A Question of Identity Sermon SHORT

“A Question of Identity”
Acts 21:37-22:21
July 20, 2008

Identity determines destiny.

I’m talking about getting a Bible grip on what the Scripture says is true of you—and why it’s true of you, which is critically important. In our text today, Paul has an opportunity to tell his story, to identify himself to a howling mob intent on his execution.

Paul had finally made it to Jerusalem in time for the Feast of Pentecost, intent on delivering the offering collected from the Gentiles for the impoverished Christians in Jerusalem, an offering he was intent on delivering personally because of the solidarity it showed between Gentiles and Jews in Christ. All along the way, though, Paul had been warned, time and again, that what awaited him in Jerusalem was pain and imprisonment. But with laser focus on what Paul believed God had called him to do, he went forward. Sure enough, Paul was arrested by the Romans, more as a measure to save his life than for any wrongdoing on his part.

Note first a case of

I. Mistaken Identity – 21:37-38
Three years earlier a Egyptian Jewish terrorist had appeared claiming to be a prophet. The tribune jumped to the conclusion that the reason the crowd was so incensed was because this impostor was back, and some people who’d been duped by him were incensed at his presence.

II. Old Identity – 21:39-22:5
The first words of Paul’s old identity are given to the tribune, in order to clear up his identity with him. Paul spoke in the vernacular of the people, the Aramaic idiom of Hebrew, and asked them to listen to his defense. The crowd, to its momentary credit and perhaps because Paul chose to speak in their heart language, did give its attention to the apostle.

Paul begins his story by talking about the man that he had once been. He sets his conversion into the context of his identity as a Jew. To begin to establish his claim, he speaks of his birth, upbringing, and education, a triad of identity markers which firmly place him in the context of 1st-century Judaism. In Philippians 3:5, he describes himself as a “Hebrew of the Hebrews”, one who need not apologize to anyone as to his heritage.

Let’s tackle this truth: our identity is not first that of our earthly citizenship. The allegiance which we pledge to our flag and the “republic for which it stands” pales in comparison to our allegiance to “His Kingdom and His righteousness”, which must be the first object of our affections and attention.

Paul didn’t just have the right lineage; he had appropriate zeal as well. He had been enthusiastic in his defense of what he believed was true.

III. New Identity – 22:6-21
Here comes the turning point, though, the complete change in Paul’s identity: it comes in relation to a Person, Jesus Christ, for in Christ, Paul finds a new

A. Master – 22:6-10a
Paul had a heavenly confrontation, he tells his audience. This was something Paul neither sought nor provoked, something “out of the blue” as Paul was headed resolutely in one direction. We call to mind Paul’s words in Philippians 3:7-8: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Paul’s natural response to the confrontation, thinking again as a good Jew, was, “what do I do, Lord?”

B. Mandate – 22:10b-16
Note how Paul describes Ananias: “a devout man according to the Law”. Here’s a guy who is a strict Jew, yet who has also found Christ as his Messiah. He speaks in Jewish terminology as well, speaking of the “God of our fathers” and using the Messianic title for Christ, calling Him the “Righteous One”. The mandate Paul is given is done so in Jewish terms.

• Know God’s will
• See Christ
• Hear Christ’s voice

And the purpose for which these things happen to Paul is that he might be a witness of all he has seen and heard of Christ. Ananias commands Paul to undergo baptism, the always-appropriate outward symbol of inner transformation in Christ.

C. Mission – 22:17-21
Paul here references his return to Jerusalem some time later, three years after his conversion. It was his intent to be a witness right there in the city; he at that point didn’t understand that his mission was to be to Gentiles. But Paul attributes his change in life mission to another encounter with the risen Christ, in which Christ tells him clearly that Jerusalem is not the place where he will have fruitful ministry. Christ instead sends him to the Gentiles!

Why wouldn’t the Jews respond well to the reminder that God had called them to reach Gentiles and show them His light? It’s because Paul wasn’t making these Gentiles proselytes to Jewish faith, but rather teaching them that they could come directly to God in Christ without first becoming Jews and observing Jewish law and customs. What was Paul saying? It sounded like heresy to them, but like grace to us: Paul was saying that at the foot of the cross, the ground was level, that Jews had no special claim on God because of their heritage, that Jews and Gentiles were equal with respect to God, that both could come to God by way of the cross of Christ, or not at all. That message was offensive then, and it’s offensive now.

Paul’s Story/My Story

• An “Old Man”
According to Scripture we are born, if you will, “old men”, because the chief characteristic of this “old man” is that he/she is identified by sin. Romans 6 speaks of our “old man”, or our “old self”, the people that we are before an encounter with Jesus Christ. We all have a history, and the chief characteristic of that history is that “all have sinned, and fall short of God’s glory.”

But that’s not the end of Paul’s story, nor of ours:

• Measured by the Master
The Bible never identifies me, as a follower of Christ, by my sin. My measure now is not my sin; it is my Master, Jesus Christ. What is true of me is true because of what God has done for me in Christ. When I say “identity is destiny”, I’m talking about your identity as a new creation in Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:17), not the “old man” gussied up or convinced that he’s “worth it” or “made it” or what-have-you. I am who I am in relation to Who He is and what He’s done for me! In I Corinthians 15:10, Paul says, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”

o Fully forgiven
Here’s Ephesians 1:7-8a, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.” You are fully, finally, forever forgiven in Christ of every last one of your sins past, present, and future. You were at one time identified by your sin—in fact, Paul tells us in Ephesians 2 that we are dead in our sins, by nature—dead men walking, as it were. And yet now, in Jesus Christ, God wipes the slate entirely and completely clean.

God’s forgiveness doesn’t depend on our feelings; there may be many reasons why at any given point in our lives we may not “feel forgiven”. Nor does it depend upon “forgiving yourself”. If it’s so important to “forgive yourself”, don’t you think God would have found a way to mention that in this Bible that is written to fully equip us to do every good work? No, don’t try to forgive yourself; you aren’t equipped for the job. What you must do is to accept the Bible truth that God, in Christ, has forgiven you: period.

o Adopted into the family
“As many as received (Christ), to them (God) gave the power to become (His) children, to them that believe on (Jesus)” (John 1:12). Listen again to Paul’s words from Ephesians 1: “In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace…” My calling card, my identity, was “sin”; now, through Christ, I am a child of the Holy God of the universe.

o Set apart as a saint
Here’s the term that Paul uses over and over again to address us: “saint”. That means “holy” or “set apart” one. That’s my identity: I am a saint. By nature, it’s true that “I’m no saint”, but in Christ, I am! Identity determines destiny, and I am called, as a holy one in God’s sight, to practically, daily, live a holy life.

• Commissioned by Christ
Paul received marching orders and mission from Jesus Christ, and that’s true of you and me as well now that we are in Christ. My identity, like Paul’s, is of one commissioned by Jesus; my destiny is thus to be a maker of disciples, bringing others to Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Paul stood before an angry mob and told his story, the story of the radical change in his identity when he came to Christ, the radical transformation of his destiny in the same way. Those of us who have become followers of Jesus find our stories paralleling Paul’s. What about you?

5 Good Questions
1. Why is it so important for us to get a Biblical understanding of our identity, of who we are in Christ?
2. A Biblical understanding of our identity begins with understanding ourselves in relationship to Christ. What other sources of identity vie for the allegiance of Christians? How can we as followers of Christ be careful to remember that Christ is the One by Whom we are to be identified above all others?
3. Why do some Christians seem to struggle with the idea that all of their sins are forgiven in Christ?
4. From your knowledge of Scripture, what are some other things that are true of us, that make up our identities, as followers of Christ? Ephesians 1 is very helpful in this exercise!
5. Christ commissioned Paul to take the gospel outside of his “comfort zone”, to the degree that Paul argued with Him about the assignment. What are some of the “outside your comfort zone” areas of ministry that God has used you in? And if you can’t think of any…is that instructive in any way?

Looking Ahead
Acts 22:22-23:11 is our next unit of study. Read the text together and consider that Paul uses his rights as a Roman citizen to avoid being beaten. Is it always appropriate to “stand up for our rights”? When might it not be?

Under Arrest Sermon Short

“Under Arrest”
Acts 21:17-36
July 13, 2008

Today we begin the final section of our Unleashed study on the book of Acts, because as we’ll see, Paul is arrested, and for the remainder of the book, Paul is under arrest until he finally reaches Rome. But we begin on a happy note.

I. A Glad Reunion - :17-20a
James, the brother of Jesus was the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and it was appropriate that Paul seek him out first. This was at least their fourth meeting, these two men who represented the twin streams of Christian faith; James the Jewish strain, and Paul the Gentile. The elders of the church joined the meeting as well. Finally, Paul is able to present the offering that has been collected for the poor believers in Jerusalem (his reason for going to Jerusalem in the first place! See I Corinthians 16:1-4; Romans 15:25-27.) and to fill in the leaders of the “mother church” on the events of his missionary journeys. While Luke makes no mention here of the gift, it’s obvious that the church leaders received it, along with news of Paul’s successes in promoting the gospel, with real joy; note that the Hero of the story isn’t Paul, though, but God Whom they glorified. But there is a problem that will need to be addressed; in reality, it’s

II. A False Charge - :20b-22
Think about the position that the Jerusalem Jewish converts were in. All their lives, they’d been taught to keep the Law of Moses; now they’d come to follow Christ as their Messiah. So what to do with the Law? What about the ritual of circumcision, so central to their identity? What about the religious feasts they’d grown up keeping? These are the things that had been part of their worshipping God.

It is one thing to teach the Gentiles that adherence to the law of Moses was not mandatory for them—it of course was not. At the same time, that’s not the same thing at all as encouraging Jews to dispense with their heritage and customs, which Paul did not do. Paul was not telling Jewish people to abandon their culture; he was pointing them to the promised Messiah, and to the fact that the Law that the Jews held so dearly was never given as a means to achieve life eternal.

There were some Jewish believers in Christ who were being swayed; certain prejudices were being instilled in the minds of these believers by ne’er-do-wells intent on the destruction of Christian faith, such that Paul and his mission were viewed with suspicion by some of them. Further, there were likely some in the Jerusalem church who, though understanding that they were saved by the grace of God, may have lapsed into the belief that they were kept saved by keeping the law of Moses. And there are folks today who believe similar things, that our good works, while not playing a role in obtaining our salvation, nonetheless play a role into our “hanging on to” our salvation. What does the Word say?

• We are saved by God’s grace through faith, apart from our good works (good works are not the basis of salvation);

• Real faith is such that it changes us, and good works are the proof of real faith (James: “show me faith by works”);

• We are kept by the grace of God, and not our good works;

• We do not lose, then, our salvation by sinning or failing to do good works (because good works aren’t its basis);

• Our salvation is sealed by God on the basis of His grace and power (it’s a good thing it doesn’t depend on me!).

And so we come back to the question: what should Paul do to allay the fears of some in the Jerusalem church? We note what I see as

III. A Reasonable Plan - :23-26

Here’s what’s going on: the church leaders were effectively saying to Paul, “we can accept this gift and identify with the Gentile believers; can you undergo ceremonial purification and thus identify with your fellow countrymen?” It was a little touchy, calling for decorum and clear communication, but that’s exactly what these men did: they assured Paul that they had no desire to force legalism on Gentile believers, using their previous actions as evidence. They suggested that by this tangible, visible act on Paul’s part, he would allay any fears that Jewish Christians might have had that he was teaching Jews to abandon their heritage and customs. Paul willingly did all of these things, not for the purpose of reverting to some legalism, but to identify with the Jews, his people, and not allow his freedom in Christ to be a stumblingblock to others. Paul could see and understand in the Jewish rituals their real significance, as they pointed forward to Christ.

Not that it worked, for next we see
IV. A Violent Outbreak - :27-30
There was a balustrade, a small wall, that blocked access of Gentiles into the Holy Place, and there were placed all along this wall warnings in Greek and Latin to the effect of “No Trespassing” by Gentiles. Paul was undoubtedly thinking of this wall that separated Jews and Gentiles when he wrote, in Ephesians 2, “remember that at one time you Gentiles…were…separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”

Paul was charged by some Jews with having brought into the Holy Place a Gentile. It’s likely that some of the instigators were Jews from Ephesus, men who had hassled Paul during his ministry there. We can thus imagine the anger that must have burned in the hearts of pious Jews who viewed Paul in this way, and the lynch mob that formed would have taken Paul’s life then and there had it not been for Roman soldiers nearby who intervened.

V. A Turbulent Arrest - :31-36
This “tribune” was a commander of Roman troops, and as you’ve probably learned by now, the main operative marching order for Romans was “keep the peace at all costs!” And so to quell the uprising, and assuming that Paul must be a criminal, the order was given to arrest Paul at once, and to bind him with not one chain but two, with a Roman soldier bound to each arm. Paul was spirited away by the Roman soldiers, with the screams of the mob for his blood echoing in their ears, reminiscent of a mob scene in Jerusalem some 27 or so years earlier…

Points to Ponder
We see in this text several of Paul’s attitudes. Note

• Paul’s attitude toward evangelism
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. (I Cor. 9). The issue for Paul was that the gospel go forward, not that we get caught up in the trivialities of preferences and cultural differences. And his attitude is that of a servant. We serve others that we may point them to Christ!

• Paul’s attitude toward trivial matters
Paul wasn’t concerned with changing customs and denying heritage; he was concerned with proclaiming the gospel. And we, if we’re not careful, can concern ourselves with outward appearances and the like and miss the grace of God. Romans 14:5, in speaking of differences among Christians, says that “each one should be convinced in his own mind”.

• Paul’s attitude toward unity
Paul was willing and eager to take the suggestions of the Jerusalem church leaders that would make for peace. As Paul did some above-and-beyond things, submitting to others for the sake of the entire church. Further, Paul had a kingdom perspective; it was about more than his work in the Gentile world, but about the gospel spreading among the Jews as well (Romans 9-11).

• Paul’s attitude toward Christ
We won’t take the time to do it right now, but an interesting study would be to notice the many parallels between the crucifixion of Christ and the imprisonment and abuse of the apostle Paul. Though Paul’s attitude toward Jesus would undoubtedly have been much like John Baptist’s—“I’m not worthy to tie His shoes”—it still is interesting how Paul’s treatment mirrors that dished out to Christ.

Not surprising, though; Paul said, “To me, to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). Christian, how would you fill in the blank at the end of that statement? “To me, to live is ________.” There is one right answer: Jesus Christ.

5 Good Questions

1. Read Romans 15:25-27 and I Corinthians 16:1-4 for Paul’s rationale for going to Jerusalem. Why would it be important for Paul to deliver the gift personally? What difference does the “personal touch” make in ministering to others?
2. We can get attached to “customs” and mistake them for the gospel, if we’re not careful. What are some customs that we get attached to in Christian churches that we could do without? Can you think of any that we should do without?
3. Read through the five truths regarding our salvation (under the second point). Why is it so important to hold all of these truths together?
4. Read Ephesians 2:12-16. What are the truths that we can mine regarding our salvation in Christ?
5. Read I Corinthians 9:19-22. What are some of the ways in which Paul lives out the truth of this passage? What are some ways we can do this in our lives?

Looking Ahead

Next week, we’ll be studying Acts 21:37-22:21. Read the text of Paul’s autobiography, and talk about the differences—and similarities—between his faith-story and yours.

Bound and Determined Sermon SHORT

“Bound & Determined”
Acts 21:1-16
July 6, 2008

Two questions as we begin: how do you know you are really trusting God? What do you do when the will of God involves doing something that will really cost you?

I. A Desperate Plea - :1-6
This represents the beginning of the final leg of Paul’s journey to Jerusalem; next week, we’ll find him there in the city. Paul had had no previous contact with this group of believers in Tyre, and from the wording here, there was a search that Paul initiated in order to seek out this group. It’s likely that this group of believers came into being as Christians were scattered from Jerusalem when Stephen, the deacon, was martyred, and a widespread persecution broke out (Acts 11:19).

The Scripture records that the one significant interchange between Paul and the believers in Tyre involved them begging him, through the Holy Spirit, not to go to Jerusalem. How could the disciples in Tyre be telling Paul one thing “through the Spirit” when Paul says he was “compelled by the Spirit” to do the opposite (20:22)? I think that the answer is to be found in the fact that the Holy Spirit made clear to many people, including some of the believers of Tyre, that trouble awaited Paul in Jerusalem. Armed with this knowledge, the natural thing is for the people of Tyre to urge Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

II. A Dramatic Display - :7-11
Paul believed that the Spirit of God was compelling him to go to Jerusalem, despite the hardship he knew awaited him, but practically, he was to deliver the offering collected from the Gentile churches for the relief of the poor Christians in the mother church at Jerusalem, Jewish believers impoverished as a result of persecution directed at them for their faith. Paul felt a keen need to be the one to present the offering; he’d established those Gentile churches, argued for their validity and full acceptance, while at the same time being a Jew himself. He desperately wanted that gift to be a tangible symbol of unity between Gentile and Jewish Christians, flowing from the side of the Gentiles who’d been mistreated, frankly, by Jews for centuries.

Agabus uses a familiar form of prophecy; OT prophets would sometimes act out a prediction to drive home the point of it. Agabus took Paul’s linen belt from him, bound his own feet and then hands, and pronounced that this is what would happen to the owner of this belt when he ventured to Jerusalem. Figuratively, Paul was bound by that belt…bound and determined!

III. A Determined Apostle – :12-14
There are plenty of temptations to give in, to not follow through on the course God has set for us, aren’t there? And some of them come with the best of intentions. Paul was being tempted here, no doubt about it. His weeping friends were having an emotional effect on him; their tears and words of concern were crushing him, breaking his heart, he says.

So is Paul being obstinate, ignoring the counsel of his friends foolishly, or is he being focused, determined to obey the Spirit of God regardless of the consequences? Do we blame Paul or admire him? Did he get what he had coming to him, when he got to Jerusalem—because what was predicted did come true, as we’ll see—or did he suffer in well-doing, something that we’ve said can often be the lot of those who truly follow Christ?

How do we know when to listen to wise counsel, and when to forge on despite what others may think? This is a fair question, isn’t it? Does God use wise counsel from others to direct us? Sure! Do our friends always tell us what God would have us do? Surely not! Sometimes friends can be the signpost to the way God has for us, and sometimes they can be the stumblingblock that keeps us from His best for our lives. There is no hard and fast, folks; I hate to disappoint you. Some

Signposts to Wise Decision-Making

• None of us has perfect knowledge.

• The Bible will never steer you wrong.
II Timothy 3:16,17 tells us that the Scripture comes from God’s very breath, and it is profitable to train us in how to live.

• Pray for the Spirit’s wisdom.
James 1:5 tells us to ask God for the wisdom He is so ready to supply. Are you doing that as you face decisions?

• Listen to wise counsel.
“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22) Trusted friends and advisors can be of great help to us in our decision-making. Always listen to wise counsel—but that doesn’t mean we uncritically take any person’s counsel as our direction. The counsel of others, as important as it can be, isn’t the be all/end all.

• Common sense?

o Don’t ignore it.
o Don’t sanctify it.
Common sense isn’t necessarily a good guide to use in doing God’s will. Irrationality is no virtue; we should use the faculties God has given us, but that said, sometimes obeying God will not look like the reasonable, rational thing to do.

There is no hard-and-fast, final answer to this question we’ve raised—how do we know when to listen to wise counsel, and when to forge on regardless of advice from well-meaning others. But we remember:

• Ultimately, we answer to God.
And let me quickly add: we answer to a gracious God. When you have time, read Romans 14, where Paul suggests that we shouldn’t spend so much time judging others, the decisions that they make, but rather understand that they answer to God.

We hear an echo of Jesus when we hear the people say, in verse 14 along with Paul, “let the will of God be done”.

IV. A Deliberate Journey - :15-16
And so, with determination to be radically obedient to the Spirit of God in the face of friends’ concerns to the contrary, the apostle sets off on the journey by land that will land him in Jerusalem in just a few short days.

We began this morning with a couple questions.

1. How do you know you are really trusting God? When you move forward in His will, even though others seek to dissuade you. When you move forward, knowing it will likely cost you something significant. When you move forward, entrusting yourself to Him because you don’t know the outcome. Faith manifests its reality in obedience.

2. What do you do when the will of God involves doing something that will really cost you? We see the answer in the life of the apostle. Paul was a man bound and determined to follow Christ at all costs, and we understand that when he says, “I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Are you bound and determined to do the will of God in your life, come what may?

5 Good Questions
1. What do you think of when you hear someone talk about their faith in God? What evidences make you believe—or doubt—the reality of their profession?
2. What role does the Bible play in your decision-making?
3. Share a time when the counsel of others made a significant difference (for the better) in your life.
4. Are there decisions you’ve made in life that didn’t seem to follow “common sense”? Would you agree that, in every Christ-follower’s life, there are times when we have to ignore “common sense” in order to be faithful to God? Can you think of some of those times?
5. Read Romans 14:1-12. How does remembering that we answer to God—and only secondarily, to others—make a difference in approaching a decision in your life?

Looking Ahead
Read Acts 21:17-36. The predicted persecution of Paul begins to take place. What do you think was going through Paul’s mind while all of this was happening?

A Life Lived on Purpose

“A Life Lived on Purpose”
Acts 20:17-38
June 22, 2008

This was a difficult goodbye for Paul. Notice how it came about:

• Prologue: Arranging the Meeting - :17-18a
The apostle Paul was a passenger on a merchant ship making its way slowly down the Aegean Sea toward the Mediterranean, stopping with regularity. At Miletus, the boat docked to load and unload cargo. Paul saw and seized an opportunity here, sending word for the elders from the church at Ephesus to come and meet him. And for us, his words to them illustrate a life lived on purpose.

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Sleeping in Church Sermon Short

“Sleeping in Church”
Acts 20:7-16
June 15, 2008

I. The Church Comes In to Worship & Fellowship - :7a
On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread…

Now we might be tempted just to run right on by this, because it doesn’t strike us as unusual, but there are some things to note:
• “First day of the week”
FF Bruce says this is “the earliest unambiguous evidence we have for the Christian practice of gathering together for worship on that day”.

Why Sunday worship?

Why not Sabbath worship?

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