Following 5/30
Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Text: Acts 21:8-14
Title: Following (5/30/10)
“On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”” (Acts 21:8-14, ESV)
Theme: In this passage we see what might be considered an apparent contradiction. Paul is warned by multiple people through the Holy Spirit that if he goes to Jerusalem that there awaits prison and persecution waiting for him. Yet, he does not deter his course a bit instead he seems even more convinced to go. This passage tells us something about finding God’s will for our lives and something about doing the hard things no matter what.
I. Following rightly
a. How do we know what God wants us to do?
b. This section of Scripture brings us to what some commentators have understood as an inherently contradictory passage. It goes something like this – Why would the Apostle Paul go to Jerusalem in spite of the clear warning which has been given to him by the Holy Spirit?
c. Let’s look back before we look forward a minute.
i. Acts 20:22 “And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,” (put up on screen)
ii. I invite you to look up this verse in your Bible and notice what it says about the Spirit. Some versions show that this is the Holy Spirit (NIV, ESV, NLT, Ampl. Etc.) while others declare that it is Paul’s spirit (NASB, KJV, ASV Etc.).
iii. If this is the Holy Spirit (and I think that it is according to the regular rules of grammar) then why would the Holy Spirit bind him to this task and then also have all kinds of people warn him not to go there?
iv. Just because something is hard does not mean that we shouldn’t do it.
d. Assuming that Paul is following the path that God has laid out for him, we should take a look at how it is that we go about finding God’s will for our lives. The way to go about this process is to ask yourself these four questions.
i. Father, what would you have me to do?
1. Pray – honestly seek His leading.
2. Don’t just ask God to bless the actions you take because that is what you want to do.
ii. Are my actions consistent with God’s behavioral booklet?
1. Check out God’s word on the subject. I am obviously not talking about choices were there is not a moral answer.
iii. Are there open doors for me to walk through?
1. Look for God opportunities in your life. I am always amazed when we look for God to move how often we see His movement.
iv. What would strong spiritual people in my life advise me to do.
1. This is the last question and the most difficult to get straight.
II. Following Intensely
a. Once we have ascertained the right path to follow we must exhibit as Paul did the courage to take the hard road. How do we find the courage to follow even when it is hard?
b. Paul’s road is similar to one that Jesus walked.
i. Luke 9:51 “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51, ESV)
c. On this Memorial Day weekend it seems a good time to talk to people about the hard road that some have walked.
i. Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Their conviction resulted in untold sufferings for themselves and their families. Of the 56 men, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the war. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships sunk by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty. At the battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson’s home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly ordered General George Washington to open fire on the Nelson home. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt. John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and mill were destroyed. For over a year, he lived in forest and caves, returning home only to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion. Kenneth L. Dodge, Resource, Sept./ Oct., 1992, p. 5.
