Acts 21:1-16

Please take out your copy of God's Word, which I pray you have with you this morning.

And it's well read and treasured in your heart.

And turn to Acts chapter 21.

Acts 21 · chapter mention

We are fast approaching the day when we will complete our study of Acts together.

It's been good and rich and I hope that you've felt the same.

I think there's always something bittersweet about ending a study.

And we're going to find our study accelerate here,

looking to probably the first week or so of September when we'll conclude it,

because Paul is headed to Jerusalem.

And this sets off a chain of events in which Paul is arrested and tried

and ends up imprisoned to the end of the book.

So we're going to start picking up some pace as we go through that narrative together.

And it all gets kind of launched off here.

Paul has been set on traveling to Jerusalem for some time.

We can see back in Acts chapter 19, verse 21.

Acts 19:21

Now, after these events, Luke records for us,

and he's referencing the sons of Sceva getting literally beat out of their clothes

by a demon-possessed man in Ephesus,

and then a revival that follows it.

So after these events,

Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia

and go to Jerusalem, saying,

After I have been there, I must also see Rome.

Paul expresses concern throughout his writing

that the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers would be unified.

This is one of the great realities of the gospel,

that it breaks down dividing walls and that people become one in Christ.

And Paul was concerned about this.

A way that he worked to unite them

was through the collection of funds from largely Gentile churches

to support the highly persecuted,

very transient, primarily Jewish church in Jerusalem.

We can read that Paul gave instruction to the Corinthian church

for a collection for the Jerusalem church,

which was written four years before his arrival in today's text.

We can read that in 1 Corinthians 16, verse 1-3.

1 Corinthians 16:1–3

Paul writes,

To further concrete the point that Paul was transporting funding,

to Jerusalem,

we see in Paul's defense before Felix in Acts chapter 24 and in verse 17,

Acts 24 · chapter mention

Now after several years,

I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.

So the past two weeks,

we studied Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders from Miletus.

Verse 16 of chapter 20 says,

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he might not have to spend time in Asia,

for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

So when we read in chapter 21, verse 1, which we'll do in just a moment,

the phrase,

When he had parted from them,

This is who the Ephesian elders,

And from where, Miletus, on the coast of Asia,

Paul is departing on the last part of his journey to Jerusalem.

So Acts chapter 21, verses 1 through 16.

Acts 21:1–16

Before I read, let me remind you, beloved,

That this is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and for our good.

And as such, we would all do well to listen to it

In order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.

I begin reading in verse 1.

And when he had parted from them and set sail,

We came by a straight course to Kos,

And the next day to Rhodes,

And from there to Patara.

And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia,

We went aboard and set sail.

When we had come inside of Cyprus,

Leaving it on the left,

We sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre,

For there the ship was to unload its cargo.

And having sought out the disciples,

We stayed there for seven days.

And through the Spirit,

They were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

When our days there were ended,

We departed and went on our journey.

And they all, with wives and children,

Accompanied us until we were outside the city.

And kneeling down on the beach,

We prayed and said farewell to one another.

Then we went on board the ship,

And they returned home.

When we had finished the voyage from Tyre,

We arrived at Ptolemy.

And we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day.

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,

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 in prison,

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.

After these days we got ready

And went up to Jerusalem.

And some of the disciples from Caesarea

Went with us,

Bringing us to the house of Mason of Cyprus,

An early disciple,

With whom we should lodge.

Well, much of our text this morning

Is Luke's record

Of the route that was taken

From Miletus to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem.

They skirted a coast,

They jumped across

A gap in the Mediterranean Sea,

Moving at the pace

In which they could move.

Moving along as quickly as they could

To arrive at Jerusalem.

And the account is punctuated

By the churches in two places

Trying to convince Paul

Not to complete said journey.

Now there are a lot of little things

We could chase out in the text today.

And I don't intend,

I don't mean to just neglect them,

But they're not the main point.

Like, who are these four unmarried daughters

Who prophesied?

We're not going to talk about it this morning.

Or what exactly is the nature of prophecy

And Agabus' prophecy?

I believe that what's being highlighted

In this text,

What Luke is intending to record for us,

Is the persistence of a journey

And the resistance to that journey.

There are many commentators

Who suggest that Paul

Disobeyed the Spirit.

I do not believe so.

And I do not believe so for four reasons.

So let me give those to you quickly.

Number one,

The phrase,

Through the Spirit in verse 4,

Is not conclusive.

Some would want to make it conclusive,

But it is not conclusive.

Remember that this is a historical narrative.

And so all that we can safely assume

Is that Luke believed that it was

Through the Spirit.

And probably because they claimed this.

They claimed to be prophesying by the Spirit.

And so Luke recorded it

As a prophecy through the Spirit.

Paul states in 1 Corinthians 14, verse 29,

1 Corinthians 14:29

That prophecy must be carefully considered.

Secondly,

Paul has patterned obedience to the Spirit.

We have seen this in the book of Acts.

In Acts 16, verses 6-10,

Acts 16:6–10

We witnessed Paul's obeying the Spirit's

Forbidance to preach in some places,

And his immediate obedience

And entering Macedonia

When told to do so in a dream.

So Paul has already received

Stop commands from the Spirit.

And he obeyed those commands.

Third,

The Holy Spirit had warned Paul

What would happen to him

In going to Jerusalem.

This is recorded in Acts 20,

Acts 20:22

Verses 22 and 23.

Part of the Ephesian farewell.

Where we read,

And now behold,

This is Paul speaking.

I am going to Jerusalem,

Constrained by the Spirit,

Not knowing what will happen to me there,

Except that the Holy Spirit testifies me

In every city that imprisonment

And afflictions await me.

But the Spirit,

So that's the text,

But the Spirit had not forbid him

From going there.

So the Spirit has spoken to him

About what would happen there.

But is not said,

But do not go.

Fourth,

The Bible nowhere suggests

That Paul sinned

In going to Jerusalem.

Paul says while in Jerusalem

In Acts 23, verse 1,

Acts 23:1

Brothers, I have lived my life

Before God in all good conscience

Up to this day.

It is hard,

At least for me,

To imagine

That he would have been able

To say such a thing

Just a few days

After finding himself

Arrested

Because he had been disobedient

To the Spirit of God.

So I believe

That Paul was

Rightly resisting

The opposition of the church.

Right?

People are pleading with him

Not to go.

They're claiming by the Spirit

That he ought not go.

I think it's right

That Paul went

All the same.

So,

How then do we come to understand

Paul's resoluteness

In traveling to Jerusalem?

Is this a unique thing to Paul?

Right?

The confidence of conviction.

Is it unique to him?

Is this a thing

That we can also have

When it comes to

The particulars of God's purpose

For our lives?

Here you have disciples

Claiming to speak

Through the Spirit

Telling him that he

Shouldn't go to Jerusalem.

Then a prophecy

Which was no surprise to him.

Right?

The Spirit had already told him

He would suffer

And be imprisoned.

Right?

Telling him about his arrest.

But the church pleads

In response to that

For him not to go

To Jerusalem.

How is it that Paul

Was so convinced

He should go?

And how can

We know

With confidence

What God would have us

Do?

So with this narrative

As a backdrop

I would like to present to you

Seven biblical truths

To help us

To guide us

In this way

And I'm going to

I hope well

It's my intention

To do it well

I'll show you

In the life of Paul

The practice of these

Seven

Biblical truths

As I mentioned to you

In the welcome

These are from a work

Called experiencing God

How to know and do

The will of God

Intentionally so

Because I want you to

Want to pick it up

And read it

So that's why

I'm using their things

Not because I'm being lazy

But these are good

Good instruction

Seven points

Worded well

And I want you to

Want to pick up

This work

And spend more time

With it

And so

They frame them

This way

Seven realities

That identify

Ways God works

To involve

People

In his activity

Seven realities

That identify

Ways God works

To involve people

In his activity

Number one

God is always

At work

Around you

God is always

At work

Around you

Beloved

God did not

Create the world

Set it in motion

And then sit back

To watch it function

God has been

At work

In the world

From its very

Beginning

Ruling over

All that happens

We call this

Providence

And his providence

Has never

Been idle

He has never

Once in the history

Of the world

Set it aside

He has always

Reigned over

All things

That have happened

Neither

Did Jesus

Come to the earth

In order to

Call together

A band of disciples

Give them a little

Bit of training

And then leave them

To see how they

Would work out

His commands

Some experiment

Of let me see

If three years

Is enough

To get them going

In the ways

I would have

Them go

Matthew chapter

Matthew 16:13–18

16

Verses 13

Through 18

I would appreciate

You turning there

With me

This I hope

Is a text

That's familiar

To you

Matthew 16

Beginning in verse

13

Now when Jesus

Came into the

District of

Caesarea

Philippi

He asked

His disciples

Who do people

Say that the

Son of man

Is

And they said

Some say

John the

Baptist

Others say

Elijah

And others

Jeremiah

Or one of

The prophets

He said to

Them

But who do

You say

That I am

Simon Peter

Replied

You are the

Christ

The son

Of the living

God

And Jesus

Answered him

Blessed are

You

Simon

Barjona

For flesh

And blood

Has not revealed

This to you

But my

Father

Who is in

Heaven

And I tell

You

You are

Peter

And on

This rock

Pause for a

Second

He's not

Referring to

Peter

He's referring

To the

Truth that

Peter has

Proclaimed

That Jesus

Is the

Christ

Okay

It's important

That you

Understand that

Clearly

On this

Rock

The truth

That I

Am the

Christ

The son

Of the

Living

God

I will

Build

My

Church

And the

Gates

Of hell

Shall

Not

Prevail

Against

It

Jesus'

Promise

Is that

He'll

Build

His

Church

Today

As we're

Gathering

Together

Jesus

Is at

Work

Building

His

Church

God's

Church

Is built

By God's

Hand

The

Kingdom

Of God

Is here

And it

Is arriving

Whether you

Recognize

It's coming

Or not

God's

Plans

Will not

Be

Thwarted

In Acts

26

Paul

Recounts

His

Conversion

To King

Agrippa

Where Luke

Records

Jesus'

Words

To Paul

So this is

Acts

Acts 26:15–18

26

Verses

15

Through

18

You may

Appreciate

Joining

Me

There

Paul

Says

And I

Said

Who

Are

You

Lord

And

The

Lord

Said

I

Am

Jesus

Who

You

Are

Persecuting

Now

In

Verse

16

Of

Acts

26

Jesus

Says

But

Rise

And

Stand

Upon

Your

Feet

For

I

Have

Appeared

To

You

For

This

Purpose

To

Appoint

You

As

A

Servant

And

Witness

To

The

Things

In

Which

You

Have

Seen

Me

And

To

Those

In

Which

I

Will

Appear

To

You

Delivering

You

From

Your

People

And

From

The

Gentiles

To

Whom

I

Am

Sending

You

To

Open

Their

Eyes

That

They

May

Turn

From

Darkness

To

Light

And

From

The

Power

Of

Satan

To

God

That

They

May

Receive

Forgiveness

Of

Sins

And

A

Place

Among

Those

Who

Are

Sanctified

By

Faith

In

Me

Why

Did

Jesus

Appear

To

Paul

Look

At

What

He

Says

!

Things

In

Which

I

Am

Working

And

Doing

That

You

Would

Be

A

Servant

And

A

Witness

To

Those

Things

And

That

You

Would

Be

A

Servant

Witness

To

Those

Things

In

Which

Jesus

Says

I

Will

Appear

To

You

That

You

Will

Be

A

Servant

And

A

Witness

To

The

Things

I

Am

Doing

In

The

World

Have

Done

And

Am

Doing

In

The

World

So

Whether

or not

You

God

Is

Always

At

Work

Around

You

That's

Number

One

Number

Two

Second

Reality

God

Pursues

A

Continuing

Love

Relationship

With

You

That

Is

Real

And

Personal

Beloved

This

Is

A

Gracious

Glorious

Truth

Little

Undeserving

Me

And

Little

Undeserving

You

Are

So

Loved

By

God

That

He

Pursues

Us

And

That

Pursuit

Is

Real

And

It

Is

Personal

Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Chapter

8

Beginning

In

Verse

11

Love

This

Personal

Language

Here

Paul

Writes

If

The

Spirit

Of

Him

Who

Raised

Jesus

From

The

Dead

Dwells

In

You

He

Who

Raised

Christ

Jesus

From

The

Dead

Will

Also

Give

Life

To

Your

Mortal

!

Bodies

!

So then

brothers

We are

debtors

Not to

the flesh

To live

According to

the flesh

For if

you live

According to

the flesh

You will

die

But if

by the

Spirit

You put

to death

The deeds

of the

body

You will

Live

For

All

Who

Are

Led

By

The

Spirit

Of

God

Are

Sons

Of

God

For

You did

Not

Receive

The

Spirit

Of

Slavery

To

Fall

Back

Into

Fear

But

You

Have

Received

The

Spirit

Of

Adoption

As

Sons

by whom we cry, Abba, Father.

And that language means Daddy.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit

that we are children of God.

And if children, then heirs,

heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,

provided we suffer with Him

in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

So God is always at work around you.

And God pursues a continuing love relationship with you

that is real and it's personal

and it's the motivation for finding out

what is God's will?

What would God have me do?

How can I walk in obedience to Him?

This great love that He has shown us in Christ.

This pursuing love.

Ongoingly pursuing love.

God is always at work around you.

And God pursues a continuing love relationship with you

that is real and personal.

Third, God invites you to become involved with Him

in His work.

Because God's at work

and because God loves you,

doesn't need you.

I'm always quick to clarify that.

Does not need you.

God's purposes will not be thwarted

by laziness or apathy.

But because God has a purpose

and He's working it out

and because He loves you,

He invites you.

He invites you to become involved with Him

in His work.

In Acts 1,

Jesus instructs the disciples

to wait until the Holy Spirit comes

and tells them

what will happen when He does.

When the Holy Spirit comes,

Acts 1.8,

Jesus says,

But you will receive power

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you

and you will be My witnesses

in Jerusalem

and in all Judea and Samaria

and to the end of the earth.

So there's this promise

of the coming of the Spirit, right?

There's something that's going to happen necessarily

as the coming of the Spirit.

You will receive power

and you will witness.

And you'll witness in concentric circles.

You're going to go as you're going.

You're going to be sharing

the good news of Jesus Christ

as a result of the indwelling power

of the Holy Spirit.

And this, Acts 1.8,

I think is an expansion.

It's an explanation

of the words that Jesus spoke

to the apostles

in Matthew 28,

Matthew 28:18–20

verses 18-20.

This is often called

the Great Commission.

Jesus came and said to them,

all authority in heaven and on earth

has been given to Me.

Go therefore and make disciples

of all nations,

baptizing them in the name

of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe

all that I have commanded you.

And behold,

I am with you always

to the end of the age.

So catch where I'm going here.

Point number three,

God invites you to become involved

with Him and His work.

God is working.

God loves you.

Jesus says,

go and make disciples.

Baptize them.

Teach them everything

that I've commanded you.

But He sandwiches that

between two wonderful realities.

That is,

that Jesus now has

all authority.

He's got all authority in heaven.

He has all authority in earth.

He's promised to build His church.

This is a work that He is accomplishing.

Go therefore.

Go therefore and make disciples.

I have all authority

in heaven and on earth.

And at the end,

the promise.

Behold,

I am with you always

to the end of the age.

So as we are confident

in the things that God

would have us do,

His revealed will,

we can look in the Scriptures

and we know for a fact

there are things

that we are meant to do

revealed,

more general,

as well as His specific.

How is it exactly

that I am meant to walk?

Where am I supposed to go?

Whom am I supposed to marry?

What am I supposed

to study in school?

Which job should I take?

As we are led in these things,

we can be confident

that it is God's invitation

to join Him in His work.

And therefore,

He is with us in it.

So God is always at work

around you

and He is pursuing

a continuing love relationship

with you

that is real

and personal.

And He's doing so

by inviting you

to become involved with Him

in His work.

Fourth,

I apologize for this one,

note takers.

God speaks by the Holy Spirit

through

the Bible,

prayer,

circumstances,

and the church

to reveal Himself,

His purposes

and His ways.

I'll give it to you again

real quick.

I didn't write this.

Let me remind you.

God speaks by the Holy Spirit

through the Bible,

prayer,

circumstances

and the church

to reveal Himself,

His purposes

and His ways.

A major thing

of the Bible

is that God's people

need God's

good

counsel.

That it is very often

not heeded,

but it is most

certainly

needed.

Consider,

even before

the fall of Adam and Eve

in the garden,

that they needed

God's counsel.

God gave to them

instruction

about what to do

and what not

to do.

Man was not

created to be

autonomous,

separated from

the loving instruction

of God.

He had always

needed it.

How is it

that we understand

God's character,

purposes,

and ways?

Through the work

of the Holy Spirit,

our Helper.

If you have placed

believing faith

in Jesus Christ,

you have the Spirit

of God

who indwells you

to be your Helper,

to come alongside

and help you

to persist

in God's ways.

Now,

at this point,

we must be

careful.

How does the Holy Spirit

reveal such things

to us?

So many

in our day

have erred

into a new

mysticism,

being led along

by their feelings.

believing that

the primary way

in which the Spirit

of God works

in the follower

of Christ

is by giving us

impulse,

feeling impulses

about the way

in which

we should go.

A most common

phrase among

American Christians

is,

I feel led

to.

I feel led

to,

blank,

to such

and such.

Now,

I'm not suggesting

that we,

at times,

will not have

some inclination

in one way

or another.

Often,

particularly young

people in our church

come to me

and say,

what should I do?

And there are two

very good,

very God-honoring

options on the table.

And my response is,

so you know,

when you come to me

and ask these kinds

of questions,

I'm going to go,

what do you want

to do?

Pick one.

Which way do you

think you should go?

Just go.

So we may have

some inclinations

at times,

one way

or another,

but the Spirit

uses means,

uses real,

tangible means,

most often

to instruct us.

In Romans 12,

2,

Paul's very aware

of this.

He writes,

Do not be conformed

to this world,

but be transformed

by the renewal

of your mind.

How are our minds

renewed?

By the Word of God.

That by testing

you may discern

what is the will

of God,

what is good

and acceptable

and perfect.

So God speaks

by the Holy Spirit

through the Bible.

Paul writes to Timothy

in 2 Timothy 3,

16 and 17,

All Scripture

is breathed out

by God

and is profitable

for teaching,

for reproof,

for correction,

and for training

in righteousness

that the man of God

may be complete,

equipped

for every good work.

Beloved,

this is the go-to verse

for the sufficiency

of Scripture.

The Bible contains

everything within it

to direct holy lives.

That's why we call it

the Holy Bible.

And I hope

to connect you

to Christ

if you're part

of this church

and secondly

to the sufficiency

of Scripture.

You walk out of here

loving Jesus

and then loving

the Bible,

I've accomplished

something by grace.

the Bible

must be seen

in this light.

It must be respected

in this light.

I am so saddened

that in our day

we seem to need

a new reformation.

People would pick up

their Bibles

and read

that would be literate

in what it has to say.

Be about the work

of practicing

God's revealed

general will

for the Christian.

Be about that work.

There's so much

good instruction

found in the Scripture.

Clear things

that we are meant

to do.

Pick up those things

and do them.

You will find

most of your time

filled

if you're doing

those things.

Be about following

Christ

in the very clear way

in which we've been

instructed

to follow

Christ.

Do not

neglect that

and get

altogether

consumed

by the specific

will of God

for you.

Don't get so

consumed

with what major

you're going to have

in school

or which job

you're going to take

when you graduate

or who you'll

marry.

And just neglect

altogether

all of these

clear commands

that have been

given to us

which are for

your good

and the glory

of God.

Secondly,

God speaks

peace by the Holy

Spirit

through prayer.

Pray that God

would accomplish

his revealed

general will

for the Christian

in you.

But also pray

for God's

specific will

for you.

I know

that there are

questions

that have to be

answered.

There are

deadlines

that must

be met.

What should

I do

is a real

felt

question.

You need

to know

which way

Lord

would I

go.

In prayer

we have

the opportunity

to bring

our will

in line

with his

by casting

the anxiety

of that

on him.

Paul knew

this.

He wrote

to the

Philippians

Philippians 4:4–7

chapter 4

verses 4

through 7.

He said

rejoice

in the

Lord

always.

Again I

will say

rejoice.

Let your

reasonableness

be known

to everyone.

The Lord

is at hand

which I

take to

mean the

Lord

is near.

Therefore

we have

no reason

to have

anxiety

about these

things.

God is

with us.

God is

at work.

God loves

us.

He intends

to direct

us.

Do not

be anxious

about anything

but in

everything

by prayer

and supplication

with

thanksgiving

that your

requests be

made known

to God

and the

peace of

God

which surpasses

all

understanding

will guard

your hearts

and your

minds

in Christ

Jesus.

Thirdly

the Holy

Spirit

directs

us

speaks

through

circumstances.

I don't

think that

the authors

of experiencing

God intend

to be too

mystical at

this point.

I don't

think that's

what they're

trying to

accomplish.

In fact,

if you're

really looking

at the

totality

of what

they're

saying,

it would

be

impossible

for them

to be.

But if

God is

always at

work around

you and

he is

inviting you

to join

him in

his work,

pay

attention

to the

opportunities

to do

so.

I think

that's what

they're

saying.

I think

they're

just

saying,

look.

Look and

see how

God is

at work.

What is

he doing

around you?

An example

from my

life is

that back

in the

very early

days of

Christ's

family

church,

myself and

my brother-in-law

who's here

today,

which is a

wonderful

surprise,

were bivocational.

Both of us

were working

full-time

jobs.

We were

flip-flopping

back and

forth a

couple weeks

on,

a couple

weeks off,

just trying

to fill

preaching

time.

Sam,

my wife,

and I

seriously

considered

working for

Eagle Ranch,

which is a

home for

troubled kids,

and we

applied.

We were

going through

that whole

process.

We had

decided,

had we

been offered

the position,

we would

have gone

to live

there,

it's

south-south

Howell

County,

that we

would probably

have to

stop being

in any

kind of

leadership

here.

Still

wanted to

be part

of the

church,

wanted to

be in

fellowship

but I

wouldn't

have time

to give

any kind

of

leadership

here.

At the

same time,

the church

was growing

and good

things were

happening.

Not only

were we

growing in

breadth,

but we

were growing

in depth.

We were

seeing some

really good

work of

God

happening

here at

the church.

I didn't

know which

way to

go.

We applied

and went

through an

interview

process.

We had

just barely

been married

long enough

to meet

their minimum

requirement.

I think

it was

three years

at the

time.

They went

with a

couple

who had

been

married,

I think

five,

which was

wonderful.

Good for

them,

really wise

decision.

I'm glad

they did

that.

For me,

that was

confirmation

that I was

meant to be

here,

that this

was a

good thing.

God

was at

work.

I could

see it

happening

around me.

So we

just leaned

into it.

We said,

okay,

then let's

go.

Now we

know where

we're

supposed to

be and

what we're

supposed to

be doing.

So a

way that a

circumstance,

an example,

could be

guiding you.

pray for

opportunities

to practice

God's

revealed

general

will

for your

life.

Then look

for those

opportunities,

those specific

things in

which you

could do.

Pray in

the morning

that God

would give

you the

opportunity

to share

your faith

with somebody

and then

don't be

hesitant to

share your

faith when

the opportunity

arises.

Specific will.

There it is.

I prayed for

it and it's

happening.

My word.

Lean into

it and do

it.

Paul wrote

in 1 Corinthians

16,

8 and 9,

but I will

stay in

Ephesus until

Pentecost for

a wide

door for

effective

work has

opened to

me and

there are

many

adversaries.

There was

a great

work to

be done

in Ephesus.

God was

accomplishing

things by

the hands

of Paul,

working through

him to

accomplish his

will, and

there was a

lot of

opposition to

the church

and so

Paul saw

that it

was a good

thing to

stay and

so he

did.

Fourth,

God speaks

by the Holy

Spirit through

the church.

Through the

church.

One of my

big grievances

with the

I feel

led to

mentality is

that it's

very

individualistic.

Very

individualistic.

I have a

plan and

God has

told me it's

the thing

to go

do and

we don't

seek the

counsel of

the church.

I have

acquaintances,

even some

friends,

who went to

seminary and

are pastors of

churches and

they have no

business being

pastors.

And everyone

that I know

that knows

them sees

that, but

they never

asked anybody

and none of

us were ever

brave enough

to tell them

that they

were wasting

their lives.

Gifted in

some way,

but not in

that way.

Don't just

assume because

you have a

feeling for

something that

it's the thing

that you ought

to be doing.

In Antioch,

Paul and

Barnabas are

commissioned on

their very

first missionary

journey.

Let's note

who the

Spirit of

God comes

to in

Acts 13.

This is

verse 2

and 3.

This is

the church

gathered

together while

they were

worshiping the

Lord and

fasting.

The Holy

Spirit said

to the

church,

set apart

for me

Barnabas

and Saul

for the

work to

which I

have called

them.

Then after

fasting and

praying,

they laid

their hands

on them

and sent

them

off.

Commissioned

by the

church.

The Spirit

speaks to

the church

for the

work of

Barnabas

and Saul

who we

now call

Paul.

It does

not record

for us

that Barnabas

and Saul

went to

the church

and told

them they

had a

feeling

and therefore

the church

said,

great,

we'll let

you get

up and

talk about

fundraising.

The church

came around

them and

fundraised and

sent them

off.

Paul rejects

the intervention

of the

church in

our text

though,

doesn't he?

Isn't that

interesting?

That's what

was so

captivating to

my mind as

I was

studying it

this week.

It's like,

well,

wait a

minute.

Here in

two different

occasions,

the church

is going,

no,

don't go.

But he

had a

confidence,