The Preparation of Paul
Published by Stanley Pouw in 2023 · 3 December 2023
In Acts 21:1 - 16, we have been considering this narrative and a historical passage, and there is no particular instruction to the believer. It speaks by way of example to Paul’s conviction. We find in this passage the commitment Paul demonstrated. And as we have learned here by example is maybe even clearer than what we hear by precept. In studying Acts, we’re studying a great example.
So, we’ve benefited by what is historical narrative and extracting from it principles that can be applied to our own lives. Paul concludes his third missionary journey and goes to Jerusalem, as we see from his life a great illustration of his commitment that God had given him. The real test of every man and every woman is how much they give of themselves. All of us can relate to that.
In Hebrews 11, you have the heroes of faith, and these were really committed people. And verse 24 says, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” And in that time, Moses had risen to the place of a prince. Verse 25 says, “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.”
And so, he made his choice, verse 26 says, “esteeming the reproach of the Anointed.” Moses was thinking that the reproach of being God’s anointed was better riches than the treasures of Egypt. In other words, he’d rather be hated and be God’s anointed, than be loved and be belonging to Egypt. He was willing to sacrifice temporary riches for eternal reward. God’s rewards are eternal.
There was another person in verse 31, “By faith the prostitute Rahab perished not with them that were unbelievers, when she had received the spies with peace.” Here was a lady who went against her whole society. She was secure in her city, but she believed God, and against all of the politics of Jericho, she chose her faith in God and believe God and make a sacrifice.
And God honored her. That woman was a prostitute. And she was also a Canaanite. That’s bad. And she was an Amorite. That’s worse. But God’s grace has always been greater than Israel, and that that prostitute Amorite Canaanite Gentile was induced right into the line of the Messiah. She was the mother of Boaz, the great great grandfather of David. So here are Gentile women in Jesus’ line.
In Romans 8:18 Paul said, “The sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be ours hereafter.” That’s the ultimate choice. You obey God, and there’s an eternal dividend. When Christ came, the fulfillment of all their dreams came in the New Covenant, things that they only saw in the future and never received. They gave their lives for a hope they never saw.
And God is asking of us that same level of commitment for a hope that is already a fact in history. Christ did live; He did die; He did rise again. And He’s alive at the right hand of the Father, and He will work His will and power through us. Do you believe that? So the level of our commitment ought to exceed the level of the commitment of all those people listed in Hebrews 11, right?
So, we’re talking about commitment. And as we saw last time, there are different kinds of commitment levels. Now in Acts 21 there are three different kinds of commitment. There is an incomplete commitment; you never give it all to the Lord. There is an insincere commitment; you’re a phony. And there’s intermittent commitment; you’re committed today, but who knows about tomorrow.
Now, as we come to Acts 21, we see this example of commitment in the apostle Paul. And we’ve seen four little points that help us to see the totality of this conviction. The commitment knows its purpose, can’t be diverted, pays any price, and affects others. Now, point one, the conviction knows its purpose. You can’t be courageous unless you’ve got a conviction you’re fighting for.
Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. His purpose was, “God wants me to get this money to the saints in Jerusalem.” That was his conviction; that was his objective; that was his goal. Secondly, this conviction can’t be diverted. Paul arrives in Tyre on his journey, and they all said, “Oh, don’t go to Jerusalem.” And after they all got done, he said goodbye and left for Jerusalem.
Thirdly, and this conviction pays any price. For Daniel this rule came down, “You are not allowed to pray to anybody but the king.” So, what did Daniel do? He did what he always did. “So you’re going to be in the lion’s den.” What did Daniel do? He did what he always did: he prayed to God. He did pay any price. He wound up in a lion’s den and God saved him.
God honors those who are willing to do what God wants them to do. Verse 8-9, “The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. 9 This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.” Philip was one of the seven full of the Holy Spirit who were the first deacons of the church.
So, first a deacon, then an evangelists in Caesarea. And it’s a beautiful Roman city. He had four virgin daughters. And it says they did prophesy. God used them to speak words of practical instruction to the church. Paul is going to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost. So, he’s ahead of schedule. Verse 10 says, “After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.”
He is a prophet not in the Old Testament sense but in the New Testament sense. In the early years of the church, there were two key men. Ephesians 2:20 says, “The apostles and prophets were the foundation of the Church.” Paul, when he writes for the instruction of the church, turns the leadership of the church over to pastors and elders. And the term “evangelists” all of sudden comes into use.
So, we believe that the apostles and prophets were replaced chronologically by teaching pastors and evangelists. Now the prophets had a practical revelation. Paul was an apostle. He’s also called a prophet in the sense that he was a preacher. Paul gave revelation concerning doctrine. When Agabus gave revelation it was concerning the practical life of the Church.
In Acts 11:28, Agabus gave a revelation about a coming famine. Well, here Agabus shows up again, and he gives another prophecy that has no doctrine in it. Verse 11, “He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’”
He says, “You’re going to get it Paul, when you get to Jerusalem. You’re going to get bound and delivered to the Gentiles.” And that is precisely what happened. Well, God used this to vividly illustrate prophesy. God has done this many times. Look at Jeremiah 13. The Lord says to Jeremiah, “Go and buy a linen apron and put it on your loins, and don’t put it in water.”
They were dirty and coarse. And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, said, ‘Take the apron that you have bought, arise and go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.’” He did so. Then the Lord said, “Now, go get it after a period of time passed.” Verse 7, “Then I went to the Euphrates, and took the apron and behold, the apron was marred, it was profitable for nothing.”
“The word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, after this manner will I rot the pride of Judah, and the pride of Jerusalem.’” There is another one in Ezekiel 4:1-7, “Now you, son of man, take a brick, set it in front of you, and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then lay siege against it: Construct a siege wall, build a ramp, pitch military camps, and place battering rams against it on all sides.”
3 Take an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city. Face it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign for the house of Israel.” That is what’s going to happen, Nebuchadnezzar is going to come and lay siege to Jerusalem. Verse 4, “Then lie down on your left side and place the iniquity of the house of Israel on it. You will bear their iniquity for the number of days you lie on your side.”
5 For I have assigned you the years of their iniquity according to the number of days you lie down, 390 days; so you will bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 When you have completed these days, lie down again, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have assigned you forty days, a day for each year. 7 Face the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.”
This prophet tied himself up and laid there for all those days. And everybody would say, “What’s going on,” and then it would begin to wear on them when they began to see day after day this prophesy right before their eyes. Ezekiel 5:1-4 is an interesting one. The sword here is the symbol of the king of Babylon. And he says, “Son of man, take a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard.”
Then take a set of scales and divide the hair. 2 You are to burn a third of it in the city when the days of the siege have ended; you are to take a third and slash it with the sword all around the city; and you are to scatter a third to the wind, for I will draw a sword to chase after them. 3 But you are to take a few strands from the hair and secure them in the folds of your robe.
4 Take some more of them, throw them into the fire, and burn them in it. A fire will spread from it to the whole house of Israel.” Some will die by fire, some will die by sword, and some will be scattered to the wind. Take a few hairs and stick them in your robe. You know who that is? That’s the remnant of Israel. So, here again is a very vivid illustration of what is going to happen.
Now let us go back to Acts 21. God used His prophets to communicate strategic messages, and frequently they were messages of impending suffering. Agabus arrives, and in a very vivid way, in verse 11, tells Paul that he’s going to be bound and delivered to the Gentiles. Verse 12, “When we heard this, both we and the local people pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.”
Verse 13, “Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” How many lives are wiped out this way without ever accomplishing the will of God? Jesus said, “If you’re not willing to leave father and mother and everybody else that you love and follow Me, you’re not worthy to be My disciple.”
And let me say something, moms and dads. Someday you may have to give a kid up to the mission field. Be objective enough to let your own mind settle on the fact that if he’s in the will of God, he’s as safe as the sovereignty of God is strong. And don’t ever be hesitant when you know that somebody feels that this is God’s direction, and that they’ve set their mind to do this.
God likes a Christian who doesn’t have to have a running start to get involved in anything. For if you have an adequate doctrine of God, then whatever happens is acceptable. First, you have to understand the fatherhood of God. Hebrews 12:7 says, “Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?”
Parents discipline for three reasons: retribution, which is direct chastisement for sin. And they also disciplines for prevention. And the last reason is for education. Sometimes discipline educates us. Discipline educates you to lean on God all the more as your only resource. Remember Job, the whole summary is in Job 42:1-10, where he says, “Now I understand God. Now I know God.”
God wants us to grow up into the image of Christ. I can always tell a child that is not loved. Why? He’s not disciplined. When parents love children, they take the time to discipline them. You can respond to this kind of discipline two ways. You can learn from it, or you can worry about it. And for those of you who learn from it, there’s Christian service, with great fruitfulness.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:25-27, “Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?
Verse 14, “Since he would not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.” They gave it to God. They acknowledged His sovereignty. Lastly, conviction affects others. Verse 15-16, “After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Cyprus, to an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.”
Courage is contagious. His conviction had an effect on others. That’s leadership by example. People, if you have the courage of conviction, God will use you to affect the lives of others. It all boils down to commitment. If one man could make that commitment to another man, certainly we should make it to our Lord. People, God is asking you to make a commitment to Him. Let us pray.