Paul and the Journey to Jerusalem - A Study on Trouble and God's Will. (Acts 21: 1-14)

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Welcome

Today, we explore Acts 21:1-14 and follow the Apostle Paul on his journey to Jerusalem—a journey marked by warnings of trouble. Together, we’ll uncover the profound truths about facing hardship while walking in God’s will and discover how obedience to Christ sometimes means stepping directly into the storm. 

Episode Notes

Title: Paul and the Journey to Jerusalem: A Study on Trouble and God's Will
Scripture Reference: Acts 21:1-14

Summary:
In this episode, we reflect on Paul’s determination to follow God's will despite repeated warnings of suffering and danger in Jerusalem. We’ll explore:

• The warnings Paul received through the Spirit and the reactions of his fellow believers.
• The distinction between choosing suffering and choosing God's will, even if it brings trouble.
• The pressure from others to avoid hardship and how Paul remained resolute in his mission.

Key Lessons:

• Obedience to God’s will does not guarantee a life free from trouble; in fact, it may lead us straight into difficulty.
• Faithful discipleship requires trust in God's sovereignty and a willingness to sacrifice comfort for the sake of His purposes.
• True courage comes from confidence in God's perfect plan, even when the path ahead is unclear or challenging.

Reflection Question:
When facing difficult choices, are you willing to trust God’s will, even if it leads to personal sacrifice or suffering?

Thank you for listening! If this episode encourages you, please share it and leave a review. Stay connected for more discussions on how biblical truth can guide us through life’s challenges with faith and wisdom.

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Transcript

Paul and the Journey to Jerusalem: A Study on Trouble and God's Will.

 (Acts 21: 1-14)

Transcript: 

Someone once said, “If life is a journey, then it’s a trip to trouble.” 

Job in the bible is also heard to say, “A man born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. 

It’s clear The Kingdom of God does not promise a life free from trouble. In fact, we often face serious challenges along the way. 

Over the years, many people have shared with me episodes where they experienced trouble. Sometimes they believed that their troubles were a result of their own mistakes. Some Christians have even been told that they were out of God’s will because of the trouble in their lives, as if being in God’s will means being free from trouble or ill health.

There is a story in the Bible, in the book of Acts, about a man who was headed for trouble, and he was warned repeatedly about it.  But this man was the Apostle Paul, and he wasn’t out of Gods will, in fact he willingly headed towards what he knew would be trouble. Should he have turned back, or did he make the right decision to continue? What can we learn from his choice and experience?

That’s what we are going to think about today….

With these thoughts in mind, let’s turn to the book of Acts, chapter 21, and follow Paul on his journey to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:1-14 (Luke fist person account)

1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

(Acts 21: 1-14)

So, Paul had left Ephesus and was on his way to Jerusalem. He had announced his intent to go to Jerusalem and then to Rome. 

In this passage, we are told several times that he was warned not to go to Jerusalem. Let’s walk through the story, examining what Paul was told and his reaction to it, all of which relates to trouble and living in the will of God.

From the beginning, we see that Paul is determined to go to Jerusalem, despite the warnings. He stops at Tyre, where he is warned through the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, he continues his journey.

It is important to note that Paul’s journey to Jerusalem was in the will of God. Acts 19:21 says, 

“Now 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.’”

The Spirit was directing him to go to Jerusalem. Additionally, Paul was collecting money from Gentile churches to support the poor saints in Jerusalem, indicating a purposeful mission in God’s will.

Despite being in God’s will, Paul was warned of the troubles that awaited him in Jerusalem. Furthermore back in Acts 20:22-23, we also heard Paul say, “Compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me when I get there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships await me.”

Paul’s journey to Jerusalem was clearly in the will of God, yet he was repeatedly warned about the trouble that awaited him there. How did he, and how do we reconcile these two realities?

In Acts 21, we see again that Paul was warned through the Spirit about the trouble he would face. However, these warnings were not intended to dissuade him from going but to prepare him for what was to come. The Holy Spirit was alerting Paul that even in the will of God, he would face these significant challenges.

Christians are not exempt from trouble. Being in the will of God does not mean a trouble-free life. In fact, following God’s will can sometimes lead us directly into difficult situations. But we must trust that God’s will is perfect and that He will guide us through our troubles.

As Paul demonstrated, we must be ready to face difficulties and even sacrifice our own comfort for the sake of the Lord’s work, but also remembering that He will be with us every step of the way.

That's the revelation from the Spirit see here.

However, the council he gets from some people is very different

Believers, as ever, are trying to make God's will conform to their preconceived ideas. The logic seems to be something like this:

"If you go to Jerusalem, you're going to suffer. You will be deprived of your ministry. That cannot be the will of God, so therefore you shouldn't go."

Now that was the kind of logic I suspect is still being offered as advice to some Christians today. We're being conformed to our environment and the world. I think it is no accident that at the present time, the dominant trends in the world of secular psychoanalysis is the rediscovery of narcissism. Society is marked by self-interest and egocentrism that increasingly reduces all relationships to the question: "What am I getting out of this?"

Now that is clearly the attitude of the world, is it not?  And I submit to you that this spills over into certain sections of the church. The reasoning may go something like this:

"God wants me to be happy. I am not happy, therefore I am not in the will of God. God doesn't want me to suffer pain or be ill. I am in pain, therefore I'm not in the will of God."

That's the same basis on which these people said to him, "Don't go to Jerusalem. God couldn't possibly want you to go through trouble and suffering and pain, so don’t go.

I kind of understand. I mean, would you want to go somewhere if you were told there's trouble ahead? 

I'm indebted to Oswald Chambers thinking on this matter for it is he who identified the distinction we need to make here. He said:

"To choose suffering means that there is something wrong."

If you choose to suffer, I agree with that. That's not normal, right? But he then says:

"To choose God's will, even if it means suffering, is a very different thing."

Interesting little distinction. And Paul said, "I see the will of God and that's all I'm responding to. And if that involves trouble, so be it." 

Those are two vastly different things. He chooses God's will as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. I think that is a profound insight. He was choosing the will of God, understanding that sometimes when you do the will of God, suffering may follow. 

Now, having said that, let me make another little observation: the people did not understand Paul and very clearly, he felt the pressure from them. I mean, imagine they were pretty much all saying, "Don't go."

Which leads me to say: pressure from people should not prevent us from pursuing the will of God. And the shocking thing is, we see it here, that pressure can come from Christians.

These are believers telling him not to do this. There's lots of advice ou there in the Christian community, but not all of it is good advice. You need to make certain that it is biblically based and not just pressure from people who try to tell you things like, "Don't do that. It can't possibly be the will of God because of all the pain you're in." 

They're just looking at the suffering and not looking at the will of God. They're looking at the temporal and not the eternal. So, Paul said, "I am going to withstand the pressure from people. I'm not here to please people. I'm here to please the Lord."

And that is shown here as a revelation from the Spirit for Paul. The Holy Spirit gave the revelation, and they reached the conclusion based on that revelation that because there would be trouble, you should not go. 

Next it tells us:

"They departed and went their way, and as they were coming to us, the women and children, they all went down to the ship. And just before he got on the ship, they're still telling him, 'Don't go.'"

But I think in this situation, he was so committed in advance to the will of God that he said, "I'm not listening to your advice."

Next stop, they arrive in Caesarea and meet Philip. This is the same Philip we encountered before, now identified as "Philip the evangelist, one of the seven." Many years have passed since he was chosen to serve the widows and then preached in Samaria and to the Ethiopian eunuch. 

Now, Paul and his companions stay with Philip and his family. This must have been a time of great fellowship and sharing of what the Lord had done. However, just as before, the warning comes again: trouble awaits in Jerusalem.

While there, a prophet named Agabus dramatically warns Paul of his coming imprisonment, symbolically binding his hands and feet with Paul’s belt to signify the chains that await him. Despite the repeated pleas of his friends and fellow believers to abandon his plans, Paul remains steadfast. He declares that he is ready not only to be imprisoned but also to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. Ultimately, seeing his unwavering resolve, the people stop trying to dissuade him and say, "The Lord’s will be done."

In Conclusion

This story teaches us important lessons about obedience, courage, and trust in God’s sovereignty. Paul was fully aware of the dangers ahead, yet his commitment to Christ and his mission never wavered. His obedience came from a heart transformed by the gospel and a life surrendered to God’s purposes. He was willing to face suffering because he believed that doing God’s will matter more than personal safety or comfort.

Like Paul, we will all face moments when following God’s call requires sacrifice. Fear and well-meaning voices may urge us to choose the easier path, but true discipleship calls for unwavering trust in God's plan. 

Remember, obedience to God is not always safe, but it is always right. Our confidence lies in knowing that no matter the outcome, God’s will is perfect, and His grace is sufficient.

So, be encouraged today: If God has called you to a difficult task or placed you on a challenging path, trust Him completely. Let Paul's courage inspire you. Hold fast to the truth that the Lord’s will, though sometimes mysterious and costly, is always good. 

Stay the course with faith and boldness, and may your life bring glory to God and Christ in all things.