The Risen King

Do you have a clear conscience this morning? Do you have a clear conscience this morning? This is a question for Christians and non-Christians. Everyone has a conscience. It's something God has designed for every human being. It's that internal moral compass, or really it's probably best described as a lighthouse. It's a warning signal you're about to enter into danger. To say you have a clear conscience does not mean you're saying you are without sin or mistake. It's simply saying that as much as it depends upon my effort, I have sought to live consistently with what I believe to be true, and whenever I'm warned about to do something that goes against what is true and right, I listen, I heed. Now, here's the scary thing. You can have a clear conscience, and be wrong. You can have a clear conscience and be wrong. Our conscience needs to be well informed so that what is true is informing what the decisions we're making. Today we're going to see Paul appeal to a clear conscience twice. And this is startling because we'll look at this more later but Paul had a clear conscience as a good Pharisee before he met Christ, persecuting the way. He was zealous to persecute Christians and would have had a clear conscience doing so, but he was wrong. And Jesus stopped him in his tracks, revealed to him what was true and right. And now Paul is going to proclaim, I have a clear conscience because I know the hope of the resurrection and everything that I have decided and what I've done is aligned and is right with what Christ has called me to. We see in Paul just a bold, clear confidence in Christ and his resurrection. So that's what we'll be meditating upon. A bold, clear confidence in Christ and his resurrection. Now, let's explain how he got here. We're in the middle of Paul going through many trials. And when I say trials, I don't mean hardships necessarily. I mean, he's in trial. There's a court. Accusations can be brought against him. He's in prison. Let's go all the way back. We're in Acts because Christ has risen from the dead. He's risen. I realized Easter was just a few weeks ago, and we're still not warmed up with it, but this is the central truth that we gather for every week. He's risen. All right. Make sure we're all on the same page there. Christ rose. He told the disciples, don't do anything until I send my Holy Spirit down. The Holy Spirit comes down. He empowers the disciples. That's us. to go out and is primarily Jewish at first. Jewish disciples, empowered by the spirit of the risen Christ, going out, proclaiming him. They're multiplying, they're multiplying. There's that guy named Saul. He's persecuting Christians. And then Jesus calls him to himself and says, you're going to go to another people group, the Gentiles. And Paul is very effective in going from church to church, from city to city, proclaiming Christ, to the point where mobs start attacking him all over Asia. He gets driven out of cities, he's beaten almost to death. And then Christ and the Holy Spirit make it very clear, you've gotta go back to Jerusalem. My mission for you now is to go back to Jerusalem, and the ultimate goal is to get to Rome. But you've gotta go back to Jerusalem, and so there in Jerusalem, He's not seeking to cause any trouble. He's actually just in the temple to demonstrate I am still a faithful Jew following Jewish customs. And there, certain Jews decided they're going to drag him out of the temple. They intend on beating him to death yet again. It's so bad that the Romans have to save Paul from the Jewish mob. Well, we'll look at what that dynamic looks like in just a few moments. And then Paul, he's put in prison. He's gonna be in prison for years now. He's gonna be brought before many different councils and different rulers, different governors. And he's always gonna be put on trial and he's always going to make the testimony clear. I am on trial because I believe what God has always said through Abraham, through Moses, through David. I'm on trial because I believe that they promised a resurrection, and Jesus Christ is that resurrection. In the middle of this discrepancy, because the Roman Tribune, he couldn't figure out why this mob is so angry with this man who was in the temple seemingly minding his own business. They can't get a straight answer, so they were gonna flog him. until he confessed. And that's when Paul says, well, I'm a Roman citizen, you can't legally do this. And that's really what puts us in our text today. We're in chapter 22, we'll actually begin in verse 30. After this revelation that they cannot flock him into a confession, the tribune decides they've gotta have a more private council. We have to understand what's taking place. And our first point, it's all wrapped around the resurrection, that's what we're gonna be thinking about today, is the resurrection divides. The resurrection divides. Look at chapter 22, verse 30. But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. And looking intently at the council, Paul said, brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this point. And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall. Are you sitting to judge me according to the law? And yet contrary to the law, you order me to be struck? Those who stood by said, would you revile God's high priest? And Paul said, I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest. For it is written, you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council. Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial. And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees said, say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply. We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him? And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away among them by force and bring him into the barracks. Here we see Paul is brought before a council again. This is mainly of the chief high priest and the elders that would have been Pharisees and Sadducees, as you see. And there's a key difference in their theology, a key difference in their teaching. He still wants to know why. What's the real reason for all this controversy? Because he hasn't been able to get a straight answer. When there's a mob, they're saying one thing and another thing, and there's no clarity. And brought before the council, Paul, he begins very bold. I have lived my life before God in all conscience up to this day. This is a bold statement, and it's so bold, it leads the high priest to have him struck in the face. And Paul isn't done yet. He turns to Ananias and he says, God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall. He's accusing him of being a hypocrite. He's telling Ananias, you are the kind of man who tries to hold up a certain law or a certain tradition, but you yourself do not follow it. This is the kind of hypocrisy that Jesus regularly confronted. This kind of hypocrite, as we're thinking about conscience today at some level, is someone who has a continually compromised conscience. Someone who says what's right, and probably at some level knows what's right, but never does it. They do not follow the rule that they teach. When Paul is confronted, this is the high priest, He acknowledges that this was not proper. Now, it's interesting Paul's response here, because he quotes scripture over against his action, but he also doesn't apologize. This is really a very odd interaction, and some have tried to explain this away to say, well, maybe Paul didn't actually know who had said that in the crowd, that he wasn't aware that that was the high priest that was saying it. That seems unlikely because of how specific Paul's accusation is against him. The more likely is that he's actually saying in a indirect way, how could a man like you be high priest? He continue with his attack on the man's unrighteous character. This interaction settles and Paul realizes something very important. The room is full of Pharisees and Sadducees and it's extremely important to understand the difference. Pharisee would have understood the promises of God to declare truths such as angels, resurrection, eternal life. Those eternal spiritual realities were very important to the Pharisees, and the Sadducees said, no, those things don't exist, as you read or heard earlier when Roger read from Matthew. Recognizing this, Paul makes it very clear. I'm like half of you. I'm a Pharisee, I believe in the resurrection. That is what I'm on trial for. What many of you believe is what they're bringing an accusation against me for in that I have a hope of the resurrection because I've seen, I've met the one who was risen. And we can tell the nature of this crowd. It gets so violent, the Tribune has to again rescue Paul from these Jews who are now fighting one another about Paul. We see Paul standing in confidence because he knows the risen Christ. As we continue to go on, and let me make sure that I understand, we're gonna apply much of this later. As we continue to look at this narrative, we're looking for what's repeated. We're looking for the end dialogue of what Paul's gonna emphasize. The resurrection is despised. So we've had a mob, they can't figure out what they're really upset about Paul for, but they're gonna try to beat him to death anyway. They've had to bring him into this council. They now fight one another. And this is what the Jews do next, but let's first look at verse 11. The following night, the Lord stood by Paul and said, take courage, for as you have testified the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome. Luke is writing Acts with Paul in Rome. And over and over again, we've seen this beeline that Paul's had to build a church and then to Jerusalem and then to be attacked. And now he's gonna be making a beeline to Rome. God has put Paul on a mission. He's protecting him, he's keeping him. He continues to reveal himself piece by piece. God didn't tell him, you know, 30 years ago, hey, year five, you're gonna do this, at year 10, you're gonna do this. No, he's telling him what's next along the way. That's so Paul can live by faith. And here, Christ stands next to him. And he's telling him, because you're under attack, he's encouraging him, take courage. You've testified in Jerusalem, now you're gonna testify in Rome. As the apostle to the Gentiles, he's now going to the capital of the Gentiles, Rome. And what Luke is doing is very interesting. Let's just step back for a moment. Over and over again, Again, Luke's writing while Paul's in prison. Over and over again, Luke is presenting a story where Jews attack Paul that lead him to a Gentile court, and a Gentile court finds him without fault. Over and over and over and over again. This is something we'll see more later. But over and over again, Luke is presenting this clear declaration that Paul's proclaiming a Jewish gospel. That's why they're upset with him. They don't like what he's saying about their God. He's done nothing legally worthy of prison or death. Look at verse 12. When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than 40 who made this conspiracy. They went to their chief priests and elders and said, we have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you as though you were going to determine his case more exactly, and we are ready to kill him before he comes near. This conspiracy is with the chief priests and the elders. They're working over against the legal system. This demonstrates the murder and the anger that's in their hearts. Verse 16, now the son of Paul's sister heard of the ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, take this young man to the tribune for he has something to tell him. So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, Paul, the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you as he has something to say to you. The tribune took him by the hand, going alongside, asked him privately, what is it that you have to tell me? And he said, the Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him, but do not be persuaded by them, for more than 40 of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent. So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, tell no one that you've informed me of these things. Then he called two of the centurions and said, get ready, 200 soldiers with 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen to go as far as Caesarea to the third hour of the night. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter to this effect. Claudius Lysias, to his excellency, the governor Felix, greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. And it was disclosed to me that there will be a plot against the man. I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him. So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatrus. And the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. And when they had come to Caesarea, delivered the letter of the governor, they presented Paul also before him. On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive. And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's Praetorian. The plot is hatched. Paul must be murdered. They're that angry, and he's that much of a threat. Now, 40 Jews in the community do not eat or drink until Paul is murdered. Paul's gonna live six more years. The application right off the bat is don't make foolish vows. You have these men who are so zealous against the way, just like Paul was at one point, They're making this vow not to eat or drink when they should have considered something more like what Gamaliel did 30 years before. If God is against it, we can't oppose it. Or let the Christians, or let the Lord, will the Lord be done. They're taking action in their own hands. They don't trust God. They're too angry. They have to put Paul over this misery. In short, Paul's nephew, he finds out about it. If you're gonna plot a murder, keep it a secret. No, that's not the application. If you're working against God, it will not work. God is an absolute control. They send him to Felix with 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen. Folks, this is why Pax Romana was so effective. If there was any hint of a riot or dissension, the Romans did everything they had to to put it down. There would be no riot. There would be no attack of Paul. They sent the whole guard. And notice the letter. Again, here's a Roman official who's saying that this is some kind of division on their law. There's nothing he's done deserving of prison or death as far as I can tell. Luke is setting up a precedence for the trial he's currently under. Two observations. If we go back and remember Deuteronomy, those of you who are with us, Israel's called to be a light to the nations. Think about what's happening in this text. In light of Israel's ultimate purpose. There's supposed to be a light of goodness and order and righteousness to the nations. And they're plotting an attack on a Roman guard carrying a Jewish man. They're misrepresenting God. The one who's representing God is Paul. who speaks clearly, reasonably, proclaims the resurrection, he's teaching them what God has actually said. This is a great warning to us who are now the light of the nations, the light of God of the nations. Our conduct matters. The second observation is this, God is in complete control. We see this throughout, that Paul continues to be rescued. Paul is probably here in prison reciting numerous Psalms. Let's just go to a few, Psalm 56. So we can learn how to meditate upon God's word in the midst of trial. Psalm 56, just verses one to four. Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me all day long, an attacker oppresses me. My enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you, in God whose word I praise, in God I trust. I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? He's not denying the real danger, the psalmist. And as Paul would be praying this, he's realizing the real danger, but he's ultimately putting his trust in God. Flip over to Psalm 69. Again, this is a mere sampling of these declarations. Verse 19 to 21. You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor. My foes are all known to you. Reproaches have broken my heart so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none. And for comfort, but I found none. They gave me poison for food. For my thirst, they gave me sour wine to drink. Then look at verse 29. But I am afflicted and in pain. Let your salvation, O God, set me on high. I will praise the name of God with a song. I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns. When the humble see it, they will be glad. You who seek God, let your hearts revive, for the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. Finally, Psalm 143, verses one to four. Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my plea for mercy. In your faithfulness, answer me in your righteousness. Enter into judgment with your servant. For no one living is righteous before you. For the enemy has pursued my soul. He has crushed my life to the ground. He has made me sit in darkness like those who long dead. Therefore, my spirit faints within me. My heart within me is appalled. Drop down to verse 11. For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life. In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble, and in your steadfast love, you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. Brothers and sisters, we can pray these psalms. We can really cry out to God in our anguish, our despair, our troubles. And if they're not personally attacking, it's calling out to God in clear trouble when we don't understand what's going on. And then you always see how the psalmist responds. He calls out for help, and then he's always declaring, the God of my salvation is with me. He's for me. He's in control. This is a great God that is always in control. Finally, let's look at our third and last section where we spend most of our time. The resurrection binds. The resurrection binds. Paul's new trial is in Caesarea. Many members of the same council, they come, and look here, the first piece, it's Tertullus. We don't know who he is. He's representing the charges brought before the council. Look at verse two. Since through you we enjoy much peace, he's giving a greeting to Felix. And since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation in every way and everywhere, we accept this with all gratitude. But to today no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. We found this man a plague. Okay, that's what they're gonna call him. He's a plague. He's a sickness that is infecting other We find we have plague. He stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout all the world. Okay, that's kind of true and false. He has been at the heart of many riots, but has he actually caused those riots? Paul it is true that that riots have been surrounded have been surrounding him because Paul is going out and he's declared Jesus Christ the Son of God he came and he had to die for you because you're that sinful the Almighty Righteous One he had to die on behalf of you Jews and because you have rejected God. He has died for sinners, he's risen again, and it is true that Jews who despised Paul and the gospel of Jesus Christ started a riot in response. But it's false in that Paul could not be held responsible for the rioters rioting. Paul's not responsible for what they did in response to him. Our responses are not caused by what somebody else does. It reveals what's in our heart. Let me give you an example. This would be like blaming a husband, a husband blaming his anger and his rage on his wife. Yeah, she may have been sassy, but she didn't make you yell. That came from your heart in response. You're responsible for your actions. Paul's not responsible for the rioting. That reveals what's in the heart of the rioters. He's merely being faithful in good conscience before God and man, proclaiming the gospel. Let's continue what he says. He's a plague, he stirs up riots, and that would be appealing to the Romans. They don't like riots. They're trying to make him look as bad as possible. He's a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Now, Paul is going to correct this later. Christianity is not a sect of Judaism. Paul's going to make it very clear, Christianity is Judaism fulfilled. Christianity is true Judaism in that we believe the same promises that Abraham received. It's not just an offshoot or some weird group that has broken off. No, it is Judaism fulfilled. It's everything that God has said fulfilled. The specific action they're accusing him of, that he profaned the temple, and if you were with us last week, you remember, they saw Paul walking with a Gentile during the day, and then they just assumed that he must have taken him into the temple. There's no actual eyewitnesses, but what they've done is gathered many, verse nine, to affirm these charges. So the governor, he nods to Paul to speak. Paul responds first giving a greeting to Felix. Knowing that for many years you've been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. You can verify that it is not more than 12 days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. He's pointing out the objective truth. You can verify this. And they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd either in the temple or the synagogue. I was there being peaceful because Christ had sent me to be there. Verse 13, those are things you can prove, and here's what you cannot prove. They cannot prove this charge that's been brought up against me. There is no actual eyewitnesses that declare what they are saying. Verse 14 is where it's very important. They've been wanting a confession this entire time. They want Paul to just confess, what is it you've been doing that has caused such a problem? So Paul's finally going to tell them, Here's what I have to confess. I am going to confess, Paul says, that according to the way, not a sect, but the way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law and written in the prophets, having hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. Notice he made his confession a confession of faith. He is convinced, he is committed, he is on trial because he has a confession of faith. He believes in what God has said. He believes that God has promised a new life. And so this is the only confession he can make. Verse 16, he appeals to his conscience yet again. I always take pains to have a clear conscience towards both God man." This is a big, bold statement. And I believe he's referring to the conscience here, because he is speaking to Romans. He's speaking to Felix, who wouldn't understand the Spirit, or the role of the Spirit. Here we see that the conscience, it's an inner dialogue. That conscience, again, it's a warning sign to protect you from doing what is wrong. The conscience, it's a gift from God that guides us. It's not infallible. You see, Paul, he's got a clear conscience, and a clear conscience, first, it depends upon principles. He has lived according to what his risen Savior has told him. He has done everything in according with what Christ has said. His conscience does not stand autonomous. It had to be informed. Second, a clear conscience, it requires effort. Notice Paul says, I always take pains. To have a clear conscience is not a lazy man's route. It's not something that's always convenient. It's something that takes effort. And then it's multi-directional. It's an inner dialogue about what God has revealed to you, what you believe to be ultimate truth, and then how it relates to other people. God has spoken to Paul and he, at the best of his ability, lived according to what God has said. Look at verse 17. After several years, I came to bring alms to my nation to present offerings. Folks, I was in Jerusalem, Paul's saying, to bring a gift, a financial gift for you. I was there on goodwill for my people whom I love. While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple without any crowd or tumult. And for some Jews from Asia, they ought to be here before you to make an accusation. They should have anything against me. Or else let these men themselves say what's wrong, what wrongdoing. They found what I said before the council. And again, verse 21, Paul makes it very clear. It is respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today. I'm on trial because I have made a confession of the resurrection. I'm on trial because I have believed what God has always said about life, about life eternal, and I've met the one who was risen. That's what I'm on trial for today. Felix understands these things, he dismisses the crowd, and we see that he has some interaction, he has some dialogue, but he keeps putting it off until after he's no longer around. I wanna just make a few applications from what we have heard today. First and foremost is the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Truths that we've already sung about and heard read from God's word earlier in the service. We can start with this fact. God is a God of life. Now that can be just too simple for us to really meditate upon sometimes, but he's a God of life. We should go back and we should meditate upon Genesis one and two regularly to remember and recognize what God did was good and what God did was give life. He's the one who's given us all the life. Everything that lives, lives because God has given it life. We introduced that horrible, painful death. Death is not the way it's supposed to be. As we mourn with the Reinhards, we recognize death is not the way it's supposed to be. We're not supposed to have to say goodbye to loved ones. There is death, not because of what God has declared, but there is death because of our rebellion. It's our consequence. We cause the disturbance in God's perfect plan. God created us for life. We introduce sin, which brings death, necessarily, and then God, who is a God of life, promised, I will once again bring you life. I created you for life. I'm going to renew life, because I want you to live, to know me, and to worship me, God says. This is difficult, though, because sin is a real problem that everyone in this room has. Everyone in the history of man has had the real problem of sin. Sin separates us from God because it's rebellion against Him. So God had to figure out how to remove sin, how to deal with sin. He did so in the most amazing way. God the Father, who's the God of life, sent God the Son, who is the God of life. God the Son took on flesh, lived like us in every way, except He was perfect in obedience, never sinning. And then He died on a cross. He died for sins, not that He committed, but that we committed. So that all the wrath of God, all the death, all the judgment that we deserve, all the destruction from God's righteous anger against our sin is put on Him. So we believe in Him. Our guilt is counted towards Him and His righteous life counted towards us. This is a glorious, indestructible life that we receive. It's the doctrine of regeneration. To be regenerated means we were once dead, walking in the transgression of our sin. But God, being rich in mercy, gave His life in Jesus Christ, His Son. And it's not just any life, it's the life of His own sons that were welcomed in and brought into a love from the Father. He is risen so that we can now once again have eternal life as God designed. We can once again know him, the God of life, and his love as God designed. And it's all because Christ died for us and rose again. If Jesus is not raised from the dead, if he is not alive, Paul's wrong no matter how clear his conscience is. Not only is he wrong, but he's being pitied right now. And so are we. If you're a Christian, if Christ isn't raised, if he isn't at the right hand of the Father, if he isn't alive from the dead, we're wasting our time right now. That truth is so central to everything we believe and what we do. That's why it must always be central to everything we think and everything we do. The cross and the resurrection must constantly be our focus. It does not mean other doctrines are unimportant. It simply means that they must always be focused on what it means that Christ has died for us and he's risen again. That always gives us hope that that God who's always in control, we know he's in control because he conquered death. Christ is risen, he's on his throne. Right now, Paul should be terrified. He's got many Jews falsely accusing him, he's got the Romans trying to figure out what's wrong with him, and yet he's still boldly able to say, With a clear conscience, I stand before you with absolute confidence, Christ is risen. Folks, I asked this this morning, how convinced are we of the resurrection? Or rather, how convinced would other people who watch us in our lives be convinced that we actually believe in the resurrection? It changes everything. We don't live for the material goods of this world, we live for eternity. We don't live for a glory that we gain in this world, we live for Christ and his eternal glory. The resurrection changes everything about how we live and what we do. Now look at this other topic, which is a lot more complicated and difficult. The role of the conscience. And I hope you all go to the home groups this evening and ask the leaders questions about the conscience, as I will leave many questions unanswered and probably create more. This one's a little more difficult because the church hasn't actually universally acknowledged the conscience. This is actually one of the big differences between the Catholic church and the Protestant church. If you recall, one of the most bold statements in the history of the church is Martin Luther. Here I stand, bound by my conscience, until you reason from Scripture to correct me. Now this is important. Luther is bound to his conscience. What he believes is right, but he's also saying my conscience isn't autonomous. You would have to convince me from that greatest and absolute authority that is autonomous, Scripture, God's Word. He's inviting them as the supposed people of God, to tell them, you have to convince me that I'm wrong according to the Word of God regarding a salvation. Now, let me just look at the topic of conscience, just walk through because we don't always think about this much. Some of us. First, a conscience is a good gift from God. Every human being is given a conscience. Every human being is given that warning light, danger. Danger. That is a good gift from God now that we live in a fallen world. It helps us know when to say no. But we actually have to say no. Secondly, a conscience is a help that warns us. Again, we're sinful. Our hearts are deceptive. It's hard to understand sometimes what we're doing and why we're doing it. And the conscience is there to say no. And the danger there is if we keep saying no, we're going to numb it and we're going to lose sight of what is actually right and good. Third, a conscience needs to be informed and oftentimes it's socially informed. We as a church are socially informing each other's consciences and especially the children's consciences. That's why it's important to surround yourself with people who are properly seeking to be informed by what's true. As Christians, our consciences are mostly to be informed by God's word as we speak it to one another. Fourth, a conscience can be wrong. The 40 men who plotted to murder Paul, they had clear consciences. Ananias, who had Paul's drug, he probably had a clear conscience. They just had a conscience that was misinformed. And that's terrifying. It really is terrifying to think that I can be completely convinced that I'm right, in my conscience, if I've refused to listen and let it be numbed, but yet be completely wrong. A clear conscience is gained by aligning ourselves with what we believe is true. For Paul, he had a clear conscience when he was killing Christians. He was a Pharisee, not a Christian. Then he met Jesus. It changed everything. Everything about him, his way of life, his way of thinking, his pursuit, it changed so that it was aligned with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's why he had a clear conscience. A clear conscience takes effort. With pain, Paul says he had a clear conscience. It's something we labor over. It requires making hard choices. It's easy to be a hypocrite. It's easy to recognize something's true for someone else, but it's very difficult to realize that's also true for us. We have to understand that we can be wrong. We can be misled. That's why we need others who are gonna properly inform us. Third, our clear conscience affects our relationship to man. This is why Paul says, bad company corrupts a good character. Children, if you walk around and as you're tempted or trialed, if you have the blessing of hearing your mother's voice, praise God for that. If in the middle of your life, you hear mom or you see her and that voice says, don't do it, that's your conscience. You are blessed with a mother who taught you right from wrong and you should always listen. Your parents, if they've taught you what God's word says and it's there to protect you, do not say no. Foster and protect that voice. The last thing you want to do is numb yourself to someone saying no. Parents, what a huge obligation we have. not to make choices for our children as they grow older, but to give them the proper tools, the proper understanding, the proper understanding of right and wrong, teaching and modeling. They learn as much from our modeling as they're going to learn from what we say, making the right decisions. Believers as a church, we're called to help spur one another on. Well, what's interesting, if Luther, Here I stand in my conscience with the Bible. If no one ever agreed with him, he's just a heretic. It really required other believers coming alongside and saying, what you see in Scripture, I see in Scripture. We're going to come along together and we're going to be bound together with this understanding of what Scripture says and what Christ has called us to. That's how a church gets built up. Finally, I want us to go back to Paul. He's a man committed to Christ. He's on trial for his commitment to Christ, and we have to realize he is so confident. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he's not afraid of death. The threats of the Roman courts are no threat to him, because the true king that we read about in Psalm 2, he's on his throne. As other kings threaten him and his people, he laughs, because he's in absolute control. I do want you to see that this is difficult to apply. Here we have Paul, he's in court. All right, I'm not in court right now. I'm not being falsely accused like this. All right, how does this apply to me? You're always being tested. Every decision of every day of your life, you're being tested. You're being tested on what kind of decisions you're going to make, what's going to lead to habits, what you're going to form a character, and there is your conscience. As Christians, we make a clear commitment to have a clear conscience before God and man. It means we're ever growing in our confidence that Christ is risen. It means we're committed to denying ourselves, carrying a cross, and following Christ. That's the painful, hard work of having a clear conscience. It means we're aligning ourselves regularly with Christ and his commandments. Folks, this is not something we do casually. We don't believe in cheap grace. We don't believe in cheap discipleship. Christ has died for us so that we can be free. Christ is risen so we can have a new life. It's with great pain that we can pursue him and know him in his life and life more abundantly. Will you pray with me? Father, we praise you and we thank you that you are the good God of life. We thank you that you have not left us in our darkness and rebellion and death, but you have sent your Son to give us life. Forgive us, Lord. Rabbi, we have always not followed him and pursued him and loved him as we ought. Forgive us, Lord, for not always heeding your spirit and the conviction of sin. But we praise you, God, that you are the God of restoration. You who began a good work, you complete it. As Paul is writing, even from this prison, he will rejoice. Let us rejoice always, no matter what our circumstances. That Christ is risen. He is at the right hand of you, the Father. In Him we hope. In His name we pray, amen.