I. PRAYER
II. Introduction
a. When Charles Spurgeon was pastor at New Park Street in London, God used his words to bring about amazing changes in the lives of people. A man who was on his way to get some gin saw the crowd at the church door and pushed his way in to see what was going on. At that moment, Spurgeon turned and faced the man and said that there was a man in the gallery who had a gin bottle in his pocket and had come with no good motive. The startled man listened to the rest of the message and was converted.
b. One evening a prostitute, on her way to Blackfriars Bridge to commit suicide, stopped at the church, hoping to hear some word that would prepare her to meet her maker. Spurgeon was preaching from Luke 7:36-50, the story of the prostitute who wiped Jesus feet with her tears. His text was verse 44; “Seest thou this woman?” As Spurgeon preached, the woman saw herself but also saw the grace of God and trusted Christ.
c. Now, there are some in the church today that teach that prophecy has ceased, that God doesn’t impart knowledge to individuals anymore by the Holy Spirit. In our text today, we will look at how God uses his people to impart divine knowledge, as we have seen before in the book of the Acts.
d. Personally, I think it would be presumptuous of me to say that God does not give divine revelation to people any more by the power of the Holy Spirit, but I believe that these kinds of messages need to be governed by and line up with a scriptural model, in order for them to be truly divine.
e. These manifestations of God’s power are called prophecy, and we will examine the gift of prophecy in depth today, as we continue our journey through the book of Acts.
III. Background
a. This week, we are picking up with Acts chapter 21. Paul is winding down his third and final missionary journey here. This will be the last missions work Paul will do as recorded in scripture.
b. Last week, in the second half of chapter 20, we see where Paul sailed past Ephesus to Miletus, and it was there at Miletus where Paul sent for the Ephesian elders.
c. Paul knew that he would never see these men of Ephesus ever again, and so the main thrust of his message was that the Ephesians should stay true to the faith. He did this first of all by example.
d. He encouraged them to continue on in all of the things that he did while he was in Ephesus – hard work, self sacrifice, and caring for the needs of others, and really, when you think about it, that’s a good way to teach anyone – by example.
e. The second way by which Paul gave the Ephesians instruction was by telling them. We see in chapter 20, where Paul said he taught them with many words. He exhorted them to teach and watch over the flock that God had given to them.
f. The third and final way that Paul taught them was by turning them over to God, and to God’s Word. He commended them to God. Paul was trusting that God’s grace would take over at that point, to guide and instruct the Ephesians, as he could not do it anymore.
g. That being said, as an introduction to our message today, let’s get into God’s Word. Turn with me if you would to Acts chapter 21, and we will begin reading at verse 1. **If you need a Bible**
IV. Study
a. Intro
i. 1 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. 4 And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. 5 When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed. 6 When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home. 7 And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.
ii. 8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, ’So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ " 12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." 14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."
iii. 15 And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge.
iv. This passage of scripture is a passage that has generated quite a bit of controversy down through the years, as we have seen with several other passages in the Book of the Acts.
v. The main reason for all the controversy surrounds the Apostle Paul’s determination and drive to go to Jerusalem. We will look at this in depth this morning, among other things.
vi. We saw back in chapter 20 that Paul was planning on arriving at Jerusalem before the feast of Pentecost.
vii. We also know from other letters that the Apostle sent to the various churches that the main focus or reason for Paul’s going to Jerusalem was to deliver the offerings collected from the gentile churches for the church at Jerusalem. This is the reason why he has all of these guys with him on his trip.
viii. He had Sopater, a Berean, Aristarchus and Secundus who were Thessalonians, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy from Lystra, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Ephesus. We also know that Luke, the physician from Antioch was present, because he uses pronouns like we and us rather than them and they.
ix. So, Paul and all of these guys are the main characters in our passage today, as they continue to travel to Judea, coming from the area of Ephesus.
x. In our passage today, we will look at five points; I have used to break up the passage, so that we can understand it better. This morning, we will look at Making Our Way, Meeting Up With Disciples, Moving Right Along, The Messenger from Jerusalem, and last, we will look at a Melancholy Crowd.
xi. Let’s begin our study in verse 1. In verse 1 of Acts chapter 21 we read -
b. Making Our Way (Acts 21:1 – 3)
i. 1 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
ii. As you will recall, Paul and his traveling companions were departing from Miletus there in Asia Minor. This was no doubt early summertime, since Pentecost would fall in June. The prevailing winds on the Mediterranean Sea would have been out of the north, which as we see here were very favorable for travel.
iii. But, before we continue looking at Paul’s trip. I want us to look at the word departed as we see it here in our Bible. The word departed here is the Greek word Apospao, and it means to tear away. Paul was literally torn away from the Ephesians there at Miletus. He wanted to stay with this church he loves, but something was moving him, something was driving him towards Jerusalem, and we will get to that in a few minutes.
iv. We see that they ran a straight course to Cos, a small island there of the coast of Asia Minor, where they likely stopped and camped out. They continued south down the coast of Asia Minor to the larger island of Rhodes, most likely, they stopped at the city that bore the same name on the north shore of the island.
v. They then sailed to Patara which was on the southwest tip of Asia Minor, and it was likely that the ship was stopping here. Now, some other versions make an addition here, adding the stopping point of the city of Myra after Patara, which lay some fifty miles father east. But, really, it doesn’t matter which city they were in. We do know that whichever city they were in they got off the one ship, and boarded another. We know this because in verse 2 we read -
vi. 2 And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.
vii. They were looking for a ship sailing towards Judea, and they had found it. They found a ship sailing to Phoenicia, whose major city was the ancient city of Tyre. Paul was still in a hurry to make it to Jerusalem, so while he was there at Patara, he chose to change ships in favor of one that would take a much more direct route to where he was going.
viii. The ship they boarded was going straight across the Mediterranean to the area of Israel, heading for Tyre, which is in modern day Lebanon today.
ix. They sailed past Cyprus, and if you will recall this was the first place the Paul and Barnabas went on Paul’s first missionary journey. This island was about 65 miles off the coast of Paul’s home base of Antioch.
x. So they sailed to the south side of Cyprus, and they landed at Tyre, because the ship was a cargo ship bound for this particular city, which was only about 35 mile north of Galilee.
xi. It is here in Tyre that we see Paul pausing for a few days. It is likely that Paul had made better time than he had estimated for this trip to make, because they took a more direct route to Syria, by sailing across the Mediterranean, rather then sailing around the coast. We see Paul here in Tyre in verse 4 -
c. Meeting Up With Disciples (Acts 21:4 – 6 )
i. 4 And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days.
ii. The city of Tyre was a large busy seaport, the largest city of Syria, and it would be tempting for Paul to take a break from ministry here in Tyre, to have a little R&R, right?
iii. Well, as we see here in verse 4, that is not what Paul does. We see from verse 4 that the group found some disciples, and stayed there in Tyre for seven days.
iv. That word finding there is a rather interesting term in the original language. The word finding here in verse 4 is different from the word finding in verse 2.
v. The Greek word we translate finding in verse 2 means to happen upon something, or to run into something by chance. Paul found the ship sailing for Tyre, because it just kind of opened up in front of him. He might have been walking around, and overheard some of the sailors talking about the long sail to Tyre, we aren’t told.
vi. Bu the word we translate finding in verse 4 is much different. It means to find by diligent searching. That word is only found in one other place in all of scripture. It is found in Luke, chapter 2. Someone else was looking for something very diligently, so let’s turn over to Luke chapter 2, starting in verse 8 – considering the time of year, I felt it would be better to read the whole passage, rather than just the single verse. Luke 2, verse 8
vii. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found (there’s our word) Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
viii. So, Paul was diligently searching for other Christians, other disciples there in Tyre. He didn’t just get off the ship and bump into them. No, they had to search the town to find the other Christians.
ix. Maybe you’re here this morning, and you feel like you are searching. You’re searching for something to fill the void, the empty place in your life.
x. Maybe you’ve tried drugs, or wealth, or sex to fill that void, and you’re here this morning because you don’t know how to fill that empty place.
xi. Well, let me tell you that the only thing that will fill that empty place in your life is a relationship with Jesus Christ. You’ve looked all over like those shepherds did two thousand years ago, or you’re like Paul looking around.
xii. You’ve come to the right place. At the end of this message, we’re going to give you the opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. An eternal relationship that will change your life forever.
xiii. Paul diligently sought out the other Christians, the other disciples there in Tyre. The word disciple means learner. It also carries with it connotations of being a devout follower. These were people who had placed their faith in Jesus Christ.
xiv. So, the question comes to mind, why were they difficult to find? The answer is a simple one – persecution. In six years, the Roman Emperor Nero would begin to kill any Christians they could find. No doubt that there was considerable persecution in Tyre at this time.
xv. But, we see that after they are found, Paul had fellowship with these brethren. He valued fellowship. Paul understood how important it was for believers to gather together.
xvi. Some people just don’t get this concept. I have had people tell me that they can worship God on the golf course, or on the lake fishing, or hunting.
xvii. But I don’t see this in scripture. I see fellowship or Koinonia in the Bible. I see iron sharpening iron, exhorting and building one another up in the faith. Hebrews 10:24 and 25 tells us this –
xviii. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
xix. You know, I don’t gather together with you guys on Sundays to hear myself talk. No, I gather together with y’all because as Christians, none of us have arrived, we need encouragement and prayer and Bible study so that we won’t just be believers, and what I mean by that is this -
xx. A Believer is someone who believes in Jesus. Someone who asks Jesus into their heart to be their Savior. Believers are saved. They are Christians. But, let me share something with you.
xxi. The word believer or believers is only found 4 times in the Bible. What is found more often is what is God’s best for us, and that’s the word disciple, as we see here in verse 4.
xxii. Disciples have made that commitment in their life to accept Jesus in their life, but they take it a step farther. Disciples are people who seek to become more like Jesus, by studying God’s Word, being diligent in prayer, and sharing their faith with others. That is being a disciple, and becoming more like Christ, and that is my prayer for each of us here at Calvary.
xxiii. We see that these disciples had a message for Paul, as we read on in verse 4 -
xxiv. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.
xxv. The disciples in Tyre told Paul through the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem. This is a very discussable verse. Paul would end up going to Jerusalem, we will see this next week. But, while Paul was in Tyre, God revealed to these disciples what would happen to Paul when he went to Jerusalem.
xxvi. So, the question that comes here is – was Paul being disobedient to God for going up to Jerusalem? As I was studying to put this message together, I read commentaries on both sides of this issue, and I have come to this conclusion –
xxvii. I don’t think Paul was disobedient to the Holy Spirit. I see time and time again where Paul was guided by the Holy Spirit again and again throughout Acts; he was prevented from going to Asia Minor, and directed to Greece by the Holy Spirit at Troas.
xxviii. No, Paul was under the direction of the Holy Spirit by determining to go to Jerusalem. God simply revealed Paul’s fate to them, and they drew the conclusion that Paul shouldn’t go, not God. Paul was being led by the Spirit. We read in verse 5 -
xxix. 5 When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed. 6 When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home.
xxx. So, Paul does not act on their warning, which is further evidence to me that he was being led by the Holy Spirit. He makes his way to the ship, and touching scene on the beach there at Tyre, as the church there says their good-byes to Paul, it reminds me of the scene we saw last week at Miletus with the Ephesian elders.
xxxi. These people loved Paul, and they hated to see him go, especially know what his fate in Jerusalem would be, but apparently, they couldn’t persuade Paul to keep from Jerusalem, so when there was nothing else left to say, they prayed. Paul and his party get back on their ship, and the church returns to their homes there in Tyre.
xxxii. Paul’s party keeps up the pace to make Jerusalem, as we read in verse 7 -
d. Moving Right Along (Acts 21: 7 - 9 )
i. 7 And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.
ii. They leave Tyre, and the ship heads to the town of Ptolemais, which was about 25 miles south of Tyre. They are heading down the coast of modern-day Israel at this point, and Ptolemais was called Acco in the Old Testament. It is in the neighborhood of modern-day Haifa in Israel.
iii. They stayed on there in Ptolemais with the church overnight, but kept pressing on with their journey, as we see Luke continuing in verse 8 -
iv. 8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
v. Caesarea was a city some 40 miles further south down the coast from Ptolemais. Caesarea was the capital of the Roman province of Judea, not Jerusalem. It was a city built by Herod the Great to honor the Romans. It was designed to be a Greco-Roman city; it had a stadium, a theater, and temple there dedicated to Caesar Augustus.
vi. We see that Paul comes to the house of Philip. Philip was one of the seven deacons chosen by the church back in Acts chapter 6. We last heard from Philip after he went out in the wilderness, sharing the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch, and also he was making his way up the coast, sharing the gospel in Acts chapter 8. Well, Philip had settled down in the city of Caesarea, and he opened his home to the Apostle Paul and his traveling companions.
vii. This is notable, because one of the other seven deacons that were chosen was a man named Stephen. Stephen was stoned to death by order of the Sanhedrin, the ruling Jewish council, and it was Saul of Tarsus who carried out the punishment of Stephen. He stood by and oversaw Stephen’s death.
viii. This really speaks to me about the forgiveness that we are to show towards one another as Christians. Here was Philip opening up his house some 20 years later to the same man that condemned one of his friends in the ministry.
ix. That is exactly how Jesus is with us. He forgivers us unconditionally, UNCONDITIONALLY for our sins, and Philip forgives Paul here unconditionally. Jesus forgave those that hung Him on the cross, He said – “Father, forgive them for the know not what they do.”
x. You see, guys, Philip was a disciple. He wasn’t just a believer. Here was a man that had the heart of Jesus. Here was a man who devoted his life to Jesus, and sought diligently to be like Jesus. That is the difference between a disciple and a believer.
xi. That’s what God wants for us, for us to be disciples. People that can forgive, and not just forgive, but also to forget. Psalm 103, verse 12 tells us this about God’s forgiveness. It says - As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
xii. Jesus tells us that unless we forgive others, so that the Father will forgive us.
xiii. Philip embraces the man that killed his friend through the power of the Holy Spirit, because he was a disciple. He was diligently seeking God. It paid off for him too, we read in verse 9 –
xiv. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
xv. We see here that Philip had four daughters. Now, these four daughters have two very special things mentioned here in verse 9.
xvi. First, we see that Philip’s daughters were morally pure. They were virgins. Philip was diligent to teach his children the things of the Lord. He had taught them the value of abstinence.
xvii. This is how the Christian family is to work. As parents, we are to be faithful to teach our children about God. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 6 tells us this - 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
xviii. Philip was a man who brought up his daughters in the training and admonition of the Lord. He prayed with them, he read the scriptures with them, he talked with them about God, and this was the end result – his children were disciples, too.
xix. But, apart from being morally pure, there was something else special about these girls. They were spiritually powerful. They had the gift of prophesy.
xx. This is an example for us in the church today. People wonder why their children are running around, doing all kinds of things, definitely not seeking the Lord.
xxi. Maybe you need to ask yourself this - When was the last time you studied the Bible with them? When was the last time you prayed with them?
xxii. People ask – do we still have prophecy in the church today. My answer to that is – where did you see that it stopped in the Bible? We don’t see that. I still believe that the Lord can give a person a word for someone else. Most of the time, it is a scripture that really speaks to that person where they are at in their life.
xxiii. But, other times, more rare I would say – God gives a person a direct word for another person, and often, the person speaking the word won’t know that they gave the word at all.
xxiv. That happened to Stac and I when we were praying about moving here to College Station. We were praying for some kind of direction, and God gave us that direction through someone else. They didn’t even know it at the time. So, yes, I still believe in prophecy, but only if it is shared in good taste, and using the scriptures as a guide for whatever message it may be.
xxv. We are introduced to another prophet in the next verse.
e. The Messenger from Jerusalem (Acts 21: 10 – 12)
i. 10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
ii. They stayed there in Caesarea with Philip for many days, enjoying the time of fellowship with Philip and his family there. A prophet named Agabus came down from Judea to visit Philip and Paul.
iii. We read in verse 11 -
iv. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, ’So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ "
v. The prophecy was that the Jews would bind Paul’s hands and feet, and deliver him over to the hands of the gentiles. God had given Agabus divine revelation about the future of Paul.
vi. He says – “Paul, here’s what is going to happen to you.” Agabus doesn’t tell Paul to stay away from Jerusalem, but simply that this is what is going to happen.
vii. Agabus was the messenger, and I believe that if the message from the Holy Spirit was that Paul shouldn’t go to Jerusalem, it would have been a different message. I think in that case, Agabus would have said – Paul, the Holy Spirit says that you shouldn’t go to Jerusalem, but that’s not what Agabus says. He just gives the warning, and doesn’t jump to conclusions.
viii. I believe that the people in Tyre got the same word from the Holy Spirit, but they made their own interpretations out of it, they concluded that Paul shouldn’t go, but that was not the case.
ix. Paul was following the direction of the Spirit, and I think that this whole passage about Agabus is here to tell us that Paul was following the direction of the Spirit going to Jerusalem.
x. Notice verse 12. It says - 12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.
xi. So, it was Paul’s friends and traveling companions, even Luke because you see the word we here. These guys all pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem, along with the Caesareans. Agabus wasn’t included in this interestingly enough.
xii. It was Paul’s friends who tried to persuade Paul to not go. They saw the potential for danger and even death awaiting Paul in Jerusalem. Their motives were right, their heart was in the right place, and they wanted to protect Paul.
xiii. But, the truth of the matter is this – Sometimes God calls us to do difficult things. Sometimes God calls us to do painful things. We as concerned friends or parents want to do something about the situation. We want to fix it and make it all better.
xiv. Bu think about this - Maybe God wants to teach us through our experiences sometimes, and that is how He does it. What we need at that point is to step back, and let God do His work on that person’s life.
xv. Paul answers them in verse 13, and we will begin to start wrapping up in these last 4 verses. Thirteen says -
f. A Melancholy Crowd (Acts 21: 13 – 16 )
i. 13 Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
ii. You see, Paul knew what awaited him at Jerusalem. He told the Ephesian elders this at Miletus. This wasn’t news to Paul. He wasn’t going to be sidetracked by their emotions either.
iii. Paul says that not only is he ready to be bound, but also he was ready to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul was called to a ministry of suffering and pain. We read in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 this, starting in verse 22 –
iv. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ?--I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
v. Guys, here was a man that was acquainted with pain, and he really WAS ready to die for the sake of the gospel.
vi. In Philippians chapter 1, verse 21, Paul writes - For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. His own life was of no value to him. What was of value was his relationship with the Living God. Paul was a man of great faith, and he believed that whatever the circumstances, God was with him, guiding and directing him. Here is Paul’s response in verse 14 - 14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."
vii. This was Paul’s will – that the will of the Lord be done in his life, and that is what is going to happen in the coming weeks, as we finish up the last seven chapters of Acts. We’ll close here with verses 15 and 16 -
viii. 15 And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge.
ix. They headed for Jerusalem, and the eventual fate that would befall them. But, as I read this I think of the great faith of the Apostle Paul, as he makes this fateful journey to Jerusalem, knowing what will happen to him.
x. It would be easy in that situation to be all sad and downcast, but I don’t think that was Paul at all. He looked to the future expectantly, waiting for God’s Will to be played out in his life.
xi. There are three important things in this passage that I want us to remember. IF you don’t take away anything else take there three – First, there is a difference between a believer and a disciple.
xii. Second, Being a faithful parent reaps bountiful results.
xiii. Third, Sometimes, God calls us to do difficult and painful things.
xiv. CS Lewis once said that we can rest contentedly in our sins and in our stupidities. We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. Pain is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.
g. Conclusion
i. We saw in today’s message that Paul had some idea about what his fate would be when he reached Jerusalem. Maybe you’re here this morning, and you haven’t got a clue about your fate. Are you ready to die, like Paul was? By that, I mean this –
ii. DO you know for certain where you will go, when you pass from this life? You see, Paul did. His faith was in the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Good News is that that same faith is available to you today. You just have to ask, and you will receive. If that’s you, I want to pray with you as we close this service.
iii. Maybe you’re here and you feel like you’ve been a believer, but you want to make that step to be a disciple. You want to make that commitment, and become more like Jesus, but you just don’t know how. If that’s you, I’d like to pray with you as well.
