This morning with God's help we return to Jerusalem with the Apostle Paul as he continues his defense before this hindering. We turn to Acts 22 and we read together verses 22 all the way down to verse 11 of chapter 23. And we notice here in these verses how the Apostle Paul is challenged to live the Christian life even in the midst of hostility. Such an important theme for us, isn't it? When assaults come upon us, the tendency is to compromise. The tendency is to lack knowledge or wisdom of how to proceed. And as, therefore, we seek God's wisdom in these verses this morning, we are reminded of how to proceed, how to live. standing for Christ in the midst of a hostile world. So please start with me to Acts 22, beginning in verse 22, we read God's Word until verse 11 of chapter 23. Give heed now to the reading of God's Word. This is the infallible Word of the Lord. And they listened to Him until this Word And then they raised their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live. Then as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust in the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, Take care unto what you do, for this man is a Roman. The commander came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, yes. The commander answered with a large sum, I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, but I was born a citizen. Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him. And the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman and because he had bound him. The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he, the commander or the Jewish authorities, released him from his bonds and commended the chief priests and all their council to appear and brought Paul down and sat him before them. Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day, and the high priest Ananias commended those who stood by to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, God will strike you, you whitewashed wall, for you sit to judge me according to the law. And do you commend me to be struck contrary to the law? And those who stood by said, Do you revile God's high priest? Then Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest. For it is written, You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am being judged. And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and no angel or spirit, but the Pharisees confess both. Then there arose a loud outcry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, We find no evil in this man, but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God. Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks. But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul. For as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome." Thus far the reading of God's Holy Word. Let us pray together. Almighty God in heaven, as we seek to understand Your Word, and as we seek, O Lord, to be fed and instructed, Lord, we pray, open our minds and enlighten our understanding through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Lord, we pray that You will mightily point us to the Lord Jesus Christ and show us, O Lord, how He sustains His people, even in the midst of hostility. In Jesus' name, Lord, we pray these things. Amen. It is very hard to be consistent and to live well when strife breaks out. It is one thing when there's no problems around, when no frictions, no difficulty, and everybody is living peaceably together. There are no real relational challenges. But when strife arises, when dissension comes, then it becomes very hard, especially to maintain a testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is precisely in those moments when the Christian finds himself or herself asking, what should I do? What is the path to pursue? Where should I go? What decision should I make? It is precisely in times of pressure, in times when we are coerced or pressed against a wall, that we find ourselves confused. And it is precisely for moments like that, that texts like this were given to the church to guide us, to lead us, and to strengthen us, to instruct us on how are we to persevere in our stance for Christ when we are surrounded by hostility. Here once again we find the Apostle Paul after proclaiming to the Jewish crowd in the Hebrew tongue. You remember in the past section the Apostle Paul gave them a summary of the work of the Holy Spirit and of the Lord Jesus Christ through the Spirit in his heart. In beginning verse 2 of Acts 22 all the way down to verse 21, we cover together how the Apostle Paul revolved his testimony around the work of the reason Lord Jesus Christ. It was the reason Christ he persecuted. It was the reason Christ who rescued him. It was the reason Christ who gave him a mission to proclaim the word of the Lord even to the Gentiles. And now that he has finished his personal testimony, but more than that, pointing to the work of the glorious Jesus in his own life. Now we read in these verses how the mob reacts with vengeance in their minds and hearts. The desire to struck the Apostle Paul. A moment of pressure. A moment perhaps when self-preservation kicks in. And when self-preservation comes, Or with self-preservation comes denial. With self-preservation comes unfaithfulness. But what we see in these verses is how a man, sustained by Christ, upheld by the Spirit of God, stands in a world that is hostile to him. Setting, therefore, principles to our own standing in faith and in the Lord Jesus Christ when we are experiencing hostility in this world. Therefore, as we consider these verses this morning, let us learn this main teaching. Let us learn this main principle that we find in these verses. That as we stand for Christ, like the Apostle Paul is doing here, as we stand for Christ, let us do it wisely. Let us do it wisely, trusting always in God's Word and always certain that He is with us. Let us face hostility around us, Christians, in this way, with this principle in our minds. Let us do it wisely, trusting in God's Word and always certain that our Supreme Captain, He is with us. So we learn four principles of how to respond to hostility in this world from this text. And the very first one is that when we stand for Christ in a hostile world, we must consider God's minister. We must consider the role of God's minister. Now by God's minister, I do not mean the pastor, but I mean the civil magistrate. That's how the Apostle Paul in Romans 13 describes the civil authorities as God's minister. And that's exactly what we see in verses 22 to 29. The Apostle Paul is considering and appealing to the role of the minister of God. Now the people have surrounded this man and he's seeking to destroy him. And we notice that in verses 22 and 23, there's much commotion and wrath. Verse 23 clearly describes the toring of the robes and the throwing of dust, which are signs of indignation and anger. Well, quickly, the Apostle Paul then is taken into the barracks and there is this investigation going on, kind of an illegal investigation, if you will. They want to extract the truth from the Apostle Paul, verse 25 tells us, through beating him. That's the method that they will seek to employ. Well, that wasn't lawful. that was illegal, especially concerning a Roman citizen. And it is precisely in this moment that the Apostle Paul brings to bear this truth regarding himself. He's not simply a Jew, he's not simply a Pharisee, but he's also a Roman. And being a Roman, there is a specific legislation that the minister of God, in other words, the civil magistrate, is called to uphold. The Apostle Paul then, reflecting his own teaching in Romans chapter 13, he questions the centurion, look at verse 25, and we find here at least four principles that is working in the mind of the Apostle Paul. The first one is that he expects the civil magistrate to know the law. He expects those who are called to uphold the law to know the law. Look at verse 25, he says, is it lawful? Do you know the law, centurion? Is it lawful according to your own law? The law that you were bound by? So he expects the civil magistrate, in this case the centurion, to know the law. And the same goes to the commander. But secondly, notice he expects them to be obedient to the law, to be captive by the law. You see, the Apostle Paul doesn't work, in his mind he's not saying, well, this is just a bunch of crooked Romans. I could expect any faithfulness to civil rights, to the law that has been established in the land. I'll not even waste my time. He not only expects the civil magistrate to know the law, but he expects him to fulfill it. Look again at verse 25 and look at what happens in verse 26. It says, is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned? Can you do this? Or are you bound to obey the law not to touch me before a rightful condemnation? Notice that's exactly what happens in verse 26. They all are now afraid to the point that, verse 29, immediately they are now withdrawn. They are intimidated. This Roman citizenship would offer a specific protection and would be something valuable at that time. Verse 28 tells us that the commander confessed to the apostle Paul, wow, I am a Roman citizen, but I have to buy that. Now, if you're going to buy something, it's because something is precious. It has value. And it has so much value that it was used in God's providential care to protect the Apostle Paul from being beaten in this occasion. But notice the principle behind this section of the text. When we are surrounded by hostility in this world, we must consider the role of the minister of God. If you turn briefly with me to Romans 13, again the Apostle Paul reminds us several of these principles there. Who is the government? What's to be a Christian biblical view of government? Notice. Romans 13, beginning in verse 1, So the Apostle Paul begins reminding us that we are not to dishonor or to disrespect those who occupy the position of civil magistrates in society, but we are to respect and honor them. But also, he establishes the roles of these magistrates, these servants of God. Look at verse 4, for he is God's minister to you. Notice, the civil magistrate, according to the Apostle Paul, is a servant of God in service of the church. They are to be servant, captive to God's law, captive to God's standards, but at the same time they are to serve God's people. They're God's ministers to you, but if you do evil, be afraid. Therefore, Christians, let us have this first principle in our minds. Many of us are surrounded in a hostile world. In a hostile world, what do we do? We learn from the Apostle Paul. We remember the role of the civil magistrate. We remember the role of God's ministers. Perhaps we feel discouraged of doing so because of the crookedness of our times. Because we say, well, but they are so unfaithful. They could care less about the law. They're self-centered magistrates. All they care about is their own belly. And perhaps that is all true. But as with them before the Lord, they will have to give an account for not preserving the weak, for not punishing the evil, for not upholding the law. But as for us, let us have in mind their biblical rule. Not only have in mind, but let us call upon it. You see, perhaps one of the great failures in the Christian church these days is this idea that has infiltrated a church, which is this idea of separation of church and state. There must be such separation. Of course there is, in the sense that the magistrate, the civil magistrate, is not to interfere in the church. The magistrate is not to dictate when worship services are to take place or the time of worship services. The magistrate has not been given the keys of the kingdom to administer baptism or the Lord's Supper or to exercise church discipline. But there is one aspect of the civil magistrate that Romans 13 clearly establishes for us that the magistrate is a servant of God in service of the church. This is indisputable and undeniable from Romans 13 verse 4. They are God's ministers of God to you. If that is true, isn't therefore what the Apostle Paul here doing consistent with his teaching? He's calling upon the civil magistrate. He's reminding the civil magistrate, this is your role. Your role is to uphold the law. But that also guides us in how carefully we choose the magistrates, right? How carefully Christians are in the choosing of magistrates. For if we understand this morning that one of the principles for us to resist and to withstand during a hostility in this world is to appeal for magistrates who will keep the law, what if we appoint magistrates that will not keep the law? What if we appoint magistrates that will devise laws that goes against the Christian church? You see, in the Lord's providence, we do not live in an empire. In the Lord's providence, we do not live in a monarchy. In the Lord's providence, America is a republic in which the voice of the people is heard through an electoral college. And we are called from the lesser magistrates, from the local magistrates, to the federal, to the higher magistrates, to be very selective with our choice so that when the moment comes, we may appeal to them. Unfortunately, we are living in a day and time when Christians barely think this through. and they are setting traps for themselves. But this is how we respond wisely in a hostile world. We remember the role of God's minister. We remind God's minister of His role. We remind that He is bound by the law. We remind Him that He is called to uphold the law, to protect the innocent, to bring justice and wrath to the evildoer, that He is a servant of God. Let us therefore arm ourselves with this principle when we find ourselves in a hostile world. But secondly, as we move into narrative, notice there is a second principle that even when we are surrounded by hostility in our world, we are to remain captive, not to those who persecute us, but we are to remain captive to God's standards. We are to remain captive to God's standards. We notice that beginning in verse 30. Notice that there is this investigation, the desire in the commander to know what is going on. And please keep that in your back burner. The commander really desired to know what's going on. You notice that's the reason why he allowed the Apostle Paul, all the way back in chapter 21, to speak, even in Hebrew, because he wanted to know what was going on. The reason why this gathering happened, again, verse 22, we learn that it's because the commander wants to know what is going on. But now again, verse 30, you see this emphasis? Because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews. There is this investigation going on. Then again, another counsel is called, this hindrance is called, and Paul is able to speak in the midst of both Pharisees and Sadducees. And he begins by saying that he has a clean conscience. Look at verse 1 of chapter 23. That's really the main weapon of the Christian, isn't it? The main weapon of the Christian is to have a clean conscience before the Lord. that regardless of the principles of man, regarding the imposition of those who are in power, we have a clean conscience in light of God's word. Not because we devised something or because we're ignoring God's word, but in light of God's revelation, we have a clean conscience that before the Lord we are guiltless. Not that we are sinless, but regarding particular sins that we are accused of before the Lord, there is no accusation and where our guilt may withstand. The Apostle Paul says, I have a clean conscience, a good conscience, even to this day, that as I have come to Christ, as Christ has drawn me to Him, I am not inconsistent with my Jewish beliefs. That's the reason why Ananias commands him to be struck. You see verse 2? The reason why Ananias commands the Apostle Paul to be struck is because he is very offended that in the mind of the Apostle Paul there is no inconsistency, there is no guilt that he was a Jew, or that he is a Jew, as he himself would later on describe himself, a Pharisee indeed, verse 6. But now he embraces Christ. He confesses the resurrected Christ. Ananias is extremely offended by that, but it is precisely with this unlawful command that the Apostle Paul brings before Ananias his guilt. You see, even in this situation, being struck and being oppressed, being against the wall, the Apostle Paul remains faithful and captive to God's standards in relation to others. but also in relation to himself. Now, there is a lot of confusion in this portion of text. At least there are two main positions in which interpreters mainly approach this text. One group of interpreters think that the apostle Paul here is really being defiant, really being defiant against Ananias. That what is happening here is a purposeful harshness against Ananias. But there is another group that understands that what is happening here is a mistake of the Apostle Paul that he really did not acknowledge or recognize who Ananias was. So while you have a group that says, well, he did that, and then his response in verse 5 is kind of an ironical explanation that he does not recognize Ananias as a lawful leader, there are others who understand verse 5 as a sincere apology. Now, regardless of which camp you think is explaining better the text, there is one principle that runs through these whole verses. The Apostle Paul calls upon the law regarding Ananias. Remember, he says, verse 3, you sit to judge me according to the law, but now you are striking me contrary to the law. So you notice, what's the principle here? The Apostle Paul is demanding that Ananias, who professes to be bound by the law of God, that he would indeed be bound by the law of God. But what is true for Ananias is also true for the Apostle Paul. That's what we read in verse five. If this is irony or if this is a sincere apology, the principle is the same, isn't it? He says, I did not know that this was the high priest, for it is written, you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. So the apostle Paul is saying, regardless of the pressure, regardless of the tension, I'm still faithful to God's standards, and you should be as well. It doesn't matter the pressure. It doesn't matter how violently the mob is waging its wrath and war against us. The principle must remain the same. And that's one of the first things that fly through the window when oppression takes place, isn't it? When hard times come, when hostility is present, what's the first thing that Christians tend to negotiate? Faithfulness to the standards of God. And they try to do that, seeking to tone down the situation, seeking perhaps to escape the natural consequences that faithfulness to the standards of God will lead them unto. You see, the Apostle Paul could have chosen here to be silent, but he, on the contrary, remained faithful to the law of God, pointing to Ananias, his role in this whole situation. Are you a professing Jew? Do you confess that the law is true? Are you bound by the law? So live by the law. But the same goes for him. It's not because he is now coerced and under pressure that the rule is good for others, but not for myself. No, others must live bound by God's standards. But I get a pass free because I'm in such a terrible suffering. There is exception for me because I'm under such a big turmoil and therefore that doesn't apply to me anymore. You see, the Word of God reminds us that when we are surrounded by hostility, when we are standing for Christ in the midst of hostility, Christians, we must remain captive to God's standard for others, but also for ourselves. You see, we must flee from two terrible sins. Number one is the sin of hypocrisy. The sin of hypocrisy is the law is good for you, but it's not good for me. God's standards apply for you, but He doesn't apply for me. That's not what the Apostle Paul does here, is it? But we are also to flee from inconsistency. that only some principles are applicable, only some specific areas I will follow that, but in other areas where it's harder, where it's more difficult, where it will imply loss or incarceration, well, I will not go there. It will spare me some suffering. The Apostle Paul reminds us that Christ has called us to live in consistency with the standards of the Lord. You see, isn't that exactly how the Lord Jesus tells us that His life is exhibited in our lives? How is it exactly that people acknowledge that one is a follower of Christ? Well, in the Gospels we are reminded that when we love one another, that's when we are acknowledged by others. That aids others to say, well, that is indeed a Christian, one who has followed Christ. But also, when we live the life of Christ in our lives, Let us therefore remember this when hostility comes, when pressure comes, when we are coerced, when we are threatened. Let us be reminded of this principle. We remain captive to God's standards, not only ourselves but others also who profess faith in this very same Lord. But thirdly, how do we stand in the midst of hostility? We understand and we appeal, we remember the role of God's ministers. We also remain captive to God's standards, but we persevere. in God's truth. We persevere in God's truth, the truth that has once for all delivered to the saints. Now that's another confusion portion, a confusing portion of the text in verses 6 through 11, 6 to 9. Because as we notice in these verses, the tendency we have when we reach this portion in the narrative is to think, okay, Paul is appealing to some sort of a strategy here. Paul observed that there are two groups, Pharisees and Sadducees. There is this historical dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees and therefore I'm going to mischievously use that to stir up a confusion and then to disperse this entire meeting. Oh, I understand that there are some elements in the narrative that may lead us to that understanding. But let me suggest a different take. Because as we notice, if you go all the way back with me to verse 22, you notice that there is a specific moment when the people erupt in anger. It says, and they listened to him until this word. What word? They were listening patiently, they were listening attentively until this word. If you again revisit the testimony of the Apostle Paul, beginning in verse 1 of chapter 22, all the way down to verse 21, you will notice that it is soaked with the reality of the resurrection. It's all about the resurrected Christ getting Paul out of his persecuting drive into now the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and now using him as a tool to spread the gospel. Notice that over and over again, the resurrected Christ speaks, interacts, and exercises authority against the apostle Paul. Now also remember back then when Paul was accused, remember when he was in the temple paying his vows, what was the accusation that erupted this whole process? That he hated the law, that he hated the temple, and that he was bringing Gentiles into areas in the temple that was forbidden to them. Now remember none of those accusations were true. Number one, the Apostle Paul was upholding the law because he was at the temple. And if he was at the temple, it's because he loved the temple. He was doing exactly what a regular Jew would do, keeping his vows, offering sacrifices, doing what was commanded by the law. But in addition to that, he was also never found with Gentiles in areas where Gentiles could not enter in the temple. Let me suggest to you that what we see in verses 6 to 9 is not a strategy of the Apostle Paul, but it's the Apostle Paul revealing what is the real reason why this whole confusion is taking place. What is really at stake? Now remember as well that that was always the desire of the commander. Remember the emphasis on he was searching, he was investigating, he wanted to know. Here is the Apostle Paul saying, here is the real reason why this whole situation is taking place. Here is the real reason why you are persecuting me is because of this specific and particular doctrine. The Sadducees are mainly responsible for this whole circus and the reason is because I believe in the resurrection of the dead and I spoke of the resurrected Messiah who called me out of darkness to His marvelous light. Verse 6, that's exactly what the Apostle Paul, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am being judged. Now the Apostle Paul identified himself as a Pharisee, not in relation to the errors of the Pharisees, but in relation to this specific teaching. Like the Pharisees, he's saying, I believe in the resurrection of the dead. I believe in the one who resurrect dead from their graves. And that's the reason why I'm being judged. But we notice that as the Apostle Paul says that then a great confusion breaks. Verse 7, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The assembly was divided. Then you have this outcry and then you have this great confusion taking place. And perhaps the question that pops up is why would the Apostle Paul bring this whole situation with the resurrection of the dead? Well, the answer is simple. Because it was the main problem. Because it is the truth and the truth must be uphold regardless of the hostility. There is this hindrance gathered together. They could now decree Paul's death at that very moment because he's upholding the truth of God. And yet he fears not. He continues to witness and to testify. Actually, that's exactly what the Lord Jesus will tell him later. You have testified of me. So we do not need necessarily to understand verses 6 through 8 as some sort of scheme that the Apostle Paul is kind of lying or maneuvering the truth to disrupt the assembly and to escape this whole trial. I would suggest and submit to you that the best approach to this section is to understand that the Apostle Paul is really revealing what is the problem here. What is at stake? What is being debated? It has nothing to do with Gentiles in the courts. It has nothing to do with me hating the law or the temple. It has everything to do with the truth that I speak. And these men detest, my Lord. You see, we live in days when we are called to consider any theological dispute, any doctrinal dispute, something unnecessary. Something that is, let's preserve the peace we read or we hear, or this is not essential, or this is not the essence of the gospel. Let us put these things aside. And while there must be a lot of care and concern in the Church to preserve the peace, which is commended over and over again in the Word of God, we are also commended over and over again in the Word of God as the Church of Christ to preserve the truth of God. Turn with me briefly to 1 Corinthians 1. In 1 Corinthians 1, we notice that that's exactly the call in verse 10 that we read from the Apostle Paul, that we are to be united in thought. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Now this is not an exclusive call we find in 1 Corinthians. This call echoes throughout the New Testament over and over again. And this call is exactly what the Apostle Paul is exercising in Acts 23. The Apostle Paul is being faithful to one mind of the church, that the resurrection of Jesus is true, that He indeed were free from the chains of death, and that He appeared and that He is ruling in heaven, resurrected with glory. and will come again to judge the living and the dead." The apostle Paul is being faithful to God's truth. Christian, are you? Are you faithful to God's truth? One of our great temptations in this world when we are surrounded by hostility is precisely to forget this principle. is to say, well, this battle is not worth fighting for. And there are battles that are not worth fighting for. How can we know what battles are worth fighting for? Well, let me give you two indications from this text. Notice, number one, what is the doctrine that the Apostle Paul is so fervently clinging onto and really saying, this is the reason why this confusion is taking place, is the resurrection of the dead. This is one of the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith that must not be abandoned or negotiated. Do we have other doctrines? Of course we do. Don't we together profess the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian Creed? Don't we all confess together the three forms of unity as a faithful summary of the teachings of the Word of God? You see, Christians, we have here in this text a call to arms, if you will. That we are to be firm in that which the Lord Jesus has delivered unto the church. That even in the midst of hostility, even when peace is threatened, we are to remain faithful to that which was given to the church. And sometimes the temptation is, but is this really essential? And as I mentioned, there are areas in which there is room for differences among Christians. Think eschatology, for example. There are areas in eschatology where there must be a lot of room for understanding and dialogue. But are we to have dialogue regarding the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ? Are we now to join together with those who deny that Jesus is God and say, yeah, let's live in peace, let's all gather together and have a feast, and let's all be merry? Are we to join together with those who deny salvation by faith alone, through faith alone, through Christ alone? The Apostle Paul is exalting the person of Christ. Anything that threatens the person of Christ, anything that diminish the persons of Christ, anything that detracts from the glory of Christ must be opposed, even in the midst of hostility. We are called to persevere in God's truth. But lastly, we are to do all these things not on our power, because we have none. We are to pursue these paths. Not on our strength, because the moment we do that, we're digging our own grave. But we are to do that in the certainty that Jesus is with us, supporting us through His power, reigning in heaven, and yet with His people on earth. And that's what we see in verses 10 and 11. Well, such ascension arose and violence as well. The text tells us that the commander is really concerned that Paul will be torn into pieces. What a violent expression we read in verse 10, isn't it? The commander fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces. You can only imagine people grabbing the apostle Paul, a group, and another one grabbing him on the other side and trying to bring him to one side and he himself and the other group to the other, almost tearing the body of the apostle in half. The magistrate jumps in and brings him into the barracks. We can only imagine what was going on on the mind of the Apostle Paul. Perhaps a bit of discouragement. I testified of Jesus. I upheld the truth of Christ resurrected, and here I am. No one is reported to have repented in this whole passage. You notice that? In the previous encounters in the book of Acts, there's always a group who repents. Sometimes a large group, sometimes a minor group, but there's always some shadow of repentance. But here in this text, we hear nothing of that. But one thing we know, that the Lord is there with Paul, just as the Lord is here with you, Christian, regardless of hostility. And there are four things I would like to bring to your attention as we reach the end of this passage. Number one is the presence of Christ. The Lord is right there, in the midst of chains, inside the barracks. Even in the midst of that situation in which the Apostle Paul is saying, I'm all alone. Who is going to come alongside me? Surrounded by Roman soldiers and by our centurion and by a commander. No one is going to reach out to me. Well, the Lord of glory will. He will go to be there with you wherever you are. If it's in the barracks, if it is the hospital, If it is in that dining table where conflict is taking place, if it is in the office space, the text tells us the Lord stood by Him, just as He is standing by you, Christian. It's the same Lord, the same Christ, the same King, the same Savior. Even in the midst of hostility, He stands by us. The Lord Jesus is actively encouraging, actively encouraging. Look again at what the Lord Jesus says. You have testified of me in Jerusalem. And that was the mission, wasn't it? For we can't convert anybody. None of us, neither the Apostle Paul or Apollos or Cephas or none of the greatest orators in human history, conversion and convincing souls is the work of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit alone. What is our call? It's to testify about Christ, even in the midst of hostility. And the Lord Jesus comes to the Apostle and says, you did that, my good servant, and therefore be of good cheer. Perhaps the Apostle Paul could have said, well, but no one repented, Lord. No one said, this is the Christ. Jesus is the true Lord. The Lord says, be of good cheer because you testified of me. Perhaps repentance didn't take place or perhaps repentance didn't take place right now, but you did what I called you to do. You opened your mouth and you spoke of me. Thirdly, the Lord Jesus reminds Paul that ultimately, Paul is living for Him. Paul is at Christ's disposal. You have testified of me, again verse 11, so you must also bear witness at Rome. Your witnessing days, Paul, have not ended. And the days of hostility and turmoil and confusion, they have not ended. The days of suffering and chains, they will still continue for a while, but you will continue to serve me in the midst of this hostility. You'll continue to witness about my gospel. You will continue to witness about my lordship. You will continue, even to the highest authorities of the globe, you will continue to be used as my vessel. Is there any call that is more glorious than that, Christian? Can you think of any? To be a vessel of Christ in your marriage. To be a vessel of Christ in your workplace. A vessel of Christ around the dinner table with your family. To be a vessel of Christ in this society that lies in darkness. What a great call that is to each one of us. Encouraged by the presence of Christ, the protection of Christ, the care of Christ, and the mission of Christ. And therefore, as we stand for Christ, Christian, in a hostile world, remember that. Remember Christ's presence. is there with us, never leaving us, never forsaking us, strengthening us to continue to bear witness to the truth, to stand for God's standards. Even if it means that we are going to call on the civil magistrate to do what he was called by God to do, the Lord Christ is with us. Let us, therefore, persevere in faith in Him. Let us pray together. Great God in heaven, we thank you for your word and for the encouragements we receive from Paul's example. Lord, as we meditate this morning, how to respond in the midst of hostility. Help us to follow these principles, O Lord, even when things seem to be dark or confusing. Help us, O Lord, to consider the role of the minister that You have established in positions of authority. Help us, O Lord, to remain captive to Your standards, both to us and to others. Help us to persevere and declare Your truth, Your sacred doctrine, teachings that You have given us, indisputably given to the church. But help us most of all, Lord, to trust in Christ, our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend, and find comfort and strength in Him to be vessels used in His hands. In His name, Lord, we pray.