- Acts 21:1-15
- As Paul’s ministry winds down, he takes a stand for Jesus
- every generation fights for the purity of the Gospel
- 500 years of Reformation this year!
- we are also called to take the stand today with unwavering courage
- How can we gain unwavering courage?
Only possible if…
- I engage divine calling (1-3)
- Paul is on straight course to Jerusalem for Passover
- understood it was divine calling, not own desires and wisdom
- specific calling as apostle to Gentiles but general calling to proclaim Christ everywhere
- we are also under this general calling
- seeking God’s will: sometimes undeniably clear
- how we are to live, behave…
- important to DO God’s will in addition to knowing it
- Paul was always on mission
- How can I know God’s will?
- 4 councils: God’s word, Holy Spirit, conscience, other believers
- 4 S’s: heart saved, spirit filled, sanctified, committed to God
- 4 practical ways:
- Seek good advisors
- you need perspective from those who know you and will give you advice you need to hear (as opposed to just wanting to hear)
- these are those are actually caring and serving you
- Spend time with God regularly
- you need to be going to the one who knows God’s will…God
- Realize God’s will may not be the one you want
- our desires need to fold under His
- trust that God knows best
- If we know it, we need to do it
- step forward in faith
- Seek good advisors
- I expect direct challenge (4-6)
- establishing deep relationships takes long, but Paul’s heart allows them to be made quickly by being open and truthful
- some commentators say Paul was disobeying the Holy Spirit
- but Holy Spirit was leading Paul to Jerusalem! (Acts 19:21; 20:21-23)
- he knows the Holy Spirit was compelling him to go!
- perhaps Holy Spirit was revealing to those believers what was going to happen to Paul and they didn’t want Paul to experience this; but Paul already knows what was revealed to them
- sometimes challenges comes in subtle ways (comfort, peace…)
- fighting for the cause of Christ is of eternal importance
- but this is not reason to disregard wise council
- avoiding danger, persecution and suffering are not grounds as wise council; as Christians we are to expect persecution and suffering!
- comments about our struggles or habitual sin is wise council
- greatest temptation is to keep ease and comfort
- I embrace deep cost (7-12)
- Philip in Acts 8
- v11: direct prophesy by Holy Spirit through Agabus
- Agabus not telling Paul not to go, just giving him preview of what’s going to happen
- why repeated publicly so often?
- powerful reminder of cost of following Jesus
- discipleship is perpetual daily death to our flesh and desires
- embraces suffering for God
- Oswald Chambers, “To choose to suffer means that there is something wrong; to choose God’s will even if it means suffering is a very different thing. No healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he chooses God’s will, as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not.”
- do we know what we signed up for?
- will we take a stand?
- I exhibit determined confidence (13-15)
- even Luke was trying to persuade Paul not to go…
- Paul has counted the cost and is unmovable in determination!
- v14: when we know what God is calling us to do, we must be unshakable and unwavering
- determined confidence of Paul trickles down to other believers
- deep conviction in God’s sovereignty; determined in God’s power and control; nothing can happen apart from God’s will!
- Paul’s unwavering spirit is direct parallel to obedience of Jesus
- imitate Paul as he imitates Christ!
- Paul was driven by Jesus’ unwavering courage and obedience
- we can’t stand for Jesus unless we understand what Jesus has done for us