Let's stand, brothers and sisters, for the reading of God's Word. I'll read from verse 26 of chapter 21 through to verse 8 of chapter 22. Please listen carefully, because this is God's holy and infallible Word. Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification. at which time an offering should be made for each one of them. Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place. And furthermore, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place. For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. And all the city was disturbed. And the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple. And immediately the doors were shut. Now, as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the commander came near and took him and commanded him to be bound with two chains. And he asked who he was and what he had done. And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. For the multitude of the people followed after crying out away with him. Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, may I speak to you? He replied, can you speak Greek? Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the 4,000 assassins out into the wilderness? But Paul said, I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city, and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people. So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language saying, Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now. And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said, I am indeed a Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our father's law and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women as also the high priest bears me witness and all the council of elders from whom I also received letters to the brethren and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. Now it happened as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon. Suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? So I answered, who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. Thus ends the reading of God's word. Amen. Amen. Please be seated. In a courtroom in Nashville this week, on July 3rd, Dennis Green gave a statement to the judge there. And it demonstrates a lot of the principles we'll see in today's sermon. Now, Paul's situation was a good bit more unexpected. And his ability to speak a word in season required a lot more self-control But Dennis Green's statement does demonstrate his awareness of his calling to speak the truth to civil magistrates and our similar calling as well as Paul does in today's text. It also demonstrates the necessity of our lives and the safety of our lives being secondary to the gospel, to the kingdom of God. because here we'll see Dennis Green making a statement that certainly could have impacted the sentence that he was about to receive. Here's what he said. In addition, we'll see his humility and his boldness mixed together, his awareness of his need to express and show his submission to the civil magistrate. And also his awareness will see as we hear from the Westminster Confession of Faith 1789, the American version, that the civil magistrate is to be a nursing father protecting the church. So here's Dennis Green's words. Your Honor, thank you for the opportunity to speak. See that, Your Honor? As I begin, I feel compelled to make a correction to something said during my fellow defendants' sentencing yesterday and earlier today. It was stated that the belief the defendants hold that life begins at conception is based upon their religious beliefs. This is not so. This is not a belief based on religion, but rather basic biology. Every high school and college textbook states the same. This is established science. What does differ between our beliefs and those of a secularist is that, in our view, the life conceived has intrinsic value and is worthy of our nurture and protection. I know you said you don't want us to be preachy and you don't want to hear a sermon, so I will do my best. It's just that the Scriptures are central to our lives and guide what we do. We find ourselves in a nation that has lost its way, a nation that defends and protects the murder of its own children by wicked laws. We live in a nation that seeks to lock away its citizens who won't stand by and let innocent children be dismembered. We have become a people repulsive in the sight of God, a people who shake their puny fists in the face of a holy and righteous God, while imagining that they have any degree of moral authority to do so. The one true God has specifically in the scriptures given his people the command to rescue innocent people who are being taken to the slaughter. And as Christians, we are compelled to obey. Throughout history, There have been times when a nation loses its way and turns its back on the weak and vulnerable. And Christians have always been at the forefront of rescuing those in danger of unjust persecution and death, even when the laws of their day allowed for such oppression and slaughter. Examples throughout history include rescuing abandoned babies in first century Rome, rescuing Jews during the Holocaust, rescuing fugitive slaves, and we could cite more examples. Those who opposed the persecution of the weak and vulnerable, they are today applauded as heroes. I acted to save the lives of innocent babies who were scheduled to be butchered, and I used that word very deliberately. This best describes what is happening to these babies. My conscience would not allow me to do otherwise on that day. We pray that our nation will once again return to sanity and protect the least of these most innocent image bearers of God by law. We committed the crime of treating innocent children as if they had value. We are prosecuted because we are politically incorrect, but biblically correct. Over the years, legal opinions change, but our founding documents remain the same. The Declaration of Independence states, we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These self-evident truths, which are aligned with our creator's revealed law, are no longer the basis of law in our nation's federal courts. This is not the same country our founders envisioned or created. Politics have taken the place of justice. The Declaration speaks of the unalienable right to life as being one of these self-evident truths. If someone has a heartbeat, they are obviously alive. This is self-evident. We refused to prop up the charade that killing one's child is a civil or human right. Masses can loudly proclaim the obvious lie that the preborn are not persons, but there will always be those who will not play along with the deadly charade. We will act upon the self-evident truth that every child's life is valuable and worthy of protection, whether they reside in or out of the womb. Location doesn't determine value. Determine value, God's word does. Men are appointed by God to be protectors of the innocent and vulnerable. A government that sanctions the murder of the weakest and most vulnerable of its members is a government that has abdicated its responsibility to protect its people. And this nation will answer to God for this neglect. When I chose to reject the plea offer, it was because truth is important to me. My heart's desire is to go home to my family, to provide and care for them, including my wife and special needs son, who very much needs and depends upon me. To be a man of integrity, however, I must show that my first allegiance is to my God. I honestly have prayed for you often, Judge Trauger, and will continue. Thank you for allowing me to speak. So now, like then, we face situations where we have to understand the purpose of civil governance and understand that God is above it all and that he has given us a calling and that as we obey him and move into our callings, we should expect to see him move in the midst of that, as Paul did today. As I said, the title is Paul's Poise Under Pressure. We'll look at Paul's quick thinking. We'll look at his bold and humble request to Claudius Lysias, who is the commander of the garrison there. We'll look at this commander's confusion in verses 37 and 38. We'll see Paul then defending his true identity, and then Paul's bold and humble request goes even one step further. And then Lysias grants Paul's request, and we'll talk about that. Paul stands, people are silenced, and Paul speaks. And what a great reversal has occurred here in this scene. And then along the way, some questions to know, and to love, and to obey God. So first of all, verse 37, then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, may I speak to you? So I want us to recall that this was a very hectic, dangerous and fast moving situation. Paul's life is in great danger. And instead of quietly disappearing into the safety of the barracks, it was just right there. Paul maintains his poise. And this allows him to remember his calling, the purpose for his presence in Jerusalem. And so he is able to see with the eyes of faith what most would take as simply a threat to their life. He sees it as a great opportunity, the gospel to his countrymen. And so he moves quickly to make his request of Lysias. The unexpected attack of his enemies prompts him to see an opportunity for the gospel, to seize this, rather than a personal threat to be quickly evaded. This mob of violent, murderous Jews, he loves them, and they're all together in one place, and he sees an opportunity to preach the gospel to them. So a few things note Paul's love for Christ and devotion to his kingdom controls his actions even during this very dangerous situation from 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. We've read it so many times, but here it is on display again in particular focus. Paul said, for the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus, that if one died for all, then all died. And he died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. So Paul is here not living for himself. He's living for Christ, seeing that he himself, he's already died in Christ. He does not count his life as anywhere near as valuable as the gospel of Christ. And so a question for us is, does the love of Christ compel you similarly to love your enemies, to love your enemies, even as their presence may be a direct threat to you? Maybe just to your happiness, but possibly to your reputation, to your job, to your liberty, perhaps even to your life. Does the love of Christ compel you to live for him at that moment instead of for yourself? It may be hard for us to answer this question in today's world, where many of us maybe probably have not faced similar situations. Abraham discovered what was in his heart when God told him to take Isaac to the top of the mountain and slay him. And brothers and sisters, often we do not understand what is in our hearts until we are similarly squeezed like this. When Paul was squeezed, love for Jesus came out. When Paul was squeezed, love for God's kingdom came out. When he was crushed, he was not struck down. And his love for his countrymen came out. His love for his calling, his commitment to Jesus came out. This was a seasonal word, a word spoke in season that Paul gave to them. Proverbs 15, 23 says a man has joy by the answer of his mouth and a word spoken in due season. How good it is. Paul's timing is a fruit of his poise and his purpose. This is a ripe moment. And because of who he is, a good word comes out in time. How often do we look back and think, oh, I wish I would have done this. Oh, I could have done that. Perhaps we don't think. of a word and season in a hard moment because we don't want to intensify the difficulties of the moment. Because we don't want to up the risk of the moment. Paul certainly is willing to at least maintain and sustain the risk that he finds himself in. Commentary says, we speak wisely when we speak seasonably. The answer of the mouth will be our credit and joy when it is pertinent and to the purpose and is spoken in due season, when it is needed and will be regarded, and as we say, hits the joint. Many a good word comes short of doing the good it might have done for want of being well-timed. Nor is anything more the beauty of discourse than to have a proper answer ready offhand, just when there is occasion for it. And it comes in well. So there is an orientation to our location and our situation and the conversation and the people present that by the Holy Spirit's work and being filled with love for Christ, we can discern what needed to be said. to edify or to convict or to challenge or whatever the moment needs, what is whatever is needful for the moment. And that requires great wisdom to know what is needful for each moment. So here's a question, are you so full of the love of Christ and so full of the knowledge of his word and so full of the clarity of your own purpose in life that you're able to speak a good word into an unexpected and challenging moment. Let's know what Jesus says from Luke chapter 6. And think of Paul demonstrating this. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from him who takes away your goods, do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies. Do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return. And your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." Paul here is demonstrating this, as he said before, right? Imitate me as I imitate Christ. He's seeking to do good to these Jews who have so recently hated him. His adrenaline level still on max, probably bruised and scraped and cut, probably. And what does he want to do? Loving them by preaching salvation to them, risking surely another beating for his cheeks, this mob could have come up on that stage. He was counting on their fear of Rome. He wanted to bless those with the word of Christ who had so recently spitefully mistreated him. With fresh bruises, probably bleeding and sore, who knows, maybe limping, maybe a swollen eye, maybe indeed a swollen cheek. He offers mercy in the gospel to his enemies, hoping Christ would make them the friends of God by the blood of Christ. Was he motivated by saving his own skin? No. Was he motivated by avoiding being thrown on the ground and beaten to death? No, he was motivated for the glory of Christ and the salvation of the Jews. Romans nine, he puts it this way, he loved his countrymen, he loved his countrymen, he loved his nation. I tell you, I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. These are his enemies. These are the ones who always spitefully mistreated him everywhere he went throughout his ministry. Here's what he says about them. that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen, according to the flesh, who are Israelites. So here's a question for you. What is the state of your heart toward your enemies, toward those who have hated you, who have cursed you, and who have spitefully used you and who have reviled you and dragged your name through the mud. And if you were to bump into such a person tomorrow, and they would continue in their reviling towards you, would you desire to love them and share the gospel with them by timely word and or deed at that moment? Would that be, if you were squeezed in that moment, would that be what came out of you? real love, real affection, and a real desire to say words of love that bless and that build up and that lead to Christ? Or would it be, how dare you? Would it be bitterness coming out? Would it be forgiveness underneath the awareness of how much God has forgiven you? So we see here, Paul is moving in that direction. Next we see his first bold and humble request to Claudius Lysias, the commander of the garrison. He says, then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, may I speak to you? Now I'm sorry, this is still the first request, but this is the description of it being bold and humble. That combination, that wonderful combination that can only come to us from the Holy Spirit. Some, in their nature, are more timid and more likely to submit and be the bait-a-dog. Others, by their nature, are not. They're leaders. They're what my dad calls genetic hawks, not doves. And they are prone to be bold and get out there. But you want to step back and see that what God gives to us in Christ is a divinely appointed boldness, and humility that comes together in one person. The greatest example, of course, being Jesus himself. Paul demonstrates as well. So first of all, what is the boldness? Well, you know, we've talked before. Boldness is doing what is required of you, even though it may not be safe, even in the face of any threat. That is boldness. It is not being cowardly. It is being courageous and doing what you're called to do. even when you're threatened if you were to do it. So Paul is in the midst of threats. What are the threats? They did not dissuade him. Well, let's recall, first of all, this multitude, they want him dead. That is very clear. Instead of running away by immediately accepting the safety of the barracks, Paul courageously seeks to speak with the very murderous mob that had so recently beaten him. Let's hear these phrases again. Now as they were seeking to kill him, right? That's a description of what they were doing to him. And then they didn't just seek it, they actually started doing it. Listen, when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul, okay? And remember, they believe he's brought a Gentile into a place that was not allowed and that would bring the death penalty on someone who did that. And so they feel absolutely justified to kill this man in the street. And that's what they're trying to do. It's not hyperbole. They're stomping him. They're kicking him. They're trying to land lethal blows on this man. Going on, when he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. So don't minimize what he had just faced. Okay, this is a great threat, and they're still there, and they're still incensed. Their adrenaline is still up, too. Now, also, Paul is facing a threat from Roman power, right? This commander held great power over Paul, over everyone in Jerusalem, as the representative of the sword of Rome. No greater sword in the world at that time. To try to face down the Romans was suicide at that time. And this Egyptian man that we'll look at later, he discovered it, even though he had thousands of troops. So Claudius Lysias, the Roman commander of the Jerusalem soldiers, had definitely the power of life and death over Paul. And the violent mob had said many things about Paul to Lysias. And Paul probably heard these things, because he's trying to figure out what was going on. And it says he heard many things. Some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. It appears as though one of the things that he heard was something that would make him a criminal worthy of death in the eyes of Rome. So Paul courageously addresses the commander directly instead of taking what were probably other safer courses with this Roman leader. He was bold to speak directly to the man who could have him put to death. So the same cabal that had killed Jesus is here brought together once again. Think about it. Just like we saw earlier in Acts, when Peter and John had faced their threats. And in today's text, we see another answer to the prayers of Acts 4, 27 through 39. Another answer to that prayer. Remember, they prayed back then, they had quoted Psalm 2, and then they say, For truly against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together do whatever your hand and your purpose determined to afford to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word. So we see this whole book of acts is over and over again an answer to this prayer that they prayed for the people of God at that time. Question, do you see the same kind of cabal working together today against God's church? When you think about false religion teaming up with civil magistrate coming together against God's people, making evil, good, making good, evil, attempting to silence and harm God's people. Do you see that in today's world? Next, do you pray for boldness to speak God's word even in the face of such apparently impregnable threats? N-S-A-D-O-J-F-B-I-D-E-A. They need to know J-E-S-U-S. He rules over them. He is the one who according to his perfect plan has placed them in power. Just as they saw that God had appointed to do whatever his hand and his purpose determined before to be done, the same is true when Paul faces Claudius Lysias, and the same is true when Dennis Green stands in front of that wicked judge in Nashville. And the same is true for all of us everywhere we go. There are no impregnable forces except the divine throne room of heaven and the kingdom of God guarded by Jesus himself. of which you are a citizen and to whom you look to help you and defend you and keep you all along the way. And if you are ever brought down and martyred and harmed by such wickedness, it is not because their forces are greater than God's forces. It is because it is meant for your good and the glory of God. So may we never make our decisions because we are afraid of the apparent powers around us. But may we make our decisions because we fear God. Because we fear God. And we see Paul's purpose here is not just to pick a fight over some random issue. Paul's purpose here is to present the gospel to the Jewish world. Now, he's not only bold when he speaks to Claudius Lysias, but in that there's a humility because he speaks from a submissive posture and it's apparent he has a gentle tone when he speaks. May I speak to you? You see, it is a submissive posture because by the question itself, Paul acknowledges God's world of structure, whereby Paul himself, the apostle of God, to whom has been given all things. As is true for each one of us, nevertheless, the structure of God's world is before his eyes. And he knows he's been placed beneath the direct civil rule of this Roman commander, and in doing so, Paul submits himself to God himself. And in that moment, he takes the place assigned to him. Someone needs to write a really good extensive book on the doctrine, the principles of, and maybe it's been written, I can't find it, of Christian protest against ungodly governments. This is one of the critical principles, is submission in the way the message is brought forward. Like what Dennis Green did as well in his message to that judge. Your honor, thank you. Acknowledging that he was given this opportunity to speak. You know, you don't have to give someone you've convicted an opportunity to speak at their sentencing hearing. Not only does he acknowledge that he is under the authority of the civil magistrate, Claudius Lisius, here in this position, but he has a gentle tone when he asks his question. He speaks in a way that is cheerful, right? He doesn't have a grudging tone in his voice. May I speak to you? No. May I speak to you? He's cheerful in his submission. It's a message for all of us. We need to learn this. Another important principle in dealing with ungodly civil magistrates, it's a cheerfulness because we see behind it all. We know that God is the sovereign. We know that God is the sovereign and he holds their hearts in his hands and makes them run whichever way he likes, just like rivers are told from God's word. Commentary says, as he was to be led into the castle with a great deal of calmness and composedness in himself and a great deal of mildness and deference to those about him, he said, under the chief captain, may I speak under thee? Will it be no offense nor construed as a breach of rule if I give thee some account of myself since my persecutors can give no account of me? What a humble, modest question was this. Paul knew how to speak to the greatest of men and had many a time spoken to his betters, yet he humbly begs leave to speak to this commander and will not speak till he has obtained leave. You know, Paul could have just immediately launched into defending himself and attacking the Jews and making his case. He does not do that. He asks him, may I speak to you? He doesn't assume that he'll be granted an audience with his superior. He submits himself and he does so cheerfully. So question. In your desire for courage and for boldness, do you equally do you equally long for gentleness and humility and cheerfulness in your courage? and also appropriate submissive and want appropriate submissiveness to be evidently mingled in with your bold speech. This is quite a thing to observe, whether you've experienced it in your own life or whether you've experienced it from others, for someone to speak hard things in a hard situation, but with love and cheerfulness and tenderness. So next we see the commander's confusion. He replied, Can you speak Greek? Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the 4000 assassins out into the wilderness? So he's confused. So he apparently believed Paul was a criminal rebel from Egypt who could not speak Greek. Did Lysias surmise this himself? Was this part of what was claimed by the violent mob? And think of the mob situation now that Roman power has taken control of the situation. did the Jews concoct a story that would also accomplish their goal, which we know is Paul's death. They want him dead. Commentary says the Jews made the uproar and then would have it thought that Paul had given them occasion for it by beginning first. For probably some of them whispered this in the ear of the chief captain. See what false mistaken notions of good people and good ministers many run away with and will not be at the pains to have the mistake rectified. So here we learn some of the stratagems of the evil one and those who are deceived by him. And here's what will happen. They will associate Christians with vile offenders. Conflation is a stratagem of the evil one trying to conflate the two. That is good Christians with evildoers in the eyes of the people and in the eyes of the civil magistrate. We see this with what has happened to our brothers and sisters of the face. Now about this Egyptian commentary tells us this characterization corresponds to an event that was related to us by Josephus. So to answer your curiosity, here's what the history books say. A false prophet from Egypt came into the country and gathered 30,000 people whom he led through the desert to the Mount of Olives with the promise that the walls of Jerusalem would collapse or with the promise that a conventional attack would be successful. allowing them to enter the city, defeat the Roman occupiers, and establish himself as ruler over the people. However, the Romans captured 200 and killed 400 of the Egyptians' followers, though he himself managed to escape. The reference to the Mount of Olives suggests messianic aspirations of this Egyptian imposter. The Tribune evidently believed, not unreasonably, that the Egyptian was now renewing his efforts at a political revolt. Since the entire people of Jerusalem had assisted the Romans in repulsing the Egyptian, The assault of an excited crowd in the outer court against Paul demanding his execution would make sense. And the Tribune thought at first that he had captured a real prize, the Egyptian revolutionary who had recently slipped Felix's grasp. And we'll see Felix mentioned as we go on in the Book of Acts. So we see here in passing an example of how not to act, how not to behave when dealing with an ungodly civil magistrate. Rebellion, self-appointed rebellion, is unbiblical. That's why we are better to call the first war in our country the first war for American independence, not the American Revolution, because it was not. And there were appointed and obeyed and submitted to civil magistrates who had interposed themselves between the people and England. So what does Paul do? First, he defends his true identity. But Paul said, I am a Jew from Tarsus and Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city. So he's wise. He sees the situation. Not only does he defend himself, but he identifies himself with the Jews, showing that the public outcry is over a matter of Jewish law, a matter of Jewish theological disagreement. So he not only defends himself against the false accusations of being an Egyptian rebel, which could cause him to face the death penalty, but he also deftly demonstrates to Lysias that Roman authority does not reach into the matter itself between Paul and these Jews because it is a matter of Jewish law. And as we've looked at before, the Romans would stay out of matters of Jewish law and let the Jews solve the matter amongst themselves in their own courts. Now later, here's what Claudius Lysias wrote. when he's sending Paul to Felix. To the most excellent Governor Felix, greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. Coming with the troops, I rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. And when I wanted to know the reason they accused him, I brought him before their council. I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains." So we see Paul accomplished his goal to show Lysias, this is not a Roman matter. This is a Jewish matter. So we can only conclude that the reason Lysias takes him into custody is for Paul's protection. And it's a very important part of how the remainder of the events of the book of Acts unfold. and all the success he has at Caesarea, in preaching there, and at Rome, preaching there. All of it comes back to this spot here. Now, in addition, Paul goes on to identify himself with a respected town, known to be very loyal to Rome. Paul's wisdom is again on display as he shows this Roman commander that he's not only a Jew, but also a Jew from a loyal and important city, not a Jew at all connected with the rebellious Jewish zealots of that time. And there were plenty of them. Paul brings in an accurate association as evidence of his loyalty to Roman rule. As is always true for biblically minded Christians, we are the best citizens. Always. We're the best citizens. The Roman commander may have known that Marc Antony and then Augustus had rewarded Tarsus because its citizens had remained faithful to Caesar in the battle against Brutus and Cassius, Caesar's killers, granting Tarsus the status of a free city and tax exemption. So this city had established itself as a place of loyalty to Rome. So a question comes to us today when you're granted an important opportunity to defend yourself What are your priorities in that moment? Do you know how to bring pertinent evidence without mounting a prideful counterattack, without being motivated primarily by your own neck, but by truth and the glory of God? Next, we see Paul's bold and humble request. This is his second bold and humble request. I implore you, permit me to speak to the people. Why is it bold, as we said already, that people want him dead? And the commander has just stated that he thinks Paul is a criminal worthy of death. And so it's a bold thing to ask for such a great thing. It's humble, because again, he says, permit me, right? He's acknowledging that it's in his hands. He could have just started talking to the people. He asks for permission and he says, I implore you. So he seeks this man's favor in that regard. I implore you, Lysias. So it's very humble. So it's bold and it's humble. And think about it. After having gained some momentum with Lysias, Paul continues in his Christlike display of humble boldness. and asked the commander for a very, very significant moment of influence, asking him, Lysias, to use the Roman power to secure a pulpit before his people. That's a big deal. And having defended himself successfully against dangerous false charges, he could have just said, all right, time to go on into the barracks. Gonna go into the barracks now. Okay, woo, he's not gonna kill me. But his timely word here is not primarily meant to clear his name, but Lysias. It's not the main thing. He wants to clear his name, but then so he can move into a place of favor. Because ultimately, God has to give you favor in order for something like this to happen. What is he seeking this for? Because he's got a big ask, and that is to speak to the assembled crowd of his country. You see, he saw opportunity where most would see a threat to escape. Paul saw the hand of God in their desire to kill him. I mean, think what he's been through, right? He could have been bitter by now, angry at James and the elders. Look what you're putting me through by having me come here into the temple, right? Upset with his friends who before didn't want him to come to Jerusalem. Or maybe even thinking, well, they were right. Paul's focused. He doesn't give way to all of these temptations that certainly would have been there. So do you think the same way, seeing great challenges as great opportunities for the gospel? I mean, think about the challenges in your life that you face, the things that are so hard for you, whether it's emotional or physical or relational, the hardest things that you face, do you see them as opportunities for the gospel? Or do you see them as just challenges to be avoided? You see, if we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness instead of our own skin, we will learn to be like Paul was in the situation. And I'll tell you, it changes everything when threats become opportunities, when challenges became become opportunities for the gospel. We see with the eyes of faith at that point. So these grants Paul's request, so when he had given him permission, So a pagan civil ruler grants Paul the opportunity to speak to this angry mob. This pagan civil ruler is agreeing to grant the force and power of Rome for a minister of the gospel to preach the gospel in public. The opposite of what we see at many places in today's world where they come down and they run you off. Paul understood what was going on. Paul understood that there could be a reversal because Paul understood who is in charge. Proverbs 29, 26, many seek the ruler's favor, but justice for man comes from the Lord. Justice for man comes from the Lord. Do you realize that even the most evil pagan ruler is fully under the control of our great and awesome God and that the Lord is whom we should seek first anytime we are seeking a ruler's favor? This is another really important principle in Biblical protest against ungodly civil rulers. We must seek the Lord first. And certainly Paul would have been lifting his requests to the Lord even in the midst of this entire situation. Now, I want us to see here that Lysias, whether he knew it or not, is acting the way that Isaiah 49 predicted that kings and civil rulers would act in the future versus starting at verse 22. Thus says the Lord God, behold, I will lift my hand in an oath to the nations and set up my standard for the peoples. They shall bring your sons in their arms and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. Kings shall be your foster fathers and their queens, your nursing mothers. They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be ashamed to wait for me. And in the American version. 1789 of the Westminster Confession of Faith, which did change significantly this section on the civil magistrate, this council in America overseen by Witherspoon, who was one of the great signers of the Declaration, if I recall, or at least many, many of his students signed the Declaration. So this should inform you also of how our founders thought of civil governance. Civil magistrates, this is twenty three three civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of the word and sacraments or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven or in the least interfere in matters of faith. Yet as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the church of our common Lord. without giving the preference to any denomination of Christians above the rest, in such a manner that all ecclesiastical persons, whatever shall, all ecclesiastical persons, whatever, shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions without violence, or danger. And as Jesus Christ hath appointed a regular government and discipline in his church, no law of any commonwealth should interfere with, let, or hinder the due exercise thereof among the voluntary members of any denomination of Christians according to their own profession and belief. It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered either upon pretense of religion or of infidelity to offer any indignity, violence, abuse or injury to any other person whatsoever and to take order that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance. So whether Alesius knew it or not, he was serving as a nursing father to the church when he stood there and used the power of the sword to provide a pulpit for the Apostle Paul to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Jews, the hateful Jews, his persecuting enemies there in Jerusalem at that time. Now, I also want us to see that Paul acts from faith. And into that scene, God works according to Paul's obedience. Now, I'm going to compare this to a different situation with a similar outcome in Luke chapter 5, verses 1 through 11. And you'll see this happen, the same kind of thing, God moving in the midst of obedience in a very difficult situation. So it was, as the multitude pressed about him to hear the word of God, that he stood by the lake of Gennesaret and saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then he got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. and he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon, launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. But Simon answered and said to him, master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing. Nevertheless, at your word, I will let down the net. Of course, Paul doesn't give any complaints when he's moving ahead, right? And it's kind of like when I preached through this before, Peter's saying to Jesus, you know, could you leave the fishing to us pros and you could stick with the preaching? But he does what Jesus says. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking. God's movement in the midst of their obedience, even though it was kind of a complaining kind of obedience. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink. So I'll stop there in that quote. So you see, again, we should expect in our lives to see as we obey and we move into situations, we wade into difficult situations. God will be with us. God will act. We don't know how. We don't know what it will look like, but we should anticipate it. Do you see that often you must obediently wait into uncertain situations, this is a question, and await God in the midst of them, trusting Him to act even when, and I would say, and especially when, you have no power to accomplish the desired outcome. Let me ask you, without Lysias and the Romans there, could Paul have calmed this crowd on his own? We don't know for sure, but probably not. Like it appears as though if the Romans hadn't shown up, he'd be dead by now, not standing up above them, ascended if you will, preaching to them. The text says, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language saying. Now, it is not a stretch to say that this whole scene here carries the death, resurrection, ascension and rain motif. It is all present here. Death. They were trying to kill him. He was in the arms of death, surrounded by this mob, as good as dead if the Romans had not delivered him. But the commander comes and rescues Paul out of this place of death, like resurrection, bringing him out in his arms, in the arms of the soldiers, lifted up, carried up by the soldiers, in their arms, Jesus being lifted up, ascended up into heaven, lifted up by the arms of the Father. And where did Jesus go? To the right hand of the power on high. To what? To be prophet, priest and king. He brings us his truth. And Paul is granted freedom to speak there and to bring forth truth from that ascended place in a similar way that Jesus is always bringing forth his truth by his spirit to this world. Hebrews 1, 1 through 3. Think of Jesus. God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, there's his death, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High, there's his ascension after his resurrection, having become so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. He's reigning there, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High. So I hope you'll see God's great power on display here. He controls the heart of Lysias. He controls the heart of every person in that mob. He turns an angry, irrational, violent mob into still and silent pupils with Paul as their teacher. Now, we're going to see that not every one of them is converted. We're going to see that only some of them are converted. This should also give us great hope. Do you think that the mobs of our day are any less irrational and violent towards Christians and towards Christ's ways than were these Jews? I don't think so. I don't think so. We should have this kind of faith as we approach our culture today and see with the eyes of faith that God controls the hearts of not only the tyrannical rulers who hate him and his kingdom, but the violent mobs who prop them up as well. Jesus Christ reigns over them all. So final question, do you see reality with the eyes of faith, understanding that nothing, nothing, nothing is impossible for God? Giving you courage and cheerful hope to go forth and do your calling in this world to kick the darkness until it bleeds light. Through your prayers, through your faithfulness to your particular calling in your life. Or are you held back? Are you paralyzed because you see with the eyes of the flesh so that doubts and fears control your plans instead of faith and the fear of God? Let us pray. Almighty and gracious Heavenly Father, Lord, we acknowledge that in our sinful flesh we are filled with doubts and ungodly fears. And we cry out to you, Lord, that we would be like Paul, that we would be like Dennis Green, that we would be most importantly, Lord God, like Jesus Christ, our Savior, that we would see with the eyes of faith and that we would walk in the fear of God. and that you would help us and guide us and lead us in all the particulars of what this means in our lives, day by day, for the sake of the glory of your great name and for the sake of our increased joy and service to you in Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.