Lechem Panim #218 “Warnings on The Way” (Acts 21:1-4) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, it’s good to have you with us today. If you have your bible, go ahead and turn with me to Acts chapter 21. We’ll get through just the first several verses today. That’s Acts 21 chapter 21. But before we get into the meat of the text, I’d just like to draw your attention to a characteristic of Paul that we see crop up again and again, not just in this chapter but in and throughout the course of his whole ministry. And that is courage. What is courage? As I say the word “courage”, I wonder what images might come to your mind? What stories? Maybe there is somebody you know who has shown an extraordinary amount or level of courage.

Columbine— Not long ago I read of a couple of stories that came out of a very dark day in American history: April 20th 1999, the date of the Columbine High School massacre, when two young men (Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold) gunned down a dozen students and a teacher. It was one of the worst school shootings to ever have taken place in our nation. To this day I am sure many of you remember just how much that event grieved and shocked our nation. And afterwards we learned of some incredibly heroic acts of courage that people performed during those events, perhaps the most well-known being that of Cassie Bernal. She was in the library quietly reading her Bible when one of the killers confronted her and put a gun to her head. Now it wasn’t widely reported at the time, but these two killers had made videotapes in which both of them showed a very intense hatred of Christianity and Christians. And three students were apparently targeted because of their faith in Christ. And Cassie was one of them. Now I can’t imagine the fear this young teenager must have felt as that gun was put to her head. But the killer asked her a very simple question. He asked her “Do you believe in God?” And it was clear that her life hung in the answer to that question. “Yes, I believe in God”, she replied. “Why?” asked the killer in the dark trench coat. And before Cassie had a chance to answer, he pulled the trigger. And Cassie tragically lost her life. What would you have said? What would I have said if you and I were put in a similar situation? Where does that kind of courage come from? For her, it came from knowing who she was in Jesus Christ and knowing where she was ultimately going.

Live on Purpose— Well, that is definitely something we see in the life and ministry of Paul. Here is a man who knew who he was and where he was going. He had a goal, a vision, a plan for his life; and that was to do God’s will for him in expanding the Kingdom of God in any way that he could be reaching the lost. Now everything else (including care for his own life) came second to that. Now many people never experience this kind of courage because their lives are stuck on idle; they aren’t doing anything. If you were to ask them what their vision or goal in life is, they might just look at you with a blank stare. Now that is not a good place to be. It speaks to a life that is aimed at nothing. And if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. Every one of us ought to know who we are and what our reason for being here is. Paul never went more than five minutes without thinking about his purpose. And it kept him active. No matter where he went, he was always strategizing about the place after that and the place after that. He was fiercely intentional. He lived life on purpose. And it was in the midst of fighting the good fight that he had opportunity, time and time again, to show courage. And we see that especially demonstrated in this chapter.

At Miletus— Now as you’re turning there you will remember that Paul is on his way to Jerusalem. He has stopped at Miletus, from which he calls the elders of the Ephesian church to come so that he can admonish and encourage them one final time. And so they come and Paul gives to them a beautiful exhortation. But afterwards he and his missionary team leaves, as Paul (like Christ) sets his face towards Jerusalem. It says…

Acts 21:1a (NKJV)— 1 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them

Wrenching From— Now the Greek word here, ἀποσπάω, can actually mean “torn from, wrench away from, drag away”. And that is very much what was happening. Paul’s heart had become entangled with those of the Ephesian elders. They loved each other very dearly. But Paul was on an important mission. He had to deliver the offering he had collected over the past few years for the Church in Jerusalem. And he’s trying to get there by the feast of Pentecost.

Strengthening The Jew-Gentile Bond— Now why was this trip so urgent? Well, first bear in mind that the Jerusalem church had many who were very poor; pilgrims and those dealing with alienation and persecution. Though the church there had given generously in the early years, by this time it no doubt had depleted its resources (Acts 4:32-37) and consequently needed help. Now at this time there was a lot of potential for division between the Jewish Christians in Judea and the new Gentile believers that had come to faith in and through the ministry of Paul. Jewish extremists (the Judaizers) wanted the Gentiles to basically become Jews and live like them and live under the full weight of the ceremonial law of Moses (Acts 15:1ff.). And they were always trying to hinder the work of Paul and steal his converts. But it was Paul’s hope that his visit to Jerusalem with this offering that he had collected from the Gentile churches would help strengthen and solidify the fellowship of love shared between the Jews and Gentiles, as it was a way for the Gentile believers to repay with a very practical kindness their Jewish brothers for sharing the Gospel with them (Romans 15:25–27). And so Paul and his missionary team tear themselves away…

Acts 21:1b (NKJV)— and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

A Bigger Boat— Now in the summer the north wind on the Aegean Sea only blows from very early morning until late afternoon. And so they, no doubt in a small local coastal ship, would sail within that window, stopping at every port for the night along the way. And so progress is somewhat slow. And so what Paul decides to do is (rather than to continue to hug the coastline) to instead sail directly across the Mediterranean to Phoenicia; a five day, 400 mile trip on the high seas. And so it says…

Acts 21:2-3 (NKJV)— 2 And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.  3 When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre {(which was a Phoenician port city)}; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.

A Bigger Boat— Now though the text doesn’t say specifically how large the boat was, we can surmise that it must’ve been pretty large, perhaps similar in size to the ship he would later take on his voyage to Rome; a ship that carried 276 people (Acts 27:37). Now the reason this is probably accurate is because just the process of unloading and reloading it takes a week. But they have made good time and are still on track to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost. Now while they are in Tyre they connect with the church there, a church that was probably born out of the great persecution that begin with the stoning Stephen, because remember it said back in…

Acts 11:19 (NKJV)— 19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. {So it says…}

Acts 21:4a (NKJV)— 4 And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days.

The Church at Tyre— Now the church apparently was not very large, because there was no synagogue and Paul and his team had to really search for this church. The word translated “finding“ here in verse four means “to learn the location of something by intentional searching.” But they eventually find this small group of believers and stay with them. Now this would’ve been Paul’s first contact with the believers here in Tyre. And when you think about how Paul had been the one to lead that great persecution that had led to the birth of this church, it’s quite incredible to see him visiting and ministering to these believers who came out of that persecution. Whereas once they were enemies, now they are brothers. Now while they are staying with them, it says…

Acts 21:4b (NKJV)— They told Paul {(the literal Greek actually says “kept on saying to him”)} through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.

Warning From The Believers at Tyre— Apparently they had received a prophecy from the Holy Spirit of the dangers that awaited Paul if he was to stay on course. But it is important to note here that the Holy Spirit was not forbidding Paul to go to Jerusalem, but only warning him of what he would face if he did. The phrase through the Spirit simply means that he was warned by someone with the gift of prophecy. And the word not in the original Greek is not the word used in an absolute prohibition, though it reads a bit stronger in our English translations. Rather it is a softer Greek word that shows the believers were advising Paul in light of what the Holy Spirit was revealing to them concerning his impending persecution. However, we see that (because of their love for Paul) they see this prophecy as the Holy Spirit’s means of stopping Paul. But Paul does not see it that way. In fact in 20:22 he says that his trip to Jerusalem was “compelled by the Spirit”. And so for him, the Holy Spirit was just allowing him to see (and perhaps emotionally prepare himself for) the difficulties he was going to face. Paul knew that suffering was just a part of God’s allotment for him. Remember all the way back in Acts chapter 9, when God first approaches Ananias and tells him to go and baptize Paul (and Ananias is all afraid, knowing what kind of man Paul had been) it says…

Acts 9:15-16 (NKJV)— 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

A Destiny Wedded With Suffering— You see, Paul never experienced suffering and looked up to heaven and said “Why God?!” Nor did he think that because he suffered, he must therefore be on the wrong path. No, Paul saw his destiny as being necessarily intertwined with suffering. Jesus Himself had decreed it. And Paul had already made peace with that. And that is something you and I need to do as well. We must never allow suffering to deter us from the will of Jesus; because it is often through our suffering that God may use us to make the greatest difference. And if we are faithful; if we are courageous enough to move forward through God (even if it may mean suffering), we will (like Paul did) get to see the mighty moving of the hand of God and may even get to see the gates of hell shaken in our suffering that may never have been shaken otherwise; people warmed to and set free by Christ. And so let us not flee from suffering, but to courageously face it knowing that no pain will go without bearing fruit if we keep our hand in the hand of Jesus. Let’s live courageously this week. Amen.