When Kingdoms Collide (Collision part 4 of 4)

Then [Jesus] said to me, "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles." 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!" ...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?" — Acts 22:21–25

Watching Paul's last hours of freedom, we learn how God works all things for good—and how He sends us to those outside our circle.

All Things Work Together for Good

We believe it was during the winter between 57 and 58 A.D. that Paul, spending the season in Corinth, dictated a letter to a young scribe named Tertius—a letter that would become one of the treasures of the New Testament: Romans. Paul had no idea those words would still be studied two thousand years later, translated into languages he never knew existed. By some it is considered the most important work of his life.

Nestled almost in the exact middle of that book is perhaps its most memorable verse, known even by people who don't study the Bible:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. — Romans 8:28

What Paul did not know when he spoke those words was that their truth would be tested just a few months later, in the very events we read here in Acts 22.

A Few Short Days in Jerusalem

Over the last three weeks we have studied an event that unfolded in only a matter of moments—about seven days after Paul came into Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost and to bring financial support to the believers there. It is easy, when we study something over three weeks, to forget how quickly it actually happened.

This was Paul's final visit to the temple, and the last time he would experience freedom. Though some teachers believe he had a short period of liberty about eight years later, most of his remaining ten years would be spent as a prisoner of Rome—first in Judea, then extradited to Rome itself. And still: we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.

When we hear those words, they are often shared with us while we are going through something that does not appear good. Have you ever had someone quote that verse to you in a hard moment, and even though you know what they're about to say, the question runs through your mind—is it really true? The Scriptures say yes, for those who love God. But in the moment it can be nearly impossible to see how good could come from the apparent not-so-good.

Consider those around Paul. Timothy, the only one of his companions with Jewish heritage, was likely at his side in the temple. Luke probably saw the beating; so perhaps did Sopater, Aristarchus, and Trophimus. And James and the elders of the Jerusalem church—the ones who told Paul to enter the temple and take the vow—surely wondered, "Oh no, we sent Paul into the lion's den." Did any of them think, "This is good, exactly the outcome we anticipated"? No. Yet all things were working together for good.

Every Christian in the churches Paul visited on the way back had warned him. As he passed through Philippi, Troas, Cos, Rhodes, Chios, Samos—in every city they said chains and tribulations awaited him at Jerusalem. At Caesarea the prophet Agabus took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and declared the same. Now those words were coming to pass, and we wonder—is it really true that all things work together for good?

God's Heart Is for Those Outside Our Circle

Paul the captive now stands before an angry mob of his countrymen, the Roman barracks behind him—his future, where he will spend the rest of his life facing trials and execution. Given an opportunity to address the crowd, he shares his testimony, coming to the moment twenty years earlier when the risen Lord told him, "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles."

It is striking that this Jewish crowd was not bothered by Paul preaching Jesus of Nazareth, crucified and risen. They were only enraged when he said the Lord sent him to the Gentiles. That highlights the deep animosity between the Jews of Judea and the Romans of the wider empire. They could not fathom that this former Pharisee would reach out to Gentiles.

So they raised their voices: "Away with such a fellow! He is not fit to live." They tore their clothes and threw dust into the air—the symbol of severe disgust in that day. On the night Jesus declared Himself the Son of God, some did the very same thing. Now Paul says God sent him to the Gentiles, and the people react the same way.

This reminds us of a second truth: God's heart is for those outside of our little circle. The easiest thing in the world is to stay huddled with our own friends, our own family, those who look, talk, and smell like us. We must be careful never to fall into an "us and them" mindset—something the church has been doing for a while in our nation.

We tend to look at people who don't go to church on Sunday—and in North County, only about a third of the population does—as the enemy or as strange aliens to be avoided. Sadly, we even do this toward other churches that also believe in Jesus. You meet someone carrying a Bible, ask where they go, and if it's not your church, you think, "Oh, you're one of those." We get into an us-and-them mentality and stay away from "them," though we hardly know who "them" is. People in our workplaces and neighborhoods who don't attend church are not the enemy.

The First Missionary

The earliest faithful follower of God was Abraham, and God's word to him in Genesis 12:1 was:

Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.

God's missionary heart is seen there, commissioning the first missionary to leave what was comfortable and common. God may never call you to leave your country, your family, or your town to travel the world. But we must see that God's heart is for those who do not yet know Him; He wants them to come to the truth. Often the simplest way to make that happen is to invite others to come—and to welcome them when they do.

Think back to the first time you stepped into a church as an unbeliever, half-wondering if you'd be struck dead when you sat down. We in this room speak a different language—"Brother, I'm so blessed; would you like to come for some fellowship?"—and the newcomer thinks, what in the world? They come in concerned, not knowing where to park or sit.

One way we make people feel unwelcome is over our seats. You sit within a seat or two of the same spot every week; it's "your" seat. So when a visitor sits there, we think, "Who is that in my seat? Didn't they get the memo?" One of the ways we can welcome people is simply to give up that seat—"Hey, come sit right here"—or even park across the street so they have a place. Look out for someone who looks lost, introduce yourself, and say, "Welcome to Cross Connection." Don't cry out, tear your clothes, and throw dust in the air over a newcomer. Where it is our nature to surround ourselves with a small group, may we grow into the same heart God has.

Wise as Serpents, Harmless as Doves

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. — Acts 22:24

Everything Paul said to the crowd had been in Hebrew, but this commander spoke Greek. He had no idea what Paul was saying—only that at some point the crowd began ripping off their clothes, screaming, and throwing dust. Fearing a riot, the commander ordered Paul scourged—the common Roman method of interrogation: strip the man, bind him to a post, and whip him until you discover his crime.

In 2 Corinthians 11, written before this event, Paul says he had already received thirty-nine lashes five times—195 stripes—been beaten with rods three times, stoned once, and shipwrecked three times. Now he faces another whipping. As they bound him with thongs and stripped his cloak, they no doubt saw the scars on his back and thought, "This is a rabble-rouser; we've got our man."

Paul said to the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?" — Acts 22:25

This is a rhetorical question—Paul knows the answer is no. A Roman citizen had great rights: he could never be bound or beaten without due process. These soldiers had no idea Paul was a citizen; to them he looked like any other Jewish man. By binding him (Acts 21:33 says with two chains), the commander was already in violation of Roman law and could lose his post or even his life.

This points us to the third exhortation: as citizens of heaven, we should be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. In Matthew 10, as Jesus prepared His disciples to share the gospel, He said:

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves... they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake... But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak... for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. — Matthew 10:16–20

Jesus says you cannot prepare for such a moment, and you don't have to—God will give you the words. He was foretelling not only Paul's situation here, but the experience of countless Christians over two thousand years.

Born a Citizen

When the centurion heard Paul's words, he warned the commander, "Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman."

Then 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." — Acts 22:27–28

Historians debate this exchange. Some say citizenship could only be bought through a bribe; this commander, not born a citizen, obtained it at great cost. Some commentators suggest he was mocking Paul—"It cost me a lot; looks like it's gotten cheaper since"—seeing the scars on his back. But Paul says he was born a citizen, which is curious, since Philippians tells us he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and Acts 23 tells us his father was a Pharisee.

How did his family, foreigners born in Tarsus of Cilicia, come to possess such a thing? We don't know. But God had uniquely created Saul of Tarsus to be a link bringing the gospel from the Hebrews to the Gentiles—just as He had ordained Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations. God said, in effect, "I am creating you uniquely and gifting you with this position for a purpose."

Therefore 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, because he had bound him. — Acts 22:29

I love the understatement. These soldiers, excited for some action, suddenly hear he's a citizen, realize their own punishment is at stake, and quietly withdraw.

Use Every Resource Available

This brings us to the fourth point: use every resource available to you. As we reach out with God's heart, with wisdom and meekness—as Peter says, "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear"—we should also use every right and privilege we have for the kingdom.

You may not realize it, but your American citizenship and your ability to speak fluent English are an awesome privilege and resource. In most nations you have rights many others don't, simply because of the nation behind you. And even if God never calls you to one of those places, He has given every one of us open doors, opportunities, rights, and privileges. We should use our influence to reach those outside our circle.

Jesus gave an interesting teaching in Luke 16 that has made many a teacher scratch his head:

Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. — Luke 16:9

The NIV renders it: "Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." Essentially, Jesus is saying: use the worldly resources, opportunities, place, and influence God has given you, as an ambassador of Christ, for the good of His kingdom.

Nehemiah—For Such a Time as This

There's a great Old Testament illustration in Nehemiah. In 586 B.C. Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, leading the people captive—including a young man named Daniel and his three friends. After seventy years, Medo-Persia conquered Babylon and gave the Jews opportunity to return. A small group went back to rebuild, but their enemies made it very difficult.

Word reached Nehemiah, a Jewish man who held a place of great privilege as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia. The cupbearer was a trusted advisor who tasted the king's food—because poisoning was a common way to assassinate kings. For about four months Nehemiah prayed and fasted for his people.

And the king said to me, "Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart." ...So I said to the king, "...Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste...?" Then the king said to me, "What do you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. — Nehemiah 2:2–4

Nehemiah asked to be sent to Judah to rebuild, and asked for letters to the governors beyond the river and to the keeper of the king's forest for timber.

And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me. — Nehemiah 2:8

Here is a man who used every available resource and opportunity for the kingdom of God. He recognized his place was a God-given moment—"the good hand of God upon me has placed me here at this time to do what God wants done." We see the same in Esther: "for such a time as this," God may have placed you in this very place for this very purpose.

Make the Most of Every Opportunity

God's heart is for those outside our little circle. As we gain His heart and go out to reach them, we should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, but we should use every available resource and opportunity, so that on that day we might hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of the Lord" (Matthew 25:21). I hope to hear those words someday.

Whether at 1675 Seven Oaks Road, your own front door, or your cubicle at work—God's heart is for those outside. May He grant us that same heart, to be wise and gentle in our dealings, using every resource as Paul says in Ephesians 5: "make the most of every opportunity, for the days are evil."

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your Word and for the exhortations of this passage. Help us to make application from it. Stir our hearts. It may be that there are some in this room today going through a difficult trial, something they have a hard time seeing the good in. Lord, remind us that You do have a good plan even when things in our lives don't appear good, and that You are working all things together for our good. Work in us, transform us, and help us to have Your heart for those who are outside—to be wise in our dealings in this world and to use the resources and opportunities You've given us for Your name's sake and for Your kingdom. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.