SUNDAY - JUNE 7, 2026 "Let the Will of the Lord Be Done" Acts 21:1-16

Welcome to DeSoto Hills Baptist Church.

Our Sunday morning services are weekly at 9 and 10 30 a.m.

You're listening to an audio recast of this past week's service.

We hope you enjoy.

God bless.

I just said I wasn't gonna do this, but I just gotta tell you this one thing, and I'm not gonna cry the whole service, but a few weeks ago, after mom had really kind of started going down, one day the kids and I and Amber went to see her.

It's not a good day.

She was actually sitting outside.

We pulled up and thought it would be a good day, but she was having tons of conversations with people who were not right there.

Um and mom, for for many of you don't know, mom, when I was growing up at Troy Baptist Church, mom led the music a lot of times uh at Troy just because there was nobody else to do it.

And when we got there, I couldn't tell what she was doing, but figured out she was she was picking songs to sing at church.

And she said, We haven't sung that one in a while, let's sing it.

She started singing Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.

As I think about that, and it kind of leads us into our passage today in Acts chapter 21.

Acts 21 · chapter mention

It reminds me of another hymn.

The old hymn, Trust and Obey.

If you'll allow me, let me read you some of the verses to trust and obey.

You know the chorus, but let me let me read you some of the verses.

So what it says when we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way.

While we do his good will, he abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, but our toll he doth richly repay.

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, but is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of his love until all on the altar we lay.

For the favor he shows, for the joy he bestows, are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet, we will sit at his feet or we'll walk by his side in the way.

What he says we will do where he sends, we will go.

Never fear, only trust and obey.

As we look at our passage today in Acts chapter 21, we are going to find Paul doing that very thing.

Acts 21 · chapter mention

Trusting and obeying.

Before we get to Acts 21, let me remind you of something Paul said back in Acts chapter 20, in verses 22 through 24.

Acts 20 · chapter mention

Paul said this in Acts 20, verses 22 and 24.

Acts 20:22

And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

But I do not count my life of any value, nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

You see, where we're going to find ourselves in in Acts 21 is Paul because he is constrained by the Spirit.

What we mean by that is Paul is convicted by the Spirit.

I don't know if you understand that, but sometimes the call of God, what he has called us to do, is difficult.

And what we can be, rest assured, is that when we are called by God to do something, he will walk with us.

What we need to do is trust him and obey the call.

So the challenge for us is just like the challenge of that old hymn, just like the challenge for Paul.

Trust and obey.

So the question that we seek to answer this morning is how did Paul trust and obey the Lord?

So I invite you this morning, if you are able to stand with me as we read from Acts chapter 21.

Acts 21 · chapter mention

We're going to start in verse 1 and read down through verse 16.

And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Kots, 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 in 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 were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied accompanied us until we were outside the city, and kneeling down on the beach we prayed, said farewell to one another.

Then we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived in Ptolemaeus, 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 Agabas came down from Judea, and coming to us he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit, this is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who wears 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 to Jerusalem.

Then Paul answered, What are you doing?

Weeping and breaking my heart?

For I for am I not ready to be impromed to be imprisoned, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

And since he had he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, Let the will of the Lord be done.

After these things these days, we got ready and went to went up to Jerusalem.

And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Nathan of Cyprus, an early disciple with whom we should lodge.

Let's pray together.

God, I thank you for your word.

And I thank you how through your word you have revealed yourself to us.

So we pray that this morning, as we open and study and engage with your word, that we will see you.

Jesus, it's in your name we pray.

Amen.

So again, the question that we seek to answer this morning is how did Paul trust and obey the will of the Lord?

Well, the first thing I think we find here is Paul trusting and obeying in the face of discouragement.

In the face of discouragement, Paul is going to trust and obey.

See what happens?

They're setting sail and they're going to these cities and finally they arrive in Tyre.

But what they're going to find in Tyre is people are going to try to discourage Paul from going.

Not only here in Tyre do we see that, but also in Caesarea, down in verse 12.

When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go to Jerusalem.

So what do we see happening here?

Well, first, there's something pretty important that I want us to see that Paul did.

When he got to Tyre, what was the first thing it told us that he did?

It says he sought out the disciples.

He sought out the disciples in Tyre.

Now, this is important.

We've talked about this the past couple of times that we've been in Acts.

And I know it feels like it's going to feel like we spent a lot of time here, but but Luke and God through Luke is bringing it up again.

So it's something I think we need to address.

God, I believe what He is telling us here is God did not intend for us to do this journey of life bearing witness to the kingdom of God.

He did not intend for us to do that alone.

He has given us each other to journey together.

We are a gift to each other from God.

Now I know sometimes it may not feel like it, but listen, understand the church is God's gift to believers.

He has given us each other to walk on this path together.

We've read passages, but but look at what Paul says about the church in Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

I'm going to start reading in verse 11.

And what he's talking about here before we get there, he's talking about spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to the church.

Here's what he says in verse 11.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers.

So he's given spiritual gifts, and then he tells us why.

To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes.

Rather, speaking the truth and love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head into Christ, for whom the whole body joined and held together at every joint, which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

God has given us each other, and he has given us gifts so that we may grow into Christ for the building up of the body, for the equipping of the saints.

And has he placed pastors and preachers and church staff members in a church to do that?

Of course he has.

And those gifts are not used for your personal engagement with God.

God has given us spiritual gifts to build each other up, to equip each other, to move us to the fullness of Christ.

God has given us each other to do that.

I believe that's why Paul is seeking out disciples.

He knows the road that he is about to take.

It says, I don't know what I'm gonna face, but I know that the Holy Spirit has told me in every place I'm gonna face imprisonment and persecution.

He knows he's going there to face that.

He knows Jerusalem is not going to be easy.

So he has sought out disciples to help encourage him, to help bring him along, to build him up.

May we be about the business of building each other up.

My senior year in high school, our baseball team, we we uh you I've talked a lot about our football team in high school who was not very good.

But let me tell you, baseball, a little bit of a different story.

We were okay.

My senior year, we we made it to the state championship.

But here's here's the thing about our senior year.

Before that year, we had great players on our teams at South Pontiac.

Um my freshman year, we had two guys that on the team that signed with Mississippi State, had several guys that signed with area JUCOs.

Uh we had um one guy the next year who graduated the next year, he signed with Delta State.

I mean, we had some good baseball players.

The guy that signed with Delta State had a hit every game his senior year except for one.

Had a hitting streak that dated back into his junior year.

I mean, they were really, really, really good players.

My senior year, we had one guy, our best pitcher signed with Idlewamba, and then we had a couple of two or three guys that signed like D3 schools.

We didn't have superior athletes.

But we had one of the best records in school history.

Listen, if you we didn't hit a bunch of home runs, we weren't real flashy, but if we made if you made a mistake, you paid for it, and we beat you by an overwhelming score of one to nothing or two to one.

Listen, but we weren't great because we had great players.

We were good and we won because we were a good team.

We functioned together, we worked together, we knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and what we needed to do to help each other out and come alongside each other, and we were a good team.

Listen, God has called us, we are his body.

We are called to work each other up.

And listen, we don't have to be great because we serve a great God.

We just need to allow him to be great in us as his body.

He has given us each other.

And so Paul sought out the disciples.

Then we we do have to deal with here what is happening because they are discouraging Paul from going out.

And it it even says that they are discouraging him by the spirit.

By the spirit, they're they're they're telling him not to go to Jerusalem.

In verse 4, it says, and through the spirit, they were telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

Well, what's happening here?

How could Paul they be telling Paul through the spirit?

But Paul's already heard from the spirit that a few things here.

One is when we are listening to the Spirit, sometimes we get it wrong.

Sometimes that happens.

Over in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, uh what's happening in the church at Corinth at this time is sometimes their worship services got a little disorderly.

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

There were a lot of things going on.

People would jump up and speak in tongues, and people were trying to prophesy, and they were trying to do all these things in the church, and what was happening instead of trying to glorify God through their spiritual gifts and building each other up, what they were trying to do is show how spiritual they were using their spiritual gifts, not what spiritual gifts are for.

And so Paul is addressed speaking in tongues, and in this passage where we're going to look at, starting in verse 29, he's addressing prophesying, which prophesying, understand, let's let's define that.

Prophesying is being a mouthpiece for God, thus saith the Lord.

It's not necessarily foretelling, telling the future, it's forthelling.

Here's what God says.

So here's what he says about it in verse 29.

Let two or three prophets speak and let one, let the others hear this, weigh what is said.

So when somebody is saying, here's what God says, you have two or three other prophets in that place who are listening and weighing if what they said is really what God has said.

That you had two or three listening.

They were, they were under the, they had to had to, what they said, it couldn't just be willy-nilly.

It was being listened to and judged by other prophets.

Verse 30.

If a revelation is made to anyone sitting there, let the first be silent, for who can prophesy one by one so that they may all learn and be encouraged.

Verse 32.

And the spirits of the prophets are subject to prophets.

For God is not a God of confusion, but a God of peace.

So when so in the in in this editing, when people said, hey, God's saying this, there were others who were listening that were listening, and if if God didn't say it, they were supposed to call them out.

Now listen, while while I'm pretty convinced that these miraculous gifts are not needed necessarily in the church anymore, because what they were used for was for a revelation of God, and we have the full revelation of God here in his word.

Here's what I'm telling us.

When we believe the Spirit is prompting us to do something, we better judge it by the word of God.

The Spirit is not going to tell us something opposite to what God's word says.

We better make sure that this is what he is saying.

If somebody comes and says, the Holy Spirit told me this and it's opposed to the word of God, they are lying to you.

And sometimes people get it wrong.

I believe that's what's happening here.

How can I say that with full assurance?

Well, for one reason, they're talking to Paul.

They're talking to Paul.

And we have seen Paul already demonstrate to us that he is fully aware of the spirit leading.

Now, I'm not telling you Paul is Jesus.

He's not.

He can be wrong sometimes too.

But when it comes to Paul's writing in scripture, I don't think so because he is inspired by the Spirit.

So, but what's happening here?

We've seen Paul already in Acts chapter 16, if you remember.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

In Acts chapter 16, Paul is wanting to go to Asia, and then he's been forbidden by the Spirit, so he's trying to go to Bithnea, and he's forbidden by the Spirit.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

In Acts chapter 16, verse 6 and 7.

Acts 16:6

Here's what it says.

And they went through the region of Phragea and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

And when they had come to Mysia, they attempted to go to Bithnea, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

So here, Paul has heard the Spirit.

He's wanted to go two places.

The Spirit said no, and so he didn't go.

Well then, and a couple of verses later in verse 9, Paul receives a vision from the Holy Spirit to go to Macedonia, and here's what he does.

And a vision appeared to Paul, this is verse 9, in the night.

A man of Macedonia was standing there urging him and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us.

And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

We've seen Paul hear the Spirit, trust the Spirit, and obey.

We've seen him interpret what the Spirit was saying to him properly already.

So I'm trusting Paul on this one and saying, hey, they are probably getting it wrong.

I'm going to trust Paul.

Paul is going to Jerusalem because he's constrained by the Spirit.

There's something else going on.

One final thing in how we see Paul in this.

Paul is not going to Jerusalem for personal gain.

I mean, he's not going to Jerusalem and try to gain fame and to gain followers.

Paul is going to Jerusalem because this Holy Spirit has told him to go to Jerusalem.

It's what God has called him to do.

You see it down in verse 13.

When they're urging him not to go in verse 12, Paul answered, What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?

For I am ready not only to be imprisoned, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

Paul knows what God has called him to.

Paul is weighted with what God has already said to him.

And he is going to Jerusalem in faith, in the face of discouragement.

Second thing we I think we see here is Paul is going to Jerusalem in the face of dire warnings.

When you come down to verses 7 through 11 here, they set sail from Tyre, they go to a couple other places, and they wind up in Caesarea in the house of Philip.

Now we know Philip.

We met Philip way back in Acts chapter 6.

Acts 6 · chapter mention

Philip was one of the seven who were selected by the church to minister to the Hellenistic Jews.

Remember there was another guy named Stephen who was selected.

Stephen's, we know, we probably know, we don't know more about Stephen, but Stephen's probably more familiar with us.

Philip was one of those seven who was chosen.

We also encountered Philip in Acts chapter 8.

Acts 8 · chapter mention

In Acts chapter 8, God sends Philip down to Samaria.

Acts 8 · chapter mention

And he, in Samaria, he preaches the gospel, and the Samaritans come receive the Holy Spirit and come to know Christ.

We call it a lot of times the Samaritan Pentecost because God used Philip in a mighty way.

And he spread the gospel to the Samaritans and they came to know Christ.

And then he's taken God tells him to go and witness to an Ethiopian eunuch.

Remember that?

And he goes and he meets the eunuch on the side of the road and he tells him about Jesus and he becomes a believer, too.

We've met Philip before, and so Paul has wound up in Philip's house.

This is the same Philip.

Tells us that Philip has four daughters who prophesy.

Now, I'm not real sure why he tells us that, but it's there.

Has four daughters who prophesy, but but God sends another prophet to the house of Philip to talk to Peter, talk to Paul.

And he takes Paul's belt and he binds his own hands and he binds his own feet.

It's kind of like Old Testament prophets, a lot of times when they would prophesy, they would use a visual aid.

Well, Agabas, the prophet, is doing that.

He's using a visual aid here and says, hey, the person who owns this belt, this is going to happen to them when they go to Jerusalem.

They're going to be bound.

Now, I don't think what's happening here is I don't think Agabus is trying to discourage Paul.

I think Agabus is making a position to strengthen Paul's resolve.

It's kind of like I told you football, we weren't great.

My sophomore year in football, we played Oklahoma.

That year, Oklahoma was really good.

They went undefeated that year, won the state championship.

We won two games.

I mean, I played quarterback.

I was all about a 5'7, maybe weighed a buck 30.

I mean, it wasn't real big.

Our goal the second half against Oklahoma was to get a first down.

We got beat 42 to nothing.

After the game, we did get one.

We got one first down.

I think the referees were very generous.

Anyway, after the game, I was walking out and walked past the head coach's office, and my dad, who was a coach, was sitting in there, and Coach Robin said, Grant, come here.

And I thought, oh man, we just got beat 42 to nothing.

Now I'm going to hear all about it.

So I go in his office and he says, close the door.

And I thought, oh no.

Close the door.

He stands up and sticks out his hand.

He says, Shake my hand.

And I shake his hand and he said, You survived.

I didn't tell your dad this, but if you'd have been my son, you probably wouldn't have played tonight.

Now, it was probably good for Coach Robbins not to tell me that before the game.

Because not telling me that, I was I was beyond, I guess I was too young to care that what was actually might happen.

But that's not what's happening with Paul.

Paul knows what's going on.

So what the Spirit is doing, I believe, through Agabas, what God is doing through Agabas is he is reminding Paul, this is going to happen.

Strengthen your resolve.

Go to Jerusalem.

And Paul, even in the face of the dire warning, he goes to Jerusalem.

But then an interesting thing happens.

An interesting thing happens here.

I love verse 14.

Here's what it says.

The people around Paul, Paul's already resolved to go to Jerusalem.

He knows he is constrained by the Spirit.

He is going to Jerusalem.

In verse 14 it says, And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, Let the will of the Lord be done.

So what has happened is the Spirit has not only strengthened Paul's resolve, he has strengthened the resolve of the people around him.

So Paul trusts and obeys now with companions.

I know we've already talked about Paul sought out disciples back earlier.

It's not what's happening here.

Paul is with disciples who are urging him not to go.

Paul, bad things are going to happen in Jerusalem.

You don't need to go.

Paul, please don't go.

You're going to be bound.

They're going to turn you over to the Romans.

Paul, please don't go.

You're going to face imprisonment.

Paul, you might even face death.

Paul, please don't go.

Paul, you can't go.

And Paul says, What are you doing?

The Spirit is sending me.

I gotta go.

And in the strengthening of his resolve, the resolve of the people are going, is strengthened, and see what they do.

It tells us right there in verse 15 and 16.

After these days we got ready and went to Jerusalem.

And some of the disciples of Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Nathan of Cyprus, an early disciple with whom we should lodge.

Paul went now with companions.

See, this is different than Paul seeking the disciples out earlier because he was already with them.

And what they resolved to do is what Paul writes.

Paul writes in Romans chapter 12.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

In Romans chapter 12, verse 15.

Romans 12:15

Here's what he says.

And weep with those who weep.

Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

Also, in along those lines, with those who are about to face persecution, hey, don't let them do it alone.

As brothers and sisters, if we're going to build each other up and equip each other, don't stand off and say, good luck, Paul.

I'm going to be praying for you over here on the side.

Look, we sometimes, God, the Spirit moves us to join those in the fight, to join those in the battle, to join those in difficult times, to join those who are walking through it.

He encourages us, he moves us to join them so with companions we face the difficulties ahead.

Just as the Spirit strengthened Paul's resolve.

It strengthened the resolve of those who were going, who went with him.

They joined him.

Facing possible persecution, facing possible imprisonment, facing possible death.

They trusted and obeyed.

What does this mean for us?

It means sometimes God calls us to do difficult things that are gonna put us outside of our comfort zone.

God has called us to be witnesses of the kingdom of God.

You shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.

And that is way outside of our comfort zone.

But God has called us to do difficult things.

So what we need to do is trust and obey.

Love how the author of Hebrews tells us to do this.

In Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, he writes this, therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely to us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

This is not an easy race.

This is not an easy path.

He is not promoting easy.

If we're gonna run something with endurance, there's things that we are going to have to endure.

But hear what he says: looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Church.

But hear what Jesus did.

He came and he walked upon this earth and he died on the cross and he was buried and he arose.

And now through the resurrection, he offers us hope and help for today.

And if you've never trusted him as your savior, I pray that today you will do that.

Dear, as we stand and sing this invitation, we invite you to come forward.

I'll pray with you there will be people who will take you out and share with you how you can trust Christ as your Savior.

If you have.

Maybe.

Maybe there's an area of your life, maybe it's your life where you are not trusting and obeying.

Today you need to repent and call out to Him.

Trust and obey.

We invite you to come forward.

We'd love to pray with you.

I would love to pray with you.

Maybe this morning you're looking for a church home because you feel like you are going through this journey all alone.

You don't have to.

God has given us each other.

We invite you, I invite you to come forward.

I'd love to pray with you.

There'll be counselors who can share with you how you can unite with us here at DeSota Hills.

However, God is leading you, we invite you to come.

Let's pray together.

God, I thank you for today.

I thank you for this moment and opportunity that we have to respond to your gospel message.

That you have come and lived and died and arose and called us to be your witnesses.

God, help us this morning to trust you.

To trust that you came to save us.

To trust that you came and lived and died and arose.

Help us to trust you.

God help us to obey your call.

However, you are leading this morning.

Give us the faith that we need to respond to you.

Jesus is in your name we pray.

Amen.

Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.

If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at DeSoto Hills.com.