All right, let's go back to Acts
21. I pray that's what we're saying
at the end of this. Isn't the love of the Lord so wonderful?
We just read quite a few verses. Paul entered into Jerusalem. And he took upon himself a vow
of the law. Did we see that? He was asked to take this vow under
the law. It was the vow of a Nazirite.
That's what it was. The vow, that particular vow
could be taken for a certain number of days. Paul took it for seven days.
It could be taken for 30 days, 60 days. There were a few men
in the scripture that were Nazarites for life. Samson was a Nazarite
for life. That's why, you know the story
of Samson, his strength was in his hair and they cut his hair
and he lost all his strength. A Nazarite couldn't cut his hair.
John the Baptist was a Nazarite. But Paul took this vow upon himself
for seven days. And we read in here that for
seven days he separated himself and stayed in the temple. And he couldn't touch his hair.
He could not cut it. He couldn't comb it. You can't
touch your hair. Not until a sacrifice was made. That was the law. Verse 24. them take and purify
thyself with them and be at charges with them that these four men
may shave their heads." They can't shave their heads yet.
They're under this vow. You can't touch your hair. So
Paul did it. He was asked to do it and Paul
did it. But the Jews saw him in the temple and they became
furious. Absolutely furious. And the reason
is because they knew that he was preaching to and converting
the Gentiles, you know, the heathen people. And he was doing this
by telling them salvation is not by the deeds of this law
that we just read about. It's by the grace of God. That's what he was telling them.
And these Jews, they thought that he was bringing Gentiles
into their temple, profaning their holy place. The Gentile
is not allowed to come in here. So they lay hold on him and they
drug him out of that temple and they started beating him to the
point where they almost killed him. And they would have, that was
their intent. You know, everywhere Paul went, the Holy Ghost said,
bonds and afflictions are waiting you at Jerusalem. Well, they
laid hold of him and they would have killed him had these Roman
soldiers not shown up and taken Paul from these Jews and brought
him into this castle. That's what we just read, all
right? Now, the question is, why did Paul do this? Why did he do this? Turn with
me over to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. This is the exact place, these
are the exact verses that we've come to in our Bible study on
Sunday morning. 1 Corinthians 9 verse 19 Paul said, For though
I be free from all men, Yet have I made myself servant unto all
that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as
a Jew that I might gain the Jews. And to them that are under law
as under the law that I might gain them that are under the
law. To them that are without law as without law. being not
without law to God, but under the law to Christ, that I might
gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak,
that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men,
that I might by all means save some. And he said, this I do
for the gospel's sake. Now, if the Lord will open that
up to us on Sunday morning, we're gonna see that he does not mean To the drunks, I became a drunk. To the murderers, I became a
murderer. To the idol worshippers, I became
an idol worshipper. He doesn't mean that. He doesn't
mean that. He does not compromise. That's
not what he means at all. Look over at Galatians 5 with
me. Galatians 5 verse 1, Paul writes,
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Let
me tell you why I believe this is so important. I've heard this
happen so many times, so many times. You know, somebody, I
want to bring them to hear the truth, but the only way they're
willing to come is if I go with them and hear that idol worship. What do I do? What should I do? He said, stand fast therefore
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Don't go back into
that. You've been set free. Why would
you want to run back into bondage? Verse 2, Behold, I, Paul, say
unto you that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
If you fall into all that stuff again, it profits nothing. Verse
6, He said, For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth
anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love. Paul tried to take away every
hindrance. Every hindrance that he could
for the gospel sake. And we should too. We should
too. If we perceive something is about
to be a hindrance, just take it away. Just leave it off, cut
it off. He knew that whether a man was
circumcised or uncircumcised, it didn't make a bit of difference
concerning salvation. Not one bit of difference. But
he immediately had Timothy circumcised. Timothy came to know the truth
and first thing Paul said, let's have you circumcised. You want
to go before some Jews? Let's not even make that an issue.
Let's not even bring that up. So we had him circumcised just
to take the hindrance out of the way. But look at chapter
2 here in Galatians. Galatians 2 verse 1 says, Then 14 years after I went up
again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also.
And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that gospel
which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were
of reputation, lest by any means I should run or had run in vain. But neither Titus, who was with
me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. And that because
of false brethren, unawares, brought in, who came in privately
to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that
they might bring us into bondage, to whom we gave place by subjection,
no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue
with you." With Timothy, there was no issue. They just said,
let's take the hindrance out of the way. With Titus, they
made it an issue of salvation and Paul said, we're not doing
it. We're not doing it. And this
goes with everything in God's word. You know, there's nothing
I love more. There's nothing that's more special to me than
when someone wants to confess Christ in believers, baptism. I love it. I love it. I preach
it. But when somebody comes in and
wants to make it the issue of salvation, We're not going to
do that. We're not going to do that. That the truth of the gospel
might continue. The Lord said, I'm the truth. The gospel is the good news about
him. That the truth of the gospel might continue. Paul never bowed
down to a religionist. Never. Right here in Galatians
2 verse 11. But when Peter was come to Antioch,
I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
For before that certain came from James, now Paul in our text
has come to James. And these brethren that we're
looking at were the brethren with James, all right? So before
that, verse 12, certain came from James, he did eat with the
Gentiles, Peter did. But when they were come, he withdrew
and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him insomuch that
Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But
when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth
of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou being
a Jew livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do
the Jews, why compelst thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
If you've been set free from all that stuff, why are you doing
this and showing them this? Verse 15, We who are Jews by
nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man
is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ, Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that
we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the
works of the law. For by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified. But if while we seek to be justified
by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore
Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again
the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Paul went everywhere tearing this stuff down. He went everywhere
tearing their idols. He went to Mars Hill and he saw
idol after idol after idol. And he stood up and he said,
you see this one right here to the unknown God? I'm about to
tell you who he is. And he says right here in verse
18, if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself
a transgressor. For I through the law am dead
to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with
Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace
of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. If Christ died, but in order to truly be saved,
there's still one last thing we have to do, then Christ died
in vain. That's what he's saying. So I
am establishing right off the bat, this is where Paul stands.
This is where Paul stands, all right? Why did he do it? Why did he do this? He told Peter,
you compromised. He said, you've chosen to be
put back under bondage and look at the example you've set. That's
what he told him. So why did Paul do this? Go back to the
text with me. Some have made the statement
that this was the greatest mistake that Paul ever made in his life. Most of the commentators believe
that. It could have been. It could
be. We are all sinners. Don't look
to a man. Don't look to any man. We are
all sinners. Every man at his best state is
altogether vanity. Every single one. David made
a great mistake, didn't he? He made a great mistake. God
allowed it to happen. God used it. for the glory of
the Lord, for our good, but it was probably the greatest mistake
of David's life, taken by Sheba. Peter made a great mistake, not
only the one we just read, but he denied the Lord three times. God allowed it. He used it for
the glory of God and for the good of his people. But it was
probably the greatest mistake of Peter's life. Paul was a sinner
just like the rest of us. But some have also pointed out
this. They pointed out the fact that
God was merciful to Paul throughout this. He did not allow Paul to
go through with it. Look at verse 27. It says, And
when the seven days were almost ended, The Jews which were of
Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people
and laid hands on him. These seven days were almost
ended. And just before Paul had to sacrifice
an animal at the end of his vow, God allowed this riot to take
place, and they laid their hands on him, and they drug him out
of there, and Paul suffered a great beating, but it was God's goodness
to him. Moses struck the rock twice. You know that? He struck the
rock twice. Striking that rock represented
the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the second time,
God told Moses, the people were complaining again, and God told
Moses, go speak to the rock. You go ask the rock. And Moses
got mad and he struck it again. Probably the greatest mistake
of Moses' life. After he struck it, God said,
that's it, you're not going into the promised land. So it was God's goodness for
Paul stopping him before he had to sacrifice an animal, saying
the blood of Christ was not enough. All right, now, I've told you
a bunch of facts. Okay? I knew that would be difficult. I thought if we can make it past
that, we'll be okay. I just told you a bunch of facts,
and I believe they were important. I believe they're true. But I'll
tell you this. In every text, there is a road
that leads to Jesus Christ and Him crucified. What I want us
to do tonight is find that road and get on it. Okay? The Apostle
Paul represents the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever the reason is, whatever
the physical reason is that the Lord allowed all this to happen,
it all comes down to this. God allowed this to happen to
show us the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And it's a
good one. It is a good one. Man, I have
enjoyed this. Paul represents the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now look with me at verse 27. And when the seven days were
almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him
in the temple, stirred up all the people and laid hands on
him. Is that not what they did to our Lord? Isn't that what
they did to the Christ? The Jews stirred up all the people,
and this great mob went into the garden of Gethsemane, and
they laid their hands on him. He allowed them to lay their
hands on him. Verse 28 says, crying out, Men
of Israel, help! This is the man that teacheth
all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this
place. and further brought Greeks also
into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. For they had
seen before with him in the city Trophimus in Ephesians, whom
they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. Is that not
what they accused our Lord of? They brought false witness against
him. They didn't see Paul bring somebody
in there. They thought he probably did. And they brought false witness
against our Lord. They said, He spoke in blasphemy
against our holy place. He said He would tear down the
temple and rebuild it in three days. That's what somebody said. I heard him say that. He spoke
in blasphemy. Verse 30, 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. And as they
went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of
the band that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. who immediately
took soldiers and centurions and ran down unto them. And when
they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating
of Paul was our Lord, not handed over from the Jews to the Roman
soldiers and beaten almost to the point of death. When they
would beat the one who would be crucified, they said normally
they didn't make it to the cross. Normally they didn't survive
the beating beforehand. He was beaten almost to the point
of death. His visage was marred more than
any man. It says all his bones were out
of joint. Paul can't even stand up. They're
holding Paul up. And our Lord suffered such great
torment. Verse 33 says, then the chief
captain came near. In our Lord's case, his name
was Pilate. 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. That's all Pilate wanted to know.
Who are you and what have you done? What has this man done? He can ask it over and over again.
I'll just let him go. No. Why? What has he done? He said, are you a king then?
Verse 34, and some cried one thing and some another among
the multitude. And when he could not know the
certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into
the castle. Kings live in castles. Our Lord was mocked as a king. They put a scarlet robe on him.
They put a reed in his hand and they pressed a crown of thorns
into him and they presented him out to the people. Verse 35, And when he came upon
the stairs, so it was that he was born of the soldiers for
the violence of the people. Our Lord, when he was presented
before the Jews, Pilate asked them, what shall I do with your
king? What do you want me to do with
him? Verse 36, for the multitude of the people following after
cried, crucify him, away with him, kill him. God allowed this
to happen. to show us the glory of what
the Lord Jesus Christ willingly did for us. That's why he allowed
this to happen. To show us the absolute glory
of what the Lord willingly did for us. Now, get this, okay? Enter into this. Listen to this
conversation from God the Father to God the Son. All right, you
ready? This is God the Father speaking
to God the Son. Look at verse 23. Do therefore this that we say
to thee. We have four men which have a
bow on them. They're bound. They're under
the bondage of the law. Verse 24, them take and purify
thyself with them and be at charges with them that they may shave
their heads. They can't shave their heads
yet. They must have a sacrifice. Would you take them? And would
you purify yourself with them? And would you take all their
charges upon yourself that they may shave their heads? And all
may know that those things whereof they were informed concerning
thee are nothing but that thou thyself also walkest orderly
and keepest the law." Would you put yourself into bondage, into
this bondage, and would you do everything exactly according
to the law? Would you fulfill it all? Would
you walk orderly, purify yourself within, take their charges upon
yourself? so that they can shave their
heads and be set free. You're free. They're bound. Will you be bound to set them
free? Will you do this for them? Verse
26, Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself
with them, entered into the temple to signify the accomplishment. of the days of purification until
that an offering should be offered for every one of them." He said,
yes I will. I'll go in there and I'll fulfill
exactly what this vow requires until a sacrifice is made for
every single one of them. Every single one of them. That
is beautiful. That's beautiful. Our Lord actually
took this vow upon himself. Literally, our Lord literally
took the vow of the Nazarite on himself to redeem us from
bondage. And I'm going to make this very
quick and I'll close with this. Go with me to number six. This is what our Lord did to
redeem us from the bondage of the law. Number six, verse one,
the Lord spake unto Moses saying, speak unto the children of Israel
and say unto them, when either man or woman shall separate themselves
to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the
Lord, He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and
shall drink no vinegar of wine or vinegar of strong drink. Neither
shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes
or dried. He cannot become intoxicated
by anything of this world. Anything. He must be pure from
it. The scripture says wine is a mocker. It produces pride. It produces
false courage. It puffs up. He had to be totally
pure from all that. Verse 4 says, All the days of
his separation shall he eat nothing that is made from the vine tree,
from the kernels even to the husk. That's why when they put
vinegar on a sponge and lifted it up to our Lord, as soon as
he knew what it was, he would not drink it. Cannot do it. Verse 5 says, All the days of
the vow of his separation, there shall no razor come upon his
head. Until the days be fulfilled in
the which he separated himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy
and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. Not cutting
the hair, not grooming the hair. It just became a matted mess. Just a matted mess. It represented
shame and humility. And that's what our Lord took
upon himself for us. He separated himself and he humbled
himself, enduring the shame. Verse 6 says, All the days that
he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall come at no dead
body, cannot touch anything dead. He shall not make himself unclean
for his father, for his mother, for his brother, his sister,
when they die. because the consecration of his
God is upon his head. All the days of his separation
he is holy unto the Lord. And if any man die very suddenly
by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration, then
he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the
seventh day shall he shave it." He could not touch anything that
was dead. Death is the wages of sin. And he could not come in contact
with anything that was defiled by sin. He had to be sinless,
spotless. Hebrews 7 says, holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners. Our Lord was the perfect sacrifice. Now listen to this. It said,
we just read it in verse 9. If he comes in contact with something
defiled, everything's fine. But if he comes in contact with
something defiled, if he touches it, a sacrifice must be made. Verse 11 says, a sin offering. And that's exactly what happened
to our Lord. When he was under his foul for
us, he was touched with the feeling of our infirmities. So he offered
up himself. Sacrifice had to be made, a sin
offering to God. And then this chapter goes on
to tell everything that he had to accomplish and if his accomplishment
is accepted to God, if everything he does is a sweet smell and
savor to God, there was a sacrifice that would be made. Verse 20
says, the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the
Lord. This is holy for the priest with
the wave breast and heave shoulder. And after that, the Nazarite
may drink wine. After it's all done, he may drink
wine. When it was all accomplished
on the cross, They dipped a sponge in vinegar a second time and
they lifted that up to our Lord's lips and he drank it. He drank it. He told them at
his last supper, he held up a glass of wine and he said, I will not
drink this again until I drink it new with you in the kingdom.
That was the start of his vow. I have a vow before God Almighty
that I'm about to make. And I will not touch it again
until my vow is finished. And when it was all done, when
it was all finished, they put that vinegar on the sponge and
put it up to his lips and he drank it. all over, all fulfilled. Because of that, I love how this
chapter ends. Verse 22 says, The Lord spake
unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying,
On this wise you shall bless the children of Israel. Saying
unto them, Preachers, this is what I want you to tell my people.
Verse 24 says, The Lord bless thee. The Lord has blessed you. The Lord has blessed you. You
know, He knows our frame. He knows our frame and He remembers
we're dust. And even though we could never
reciprocate everything He's done for us, the Lord has blessed
you. Man, He's blessed me and you. The Lord bless thee and
keep thee. He'll keep you. I keep saying
all the time, if God would just keep us, That's what I think.
If God would just keep us, all of our sinful flesh, if God would just
keep us, well, He'll keep you. The Lord bless thee and keep
thee. The Lord make His face shine
upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance
upon thee and give thee peace. Peace with God. And they shall
put my name upon the children of Israel, and I'll bless them. I'll bless them. We are blessed
in Him. We're blessed because of Him.
He was bound to set us free. What a blessing. The song says,
Hallelujah, what a Savior. All right, let's stand together.