I'll be reading from chapter 22 as we continue forward in the book of Acts. I'll be reading from verses 17 through to verse 30. You'll notice in your sermon notes the verses of focus, verses 22 to 29. Brothers and sisters, please listen very carefully because this is God's holy and infallible Word. Now it happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, Make haste and go out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning me. So I said, Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him. Then he said to me, depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles. And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live. Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander saying, take care what you do for this man is a Roman. Then the commander came and said to him, tell me, are you a Roman? He said, yes. The commander answered with a large sum. I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, but I was born a citizen. Then immediately those were about to examine him, withdrew from him. And the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman because he had bound him. The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds and commanded the chief priests and all their counsel to appear and brought Paul down and set him before them. And thus ends the reading of God's word. Amen. Amen. Please be seated. So you'll see the title of the sermon is The Shields of Earth Belong to God Shields being In the context of Psalm 47, civil magistrates, political rulers, they all belong to God. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples. Shout to God with a voice of triumph. For the Lord, most high, is awesome. He is a great king over all the earth. He will subdue the peoples under us and the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob, whom he loves. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises. Sing praises to our King. Sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations. God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God. He is greatly exalted. Commenting on this, John Calvin said, the shields of the earth are God's. This is understood by many as spoken of princes, what you and I would call political rulers. I admit that this metaphor is a frequent occurrence in scripture, nor does this sense seem to be unsuitable to the scope of the passage. It is as if the prophet had said, it is in the power of God to engraft into his church the great ones of the world whenever he pleases, for he reigns over them also. Yet the sense will be more simple if we explain the words thus, that as it is God alone who defends and preserves the world, the high and supreme majesty which is sufficient for so exalted and difficult to work as the preservation of the world is justly looked upon with admiration. The sacred writer expressly uses the word shields in the plural number for considering the various and almost innumerable dangers which unceasingly threaten every part of the world. The providence of God must necessarily interpose in many ways and make use, as it were, of many bucklers. Today's text, we see this on display for us, even with pagan Rome, even with a nation not at all submitted to God or His ways, but by providence had been granted many good laws in the Roman Empire at that time. So today's text, we're going to look at the Jewish threat. We'll be reminded of how we got here. We're going to see the command given by the commander of all the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem at that time, the command to scourge Paul, to find out what's going on. It was torture to examine him, get him to talk, to figure out the reality of why this tumult had happened. And we'll see even in the midst of this, Paul, again, demonstrating poise and just asking a simple, respectful question regarding the law. And when the law comes up, we see the fear of these Roman soldiers on display. First, the centurion. The commander has to go and confirm this. The commander is very concerned about what this could mean for him and his soldiers. And the soldiers, they fear the Roman law as well. Not a one of them dares stand up against the Roman law. The commander himself, with his position of power, also is afraid. And we see through this, Paul is delivered by God's providence. Paul is delivered from the threat of death. And along the way, as usual, some questions for you, brothers and sisters, to think this through about your life today. There'll be some direct, obvious questions. There'll be some questions by way of extension as well. So let's dive in. First of all, the Jewish threat. They listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live. Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, So they're acting like animals. This is the threat. So these Jews are very angry. This is nothing new. We've seen this throughout Paul's ministry, his first, second and third missionary journeys. It was these same Jews from Asia that had brought this whole tumult to pass there in the temple in Jerusalem. So the anger and the hatred of the Jews, he'd been stoned either to death or near death already. They had gone from one city to another to try to stop the spread of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we know the Jews in general wanted him dead, and specifically these Jews had already been beating him in the temple, having accused him, right, of a capital crime, having accused him of bringing a Gentile into the spot where they're not allowed. Remember what we read today in Ephesians 2. Robbie Maddox read it for us. That wall dividing Jew from Gentile. There was a sign there. If a Gentile went beyond that, the Gentile and any Jews who took them in there were liable to the death penalty. So the Jews are beating him when this Roman commander comes and rescues him. They want him dead. They're quiet for a minute while he gives this speech to them, defending himself. But as soon as he starts talking about going to the Gentiles again, they lose their mind. They interrupt him. They start screaming for his death again. So they'd already tried to kill him just moments earlier, and they burst back into their uncontrollable wrath again. So Paul's life is in grave danger right here at this moment. So civil magistrates are given by God as shields, we're told, as bucklers, according to Calvin, to protect from this kind of evil behavior. The cry, rid the earth of this fellow, takes up their earlier demands that Paul should be killed, expressed with the shout, take him away. The phrase, from the earth, means not to be in humankind any longer. And this first phrase of the crowd's direct speech is not hyperbole, but a demand for Paul to be put to death. If they couldn't kill him themselves, they wanted the commander to execute him. Paul should not be allowed to live. They want this commander to kill him, should certainly remind you of the Jews crying out before Pilate, crucify him, crucify him. So how did Paul get here? Why is his life in danger at this moment? You remember he had agreed to help achieve peace within the church of Jerusalem. The same kind of disdain and contempt between Jew and Gentile was present within the church at Jerusalem. There were Jews there who'd believe false accusations against Paul, and they didn't want him around. So he shows up in Jerusalem. Remember, he's got this big cohort of all these Gentile Christians with him and all this money that they've gathered all through the whole realm that he had been preaching through. All that land bordering the Aegean Sea that we've talked about before. in Athens, in Corinth, and up into Macedonia, through Thrace, and in Greece as well, and even in Asia Minor in Turkey. Bringing all this money and all these people there, and what happened? Thank you very much, Paul, but we've got a problem with the Jews. They don't like you. Word has been spreading about you. So do this. This is James and the elders. You know, and Paul does it for the sake of peace. Remember, he said to the Romans, live at peace with all that you can, as much as it relies upon you. Paul understands the only division that matters is what do you believe about Jesus Christ? And he wants the church of the Lord Jesus Christ to be together. So he yields to their suggestion. He goes to the temple to offer this vow with these four men who had also taken a vow to demonstrate to the Jews who had come to Christ, who were part of the Jewish church, to show them he's not a hater of the Jewish people, not a hater of the Jewish law, not against the temple. That's why he's there in the first place. That's why he's there, and we could call this his attempt to carry out biblical worship, what you and I are doing here together today. That's what Paul was trying to do. And the Jews of Asia saw him, and they remembered him, and they wanted him dead, and they made these false accusations against him. So that's how we got here. So what happens next? Well, the commander wants an answer, so he gives the scourging command. The commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks and said that he should be examined under scourging so that he might know why they shouted so against him. He needed an answer. Some of the commentaries mentioned that perhaps he didn't understand what Paul said when he spoke to the crowd. Remember, we read that he spoke in Hebrew, and did he speak in Hebrew, or did he speak in an Aramaic dialect? In either case, that maybe would not have been understood by the Roman soldiers, but would have been understood by the Jews. So Paul chose a language to communicate more fully with the Jews, whom he considered his brethren. He called them men and brethren. Remember his love for the Jews. He said he would, he himself, be cut off if he could, so they could be saved. So the commander wants to know what's going on. He doesn't perhaps understood what Paul has said. So he decides to have Paul examined under scourging, which was legal. Torture. to get information was illegal against non-Romans at that time, okay? Commentary says, since the Jewish crowd did not provide Lysias, and that's the name of this commander, Claudius Lysias, since the crowd did not provide coherent grounds for granting the request for Paul's execution, and since Paul's speech provided no clarification either, he wants to extract from Paul himself the cause of the demand for his execution in order to establish his identity and his crime. So this was a lawful way to bring an investigation into the life of a non-Roman citizen at that time. The fact that Paul had declared that he was a citizen of Tarsus did not make him necessarily exempt from being tortured. Lysias proceeded within his rights. All other forms of inquiry from the crowd, which was incoherent, from Paul himself, who had been allowed to speak, All those had been exhausted or frustrated, and the situation suggested that Paul had committed a serious crime. Lysias was trying to figure it out. But now we see Lysias here making his second mistake. Having wrongly believed that Paul was an Egyptian, he believes that he is only a Jew. That is, a Jew who is no different from most of the other Jews, and who can thus be interrogated under torture. So this is more evidence that Rome's not living under biblical law. They do have law, and God can put it to use to protect his people. This commander, he doesn't have any great love for Paul. You think he's probably been impressed with Paul's poise. I mean, Paul's getting beaten to death, and yet he's able to have a coherent, respectful conversation with Lysias prior to this. He sees Paul's poise speaking to these people who want him dead. Even if he couldn't understand what he said, he could perceive his affection for these people. So he's willing to bring serious harm or even death to Paul. So that's what scourging means. When you hear scourge, don't just think, oh, it's bad. Think, no, oh, you could die. Or, oh, you could be left with permanent physical problems. Have you ever studied about the Roman scourge? You probably have. I'll remind you. Lysias wanted to use the flagellum to extract information from Paul. the scourge that consisted of leather thongs, often with pieces of metal or bone that would tear into the flesh and grab the flesh. This would be attached to a wooden handle, and people who were scourged could die as a result of this method of interrogation and punishment, or one could end up being crippled for life. You can imagine, there's no telling how deep the scourge could go, and what kind of tissue or bone or even spinal cord could be removed with such a scourging. Maybe perhaps even get into the chest cavity or the abdominal cavity. So this is very serious, what Paul is about to face. So Paul knows this. He's probably seen this, or at least seen the outcome of this with his own eyes before. Another reason to panic, right here, but he doesn't. And as they bound him with thongs, he's gonna be respectful, he's gonna keep his head about him, He's going to be courteous, and he's going to be wise and humble. Paul said to the centurion who stood by, is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned? So Paul knows the law. He doesn't just correct them. He respectfully asks the question. So let's first think about this idea of being bound with thongs. This is probably where Paul is. This is from whence Paul is asking the question, OK? Luke vividly describes the preparation for the interrogation of Paul under tortures, under torture. The soldiers stretched him out. So that's the first thing you need to see. The soldiers had stretched him out and tied him that way. They spread him in a forward position creating a tense posture of his upper body so that the blows would inflict maximum damage on his naked skin. So he's been unclothed in preparation for this as well. And he's placed in this position for the whips. And that describes the purpose of his body being stretched out. He's prepared for the whips. So there he is. He's been stripped down. He's been bound. He's been stretched. He's not weeping and crying and pleading and begging and screaming and accusing and cursing. And let's recall probably where this happened as well. The commentary says it's probably the Gabbatha. This is stone pavement in the fortress. Remember the Fortress Antonio right there next to the temple. And this Gabbatha served as a central courtyard within the fortress. Williams notes that Jesus was probably scourged here as well. This is where the scourgings would traditionally take place. Paul knows what happened to Jesus. And he's already said, I'm prepared to die, right? He's prepared to die. And yet he has a sense that his life will be extended because of what Jesus has already said to him. His apparent knowledge that he would end up in Rome preaching the gospel to all along the way. And that's exactly what happens. So note with me again and think of Jesus as you look at Paul. Paul does not physically resist. He submits to the bonds apparently. How hard would you have fought against the bonds? What would you have said? Paul maintains his mental composure despite this terrifying situation. Why? Was Paul able to maintain his composure? Would you be able to maintain your composure in this situation? Do you believe that this kind of grace is also available to you in your life? He doesn't beg. He doesn't plead. He just simply asks a question. He doesn't tell the centurion what is lawful. He doesn't get into a forceful mode. But he rather asks a question, demonstrating his humility and his true humility. and his true wisdom. Commentary tells us. The manner of his speaking plainly intimates what a holy security and serenity of mind this good man enjoyed, even in the midst of this. Not disturbed either with anger or fear in the midst of all those indignities that were done him and the danger that he was in. He was motivated by goodwill towards these people. He wanted them to know Christ. He wanted them to know the forgiveness of sin. Especially for the Jews to know that their Messiah had come. The long foretold glorious forgiveness in Jesus. All the old types of shadow. Certainly helpful, needful, but now passing away. Because the Messiah had come, the greater covenant, the greater promise, the greater time, the greater joy, the fuller expansion of the kingdom. He wanted them to know this. And how is he treated? You know, I think we're never more tempted to be ugly than when we're truly trying to help someone who then attacks us because we're trying to help them. Now, you might wonder, what is the Roman law regarding scourging a Roman citizen? Commentary says, the Roman had a law, and it was called Lex Simpronia, that if any magistrate did chastise or condemn a free man of Rome in dicta causa, that is, without hearing him speak for himself, and then deliberating upon the whole of his case, he should be liable to the sentence of the people. who were very jealous of their liberties. It is indeed the privilege of every man not to have wrong done him, except to be proved he has done wrong, as it is of every Englishman, by Magna Carta, not to be deceased of his life or freehold, but by a verdict of 12 men of his peers." This is Matthew Henry writing, who lived from 1662 to 1714. And in that time in England, the law of God did primarily and prevail in terms of man's law at that time. Not in every way, no, not in every way, but even more so than Rome at that time. So the centurion fears Roman law. The question itself bears its own answer, and the centurion heard that, we're told, and he went and told the commander saying, take care what you do, for this man is a Roman. So the centurion apparently believes that Paul is a Roman citizen. He brings up the idea, did Paul have some papers with him? Why would he believe Paul? We don't know, but he apparently does. So there are Roman laws defining proper treatment of Roman citizens, so the centurion now backpedals because his fear of breaking Roman law himself. The Romans were serious about their law. They were consistent, and the punishment was given consistently throughout the Roman Empire. Certainly not perfectly, but consistently enough to where every single one of these soldiers withdrew from this immediately. Now, note this also. He's fearful enough not only to disobey the commander's scourging order, this is in some regard an example of interposition, because he had a command, scourge him. He doesn't do it, that's disobeying it. But even more so, he goes and he warns the commander to be careful. So he has some trust in the commander's ability to sort things as well. So Luke relates the centurion's report in direct speech. This man is a Roman citizen, the commentary tells us, which is preceded by the decisive question that ensues from Paul's comment, which this centurion correctly interprets as an assertion of Roman citizenship and thus as a protest. His status as a Roman citizen requires a different treatment than if he were merely a Jew, irrespective of the crime that he may have committed. That doesn't matter. He's a Roman citizen. He must have due process. The centurion now knows that he cannot examine Paul under torture, and he asks for new instructions. So, the centurion follows Roman law, not Claudius Lysias' command, and shows that he has some degree of trust that Lysias will also submit to Roman law. And a part of what we see here, which probably goes without saying, you know, there are some in Christianity that have claimed that we should never even acknowledge that we're citizens of any country of the world and that we need to be so focused on heaven and the things of God and the kingdom of God and our citizenship in heaven that we reject all earthly citizenships whatsoever. There are those who believe that and teach that. Well, Paul would clearly disagree with He leans, not only does he claim his Roman citizenship, but he puts it to use for the kingdom of God, understanding that the shields of earth belong to God. Paul had certainly sung that psalm himself through the years of his life at the feet of Gamaliel there in Jerusalem. So the commander hears this, and he doesn't just take it and believe it, but he believes it enough to go and ask questions. He came and said to him, tell me, are you a Roman? And he said, yes. The commander answered, with a large sum I obtained the citizenship. And Paul said, but I was born a citizen. The protections of Roman citizenship prompts the commander to confirm with Paul regarding his citizenship. And it does again bring up the idea, did he have some sort of written proof? There's a very important point here, and they're submitting to what Paul is saying, even though there's just been tumult to try to kill him and these great accusations that he deserves to be put to death. Commentary says the chief captain would be satisfied of the truth of this from his own mouth. Tell me, aren't thou a Roman? Are thou entitled to the privileges of Roman citizen? Yes, as Paul, I am. And perhaps produce some ticket or instrument which proved it, for otherwise they would scarcely have taken his word. So the law had been given in this spot and Paul puts it to use for the kingdom of God. We can do the same. There are numerous, very effective legal organizations that help us, especially Christians, especially in today's world, to find safety in the law that God has given to us. So this idea comes up that citizenship is expensive. So apparently, this particular Roman had to purchase his and with a lot of money. But Paul got his by birth. Some think he became entitled to this freedom by the place of his birth as a native of Tarsus. Everybody said he was a citizen of Tarsus. I don't think he told him before that he'd been born in Tarsus. It's a city privileged by the emperor with the same privilege that Rome itself enjoyed. Remember we talked about this? That region was honored by Rome because of their faithfulness to Rome in prior wars and uprisings against Rome. Privileged by the emperor with the same privileges that Rome itself enjoyed. Others rather think it was by his father or grandfather having served in the war between Caesar and Antony or some other of the civil wars of Rome and being for some single piece of service rewarded with the freedom of the city. And so Paul came to be free-born, and here he pleads it for his own preservation, for which end not only we may, but we ought to use all lawful means. So you may wonder why Paul didn't bring up his citizenship, his Roman citizenship earlier. It's likely that had he proclaimed his Roman citizenship in that setting, it would have turned the Jews against him even more, and perhaps made them even less attentive to what he had to say to them. So it's not until things are getting to a real zenith of serious, when the scourge is rattling and the thongs are tightening, that he then says, well, it's time for me to put this to use. And Paul is right. His gamble pays off because these men fear Roman law. Immediately, those who were about to examine him withdrew from him. So the common soldiers now immediately leave this hazardous scene. They too have great fear of breaking Roman law. So it's ubiquitous. It is everywhere amongst the troops. And this is one of the big reasons why the Roman army was so powerful. It's because nobody feared the enemy more than they feared Rome. Think of it. Not one Roman officer dares proceed like this against a Roman citizen. even perhaps if he didn't even have any written paperwork on it. Just the threat of it stopped them. So I want us to see the pervasive fear and respect for Roman law that God in his providence had put in place at this time. They all withdraw, nervous about how they've treated Paul. Just as we've seen earlier in Acts chapter 16, the Roman legal system now protects Paul. He's under arrest unjustly, but he's not been physically abused. I want us to also see the word immediately. And I want to ask each and every one of us to really think about this deeply. This convicted me. I speed in my car when I drive, and that is sin. Please pray that I will stop doing that immediately. You see here, brothers and sisters, real respect moves men quickly. Right. So what is obedience? Obedience is immediate and it is complete. That is what true obedience is. And these men, they know this. They know that any delay could be seen as disobedience. And that's what fear brings into the hearts of men. Let's put an immediate stop to Paul's trouble. Those that were appointed to examine him by scourging quitted the spot they departed from him, lest they should run themselves into a snare. So some things to consider. Compare yourself, will you please, to these Roman soldiers? Do you have this kind of fear of God in your heart? You say, oh, but pastor, the Lord Jesus Christ has died for my sins. I'm no longer under God's wrath. Amen. But you do know that you can grieve and quench the spirit. You do know that you are told that God, your father in heaven will discipline you as needed. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. So compare your fear of God to these men and their fear of a Roman, of the Roman system. I want us to particularly consider this, not just in terms of our response to political rulers, but I want parents and children to listen to me very, very carefully. Immediate obedience is a sign of respect and honor for our authorities in any realm, be it civil, ecclesiastical, familial, or even in your employment. So, parents, do you understand the central importance of insisting upon immediate obedience from your children? Or do you indulge your children? Oh, they're sleepy. Oh, they're hungry. Oh, they're tired. Oh, I've exasperated them. Oh, I failed them. And indulge their disobedience when they do not immediately do what you command them to do. Children question for you. Do you respect and fear your parents as you should, according to the Fifth Commandment to honor your father and your mother? Compared to these pagan Roman soldiers, how would you rate your obedience to your parents? And again, we can ask ourselves the question as well as adults, how would you rate your obedience to your employer or to the civil magistrate or to your ecclesiastical leaders? There's limits on this, right? That's a whole nother conversation. There are limits on this. There's limits on parents, limits on the church, limits on the state given by God's word. But this should convict us when we see how quickly these pagan unbelievers submit to the law of Rome. You know, we want to be like Calvin, Calvin's life prayer, John Calvin, he said, I offer my heart to you, O Lord, promptly and sincerely. So convicting. Frankly, I feel like a hypocrite in many ways standing up here preaching this. May God grant this to us. This grace can be ours. Now, the difference is, as Christians, we will have the love of God motivating us. Did these Roman soldiers, did they love Rome? Probably. But it was it was fear. It was fear of loss, fear of pain, fear of punishment that controlled them. That's not true for us as Christians. It's to be God's love that guides us. But guess what? If you don't love God enough to obey him, you should fear him enough to obey him. Because he loves you. And he will bring pain and suffering into your life as needed to bring you back to him. So may God grant to us, amen, to offer our hearts to him promptly and sincerely. That would be true of us in our walk with him. So we see this fear not in just the Romans, but the commander as well. He says, the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman and because he had bound him. So he's not filled with fear because he is filled with fear because he's broken Roman law by having Paul bound. Paul has been bound. And if any man in this story could have flouted Roman law at all, it would have been him. It would have been Claudius Lysias, the soldier in charge. But even in this position of power, he quickly submitted himself to the power of Roman law. And this should be a message to leaders. All leaders are under authority. All leaders are to submit immediately. Commentary tells us more about this Roman law. The Lex Julia Divi Publica stipulated, quote, liable is anyone who, while holding imperium or office, puts to death or flogs a Roman citizen contrary to his right of appeal, or order any of the above mentioned things to be done, or puts a yoke on his neck so that he may be tortured. The commander's alarm that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen of superior social status, in chains suggests that he removed the chains, since the specific charges against him were yet unknown. He kept him in custody in the Antonia Fortress overnight, albeit in some comfort. And we're going to see what happens next. We're going to see Claudius Lisius, in many ways, what he does that ends up with Paul being in Caesarea, and then ultimately in Rome, and having all those opportunities to preach, is because Claudius is trying to clear himself. He's trying to demonstrate how much respect Roman citizens should get. He protects him. Remember what we read already, he commands those who are charging him, he commands them to come. And he's gonna watch what happens the next day. And we'll look at that next week. So because of Paul's Roman citizenship, providentially granted by God, we see the full force of crushing Roman power held at bay. And the murderous fury of the apostate Jews are brought to naught. it was there on top of him at that moment. I want us to note the hand of God here in using even pagan Roman governance to protect Paul and provide for continued preaching of the gospel. And brothers and sisters, while our nation was founded primarily upon the word of God and the laws that we were given at that time, both in our state and in our nation, were primarily based upon the law of God, now we are more like pagan Rome. Not necessarily the laws themselves, but the way those laws are being read by those who hate God. And so the protections given to us are certainly threatened at this point in time. But the hand of God can certainly rise again, can he not? And bring safety and protection to his people, which is the primary, I think, focus point of this. Not only Paul's poise, and could you have it, and not only the Roman respect and immediate obedience that should cause us to pause and question ourselves in every way, whether we're those being commanded or those giving commands. But finally, for us to stand back, and even though the NSA and all the other three-letter organizations you can think of are primarily being put to use against the church and against the cause of the gospel, we want to be more like Paul and simply go where God calls us and entrust our souls to Him. No weapon formed against us can stand. if God so wills it. And even if we are to burn in the fire of Nebuchadnezzar, we will not bow down. So the commentary says, see here the benefit of human laws and magistracy. So majesty, those are political rulers. And what reason we have to be thankful to God for them, for even when they have given no countenance nor special protection to God's people and ministers, like today, Yet by the general support of equity and fair dealing between man and man, they have served to check the rage of wicked and unreasonable illegal men who otherwise would know no bounds and to say, hitherto it shall come but no further, here shall its proud waves be stayed. And therefore this service we owe to all in authority. Now listen, we're gonna implement this today together. To pray for them. because this benefit we have reason to expect from them, whether we have it now or not, as long as we are quiet and peaceable, to live quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness and honesty. And you know, when you think about what's going on in our world today, I would say that in general, we have still been granted this, the ability to live peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty. And for this, we should be very, very thankful. And so as we pray for our elected officials today during our time of prayer, let us also give thanks. Let us also rejoice and be thankful for what we have been given. Now, I think it's very important to also recall Jesus before Pilate, okay? Because we want to leave here this morning reminded of, or either learning for the first time, the proper view of civil governance as Christians, okay? Listen to what Jesus said to Pontius Pilate. Pilate said to Jesus, do you not know that I have power to crucify you and power to release you? Pilate is referencing the power that he had in that position to decide whether Jesus lived or died. And Jesus answered, you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin. So it's very important for us to keep this in mind in our daily lives, that the power of the state that is over us, that power has been given them by God. He has ordained the current status of the world as the one who is providentially arranging all things. You think God is in heaven fretting and worrying about coming up with plan B? You think Jesus is wringing his hands at God's right hand worrying about the wickedness in high places in the earth? Or do you think God in his infinite wisdom has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in each and every moment of what he is doing is to the higher praise and glory of his name and the goodness of his people and the victory of his church in the earth? Which do you think? The latter. Now it doesn't always work out like this. We see many, many martyred Christians in the first century, don't we? Paul being one of them, eventually. Peter. We've already heard of James. Not the brother. Being sawn in half. So it doesn't always work out like this. But the demonstration is that God, there's another scripture for you, holds the hands, the hearts of kings in His hand. like a river and directs it in whatever way he pleases. And no heart can escape that reality. And this should bring us great comfort and joy, especially in this world where I'm sure they're listening to me right now as I'm recording it on this phone. And I'll remind the people at the NSA once again to repent and love Jesus and quit their evil job. I want us to also keep in mind this final point for today. Brothers and sisters, Every institution on Earth is to bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ. Without exception, Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And he sits at God's right hand and all the cosmos has been given to him. Because he said that, didn't he, before he ascended? All authority, some authority, no, all authority in heaven, only, no, heaven and Earth has been given to me. Everyone not submitting to Christ is in rebellion. Paul said it, did he not? At Athens, all men everywhere are commanded to repent. The law of God is the standard for every soul on earth. And every square inch of this world belongs to our risen and reigning Savior. Glory be to His name. So with that introduction to this last point, what is God's design for the civil magistrate? I know you're going to say, because you're Bible readers, to punish evildoers. And because I know you're Bible readers who really read your Bible, you're going to say, and evildoers are defined according to God's law. God's law defines sin. And God's law defines crime. And God's law alone distinguishes between crime and sin. And God's law alone gives us good and righteous punishments for true crimes. I know that's what you would say. But would you also say that civil magistrates particularly also are commanded of God to protect the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and to see to the health and welfare of the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no call for civil magistrates to protect Islam or to protect Mormonism or protect false apostate Judaism. Now yes, to protect all men from being ill-treated, yes. But not any specific command to protect any religious organization except the body of Christ, the one true church in the earth. And you know, the people who founded our nation, they knew this. So I'm going to quote to you from Isaiah 49, where God, speaking through the prophet, tells us this. And then I'm going to read to you from the Westminster Confession of Faith, which I've already done. Chapter 23, the American version. And this was a good change. So Isaiah 49. Thus says the Lord God. Behold, I will lift my hand in an oath to the nations. This is to the whole world 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. So the nations are going to love the church and come into it. Kings, this is all the kings of the earth, 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. So this notion that our political rulers are free from thinking from scripture is not biblical. Civil magistrates will be judged according to how they treat the Lord, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And those who founded our nation knew this 1789 version shortly after we gained our independence. And just a few years before the Constitution was ratified, Witherspoon was the presiding minister, if I remember correctly, at this particular gathering of Presbyterians at that time. There was one national Presbyterian church at that time. And here's how they rewrote and updated this part of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of the word in sacraments. or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven or in the least interfere in the matters of faith. So there's limits on what the civil magistrate can do there to be concerned with the church there to look after the church. But they are not to be the church. They are not to tell the church what to do next. 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 enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions without violence or danger." Now, I'll say that many of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence studied under this witherspoon and understood this as what they were creating. And don't forget that when the Constitution was ratified, these United States, each of them considered an independent nation like European nations, had established religion with a few exceptions. Christian religion. Established. So clearly we know the Constitution cannot in any way forbid the establishment of religion by the civil government. These are perhaps words that would seem odd in today's world, don't they? Unpopular. Oh, don't you believe in the separation of church and state? Well, rightly put, rightly defined, yes. So did Witherspoon and those at this convention. The church is to be holding the keys of the kingdom and overseeing the sacraments and biblical worship, not the state. The church alone decides whose name goes on the rolls. A church alone decides whether a particular voiced confession and the life of that individual mean that it is a true confession of faith and puts them on the list or not. That's the church's job, not the state's job. But the state is to protect that church. The state is to protect that church. So when we pray today, you see how we can pray. Going on, 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. Let me stop there. So when we told the civil magistrates during coronavirus that we're not going to shut those doors because of what they say, we were exercising according to this principle. That decision rests with church leaders, not with civil magistrates, whether those doors are open or closed on the Lord's Day. Going on, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person in 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. So the protection is for the church only, but all citizens are protected by law. Institutionally, the actions of the church, the work of ministers, the work of the Christian church specifically is to be protected by the civil magistrate and no other religion is to be afforded that protection. But individuals, regardless of their religious persuasion, are to be protected by good law. You see the difference there. So you can see where the thinking would go. But what about those who are Jewish and who are apostate? What about those who are Muslim and who proclaim that the cross is to be spit upon and that Jesus is vile? What about Mormons who deny the faith? What about you go on and on? Well, the answer is Christianity and a Christian nation is the only place where those who reject the religion of the land are kept safe. Every other form of political rule will eventually bring tyranny upon those who do not submit themselves to the religion that is guiding that government. We must not be fooled into believing that there can truly be neutrality. Secularism is a failure. And finally, circling back to that other idea I emphasized, to take order that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance. So if things are flaring up, where should the police officers or the soldiers be stationed? Outside the doors of the church, to make sure that the people of God can come and worship the Lord God safely and in peace. That is one of the top priorities when it comes to security and the civil magistrates thinking. So I give thanks to God for the way that this Roman leader was put to use by the Lord to demonstrate his sovereignty over the civil magistrates. And these biblical reminders, the purpose of the civil magistrate, and I hope that we will be encouraged to see God's great and glorious majesty over all things, including those even in today's world who are so powerful and can see so much and know so much and bring so much destruction so quickly and so easily. The Lord Jesus Christ is in charge and he loves us with an everlasting love. Let us pray. Almighty and gracious Heavenly Father, we rejoice to rest in your loving and. Almighty hands. We thank you for this work that you did to deliver Paul through this time of great threat in his life. And we ask that you would teach us, Lord, through this to trust you more, to see your majesty and your glory, to know that there is no power except that which you have established and to know that you are the one guiding us and sustaining us, that you would give us faith to serve you in the face of any threat. We pray, Lord God. That you would bless us to be immediately obedient to you in every way. And all the ways that you've granted to us to find and express that obedience in our lives. May we do so, Lord, not just out of fear, but Lord, out of love for you, out of gratitude that you have come and shed your precious blood for us and that we are yours. We've been bought at a price. We are not our own. And therefore, that we would live for you. with gratitude and thankfulness and gladness all the days of our lives. Bless us, we ask, Father, to this end. In Jesus' name, amen.