Sometimes in social settings, we're prone to blend in. Or at least we want to blend in. Conformity is our personal default when we're feeling insecure. But as followers of Jesus Christ, we're called to take a stand. and it takes guts to choose principle over popularity.
Today, on Insight for Living, Chuckswindahl continues our biographical study of Paul, a man of grace and grit. In this next message, Chuck will show us, using Paul as his model, how to become invincible when we feel vulnerable. Chuck titled his message, Standing Tall as Paul Stood. I want to thank you this morning, Father, for the Presence of art. for the arts.
You have created. Uh you You you have put together all of the uh of this the uh Theories of song and of music And long before there ever was an earth. You fill the stellar spaces. with the singing of the stars together. Thank you for instruments that Express your praise.
In the ancient days, there were instruments, and in these days, thank you for fingers that play notes and for lips that play horns. And for hearts that make music from stringed instruments and for vocal cords that sing your songs. Thank you, Father. For loving us enough to get beyond the functional and the and the practical and Lifting our spirits to the place where our souls' deepest needs are met. in words written by poets.
And lyricists who know how to say what we feel. in ways better than we could express them. Thank you, Father, for giving us a place. inside away from the harshness of the weather, that we might gather and turn our hearts to you. Thank you for loving us.
though we are so often unlovely, Thank you for Calling us to yourself when we weren't even looking. Thank you for helping us make sense out of things that seem senseless. and purpose out of the purposeless. and meaning beyond the shame and heartache. Of sin.
And thank you now, Father, that you have granted us. Above all other creatures, the ability to give.
Something to you. Out of the abundance which you constantly provide. Shelter over our head, clothing for our bodies, food for our stomachs. Great literature for our minds. Encouragement for our hearts.
You provide us with a wage. A living. And it's out of the abundance of that we have the joy of giving. not out of obligation. But out of joy.
And we do it now because We want you to know how greatly we love you. And how deeply thankful we are for The arts. and people about us. and family. and friends.
and laughter. and forgiveness. Through Christ. Who loved us and gave himself for us. In his strong name, I pray.
And all of his people said, Amen. You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into the life of the Apostle Paul on your own, be sure to purchase our Searching the Scriptures Bible Study Workbook. By going to insight.org/slash workbooks. Chuck titled today's message: Standing Tall as Paul Stood.
We're engaged in an in-depth study of the life of Paul. We first met him at Tarsus and he was known as Saul. Of Tarsus, same man. But after converting to Christ, he became Paul the Apostle. And we have, in most recent days, sort of focused on some of the.
Well, the areas of his life where we might find a sense of identity. For example, we have Traveled as Paul traveled. Not the same places, but we've learned how he traveled and what was involved in traveling well. We've seen Paul preach on Mars Hill, the Areopagus, and we've learned his technique and how he taught, and his skill in communication. We then looked at how he leads, learning leadership skills from how Paul led.
And then responding to hardship. As Paul responded. Most recently, we have thought about thinking straight like Paul thought and. This last time uh handling criticism. and dealing with it like Paul.
dealt with it. All of this not to suggest that Paul is our model. He is not the sinequinon of humanity, Christ is. But he is a He's a wonderful hero, if you will.
Sometimes it helps to have someone with skin on. If we're looking for heroes, Our Lord Jesus, of course, is the ultimate, but... Certain lives that he changes. Who learned to stand tall become, for us, models to follow. Webster defines a hero As a person admired for achievements and noble qualities, One who shows great courage.
My definition isn't nearly as sophisticated. I think a hero is someone who stands tall while others shrink back. A hero is someone who swims against the current rather than with it.
Someone who speaks up when he should, or she should, when others are staying silent when they shouldn't. The Bible is full of them. I think, for example, of the Valley of Elah, where young David, still a teenager, came to the scene where Goliath was. Oh, marching back and forth and taunting the armies of Israel. And Saul and his troops were frightened over his.
His stature and his words. And David came on the scene and And said, Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? Remember his brother's response? Mm. Oh.
You're here to sort of show off, aren't you?
Well, how are those little woollies back there in the Judean hills and the ones you left, Daddy's sheep? And his response was remarkable. He looked out across the way and said, Is there not a cause? The point being, isn't there a reason? Isn't there a principle at stake?
Isn't there an issue worth fighting for? And how wrong it is for us to shrink back when it's time to stand against this giant. Esther comes to mind. One of the earliest examples of a Jewish Holocaust. was upon her.
But she didn't know it in her protective palace And thanks to Mordecai, who showed up and sent a message inside. He said to her, you have attained royalty for such a time as this. She believed him and realized the significance of her position and of the moment. And her response was in her heart, I must do something. And her verbal response was, If I perish, I perish.
She presented herself, although it was against protocol, to the presence of Artaxerxes the king, and the rest is history. Haman was exposed in the plot. was foiled in the Jews. were saved. David stood tall and became a hero.
Esther stood tall. and became a hero. And there was Daniel, I could name him as well. Who winds up in a lion's den, not for doing what was wrong. but for doing what was right.
They could find no corruption as he was in the midst of a corrupt government, and because they couldn't, they conspired a plot against him. Made it necessary for everyone in the kingdom there to bow before the. The idol, and Daniel, of course, would not do that. They caught him not. Bowing before the king, but bowing before his God, and they threw him in a lion's den.
Nothing happened to Daniel, as a good friend of mine says, because he was three-fourths backbone and the rest gristle. Because Daniel was made of the stuff heroes are made. And he stood tall when others shrank back. I've noticed a pattern. about heroes.
In fact, I've noticed a pattern about what's involved in standing tall. Never read this anywhere, but it just occurs to me when I thought about it. First, something wrong is going on. There's something wrong on the scene. The cultural scene, the setting in front of us, the battle scene, something is going wrong.
Second, there's a principle at stake. Always a principle. an issue. There's something that isn't being stated that is being sacrificed because this is going on. Third, to do something is to risk.
And to risk is to be misunderstood and misrepresented and often maligned and mistreated. But there's risk involved in doing something. But you are able to do something about it if you will.
Well, you don't have to. If you do nothing, it only gets worse. But if you do something you'll probably act alone. are certainly in the minority. That was true of William Wilberforce, who stood against.
the principle of slavery. He stood against the issue. And against the vote of fellow members of the parliament, Wilberforce said it is wrong and went to his grave saying it is wrong, and his cause won. Patrick Henry stood against tyranny. When all others were thinking, oh, couldn't I just raise my crops and raise my family out here in this northeastern countryside of this new land of America?
It'll be okay. Don't worry about the British. Patrick Henry said, You give me liberty or you give me death. And he becomes a hero. The same of Martin Luther.
who saw the corruption in the papacy. And the enormous expenditure of funds to the extreme in the Roman church, and said it is wrong. And though himself a Roman Catholic monk, he stood alone, stood tall. Was misunderstood, misrepresented, maligned, and mistreated. But he became for us.
Another of a long line of heroes. Martin Luther King Jr. comes to mind. At a time when Many of us had our arms folded and were looking the other way because of the way we were raised, passing off the thought of prejudice as though it is someone else's fault or problem. Martin Luther King put his finger on the nerve center and said, segregation is wrong.
He wasn't perfect, nor was Wilberforce, nor was Luther, nor was Patrick Henry, nor was David, or Esther, or Daniel, or you or me. It's not about perfection. It's about standing tall. When that's what we ought to do. And because he did that, He became one of our heroes.
Most recently would be the firemen and the police force of New York City. As the majority were racing or doing their best to get out, they were racing to get in. As many of us would have run to save our lives, they ran in to save another's life. And in doing so, They by the dozens, yes, by the hundreds. stood tall.
I don't feel it here, but I think I would in many settings.
Some of you may feel this is a bit of an extreme position to take. in this day of great diplomacy.
Well, for you who may feel that way, who listen right now to me, I want you to hear the words of Charles Briggs, who describes the alternative life. I quote: If your ambition is to avoid the troubles of life, the recipe is simple. Shed your ambitions in every direction. Cut your wings of every soaring purpose. and seek a little life.
With the fewest contacts and relations, tiny souls can dodge through life. Bigger souls are blocked on every side. As soon as men and women begin to enlarge their lives, their resistances are multiplied. There are always those who advocate Peace at all costs, who offer band-aids for bone-deep wounds, who propose quick fixes. That fix nothing.
Who choose only the path of least resistance, who preach peace when there is no peace. who leave unresolved conflict and simmering resentments in their wake. Should these peace seekers be regarded as wise? No. Those who want to live lives of significance will be hated and opposed.
Expect it. When you play in a military band and you finish the march, there is a little note at the end. It's called a stinger. I like that name. Oh.
This has a stinger to it. When Briggs finishes his words, he says, expect it. Remember my comments from Emerson? to be significant. said Emerson, is to be misunderstood.
Some of you are living your lives right now. Misunderstood. And you quite likely feel there are more against you than there are for you. I understand. There may be more for you than you realize.
But it feels like the more of the people around you are against you. For your sake, especially, I have two more simple comments before we look into. The book of Acts, chapter 25.
Okay. Allow me to clarify a couple of things. First, Heroes don't seem like heroes at the time. Heroes don't seem like heroes at the time. It's usually not until.
Later, that we realize how heroic an individual was. At the time, All of those people I've named had folks around them who must have thought. Why go over the edge? Why make waves? Why think like that?
Leave it alone. They don't seem like heroes at the time, but later on we look back and think: that was a person who stood tall enough to be a hero. And by the way, I need them. Don't you? There's hardly a day that passes in my life that I don't focus on one of my heroes.
And I am grateful for that.
Some of them are living, most of them are dead. But their heroic lives motivate me to go on. and to do better than I have done before. The second comment I want to make is that Heroes are not biologically birthed. We'd like to think they are.
Especially when our darling baby is born. I just gave birth to a hero. No, you can't say that. You really can't say that. You'll have to tell me that later.
Because heroes are mentored by those who stood tall. That's how we become the people we are. It's not because we were born and three weeks later we were heroic. in style or character, no, no, no. We learned how to stand tall from those.
who have stood tall before us. and beyond us.
Now, with all that in mind, I want you to turn to a magnificent story that unfolds out of the book of Acts. And I'm looking toward Acts chapter 25. Let me catch you up with a little context here. Paul has been through, better word is endured, four trials, all of them.
somewhat like mockeries. They're like kangaroo courts. Remind you, no evidence has been found against him, though he's still held under arrest. I remind you that he has not been proven guilty, but he has been kept. in confinement.
He has appealed to Rome, which, in other words, means Nero. And he is living for the day he can stand before Nero, though we have no biblical story that contains that. We believe he ultimately did have the chance to testify before the emperor. And uh The trial we're looking at today in chapter 26, a little later on, is the fifth of five trials that he endured. Let me set the stage for that fifth trial.
Look at 25:12. When Festus had conferred with his council, Festus is the procurator or the governor of the day. In Caesarea, where this happens, Caesarea by the sea. Festus answered, You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you will go. He's speaking to Paul at the end of the fourth trial.
Now, when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa marked these names. And Bernice arrived at Caesarea. and paid their respects to Festus. While they were spending many days there, Festus laid. Paul's case Before the king, That's King Herod.
A grip on it. Festus laid Paul's case before Herod. Saying, there is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. And when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. Verse 21.
But when Paul appealed to be held in Custody for the emperor's decision. I ordered him to be kept in custody. Until I send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said to Festus, Uh I also would like to hear the man myself. Tomorrow.
Answers Festus, You shall hear him.
So On the next day, when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp. And entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
Now Pause. Let me acquaint you. A little background will really help if you'll concentrate. King Herod the First A wicked man. before he died, attempted to kill Peter.
who escaped Not long after the escape, Herod died a miserable death.
However, during his lifetime, He had at least three children. even more, but these three are significant for the story. He had a son, whom we would say today he called Junior. Agrippa the second. That's this Agrippa that appears before the scene in Festus' life.
So there is Herod Agrippa. The second. In this particular time, he's a 32-year-old leader. among the Jews. Yeah.
Herod also had a son, had a daughter named Drusilla and another daughter named Bernice. You'll remember Drusilla. We met her when we studied Governor Felix. What I didn't tell you is that he seduced Drusilla to leave her husband and to marry Felix. His third marriage.
So we've got We've got Felix with Drusilla. Drusilla's sister is Bernice. Who happens to be Herod II's sister? and she moves in to live with her brother. in an incestuous relationship.
The whole thing is a moral mess. And these are the people who have set themselves up as judges and jury over Paul. of all things. Make a mental note of our stopping point today because Chuck Swindahl has a lot more to say about this dramatic encounter. You're listening to Insight for Living.
Chuck titled today's message Standing Tall as Paul Stood. It's one of twenty two sermons in his in depth biographical study on Paul, a man of grace and grit. Before we hear closing comments from Chuck, I want to remind you about a very popular and practical book that we're offering. It's called Life is 10% What Happens to You and 90% How You React. Throughout this biographical study on Paul, Chuck has pointed out the critical importance of adjusting our perspective on life to align with God's will.
even when it's hard. And this book will show you how to do that. Also, here's an important update. On Monday, June 30th, Insight for Living will complete another ministry year, and we're in a virtual race to the finish line. We're asking God to replenish our reserves through friends like you so that Insight for Living continues to proclaim the amazing grace of God without any interruption.
And now, here's Chuck. Down through the years, Insight for Living Ministries has touched the lives of millions of people. Thanks to folks like you. Those who invest in what we do make it possible for us to continue. doing what we have attempted to do over the years.
We're at a great turning point in our history now that we have come to this era. where people are listening more than ever. Looking for hope. A reason to go on. a way to get beyond the drag of yesterday and And to move on into the hope of tomorrow and what it can mean for their future.
Insight for Living will play a major role in that. As we take the word of God. Open it. and allow them to read over our shoulder and to see how true these principles and precepts are. In order for that to happen, we need your support.
You're giving. Your faithful support will make it possible for us to continue what we have been doing down through the years. Thank you in advance. Forgiving.
so generously. And here's how to get in touch with Insight for Living. You can call us at 800-772-8888, and you can give online at insight.org/slash donate. To send a check in the mail, address your donation to Insight for Living. Post Office Box 5000.
Frisco, Texas, 75034. In closing, I want to remind you about Chuck's book, Life is 10% What Happens to You and 90% How You React. and there's a reflective companion journal for it called Cultivating Joy in Life's Circumstances. To purchase the Attitudes bundle, call us at 800-772-8888. The bundle includes Chuck's book and the personal journal.
To learn more, just go to insight.org slash offer. I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Chuck Swindahl continues his message titled, Standing Tall as Paul Stood. Thursday on Insight for Living. The preceding message, Standing Tall as Paul Stood, was copyrighted in 2001, 2003, and 2024, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2024 by Charles R.
Swindahl, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
