MPC, 1st December 2002.Acts 21:17-22:22 - "It Should Have Been Such a Good Day"
Phil Campbell MPC, 1st December 2002.
I wonder if you know what it's like to have one of those times when what should have been a good day... turns into a bad day?
Like you've got all the family coming for lunch on Christmas day. You've been getting ready for months. Cooking the Christmas cake; baking the dinner. Making everything just right. And then the day comes and everyone arrives; and there's a huge family argument at the dinner table. And everyone ends up in tears. What should have been a good day – ends up rotten.
Or our Susie. Still remember back on her 8th birthday. Started off so well. Piles of presents, Fruit Loops for breakfast. All looking good til she went out to say "good morning" to her pet bird. And found it had dropped off the perch. Dead.
And so for Susie, that meant the day she'd been looking forward to, the day that should have been a good day… ended up a sad day.
Maybe you've known days like that.
Well, think about the apostle Paul. Because we're going to see what should have been a good day for him – go very, very, sour.
Paul's coming back to Jerusalem. The holy city of God. In what should have been a triumphal entry. There should have been a welcome mat. And balloons.
Paul's been commissioned by God. In an amazing way. To go as a missionary to the Gentiles. To the nations. He's been pounding the beat; thousands of kilometers through Turkey and Greece. And the islands of Cyprus and Malta. Telling them about Jesus.
And the amazing thing is, people are listening. And now by the time he gets back to Jerusalem, the place it all started, Paul can say that there are new Christians… all over the Mediterranean. He's left behind a Christian church in almost every town he's been in. People who accepted his message. And believed in Jesus.
Now this is great news. Great news especially from our point of view as people who are Gentiles ourselves. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but not many of you sitting here this morning are Jewish. Which means we're Gentiles.
And it should have been great news for the Jews as well. Because what's happening here is something that their Old Testament scriptures said would happen.
Let me remind you of that. I want to have a look with you back to the prophet Isaiah. Right at the end. Isaiah 66. As Isaiah looks ahead to what God's planning.
A passage where God says, look forward to the time when I'm going to come and gather all nations and tongues. And they will come and see my glory.
Isaiah 66 Verse 19. "I will set a sign among them, and I'll send some of those who survive to the nations – to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lidians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece – where Paul's just come from – and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the lord." And he goes on to say, they'll bring them, my messengers will bring these Gentiles like the Israelites bring their grain offerings to the temple. And verse 21, I'll select some of them also to be Priests and Levites. To be among my holy people.
Now let me run that by you again. And ask yourself, if you're a Jew, what does Isaiah say you should be expecting? What should you be looking forward to?
You should be expecting a time when the glory of your God isn't something that's only seen by the Jews. But that it's going to spread to the nations. God's going to set a sign among them, verse 19; to call them in.
You should be expecting people like the Lydians. They used to be called that. A bit later on they're called Ephesians. To come pouring in to Jerusalem to pay tribute at the temple. And they'll be counted among the people of God.
Which you'd think would be something to celebrate. Wouldn't you? And if you were part of that, if you were actually doing it, you'd reckon when you got to Jerusalem, there'd be some sort of celebration.
Well, that's exactly what Paul's been doing. He's been out to the nations; telling them about the glory of God. The great sign that's gone out all over the world is the sign of the cross of Jesus. His death. And resurrection.
And now here's Paul back at Jerusalem. And he's brought some of the Gentiles with him. And they've even brought a tribute – a huge pile of money Paul's been collecting from the Gentiles for the believing Jews in Jerusalem, because there's a famine there. First century Farmhand Appeal.
And so everything Isaiah said, is happening. Gentiles pouring into Jerusalem to pay tribute. To the God of Israel. Which you'd have to think is something worth celebrating.
The opening verses of Acts 21, things start out pretty well. When we arrived at Jerusalem, says verse 17, and the story's being written by Luke who's travelling with Paul, he says, when we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. And the next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them, and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, verse 20, they praised God.
Because this is good news. It's all going according to plan. The Christians in Jerusalem, and they're mainly from Jewish background, they can see that the words of Isaiah, they're all panning out. And they celebrate.
But that's not the end of the story. And you'll remember the warning we saw last week. Go to Jerusalem, there'll be trouble.
And while you'd expect all the Jews would be celebrating, they're not.
And so the question we need to be asking is, what's going to happen, when Paul goes up to the temple? See, Isaiah said, messengers are going to be sent out, they'll gather up people from all the nations, and they'll come. And pay tribute at the temple. So here they are.
Well, let me tell you what happens. We read it before, didn't we?
James, the head of the church in Jerusalem, James is nervous. And this is scary, I reckon. He's not just nervous about the Jews. He's even nervous about the Jews who have already become Christians. It's like he's sitting on a powder keg.
James says, you'd better play it by the book. He says, there are some ugly rumours floating round. Rumours that you're not playing by the Jewish rules. Rumours that you're not upholding the Old Testament law. Pick up in verse 20.
Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.
"So what will we do? They'll hear that you've come. So play it very carefully. Take a few other guys with you. Go up to the temple and get purified. And make sure you follow all the rules." Which is exactly what Paul does.
So in verse 26 you can see the very next day, it says Paul took the other guys, and purified himself, along with them. And then he went to the temple and gave notice of the date when the days of purification would end, and the offering would be made by each of them.
Paul is following the rules to the letter. But there's trouble brewing.
People are watching. People are talking. And especially some Jews who are in town from up in the North where Paul's been spending his time. Jews from the province of Asia. Jews from Ephesus.
And as soon as they see Paul at the temple, they make their move. They stir up a crowd there, they start a riot, the sort you see in Indonesia and Nigeria and Palestine every time you turn on the TV. And Paul's at the center of it.
Now when you see something like that, it's scary, isn't it? Because people stop listening to reason. How do you reason with a riot? I saw one guy on TV, he said the only way he got through a riot in Jakarta was with a pocketful of cash; every time someone was going to lay into him, he pulled out a handful of money. And paid them off. Well, for Paul that's not an option. He's stuck. Surrounded. And these Jews, they're shouting out for everyone to get stuck into him. Look what they're saying. Verse 28. They're shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he's brought Greeks into the temple area… and defiled this holy place.
Now we all know very well, the temple had rules. And one of them was that there was a stone barrier. Four feet high. You could look over it. But you couldn't walk through the gate. Unless you were a Jew. And there were plaques along the wall like the sign I saw outside a prison fence: "Lethal force will be used to prevent breakouts." In this case, the opposite: "Lethal force will be used to prevent breakINS." If you're not Jewish and you pass through this gate, we'll kill you.
Now I've been to some pretty unwelcoming churches in my time; but they're not usually that bad. That was the rule. Jews only.
But over against that, what are they going to do about it when the thing Isaiah said was going to happen finally happened? When all the nations start worshipping God as well? And come to bring their tribute.
Well, these guys have seen Paul walking around town with a Gentile. Trophimus the Ephesian. And the fact is, he hasn't brought him to the temple at all. They just think he has. Or more likely, they're just saying he has. To cause trouble. And they succeed. There's a riot.
Verse 30 says the whole city is aroused; and the people come running from all directions like a schoolyard fight. The shopping area grinds to a standstill; and they grab Paul and drag him out of the temple. And you can almost hear the loud clank of the metal gates at the end of verse 30, can't you? Here's the messenger that God sent out to call in the rest of the world. Just like he planned. And he gets back to the temple to pay tribute. And what's the response? Get out and stay out. It says they drag him from the temple. And immediately… the gates were shut.
Let me ask you, who are they really shutting out? …
Well, let's follow the story; while they're trying to kill him, the riot squad turns up. And it's only when they arrive that the crowd stops beating Paul. And he's arrested in verse 33, and bound in two chains. Just like the prophet Agabus said he would be. And as they're taking him away, verse 35 says the violence of the crowd is so bad, the soldiers have to actually lift him up and carry him to keep him out of danger.
And the crowd keeps following; and they're saying the words you can see there in verse 36. Words worth looking at. Because there's an echo. Of another crowd in Jerusalem 30 years before. When Jesus himself had been arrested, just like Paul. And the crowd back then yelled exactly the same words. Away with him.
Things in the Holy City of Jerusalem haven't changed, have they? And what should have been a good day, with Paul fulfilling what Isaiah said, it's turned into a very bad day. With Paul accused and yelled at and beaten by a crowd and arrested. For doing the work of God. And you wonder whether among the crowd there are even Jewish Christians. Zealous for the law. The believers who James was so worried about when Paul came to town. Because their zeal for the law is so great that they see Paul as a threat to everything they stand for. Enemy of the religion of their forefathers. When in reality he's not. He's the fulfilment of it.
Which you'll notice is the key point Paul makes in his speech in chapter 22. We're not going to look at it in detail. But that's what he says. He says I'm just as Jewish as you are. I've got all the right pedigree. He says I was best mates with the High Priest, I used to go persecuting Christians. Until God told me – your God and my God – to go to the Gentiles.
So when they're opposing Paul, who are they really opposing?
How can this be?
Now let's backtrack for a minute. Because we've seen what should have been a good day for Paul go terribly wrong. And I want to ask the question, how can this be? I mean, what's gone wrong? Why is it that the so called people of God are slamming the doors of the temple behind the very one God has called… to take his message to the world?
You can see the issue in a couple of places. But most clearly back in verse 28. And I want you to have a look at it. Because here's what they're saying. And you've got to try to sift the true allegations from the false ones; but at the very least, this is what they see to be the problem.
They're shouting this. They're saying,. Men of Israel, help us. Because… and watch what they're saying…This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people; and against our law; and against this place.
And you'll notice James said something similar to him back in verse 20 and 21. That even the Jews who have become Christians are uncomfortable. Because they're still zealous for the law. And they've heard Paul's not.
Because Paul's been going out to the Gentiles. The non Jews. People like us. And instead of giving them a list of rules to obey, he's telling them about Jesus. Instead of telling them to keep the law and circumcise their sons and keep the Jewish customs, all Paul wants to do is tell them about trusting the one who died and rose. Which is what being a Christian is all about.
And as they hear him saying that, these Jews are saying to themselves, he's speaking against us. He's speaking against our laws. He's speaking against our temple. And there's no way in the world they can see Jesus as being enough… without their law. And their traditions. And their temple.
And so they slam the temple doors. And say away with him. As they launch the plot to kill him. Slamming the door in the face of the Gentiles who God always said were going to come into his kingdom. And saying forget it. God's kingdom is just for us.
Now we need to stop there, but can I say there might be some food for thought. In case maybe you're someone who's made the same sort of mistake. Because in a strange sort of way, we who are Gentiles, you and me, the ones being shut out back in Acts… we did find our way into the people of God. Through Paul's gospel. And yet it seems we need to be constantly reminded of that. So we don't end up making exactly the same mistakes as the Jews.
And so by holding onto the old laws and traditions, even if they're good laws; and good traditions; you can actually end up shutting people out.
I was talking to a friend of mine in ministry the other night. Almost on the verge of burn-out. Who was saying that as he's lead his church through a process of change, some of the elders there are so vehemently against changing anything… that they're determined to be rid of him. Because they say, this is how things have always been done. And this is how they'll stay. And if new people don't understand it, if new people don't like it, they can go somewhere else. And so they slam the door.
Which is ironic. Considering the Apostle Paul put his life at risk to make sure people like us were included in the gospel. Included in the people of God. Simply by turning in faith to the Lord Jesus. No strings attached.
And so there's a reminder for us, isn't there? That as God's plans looked forward to a time that all sorts of people would pour into the kingdom, that's what we're meant to be about as well. Opening the door. Instead of slamming it shut.
Acts 21 is like the story of the prodigal son all over again. The story Jesus told. Of the faraway son who comes home. Home to the father's open arms. And yet the brother who's been home all along wants nothing to do with him. And instead of a welcome, there's a critique. That's the Jews. As Paul comes back with his great news of his mission to the Gentiles.
So I wonder as a church, how good are we… at extending God's welcome? To anyone. Because I think in the end we're maybe not as good at it as we think. We're comfortable with the people we're comfortable with. And don't ever go much further than that. We're comfortable with the routines we're comfortable with. And don't ever go much further than that.
I wonder how long is it, even here at church, since you've welcomed someone. Friends of ours here last week. Okay, because he's actually a minister from another church. But I watched as they sat over on my left at the 9:30 service. Just to see if anyone said "Hi". Or made them welcome. I can tell you who did. One person. At the start of the service. And then at the end, they waited. They got up. They walked up the side, along the back. People everywhere. And nobody even said "Hi" until they made it to the morning tea queue.
And I watch as well… as people who have been here a while; maybe a few weeks or a month; regular at church. And yet never really finding a friend among us. While the cosy little groups of friends who have been here a generation enjoy one another's company and don't even notice. Not as blunt as slamming the temple door. But very much the same feeling if you're on the receiving end.
Can I urge you this morning, don't turn into the Jews of Acts 21. Who are so zealous for the law… that they don't want the gospel. Who are so zealous for the law… that they don't want anything to do with anyone different. Who are so zealous for the law that the day that should have been such a good day for the Apostle Paul… sees him hauled off in chains. On the start of a long journey as a prisoner. Heading for Rome. More next week. As we follow on his journey.