Acts | Chapter 21

 

Acts. Ch 21:1-16

“Life to do over”

Vs. 1-7 Finishing our voyage

Vs. 8-12 Keeping the kingdom

Vs. 13-16 Ready to live in the will of the Lord

Intro.

Like most sports fans I was fixated on the T.V. watching arguably the greatest Super Bowl ever played. With the Rams down 11 points at half time everybody knew that the game was not over. And when they scored their second touchdown in the 4th quarter tying the game with only a minute left I think everybody felt that the game was heading into the first ever over time with the momentum clearly on the side of the Rams. The expert (John Madden) was saying that the best thing the Patriots could do was run the ball and take the remaining 50 seconds off the clock and take their chances in overtime. That is not of course what happened. With time expired New England kicked a 48-yard game winning field goal to cause the greatest upset in Super Bowl history.

         Oh, how it could have all been different if that 24 year old quarterback did not complete those passes. Or if the field goal kicker would have missed his kick! Football is often called a game of inches, 1 inch here and the pass is not completed. One inch to the left or right of the football and the ball does not go through the uprights. How about life though? Have you ever wished you could get that pass or kick back? Ever wonder what would have happened if in that critical moment you would have done what is altogether clear now? Why is it that hindsight always provides the best view to the past and no view to the present? Life at times seems as if it too is decided by inches. Although this section shows Paul’s travels to Jerusalem it also reveals his resolve to follow the Lord no matter what the outcome.       

Vs. 1-7 Finishing our voyage

Luke records this section in the first person, as he was present. You will recall that Paul had a pastor’s conference with the Ephesian pastors in Miletus. He revealed to them that he knew something about his future as he said, “I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.” Further back at Paul’s conversion in chapter 9 Jesus told Ananias that He would show Paul “how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” It is important that we understand this as the context of the passage we are studying today. Paul had a specific calling on his life but he also knew that what he had to face was not always easy.

         Sometimes we all wish we knew the outcome or the future. In fact there have been many books and many movies on the subject about knowing one’s future and then altering it for our benefit. But what if you were able to know what was in store for you in the future and to alter it for your benefit would mean that you would miss God’s will for you? What would you do? Paul clearly knew that he was going to suffer many things as he served Jesus. Clearly in this section he had ample opportunity to change his course and all the Church would have agreed but yet he did not do so.

Vs. 1-3a Luke ties this section with the last by saying that literally Paul had to tear himself away from the Pastors of Ephesus that had gathered in Miletus. Then he records for us Paul’s journey sailing from Miletus to Cos, which was a small island south of Miletus. Then the next day they sail again to Rhodes, a slightly larger island to the south east, 12 miles off of the mainland of Turkey, with its famed Colossus being one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. From Rhodes they sailed around the southwestern corner of Turkey and again ported this time on the mainland port of Patara. The picture here is pretty clear, Paul and his companions sailed each day and ported each night hugging the coastline of Turkey. So?

Well here’s my point: Paul was heading into known trouble and every port of call was an opportunity to delay what God had planned for him. Hey, folks, do you know what the biggest waste of our time is? Procrastination! Webster defines this word as “putting off to a future time”. How many times have we done this? We know of something God has for us but it does not seem pleasurable to us so we put it off! Paul stopped every day at a different port and could have stayed for a little R and R but he did not. In fact I love that Luke says, “they ran a straight course”. How about it saints, have you stayed a little long at Cos (summit)? Perhaps you have lingered too long at the scent of Rhodes (rose). But when you do that you will eventually find yourself at Patara (trodden under foot). Putting off following God will always leave you trodden under foot! Better to always set a straight course!

There is more here as well! Paul and his companions had been sailing along hugging the Turkish coast but in verse 2 we read that they found a ship that sailed direct to Phoenicia. This change of travel would take them right through the heart of the Mediterranean Sea on a 400-mile journey saving them a week’s time. Do you get it? Paul knew that he faced chains and tribulations when he arrived yet he was in a hurry to get there. Paul made a conscious decision to hurry to be in God’s will even though the outcome was not going to be pleasant. 

That’s growth, that’s surrender. Paul would write to the Philippians’ “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” You see the goal was “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”. 

Vs. 3b-7 Now this 400-mile sea journey would have taken around 5 days to complete. Here is what I find interesting about this, as they landed on the ancient sea port of Tyre in Syria they had to stay there seven days as the ship they were on was a merchant ship and had to be unloaded. So Paul instead of retiring in Tyre diligently searches out the believers in Tyre. Now we know that this was not a Church that Paul had started and it is believed that it was most likely started during the time right after the stoning death of Stephen in Jerusalem as the believers fled from the persecution. And who was it that gave consent to Stephen’s death? Well it was Paul! So what’s my point?

         Simply this, Paul faced a future of chains and tribulations but prior to Jesus in his life he was the one that placed folks into that situation. In other words Paul stayed his course in the will of God because he remembered his past. He would write to the Corinthians, “I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 

Paul faced an uncertain future because of a certain past! In Romans Paul wrote that he viewed himself as a, “debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.” Here’s where I’m going with this, all too often we fail to move towards the will of God in our lives because of an attitude that says “I deserve better than this!” Hey, folks I deserve to be judged for all eternity for my life prior to Christ how about you?

         Wow, look at these believers here in verse 4-6, they tell Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. Think of this scene some of these folks had lost loved ones because of the persecution started by Paul. Some of them perhaps had their lives permanently altered because of the events of 20 some odd years earlier. Now I have to wonder if I was one of those guys who had been affected by the persecution would I warn Paul not to go? Or would you say, “Hey, the dude has it coming!” Isn’t the grace of God wonderful? It can change a heart from bitterness to beauty! I know of no other religion or human philosophy that can do that. You want proof of the truths of Christianity? CHANGED LIVES! You can not see the truths of Christianity any clearer than when you look into the heart of a person who has every reason to be bitter and hard hearted and instead of hate you find love!  

         The wording of this section says that they “kept telling” Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Now we are told in Acts 19:21 that Paul “purposed in the Spirit, to go up to Jerusalem”. Then in chapter 20:24, after saying that he knew by way of the Holy Spirit’s testimony that chains and tribulations awaited him in Jerusalem, he says. “These things don’t move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus.” You see Paul interpreted the action of the Holy Spirit as information and warning although the disciples at Tyre gave it the form of a prohibition. Duty called louder than warning to Paul even if both were the calls of God. Now here’s what I see, even the love of well meaning Christians could not move Paul from the Love of God. Paul was more compelled by the love of God than the love of man.

I love the scene as the whole Church gathers with Paul at the shore of the Mediterranean Sea for a time of prayer and they waited until he boarded the ship before they went home. Now to any onlooker that didn’t know the story of Paul and this Church it was no big deal but we do know the story. The Church that was founded because of Paul’s persecution of them was now praying for him as he faced chains and tribulation. Let me ask you, can the love of some well meaning Christian move you from God’s will? It did not move Paul.

Vs. 7 Finally we read that Paul sailed 25 miles down the coast to Ptolemais (Tall-a-may-us) which was the ancient city called Accho located right on the bay of Haifa. And again he greeted the believers there. Paul finished his journey folks; he was walking in the will of God. How about it brothers and sisters, are you ready to finish the voyage that God has you on no matter what you face? Or are you going to allow something or someone to get you off course?  

Vs. 8-12 Keeping the kingdom

Vs. 8-9 So from Ptolemais (Tall-a-may-us) they travel another 30 miles to Caesarea which was the port for Jerusalem. It is here that Philip the evangelist had made his home for some 20 years. Philip you will recall was one of the seven original deacons with Stephen. After Stephen’s death he goes to Samaria and God uses him there as well as other cities in that area. He leaves that region on the call of God to go out to the Gaza strip and preaches to the Ethiopian Eunuch. Now we read in verse 9 that he has four daughters who were serving in ministry. That’s Philip, you always find him serving:

• Served as a janitor in Jerusalem

• Served sinners in Samaria

• Served educating a eunuch in the desert

• Served as a father to his family

It never seemed to matter what the venue was, Philip was there to serve. So what happens upon Paul coming to Caesarea? Well there is Philip ready to open his house in service. Paul had been his enemy and now he was to be his guest. Literally the words “stayed with him,” means stayed at his side. Now wouldn’t you have liked to have known some more about what they talked about? I bet they spoke about Stephen. Philip probably shared about how Stephen’s life compelled him to serve. Then Paul probably shared how Stephen’s death compelled him to serve. There was no doubt a great time of sharing and celebrating how God can take a wretch and use him to win souls to the kingdom.

Sometimes lives can be touched more after a person’s passing than they could have done had they lived. This week Tom presided over young Devin Cole’s funeral. He is the young man that gave his life to Jesus in October. It is always tragic when someone so young dies. Someone with so much life ahead of him. All are left to wonder why? 

Right after his conversion he sat down and wrote this poem called:

“The Depths of His Love”

Rivers of His love run deep into the valleys of our hearts.

Neither height nor depth nor mountains too wide,

Could ever show us the depths of His love.

Way beyond the seas, throughout all eternity

Could never show us the depths of His love.

Into the sun, far beyond the sky, a thousand tears that we’ve cried

Could never show us the depths of his love.

Forgiveness beyond measure, our savior to treasure, love written as a lullaby enchanted dreams of Him and I, all together forever,

         Could never show us the depths of His love.

Miles and time, song and rhyme, money or gain, life or pain.

         Could never show us the depths of His love.

Loving Him, praising Him, embracing him eternally

            Will show us the depth of His love.

Vs. 9 Luke just mentions that Philip had four virgin daughters who were prophets and says nothing more about them. Now the early Church Historian Eusebius says that later on they fled the Jewish persecution by the Romans and moved to Hierapolis in the province of Asia and provided much information of the early Church. Here is what I see about this family of servants, they were a focused family but the focus was not on the family. Instead they were into keeping the kingdom.

• They were pure outwardly because there was a purity of heart.

• They spoke the heart of God to the people of God because God first spoke to their hearts.

• They were hospitable because God was gracious to them.

• They were forgiving because they were forgiven.

Vs. 10-12 Agabus is the same guy who in Acts 11:28 prophesied that there would be a famine in the land of Judea. And here he takes the belt to Paul’s outer coat and binds his own hands and feet and again foretells what awaits Paul upon arriving in Jerusalem. Now we shall see that in about two weeks from this time all of it comes to pass. Look at verse 12 as Luke includes himself in the statement of “pleading with Paul not to go to Jerusalem”. These people loved Paul and there was a weight of evidence from the Holy Spirit revealing that Paul’s life was going to be in jeopardy if he went forward in what was laid upon his heart by God. This was a crossroad for Paul, follow the will of God and be imprisoned by man, follow the advice of loved ones and be imprisoned by God. Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning following the will of the Lord “If I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”  

Vs. 13-16 Ready to live in the will of the Lord

Vs. 13 What a remarkable statement made by Paul. They cried out together saying, “Don’t go, your life will be in danger!” Paul came back with, “Man you’re breaking my heart, I love you guys for your love towards me but my love towards God’s will for me is greater! Paul had a resolve that went beyond what others thought to what God thought! Hey, what motivates you? Paul is saying that, “Living is only truly living when it is living in the Lord!” Folks, a person is never more alive than they are when they are surrendered to the Lord!

Vs. 14-16 Here is what I like to see in leadership. As much as they were passionate about Paul not heading in the direction he was going, as certain as they were that where he was heading meant chains and tribulation, when they saw that what drove Paul was the Lord, they all said “the will of the Lord be done”, and then “packed up and went to Jerusalem”. Do you see that? Man, that is what you want in a Church, decisions. You all get together from the Lord, cry together and beg each other to change your mind but when all is said and done they packed up and went together. So often today folks pack up and go but not together! Folks, the leadership here is great because of this same fact. Oh we have our passionate disagreements and tears are shed but when it’s all finished every one packs up and heads to Jerusalem. And the way we go is always as if what we were passionate about the most was the way in which we are going.

         Now they bring with them some of the believers from Caesarea and an early disciple named Mnason (Na-shon), which means diligent seeker. You see that they bring “diligent seeker” with them to the city of peace all because they followed the will of God.     

Acts Ch. 21:17-40

“Do what we tell you”

Vs. 17-26 Free in freedom

Vs. 27-40 Misunderstood mission

Intro.

To be misunderstood is an awful experience. I came across these real life Church bulletin bloopers the other day that no doubt left some misunderstandings:

• “Wait Watchers meeting next Thursday at 6 pm please enter through the side double doors.”

• “Don’t let worry kill you off – let our Church help!”

• “A bean super will be held on Tuesday at 6 pm in the fellowship hall, music to follow!”

• “Ladies, don’t forget the garage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands!”

• “Please welcome our visiting Pastor, a caring individual who loves hurting people!”  

Paul now arrives in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost as he followed the will of God knowing full well that trouble awaited him. The trouble that awaited him was from believers as well as unbelievers. We shall see how Paul handles being misunderstood by fellow Christians then we shall see how this led to his being misunderstood by nonbelievers.

 Robert Jacks, a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, wrote a book which is a must read for anyone wishing to teach God’s Word called, “Just say the Word”. In the book he offers practical tips to help the Bible teacher find a style of communication, which enables him to effectively communicate God’s Truths. He tells the story of a Pastor who spoke on the truths of Love, peace and grace with little or no response. Puzzled by the lack of enthusiasm in the audience he inquired from the pulpit what the matter was, to which someone blurted out, “It’s not what you said, it was how it was said!” Man does that speak volumes to me. Sometimes though, people will still misunderstand you even when what you say was said correctly.

Vs. 17-26 Free in freedom

Background:

As Paul arrives in Jerusalem his ministry is about to go through a major readjustment. Up to this time he has primarily been reaching previously un-reached gentiles, boldly taking the word of God into areas where it had never gone. Here though he goes back into a Jewish and Jewish Christian area which is going to lead to trial and imprisonment. In the next six chapters, approximately 200 verses, Luke tells us of five trials and five separate defenses Paul makes all because of the events in this chapter. The question we all ought to ask is, “Why does Luke spend so much time on this part of Paul’s life?”

• Yes, Luke is a historian and based upon the use of the word “we” he was present during this time and no doubt gathered much of the information he needed to write both Acts as well as his gospel.

• It is true as well that in Paul’s defenses (here before the Jewish crowd in the temple, then before the Jewish council, then before Felix then Festus, and finally before King Herod) he espouses many truths of Christ which we would not have had recorded if Luke did not spend so much time on this part of Paul’s life.

• Yet I still see another reason for spending so much time on this part of his life, it is here that we see the truths of Christ displayed in a life that is under captivity.

            Let me explain:

Last week we saw Paul follow the will of God even though he knew the outcome was chains and tribulations. But the question still remains, “What happens to a person’s faith in Jesus when life becomes a prison sentence?” Or perhaps to put it another way, “Will Paul’s freedom in and through Christ be that which imprisons him?” You see Luke will show us that Paul, like Jesus, is truly free. Jesus said, “I lay down my life so that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” Wow, freedom on display seen in the life of Paul who shows that he is truly free because he is not enslaved to his freedom, he is enslaved only to Jesus. Jeremiah 23:10 says, “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.”

         So what’s my point? Well, no doubt like me, at times you have felt that where you are in life is a prison sentence? You have felt confined, wanting to go a certain direction in your walk with Jesus but unable to get there. It frustrates you, I mean you’re following the Lord, doing everything you are supposed to and man you’re up against four walls, hemmed in you feel as though life is being choked out of you. It is here that you will find that it is your very freedom that is keeping you from being free. Jesus told us in John 8:36, “if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”  It is the Son that makes you free! Just prior to saying this Jesus told us that freedom is defined and experienced only in an abiding relationship with Him. Folks if you’re struggling at where you are in life it’s because you are seeing life defined in your situation instead of seeing life defined in your abiding relationship with Jesus!          

Vs. 17-20a So here’s the story, Several things drove Paul to Jerusalem:

Acts 19:21 The holy Spirit had laid it upon his heart.

As we are told elsewhere, Paul was bringing an offering. Now Luke does not mention this here but in chapter 24:17 Paul before Felix says, “after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation.” So that was one of the reasons for his desire to come to Jerusalem. The final reason Paul came, we are told in this chapter (verse 19), was to “tell them in detail the things God had done among the gentiles.”   

So in verse 17 we are told that, “When they had come to Jerusalem the brethren received them gladly.” Most likely this is when Paul along with the representatives of the Churches where the offerings had been taken presented their Jewish brothers a love gift! Then on the following day Paul and his entourage goes to see James the half brother of Jesus and now the leader of the Church in Jerusalem. Notice the wording here, “he told in detail”,  that’s literally “told them every single thing”. Now Paul shared not what he had done but rather what God had done through him. What this shows us is that Paul wanted to make sure the believers in Jerusalem knew that God was the One that ought to receive the praise for the work. It is clear that they did not misunderstand Paul’s words concerning the ministry to the gentiles as we are told in verse 20 that “when they heard it, they glorified the Lord.”

         So far so good, Paul has shared both financially and spiritually the blessings of God from Gentile believers and the response was “the brethren received gladly and they glorified the Lord.” If it stopped at this all would have been great.

Vs. 20b-24 James says, “thanks and praise God”. Then he says what all of us hate to hear, BUT! Before James makes his request to Paul he wants to let him know the reasoning why.

Many myriads of Jews have believed: The word “myriads” is literally tens of thousands. James says, “Well God has been doing some great things around here as well Paul, lots of Jews have turned to their messiah Jesus as well.”  

They are zealous for the law: Literally the Greek says, “they are zealots for the law”. James says, “We have got them out of the law but we have not yet got the law out of them.” They no longer saw the law as the basis of their salvation but they were still observing its customs.

They have been informed about you: The word “informed” here is a very revealing one as it is the word where we get our English word “catechism”. Webster defines this word as “A form of instruction by means of questions and answers”. These new Jewish Christians had been drilled with lies about Paul and his ministry.

Then James goes ahead and tells Paul what lies had been drilled into their heads concerning his ministry. The lie was threefold and even though it was couched in severe language the key to understanding the lie is found in the phrase, “that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles.”

“To forsake Moses” CULTURE: Paul did not teach the Jews to forsake their ethnic culture. But He did teach the same as James that a person is not saved on the basis of their culture.

“Not to circumcise their children” CEREMONY: James and Paul did not teach that a person should not circumcise their child but rather that an outward ceremony did not change the heart, only faith in Jesus can do that.

“Nor to walk according to the customs” CUSTOMS: Neither of them taught that it was wrong to have certain customs that we observe but rather they taught that a person’s faith is seen in walking in the righteousness of Christ not walking in the customs of our ancestors.

James and Paul agreed concerning how a person is saved. They agreed that Gentiles could be saved apart from first becoming Jews. They also agreed about the importance of keeping the moral law or living a holy life. The issue was over whether or not Jewish believers should or could continue to practice their customs. The rumor that was being spread was that Paul was against them practicing their culture.

Look at how James puts it in verse 22, “What then Paul, what can we do to counteract the drilled in false opinions about your ministry?”  “You know Paul, they are going to hear that you’re in Jerusalem.” “Take these four fellows and take them to the temple, pay for their expenses, and while you’re at it take the vow of purification that you are supposed to do when you come back from Gentile lands.” James wants Paul to do this so that he would still look like a good Jewish boy.    

Vs. 25-26 Now James wants to make sure that Paul does not misunderstand him concerning the Gentiles by saying “we have written and decided” already concerning them. It is interesting to me that James wanted to make sure that he was not misunderstood with the Gentile believers present but still wanted Paul to prove that the lies about him were not true. Now you see, I’m blown away by Paul’s response here in verse 26 because you see I know what my flesh would have said to James. “James, you know what, I’ll have no problem doing what you ask BUT you know I don’t think Luke believes what you’ve just said about not observing all those things so why not join them in having a ham sandwich!” But Paul shows how free he is by setting aside his freedom for the sake of others. Paul was willing to make a concession in the areas of practice for the sake of others’ conscience!        

Vs. 27-40 Misunderstood mission

Vs. 27-29 So for several days Paul goes in and out of the temple showing the Jewish believers that he is still a good Jewish boy until just about the time when it was all up some of the Jews from Asia spot him. Now based upon the fact that they recognized Trophimus (well educated or well brought up) we know that they were from Ephesus. 

Here we are told they accused Paul of teaching all men everywhere against:

• The people, “Don’t like you!”

• The law or the practice, “Doesn’t like what you do!”

• The place, “Doesn’t like where you do it!”

And according to them Paul showed that he had done this because they maintained that “he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” Now Paul had not done that nor would he have and if he had why did they not kill Trophimus. You see there was a stone wall 4 ½  feet high and 2 ½ feet wide that separated the court of the Gentiles from the Holy Place. At regular intervals there was written this inscription which was upheld by the Romans “No Gentile shall enter within the partition and barrier surrounding the temple, and whoever is caught shall be responsible to himself, for his subsequent death.” They found one of these inscriptions on the temple  mount in 1935. It was no doubt this wall that Paul was speaking of in Ephesians 2:14 where he wrote that “He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation”.   

Vs. 30-40 What remains in this section is how the Lord protected him not through the Jewish believers in whom he had made his concession for their conscience, but through the Romans. The fortress of Antonia is right on part of the temple wall and overlooks the temple area so when they shut the doors and started beating Paul some of the Roman guards spotted the disturbance and came with several hundred soldiers to rescue him. In Acts 23:26 we are told that the commander was Claudius Lysias.

The mob was so bad that they had to pick Paul up and carry him to the stairs even with the presence of two hundred or better armed Roman soldiers. Now we are told that they thought Paul was an Egyptian false prophet who three years earlier had gotten together several thousand followers and went over to the Mount of Olives saying that at his command the walls of Jerusalem were going to fall down and they could defeat the Romans. The Romans got wind of it and killed most of them but the Egyptian had escaped and they thought that was Paul until he spoke Greek.

         This past Friday as I got my e-mail I received a rather lengthy message from a person who claimed to be a prophet in the last days telling me that February 15th was to be the day that Jesus returned. Now, there are only two possibilities: either Jesus came and we aren’t saved or this guy is a false prophet.

Well Paul convinces him that he is not the false prophet and motions to speak before this crowd that seeks to kill him. We’re going to stop here but I want us to leave off here with the image of Paul and the shouts of those saying “away with him or kill him”. You see Paul had no problem laying aside his freedoms for truth but he would never lay aside the truth for freedom! May we live today in the liberty of Christ as “freed men and women” and it’s only then that we show the world that we are truly free!