Text: Acts 21:1-15, Title: Bad Advice from Good People, Date/Place: NRBC, 3/1/09, AM
Opening illustration: Pastor’s Conferences. Never have more children than you have car windows. Never loan your car to someone to whom you have given birth. Pick your friends carefully. A “friend” never goes on a diet when you are fat or tells you how lucky you are to have a husband who remembers Mother’s Day--when his gift is a smoke alarm. Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart. Know the difference between success and fame. Success is Billy Graham. Fame is Brittany Spears. Never be in a hurry to terminate a marriage. Remember, you may need this man-woman someday to finish a sentence. There are no guarantees in marriage. If that’s what you’re looking for, go live with a Sears battery. Never go to a class reunion pregnant. They will think that’s all you have been doing since you graduated.
A. Background to passage: Having made his last intentional stop on his way to Jerusalem, Paul really sets his face toward Jerusalem to carry out God’s will for his life. He boards a ship and heads that way. Bringing to a conclusion his third missionary journey in Jerusalem. Along the way three different people/groups of people warned him of struggles that lie ahead, and two of them pleaded with him not to go. We have all faced impasses from time to time as to the direction that our life is taking. So what is Paul to do? What are we to do? And how do we go about the process of discerning bad advice from good people.
B. Main thought: lets think together about God’s will and other believers’ advice.
A. Godly people can be wrong (v. 4, 12)
1. Now this wouldn’t be such a shocking statement if you didn’t read the text. Not many would argue that good people could give bad advice. Some of you can probably recall some advice that you’ve given that didn’t turn out so good. But the text says, “through the Spirit” these first believers told Paul not to go. This is the wrench in the situation. We know that Paul did go to Jerusalem here, so did he go against the Spirit? Did he make a mistake? And this not only happened once, but twice. And a third carried out this visual representation and prophecy about the owner of this belt. I think that probably these guys all got the same message, but some gave an interpretation rather than the actual prophecy.
2. 1 Cor 14:29, 1 John 4:1,
3. Illustration: Ronnie Owens’ preacher buddies all said, “don’t go into evangelism.” Chuck Swindoll’s parents disagreed with his choice of spouses, 54 wedding anniversaries ago, maybe share of my struggles about my break up with Carrie, and the advice that I was given that I would never be happy unless…
4. Sometimes even the most trusted, the most godly, the most loving brothers and sisters in Christ can be wrong. And usually their motives are good. Think about it: prophecy was bad things to Paul, interpretation: don’t go. They had Paul’s interests (or at least they thought) in mind. And this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t ever listen to wise, godly counsel. I would argue that if you have the right people that they are right most of the time. But be willing to consider the fact that they are wrong. Most of you consider the fact that I am wrong at least twice a week—one of the deacons told me so.
B. Believers have to be convinced (v. 13-14) 3 reasons that Paul goes on to Jerusalem
1. Paul is sensitive to the Spirit and convinced of God’s plan. Paul has a pretty recent history of being obedient to the Spirit’s promptings. And I am sure that if he was convinced that this was God’s will for his life, he would have obeyed. And it is also clear from the previous chapter that he viewed his mission to Jerusalem as God’s will for his life.
2. Acts 16:6-10, Acts 20:22-24, 23:1, 24:16, Isa 30:21, 1 Cor 16:9, Luke 9:57-58, 14:26
3. Paul has a kingdom-driven agenda that can include suffering. It is no surprise to Paul that he will suffer, be beaten, tortured, imprisoned. The Holy Spirit has already told him of these things. And still he is convinced that going to Jerusalem is God’s plan. Paul knows that he is a subject to the King. And that the King doesn’t have to give a reason, nor make the path straight or easy to convince him to go. Paul is ready to be spent for the kingdom. And it doesn’t have to make sense to everyone or anyone.
4. Paul is in love with Jesus, even more than life itself. This text is proof. And there are many others. Philip 3:8, 1:21, 2:17, 2 Tim 4:6, Gal 2:20, Acts 20:24, Tit 1:3, 1 Cor 9:17-18. Paul was willing to die if that’s what it meant to fulfill his ministry. Death was not a hindrance but a help to Paul. Like William Wallace, like the nameless private in September 1862 at the Battle of Anteitem who shouted, “rally, boys, rally, die like men, don’t run like dogs.” He was willing to walk through the fire, even if it meant getting burnt.
5. Illustration: Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote, “95% of knowing the will of God consists in being willing to do it before you know what it is.”
6. As we walk in the obedience to the Spirit, we continually are reminded of the peace/no peace promptings to the point that we learn to discern the will of the Lord for us in this situation. But if we drift through life, never asking of the Lord’s will, then we never become accustomed to sensing His leading. Are you committed to seeking the will of God? Not the SS answer…Also if we are actively engaged in a kingdom agenda, involved in ministry that is advancing Christ’s rule in the world and assaulting the kingdom of darkness, we should expect opposition. And just because we receive opposition, it doesn’t mean that we are out of the will of God. Peter, Paul, Jesus, James, every NT writer tells us that we will suffer in doing God’s will. So when you are convinced be determined. This doesn’t mean never reexamine or pray the sheep prayer, but it does mean that we are to be convinced, and be tenacious about following, even when good people advise against it. We are called to be willing to lay down our lives for the cause of the gospel if need be. We are called to love Christ more than our very own lives. Countless thousands have gone before us, hundreds of thousands will choose Christ over life this year alone. Are we willing to embrace suffering, even death for Christ’s sake? Are we willing to humble ourselves before God and seek His face and do whatever He says when He says it?
C. Further Practical Application (v. 15)
1. We are given all that we need for life and godliness in Christ and His word. Heb 4:12, Ps 119:105, 19:8, Pro 6:23, Isa 44:3, 62:6-7. We are commanded to not be unwise but wise, knowing the will of God. “90% of the will of God can be found from the neck up,” “Wisdom is the God-given ability to perceive the true nature of a matter and implement the will of God in that matter,” God is not in the business of hiding His will from us. He wants us to know it. If you stay in the word, study the word, read books full of the word, hear preachers and teachers that speak the word, you will better know God’s will. He has revealed it to us. MacArthur wrote a little book called Found: God’s Will, and he argues very convincingly from scripture that if five things are present in your life from a Christian perspective, God will grant you leading, knowledge of His will, and guide your steps. He says that you must be saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, and suffering. 1 Peter 4:13, Heb 11:35-37, 10:34, Philip 1:29, Acts 5:41,
2. God also leads us through open doors and closed doors. This doesn’t mean that we are to walk through every “open” door, and never stand and wait on a “closed” door. But it does mean that we serve a sovereign God who can open doors that no man can open, and close doors that no man can close. And God will carry out His will, not to be thwarted by any person or circumstance. “When God bolts the door, don’t try to get in through the window. The will of God never will lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”
A. Closing illustration: Greear’s post on obstacles and vision
