Centurions Minister to Paul

What a wonderful blessing to be able to assemble with the people of God to have you here on the Lord's day trust the Lord will bless our gathering. Jesus meets with us. It'll be good and he's promised to two or three are gathered together in my name, I am in the midst so I think we have every prospect of a wonderful time in worshiping the Lord together, we received word this morning that Duane Craig's mother Janice passed away this morning at 4 AM very peacefully. He was holding her wings in the service today trusting the Lord and the rejoicing in God's goodness, but please pray for Duane at this time.

Remind you that we are going ahead with our October Bible conference October 4-7 with Jim Orrick from Louisville, Kentucky, so mark your calendar.

That'll be some additional services. We haven't been overburdening you with a lot of meetings lately just Sunday morning and that's about all. Except for the lifestream that most of you are tuning into on Wednesday night and Sunday night and we appreciate that very much. But the covered has made things very different, but we feel like we need a Bible conference.

We need this time of refreshment.

So please apply them to be with us on not only Sunday morning and Sunday night and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night, October 4-7 44 Bible conference.

We are very grateful and very encouraged by your faithfulness and giving during these times of covert somehow or another you're getting your your giving to the Lord to us by mail by offering plates on the table in front of us around at the Usher station and our needs are being met. Her bills are being paid and we are very very grateful for the faithfulness of God's people through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness. Well, let's begin by this reminder of the way of salvation by works, not mine. Oh Christ, speak gladness to this part shall we stand as we sing together thing to apply that truth to our life day by day, moment by moment and circumstance by circumstance, we really don't have full peace in our lives until we get to the place where we can say with the songwriter. What air my God ordains his right sing testimony of that faith in God. No open your Bibles with me please to ask chapter 21 message today is going to be unusual in the regard that we will not be looking at one small text to analyze it in careful detail, but rather were going to be surveying over about four chapters in the book of acts today so obviously I can't read them all. I'll read a portion of the first passage that were going to be examining the next chapter 21, beginning with verse 26 and I'll read through chapter 22 verse one then Paul took the mail 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 in this place, and furthermore he has brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place, for they had previously seen trough from us the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they suppose that Paul had brought into the temple, and all the city was disturbed.

The people ran together and 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 of the soldiers they stopped beating Paul, then the commander came near and took him and commanded him to be bound with two chains and asked who he was and what he had done and some among the multitude cried one thing and some another soak 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 a way with him. That was Paul was about to be let 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 4000 assassins out into the wilderness. Paul said I am a Jew from Tarsus and Celestia, 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 when there was a great silence he spoke to them in the Hebrew language saying brethren, and fathers, hereby defense before you. God bless to the good of our souls. The reading of this portion of his eternal word shall we now look to the Lord in prayer the Lord, our Lord, how excellent indeed is your name in all the earth, we see the evidence of your wisdom and power all around us we see the evidence of your goodness, send patience and long-suffering day by day, we see the Lord. The work of your love in our own soul. And we have seen the ultimate evidence of that as we look upon the cross of Christ and see the sacrifice that you gave that sinners might be reconciled to you become. Therefore, a Lord is grateful people saved by grace deserving of damnation brought into the family of God, we come to worship and exalted to praise you become a Lord because our hearts are troubled, they cannot help be troubled by all that is going on in the world around us. Father, we need to have our minds renewed. We need to have our faith strengthened. We need to have our focus pointed again to your word into your son and to the promises that remind us that you are indeed upon your throne and still in charge of all things, the furthermore your ways are always right in your wisdom is unsearchable.

Therefore, when we see things that trouble us. We need to know that you have a wise and gracious purpose for them and whatever you are God ordained is indeed right and we submit to that the Lord and ask you to teach us.

These truths day by day. We thank you for the birth of Logan and Timothy Starnes, the latest grandson to Alan Purcell and we pray that you will bless Thomason his wife and his family at this time in Asheville.

We thank you Lord the Taylor Tyler Rankin is out of the ICU at Duke Hospital and is doing amazingly well considering the injuries that he has to his head that we realize that he's not completely out of the woods and all is not well we praise you Lord that you have spared his life, and we praise you a Lord that he is progressing so amazingly well. Father in your goodness. Would you please continue to bring him to full restoration.

We thank you that any nicks mother Sarah Gilmore is recovering nicely in New York State.

We thank you, Rob Conrad continues to recover. We pray for Scott to Lori in the Philippines as he has can't attracted this fever which is very dangerous and, occasionally, is deadly and we pray that you will touch and strengthen and spare him at this time. We pray for Stuart Waugh that you might bring him that liver transplant which she has been waiting for it when she needs to perk all prolong his life with him.

A Lord we also pray for Paul Snyder and Trevor Johnson, all of our missionaries who all have needs of one kind or another. Father, we have at least four no five families in our church should've been touched by death over the last few days in one way or another we pray you will strengthen and encourage help them cause them to focus their hearts and minds completely upon you and help us to do the same.

We gather together this morning assembled in the name of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Lord we bow before your glory manifested in your son.

Shall we stand and sing together and go and go as most of you know, we began a study of the Roman centurions in the New Testament the first in Matthew chapter 8 was the centurion at Capernaum servant was healed by the Lord Jesus Christ. From a distance at his own insistence. Jesus marveled at the extent of the faith of a Gentile second was a centurion at the cross of Christ was actually in charge of the execution and when Jesus committed his Spirit to his heavenly father.

That centurion manifested that he had come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Shirley, this is the son of God.

The third one that we looked at last Lord's day was Cornelius the centurion in Caesarea merit team a was already a worshiper of God, but did not know the Lord Jesus Christ and was therefore directed by God to call Peter to come to him and to explain the gospel to him at the same time the Holy Spirit prepared Peter to be willing to come into the home of a Gentile and so was a wonderful time of enlightenment for Cornelius and his household enlightenment of the gospel of Christ. For Peter the Jews that were with him. Enlightenment in God's intention to bring together into one body, Jew and Gentile, all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ received without stipulation, without circumcision, without dietary laws. Gentile sign when equal standing with the Jews simply upon faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful true today taking the whole group of centurions at least seven possibly more.

As will see we go along unnamed none give evidence of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We would presume by the evidence that's giving us, given us in Scripture that they were all idolaters, worshiping false gods.

Roman gods of of stone and of wood, of clay, but nevertheless every one of them man whom God used in order to protect and care for his servant, namely the apostle Paul, the account of the centurions is scattered over four chapters of the book of acts chapters 21 2223 and 24, and we really cannot consider them without considering a great deal of the narrative of these four chapters, and that is a very challenging thing. I hope I'm going to be able to do it properly yet, I think is a wonderful lesson very important lesson that can be learned from allies of the centurions when we have concluded this group today will have one more to go in acts chapter 27 the last centurion who is in fact named.

His name is Julius and quite a bit is told us about him, but will save that for another day.

Now, in acts 21 to 24 will see centurions who minister to Paul those whom God uses unconverted idolaters to protect one of his dear children, and we will look number wanted to centurions to the rescue. Number two, a centurion prevents discouraging number three I centurion exposes a plot for two centurions provided an escort and finally the centurion protects the prisoner recover that. Let's try hang in there. First of all sin to centurions to the rescue that comes within the reading that I conducted a few moments ago.

The exact text is acts 2132 it says he immediately disses lysine as the commander he immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them when they saw the commander and the soldiers they stopped beating Paul this passing reference to suit to centurions to centurions to the rescue. Now let me give you the background.

Paul travels back to Jerusalem. At the conclusion of his third missionary journey is coming bringing the substantial offer monetary offering that is been raised among the Gentile churches for the persecuted saints at Jerusalem is also coming to report to the mother church for the church in Jerusalem was the first church in the largest church at that time was the mother church for all the churches that were being planted now. Probably too numerous to count all across the Roman world. And Paul is coming back in talking to the leadership of the church and reporting to them with the Lord is doing out among the Gentiles, and at this time, he learns that there are some questions about his ministry among the Gentile that shirt reports have been circulating among the believers in Jerusalem about Paul and his ministry and things that are not accurate but they are causing some of the Christians to have questions about the apostle Paul and whether he is a reliable servant of God and so the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, instruct all to identify himself with Ford members of the church, Jewish Christians, of course, is that all were in that location and to enter with them into the conclusion of a valve, presumably a Nazirite valve that they had taken some time, and the ritual.

This is a Jewish ritual and these details that Paul follows you not going to find these details in the law of Moses in the Old Testament, but these are the things that developed over the years and the completion of these Nazirite valve. In addition to cutting their hair off which are growing all during the duration of the valve. Paul himself having taken a similar valve a previous occasion required seven days of purification in the temple, which included a number of things but probably most significantly, the offering of animal sacrifices and there was some significant expense involved in that. And so the leaders of the church, said Paul in order to demonstrate to the members of the church that you have not turned your back on Moses you have not taught the Jewish Christians out in the dispersion to no longer observe the customs of the father's youth. You have have not told them that they must not keep a kosher diet and so forth.

Things that have been reported in order to demonstrate to them that you have no objection to these Jewish customs Paul of course recognize that they were not required but he did not consider them to be wrong. They had become a matter of conscience, a matter of liberty matter in different they may be observed if a person shows they didn't have to be observed if a person did not choose in the course for the most part the Jewish Christians continue to observe them in the Gentile Christians did not and this was a point of of conflict. He really shouldn't be a didn't need to be, but it was and that's why to address this matter, so he gladly follow these instructions and entered into this ritual cleansing with them by going to the temple every day for seven days to go through the prescribed ritual and he agreed to pay the cost of their sacrifices out of his own pocket was Paul destitute. Sometimes, yes, other times, no new both how to abound and how to be abased how to befall and how to suffer need to be hungry not to have every need supplied considered blurred the whatever state he was therewith to be content. And at this time. He seems to have a full full pocketbook and so he gladly pays for the offerings. We are told that these men weren't able to pay. That's really not the point.

The point is that Paul is demonstrating his identity with them and with the religious ritual which the carrying out these saying I have no objections, no problems with these mosaic elements of the law, and even that the additional traditions that have been added to them as long as they don't contradict the gospel. So Paul is in the temple with these men on probably the seventh days.

Toward the end of this cleansing ritual when he is observed by a group of Jews from Asia that would be in the area of emphasis who had come to Jerusalem themselves for the feast of Pentecost. That's why Paul was there at this time. He hurried to get back in time to be able to observe the feast of Pentecost.

Another demonstration that he was not opposed to Jewish customs. He still observed them according to his Jewish upbringing. He had hurried back to Jerusalem to be there to observe the feast of Pentecost and of course these three annual feast days, drew Jewish worshipers from all over the world and there happened to be some there from Asia who knew Paul and no of his success in preaching the gospel and turning many Jews to Jesus Christ and Asia, and they certainly had you might say a chip on their shoulder against the apostle Paul and they saw I am in the temple and they had seen him in the streets earlier with a Greek Gentile by the name of traffic was from Ephesus and so they assumed, wrongly, that Paul had taken him into the temple and with a Gentile unqualified to be in the temple had defiled the temple and so they cried out to their Jewish compatriots cut into RA. This is the man who is doing terrible things to the Jewish religion that he is even brought a Gentile into the temple to defilement. You know is I tried to explain to before the temple was a vast, vast, vast area was. Not a single building.

It was a temple area with many courtyards, the size of a number football field very large and so it was actually okay for Gentiles to come into the outer courtyards, no problem there was a large area all the way around the temple proper. There was a large area was considered the core of the Gentiles Gentiles could come there Gentiles could pray there they wanted to pray, but where the temple property that the building that we would probably call the temple was situated there was another walls around that and there was. There were there was a courtyard in their effect a couple of courtyards before you actually got into the temple proper. This is where you came to the courtyard of the Jewish man the courtyard of the women was elsewhere but the man Jewish men could come into that courtyard of the little bit further was a courtyard that only the priest could enter into the course.

Only priests could go into the temple. So Paul evidently was in this court of the Jewish men, men, and was seen there by these men from Asia and they accused him of bringing a Gentile into that courtyard which was strictly forbidden. In fact there were signs prominently posted that said something like Gentiles beware if you pass this point you're taking your life into your own hands was a capital offense that was the one thing the only thing that Rome conceded to the Jews to give to have permission to carry out executions. They were so determined in Rome finally said it's not worth the fight from originally said nobody can carry out executions were wrong. You can't do that you don't have that authority you are under our authority. But the Jews were so strongly committed to protecting their temple from defilement from Gentiles, that Rome even allow them to carry out executions in the case of a Gentile who breached that sacred space. That's what the crowd of Jews are accusing Paul of doing and so they dragged him outside that inner courtyard into the outer courtyard. The gates are slammed shut. They started beating him, obviously intending to kill him. Planning to beating to death. The report immediately comes to the Roman commander in the fortress. Antonio explained to you at the northwest corner of the this vast temple courtyard and as I was looking recently this week.

One more time at a at a young map is not the right word, but a sketch of the temple area and the different elements of the relationship one to the other and saw the, the fortress Antonio in the northwest corner and realized what a small area occupied on that northern wall.

He doesn't even cover quarter maybe only only 20% of the length of that wall and this fortress is large enough to house a thousand Roman soldiers in the barracks again. It gives you an idea of the immense size of the Jewish temple area, but that Fort had been built there fortress.

Antonio named for Anthony Anthony and Cleopatra fame and built by Herod the great who built built built built built so many things. He built the temple to its present size of the belt. That fortress and the purpose of the fortress was so that the Roman occupying force could keep a close eye on Jerusalem because the Jews were prone to riot and rebellion. Generally when these type things happen. They started in the temple, so the fortress was right there where they could watch and there was a tower up above even the fortress itself, which was high above the courtyard, and the tower was always stationed with lookouts and as soon as I saw trouble in the courtyard below.

They sent word to the Roman commander, and he immediately sprang into action. He commanded two centurions to come instantly with their their soldiers that they work well.

It doesn't say to. That's the interesting thing.

Most commentators assume that it probably was to just simply says centurions plural. We know that was more than one minimum of 22 or more centurions with their band of soldiers. Each one of them had 100 men under their command so slipping down. There were two staircases down from fortress Antonio into the courtyard and I would suppose 11 center and his men streamed down one staircase the other center and his men streamed down the other staircase that there is more than what I guess they took their turns and picking down the staircase as well into the courtyard below and rescued Paul kept him from being killed by the mob's rescue was initiated by the Roman commander who we learn later in chapter 26 we finally get his name is Claudia's Lycia's he is the robe in the Tribune as he would be more commonly called, or in the Greek the Roman killing Ark and a Roman Tribune are killing Ark was a commander over a thousand Roman soldiers religion I told you all this before but I don't expect you to remember all the details. Roman legion was 6000 men.

So were talking about a garrison.

This is called here, which is a thousand man force and occupational force of cohort plus a cohort was 600 your member, so this is bigger than a cohort in the killing Ark is over thousand soldiers who were all stationed in this fortress. Antonio and that indicates that there would have been how many centurions stationed at that location. Probably 10, each with 100 men times 10 makes a thousand. That's what it would've taken to make up a force of a thousand. So there were probably at least 10 centurions stationed there. So when Claudia's Lycia's said go to who were there. Probably the two closest and down. They went scrambled out of the barracks and down they went and they rescued Paul from his murder by the mob to centurions. God used to rescue Paul from death by a mob number two. A centurion prevents discouraging and I have to move I would be very easy to get caught up in all these details never get done. Now we come to a centurion prevents discouraging of the exact verses for that is chapter 22 verses 25 and 26 and I'll read those and then will have to fill in the background again asked 2225 and as they bound him with thongs. Paul said to the centurion who stood by, is it lawful for you, discouraging man who was a Roman and then condemned when the centurion heard that he went and told the commander saying take care what you do with this man is a Roman well when Lycia's sent the centurions to rescue Paul from the courtyard. He had Paul bound with chains and carried manually up the stairs into the barracks he had to be carried because the mob wasn't willing to let him go.

They were still fighting for him fighting to hold on the ball. Even though there were hundreds of Roman soldiers there so determined were they so Paul is rescued by being carried manually for this physically up into the barracks up into the fortress above and when he arrives there. He speaks to the commander, Claudia's, Lycia's, and he says to him in Greek, educated Greek obviously he is a well-educated man. He says can I speak to you and Lycia's is quite surprised to hear Paul speak Greek because he assumed that he was a certain seditious Egyptian who had created a riot about four years before, and evidently he knew enough about that Egyptian to know that he didn't speak Greek wasn't that well-educated.

Now what we know about this Egyptian we only get from secular sources, but he had come.

He was a Jewish he was a Egyptian Jew.

He had come to Jerusalem and he had acquired a following and he promised his followers that when he spoke word. The walls of the fortress Antonio were going to crumble down. He was claiming to have miraculous power like Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho and his followers believed him and he had collected following a 4000 man and he was getting ready to format some kind of rebellion and his rebellion was brutally crushed by none other than Felix the Roman procurator who comes up at the end of our account today and they killed most of the 4000 followers, a few of them escape. But the Egyptian himself escape now what ICS is assuming is this Egyptian came back for another try. And he was not welcomed by the Jews because he had tricked them before he deceived them the acclaim powers that he clearly didn't have and he had caused the death of many of them and they were not, they would not welcome him so when Lycia's saw them beating this man in the courtyard. They thought that Egyptian is come back and he's getting what the Jews are going to meet up to him. He probably at that point was same you know should I rescue him or should I just pretend to know kind of delay dragged my feet here until they can do the job probably ought to be done. Read both the Romans and the Jews of this pesky fellow, aren't you he says to Paul that Egyptian created all this problem. Paul says no I'm not.

I me Jew from the city of Tarsus city that had a reputation of having a highly educated populace and I would like to have permission to speak to the crowd below and the commander killing Ark is rather taken aback by all of this and realizes he's not dealing with a ruffian he's dealing with a highly educated man, so he gives them permission and so when the crowd is quieted and Paula standing on the steps in speaking to the mob below Hundreds of people. No doubt he begins to speak to them and what our Bible calls the Hebrew language which but it was actually Aramaic but it's it's it's kind of a development out of Hebrew and it was the form of Hebrew, you might say the Jews in that day, spoke, and it is very unlikely that Claudia's Lycia's or any of the Romans understood what spoke at this point they did know what he was saying to the ground below, as they communicated with all the Jews in Greek and the Greeks all the Jews all spoke Greek and communicated with them in Greek, so it wasn't necessary for them to learn Aramaic and so when Paul begins to give his testimony. That's what he does in speaking to the Jews. They don't know what he saying I don't think that's supposition on my part, but they really don't know what he say opposer simply giving his testimony. He tells them how he used to persecute Christians how he was a Pharisee and how he was arrested by Jesus Christ on the Damascus road and he met the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven about speaking to him on earth below and that he realized that the one he was persecuting was actually the Lord of glory was actually the son of God the eternal son of God, King of Kings and Lord of lords. It was actually a God that he thought he was worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and he had been completely wrong about all of these things and he explains all of this in his testimony is doing fine there listening with rapt attention until he says Jesus Christ gave me a commission. He told me to go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel and when he said that there fury knew no bounds. Their hatred was stirred up once again it's hard to imagine how deep is their hatred and animosity against Gentiles.

It's a terrible thing to see how racial animosity can just be stirred up in stirred up and stirred up until it becomes this irrational hatred see it here we see it in our day in America so a riot again. The commander they stood rescue him again. He does brings in back of the barracks was he wasn't in their hands. At this time he was standing on the steps and the soldiers were guarding, no doubt the steps they couldn't. Jews could come up to getting now.

The commander really is puzzled.

Who is this guy what's he doing and what what is it that setting these Jews into such an irrational frenzy and so he's going to find out the way that he knows how is a military man is going to interrogated by scourging with the Roman flagellum which is the most cruel and awful scourging ever devised. It was equipped wooden handle leather thongs but on the end of each. Each song was a piece of something very sharp stone, bone, whatever could be and every time that Roman Lichter flogged demand with that whip pulled back.

It always tore flesh from him. Paul, who had been beaten by rods another lesser form of beating and had been equipped by thongs but not the flagellum with these sharp objects in the end had never experienced the Roman scourging. The Roman flagellum before. Sometimes it was not was not uncommon for men to be actually killed in the course of this kind of beating.

They did not always survive Jesus was scourged with the Roman flagellum before the cross. He did survive and he died on the cross, Jesus was quite the man, but I stretch Paul out to scourged him and Paul signals to a centurion who is in charge of the scourging is one of these other two centurions may be so, maybe not.

Who knows that we don't even know I slept again, we don't even know that the other ones were only 22 or more with 10 centurions.

There statistically it's more likely than not that this is yet another centurion who is perhaps the one in charge of flogging.

Who knows. They all had different tasks.

No doubt, and so he signals to the centurion as he's been stretched out tied to the rack for this flogging this is so terrible scourging. He says just asked the question, is it lawful to scourge a Roman citizen doesn't mean a whole lot this because to us citizenship is so common that it's almost means nothing. It's a shame in America today is taken for granted in Rome. That vast empire. Only a small small small handful small percentage of population were actually Roman citizens.

Most of them. Romans from Rome, but some of them from other places at different times when when a particular person or in some cases a whole city like Tarsus had performed some significant favor for the Roman Empire may be rescuing them in some strategic battle or something reward would need to be still Roman citizenship upon them. That was one of the most highly valued things of person could have and so soon as the center and by the way, if anyone claimed to be a citizen and it proved to be a lie. That was a an execution point.

He would be killed for lying like that so it's not very likely that the centurion is not of the opinion the policies lying because he knows if he lies he'll die for certain, and they didn't. They did carry a little forget the name of it little identifying: a passport or something in our day to certify that they were Roman citizens of Paul, no doubt, had that were probably not in his possession as we stretched out on the rack, but if you claim to have it. They'd no doubt assumed he could go get it out of his bag, but he sends word centurion sends word to Claude's Lycia's immediately and says be careful what you do with this man. He's a Roman and all that in itself is enough to literally shake Claudia's Lycia set because not only is it illegal to two flogged a Roman with the flagellum but it's even illegal to stretch him out in preparation for that he can get in serious trouble for this if he'd actually flogged them. He could pay with his life. That's how serious it so he comes and talks to Paul and says are you a Roman citizen.

Yes he says will I obtain that favor with a lot of money cost me a bundle now in probably for the majority, I'm told of the history of the Roman Empire citizenship was not for sale, but there were certain times that it was an under Emperor Claudius. They were selling citizenship at high price it was a way of of the lining the pockets of some of the officials in Rome in this no doubt is where he acquired his name. His name no doubt was Lycia's is given name and now he'd acquired citizenship is highly price citizenship from the Emperor Claudius or someone in his his cabinet and so he now takes an in Claudia's Lycia's and his citizenship now allows him to become his high-ranking killing Ark in the Roman army. He wouldn't of been able to do that before so he explains this to Paula cost me a bundle. He must've been a wealthy man cost me a bundle to become a citizen pulses I was born a citizen which the intricacies of the hierarchy of that day actually made him a little bit higher ranking in the minds of people that somebody who purchased a citizenship somebody who was born a Roman citizen was a very high-ranking personage in the Roman Empire. You better be careful what you do with this man and so they centurion rescued Paul from the Roman flagellum number three.

This in turn exposes a plot against Paul.

Chapter 23 verses 17 and 18. All read the verses and I'll give the background again. Then Paul called one of the centurions to him. Here we go again. One of the centurions to him and said, take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him so he took him and brought him to the commander and said Paul, the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you is something to say to you by what happened in the meantime was Lycia's realizing that he couldn't interrogate him by flogging decided that another way to try to find out why the Jews wanted to kill Paul was to have him placed before the Jewish Sanhedrin and let them conduct a trial and with Roman representatives. There to hear what's going on so we can figure this thing out and in the presence of the Sanhedrin Ananias the very corrupt high priest at that time orders Paul to be's mitten slapped across the mouth simply for claiming to be to be one who would worship God in clear conscience. Paul causing Matt. Paul says how come you are here trying trying me according to the law you've already violate the law. It's against the law to punish someone until they have been tried and found guilty whited sepulcher. You, but Paul didn't know that he was the high priest, why not well because they turned over so for again not the way it was designed by God in the days of Moses high priest served until they died and replaced for another high priest to serve for lifetime, but now you to become very political and because the Jews were under the authority of Rome. The Romans always had a hand in who would be the next high priest and high priest became high priest by posing up to the Roman government and so if they could cozy up enough and get this appointment. That was a good thing as long as they were in favor. They held the appointment but as soon as they fell out of favor out. They went another Jewish high priest who they could trust to be favorable to them so Paul had been away from Jerusalem for years and he didn't recognize the present high priest Ananias. And so when he found out that he had just publicly called out the high priest to know certain certain terms. Paul apologized for forgive me the law. Law of Moses the law of God says you shall not speak evil of the leaders of your people think about this. I don't have time to get into all of the applications here.

He was a man who was corrupt.

He was evil. It was a manhood broken the law. Does Paul have a responsibility to show him honor to defer to him to submit to his authority. I know a lot of Christians would say no, only if he's acting rightly. The Bible says otherwise. And Paul said I'm sorry I submit to his authority. That's what God tells me to do, but the light turned on. Now he has another idea and recognizing and knowing as he had probably been a member of the Sanhedrin himself in his earlier years. Recognizing that the Sanhedrin was made up of two classes of Jews, Pharisees and Sadducees.

He saw an idea. He had an idea Pharisees deny the resurrection. The possibility of anyone rising from the dead believe it's possible Pharisees support the resurrection they believe in it. And so, Jesus Paul's cries out for the doctrine of the resurrection. I am on trial this day and suddenly all Sanhedrin is divided there fight with each other. Pharisees is anything out of this bad in the Sadducees assignees above and their fight like crazy among themselves and the Romans realize that Paul is in danger again of being.

Now this time started to buy these two factions. One of them got them on one side was on the other side against him. Paul had a very interesting life. I don't envy if it's lucky, but now Paul is rescued from the situation and they take him back up into the barracks and the Jews get busy with the plot. The 40 of them get together they make a sacred vow that they will eat or drink nothing until they've killed Paul and the planned ambushing the gun as Lycia is to bring them down to the Sanhedrin again. We promise will behave this time bringing the honey can't can't at this time there planning to put him to death when he comes and Paul's nephew overhears the plot of this. This comes out of nowhere. We didn't know Paul had any relatives in Jerusalem, but this is his sister, son, we did know he had a sister. We do know that he had a sister who evidently lived in Jerusalem ceased. This is still young man, a boy, if he had any relatives we would assume by now that they'd all disowned become a Christian is no evidence that his relatives had come to faith in Christ. But there's a lot of unspoken things and all we can do is just deal with what is written here and God in his providence has the nephew someplace where in the world with his nephew for this plot, which obviously they weren't broadcasting all over Jerusalem. They didn't want the Romans to know about it. But somehow God in his sovereign ways caused Paul's nephew to hear the plot and he comes into the barracks and tells Paul. Paul has amazing liberty. He can people come and go and visit him. He's not. He's not like he's in jail really good old Roman citizenship. He put the fear of fear of Roman Lycia. Since there treating him very respectfully and his nephew comes and tells Paul that there is a plot against him and Paul beckons one of the sedentary centurion began unidentified centurion and says come here and it's almost like Paul's in charge when you read what he says here he is safe.

Could I make a request of you please like he had with Lycia's only wanted to speak to the crowd. It's like he's commanding the centurion take this boy take him to the commander leading to the commander.

What information he has been really I can't read too much into this, but it does almost seem like Paul is is viewing himself is in charge of the centurion and the centurion doesn't seem to object to that. Yes sir. The way goes nephew and he tells Lycia's what's going on exposes the plot so I centurion rescued Paul from the Jewish death plot now quickly number 42 centurion's provided escort Lycia someone immediately springs into action. He is a capable Roman killing Ark he knows what to do. The plot to kill Paul changes everything and so he takes immediate action and Lycia's immediately puts here we go again to centurions in charge of an escort.

Chapter 23 verse 23 centurions again and he called for two centurion saying prepare and notice the size of this escort, 200 soldiers 70 Horsemen 200 Spearman to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night was probably already night.

He says be ready to go by 9 o'clock to centurions put together this military escort 470 men in all and were told in verse 24 the horse says plural were provided for Paul.

They were going to go basically without stopping till they got all the way to Caesarea about 65 miles away and he would wear a horse up.

They had that more than one horse to get them all the way there before they accomplish their purpose to Caesarea, and Lycia's composes a letter this is where we learn his name because the letters there and in the Roman fashion. The name is given first of the author and so Claudius Lycia's writing to Felix the procurator of Judea. The very one who had quashed that Egyptian rebellion four years earlier.

He writes to Felix the Felix is the present governor is our Bible usually calls him of Judea. He is in the same position that Pilate was in crucifixion of Christ. He is the governor the procurator of Judea.

I wish I had more time to tell you about Felix but anyway they take off at 9 o'clock at night to and to press Antipater us, the town halfway away, built by just to hear the great named in honor of somebody named Antipater I forget who that is when they get that far.

They think they're far enough away that there no longer in is huge in danger and so they send all the foot soldiers back but just think about 470 Roman soldiers in the office a forced march are going quickly, you can in there and I'm sure perfect right will bow marching through the night anybody was anywhere near that root Road knew something was going on.

The Roman army is on the move nearly 500 men marching in the middle of the night something going on when I got to Antipater's. Now they didn't quite as many so just the Calvary, the 70 Horsemen are enough to finish it out and take him to Caesarea and they do in the deliver called us to Felix and is kept in here at scriptorium so our fourth example is to centurions protect Paul from an ambush by the Jews. They are given the responsibility putting together this military escort number five. The centurion protects the prisoner how chapter 24 verse 23, so he this is now Felix commanded the centurion. These guys are popping up a lot and you really notice how often centurions are mentioned in the book of acts the command of the centurion to keep all the leading metal liberty and told them not to forbid any of his friends to provide a visiting what happened here. Well, the Jews come from Jerusalem to Caesarea to bring their accusations against Paul Felix has decided he's going to hear their their case and they have a famous orator, orator/lawyer named Catullus who comes to to speak. The prosecution to prosecute the case and he does in verses two through nine of chapter 24 the Paul without without legal representation defends himself in verses 2010 through 21, and essentially Paul says I haven't done the things that they have charged me with a charged addition things and he said there is no witness here to prove any of these things. They said where were these Jews from Asia that accused me of bringing a Gentile into the temple that there saying I I'm guilty of is not a single person here to testify to that. Felix knew the Jews didn't have a legal case there obviously feel very strongly about about this Madden but they don't have a legal case.

Nothing that'll hold up in Roman court, but Felix is not an honorable man and he stalls he doesn't want to offend the Jews you know you got one man. He knows he is innocent. You got a whole nation. Here's your response of the governor of Judea, and these folks don't have a reputation for being called and easily ruled and managed and if the way you treat Paul favorably upsets the whole nation insensible in a riot you're in trouble with Roma and in a situation like that do you do the honorable thing and obey the law or you do you do the expedient thing and careful not to offend the Jews sexing position. The pilot was in Jesus Christ. What do the right thing and turn the man that I know to be innocent lives do I fend this nation and maybe lose my office.

That's what Felix is doing this we stole so while installing and trying to figure out what to do. He needs to make sure that Paul is in good protective custody casinos with the Jews, will do if they have a chance and so centurion's commission to keep all that's at least the seventh centurion that is mentioned in these four chapter and possibly more. Paul is in protective custody. Centurion safeguards Paul from Jewish intentions. Now I must conclude when we learn from all of this I give you some interesting biblical history. Well, I think the main lesson is how God faithfully cares for his own whatever it takes. God is good, take care of his own. Even if he's going to use pagan idolaters to do it is gonna take care of his own fear not, little flock, God has ordained to give you the kingdom. Why do you think is not to take care of you. Now here upon the earth before the kingdom gets with promises like we have in the word of God and examples of God's care. We have before us today. Why should we fear covert, 19 God knows how to take care of his children. I'm not saying be foolish and careless. But why should we fear covert, 19.

Why should we fear social unrest are carnations and turmoil and it may who knows what may happen.

Only God knows it may implode, but God knows how to take care of his children, his promise to do so. Why should we foot fear political upheaval. Why should we fear for one person gets elected wrong being cording course to politics. I'm not telling you that from the pulpit. I'm not telling you that Ron person is you want to know. Afterwards, come talk to me privately. But anyway, why should we fear God knows how to care for his children love how he cared for Paul he used Roman pagan idol worshipers to do it. So what should we fear no one but God fear God and God alone he cares for you.

He cares for you. You ever loves and cares for you. He'll do what no one else can do for Jesus cares for you. Furthermore, God is sovereign over all peoples and nations believers and unbelievers alike. They will do his bidding.

They all accomplish his purposes. Pagan Gentile kings, pagan Gentile centurions. They all do his bidding. God is sovereign over all people, nations. So why would we doubted God like this were getting to the conclusion that why would we go to God like this. Why would we trust a God like this for soul salvation hear what he says and believe his word. Why would we trust him for our safety and security. Why would we worry and fret. Why do we trust them for our future is if we have to secure our future goodness sakes trust in God quit worrying about it. This is a God, you can trust for your every need concern, shall we pray for God. Teach us to trust you as we ought. We pray in Jesus name, amen. Can we trust a God who has provided his son for our salvation is Robespierre mind wonderful extreme mood all the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out for who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become his counselor who has first given to him. It shall be repaid to him for of him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever.

Amen