Latest / United Baptist Church / To God Be The Glory Part II
Transcript
- And also thank you to Pastor Scott for putting up with my long winded miss. Another whole week to go through this passage. And as many of you have now said that for weeks and heard these 24 hours, that there's a lot there. Last week we saw how narrative continues to show based on working through marriage. There were bands involved and in particular in this passage, we reflected on the motivations of Peter and Jane, faithful men willing to give their lives for their friend, their. One of the key themes played out in Acts Chapter 12 is a report from the church based, at this point, the violence alone was left with nothing in the frame and through Peter's miraculous rescue, God once again is power. Back anew without he does not spare everyone from everything able to offer whatever the focus of last week's message was the opportunity we have to join in the unstoppable work to serve the Lord in making disciples, in bringing forth the Word of God, which is still increasing and multiplying. Today we have the opportunity to join in bringing our glory. This week I want us to see what might keep us from taking that opportunity and to understand that the Lord's glorification is not just an opportunity, it is an inevitability. No matter our part with us or in spite of us, God will receive the glory God. We look to you today. It is only by your speaking that we will hear heavenly words. It only through the power of your spirit that we will be able to receive them. We ask for your presence in your work here this morning. In Jesus name, Amen. If you look back to chapter four, you'll recall the disciples recognition of their need for the Lord's help was a constant. After Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, the High Court of the Jews, they returned and told their friends of the orders of the leaders to not speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. The response of the church here, too, was to pray that they might continue speaking God's word with boldness. During this prayer, the disciples quoted Psalm Chapter two, which we read this morning. It begins, Why do the Gentiles rage and the people's plot in vain? The kings of the Earth set themselves and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed. This Psalm expresses David's confidence in God's sovereignty. As David faces the opposition of the pagan nations surrounding Israel, it is a declaration that God will act on behalf of His covenant people and a warning to those who would set themselves up as enemies of God and His purposes. And it is worth remembering here that one of God's primary purposes in establishing Israel among the nations was that they would be a light to the nations. Israel was to show through their obedience to the law on alternative to pagan idolatry and to prove the power of God as they walked in faithfulness and received the covenant blessings upon themselves and their land. So when you read a psalm such as this and see a dire warning pronounced against as the Psalmist words it the nations and the kings of the Earth, remember that these enemies have been offered a very different fate. When Israel enters the land of Canaan with an army, they are not displacing innocent peoples, but rather nations that the Lord has given hundreds of years to recognize His Lordship and turn away from their wickedness. The connection of this understanding to the use of Psalm two in Acts helps us to see the position of the Church, a position that is quite similar. These believers are seeking earnestly to bring the light of the Gospel to those around them, even to the leaders who have just rebuked them. In Acts Chapter four and in rejecting what God is offering in Christ an alternative to hard hearted self-righteousness and the idolatry of religiosity, these leaders are placing themselves in the same position as the Philistines and the bites. And ironically, their placing themselves in the same position as their hated conquerors. The Romans, for all their piety and cultural elitism and the willingness of the scribes and Pharisees to collude with Rome was displayed all too well with Jesus. It may have been due to necessity, as Roman rulership would not allow the Jews to enact the death penalty apart from Roman judgment. But the Jews were willing to play the political game in order to protect what power they had in order to get what they wanted. Now, in Acts Chapter 12, we see this Jew Gentile cooperation in action again, as it is the favor of the Jews, which becomes the prize for which the Roman leader gets involved. Herod Agrippa, the first the Rome appointed king of the Jews, was part of a dynasty created to try and meld together many competing interests in the province of Judea. One of the main areas of difficulty was the unease, and often violent unrest among the Jews, often spurred on, or at least tacitly approved by the Jewish religious leaders. This Herod ruling during the time of Acts 12, was fairly successful at gaining the favor of these leaders. And one of the reasons is because he was willing to support them in their internal conflicts. Note that in our passage today, it is Herod that is presented as the primary antagonist, not the Jewish leaders. This is partly due to what we saw last week that Luke is showing again an escalation of opposition to the church and the Gospel. But it is also because Herod story in particular offers a meaningful contrast to the obedience of the believers. We can see here not just how God relates to his servants, but also to those who steadfastly oppose His will. There are three things to note this morning from Herod's story. The first is Herod's position in the narrative Herod sides with the Jewish leaders because their approval will ensure positive reports about him reach Rome. This also means he sides against the church. He sides against the mission of God. And it would be easy to just leave it there and right Herod off as the villain of the story. But as with all things in Scripture, we must reflect on where God is in the narrative, on what God's intentions are over the narrative. Even as the Canaanites were, Herod, too, had an opportunity to recognize the Lord and participate willingly in bringing him glory. Herod was not ignorant of the Scriptures. He was at least partially Jewish. He had taken part in Jewish worship. And even if Herod was not in a position here to receive the Gospel, to hear it and to believe it, he was presented with the innocence of James and Peter and the disciples, and might at least have upheld the godly principles of truth and justice that were his responsibility as King. It would have been within Herod's means to determine that the Christians were not seeking to subvert Roman authority or cause civil unrest among the Jews. And this is the tragedy of unbelief. Herod's ambition, his unchecked ambition, showcases once more how evil is not passive in the human heart. Even those godly behaviors that the Pagans admire and require of each other are subverted when the desire to glorify oneself rises up, Unbelief leaves us with no power but our own to try and overcome our worst instincts. So, yes, here it is, the antagonist. He is in opposition to God and all that God is doing. He has set himself up against the Lord. But Luke's intent is not that we should scorn and revile Herod. He may explain that God reserves Herod's judgment for his self. Rather, we ought to mourn Herod's captivity to unbelief, and thank God that by his grace, we are not walking the same path. The second element to explore is Herod's actions. Herod lays violent hands on the disciples. He executes James. He imprisons Peter fully intending to punish and almost certainly to execute him as well. Herod acts with impunity in this matter because to his mind it is a small thing to execute a few Jews, as we did last week. Let's think again about this idea of weakness versus strength. Herod's strength versus the church is seemingly as a wolf among sheep. He can ravage them without consequence. The Jewish leaders will support his actions before the people in Rome will take no notice. But again, God's place in the story provides us the change in perspective that Luke is intending to convey, revealing Herod's actions as far less potent than he thought or just as last week, we rejoiced at God's deliverance of Peter. So we too, we ought to recognize in this story that all the power that a man might gather for himself cannot stand against the hand of the Almighty Herod schemes and his authority over state troops and the strength of his walls and towers and iron reinforced doors is made ludicrous. When God moves. What of the power that we too might like to place our trust in? What if our experience and our savvy and our determination to make our own way in this life? Do we see how pitiful we become when we operate in our own strength? Rather than be carried along by the rushing current of what God's spirit would accomplish in and through us? We grab the paddle of our own means and start digging away in our own direction, and we often end up going against that very same current. Do we really want to put ourselves in that position? Are those the actions we want to take? Herod put himself in a position of opposition to what God was doing, and God frustrated Herod's intentions in spectacular fashion. God sends an angel to rescue Peter. And as we read in verses 18 and 19, when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Assyria and spent time there. Recall Peter's words after he is led out of prison into the street. He credits God with being rescued from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting. It is this expectation that makes Peter's escape such a tremendous blow to the enemies of the church? No little disturbance among the soldiers is likely Luke's understated way of saying that they were thrown into a complete panic, which is understandable considering their ensuing capital punishment. Herod himself was probably much disturbed and embarrassed by this escape of a prisoner from the supermax, a prisoner on which he had certainly pinned great hopes. Now, those same leaders whose favor he sought to gain were likely furious with him and ready to believe that he had been lax or even complicit with the Christians. Luke pointedly notes Herod's departure from an avoidance of Jerusalem following these events, which leads the reader to surmise that perhaps it was Herod's embarrassment and frustration that led him to depart. Commentator Matthew Henry sums up this reversal of expectation by saying, thus, Have the persecutors of the Gospel of Christ Ben often filled with vexation to see its cause conquering, notwithstanding the opposition they have given to it. Herod's chosen position as an opponent of the church. His actions in persecuting those who were not his enemies now frustrated, are built upon Herod's vanity. This third area of consideration regarding Herod in Acts 12 is at its most obvious in the final portion of our passage. But it is certainly intertwined with all that has come before. Herod's history is that of the master political gamesmanship. He has played politics from Jerusalem to Rome to Alexandria and Egypt and back again and has come out a winner backing the right candidates in the imperial upheavals. Working to depose his rivals and consolidating his power and support are all things that he has succeeded at and having lived a life wholly dedicated to self-promotion. It is no wonder that Herod's view of Herod is larger than life. Vanity is just that a regard for self that exceeds reality for any of us. The self-justification of our self-love will inevitably lead us to lie to ourselves. We will take pleasure in our opinions as if they are somehow uniquely enlightened. Compare others faults to our perceived future virtues and conveniently ignore the log in our own eye while judging the speck in someone else's. Herod's vanity set his course. It shows his position for him. He wanted to attain the power that he thought he deserved. He was willing to scheme and to kill for it. He was willing to oppose God for it. Herod's vanity was the justification for his actions. He was a great king. He had powerful friends and the political cover to do what he wanted. There would be no consequences. And if his intentions were foiled, then there were others to lay the blame upon and other fields in which to attain power. This is what we see as we continue in verse 20. We read that Herod was angry with the people of Tire and Sidon. This is another small detail added by Luke that seems trivial at first. Herod's continued politicking is no surprise, but this mention of tire and Sidon is interesting because it is an aside from what follows. Herod's oration and his death occurrence Assyria. But Luke's mention of Herod's intentions in the region prior to this is certainly intentional. The reference to tire inside and helps us see that Herod is not humbled by his loss of face in Jerusalem. Rather, he is still grasping for power. Luke is once again making a point to Theophilus regarding where Herod stands and is standing firmly in relation to God. Now what makes tire inside and so notable in the narrative is that they were not even part of Herod's kingdom. They belonged to another province overseen by another Roman governor. Again, Herod's vanity is pushing his ambition beyond what he even has a legal right to pursue. Indeed, there are historical accounts that show this plainly. Earlier in his reign, Herod was censured by Rome for diplomatic dealings. He had started with neighboring rulers and projects he'd taken on without imperial approval. And whatever this issue was with Tire and Sidon. It's not mentioned anywhere else in historical accounts. We don't know for certain. But Herod's anger may have simply been over a perceived slight rather than a true diplomatic problem. Regardless, Herod is throwing his weight around. In fact, before he is placated, the language of the test suggests he was contemplating war. He is demanding recognition and regard and expecting the apology and petitions of his weaker neighbors. With this having occurred, apparently to his satisfaction, Herod then settles in at Caesarea to preside over a series of Roman games intended to honor the Emperor, but which will also bring Herod great honor as well, says Syria. Known in the region as Little Rome was specifically built to reflect the might and embody the reach of Roman culture in these far corners of the Empire. It is the perfect place for Herod to turn for comfort from his recent failures. Those who lived in Syria or who traveled to the games would have been the most favorably disposed towards Rome and its anointed king. Beyond this, interspersed with these would likely have been people from the neighboring tire inside and eager to curry favor with Herod, upon whose favor lay their hope of continued trade and provision. So during these games, on the appointed day, Herod goes out and delivers an oration. The prominent Jewish historian Josephus records that Herod's royal robe was made of silver and glittered in a surprising manner that along with his eloquence, elicited or among his audience from verse 22. And the people were shouting the voice of a god and not a man. Pretty flattering to someone's vanity, but we see that God has a saying immediately. An angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give God the glory and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. This is the truth of vanity, a word that has two meanings as it relates to the human heart. Vanity can mean an excessive pride in or admiration of self, but it is also the quality of being worthless or futile, both are accurate reflections of how our sinful self-glorification robs us of what God has intended for us as His creation and leaves us worthless and futile. Herod's vanity leads him to the point where he will allow people to think of him as a god because it's gratifying. His regard for himself is so excessive that he willfully ignores the limits of his power. The numerous failures that he had experienced in his life and the greater authorities to which he is subject. And in the end, all Herod scheming, all his successes, all his achievement is worthless. It comes to nothing. Recall what David writes in response to those who raised themselves up against Israel and Israel's God. In Psalm two, the nation is rage. Isn't that a fair estimation of how vanity acts in our lives? We thrash out violently against any limits against any prohibitions or arguments that run counter to our preferred narrative. Here in Acts, Herod has quite literally wielded the power of a nation against God's people, not realizing how perilous his actions are to His self. Verse four of Psalm two reads He who sits in the heavens, laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. Herod is brought low in an undignified and horrific manner by a power that is so far beyond him it is laughable. God does not need to send an army or lightning bolt or a tsunami to defeat his enemy. He lets worms accomplish his purpose. And for us, the lasting contrast is found once again in verse 24. But the Word of God increased and multiplied. Herod chose his side. He chose to rage against the Lord and elevate his own position. Herod acted to try and topple what God was building, and Herod glorified his self, seeking to be known and worshiped and remembered on the earth. But God gets the glory. God always gets the glory. That's a big thought, especially in a world that is so set against His Lordship. Herod was one of billions whose lives have been dedicated to Self-glorification. The stain of idolatry on this planet is hideously obvious, and it reaches back to Adam and Eve. But in the end, it will all result in God's glory. All those who exalted themselves will be humbled. Those who dedicate their lives to their own interests will one day come before the throne of the Almighty. And on that day, every knee will bow in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth. And every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father. And in the end, we will either glorify God by entering willingly into what He is accomplishing on the Earth, or by proving His justice and holy purity by standing as the recipients of his judgment and condemnation. Luke, in Acts Chapter 12, is showing Theophilus and us a glimpse of what's at stake. A small vignette of the reality of how things stand on the earth. God has set out since before creation to glorify Himself, and He is the only one who can do so without vanity in bearing with a sinful people and overcoming our rebellion with His grace. God is proving his matchless perfection. Christ is the fulfillment of God's plan of redemption for mankind. The work that will wash away the stain of sin and self worship for all who confess and believe, and the work that will be the standard by which all are judged in the church. That message of redemption, of rescue from the worthlessness and futility and deadly consequences of selfless verification is going forth to the ends of the earth. Nothing will stop it. God will be glorified by extending His grace and mercy to every tribe and tongue. He will be glorified in saving the lost, in raising the spiritually dead, and he will be glorified in setting himself against those who are determined to set themselves against him. Those who embrace wickedness and rebellion. The stakes are high. But the choice is simple. God's Lordship or ours. God's way or our way. Choosing God's way is not necessarily easy. It means giving up the self-glorification that if you're honest, you'll admit you like giving up the illusion that we are worth worshiping, or even that we're good enough. It means giving up the lie that we can hold back any part of our lives or even our hearts from being given over to the Lordship and Service of God. Thank God He's already done the heavy lifting when we could not fulfill the requirements of the law. Christ did perfectly when we could not listen and obey. Jesus did nothing except what the Father gave him to do when we withheld or withhold parts of ourselves. To this day, from what God has made us to be, who God has made us to be, parts of ourselves from God. Jesus humbled himself unto death for us. He endured the cross, scorning its shame because he knew that his suffering and torment would pave the way for us to make that simple choice to choose God's way. How do you view that choice this morning? Is glorifying God an opportunity or a threat to the things you hold dear? It's not a one time choice. Every day we must choose who we will serve, who we will make much of. Even if we have confessed our scene to God and professed our belief in Jesus as our Savior and our Lord, we still must choose. We must choose to give over our pride. To give over our fear of man. To forsake our bitterness and imitate God's forgiveness. We must choose to be in the world, but not of the world, to take up our cross and follow Jesus and not worry about the consequences to our comfortable American lives. If we are building vain little kingdoms for ourselves, then choosing to glorify God will be a threat. It will make us uncomfortable. It will cause us to cringe, to hedge, to make excuse. But if we are hungry for God's Lordship in our lives, over our lives, throughout our lives, the choice to glorify God will be a constant source of excitement and anticipation. We will glory in God receiving the glory. We will hunger to wade out into that current of what God is doing and be washed away to new places where we will see God's goodness made much of. We will turn away from self-gratification and desire, instead the fruit of God's spirit so that we might better reflect Him. We will loosen our grip on the things of Earth so that we might reach out to those around us with heavenly love and the message of salvation that they need. Remember this morning that God gets the glory. Remember also that as hard as it can be to turn away from glorify yourself, you are trading what is worthless for what is eternally satisfying. We were made to glorify God, and just as Christ sent His disciples out to spread the glory of His name to the world. Christians today have the same mission. Let's join in that mission. Let's make much of God. I pray as we close in song that your desire to would be make, to make much of God, would be to make much of Jesus. Would be to lift His name on high. Let's praise his name together this morning.