by: Rick Walter
Acts 21:1-4
“And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara: And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia we went aboard, and set forth. Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden. And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.”
The Apostle Paul, on his third missionary trip, made his way to Jerusalem. We find him doing something that is out of character for him. Up to this point, Paul’s life had been characterized by obedience to God. Even as a lost Pharisee, he thought he was obeying God when he persecuted the disciples. All of that was about to change.
Paul made a decision to be in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 20:16 says, “…he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.” That was his desire. It was not a bad or sinful desire. It was not wrong for Paul to want to be in Jerusalem for such a special day, but his desire to be there caused some problems that lasted the rest of his life.
Acts 20:22 tells us that Paul went “bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there.” Paul made his way toward Jerusalem “bound in the spirit.” That is not the Holy Spirit, but his own spirit. In other words, Paul made up his mind that this was what he was going to do and nobody was going to talk him out of it. That sounds like a lot of people I know. In this statement, Paul admitted that he didn’t know what would happen when he arrived in Jerusalem.
In verse 23, Paul stated that he has been warned, and the “Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.” The Holy Spirit warned him in “every city” that if he went to Jerusalem he would be bound. Yet, Paul had his mind made up. He was “bound in the spirit.” His reply to the warning of the Holy Spirit is found in verse 24 where he says, “… none of these things move me.” In other words, Paul was saying that he did not care. What would make the great Apostle Paul so indifferent to the leading of the Holy Spirit?
Romans 10:1 shows us Paul’s heart. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” Paul had a great burden for the Jews to be saved. That was his motivating factor. That desire became the driving force in his life, even to the point of disobeying the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 21, Paul was warned three times not to go to Jerusalem. In verse 4, he was warned “through the Spirit.” In verses 10-11, Paul was warned by the prophet Agabus from “the Holy Ghost.” He was warned again by those with him in verse 12. Paul’s response came very quickly. He said, “…I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” What devotion. What courage. No! What disobedience. God did not want Paul to go to Jerusalem, but he already had his mind made up, and not even the Holy Spirit could change his mind! Paul was being hard-headed and stubborn. The people with him could only reply with, “… The will of the Lord be done.” Paul continued on his way to Jerusalem.
Paul was a great man, a great preacher, a great missionary, and a great Christian, but at this point in his life he was out of God’s will. He left God’s will because of stubbornness. God’s people said, “The will of the Lord be done.” How can it be done? Paul forfeited God’s will. Sure, God can and did use Paul after this, but this was not God’s plan for Paul’s life. Paul went where he should not have gone and ended up doing something he should not have done when he took a Jewish vow. This led to his arrest and later his death.
What was God’s will for Paul?
In Acts 9:15, when Paul got saved on the road to Damascus, God made that will very clear, “… for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” God saved Paul so that he could reach the Gentiles. God listed the Gentiles first because that was to be Paul’s focus. In Acts 16:9, Paul received what we call the “Macedonian call.” Macedonia was in Europe. It was a land of the Gentiles. God was using Paul to reach the Gentile world. In fact, when Paul reported back to James, in Acts 21:18-19, he told them of the great things God had done through his ministry to the Gentiles.
It was not God’s will for Paul to reach Jerusalem. We know that because God never told him to go to Jerusalem, and God warned him at least three times not to go. But Paul had a burden for the Jews. It is very important for us to understand that a burden does not constitute a call. I have a burden for an area of Ohio where many of my family members live. They need a good church. I have a burden to go there and start a church, but God has not called me there. He has called me to Maine. No matter how strong the burden may be I must do God’s will.
There are several lessons to be remembered about God’s will.
1. There is safety in God’s will.
God protected Paul and cared for him through all of his journeys. When Paul was stoned to death, God raised him up. God delivered him numerous times from angry mobs. When Paul disobeyed and went to Jerusalem, there was no deliverance from the bonds and no deliverance from a martyr’s death. When we go against God’s will, we will suffer for it.
2. God’s will is about a place as much as it is about a task.
God gave Abraham a place. God told Lot to go to a place when He was going to destroy Sodom. God told Lot that He could not do anything until Lot got to that place. Elijah was sent to a place. Abraham sent his servant to a certain place to find a bride for Isaac. Jesus Christ was born in a specific place. God’s will is just as much about the where, as it is about the what. God has a place for you to live. He has a place for you to work, to go to college, etc.
3. God’s will is found through obedience. (Genesis 24:4, 9-10, 27)
Abraham’s servant obeyed his master and went where he was told to go and found the bride that God had planned for Isaac. We will never find God’s will until we learn to obey God and His Word.
4. God’s will is found through prayer. (Genesis 24:12-15)
Abraham’s servant prayed, and as soon as he finished his prayer God had already answered. Don’t tell me that you are in God’s will or are doing God’s will if you have never taken the time to pray about it.
5. God’s will is not to be doubted. (Genesis 24:21)
The servant prayed a specific prayer and God gave him the exact answer; yet, he still doubted. When you take the time to obey God and pray, do not be surprised when God reveals His will.
6. God’s will is not to be challenged. (Genesis 24:50-51)
Rebecca’s family did not fight against what God was doing in her life. Do not challenge God’s will. This is for the parents and the family who are “left behind.”
7. God’s will is urgent. (Genesis 24:56)
When the family asked the servant to tarry a while, he said, “No.” He was in a hurry to get the job finished. Do not procrastinate when you know what God wants you to do. Procrastination just means that God may have to take drastic measures to get your attention.
8. God’s will brings comfort. (Genesis 24:67)
Isaac took Rebecca and was comforted after his mother’s death. There is comfort in knowing that I am where God wants me to be and that I am doing what God wants me to do.
9. God’s will requires patience. (Hebrews 10:36)
Many of us are not patient enough to wait for God to reveal His will, so we try to “help” Him out.
10. God’s will requires submission. (1 Peter 2:13-15)
We must submit our will to His will so that we can truly be in His will.
11. God’s will takes precedence. (1 Peter 4:2)
There is nothing more important than doing God’s will. No matter what else we may want to do, God’s will takes precedence.
12. God’s will can be known. (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:18, 2 Timothy 1:1, 2 Corinthians 8:5)
Over and over again the Bible makes it clear that God wants us to know His will for our lives. Just like we know that we are saved, we should know God’s will for our lives.
13. God’s will is something we do. (Ephesians 6:6, Colossians 4:12)
God’s will is more than just sitting in a church pew listening to the preacher. God’s will is about getting a job done.
14. God’s will is about our way of thinking. (Romans 12:2)
God said that we need to renew our minds so that we may know what His will is. We cannot know His will if we are carnal.
15. God’s will is about serving others. (Acts 13:36)
We are to serve our generation “by the will of God.” God’s will is about serving and helping others.
Remembering these things, it is impossible to say that Paul was in God’s will when he went to Jerusalem. The question is this, are you in God’s will or are you “bound in the spirit” like Paul?
Rick Walter
Pastor
Victory Baptist Church
Winthrop, ME