May the Lord’s will be done

Acts 21:1-14; 4/7/2024; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

Introduction

Where did Paul stop and pass along the way, and how was the Holy Spirit leading him?   How the Lord’s will is through the guidance of Paul’s life allows us to see the guidance of the Holy Spirit on us.  Let’s look at the first point:

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit

After leaving Miletus, Paul set out again.  Where was he going?  With a sad farewell, where was he going?  Returning to Jerusalem is the direction led by the Holy Spirit.  As for how to return, there are also variables on the return journey.  First, head west from the south bank to Tyre.  What was Paul’s intention when he chose to stay in three small towns in Turkey?  I didn’t hear Paul say that the Holy Spirit has any guidance.  Of course, that doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit doesn’t lead.  The leading of the Holy Spirit can be spoken or unspoken.  Cos is an unknown town, but it is the birthplace of Hippocrates, the famous originator of Western medicine.  There used to be a 37-meter-high statue of Apollos in  Rhodes across the harbor.  It was one of the seven wonders of ancient times.  What’s special about Patara is that coins were issued in the fourth century BC, far more than China’s for more than two thousand years.  You must know that China was still paying the Gengzi compensation in silver taels in the Qing Dynasty.

Secondly, look closely at Cyprus and pray for him.  When the ship passed Cyprus, Paul would definitely think of Barnabas and would definitely pray for this good spiritual friend.  Last time, because of Mark, the two parted ways, and ten years passed before they knew it.  Conflicts between spiritual people are not differences or similarities in core values,  but are signs of growth in life stages.  Luke also recorded it with compassion:   “When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo.” When we had come in sight of , we (chose) to pass by from the south.  This is a thought and prayer.  Barnabas should have been no longer in Cyprus, but Paul was still on the side of the boat looking at the green trees on the shore, watching over his spiritual companions in prayer.

Finally, revisit Phoenician memory.  This sentence could originally have said:   “When he found a ship going to Syria, he got on board and set sail.” Luke replaced Syria with Phenicia,  which should be Paul’s idea. Phoenicia’s influence on history was not brilliant, but profound enough.  The 22 letters of cuneiform on Phoenician clay tablets became the motherboard for the finalization of the Greek alphabet.  Paul, who was familiar with both Hebrew and Greek cultures, would not be indifferent to this.  In addition, Carthage, as an overseas colony of Phoenicia, fought the Punic War between its god of war Hannibal and the Roman Empire more than 200 years ago.  It was still talked about by the Romans in the time of Paul. Preaching the gospel to a nation with a history should not be done simply and lightly.  Rather, it requires patience and learning from many aspects, such as China. Let’s look at the second point:

 Holy Spirit’s Warning

One concept I don’t want to confuse is that the warnings of the Holy Spirit are not the same as the prohibitions of the Holy Spirit.  First, a warning from Tyre.   The reason why the ship wanted to unload its cargo in Tyre may no longer be important.  What is important is that the Holy Spirit led Paul and his party to hear the warning from Tyre.  Once they arrived in Tyre, they were eager to find the disciples.  The word “find” here only appears twice in the original Bible, which means that they were finally found after a lot of twists and turns. Because they were acquaintances for the first time, they had a burning desire to know each other and share the Lord’s love, so they stayed there for seven days.  The fellowship of saints must be of the same spirit, as Paul said before:   “except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. (Acts 20:23)”  The disciples in Tyre were also moved by the Holy Spirit and said to Paul: Don’t go up to Jerusalem!

Second, there is Agabus’ warning.    Leaving Tyre, we continued southward to Ptolemy,    which is today’s Acre, and stayed only for one day.  Ptolemy and Caesarea were both colonies established by retired officers and soldiers of the Roman Empire.  In Caesarea there was a magnificent palace built by Pilate for the Roman emperor.  They stayed at the house of Philip,    one of the seven deacons of the church in Jerusalem.  Here Paul met Agabus, who saw in a vision that Paul would be bound in Jerusalem and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles.  Paul was very calm and said, I know.  Starting from Macedonia, the Holy Spirit told and warned me through the members everywhere that I would be bound in Jerusalem and that I would bear witness for the Lord in Rome.

Finally, everyone tried hard not to go to Jerusalem.  Paul is calm, but the people around him are not.  The Bible says: “When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem.”  This means that the brothers and sisters in the short-term mission team and Caesarea were urging Paul not to go!  If you keep the green hills, you won’t have to worry about running out of firewood!  Why do you need to be martyred so quickly?  Whenever I read this type of scripture, it reminds me of Pastor Wang Yi.  He was also like this, and there were many people around him who advised him not to preach so clearly.  Especially don’t say:  If you, Xi Jinping, don’t believe in Jesus, you will definitely go to hell!  When Xi Jinping hears this, he will definitely put you in jail!  Pastor Wang Yi said: The meaning of my life is to preach the truth for the sake of the gospel!  How can I not dare to speak the truth just because I am afraid of persecution?  Let’s look at the third point:

 Christ’s mind

We must accept that Christ’s will includes letting us suffer, be persecuted, and even die!    Do you agree? Are you afraid?  Are you willing to face it?  First of all, this is God’s will.  The same was true when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane!  The Holy Spirit has always led Jesus to go to the cross.  However, when the time came, the Lord Jesus also had to face painful choices.  God gave Paul another extra grace, that is, there were church members around him who prayed for him and urged him not to go to Jerusalem.  On the other hand, Jesus Christ, even Peter, James, and John fell asleep.  Paul had been warned over and over again by the Holy Spirit throughout his journey from Macedonia.  This is a path of the cross.  Are you willing to continue walking on it?

Secondly, even the feeling of heartbreak.  The church is the house of God and the body of Christ.  At the same time, the church is also the refuge, fortress and salvation of the weak. Therefore, the life experiences and sharing of members of the church must include those who are mature, those who are immature, those with emotions, and those who need to grow.  Paul said to the brothers and sisters: “Then 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.”  A person with a soft heart will not be able to see others crying. Paul was saddened by this and his heart was broken.

Finally, may the Lord’s will be done.  The Holy Spirit is sovereign in the church! They saw that “And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”  It shows that the church in Caesarea is mature, and we also see the cost and results of Philip’s life in pastoring the church.  Paul’s persistence made the church quiet down,   and they felt the same spirit as Paul and witnessed that the Lord’s will was fulfilled in the church and in Paul.  There is a very important core value here, which is that seeking God’s will is not necessarily based on safety, profit, and success, but on what God’s will is.

Conclusion

Well, thank the Lord!  Today’s scripture is very precious, teaching and helping us to stay away from the entanglement of humanism and enter into the truth of Christ alone.  No matter what we encounter in the world, we must magnify the Lord, have the heart of Jesus Christ, be faithful until death, and follow God forever!

Let us pray……

 

Acts 21:1-14

1 And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

2 And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 

3 When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 

4 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. 

5 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 

6 and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. 

8 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. 

9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. 

10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 

11 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 owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 

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

13 Then 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.” 

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

 

1, 哥士   (Cos) [詳解編號 : 0829]https://biblegeography.holylight.org.tw/index/condensedbible_detail?id=3886&top=0829

2, 羅底   (Rhodes) [詳解編號 : 1167] https://biblegeography.holylight.org.tw/index/condensedbible_detail?id=3887&top=1167

3, 帕大喇   (Patara) [詳解編號 : 0608] https://biblegeography.holylight.org.tw/index/condensedbible_detail?id=3888&top=0608