We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion.

Sermon Title: PRESERVING A GODLY CONSCIENCE

Scripture References: ACTS 22-23

Notes:

Acts 21:37-22:23 Paul’s defense and conversion testimony

V. 1-5 Paul wisely set up his common ground with the mob by appealing to his past when he used to persecute followers of Jesus. This ultimately didn’t matter to them.
V. 6-16 Paul shares about his dramatic encounter with Jesus and what Ananias did and spoke.

V. 14-16 Ananias prayed for him to receive his sight and then prophesied over him “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.”
Paul has a personal encounter with Jesus the Righteous One.
Some have used this scripture to interpret that water baptism is how you are saved. This isn’t what Ananias was saying. Water baptism is an outward declaration of one’s confession and faith in Jesus. Scripture says, confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior (Rom. 10:9). Water baptism symbolizes the washing away of sins at salvation. So if you are considering being water baptized, please know this isn’t a ritual to be saved. Water baptism is because we believe we are saved and we believe are meant to follow Jesus and become more like Him.

V. 17-23 Paul later gets a vision from the Lord while in prayer at the Temple. Jesus warned him in the vision to leave Jerusalem because the people would reject him.

The term “trance” here indicates a state of mind where one’s attention is more aware of things in the supernatural realm of God’s Spirit rather than the natural surroundings. This meant that Paul was especially receptive to a message and revelation from God. -FireBible, pg. 1755
This reaction from the crowd just shows you their prejudice against Gentiles was deep. Paul had previously led the way in persecuting Christians, but because he had shown mercy to the Gentiles, none of that mattered. They wanted Paul dead.

22:24-30 Paul’s Roman citizenship

23:1-11 Paul’s clever maneuver to escape a trial

V. 1 Paul’s conscience was clear because the allegations against him were untrue. Paul’s conscience is clear because he was obeying God’s call and will for his life by preaching the gospel, including to the Gentiles. Paul with a violent past stood there with a clear conscience because he had been forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus. So in Paul’s eyes, he had done everything the Lord asked Him to do, even while knowing he would suffer for it (Acts 9:16; Acts 20:23).
V. 2 Ananias slaps Paul in the face because in his view Paul is going against their faith and tradition. Perhaps, since the charges are false Ananias needs to sell this moment.
V. 3 Paul boldly rebukes the high priest.
V. 4 Paul responds by calling the man who gave the order a "whitewashed wall." Either because he doesn't know who is currently serving as high priest, or because his vision is poor, Paul doesn't realize the man behind the attack is the high priest (Acts 23:3–4). -BibleRef.com https://www.bibleref.com/Acts/23/Acts-23-2.html
V. 5 Paul apologizes. The scripture Paul is most likely referring to is Exodus 22:28 “Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.”

Some commentators believe it may have been an a sarcastic apology… “because of Ananias' reputation as a particularly corrupt high priest. He steals tithes meant for lower-ranking priests and uses violence, including assassinations, to get what he wants. Here, as yet another example, he has Paul struck before convicting him of a crime.” -BibleRef.com https://www.bibleref.com/Acts/23/Acts-23-2.html
I believe Paul’s apology was genuine because he quoted scripture to reassure his obedience to God’s Word.
Application: Obey God’s Word and your conscience will be clear.

Notice that Paul uses scripture to keep himself in check in this tense moment.

V. 6-10 Paul just got slapped and knowing this isn’t going to go well he quickly finds a maneuver to confuse the opposition by appealing to his Pharisee past and belief in the hope of a resurrection.

Luke explained in a narrative aside that Sadducees rejected the concepts of resurrection, angels, and spirits, while the Pharisees believed in them all. Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 470). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Wise and cunning as serpents, gentle as doves…Matthew 10:16-23 NLT

V.11 God reassures Paul of His will for his life. What Paul hears from Jesus is “I am with you and you’ll get through this.”

Application: I pray you can take comfort in the truth that the Lord sees you, He is close and He will get us through whatever it is we’re going through.

23:12-35 The plot to kill Paul and escape to Caesarea

40 men take an oath to not eat or drink until they kill Paul. These men approached the leading priests and elders with their plan to have Paul come before them one more time and on the way they would kill him. But Paul’s nephew, his sister’s son, heard their plan and warned the Roman commander. This nephew is a God send. The commander quickly arranges for hundreds of soldiers to escort Paul to Ceasera that evening at 9 pm to be before Governor Felix the next day. The governor took on the case himself and Paul was kept in prison at Herod’s headquarters.
Jesus rescued Paul from the insidious trap of the enemy and now he’s one step closer to Rome.
Application: There are insidious plans and traps the enemy has laid and whether we know it or not we can trust God to preserve and protect us!

Application: Preserving A Godly Conscience

The conscience is a gift from God to help us know what is right and wrong.
- Romans 2:13-16 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. 14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. 16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

Upon salvation, the Holy Spirit gives us a godly conscience that wants to do the will of God.

Ezekiel 36:22-27 (I’ll read from my Bible)
Hebrews 9:13-14 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

We preserve and grow our godly conscience by obeying God and His Word.

Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 10 I have tried hard to find you—don’t let me wander from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

The Church must preserve its godly conscience for the sake of its community and nation.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We We live in this world and the pressure to conform to its thinking and ways are on all sides. If we’re not careful it can desensitize our godly conscience. No matter the pressure this remains true…The righteousness of God is still right and the wickedness of sin is still wrong.
The church has been called the conscience of a nation. This means we must be careful to preserve our moral conduct and clarity. If we lose our way we will cease to be a stopgap for the moral decay in society.
“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”― Martin Luther King, Jr.
Our society doesn't need the church to go along with it, our society needs the church to be the moral conscience and compass to guide it.
Jesus called us to be the salt and light of the world. Like salt, we preserve and slow decay. Like light, we shine and lead the way.

The church can help preserve our nation's conscience on the subject of abortion and the sanctity of life. For those who know me already, I have a deep compassion for those who have had an abortion. Our scripture, today, reminds us there is redemption and forgiveness available for all and that grace is extended today.
- Scripture teaches us that all people are created in the image of God (Gen.1:27) therefore every life holds intrinsic value. This conviction would include children in the womb.
- According to Pew Research, an article published in March of 2024 the last national report from the CDC on abortions was from 2021. There were 625,978 abortions that year. That’s a staggering amount. Down from the 930,160 in 2020. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/03/25/what-the-data-says-about-abortion-in-the-us/
- Can the conscience of our society be resuscitated or sensitive again? Yes. Paul’s eyes were opened by Jesus on the road to Damascus. He went from persecuting and sentencing Christians to death to joining them. Jesus changed his conscience by saying “Why do you persecute me?”
- I saw a powerful video by LiveAction that helped give people a new perspective and awaken their conscience on this issue. VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUvsDjkaz9Y&list=PLpyFseV2X81_fjVgNLuDQKNBkPZxA53pC&index=34
- If you're not aware A bill was trying to be passed for physician assisted suicide. Gover Carney surprised a lot of people and vetoed Bill 140 which would have legalized physician assisted suicide. This is a reason to celebrate, today!
- Governor Carney said, “Last year, the American Medical Association reaffirmed its view that physician-assisted suicide is ‘fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer.’ And although I understand not everyone shares my views, I am fundamentally and morally opposed to state law enabling someone, even under tragic and painful circumstances, to take their own life. As I have shared consistently, I am simply not comfortable letting this piece of legislation become law.” -https://news.delaware.gov/2024/09/20/governor-carney-vetoes-house-bill-140/ This is what a conscience looks like. I would encourage Governor Carney to consider the same discomfort towards children in the womb. We must continue to pray for God's will on this bill.

Close

Paul apologized, saying, “We must not speak evil of leaders.”

I’ve been disturbed by the increasing hostility surrounding politics. As the church of Jesus Christ, we must not let the world’s desensitization of the sanctity of life make us forget that President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Former President Donald Trump, JD Vance, and their families all have souls. No matter how you feel about them God cares and Jesus died for them. Scripture teaches us to pray for the salvation and righteousness of our state and national leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4). We should pray for their safety as well.
We’re going to close by praying for the conscience of our church, our state, our nation, and our leaders. Pray for Florida and the war in the middle-east. Pray for our giving as we give a gift to Convoy of Hope.

Discussion:

What did God use in this sermon to speak to your heart or situation?
What part of the scripture stuck out to you and why?
What can we learn and apply to our own lives about Paul’s testimony?
In what ways can we improve individually and as a whole church in preserving Godly conscience?
Why is it important that the church preserves its Godly conscience for our nations sake?
How can we pray for you or someone in your life, today?

The most important decision you will ever make!

If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!

We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.

Pray Together

We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!

Ryan Coon

PRESERVING A GODLY CONSCIENCE