Well, hello everybody and welcome back. This is our daily devotional for Tuesday, February 13th, 2024. And men, by the time you see this, you better be getting ready. Tomorrow's the big day. Yeah, I'm really kind of kidding about that. I mean, we think of Valentine's Day in our house rather highly, but there are some that say, oh, you mean the holiday invented by Hallmark? If that's you, you know what? whatever, but men, if your wife has a very different view than you do about Valentine's Day, I would encourage you to dwell on your wife's view. All of that being said, and no, I'm not talking about St. Valentine's Day in a religious context in the slightest bit. I'm just talking about culturally speaking. Now, all that being said, it's so good to be with you today, and I hope that this finds you doing very well after having a very good Monday, a very good start to your week, Hey, I'm assuming that you're actually seeing this on Tuesday, February 13th, 2024. Maybe it's some other time, doesn't matter. I'm glad to have this time with you, especially as we continue on in God's Word. In particular, as we continue on in Acts chapter 21. If you're brand new here, we're going chapter by chapter, verse by verse, but I gotta tell you, you've missed some things, right? We're coming at things rather late in the game. Paul, who has been, Really, God's apostle, his church planter, the one to go out and establish. He's planted all of these churches. Amazing, miraculous things have happened. He's finally gone back to Jerusalem. And what does he find? He finds opposition, but he finds it from within the church. And then, in an attempt to make concession, in an attempt to appease those in the church, well, we find what we found yesterday, that Paul, in the midst of trying to appease the people, he himself ends up being seized by a mob. And where we come to today is him actually being arrested by the Romans, who have heard about this uproar. Now, I'm gonna go ahead and tell you, today's devotional is gonna be short, y'all, because, well, because of the section that we come to and how I don't want to get into the next really big section, but it's gonna be short because there's a powerful truth reveal today about the nature of Christianity itself, a powerful truth about, well, truth, and about its effect, about how people evaluate it, what people do with you when you dare to teach the truth. I don't wanna go any further, because I'm already digging in. Let's pray first, and then we'll start. Our God and our Father, we thank you for this time that you have given to us, and we pray that you would bless us in it. Guide us now as we go to your word in a couple of different places, that we would see the truth of what is presented, but also, just as important, that we would see the calling that we have as a result of the truth of your word. So please, work in our hearts now, and we pray it in Christ's name, amen. Now, I've talked about Acts chapter 21, but that's not where we're starting this morning. I've already told you what's gonna happen. Paul's gonna be arrested. But before we get there, we need to go back to a more basic principle that we didn't see all that long ago. You know, as I was thinking about it, we've been through lots of books in the Bible just as a result of these daily devotionals. I think this is daily devotional number 556 or something like that. We've been through books like Jonah, Romans, John, other places, and now we come back to John. And where we're gonna start reading today is in John 15. Yes, that great passage. So if you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn there with me, John 15. That great passage where Jesus is teaching his disciples there, it's very close to his own rest, subsequent crucifixion and then resurrection. But Jesus is teaching his disciples. John 15 is that wonderful passage where we find Jesus using that metaphor where he's the vine, we're the branches, apart from him, we can do nothing, right? But it's in John 15, starting in verse 18, that we learn something else very powerful that applies to where we're gonna be today, okay, in Acts chapter 21. But John 15, verse 18, Jesus is saying this to his disciples in time and space, but this is God's word for you and me today as the followers of Christ. So it's for us too. And this is what we find out, John 15 verse 18, if the world hates you, and by the way, this is Jesus speaking. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belong to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." Pausing for just a second here, what Jesus has done, and yes, I know this is about 2,000 years old, what we're reading, but the world really hasn't changed, y'all. What Jesus has exposed from the world is really two things, but the first is, don't let the world's constant push for diversity fool you. Oh my goodness, the world talks all the time about diversity, and you know, last night, well, I'm recording this on Monday, Super Bowl commercials, y'all, I mean, talk about diversity. One commercial, you know, was about different things going on, and then it was two women in a car, both dressed up as brides, right? You know, every party that they showed was just the League of Nations, as if that's what happens at every party. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's okay if you go to a party, and there's one white man, one black man, one Hispanic man, one Asian man, and, you know, they're all... That's modern television. I'm sure people are gonna call me a racist for that, but come on, y'all, isn't it obvious? The world pushes diversity all the time. But what Jesus is exposed to here is that the world's really not that diverse. Not really. I don't mean to say in terms of culture and color and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, I mean, obviously different people behave differently, but in terms of what the world really wants, they don't want diversity, they want conformity. They want you to obey, not to question, to consume. That's the cry of the world, consume, do not question. That's what the world wants. And so that's the battle cry, but what Jesus is exposed here is you're really only gonna do one of two things, be one of two things. You're either gonna belong to the world or you're gonna belong to Him. If you belong to the world, you're considered, as we just read there in verse 19, one of the world's own. And because you belong to it, the world's gonna love you when you step out of that and when you belong to Him. Well, the end of verse 19, that's why the world hates you. Then he says in verse 20, remember the words I spoke to you. No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. That's key. Jesus exposes this truth also that the world is the way it is because they don't know God. And so if they don't know God the Father, they're not gonna recognize God the Son or those who come in his name, right? As we continue, verse 22, if I had not come and spoke to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. All Jesus is doing there, if you ever wondered about that, he's exposing the fact that their sin has been exposed. This is also a calling for you and me. Not that we're supposed to just go around pointing out people's sins, but remember, we're supposed to be the salt of the earth. Salt is not only about flavor, it's about drawing out blood. It's about drawing out evil. Verse 23, he who hates me hates my father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my father. but this is to fulfill what is written in their law. They hated me without reason." Y'all, and then Jesus goes on to talk about the counselor coming and testifying, but the overall principle that is definitely applicable to where we are today is the emotional, physical, logical, thoughtful response of the world to those who come in the name of Jesus. It's not just that they dislike, The world hates those who are the followers of Christ. The world hates those who proclaim Jesus's name. Now, that manifests itself in different ways, but I think what we're given here is an example of the ludicrous ways in which this is manifest. We find this in Acts chapter 21, and like I said, what we cover today is rather short. Acts chapter 21, verse 33. Remember everything that was going on? This uproar started. They found Paul in the temple. They said, hey, look, not only is Paul here, he's desecrated the temple by bringing Greeks in here, which he didn't do. Trophimus wasn't with him, but that's what they said, and so they're whipped up into this frenzy. They're just ready to roll. They want to kill everybody, everything. They drag Paul in, and they're literally trying to kill him. They've shut the temple gates. The Romans hear about this, and they're like, the whole city's in an uproar. Side note, remember, the number one duty of the Roman governor in this province was just to keep things quiet. That was Rome's policy. When it came to Israel, they said, hey, no news is good news, okay? Just keep them peaceful. They want to burn the whole world down all the time. They got zealots everywhere. Remember when Jesus was crucified, they had Jesus arrested and Barabbas, the zealot, tried to lead a rebellion. No news is good news, and so when the Romans find out about this riot, they respond quickly. Verse 33, it says, The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. Acts 21, verse 35. When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great, he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed him kept shouting away with him. As the soldiers, verse 37, were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, may I speak to you? Do you speak Greek? He replied. Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led 4,000 terrorists out into the desert some time ago? Pause. Y'all. Like I said, what we find here today is an example of the ludicrous. What we find here today is an example of the world's hatred on full display. So much so that this Roman commander is so confused, he's so mixed up that he thinks Paul is some Egyptian terrorist. that's trying to lead some type of a rebellion against the Roman Empire. It makes zero sense whatsoever. He even uses this derogatory language. Do you speak Greek, you know? And interestingly enough, it's important that it noted that, as we just read, that two chains, back in verse 33, the commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Pretty soon, the commander's going to seriously question that decision. But in the midst of the lunacy, in the midst of the mob where everybody's going nuts and they're having to carry Paul and literally break the people off of him who are trying to beat him to death, The commander thinks he's some Egyptian terrorist. But how Paul answers is really going to start changing some things. And this is the next section I really don't want to get into because we don't have enough time, but let's just see his answer. Verse 30, Paul answered, I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people. Now, You might be saying at this point, they're in the midst of a mob. They're literally trying to rip all to pieces. The soldiers have to carry Paul. Of course he's gonna say, yeah, right, shut up, get in there. But then verse 40 is, having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and mentioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic, we're gonna stop right there. Tomorrow we're gonna see what he said to them. But if you're saying, Why would the commander stop and in the midst of this frenzy let Paul do this? Well, I think it goes down to the language that Paul used. Clearly in the midst of the lunacy, and by the way, hatred makes you stupid. Do you realize that? Hatred makes you stupid. You believe things. You're convinced of things. It's an emotional response most of the time. The commander's just all wet on. It's Keystone Cops, okay? But when Paul says, hmm, I'm from Tarsus, Cilicia, I'm a citizen of no ordinary city, that's when the commander, why does the commander let him speak in the midst of the mob? Because I think that's when the commander, the hair rises on the back of his neck and he's like, oh, I may be dealing with somebody that isn't who I thought he was. I may not be dealing with some cut rate Egyptian here that just wants to blow up the world. There may be something serious going on and I might have made a mistake. And in fact, spoiler alert, if you fast forward to what we will eventually get to. Chapter 22, verse 29, those 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. Oh y'all, he doesn't tell him at first, but he says, a citizen of no ordinary city. The city that was not ordinary was indeed the center of the known world at that point. And Paul just hints at it. So there's two applications here. The lunacy of the world is just the world's hatred. It's the same thing that could be applied across the board. The world reacts to Christianity no different today than it did then. and the world believes ridiculous things about Christianity just like it did then. I'll give you a prime example about this. You know, the tolerance or the coexist sticker, I say tolerance, the coexist sticker, that sticker that you see on cars with all the different religious symbols, that is the biggest farce because it's aimed at Christians. That's why you see them here and you don't see them in Iraq. Okay? Nobody is driving around with coexist stickers. That's why in the United States, when it comes to Pride Month, all the different companies in the United States change their profile pictures on social media to straight rainbow flags. They're not doing that in Iraq, or Iran, or Syria, or the United Arab Emirates, or all the places where people have loads and loads of money and they want that. They're not worried about them coexisting. They're not worried about their tolerance. That's aimed at Christianity. But the belief that Christianity is the source of violence, it's such a lie, y'all. It is an abject lie, but that's what's peddled by the world around you. What we see here is an example of the same lunacy that you see today. But there's also a gift that is exposed here. I didn't read it, but in John chapter 15, after Jesus talks about how the world's gonna hate, the world's gonna try to destroy Christianity, all of these different things, he then talks about the promise of the counselor, the helper, the Holy Spirit that will come. And we find an example, I believe, of that here now. When you wonder why Paul said what he said, how he said what he said, this is the Holy Spirit speaking through him. So there's a warning. Don't be surprised by the world's lunacy. but I also want to encourage you. Be encouraged that God never leaves us hung out to dry. He gives us what we need when we need it, including how to respond to this silly, crazy, hateful world out there that would accuse Christianity of being nothing but hate. Don't buy it. Don't fall for it. The world has not changed. They hate Jesus first, and they hate his people as a result, but we're never alone. and the blessing truly is ours to suffer for him. Be encouraged by these things, let's pray. Our Father, I thank you for everybody that is a part of this time, for the calling of your word, for the reminder of who you are and who we are to be. Let us not be surprised by the world around us, but instead let us be ready, ready to trust in you. Let us yield to your spirit as you guide us. And we pray it all in Christ's name, amen. Well, I'd like to thank you all for being a part of this time. Lord willing, we will be back tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. Until then, I hope that you have a very, very happy Tuesday, or whatever day it is, and we'll see you soon.