Message in Temple – Acts 22:17-21

When someone asks me what our church believes, I find myself choosing my words as carefully as possible.

If I know anything about that person, I will even try to make my answer as palatable to his taste as I can.

The other day, I got a call from a woman who talked with me for a few minutes, before asking:

“Do you have a young people’s group?”

I had never met this woman before, so I didn’t know what kind of answer she wanted.

With an apology in my tone of voice, I told her that we don’t.

She replied by saying that she completely against church youth groups, and she left the impression that she wouldn’t attend a church that had one.

I didn’t completely blow that answer, but I came very close.

But then on the other hand she and her husband apparently don’t visit churches which don’t have youth groups either, because we haven’t seen them as yet.

As I have suggested before, it appears to me that Paul was trying to choose his words very carefully.

He had already avoided several hot-button words, as he explained what had happened to him.

He was trying to tell these Jews that he had become a new creature by the grace of God.

But at the same time, he hadn’t turned on his nation, or Abraham, or Moses.

His first spiritual advisor, Ananias, was a devout man according to the law,

And it was the “God of our fathers” Who chose and called him,

And upon his first return visit to Jerusalem he went right back to the temple to spend time in prayer.

This evening, let’s think about Paul’s prayer and the answer which he received from the Lord.

Adding verse to verse, we learn that this must have taken place about three years after his conversion.

As I read verses 16 and 17 together, it seems that Paul was saying that this was his first trip to the capital since leaving to arrest the saints in Damascus.

In outlining the early part of his life to the Galatians he said,

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.”

Galatians 1 says to me that Paul’s first return to Jerusalem was after three years in Damascus and Arabia.

I think that these two passages dove-tail together with what we read in Luke’s account in Acts 9:

“And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.”

So not only was his reception by the Jerusalem church rather cool,

but his former persecuting buddies began to think about killing him,

and the Lord spoke to him about immediately leaving the city.

But the only thing that he deals with here in Acts 22 is the Lord’s leadership.

Let’s think about the Christian prayer. the divine omniscience, the human logic and the immediate obedience.

First we begin with PAUL’S PRAYER.

“And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple….”

It might be interesting to learn what different ideas people had about the purpose of the temple.

What was the central point of the temple?

Some of the priests might have said that it was the Mercy Seat hidden away in the Holy of Holies.

But then some of them might have mentioned other things:

There was the golden altar upon which incense was constantly burning, representing the prayers of the people of Israel.

On the other hand some might have said that the focal point of the temple was the brazen altar, where the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled and the flesh was burned.

Then others might have talked about some of the special temple rites and ceremonies.

Some of Israel might have talked about the importance of the temple in the Passover, Pentecost and the Day of Atonement.

Some might have mentioned the place of the sacrifice, but others might have said that more important than the sacrifice was the fellowship that they had with God in prayer.

What did Jehovah think about the Temple?

The Lord Jesus had clearly demonstrated that He was not pleased with what went on in that place.

He called it “a den of thieves” because of all the corrupt commercial business which was going on there.

The Roman Catholic practice of selling indulgences was not much more despicable than the priests’ approval of selling sacrificial animals in the temple, most likely at a good profit.

Perhaps one of the lessons here is that even a den of thieves can be a place of prayer.

The Lord may have turned His back on what was once His house, but He didn’t turn His back on the saints who tried to worship Him there.

That doesn’t justify the attempt to worship the Lord in taverns, cassinos, or apostate churches.

The difference between the Temple and a tavern is that the Temple really was at one time the House of the Lord.

The Catholic or Protestant church never was and never can be the House of God.

Any saints found therein shouldn’t stay and pray that the roof not fall in, they should leave immediately before it does.

But the Temple had been the House of God, and the Lord heard the prayers which were uttered there.

So Paul was in the temple praying, and the Lord answered his prayer.

About what do you suppose he was praying?

Among many other things, he could he have been seeking the Lord’s will about his future ministry?

“Should I stay in Jerusalem and preach Jesus to the people who know me?

Should I return to Tarsus and preach Christ to my family? Lord, what should I do?”

If this was his prayer, as I think that it probably was, then we see that the Lord answered it.

So here was the saint of God, not in his closet praying, and not in the meeting place of God’s church.

He was in a house of compromise and contamination, and yet the Lord heard him.

I guarantee that the Lord doesn’t pay attention to the semi-sincere prayers uttered in every place on earth, but we are reminded here that the Lord certainly could.

What about this reference to the “trance?”

The Greek word is “ekstasis” ( ek’-stas-is ) or “ecstacy.”

Apparently Paul had become so focused on his fellowship with the Lord that he became unaware of anything else.

There are a lot of scholars who believe that II Corinthians 12, and that the reference to someone in the body or out of the body, was to Paul himself on this particular occasion.

In some fashion – about which we know very little – the Lord appeared and spoke to him.

Did the Lord take Paul’s spirit into Heaven and speak with Him there?

Did he fall into some kind of semi-unconscious state or did he have a special sort of dream?

I don’t know that we will ever really know what Paul experienced,

until the Lord permits us to have the same experience,

and I’m not sure that the Lord is going to do that for us.

This was a very special situation.

After the Christian prayer, we notice the DIVINE OMNISCIENCE.

“I was in a trance; and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.”

Once again, Paul carefully chose not to say that he saw the resurrected Lord Jesus, although that is clearly Who it was he saw.

And the Saviour told him to leave the city, because his testimony would not be received there.

Did Christ say that it was the Jews who would not receive his witness?

All that the Lord said was that “they” will not listen.

Of course that meant that the unbelieving Jews would not hear.

Jesus Himself preached among them for over three years and there were few who listened.

And undoubtedly Paul had heard of Christ from different sources, and he refused to hear as well.

The Lord Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.”

“And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”

To paraphrase John 6:44 – “No man WILL come to Christ, except the Father drawn him.”

When the Lord told Paul to leave Jerusalem, it was because the Jews would not receive his ministry.

But the Lord may also have been referring to the church in Jerusalem as well.

Acts 9:26 – “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.”

And this seems to be well proven as Paul returned to the city after years of ministry in Asia and Greece.

In either case, as the Lord said that Paul should move on because he will have no ministry in Jerusalem.

I suppose that there are thousands of pastors and missionaries, who wish that the Lord would be as direct in His direction with them as He was with Paul in this case.

By the way, you need to notice that Paul wasn’t commanded to leave Jerusalem because the Jews were planning on killing him, but because his testimony would not be received there.

The physical protection of God’s apostle would have been no problem for the Lord whatsoever.

And even beyond that, it was not so much the lack of ministry in Jerusalem, but the abundance of ministry elsewhere which was to move Paul forward.

Verse 21 – “And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.”

So it was the Lord’s omniscience and sovereign will for Paul to leave Jerusalem.

By the way, notice that it doesn’t appear that the Lord specifically told him where to go at this point.

And that brings us to the HUMAN LOGIC.

“And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.”

Some of you might have already realized this, but the word “martyr” actually means “witness.”

The Greek word “martus” ( mar-toos ) is translated “witness” 29 times and “martyr” only 3.

Stephen not only witnessed to the truth of the Lord Jesus with his preaching and apologia, but his most profound witness was made through his blood.

Many of you realized that, but did you connect the dots to verse 18?

When the Lord said, “Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me” the word that He used for “testimony” was “martus.”

So the command was to leave the city, but Paul’s mind was thinking that he could have a very powerful ministry there.

He had been known as one who hated Christ and who had persecuted the Christians.

Certainly if such a person as this could be converted, it should have a powerful effect on everyone who knew him.

I’ve not explained the word “consent” as yet.

“When the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I was standing by, consenting unto his death.”

This is precisely the same word that Luke had used – “And Saul was consenting unto his death.”

It means to “be pleased with” or “to take pleasure in something.”

Paul was not only admitting to his involvement in Stephen’s death, but to actually enjoying it at the time.

As far human logic is concerned, his idea was flawless.

But all of us tend to forget the spiritual aspect of the work of God.

All the logic, miracles, illustrative conversions, arguments, and apologias in the world cannot awaken a spiritually dead soul.

We can sow the seed and water the seed, but only the Lord can make that seed germinate & produce fruit.

If the Lord says that “they will not receive thy testimony concerning me,” it is not just omniscience speaking, it is inexplicable will of God.

Apparently the Lord has other evangelists to work in this harvest field, Paul; it’s time for you to move on.

Paul might have considered it his duty to stay in Jerusalem and even to suffer there if necessary.

He probably felt that it was a part of his responsibility to undo the harm which he had done.

But the call of God must supercede what we think is our duty.

The call of God should supercede everything.

Our last consideration tonight is Paul’s IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE.

Of course he was not permitted to continue his little autobiography at that point.

But in Luke’s account of Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem, it appears that Paul quickly obeyed the Lord.

“And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.”

So what does this scripture teach us about prayer?

The prayers of a righteous man can and will reach the Lord from anywhere.

And the Lord is pleased to answer those prayers, albeit the answer doesn’t always come this quickly and spectacularly.

Then, although the Lord doesn’t mind us sharing our arguments for doing things our own way, they must all eventually be given up for the will of the Lord.

And fourth, when the Lord does reveal His will, we need to take steps to immediately obey.