Well, you can turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter 22. The last couple chapters were split up kind of odd. So, it's Acts chapter 22, verse 30. We're going to end with chapter 23. So, we're really going to look at chapter 23, but chapter 22, verse 30 is the start of the next section. So Acts chapter 22 verse 30, this is the word of the living and true God. The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set 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 then the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him 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 command 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 the Sadducees say 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 is 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 also must bear witness at Rome. And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. They came to the chief priests and elders and said, We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him. But we are ready to kill him before he comes near." So when Paul's sister's son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him. So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you. Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, What is it that you have to tell me? And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him. But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you. So the commander let the young man depart and commanded him, tell no one that you reveal these things to me. And he called for two centurions saying, prepare 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night and provide mounts to set Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor. He wrote a letter in the following manner, Claudius Laetius to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. Coming with the troops, I rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. And when I want to know the reason they accused him, I brought him before their council. I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains. And when it was told to me that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him immediately to you, and also commanded his accusers to state before you the charges against him. Farewell. Then the soldiers, as they were commanded, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. The next day they left the horsemen to go on with him and return to the barracks. And when they came to Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. And when the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, I will hear you when your accusers also have come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's praetorium. Amen. Well, we're in the final section of the book of Acts as Paul makes his way from Jerusalem to Caesarea and then to Rome. And God guides and leads Paul to Rome by way of imprisonment. Paul has just made his defense before the people, before the mob. He was arrested under false pretenses in Acts chapter 21. Then he addresses them as he's being led away. And because the commander didn't find anything out from Paul during that defense before the mob, he wanted to beat him and scourge him, and then that's when Paul plays his trump card and says, I'm a Roman citizen, you can't treat me like that. And so thus we come here to chapter 22, verse 30, to end to chapter 23. Paul appears before the Sanhedrin, and this commander still wants to know what the apostle Paul had done. He still has no idea what's going on, why Paul was being beaten, why Paul was being whipped and smacked around by the mob, and he wants to know what his crime actually was, and so he brings him before the Sanhedrin to find out things further concerning Paul's crime. Because you see, one problem that we see here, as we even transition from Jerusalem to Caesarea, as Paul appears before the Sanhedrin, is we see man's plans in the sovereignty of God. And perhaps man's sinfulness under the sovereignty of God. The Sanhedrin, who are wicked, terrible, and do awful things, some of them are okay, but some of them are wicked, and the Jews connected with them want to engage in conspiracy against the Apostle Paul. But the key verse throughout this entire text is 23, verse 11, when the Lord Jesus appears to the Apostle Paul. You will be my witness in Rome, just as you are in Jerusalem as well. And even throughout this text, we'll see the extent of man's sinfulness, but we know that God is over all these things as the sovereign Lord. So really, that's the main idea. In Acts 22, verse 30 to 23, 35, We see God's providence as he encourages Paul to preach during his imprisonment. So it's all about God's sovereignty. And so we'll look at this under two headings tonight. Paul's witness of Christ in chapter 22 verse 30 to chapter 23 verse 10. And then secondly, Christ's protection of Paul in chapter 23 verse 11 to verse 35. So Paul's witness of Christ and Christ's protection of Paul. So let's first look at Paul's witness of Christ, beginning in chapter 2, verse 30. So again, the commander still wants to know what's going on. Paul has just said, I'm a Roman citizen, you can't scourge me, you can't do what you said you were going to do. He becomes afraid, and he realizes he has to backtrack and treat Paul a little bit differently. He has to realize he has to be on Paul's side, protect him and keep him, because Paul has certain rights as a Roman citizen. So verse 30. So he calls a council. Before it was just the mob, the angry mob who was aroused and mad and upset, and they were against the Apostle Paul. Paul addresses them, but now the commander calls this council. He wants to hear from the Jewish aristocrats, the Jewish government, and the Jewish religious leaders, and what they have to say concerning the Apostle Paul. And what's fascinating is we have a condensed record of what that looked like. We just have what Paul says primarily. Paul's response, Paul's defense as he makes his case concerning why he does what he does and who he is. And so in a lot of ways it is a pre-trial hearing before the actual trial occurs, again, The commander is just trying to do his due diligence, finally, when he learns who Paul is, to figure out what's going on. And so then, beginning in chapter 23, verse 1, Paul then begins to make his defense before the Sanhedrin as to why he has done what he has done. Now, you and I already know why he was accused. Because the Jews thought Paul was doing away completely with the entire Mosaic Law. Not just away with it with respect to salvation, but away with it completely. Remember that's what James says in Acts chapter 21, where he says, Jews think you're doing away with it completely, even for cultural reasons, thus engage in a Nazarite vow to appease those who think you do away with it completely. Paul doesn't do away with it completely in a cultural sense. He does away with it when people say you have to be saved by circumcision. So Paul is very much appealing to that. He wants to appease, doesn't want to offend, because he wants to set forth the gospel in its entirety. So we know why he's being accused and why he's beaten, but this guy does not. And so Paul's before the Sanhedrin, and Paul makes his defense, and he starts in verse 1. Man and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. Basically what he's saying is, I have lived according to the law until this day. In a lot of ways even before he was a convert, before he believed on Jesus, or before God appeared or Christ appeared to him, Paul was doing what he thought God said he should do. He was blameless according to the law. He wasn't greedy for gain. He wasn't doing it for his own personal gain. I mean, in a lot of ways he was doing it for that, but his conscience was clean. He was doing it for the zeal of God Almighty. He wanted to do what the law says, what his pharisaical teachings taught, and then he's converted, and his conscience is clean that he does what God asks of him. Now we know he's not perfect, and I totally get that. When it comes to this accusation that's been made against him, this accusation is completely false. Basically what he's saying is, I am innocent of the things that you are saying. I have engaged, I am still a Jew, I still love the things of my culture, but I have kept my conscience before God until this day. And we know this, he does a similar, he makes a similar appeal in Acts chapter 26, verse 14, as he recounts his conversion once again. But we'll get there in the New Year. So he makes this claim, and he starts off, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day, and then something amazing happens, verse 2. And as Paul, mid-speech, and the high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. So Paul is speaking, and all of a sudden, smack! Because you see, this high priest thinks Paul is blaspheming. And what's ironic is the fact that this Ananias is actually a terrible person. He is the opposite of Paul. He doesn't live in good conscience. He uses his high priestly status for greed. He takes tithe out, he takes other wicked things out, and engages and uses this office for his own personal gain. And we'll talk about more of this in just a moment. But tempers flare, this guy gets mad, and he smacks the Apostle Paul. Why? Because for him, Paul's guilty until proven innocent. And what's sad is sometimes we see those things today. People are guilty until proven innocent. Especially with bloggers writing everything out out there. They get it on their websites before due process is engaged in. And before due process can be done, people already have their minds made up. You see, it was contrary to the Old Testament law. And Paul actually says as much when he responds to him in verse 3. So Ananias is saying, guilty until proven innocent. Paul responds in verse 3, and he brings this imprecation and judgment upon him. God will strike you, you whitewashed wall, for you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law? You see, under the Old Testament, when it came to the civil government or the judicial laws, there was a parameter set in place for justice. to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. And you weren't supposed to punish the guilty until there was due process. There hasn't been due process. Paul is assumed guilty rather than innocent, or rather than being innocent until proven guilty. And so Paul brings this judgment, or he calls it, even, God will strike you. That's from Deuteronomy 28. That's one of the curses that could come upon someone. God will strike them down. And so Paul responds in a vehement way against this wicked high priest. God will strike you. And notice he says, you whitewashed wall. And what's interesting, this is an insult, and a very important and well-timed and well-placed insult. You see, the idea of a whitewashed wall refers to a wall with cracks in it. Rather than fixing the crack, you just paint over it, thinking that the wall is just fine when you look at that fresh coat of paint. But underneath that fresh coat of paint, the wall is crumbling, the wall is cracking. Ananias, you might look good on the outside, but I know on the inside what you're like. I know your greed. I know you're wicked. Ezra doesn't actually know that, but he knows that this one is a wicked one. And so he says as much. You whitewashed wall. But perhaps there's also an allusion to Ezekiel 13 as well. But if we were to put this in modern parlance, not all that glitters is gold. And that's very much the case with this one named Ananias. Now, because he is the high priest, he does have certain prestige amongst the Jews. And so in verse 4, those who stood by said, Do you revile God's high priest? You were vile against this one in status. And Paul responds, and he says in verse 5, And Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest. For it is written, You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people. Now what's fascinating, when I read the commentaries, there was very much a divide between newer commentators or contemporary commentators and the old boys. You see, we're kind of soft sometimes, aren't we? We don't like the idea that there are taunts and imprecations in the Bible and even in the New Testament. So some of the newer commentators like to do away with the idea that Paul is engaging in holy zeal and imprecation. And the idea that Paul is taunting and engaging in these insults. So what they say here is, Paul probably didn't know he was the high priest. Or maybe Paul was losing his eyesight, he couldn't actually see that he was the high priest. Or maybe the apostle Paul is just a person and in this moment his temper's flared and he responded in an ungodly way and now he's backpedaling. I don't think that's the case, because as Luke says, and as God will say to Paul in verse 11, basically affirming what he has done, we see here that just as Paul says to him, God will strike you. There's no tempers flaring or no indication of that, but Paul is willing to respond to this one and bring imprecation against this wicked ruler. He wants to show that this one is wrong, and there's a prophecy here as well. This Ananias, who is greedy, quick-tempered, quick-tempered high priest, there's a prophecy that he would face a gruesome death, and he does face a gruesome death. during guerrilla warfare several years later. So I think very much it's Paul's holy zeal, and it's an imprecatory taunt, and so even when he says in verse 5, I didn't know, brethren, that he was the high priest, it's as Calvin says. What Paul is saying is, I acknowledge nothing in this man that is becoming of the high priest. Basically, what he's saying is, even though he looks like the high priest, he's no high priest. So even though Exodus 22, which is where the quote comes from, says you shall not speak evil against the ruler of your people, this man is no ruler. This man is no Jewish king. This man is no Jewish priest, because I know who he is. And so Paul is not backpedaling here. He's basically further highlighting that he is not guilty of what has been, what is said in Exodus 22, because this high priest is not a high priest. Now, Does this mean that we can call our civil leaders names and insult them? I think Calvin rightly distinguishes between those who are in spiritual government and those who are in civil government. He says, Paul does demonstrate respect for the Roman government. Paul has demonstrated that throughout. He will engage in the due process. He's respectful of this commander. He speaks to him respectfully. But when this Ananias smacks him on the face, Paul has no issues rebuking this one in spiritual government, though he is a degenerate one in spiritual government. He has no problems responding to this one with vehemence. We'll talk about that more in just a moment. So it's not Paul can't see or Paul's backpedaling. Paul is speaking with holy zeal and I think that is absolutely right. There's no indication of the text that Paul is backpedaling because I think of verse 3 and verse 11. So he does this, and then after he says this, Paul realizes and sees that there are Sadducees and Pharisees both there. The Sadducees and Pharisees differed on various things. I view the Sadducees as the flaming liberals and the Pharisees as the conservatives. The Sadducees denied the resurrection. The Pharisees affirmed the resurrection. And there were other things as well. Sadducees were perhaps sympathizers with the Roman government. Pharisees were silent protesters, so they didn't like each other too much. So Paul, perceiving that they were both, cried out and said, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. Considering the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am being judged. He's appealing to the fact that the Pharisees believe in the resurrection from the dead. And what he's saying is, and what's going on here, is he's highlighting that you can in fact be a Pharisee and a Christian. That's kind of hard to think about, isn't it, for a moment. You can be a Christian and believe on Christ, but still retain some Pharisaical tendencies. Not in a bad way, but some cultural badges is what I'm talking about. You can't do that if you're a Sadducee. Because if you're a Sadducee, you deny the resurrection. And so you can't be a Christian and a Sadducee, but you could be a Christian and a Pharisee. And what Paul is preaching is resurrection from the dead, and if I preach the same thing, or resurrection from the dead, why am I being judged? Now there are perhaps certain differences, but Paul is trying to find common ground to show, hey, I'm preaching this, why am I being judged according to the law? And so, in verse 7, and when he had said this, a dissension arose between them. So the Pharisees and Sadducees are fighting. And Luke explains verse 8. For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection and no angel or spirit, but the Pharisees confess both. Perhaps there would be a difference. I should probably say, when Paul is appealing in verse 6, it's almost like a way of saying, hey, I believe in the resurrection. We might differ a little bit, but look, I'm preaching and proclaiming the resurrection. Why am I being put under judgment and under condemnation civilly for that thing? Because the Pharisees believed that you would have a spiritual body, perhaps that resembled an angel or a spirit. And perhaps that's a little bit different than what a Christian does believe. But anyway, Paul's appeal causes an uproar, and then in verse 9, then there arose a loud outcry, and then the scribes of the Pharisees, so a subset of the Pharisees' party, arose in protest, saying, He's right. We find no problem with this man. What's the big deal? And if a spirit or an angel has spoken, let us not fight against God. So if this is true, we're not going to fight against God. You know, there's no reason for us to keep him here. Now, that doesn't go over so well. Because a great dissension arose, so much so that the commander brings Paul and brings him to safety and brings him back to the barracks. Because, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them. Pharisees are grabbing one arm, the Sadducees are grabbing the other arm. There's fear that Paul would be torn in half. And so they grab the soldiers, or the soldiers grab him, take him back, that he would be safe. So Paul makes his appeal, Paul makes his witness, but I think one thing this teaches us and we can see in this, is when we bear witness, the times of respect and zeal that we need to engage in. You see, perhaps for us, when we see insults in the scriptures, we kind of shrink back a little bit and get freaked out and go, Paul's being a terrible person. Well, there's perhaps a bit of a historical shift when the Pietists came around in the 17th century, this ethic of niceness. Now, we should be nice to people. I'm not saying we shouldn't. But there was very much a time, even with the reformers, where they had no problem throwing down with people. and they could distinguish certain cases with people on when to throw down and what names to call those ones. You see, there is a time for holy zeal, and there's a clear difference here with those in ecclesiastical authority and those in civil government. Paul respects those in civil government, but when it came to be those who are in spiritual government and they weren't doing their spiritual duties, Paul had no problem calling judgment upon them. You know another reason why I don't think Paul is shrinking back and Paul is engaging in wickedness here? Because Jesus called the Pharisees whitewashed tombs. Jesus called Herod that fox. You see, there are times and places when certain men, certain spiritual men, who claim to be spiritual men in authority, are leading people astray. And it's no problem when we attack that wolf that we speak with vehemence against that wolf. When a wolf comes and starts to attack you, you don't say, hi, how you doing? You swing your staff and tell that big thing to go away and stay away. And you yell at that with fierceness. This is what Paul was doing. This is what the reformers did. Paul is not violating Matthew chapter 5 of turning the other cheek. That doesn't mean we don't speak up, as Calvin rightly says. So Paul did not speak for his own sake. You see, that's the issue. When we speak for our own sake, when we speak for our own gain, that's a difference. Paul's not doing that. He says, Paul did not speak for his own sake that he might, with sharp words, requite the injury done to him by the high priest. But because he was a minister of the word of God, he would not wink at an offense that did deserve sharp and serious reprehension. especially seeing it was profitable to bring light to the gross hypocrisy of Ananias. You see, Jesus says you're bearing witness. And so what's happening here is the hope is that as he calls this pig out, that people would see that pig and realize what he wants, that oinker who takes all he wants, and go and say, no, that guy is a terrible person. Let's come and look to someone else. To expose him for what he is, that they might look to someone else. And because even too, you read some of the old boys and they had no problem throwing out their insults at the papacy. Go home tonight, Google Luther insults. Something will pop up that says 29 funny Luther insults. This one I'm about to say is not on there, but he does call the Pope his hellishness. And sometimes he calls the popes screaming donkeys, screaming their hee-haws. Even one time he said, talked about a pope speaking from his mouth, and he said, I don't think that's the mouth you're speaking from. I think it's the mouth where farts come from. And that's basically a direct, almost quote. You see, he had no problem doing that. It was a different time, different place, and because the pope, and because the papacy sets themselves up in spiritual authority, encroaching on salvation and the liberty of others, He had no problem speaking out against them. Now, this doesn't mean we get to go and insult our friends and the people that we don't like. You see, there's a time and a place in knowing when to throw down with people. And even when you're dealing with people, and you're throwing down against different systems of Christianity, systems of thought, one, you attack the idea and the belief. And also you have to realize as well, not just as you attack the belief, but who you're talking to. If they're a lay person, cut them some slack a little bit. But if they're one in authority, yeah, throw down with them. They should know better. They should know more, especially one who's been in authority. So the old boys, they knew what their zeal. They knew, even Paul, when to throw down, when to speak against a wolf, and when to speak to a sheep. When to speak against one who is seeking to take away one's salvation, and against seeking and speaking to lost sheep who needed to hear salvation to believe. So there's just some thoughts there, I think, with respect to bearing witness, respect, zeal, what that looks like, who we're before, we need to think through what those things look like. And even with that, too, Paul is willing to, in some ways, say, look, here's what we both believe in, here's where we're right, come and believe. He finds somewhat, I don't want to say common ground or anything like that, I guess that is kind of what it is. He finds a point where he can enter in and hopefully bring people to Christ. Now, I usually become concerned when I hear the word contextualization. That freaks me out sometimes. But, without going too far, there are times we can engage and think through who we're talking to and ways we can present the gospel rightly. So, bearing witness, wisdom, respect, zeal, as we preach to the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's Paul's witness of Christ. Let's then look, secondly, at Christ's protection of Paul in verses 11-35. So, God comes and promises Paul protection. And we've seen this already throughout the book of Acts. It's when Paul's in a time of peril or concern, God appears to him. And it is the risen Lord Jesus. And he comes to him and he says, in verse 11, be of good cheer. Take courage, Paul. You see, Paul knew that he had to go to Jerusalem, and he knew he would suffer many things, but he didn't know everything that would come to pass. And so now perhaps he thinks, perhaps I could die here. Perhaps there is some concern. The reason that God says to him, be of good courage, Paul, is perhaps because Paul lost some courage a little bit. We still see some of it, but maybe he's sitting in that cell going, man, I don't know what's going on here. So Jesus appears and comforts him and says, look Paul, I am over this. For as you testified for me. Again, that's why I think Paul is saying something righteously here in verses 3-5. Because Jesus says, you are testifying concerning me. You see, Paul doesn't need to acknowledge Ananias, the high priest, because Christ is the high priest. Christ is the true one, who sits at the right hand of God the Father, making intercession for his people. The Old Testament, the Old Covenant, has done away with, and the High Priest is reigning at the right hand of God the Father. So Jesus says, as you testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome as well. Go, preach, bear witness concerning me. And even this language here of testifying, What was the main idea and the main verse of the entire book? Hopefully we've had it memorized. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. But you will be my witnesses. You see, there's a lot of apostolic connections here as well. You see, Peter appears before the Sanhedrin. So does Paul. And even as Peter and the other apostles received that specific charge in Acts 1.8, so too here is Paul demonstrating that he is part of that apostolic connection as that 13th apostle to the Gentiles, bringing Christ to the ends of the earth. As Bruce says, This assurance meant much to Paul during the delays and anxieties of the next two years, and goes far to account for the calm and dignified bearing which seemed to mark him out as a master of events rather than their victim. So this verse plays a major part from here until the end, because God will be with him, and you will testify at Rome as well, which is the end of the book. But, even though God promises these things, there's still difficulties along the way. And so when we come to verse 12 and the following verses, we don't need to fret. Paul doesn't need to fret. Because we know from verse 11 that Paul will make it to Rome. So when this plot comes about, we know that God is sovereign over all of these things as well. But nonetheless, bad things still happen, or bad things potentially could happen. People are still wicked and want to do terrible things. So verse 12, And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. Look at the extent on how that much they want to take this guy out. They won't eat anything or drink anything until he is taken out. And notice verse 13, there are 40 of them. 40 of them conspire together. These assassins want to come and pop the Apostle Paul and take him out. Verse 14, and so much so they come to the chief priests and elders and they say, We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we eat nothing until we have killed Paul. That's repeated three times. That's how much they really wanted to get rid of him. Now you therefore together with the council suggested to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him. But we are ready to kill him before he comes near. And again, it sees the further extent of how far they're willing to go. You see, they're willing to incur the wrath of the Roman government. They're willing to take out a Roman citizen, and when a Roman citizen is taken out, that most assuredly would bring harsh, swift judgment by the Romans on these Jews. That's how much they want to take him out. That's how much we see their hatred. They're willing to risk eating and drinking and even their lives for the sake of killing this one, the Apostle Paul. But, thankfully, God works through means. We know he will be with Paul, but he still works through means in verse 16. And notice, and when Paul's sister's son, Paul's got a sister and he's got a nephew. That's it. Pretty cool information you can store away in your trivial pursuit part of your brain. When Paul's sister's son heard of their ambush, he goes, he enters the barracks, and he tells Paul. So Paul finds out. Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him. So, verse 18, he took him and brought him to the commander and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you. And so the commander asks, What's going on? And the commander took him by the hand, went aside and asked him privately, What is it that you have to tell me? And verse 20, repeated again, we need to be reminded of what's going on. God is sovereign over all these things, but Luke wants us to be reminded of what's going on. The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him. But do not yield to them, for more than 40 of them lie in wait for him, many who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed them. Now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you. And so the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, don't tell anyone. Don't let me know, don't tell anyone you've revealed these things to me. Keep it to yourself. Excuse me, because you see, If a Roman citizen was assassinated under the watch of this commander, he would have been in big doo-doo himself, because he was supposed to keep and protect these citizens who have certain rights. And so thus, he engages in a plan to protect the Apostle Paul, namely, let's send Paul to Felix. Let's move him up the ladder courts, so to speak, move him up further in the courts, because he needs protection, and this case needs to go to a higher authority. And even notice, too, the plan to get away involves many men. He calls two centurions in verse 23. He prepared 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen. 470 men to take the Apostle Paul up to Caesarea. Who says the Bible is boring? Because there's espionage, there's these dagger men we saw in chapter 22. We'll talk about them more in just a moment again. But there's a lot of wonderful things, wonderful, cool things that happen at the Apostle Paul's expense for us to read and go, wow. crazy things going on. But the most important thing is we see God over all of these things. And to ensure that Paul is protected, this massive military escort is given. And so the commander says, go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night, basically get out by night. Get out by night, under the cover of darkness. That's how serious the situation was. Get out now, go away, get away from this place, and go towards Felix, the governor. And so they send him towards Felix, the governor. And then we see the letter that this one writes. And this is the first time in verse 26 where we see the commander's name. He's been with us since chapter 21. And then we finally get his name. Claudius Laetius. To the most excellent Governor Felix. Greetings! And notice he gives a report of what's going on, but it's not all that truthful. He paints himself in a bit of a positive light here. Notice verse 27. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. But here I came with the troops to save him. I rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. That's really not how it went, is it? He's Paul's being beaten the commander hears about it comes grabs the Apostle Paul thinks he's some you know Terrorist and thinks he's some Egyptian guy He thinks he's this leader of these dagger men in verse 38 these assassins these swift-knifed Assassins and he thinks he's these he's the leader of these ones and Paul's like no I am a Jew and then when the Apostle Paul that reveals he's a Roman citizen, but after this guy's order, a scourging, he doesn't include that in here either, does he? He's like, no, I saved him, I'm pretty wonderful, look at me. And then verse 29, and then I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains. You see, this is clear, and this is important, even for the order of the narrative, because Paul had done nothing wrong. It's people, hard-hearted people, wanting to take down the gospel. And that is the case with these Jews. And verse 30, So, this one's engaging in Due diligence, due process, even if he's painting himself in a positive light, he's still wanting to help the Apostle Paul, and thus he does. And so the plan is executed in verse 31. The soldiers, as they were commanded, they take Paul, they bring him to Antipatrys, which is not quite Caesarea, but it's close by. And then the next day, some of the horsemen left. Namely, the threat's gone. The 40 assassins aren't going to be able to get them now, so we can just take back that military, lessen the military escort. So they do, and then they finally come to Caesarea in verse 33, and they deliver the letter to the governor, and they also present the apostle Paul. And then it's Felix. basically engages in the inquiry. Sorry, Felix engages in this inquiry. Paul's handed over to him. He basically asks, hey, what province is he from? Basically saying, do I need to inquire of other people? Do other people need to come? Or is it just me that needs to deal with him? Paul says, I'm from Cilicia. And so he says, I'll hear you when your accusers come. I will take the case. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's Praetorian. So Felix, this is the first introduction we see of Felix the governor. He'll be with us next week, and then he goes away. Felix, kind of some interesting things about him. If you want to stow away for your trivial pursuit part of your brain. Part of him, he was a slave, became a free man. He actually married one of the granddaughters of Antony and Cleopatra. But where it connects with 21 verses 37 and 40, he's the one who crushed the dagger men. He's the one who wiped out the Egyptians' men. He's the one who put that uprising into the ground. And because of that, people didn't like him. He was a very harsh ruler. And so we'll see eventually he'll be taken away in chapter 24, but he destroyed those dagger men whom we already saw. So God is with the Apostle Paul, and God's providence is clearly seen, but I think that's the takeaway, and that's the main idea. God's providence in strange circumstances. God governs, God is sovereign over all things, even over man's wickedness. God is not the author of sin. God is not the author of sin, but God is sovereign over sin. I think that's tough for us to think through, isn't it? I'm the wicked person that engages in that sin, but God is sovereign over that. And what man means for evil, God does mean for good. And even in this case where Paul is in prison for a long time, God is still sovereign over those things. And again, sometimes we, and even for us when we read the scriptures, we know that, don't we? But then a circumstance comes our way and we freak out because we forget sometimes that God is sovereign. You know, even though Paul had his Acts 23, 11 moment, look Paul, you're not going to die in this moment. You'll go to Rome. Even when we might not have those moments, we have it for us. We can read that and go, God is sovereign over the circumstances in life. We may not know what the next day holds, or the next week holds, or the next month holds, or when we're going to die, but we know that God is sovereign over that, that when we die, it will be the time we go. And when we come before various governments, or come before unbelievers, we don't need to shrink back. We can proclaim Jesus. We don't need to worry about what people will think, because in reality, they're probably not going to respond very well, are they? A lot of times when we preach Christ, it might not be a favorable response. Most of the time when we preach Jesus, it's not going to be those moments where it's like, all of a sudden, boom, regeneration, faith, all those things happen at once. A light bulb clicks, ta-da, the guy gets it, boom, baptized. It's not all like that in one stroke. That's not how it works. But sometimes when we preach Christ, people will be hostile. We should expect that. But, hopefully God, and we know our God is sovereign, and our God is the one who is mighty to save, hopefully he plants seeds, and perhaps someone else standing by might hear, and even that person who initially we preached to, might believe as well. We may not have these direct revelations, but we have the scriptures, God is with us. And clearly Christ's power is seen in Paul's sufferings and in the church's sufferings. It's in those difficult times. It's in those times that are tough where we see God's power shine the brightest. As Johnson says, Integral to that divine plan were the afflictions that befell the Apostle Paul along the way. God uses his enemy's devious hostility to transport his servant to the center of worldly power, there to bear witness that Jesus alone is Lord. God is sovereign. God brings salvation for his people. God is with you and I in the circumstances that we face in life, that we face with faith, because we know that God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. We know what awaits us if we believe on Jesus. Should we die, we'll be with God forever and ever. And then when we have opportunity, we should preach that Jesus alone is Lord. Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we're again thankful for your providence. We're thankful for your sovereignty that we can trust in those things. We know, O God, that we are forgetful when difficulties arise. We know that your scriptures are sure. We know that what you say is sure, that you are with your people. Christ is with his church who is persecuted. Christ is with his brethren, with us as we suffer. We know, O God, that you help us and aid us each and every day. But, O God, even as you aid us in your providence, we do pray in your providence you'd give us more opportunities to preach Christ, to share the gospel with friends and family and those we come across. Give us boldness to do this, O God. I know that it's easy to shrink back and to lack courage in those areas, but help us, forgive us for the times when we do lack those moments. But we know, God, that you are mighty to save and mighty to change, and we pray that you plant the seeds in the life of the people we interact with. Give us opportunities to share Christ. preach that Jesus is the Lord. And oh God, help us to with zeal and love and be immense and give us wisdom as we do it as well. We're thankful, oh God, that you are mighty and good and that you know what is best for your people and that Christ does build his church and Christ is over his church. Even when we are discouraged or downtrodden, we know that you are with us and help us. So God, be pleased to save, be pleased to encourage, be pleased to build your church, we pray in the name of Christ. Amen.