirit.
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In Christ's name, amen.
3:24
So I actually have visual aids for you today.
3:30
So yeah, we'll go to the first slide.
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So there's a whole history of Rome in Judea.
3:37
And I could definitely nerd out on this,
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but just read Josephus, read Tacitus,
3:41
some of the ancient writers,
3:43
and they'll paint this really, really awesome, an awesome way.
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You'll see how the Bible parallels ancient history a lot.
3:51
So, but let's just kind of hone in on this.
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Go to the next slide.
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You're good.
3:56
So how did Rome even end up in Judea?
4:00
Like how did they actually conquer Judea?
4:02
Well, as you know,
4:04
there was a period between when the Old Testament ended
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and when the New Testament starts.
4:09
And in between that time,
4:11
Judea went under a lot of different conquerors
4:15
that ruled over them.
4:17
But the Seleucid Empire,
4:20
312 BC to 63 BC,
4:23
was like the Hellenistic Empire
4:25
that basically was the result of Alexander's Empire breaking up.
4:31
And a section of that was in Judea.
4:34
And then eventually the Roman Republic,
4:37
around 63 BC,
4:38
conquered the Seleucid Empire.
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And so Judea became like a client state of Rome,
4:46
of the Republic.
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But as you know,
4:49
Judea has always wanted to go back
4:51
to being his own power,
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his own state.
4:53
So they definitely kind of revolted
4:56
when the power shift came.
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And there was a bloody,
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bloody subduing of Judea.
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A lot of you have heard of the Roman General Pompey,
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Pompey the Great.
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He was the one who initially came back
5:10
and conquered Judea,
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besieged Jerusalem,
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and like just nasty, awful slaughter.
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And so the Jews learned very,
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very quickly
5:21
that Rome was unlike any other conqueror
5:25
they ever had before.
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In terms of military might,
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wealth,
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education,
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literature,
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political stability,
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they had never seen anything like this before.
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And as you can see,
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Judea kind of in the right lower corner of the map there.
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But eventually Rome conquered
5:44
the whole Mediterranean world.
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And so,
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yeah,
5:49
that was how they got into Judea.
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But they were definitely like
5:52
one of the most advanced civilizations
5:54
in the ancient world.
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They,
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around the first centuries,
5:59
in our context,
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the empire stretched basically
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from England to Africa,
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from Syria to Spain,
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and a quarter of the people on earth
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lived under the rule of the Caesars.
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So a huge,
6:12
huge empire.
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empire.
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So the Roman Republic
6:15
that existed all the way up to Julius Caesar
6:18
was basically the empire being run by the Senate.
6:23
But Caesar,
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Julius Caesar that is,
6:26
kind of switched it
6:27
and brought about more of an empire idea
6:29
with an emperor ruling over the peoples
6:33
with the Senate kind of playing
6:35
underneath that,
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underneath the emperor.
6:37
emperor.
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And so,
6:39
I'm not going to give you a long history
6:41
on all the emperors,
6:42
but I have some slides on them.
6:43
Go ahead.
6:45
So you have to start
6:46
with Julius Caesar.
6:49
I'm only going to go through the emperors
6:51
that basically are in the New Testament period.
6:53
Okay?
6:54
But I'm not going to,
6:55
so if you're curious about this,
6:58
Julius Caesar,
6:59
but when he was assassinated
7:01
by the Senate,
7:03
his nephew,
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which is Octavius,
7:06
took the throne,
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Augustus Caesar.
7:09
He had one of the longest reigns
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of all the emperors.
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And this was a dynasty
7:15
called the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
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So direct descendants
7:19
of Julius Caesar.
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And if you know your Bible,
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Christ was born
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under the reign of Caesar Augustus.
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So that's when things kind of start.
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So go ahead.
7:30
Next slide.
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Tiberius,
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son of Octavius.
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He,
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again,
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if you know your Bible,
7:38
New Testament,
7:38
Luke,
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ringing out in your head.
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Christ started his ministry
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underneath the reign of Tiberius.
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Kind of an okay ruler,
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not really great.
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And then,
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the whack job
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of the whole dynasty,
7:51
Caligula.
7:54
Crazy stories about this guy.
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I mean,
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just look at him,
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number one.
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But,
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talk about insanity.
8:02
Like this man,
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two of his most incredible feasts
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was he,
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he came to the Roman Senate
8:07
and he says,
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I'm going to appoint my horse
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to be a part of this Senate.
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And he was serious.
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So he appointed a horse
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to be a senator.
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But also,
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very terrifying.
8:18
He had like just fits of rage
8:20
that he would go
8:20
and just kill
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and slaughter.
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He kicked his own wife to death
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when she was pregnant.
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But definitely a whack job.
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And,
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eventually,
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the people around him
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said,
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this isn't a good idea.
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We need to end his life.
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So,
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they did.
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Go to the next slide.
8:39
And,
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during the slaughter
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of taking Caligula down,
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they made Claudius,
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who was of the royal line,
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really timid,
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shy,
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did not want to be emperor.
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You can even see it in his face.
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Like,
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they made him the emperor
8:55
and he was always
8:56
trying to measure up,
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always failing to measure up.
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But,
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as you,
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as you read in Acts,
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Claudius' name
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has come up a couple of times.
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He was the one who,
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who basically expelled
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all the Jews from Rome.
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Um,
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but,
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unfortunately,
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poor Claudius.
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If you ever felt bad for an emperor,
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you feel bad for him,
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the whole time there was people
9:17
conspiring behind him
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to overthrow him.
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And,
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eventually,
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it did happen.
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Um,
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his wife was named Agrippina.
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And,
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eventually,
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she conspired to put her son,
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Nero,
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on the throne.
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Second whack job
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of the dynasty.
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Um,
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I think he was probably right,
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barely behind Caligula.
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I would probably give Caligula
9:39
first place for crazy.
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But,
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you see the neared
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on Nero.
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Um,
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so,
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bad,
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uh,
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that's something you just don't
9:47
want to emulate,
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guys.
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If you can't grow a full beard,
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just don't try.
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If it doesn't come up,
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just don't grow the neared.
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So,
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but as we know,
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as we know,
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Nero,
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he loved theater,
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he loved art,
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he loved to think of himself
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as like a dramatic
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performer.
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Um,
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the people,
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like on,
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you know,
10:08
American Idol and stuff,
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if they tried to criticize him,
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he would just kill them all.
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He was not good,
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though,
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at all.
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And,
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but,
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uh,
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not much of a ruler,
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but,
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several uprisings happened
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towards the end of his reign.
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And,
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the Jewish revolt,
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which eventually led to Judea
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being destroyed utterly,
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and the temple being destroyed,
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and the rebellion in Britain as well.
10:33
But,
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eventually,
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Nero,
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his own,
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his own guard turned against him,
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and they were hunting him down,
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and he kind of had a servant with him,
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and he,
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he took the knife and put it to his throat,
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and he,
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and he,
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he died the dramatic death
10:47
that he always wanted to die.
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He saw himself,
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like,
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as like in a play of like,
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you know,
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tragedy,
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like,
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I'm the,
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I'm the victim here,
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and I'm going to die.
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But,
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his last words,
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supposedly,
10:58
were,
10:58
one artist dies in me.
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And,
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that was his last,
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famous words.
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Um,
11:05
so,
11:05
after he died,
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there was no direct descendants of,
11:10
of Caesar anymore.
11:12
So,
11:13
the empire's top generals,
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three of them,
11:15
started fighting each other,
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in a Roman civil war,
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to basically take the,
11:21
take the throne by force.
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So,
11:24
while those generals,
11:26
fought it out,
11:27
this guy,
11:28
Vespasian,
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he was the general sent by Nero to Judea,
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to subdue Judea.
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And,
11:36
he kind of just hung out,
11:37
and,
11:37
and watched everybody kind of,
11:39
fight each other.
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But,
11:41
there was so much chaos,
11:42
within the empire,
11:43
they all eventually looked,
11:44
to Vespasian,
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to restore the order.
11:47
Like,
11:47
come back,
11:48
we all,
11:49
like you,
11:50
and you're going to be our guy.
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So,
11:51
he became the next emperor.
11:53
And,
11:53
if you just look at him,
11:54
he looks like a soldier.
11:55
He's,
11:57
he was very,
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calm and cool,
12:00
under stressful situations,
12:01
a great ruler.
12:03
But,
12:04
as with Rome,
12:04
you see like,
12:05
both,
12:06
sophistication,
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and,
12:07
and,
12:08
a civilized society,
12:09
but then you also see,
12:10
extreme brutality.
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And,
12:12
he,
12:13
he brought like,
12:14
a reign of terror,
12:15
on the Jewish people.
12:18
The first parts,
12:19
of his conquest,
12:20
were,
12:21
kill every single man,
12:23
that has an ability,
12:24
to fight.
12:25
And,
12:26
then enslave every,
12:27
man,
12:28
older man,
12:28
woman,
12:28
and child.
12:29
That was his policy.
12:30
He might burn their villages,
12:32
and destroy their crops.
12:33
Like,
12:34
make them fear,
12:35
Rome.
12:37
So,
12:37
when he took the throne,
12:39
Judea,
12:40
had a little bit,
12:41
of a reprieve.
12:43
But,
12:43
after he became emperor,
12:44
he sent his son,
12:45
Titus,
12:46
you can kind of see,
12:47
some,
12:47
something of a resemblance,
12:49
back to Judea.
12:51
And,
12:51
Titus finished the job,
12:52
besieging Jerusalem,
12:54
then eventually destroying the temple,
12:56
by accident,
12:57
actually.
12:58
So,
12:59
you can read more about that,
13:00
in the writings of Josephus,
13:02
called the Jewish Wars.
13:04
So,
13:04
that was a,
13:06
that's basically,
13:06
probably where you can stop,
13:07
when you're thinking about,
13:08
first century,
13:10
Judea,
13:11
and their relationship,
13:12
with the Roman Empire.
13:14
So,
13:15
go on to the next slide.
13:18
So,
13:18
most of you have heard,
13:19
of the infamous,
13:20
Roman legion.
13:22
This is a picture,
13:23
of a Roman legion,
13:23
in the first century.
13:25
So,
13:25
the size of it,
13:27
varied throughout,
13:28
Roman history.
13:29
But,
13:29
in the first century,
13:30
this is what,
13:31
it would have looked like.
13:32
And there would be around,
13:33
roughly around,
13:34
5,000,
13:36
500 soldiers,
13:37
in the legion.
13:40
It was made up,
13:41
of 10 cohorts.
13:43
And the first cohort,
13:44
as you see,
13:45
that was a little bigger,
13:46
on the far left.
13:47
That was made up,
13:48
of some of the better soldiers,
13:49
and they actually,
13:50
were charged,
13:50
with carrying the eagle,
13:51
like the standard,
13:53
of the legion.
13:55
And then the other,
13:55
nine cohorts,
13:57
kind of busted down.
13:59
You saw little squares,
14:01
those are called centuries,
14:02
where you get centurion from.
14:04
The centurion,
14:04
commanded each,
14:06
century.
14:06
And,
14:07
the Roman military,
14:09
unlike any other thing,
14:11
the ancient world had seen,
14:12
some Roman armies,
14:14
could be up to,
14:15
eight to ten of these.
14:17
So,
14:17
just imagine that mass,
14:18
like coming towards you.
14:21
And unlike,
14:21
other empires,
14:22
before them,
14:23
they fought,
14:23
like in a single,
14:25
a single unit.
14:26
They didn't just rush you,
14:27
and try to take you out.
14:28
So,
14:28
that's why they,
14:30
very easily,
14:30
conquered the ancient world.
14:32
And,
14:34
they had vast reserves,
14:35
of manpower,
14:36
that no other country,
14:37
could ever dream of.
14:39
Example,
14:40
when Hannibal,
14:41
invaded Italy,
14:43
he destroyed,
14:44
an entire Roman army,
14:45
of about 80,000 men,
14:46
destroyed them,
14:47
like almost to the man.
14:49
And then,
14:49
within a year later,
14:50
Rome sent another army,
14:51
that was just as big.
14:53
They could not,
14:54
just pull,
14:55
vast reserves,
14:56
of manpower,
14:57
throughout the empire.
14:58
And then,
14:59
each legion,
15:01
would have a small detachment,
15:03
of cavalry with it.
15:04
But the Roman army,
15:05
wasn't really big on cavalry.
15:07
They mainly,
15:07
wanted to get up on you,
15:08
and fight you,
15:10
face to face,
15:11
with infantry.
15:13
So,
15:13
cavalry was mainly for,
15:14
protecting flanks,
15:16
and then softening up,
15:17
the enemy,
15:18
before the infantry,
15:19
came in.
15:21
So,
15:22
if you look,
15:24
there are five,
15:26
lower ranking tribunes,
15:28
like in,
15:29
sort of the,
15:29
lower part of the screen.
15:31
The tribune,
15:32
in our text,
15:33
in Acts,
15:33
is probably,
15:34
one of these,
15:34
lower ranking,
15:36
tribunes.
15:37
They command,
15:38
what they would have called,
15:38
an urban cohort.
15:40
So,
15:41
that's,
15:41
he's not a very,
15:42
high ranking,
15:43
tribune.
15:45
You can go on,
15:45
to the next slide.
15:48
So,
15:48
that's just a breakdown,
15:49
of the Roman legion,
15:50
in the first,
15:52
first century.
15:52
I kind of,
15:53
explained that a little bit.
15:55
But,
15:55
yeah,
15:57
if you're taking notes,
15:58
and interested,
15:59
and nerding out.
16:01
Next slide.
16:02
So,
16:04
first century,
16:05
again,
16:06
this is what,
16:07
a Roman legionnaire,
16:08
would have looked like.
16:10
Had,
16:11
state of the art,
16:12
armor,
16:13
and weapons.
16:15
And again,
16:15
as you can see,
16:16
they fought side by side,
16:17
so they would just form a wall,
16:18
and just,
16:19
push you right over.
16:21
They were armed,
16:21
with a large shield,
16:24
a short stabbing sword,
16:25
called the gladius,
16:26
which is where you get gladiator from.
16:28
And then,
16:29
they would carry two,
16:30
javelins called pila.
16:32
And the,
16:32
the point of the javelin,
16:34
was either to,
16:35
obviously kill you,
16:36
but if you had a shield,
16:37
it would stick in your shield.
16:38
And you see that little skinny point,
16:40
it would bend.
16:41
So you'd either have to,
16:43
you'd have to throw away your shield,
16:45
if you were the enemy.
16:46
And then you would be rushing on,
16:47
and then they would throw the second one at you,
16:49
when you had no,
16:50
protection.
16:50
protection.
16:51
So,
16:52
very devastating,
16:54
military force.
16:56
Go ahead,
16:57
next slide.
16:59
I mean,
17:00
this is a picture of them,
17:01
how they would fight,
17:02
side by side.
17:04
They fought,
17:05
and,
17:05
in rows,
17:07
and the centurion,
17:09
would actually be charged,
17:10
with like,
17:10
blowing a whistle,
17:11
or giving some signal,
17:12
and the guy in the front,
17:13
every five minutes,
17:15
the guy in the front,
17:16
would go back,
17:17
and the next guy,
17:17
would step up.
17:18
So,
17:19
if you think about that,
17:20
they only had to fight,
17:22
five minutes,
17:22
out of 45 minutes,
17:24
with the exchanging,
17:25
like that.
17:27
Next slide.
17:29
So,
17:30
in our text today,
17:31
we also have some,
17:32
light,
17:32
lightly Roman,
17:34
lightly armored Roman cavalry.
17:36
This is definitely,
17:37
like what they have looked like,
17:38
in the first century.
17:40
So,
17:40
again,
17:41
not very heavily armed,
17:42
like knights,
17:44
but,
17:44
meant to just kind of,
17:45
come in really quick,
17:46
and do,
17:47
light damage,
17:48
to the enemy.
17:49
Go ahead.
17:50
So,
17:52
in the Roman command,
17:53
in our text,
17:54
we see,
17:55
again,
17:56
like a lower ranking tribune.
17:58
So,
17:59
this is like,
18:00
a picture of a tribune,
18:02
speaking with the centurion.
18:04
The centurion,
18:05
was known by his helmet,
18:06
and the horse hair,
18:07
that went over the,
18:08
the top,
18:10
and he carried,
18:10
a wooden rod,
18:12
to kind of symbolize,
18:13
that he was in control,
18:15
and he was a,
18:15
career soldier,
18:16
to the death.
18:17
And,
18:18
these were guys,
18:19
that would like,
18:20
not back down,
18:21
and have no mercy.
18:23
They were,
18:23
they earned that position,
18:24
by being that way.
18:26
And,
18:26
they would wear their medals,
18:28
those are medals,
18:28
that are on the front of his,
18:30
his armor there.
18:31
So,
18:33
in our text,
18:33
we have a tribune,
18:34
a lower ranking tribune.
18:37
So,
18:37
I think that's all,
18:39
the slides I got.
18:40
Yeah.
18:40
So,
18:42
in our text today,
18:44
I mean,
18:44
I've always wondered,
18:45
was there a legion,
18:46
in Judea,
18:47
during the first century?
18:49
And,
18:49
the answer was no.
18:50
There was no legion,
18:52
in Judea,
18:53
during the first century.
18:55
The procurators,
18:56
that governed Judea,
18:58
were lower ranking,
18:59
and they were subordinate,
19:00
to the senatorial governor,
19:03
in Syria.
19:04
And so,
19:05
the senatorial governors,
19:07
they were the only ones,
19:08
that could command a legion.
19:10
So,
19:11
what do we see then,
19:12
in our text,
19:14
is what they would have called,
19:15
an urban cohort.
19:17
It had been roughly,
19:18
around a thousand men,
19:20
and they would be made up,
19:21
of auxiliary troops,
19:22
from Syria,
19:24
or even locally recruited,
19:26
soldiers from Samaria.
19:29
And,
19:29
so they weren't,
19:30
like your European legionnaire.
19:32
They were,
19:33
lightly armored,
19:34
and they were not as well trained,
19:35
but they were still,
19:36
a force to be reckoned with.
19:38
Most Romans,
19:40
did not like Judea.
19:42
They saw it as like,
19:42
the armpit,
19:43
of the empire.
19:45
And if you got sent there,
19:46
it was probably because,
19:47
the emperor didn't like you.
19:48
And,
19:49
it was hot,
19:50
as you can imagine.
19:51
Imagine going from like,
19:52
a nice,
19:53
cool,
19:53
temperate,
19:54
European weather,
19:54
to like a desert,
19:55
you know.
19:57
And,
19:58
you got sent there,
19:59
it was a very troublesome,
20:00
and uncomfortable place,
20:01
for any,
20:02
high-ranking Roman,
20:03
to be posted.
20:05
And,
20:05
legions did reappear,
20:09
again,
20:09
like in the Jewish revolt,
20:11
in 66 AD.
20:13
Vespasian and Titus,
20:14
brought four legions with them,
20:16
and they were recruited,
20:16
from Italy,
20:18
Spain,
20:19
and Greece,
20:20
and Macedonia.
20:22
So those were your,
20:23
your bad boys.
20:24
That's,
20:24
that's who they brought back,
20:25
to kind of finish,
20:26
the job.
20:27
It was a nasty,
20:29
brutal,
20:29
subduing,
20:30
of Judea,
20:31
that Judea never,
20:33
recovered from,
20:34
ever.
20:35
So,
20:36
just know,
20:37
that like in the Roman world,
20:40
there was no other,
20:42
you didn't want to mess with them.
20:43
Like you,
20:44
you really just wanted to,
20:46
thrive under them somehow.
20:48
And Judea,
20:49
had done that.
20:50
They had,
20:51
thrived under Roman rule,
20:53
in a sense.
20:54
They didn't have their own independence,
20:56
but,
20:56
Rome allowed them,
20:58
to worship,
20:59
and allowed them,
20:59
to keep their temple traditions.
21:02
And,
21:02
as long as they paid homage,
21:04
to the emperor,
21:06
but,
21:06
as we know,
21:07
eventually,
21:08
that,
21:08
boiled over,
21:09
and there was a,
21:10
massive revolt.
21:11
And today,
21:12
if you go to,
21:13
Jerusalem,
21:14
the only part of,
21:15
the existence of the temple,
21:16
you see is the,
21:18
is the western wall.
21:19
And,
21:20
because Rome tore down,
21:22
every bit of it,
21:23
after that happened.
21:25
So,
21:26
just keep some of that in mind,
21:27
I guess,
21:28
as we,
21:29
look into our text today.
21:31
I'll try to give you,
21:32
like a really brief overview,
21:34
of where we've been,
21:35
and then dive into it.
21:37
But,
21:37
in Acts 23,
21:39
kind of where we find ourselves today,
21:42
just a little,
21:45
little reminder,
21:46
like a,
21:47
of where we've been.
21:48
Paul came back to Jerusalem,
21:50
he was preaching in the temple,
21:52
and he was attacked,
21:54
and then eventually arrested,
21:55
by Roman authorities.
21:58
He was allowed to speak,
22:00
to the mob,
22:01
and he addressed them,
22:02
and basically testified,
22:04
of Christ,
22:04
and the gospel.
22:06
They got more,
22:07
and more angry,
22:07
and unruly.
22:09
And,
22:10
finally,
22:10
the tribune,
22:11
brought him,
22:12
before,
22:13
the Jewish council,
22:15
the Sanhedrin,
22:15
and they were,
22:17
not helpful,
22:18
either.
22:19
So,
22:20
this eventually,
22:20
leads to him,
22:22
kind of going back,
22:23
to the drawing board,
22:23
and thinking,
22:24
what do we do next?
22:25
Because,
22:26
I don't know what to do,
22:26
with this guy,
22:27
Paul.
22:28
Because,
22:28
he's a Roman citizen,
22:29
and somehow,
22:30
I have to protect him.
22:32
So,
22:32
let's just start,
22:34
in verse 10,
22:35
and then we'll read,
22:36
all the way through,
22:37
35.
22:40
It says,
22:41
And when the dissension,
22:42
became violent,
22:43
this is the Sanhedrin,
22:45
the tribune,
22:46
afraid that Paul,
22:47
be torn to pieces,
22:48
by them,
22:49
commanded the soldiers,
22:50
to go down,
22:52
and to take him away,
22:52
from among them,
22:53
by force,
22:54
and bring him,
22:55
into the barracks.
22:57
The following night,
22:59
this is a key verse,
23:00
the following night,
23:00
the Lord stood by him,
23:02
and said,
23:03
Take courage,
23:04
for as you have testified,
23:06
to the facts,
23:07
about me in Jerusalem,
23:09
so you must testify,
23:10
also in Rome.
23:12
And when it was day,
23:14
the Jews made a plot,
23:15
and bound themselves,
23:16
by an oath,
23:18
neither to eat,
23:18
nor drink,
23:20
till they had killed Paul.
23:22
There were more than 40,
23:23
who made this conspiracy.
23:26
They went to the chief priests,
23:27
and elders,
23:28
and said,
23:29
We have strictly bound ourselves,
23:31
by oath,
23:31
to taste no food,
23:34
till we have killed Paul.
23:36
Now therefore,
23:37
you,
23:38
along with the council,
23:40
give notice to the tribune,
23:41
to bring him down to you,
23:43
as though you were going,
23:44
to determine his case,
23:45
more exactly.
23:47
And when,
23:49
and when,
23:50
and we will be ready,
23:51
to kill him,
23:52
before he comes near.
23:54
Now the son of Paul's sister,
23:56
heard of their ambush,
23:58
so they went,
23:59
and entered the barracks,
24:00
and told Paul.
24:02
Paul called,
24:03
one of the centurions,
24:04
and said,
24:05
Take this young man,
24:06
to the tribune,
24:07
for he has something,
24:08
to tell him.
24:10
So he took him,
24:11
and brought him,
24:11
before the tribune,
24:13
and said,
24:14
Paul,
24:15
the prisoner,
24:16
called me,
24:16
and asked me,
24:17
to bring this young man,
24:18
to you,
24:19
and he has something,
24:20
to say to you.
24:21
And the tribune,
24:22
took him by the hand,
24:24
and going aside,
24:25
he asked him privately,
24:26
what is it,
24:27
that you have to tell me?
24:29
And he said,
24:30
the Jews,
24:30
have agreed,
24:31
to ask you,
24:32
to bring Paul,
24:33
down to the council,
24:34
tomorrow,
24:35
as though they were going,
24:36
to inquire,
24:37
somewhat more closely,
24:38
about him,
24:39
but do not,
24:40
be persuaded by them,
24:42
for more than 40,
24:43
of their men,
24:43
are lying in ambush,
24:44
for him,
24:45
who have bound themselves,
24:47
by an oath,
24:48
to neither eat,
24:49
nor drink,
24:49
until they have killed him.
24:51
And now they are ready,
24:53
waiting for your consent.
24:55
So the tribune,
24:56
dismissed the young man,
24:58
charging him,
24:58
tell no one,
25:00
that you have informed me,
25:01
about these things.
25:03
Then he called two,
25:04
of the centurions,
25:06
and said,
25:07
get ready,
25:08
two hundred soldiers,
25:10
seventy horsemen,
25:11
and two hundred spearmen,
25:12
to go as far,
25:13
as Caesarea,
25:14
at the third hour,
25:16
of the night.
25:18
Also provide mounts,
25:19
for Paul,
25:20
to ride,
25:21
and bring him safely,
25:21
to Felix,
25:22
the governor.
25:23
And he wrote a letter,
25:25
to this effect,
25:26
Claudius Lucius,
25:29
to his excellency,
25:30
the governor Felix,
25:31
greetings.
25:33
This man was seized,
25:34
by the Jews,
25:35
and was about to be killed,
25:36
by them,
25:37
when I came upon them,
25:38
with soldiers,
25:39
and rescued him,
25:41
having learned,
25:42
that he was a Roman citizen.
25:44
And desiring,
25:44
to know the charge,
25:45
for which they were accusing him,
25:47
I brought him down,
25:48
to the council.
25:50
I found,
25:50
that he was being accused,
25:52
about questions,
25:53
of their law,
25:54
but charged,
25:55
with nothing,
25:56
deserving death,
25:56
or imprisonment.
25:58
And,
25:59
when it was disclosed,
26:00
to me,
26:01
that there was a plot,
26:02
against this man,
26:04
I sent him at once,
26:05
to you at once,
26:07
ordering his accusers,
26:08
also,
26:09
to state,
26:10
before you,
26:10
what they have,
26:12
against him.
26:13
So the soldiers,
26:15
according to their instructions,
26:16
took Paul,
26:17
and brought him back,
26:19
to Antipas.
26:21
And on the next day,
26:22
they returned,
26:23
to the barracks,
26:23
letting the horsemen,
26:24
go on with him.
26:26
And when they had come,
26:27
to Caesarea,
26:28
they delivered the letter,
26:29
to the governor,
26:30
and presented Paul,
26:31
also before him.
26:33
On reading the letter,
26:35
he asked,
26:36
what province,
26:36
he was,
26:37
what province,
26:38
he was from.
26:40
And when he learned,
26:41
that he was from,
26:41
Cecilia,
26:42
he said,
26:43
I will give you a hearing,
26:45
when your accusers,
26:46
arrive.
26:47
And he commanded him,
26:48
to be guarded,
26:49
in Herod's Praetorium.
26:51
So,
26:52
there's three things,
26:54
we're going to just use,
26:55
to look at,
26:55
to unpack the narrative.
26:57
I know,
26:58
it was a mouthful,
26:58
of narrative.
26:59
So,
27:00
three things,
27:01
and then we'll get into,
27:02
a little bit of application.
27:04
But,
27:05
point number one,
27:06
is the plot,
27:08
conceived.
27:09
That's,
27:09
verses 12,
27:10
through 15.
27:12
So,
27:13
they so hated,
27:14
Paul's life,
27:16
and Paul's message,
27:17
that they had banded together,
27:19
40 of these guys,
27:20
to,
27:21
conceive a devious plot,
27:23
to murder,
27:24
Paul,
27:25
in cold blood.
27:26
And,
27:27
I want you just to think about,
27:29
this kind of dark imagery,
27:31
about sneaking out,
27:32
under cover of night,
27:34
behind closed doors,
27:36
hidden from,
27:37
the public eye,
27:38
and meeting,
27:38
like a nest,
27:39
of conspirators,
27:41
to,
27:41
hatch a devious,
27:43
plan,
27:44
to,
27:44
to kill.
27:46
It's,
27:46
it's very,
27:47
very,
27:47
very reminiscent,
27:48
of,
27:49
what happened,
27:50
to our Lord,
27:51
and how it was like,
27:52
in the middle of the night,
27:52
an unjust,
27:54
unfair trial,
27:55
that brought him to,
27:56
and,
27:57
much of the imagery,
27:58
you would see,
27:59
in Roman history,
28:01
of emperors,
28:02
imperial families,
28:03
and senators,
28:04
collaborating,
28:06
against one another,
28:07
to overthrow,
28:08
and to kill,
28:09
often leading to,
28:11
cold blooded murder,
28:12
or poison being put,
28:14
in a cup,
28:15
very,
28:16
can't trust anyone,
28:18
just deceiving,
28:19
this is a picture,
28:20
of that kind of idea,
28:21
the same scenario,
28:23
so Satan here,
28:24
is trying to work,
28:26
through the wicked,
28:27
to stop,
28:28
and destroy Paul,
28:31
by this plotting,
28:33
and,
28:33
these were no,
28:35
lukewarm,
28:36
wishy-washy men,
28:37
at all,
28:38
since they had,
28:39
strictly bound themselves,
28:40
by oath,
28:42
to taste no food,
28:43
or drink,
28:43
until they killed Paul,
28:45
so the Greek says,
28:47
they anathomized themselves,
28:48
meaning that,
28:50
may God do to us,
28:52
what we were going to do,
28:53
to Paul,
28:53
if we fail,
28:54
may we die,
28:55
if we don't,
28:56
may God curse us,
28:58
if we don't,
28:59
fulfill this pledge,
29:00
so they were ready,
29:01
to do whatever it took,
29:03
to murder Paul,
29:04
to kill any Romans,
29:05
that were with him,
29:07
so they banded together,
29:08
to bring about,
29:10
this assassination,
29:12
and so,
29:13
this nest of vipers,
29:16
came together,
29:17
and hatched their plan,
29:18
and they tried to lure,
29:20
Paul out of,
29:21
the protection of the Romans,
29:23
by saying,
29:24
hey,
29:24
come back to the council,
29:26
because,
29:26
they're going to hear you out more,
29:28
they're going to,
29:29
you know,
29:29
get more exact,
29:30
like what is actually going on,
29:32
and,
29:33
so out of the blue,
29:35
right,
29:36
we have,
29:38
a young man,
29:39
who happens to be Paul's nephew,
29:41
kind of,
29:42
turn up on the scene,
29:43
but,
29:44
I don't know,
29:45
have any of you,
29:46
I doubt it,
29:46
but,
29:47
have any of you,
29:48
ever been plotted against,
29:49
I just,
29:51
I just want you to think about,
29:52
like how terrifying that is,
29:54
just to think that,
29:55
you can't trust anybody around you,
29:57
that anything you say,
29:59
could be,
29:59
shared with someone,
30:01
that could do you harm,
30:02
and just to walk out,
30:03
every day,
30:04
thinking that,
30:04
these people are conspiring,
30:06
against me,
30:08
Paul,
30:09
is very aware of this,
30:11
very reminiscent,
30:12
of,
30:14
even King David,
30:15
when he was fleeing,
30:16
from Saul,
30:17
people conspiring,
30:18
to take his life,
30:20
and,
30:21
Paul,
30:22
knowing the,
30:22
the scriptures very well,
30:25
would have had a ton,
30:26
of good things in his head,
30:27
that David wrote,
30:28
from,
30:29
people plotting,
30:30
against him,
30:31
Psalm 31,
30:32
verse 11 says,
30:34
because of all my adversaries,
30:36
I have become a reproach,
30:39
and they,
30:40
they order death,
30:41
to my acquaintances,
30:43
those who see me,
30:44
in the street,
30:45
flee from me,
30:46
I have been like one,
30:47
who is forgotten,
30:48
and dead,
30:50
I am a broken vessel,
30:52
for I hear them,
30:52
whispering,
30:54
terror,
30:54
on every side,
30:56
as they scheme,
30:57
together,
30:57
against me,
30:59
as they plot,
31:00
to take my life,
31:02
very,
31:03
strong words,
31:05
but,
31:05
he is aware,
31:06
that God is with him,
31:07
he is aware,
31:08
that Christ said,
31:08
I will take you,
31:09
to Rome,
31:10
this is going to happen,
31:12
so he is leaning,
31:13
on that promise,
31:15
think about,
31:16
how similar,
31:16
in a lot of ways,
31:17
Paul's life was,
31:18
to our Lord's life,
31:21
he said,
31:22
in Philippians 3,
31:23
10,
31:23
like I was to share,
31:24
in the sufferings,
31:25
of Christ,
31:26
and he had,
31:27
he had been plotted,
31:29
he had stood,
31:31
before an angry mob,
31:32
he had been,
31:33
judged,
31:34
unjustly,
31:36
by the rulers,
31:36
and he was a prisoner,
31:38
in the fortress,
31:39
in Jerusalem,
31:40
and both being innocent,
31:42
of the crimes,
31:42
they were being,
31:43
committed with,
31:45
so this is,
31:46
the plot conceived,
31:48
like let's murder Paul,
31:49
in cold blood,
31:50
and any who stand,
31:51
in our way,
31:53
so that's the plot,
31:54
conceived,
31:54
the second point,
31:56
is the plot,
31:58
unveiled,
31:59
this is 16,
32:01
through 22,
32:02
in our text,
32:04
so again,
32:05
no other reference,
32:06
in the Bible,
32:07
to this character,
32:08
but says,
32:09
the son of Paul's sister,
32:11
so his nephew,
32:13
the only reference,
32:14
to him in the scripture,
32:15
we don't know,
32:16
what he was doing,
32:16
in Jerusalem,
32:17
other than,
32:18
that's just where he lived,
32:20
and he somehow,
32:21
snuck his way,
32:22
into the barracks,
32:23
and told,
32:25
told Paul,
32:27
of the plot,
32:28
as a Roman citizen,
32:30
Paul had been given,
32:30
really good visitation,
32:32
right,
32:32
so,
32:33
his nephew,
32:34
had easy access,
32:35
and then he said,
32:36
okay,
32:36
well let's,
32:37
go about this the right way,
32:38
you tell the centurion,
32:40
and he'll go tell his commander,
32:42
that's kind of what happened,
32:44
and I found it,
32:45
very interesting,
32:46
that,
32:47
I really think,
32:48
Paul is not really afraid,
32:50
for his own life,
32:51
I really think,
32:52
that he's really concerned,
32:53
about the Jewish people,
32:55
because if they carry this out,
32:57
and,
32:58
there is an attack,
32:59
on Roman soldiers,
33:00
and Roman soldiers die,
33:02
there could be,
33:02
massive repercussions,
33:04
you know,
33:06
to come down,
33:06
on the Jewish people,
33:08
because of their actions,
33:10
so,
33:11
to kill a Roman citizen,
33:13
under Roman protection,
33:15
was a,
33:15
a serious crime,
33:16
and,
33:18
these zealots,
33:19
were bold enough,
33:20
to do that,
33:20
they were ready,
33:21
to do whatever it took,
33:24
and,
33:24
if you picture,
33:25
his name is,
33:26
Claudius Lucius,
33:28
is how you say his name,
33:29
it's a Greek last name,
33:31
he shows like a level,
33:32
of like dignity,
33:33
and nobility,
33:34
that you wouldn't always see,
33:35
like in the,
33:36
the Roman army,
33:39
but,
33:40
it's more of like Maximus,
33:41
if you've seen Gladiator,
33:42
he's like a,
33:43
more of a noble,
33:45
dignified,
33:46
Roman commander,
33:48
if you just,
33:48
read the language,
33:49
it says he took him by the hand,
33:51
and let him look over to the side,
33:53
and he says,
33:54
alright,
33:55
oh man,
33:56
what is it you have to tell me,
33:57
tell me,
33:58
and,
33:59
shared the plot with him,
34:01
and then after it was over,
34:02
he says,
34:03
okay,
34:03
you know,
34:04
I've heard you,
34:05
keep this on the down low,
34:07
and,
34:08
and go quickly,
34:09
be careful as you go,
34:11
leave it in my hands,
34:12
I'll take care of it,
34:13
you know,
34:13
just a very responsible,
34:16
honorable,
34:16
Roman tribune,
34:18
so,
34:19
this plot is unveiled,
34:20
they now know what's going on,
34:23
and,
34:23
so,
34:24
this goes into point number three,
34:26
which is,
34:27
the plot frustrated,
34:29
the plot frustrated,
34:31
23 through,
34:32
35,
34:34
so,
34:35
Claudius,
34:36
who's the tribune here,
34:38
he decided to take no chances,
34:41
he knew,
34:41
that,
34:42
at least,
34:43
throughout history,
34:44
a very strong show,
34:46
of military force,
34:47
could,
34:47
like,
34:48
deter,
34:49
a rash action,
34:51
by rebels,
34:52
and,
34:53
so,
34:53
he ordered a large force,
34:56
nearly half,
34:57
of the men in Jerusalem,
34:59
were,
35:00
to accompany Paul,
35:01
so,
35:02
that shows you,
35:02
how seriously,
35:03
he took this,
35:04
to protect Paul,
35:06
as a Roman citizen,
35:08
who we saw as innocent,
35:09
and to possibly,
35:11
prevent,
35:12
an uprising,
35:13
for slaughtering,
35:15
Roman soldiers,
35:16
so,
35:17
he took no chances,
35:18
and he sent,
35:19
an attachment,
35:20
of the urban cohort,
35:22
auxiliary troops,
35:23
to go with them,
35:24
and even gave Paul,
35:25
a horse to ride,
35:27
and they slipped out,
35:28
onto the cover,
35:29
of night,
35:30
so,
35:30
I guess the poor conspirators,
35:32
starved to death,
35:32
I don't know,
35:33
like,
35:34
I don't know what happened,
35:35
but,
35:35
they didn't get to fulfill,
35:37
their oath,
35:38
you can just see them there,
35:39
clenching their teeth,
35:39
as like,
35:40
this massive group,
35:41
of soldiers,
35:42
walked by,
35:43
and,
35:45
just being furious,
35:46
that Paul,
35:47
was getting away,
35:49
and so,
35:50
as the proper protocol,
35:51
of the day,
35:52
Claudia sent a letter,
35:54
to Felix,
35:54
explaining the situation,
35:56
heads up,
35:57
this is coming,
35:58
get ready for it,
36:00
and he sent it,
36:01
to Caesarea,
36:03
explained the situation,
36:05
and,
36:05
gave the governor,
36:07
time to prepare,
36:08
it also provided,
36:10
legal documentation,
36:11
for Paul's case,
36:14
as a citizen,
36:16
so,
36:16
I just like,
36:17
how specific Luke is,
36:18
like he's giving you,
36:19
these details,
36:19
to show you,
36:20
this really happened,
36:21
and here's how it happened,
36:24
so,
36:25
Paul was finally,
36:26
delivered safely,
36:27
and Felix promised,
36:29
to give him a hearing,
36:29
once the Jewish,
36:31
accusers arrived,
36:33
and,
36:34
it was a distance,
36:35
of about,
36:35
62 miles,
36:37
that wasn't any big deal,
36:39
for soldiers to do,
36:40
in the heat,
36:41
or the cool of the night,
36:43
and so,
36:43
that's,
36:45
just the unpacking,
36:46
of our story,
36:47
but what can we learn,
36:48
from the story,
36:50
so,
36:51
just a few things,
36:52
to hold on to,
36:54
and I love this one,
36:55
this is,
36:56
a great one to start with,
36:57
some application,
36:59
number one,
37:01
God,
37:02
forwarded,
37:02
the plans,
37:03
of the wicked,
37:04
God,
37:06
forwarded,
37:06
the plans,
37:07
of the wicked,
37:08
so,
37:09
in our day,
37:09
when there seems,
37:10
to be so much,
37:12
stuff going on,
37:13
that the whole world,
37:15
seems to be just,
37:15
coming around us,
37:16
and against us,
37:18
plotting against the gospel,
37:20
plotting against,
37:21
the church,
37:22
the church having,
37:23
both enemies,
37:24
within,
37:25
and without,
37:26
to bring it down,
37:28
know that,
37:30
God is not,
37:31
subordinate,
37:32
to their plans,
37:33
that,
37:34
he,
37:35
sovereignly,
37:36
as it says,
37:37
in Psalm 146,
37:39
he thwarts,
37:40
the way,
37:40
of the wicked,
37:42
and that's the story,
37:43
of the Bible,
37:43
from Joseph,
37:44
to the death of Christ,
37:46
God,
37:47
is completely sovereign,
37:48
and he rules,
37:49
absolute,
37:51
and he even uses,
37:52
the evil actions,
37:54
of men,
37:55
to play into,
37:56
what he wants,
37:57
every single time,
37:58
not plan B,
37:59
but plan A,
38:01
the death of Christ,
38:02
being the ultimate,
38:02
example of that,
38:04
crucified,
38:04
by evil,
38:06
wicked men,
38:07
but yet,
38:08
little did they know,
38:09
that they were accomplishing,
38:11
playing,
38:12
a part in God's plans,
38:13
to bring about,
38:14
redemption,
38:15
on the cross,
38:16
these Jewish conspirators,
38:18
fell into their own trap,
38:21
and,
38:21
think about,
38:22
what Job wrote,
38:23
Job,
38:24
said,
38:24
he frustrates,
38:26
the devices,
38:27
of the crafty,
38:28
so that their hands,
38:29
achieve no success,
38:31
he catches the wise,
38:33
in their own craftiness,
38:35
in the schemes,
38:35
of the wily,
38:37
are brought,
38:38
to naught,
38:40
that's Job 5,
38:41
12,
38:42
so the plot,
38:43
the conspirators,
38:44
failed,
38:45
so know that,
38:46
God is for you,
38:48
there is no one,
38:49
who will stand against you,
38:50
they cannot stand,
38:52
God will always,
38:53
thwart the plans,
38:54
of the wicked,
38:55
always,
38:56
he is in control,
38:58
secondly,
38:59
God proved,
39:02
his faithfulness,
39:03
to Paul,
39:05
so when we say,
39:06
God is faithful,
39:07
alright,
39:08
here's what we mean,
39:10
it means that,
39:11
God will always do,
39:12
what he said,
39:13
he would do,
39:14
and fulfill,
39:15
his promises,
39:16
alright,
39:17
that's,
39:17
God is true,
39:18
to himself,
39:19
is what we say,
39:20
when God is faithful,
39:21
he doesn't forget,
39:23
he doesn't fail,
39:24
he doesn't falter,
39:26
to his word,
39:27
he's always true,
39:28
to his word,
39:29
and remember,
39:30
in verse 11,
39:32
the risen Christ,
39:33
had promised Paul,
39:34
you will go to Rome,
39:35
you are going to go,
39:36
and testify,
39:38
to Rome,
39:39
and so,
39:40
when these evil men,
39:41
plotted against him,
39:42
Paul knew,
39:43
like come hell,
39:43
or high water,
39:44
I don't know how,
39:45
I'm going to go to Rome,
39:46
somehow,
39:47
because God has promised,
39:49
and here we see,
39:50
God taking the first step,
39:51
in that,
39:52
by being escorted,
39:54
by none of the Roman soldiers,
39:56
on his first step,
39:57
to Rome,
39:58
and,
39:59
I just find it,
40:00
very,
40:01
very ironic,
40:02
that,
40:03
again,
40:03
the point is not to be like,
40:04
man,
40:04
the Romans were awesome guys,
40:06
like they were not,
40:07
they were wicked,
40:08
cruel,
40:10
brutal,
40:10
and pagan,
40:11
and they have never,
40:12
been a friend of,
40:13
of Christ,
40:14
ever,
40:15
they were the instrument,
40:16
that crucified him,
40:18
Paul has been beaten,
40:19
and treated,
40:20
you know,
40:20
severely by Romans,
40:21
already,
40:22
and I just love,
40:23
how God just,
40:24
I could just,
40:24
I'm making this up,
40:25
I could just see God,
40:26
just,
40:27
hmm,
40:28
it would be fun,
40:28
just to use them,
40:29
just to manipulate them,
40:30
because they've been,
40:31
you know,
40:31
against my cause,
40:32
I'm just going to use them,
40:33
right here,
40:33
to further my cause,
40:35
and,
40:36
before,
40:37
he knew it,
40:37
he turned,
40:38
these soldiers,
40:39
into an armed force,
40:41
moving Paul,
40:42
to safety,
40:43
and,
40:43
so,
40:44
God proved,
40:46
his faithfulness,
40:47
he worked,
40:48
and accomplished,
40:49
what he said,
40:50
he would do,
40:51
to the first step,
40:52
to move Paul,
40:53
towards Rome,
40:55
Psalm 36,
40:56
5,
40:57
your steadfast love,
40:58
O Lord,
40:59
extends to the heavens,
41:01
and your faithfulness,
41:02
to the clouds,
41:03
so,
41:04
are you concerned,
41:05
that God will drop you,
41:07
that he's not going,
41:07
to pull through,
41:09
that,
41:10
you've been so hated,
41:11
and so,
41:12
people have let you down,
41:13
again,
41:13
and again,
41:15
and do you think,
41:15
that God somehow,
41:16
is again,
41:17
going to just drop you,
41:18
because,
41:19
he doesn't keep his word,
41:21
either,
41:22
just,
41:23
no,
41:23
he will finish,
41:25
what,
41:25
he started,
41:27
so don't worry,
41:28
he will deliver you,
41:29
as he's promised,
41:30
to believe,
41:31
he is faithful,
41:33
is faithful,
41:35
not that he just can be,
41:36
he is faithful,
41:39
alright,
41:39
number three,
41:41
and this one,
41:42
is not directly out,
41:44
but sort of implied,
41:45
in a metaphorical,
41:46
sense,
41:47
I just kind of want to tell you that,
41:49
just because we want to be,
41:50
very clear here,
41:52
but,
41:53
believers,
41:54
are in a different military,
41:56
and in a different war,
41:58
okay,
41:58
that's an application,
42:00
here,
42:01
Rome had his own agenda,
42:03
his own agenda,
42:05
to conquer,
42:06
and subdue,
42:07
new territories,
42:08
and the spreading,
42:09
of Roman culture,
42:11
to seeing as a,
42:12
that they were dominant,
42:14
through culture,
42:15
literature,
42:15
architecture,
42:17
civilizing,
42:18
and settling,
42:19
conquered provinces,
42:21
it all was for human vanity,
42:23
and for human glory,
42:24
all of it,
42:25
right,
42:26
and,
42:27
indeed,
42:29
they succeeded,
42:30
I mean,
42:30
look at our western world,
42:32
look at,
42:33
even,
42:33
if you go to,
42:34
Washington,
42:35
look at our buildings,
42:36
look at how we do education,
42:37
that's all,
42:38
Greco-Roman,
42:39
so they have,
42:40
succeeded in a lot of ways,
42:42
but,
42:43
they influence the western world,
42:46
and it's astounding,
42:48
right,
42:49
so wars that Rome fought,
42:50
were to expand their empire,
42:52
and to show they were a dominant culture,
42:55
simply just for temporal gain,
42:58
all right,
42:58
so that was Rome's agenda,
42:59
that's what they're trying to do here,
43:01
protect their interests,
43:02
so,
43:03
so,
43:04
know that Christ,
43:05
different agenda,
43:06
right,
43:07
Christ has his own agenda,
43:09
never for a minute,
43:11
did a Caesar rule the world,
43:13
Christ ruled over the Caesars,
43:16
it wasn't,
43:16
Caesar sitting on the Palatine Hill,
43:19
in Rome,
43:20
on the throne,
43:21
when it was Christ,
43:21
sitting at the right hand,
43:22
of the Father,
43:24
it says in Psalm 135,
43:27
6,
43:28
whatever the Lord pleases,
43:29
he does,
43:30
in heaven,
43:31
and on the earth,
43:33
in the seas,
43:33
and all the deeps,
43:35
that is a definition,
43:36
of sovereignty,
43:37
God does what he pleases,
43:40
whenever he pleases it,
43:42
so it pleased God,
43:43
for Rome,
43:44
to temporarily rule,
43:46
the Mediterranean world,
43:48
but I just want to give you,
43:49
an example of this,
43:50
and I could get into it,
43:50
all day,
43:51
but just an example,
43:53
that the ancient world,
43:54
had never,
43:55
had a way to travel,
43:58
the way it did,
43:59
before Rome came,
44:00
the Roman systems,
44:01
of roads,
44:02
that they saw,
44:03
as a way to dominate,
44:04
became footpaths,
44:05
for the gospel,
44:06
to go all over,
44:07
the Mediterranean world,
44:10
so thanks to the Romans,
44:11
and their system of roads,
44:13
their trade routes,
44:14
their engineering,
44:15
the gospel message,
44:16
could spread,
44:18
easily,
44:18
unlike any other time,
44:19
previous,
44:20
very,
44:21
and so Christ used that,
44:23
for his own intentions,
44:24
to spread the gospel,
44:26
and so,
44:28
we are,
44:29
right,
44:30
a part of,
44:31
expanding,
44:32
God's kingdom,
44:34
and,
44:35
eventually,
44:36
we are to,
44:37
to conquer,
44:38
this world,
44:39
for Christ,
44:40
through the power,
44:41
of the gospel,
44:42
through sacrificial love,
44:43
we are to,
44:44
to expand,
44:45
the kingdom of God,
44:47
to all nations,
44:47
and we will,
44:49
succeed,
44:49
like it will happen,
44:51
and we will do it,
44:52
not with natural means,
44:54
that men wage war,
44:55
but,
44:56
by the spirit,
44:57
and by the word of God,
44:59
look at Revelation,
45:01
12,
45:03
verse 10,
45:04
so,
45:05
so,
45:13
the apostle John,
45:14
wrote this,
45:14
when Rome was,
45:15
at a very,
45:16
very high level,
45:17
of power,
45:18
and he wrote this,
45:19
and just think about,
45:21
what might have been,
45:22
in his mind,
45:23
that Christ,
45:24
was using Rome,
45:25
for his own purposes,
45:26
and,
45:27
slowly,
45:29
judging the empire,
45:30
as it decayed,
45:31
from within,
45:32
this is a,
45:33
a word,
45:35
of saying,
45:36
that Christ's kingdom,
45:37
stands forever,
45:37
and it will rule,
45:38
over all other,
45:39
earthly kingdoms,
45:41
Revelation,
45:42
12,
45:42
verse 10,
45:44
I heard a loud voice,
45:46
in heaven,
45:46
saying,
45:48
now the salvation,
45:49
and the power,
45:50
and the kingdom,
45:51
of our God,
45:52
and the authority,
45:52
of his Christ,
45:53
have come,
45:55
for the accuser,
45:56
of the brothers,
45:56
has been thrown down,
45:58
he accuses them,
45:59
day and night,
46:00
before our God,
46:02
and they have conquered him,
46:04
by the blood of the lamb,
46:06
and by the word,
46:07
of their testimony,
46:08
for they love,
46:09
not their lives,
46:10
even unto death,
46:12
we will,
46:13
conquer guys,
46:15
like it says,
46:15
Paul says in Romans 8,
46:17
we are more than,
46:18
conquerors,
46:19
through him,
46:19
who loved us,
46:21
there's no surrender,
46:23
there's no defeat,
46:24
like we will win,
46:25
it's a guaranteed thing,
46:26
because of what Christ has done,
46:28
his kingdom,
46:29
will come,
46:31
and with that in mind,
46:32
right,
46:33
don't be impressed,
46:35
by temporary,
46:36
worldly victories,
46:38
that seem to be,
46:39
overtaking the kingdom,
46:40
of God,
46:41
all these things,
46:42
you're reading about,
46:43
Rome eventually,
46:44
came down,
46:46
over several centuries,
46:47
came down,
46:48
and everything,
46:49
that stands,
46:49
on our way today,
46:50
our pagan,
46:52
humanistic,
46:53
secular world,
46:55
in America,
46:56
it's going to come down,
46:57
this isn't going to stop,
46:58
the gospel,
47:00
the church is going to thrive,
47:01
and spread,
47:02
so be bold,
47:04
be courageous,
47:05
for Christ,
47:07
allow him to work,
47:07
through you,
47:09
because when man,
47:10
schemes to stop God,
47:11
God laughs,
47:13
he laughs,
47:14
he knows that,
47:16
in the end,
47:17
the kingdom of Christ,
47:18
will come,
47:20
he's going to bring it about,
47:22
and then fourthly,
47:24
I just kind of want to,
47:25
close with this,
47:26
but,
47:27
remember,
47:28
fourthly,
47:29
God will always,
47:30
deliver his people,
47:31
from troubles,
47:32
always,
47:33
he wants us to bring you,
47:34
to himself,
47:35
right,
47:36
God will always,
47:37
deliver his people,
47:38
from troubles,
47:39
look at Psalm 34,
47:41
this is what we'll close,
47:42
close with,
47:42
Psalm 34,
47:49
verse 4,
47:52
so again,
47:54
this is a Psalm of David,
47:56
when he was,
47:57
hiding,
47:58
and trying to escape,
48:00
from Saul,
48:03
but,
48:04
very much similar,
48:06
to the way Paul,
48:06
had been fleeing,
48:08
but just know,
48:09
that whatever trouble you're in,
48:10
God can,
48:12
deliver you,
48:14
this is what he says,
48:15
I sought the Lord,
48:16
verse 4,
48:16
I sought the Lord,
48:18
he answered me,
48:19
and delivered me,
48:20
from all my fears,
48:22
those who look at him,
48:24
are radiant,
48:25
and their faces,
48:25
shall never be ashamed,
48:28
this poor man cried,
48:30
and the Lord heard him,
48:31
and saved him,
48:32
out of all his troubles,
48:34
the angel of the Lord,
48:36
encamps,
48:36
around those who fear him,
48:38
and he delivers them,
48:40
O taste and see,
48:42
the Lord is good,
48:44
blessed is the man,
48:45
who takes refuge,
48:46
in him,
48:48
so,
48:49
with that guys,
48:51
let's go to prayer,
48:53
and,
48:54
thanking God,
48:55
that he is faithful to us,
48:57
that he is sovereign,
48:59
and will thwart the way,
49:00
of the wicked,
49:01
and,
49:02
that he will deliver us,
49:03
from our troubles,
49:04
of the wickedness,
49:04
of the wickedness,
49:05
of the wickedness,
49:06
of the wickedness,
49:07
of the wickedness,
49:08
of the wickedness,
49:08
of the wickedness,
49:09
of the wickedness,
49:10
of the wickedness,
49:11
of the wickedness,
49:11
of the wickedness,