SERMON: Acts 24:1-16

Reading

And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.   And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,   We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.   Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.   For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:   Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.  But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,  Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.  And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.   Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:   Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.   And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:   Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.   But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:   And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.   And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

The Lord Will Fight our Battles

Beloved of the Lord......For the good of all mankind, God has created what we call Three Estates, namely Marriage, the Church, and Government.  Due to sin's entry into the world, all mankind needs government because the natural evil of all men must be retrained by threats and force.  This is true even of Christians who do not always obey as Christians. Our own government then is like a club or sword which keeps our own sinful flesh in line so we do not hurt our neighbor.  Without government violent mobs would roam the earth and there would be only chaos, murder, rape, theft, and every kind of wickedness until the strongest man was yet standing.  With the government however, God restrains the wicked and rewards the good.  In today's lesson for example, God used the Roman government to protect Paul's life from those who would murder him.  Our court system likewise protects innocent citizens and condemns the guilty.  Romans 13 says our government is "the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." 

        Many people think that when we have bad government, or a corrupt government, we have the right to rebel…..but they are absolutely wrong.  Even if the founding documents of our nation give us the right to rebel under certain conditions, God gives us no such right, for the "powers that be are ordained of God", and this certainly includes corrupt powers.  God's blessing is not upon lawless rebels, but His blessing is upon those who keep the law.  It is the first lawless rebel, Satan himself, who wants us to get so angry at our government that we take up arms and rebel.  Our Lord however, Jesus Christ our Savior and King, does not want us to be lawless, but through His mercies He desires us to be meek children of faith who "look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."  I know it is hard and very depressing, when men in office abuse their power.  When we look at the details and dig a bit deeper, it is truly frightening to see what is going on in this country.  The family unit is being destroyed.  The hard working man is overtaxed and discouraged.  Freedoms enshrined in our Constitution are being ripped to pieces, and good is being called evil and evil good.  Yet regarding these "powers that be", we remember what our dear Savior said to Pontius Pilate, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above."  We must therefore learn to look at the state of this nation, through the eyes of faith.  There is a much higher and more noble battle being fought here.  It is the war between Satan and his followers against Christ and His Church.  Their battle is against our Gospel, yet this same Gospel is the only thing which can end their warfare.  It is for the glory of Christ then, we hold high the banner of the cross.  We are the Church Militant, yet our sword is the Sword of the Spirit, the Gospel Word.  When we preach Christ crucified, unbelieving prisoners of Satan are loosed and set free, through the forgiveness of sins provided freely by Christ's blood.  When we therefore have Pharaoh's in office, or Belshazzar's, do not let Satan overthrow your faith by wrath and hatred, but let the peace of God live and reign in your heart, knowing the Lord will fight your battles, and Christ has already won.  "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life."

I.  False accusations, lies, and slander.  As the prophet Agabus prophesied and the Holy Spirit directed, the Apostle Paul was captured and bound in Jerusalem.  Though forty Jews had conspired together to murder Paul, the Lord in His wisdom gave special protection to Paul, by means of the Roman government.  With 200 soldiers, 70 more on horseback, and 200 spearmen, the chief captain secretly sent Paul to governor Felix by night.  He would be judged in a court of law, and Paul, being a Roman citizen, had certain rights.

        As for the lawyer Tertullus, his charges against Paul were false.  These were false accusations, lies, and slander, spoken with the intent of murdering Paul by the government.  These were sins against the Eighth commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor", yet that is exactly what Tertullus was doing.  This was perjury in the court of law, and the Bible says "A false witness shall not be unpunished."  But it is not only in a court of law where God commands us to tell the truth.  In our day to day life also "God forbids us to belie our neighbor; that is to lie about him or lie to him or withhold from him the truth in order to harm him."  Sooner or later liars are punished.  Jezebel, for example, lied about Nabaoth, in order to seize his vineyard, but in the end she was punished.  Certain men pushed her out of a window and she plunged to her death.  Revelation 21:8 says, "All liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

        Of course all of us are guilty of lies, and we are by nature no better than Jezebel.  If we are selling something for money, we will often shade the truth at least a little in order to make our product appear better than it is.  Yet when we are on the other side making a purchase, we will happily say bad things about what we want to buy, as if its value is worth almost nothing.  And while we all know it is wrong for a thief to break into our house and steal, how often have we robbed and plundered the good reputation of our neighbor by a little gossip or slander?  Which of us has not slandered those holding public office?  While it is our duty to rebuke the public sins of those in office, we can never use their sins to disregard and disrespect the high office God has given them for the benefit of all.  Our Lord says in Second Peter two, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities."

II.  Keep a good conscience.  We should therefore respect those in office and always tell the truth, just as the Apostle Paul did before governor Felix.  Having a good conscience, Paul responded to the false accusations and slander in a rather cheerful way.  He was not in the temple disputing and raising a rebellion, "Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me."  Paul always worked hard to have "a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men."  We too must keep a good conscience in this world before God and man.  If we purposefully sin against our conscience and then continually suppress it when it reminds us of our sin, that is what we call an "evil conscience".  It is a terrible thing to suppress our conscience.  While we are never saved by a good conscience, for our justification stands fast in Christ alone, an evil conscience drives us to despair, losing faith in this forgiveness.  That is what happened to Judas.  He sinned against his conscience by betraying Christ, and this evil conscience loaded with guilt drove him to despair, then suicide.  But the only remedy for an evil conscience is Jesus.  By His blood there is indeed forgiveness for all those times we sinned against our conscience.  This forgiveness cleanses our guilty conscience so it need not despair.  But knowing His forgiveness, we should then handle our conscience carefully by not sinning against it.  That is what it means to keep a good conscience.  Hebrews 10:22 says, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." 

        This Gospel truth, as Paul said, is what our world calls heresy.  The devil calls the saving Gospel Truth a pack of lies, and wherever the Gospel truth is preached, there the devil will be, working with all his might to silence and suppress it.  When we are thus wearied and discouraged soldiers on the battlefield, we should remember this battle, our battle, has already been won.  What Christ did, in, by, and through the cross cannot be undone.  Our justification is secure in the very blood of God's own Son.  And no matter how hard the devil may work to erase the Gospel by persecuting Christians, he will always fail, and Christ will always win, for "the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee."  This means God will preserve and keep His Gospel among us, all the way till Judgment Day when the mountains and hills do depart, and Christ appears in all glory.  "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."  It is indeed at this time "there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."  On this blessed day of our resurrection and restoration Jesus said, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

       

III.  The resurrection of the dead.  What exactly happens on the Last Day?  Isaiah writes, "All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine".  Not only will the sky above us roll away like a scroll, but all men shall see Christ return with both His angels and the saints.  There will also be a great resurrection, so all the ground will quake and moan beneath us, and every grave will open.  The souls of unbelievers in hell will reunite with their body, but without Christ their body will remain corrupt.  As for the souls who return with Christ from heaven, such will re-enter their own body, but it will now be changed and glorified, better than ever without any trace of defect from sin.  In the twinkling of the eye, at the last trump, we shall be raised "to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."

        There is indeed great comfort knowing, God has by the precious blood of Christ, reserved a place in heaven for  you.  Even now there are empty seats at that heavenly table waiting to be filled.  Even now ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Him.  Though the Roman government did eventually murder Paul, God meant it unto good, and Paul has no complaints.  "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."  Stay and remain then in this precious faith dear believer, understanding God has a good plan for you, and you need not worry about the kings of this earth.  God has through Christ already won all your battles.  Faint not nor fear, His arms are near; He changeth not, and thou art dear.  Only believe, and thou shalt see, That Christ is All in all to thee.  The Lord will fight your battles.  Amen.