The God Who Saves Sings Songs of His Victorious Love Through You

Salvation Belongs to God

(Acts 23:12-35, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, June 30, 2013)

[12] When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. [13] There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. [14] They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. [15] Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

Paul needed to be saved from danger. He had already found salvation in Jesus Christ from the worst danger that anyone can face. The eternal wrath of God had been averted through the salvation that came to Him through Jesus Christ. He now needed the lesser salvation of being kept safely from his many enemies so that he could eventually testify to the truth of Christ in Rome. Could Jesus be counted on for that salvation too?

[16] Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. [17] Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” [18] So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” [19] The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” [20] And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. [21] But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” [22] So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”

The number of people that were against Paul seemed overwhelming. How could they be stopped? The Lord Almighty made Paul's young nephew hear the truth, and through this one young man, Paul's life was saved. The salvation that was impossible for man to accomplish was not hard at all for God.

[23] Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. [24] Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” [25] And he wrote a letter to this effect:
[26] “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. [27] This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. [28] And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. [29] I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. [30] And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”Not only is God powerful to save, He is very able to work through powerful people to accomplish His purposes. A secret plot was exposed and right order was established. The supremacy of Christ over all was expressed wonderfully in this one act of deliverance.

[31] So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. [32] And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. [33] When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. [34] On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, [35] he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's praetorium.Paul had been taken from the hands of a mob who wanted to kill him at once. So far he had been able to testify to that mob of what he had seen and heard that had changed his life forever. He was also able to speak before the ruling religious council of the Jews in Jerusalem under the protection of the Roman Tribune, Claudius Lysius. In that very challenging meeting, Paul had been led to change the topic of discussion away from Jewish ceremonies and away from himself as religious enemy #1 to a topic that was far more important: the eternal purpose of God to bring about a solution to the sin and misery in this world.

Oddly enough, everything was taking place according to schedule, not the schedule of man's strategy, but the schedule of God's glorious sovereignty. What looked like a train wreck was actually the perfect plan of Almighty God, who is very able to appoint praise for the glory of His Name even from infants who shout out “Hosanna in the highest!”

Paul would be taken to governor Felix in Caesarea. He would be able to testify again about the hope of the resurrection, and then would be kept safely for two years. Felix would be replaced by Festus who would try to accommodate the Jews by changing the venue of Paul's case back to Jerusalem, where many Jews were preparing another ambush against Paul. God would deliver him again from that danger as Paul would challenge that proposed change of venue by appealing to Caesar. This is how Jesus worked it out that Paul would get to the capital of the Empire where he would have an opportunity to testify to the facts about Jesus to both Jews and Romans.

The Lord Jesus Christ, who saved Paul from the eternal wrath of God, saved Paul from lesser dangers as well. A large number of enemies who have made a plot to kill a man may not feel like a lesser danger when one first hears of it. We have a tendency to panic. The God who gave His Son for our salvation, will He not graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32) We are more than conquerors through Him.

If we are going to make it through the loneliness of prison, we need to know some songs. When Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi they were singing songs in the middle of the night. What songs do you have prepared in your hearts for your prison days?

You may not be planning on any prison days. Fair enough, but you are not the God who has all power and authority. Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob was not planning on prison. Many face the experience of being alone. They had not planned on that. Some are not able to achieve the joys that they had imagined would fill their latter years. What songs will you and I be singing if we find ourselves in that kind of prison.

Jesus has already delivered us from the prison-house of sin. He is also able to meet us in the prison of loneliness and despair. Our enemies who are not only outside us, but even inside us, may want us to take up this familiar tune: “Nobody knows the troubles I've seen...” The Lord has a better song for us, a song of the God who saves us. All things are possible with Him. He specializes in making the wrath of His enemies to praise Him.

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 3 – Many foes

Gospel Passage: Mark 10:17-31 – All things are possible with God

Sermon Text: Acts 23:12-35 – A foiled plot of the Jews will lead Paul to governor Felix in Caesarea

Sermon Point: Many foes can easily be defeated by the one God of our salvation.