Finding God in a Crisis
Facing Life’s Challenges – Part 3
30. And all the city was moved and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the Temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
31. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33. Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was and what he had done.
Acts 21:30-33
Facing Trials As A Believer
In some ways, those who lived in Old Testament times and those who live in modern times share something in common. Of course, we all live, grow old, have families, and come to the end of our earthly journey. But we also share a common belief system. Many in Old Testament times believed that God would deliver them “from trouble.” That same Exodus narrative is shared by the majority of those today who confess faith in God. While there is certainly nothing wrong with that belief, it can lead many to abandon God’s plan for perfecting faith in His children. All too often, believers will view their struggles and trials as bad experiences and not pay attention to how God uses these faith challenges to bring about maturity and spiritual development. In other words, the Exodus theme is so hardwired into our world view that we assume that: a) God will automatically deliver His people from danger, b) God will always overshadow His people with His divine presence and the abundance of blessings, and c) God will immediately punish evil doers.
The New Testament, however, gives a different picture of how God allows suffering as a means of strengthening His children and even disciplining them as a means of developing their faith. I know this sounds strange, but why else could the Apostle James write, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith works patience … but let patience have its complete work that you may be complete and lacking nothing. Or why would the Apostle Paul write, let us rejoice in our tribulations and also all those in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. This suffering servant theme is expressed throughout the New Testament signifies: a) God reveals His goodness in the midst of trials and hardships, b) God strengthens His people through the suffering and challenges they face, and c) evil doers are confronted with the Gospel and are given an opportunity to repent of their evil ways. A powerful example of this was the stoning of Stephen in the Book of Acts. Stephen was stoned to death by an angry Jewish mob because He testified of God’s Grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. His dying words were, “Lord Jesus, do not lay this sin to their charge.” Acts 7:60.
Paul was warned that if he traveled up to Jerusalem, he would encounter hardship, imprisonment, and the threat of death. So, why did he go? For the Apostle Paul, his main goal was two-fold: to share Christ any way possible, and to experience the Power and Presence of Christ in every way. So it was not out of the ordinary for him to take on the challenge of trials in order for Christ to be glorified in his life. That is exactly what happened when he journeyed to Jerusalem.
What is interesting is how the whole ordeal played out. At the request of the Church leaders at Jerusalem, Paul was advised to perform a vow of dedication along with several other Messianic Jewish brothers. By doing so, this “vow of dedication” would convince the Jews that Paul was not hostile to the Temple or to the rituals or to the Law of Moses. This act would demonstrate that Paul himself “walked orderly and kept the Law.” Well as it turned out, this plan back-fired and Paul was accused of bringing Gentiles into the forbidden areas of the Temple. Based on the assumption that he had defiled the Temple, Paul was dragged out into a common area where the angry mob proceeded to “beat him to death.” A point that needs to be made here is that anytime we or anyone else attempts to prove their faith by going along to get along, that will result in trouble one way or the other. It is utterly impossible to please people and any attempt to do so is a complete waste of time. Live to please God for that is the whole duty of man.
On the other hand, God directed Paul to go through this traumatic experience that the greater cause of testifying to the Glory of Jesus Christ. In other words, God would not only step in and rescue Paul from death by the mob but would use Paul to testify of God’s Goodness and Grace. What an incredible way of viewing our life challenges! They are not problems but when we follow God’s direction, those same struggles and trials actually work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.
From a Mess to a Miracle
It should come as no surprise that it is impossible to please people. Yet it appears that many of the Jews in Jerusalem had reached some type of compromise with the Jewish leaders and were accommodating to their “zeal for the Law.” There was nothing wrong with celebrating in the Temple and recognizing the Law of Moses. God had given these to the Jewish people. The problem of the Law was that many believed that keeping its practices was a means of Salvation. This was totally false, for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved except the Name of Jesus. Recognizing the Law as God’s gift to the Jewish people was totally acceptable but depending on the Law of Moses for eternal life was totally unacceptable. The fault was not in the Law but in the sinful nature of man. For that reason, Christ died to take away the sins of the world.
There was Paul in the Temple at the request of his Jewish brethren and he was accused of bringing Greeks into the Temple Courts. Someone recognized him and assumed that he had committed this heinous act and so the mob quickly formed. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar … Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul … Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was and what he had done. It was no accident that the chief captain and his band arrived just in time. It was all orchestrated by God to deliver Paul at the right moment and for the purpose of getting the attention of the crowd so that Paul in turn would be given an opportunity to present the Gospel. God’s timing is incredible!
Have you ever considered what Paul was thinking at this point? How would God use this messy mob situation as an opportunity for praise? I believe this ordeal presents some wonderful opportunities for believers to learn how God takes a mess and turns it into a miracle. The key is to pay attention and keep our eyes fixed on the Lord.
First, in order for children of God to triumph in times of trials, they must learn to wait on the Lord. This is not simply passing the time or waiting for the storm to pass. This is an act of trust that demonstrates patience. We patiently wait on God despite the crisis going on around us. Why wait? We wait because we know that God never fails His children. Why wait? We wait because in the wait time, God is deepening our faith by allowing the trials to test our perseverance. Why wait? We wait so that our time will expire in order for God’s timing to take over. When you and I are on God’s time, we fully accept His Will and His Way. It is no wonder the Prophet Isaiah wrote such powerful words, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Second, use the time of trials as an opportunity to retrain your mind. The Bible talks about renewing the mind. The absence of struggles can sometimes lead us to think that everything must be okay in our spiritual walk. All systems are checking out as “good” and life is good. Yet, the trials come to bring about growth and maturity in our faith. How do you know that your faith is strong if it is never tested? 1 Peter 4:12-13 helps us to put “righteous suffering” into perspective. Beloved do not think it a strange thing for you to face the fiery trial which comes to test you … but rejoice, for as much as you are partakers of Christ’s suffering; so that when His Glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. When we go through a trial, we stop looking at the problem and start asking God to show us what is ahead beyond the problem. That is when God shows us that we are suffering with Christ and that His rewards are far greater than the trial we face.
Third, God uses the time of trial to present the Gospel. We often think of the Gospel message as Sunday morning time when the servants of the Lord stand at the pulpit and present Bible truth. While that is certainly correct, we must not forget that God uses struggles and trials to demonstrate the Gospel at work. Paul did not just preach and teach the Gospel, he lived it. At Paul’s request, the chief captain gave an opportunity for him to deliver the Gospel message. There was Paul, who had just been assaulted by an angry mob, preaching about Jesus Christ. All of Jerusalem had become his audience as he stood on the steps of the Roman castle and delivered the message about the Savior of the world.
Paul talked about how he had lived in rebellion against God by persecuting the Church. Then he shared how he came to faith in Christ. Then he shared with the crowd how God had called him to preach to the Gentiles so that they would believe and turn away from their sins. No one in Jerusalem at that time could deny that they had not heard the Good New of Jesus Christ. If God used Paul then, why shouldn’t He also use us today? Where is our testimony?
Finally, God uses trials and sufferings for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. To be a partaker in the sufferings of Christ will mean that everything will work out for God’s Purpose and will be good. It’s all good when struggles come our way. It’s all good when persecution arises as a result of our faith. It’s all good when hardships and hard headed people attack us for no good reason. It’s all good because the Resurrection Power of Christ will bring about our deliverance. Whether the Romans had stepped in to save Paul or whether the angry mob had taken his life, Paul was prepared to face the crisis. He actually found God in the struggle. The same God that stood for Stephen when he was being stoned to death was standing for Paul and for all His children that may suffer for righteousness’ sake. It is only in the time of struggle that we fully experience the miraculous saving power of God Almighty. Christians who suffer will soon discover that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead also dwells within them as God works all things out for His Glory.