Acts 24.25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write.
27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”
Romans 8.33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
Festus had a problem. Paul was in prison.
The Jews had perjuried themselves by false charges against Paul. No way were they going to be dealt with. Many times we see people getting away with breaking the law because they are political assets.
If Paul agreed to return to Jerusalem he would never make it. He would be ambushed, or killed when he got there. God showed him that. Luke reports that the same plan was intact as it was when they brought him from Jerusalem to Caesarea.
Paul appealed to Caesar. A Roman citizen could do that.
The only problem was that there needed to be a document stating the charges to accompany the prisoner who would then stand before the Roman Emperor. There were no basis of any charges because Paul had done nothing wrong. Paul, the Apostle had put the Jewish Ruling Council and especially the Roman Rulers in a quandary.
I am not here this morning to lecture you on the laws of the Roman Empire nor am I here to discuss the legalities of these proceedings under Roman law. My friend, Rudy Migliore, would be more qualified to do that. Nor have I ever been on trial except to testify. A number of times I have been asked to testify in everything from a deposition to adoption cases to US Immigration Court for people seeking religious asylum from persecution. All the proceedings were filled with drama and suspense. These proceedings were conducted by the laws of the land.
There is something very interesting however that stands out in the among the ridiculousness of these trials of Paul. There is truth that emerges. The Truth always is known sooner or later. Let an entity or a person go through the fire. Fire cleanses. Fire refines. Fire purifies. The process is not pleasant to the entity or the person but it does what nothing else can do. And is what God uses it to make us more like Jesus.
Joe Haldenwang ... When you sterilizing a surgical intrument it goes into a steam on a plate wrapped in blue plastic and then deposits of impurities are cleansed out by hot steam. You can sterilize as well them inside and outside by a peroxide process which burn out impurities chemically.
Going through the fire, God is cleansing, making you pure.
Paul was going through trials before the Sanhedrin and the Roman courts of Felix and Festus. But inside he was going through fiery trails which cleanse the soul.
He was innocent of the charges...
1. His life was exemplary.
Blameless
There was nothing in his life that he could be accused of and have it stick.
He wrote about the overseer, or the shepherd of the flock with this same idea.
I Timothy 3.1-7 If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be blameless, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap.
Faultless How Jesus will present us to the Father.
We should seek to live lives like this, we may be accused but nothing sticks.
We should aim to reflect Jesus in our attitudes and choices.
Our life is an example.
I Timothy 4.12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
2. His Integrity was Stellar
*In This World
A good reputation with outsiders.
A good man whose life cannot be spoken against
A man of blameless reputation.
A man who is so good that people cannot rightly criticize him.
Above reproach.
If I could change anything in the way we interview candidates for ordination it would be to secure a list of their neighbors and ask the people who live next store to him what kind of a character is this guy?
Then I would ask his family to tell the board.
Then I would ask for a list of all the places he worked and contact them and ask, “Would you hire him back if he asked?”
Then I would ask for references from his bank, wherever he conducts business, his mechanic, his associates, where eats... I would ask the waitresses, “Is he generous when he tips?”
Personal Integrity
Before God
Before people
Free from charges
God’s people sometimes a treated like they are guilty even though they are innocent. Remember Joseph, David, Daniel and Jeremiah not to mention our Lord Jesus Christ.
Their stories.
Paul was experiencing this...
Luke 21.12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of My Name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me.
3. His Hope was In Christ.
On Christ the Solid Rock...
His hope was not in organized religion.
His hope was not in the government.
Ronald Reagan said the 9 scariest words ot hear: ”I’m from the government and I am here to help.”
His Hope was in the LORD.
He was seeking the Kingdom of God.
We will be frustrating ourselves if we are not seeking first His Kingdom.
Jesus said that He would build His Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
Seeking His Kingdom first is our part in Him building His Church. Praying, trusting in Him, looking to Him, leaning on Him.
Live in such a way that you would be convicted of being a Christian if you were ever on trial, but you would be free of all other charges. That is the legacy of Jesus and Paul, who wrote, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” I Corinthians 11.1
