Don't Let Fear Hold You Back

Introduction:

There are many reasons why we may obey someone, including God. What are yours? Fear? Obeying because you have to? Reward? Obeying because you get something out of it Love? Obeying because you love Christ and your fellowman?

As we continue our series “Changes” we are going to look at an event surrounding the Apostle Paul and how the Holy Spirit was calling him to go to Jerusalem. As we walk through parts of Acts 21, here is what I want you to remember; “Don’t let fear hold you back.”

Acts 21:1–14 NLT

After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo. We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home. The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed for one day. The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’ ” When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

(Pray)

Paul’s Background:

Also known as Saul of Tarsus. (Born in the city of Tarsus, which is located on the southern coast of modern-day Turkey)

Schooled to be a member of the Pharisees. (Jewish Leaders)

Acts 22:3 NLT

Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today.

Galatians 1:14 NLT

I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

Philippians 3:5 NLT

I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.

Led the persecution of Stephen and other Christians (Acts 8)

Jesus met with Paul as he was going to persecute more Christians (Acts 9)

Paul was commissioned to be a missionary for the Gentiles (Acts 13-28)

Put to death in Rome between 62-64 AD

Preparing For Jerusalem:

The Holy Spirit was preparing Paul for his journey to Jerusalem.

Acts 20:16–24 NLT

Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn’t want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost. But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him. When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

(Share personal testimony of the Holy Spirit prepping me and others for the change.)

“If a nudging is from the Lord, He will confirm it.”

Going No Matter The Cost:

The Lord was speaking to others about Paul’s Journey

Acts 21:4 NLT

We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem.

“The Holy Spirit is not contradicting what He is asking of Paul.”

“The Spirit did not contradict anything he had earlier said to Paul. “Through the Spirit” these believers had access to the same prophetic knowledge Paul had: afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem. Out of their love for Paul, these believers responded by asking him not to go. But he was committed to following the Lord’s will.”

Stanley E. Porter, “Acts,” in CSB Apologetics Study Bible, ed. Ted Cabal (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1382.

This commitment is shown after the second prophecy of Paul going to Jerusalem.

“Acts 21:10-14

Acts 21:10–14 NLT

Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’ ” When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

“Obedience to the Lord should be given above All things.”

Conclusion:

300 Illustrations for Preachers “Let’s Stop Scaring Ourselves”

What are we afraid of today? An author who has spent his career writing thrillers warns against taking scares too seriously. The late Michael Crichton, who wrote The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park, warned us to “stop scaring ourselves.”

To emphasize his point, Crichton listed proclaimed dangers that never materialized. He reminded us of a 1972 warning about climate change: “We simply cannot afford to gamble. We cannot risk inaction. Those scientists who [disagree] are acting irresponsibly. The indications that our climate can soon change for the worse are too strong to be reasonably ignored.” The author of the statement was not speaking of global warming, but global cooling. Now it is global warming that is threatening our planet.

In the ‘60s we were worrying about a population explosion. In 1973 a warning predicted that by 1993 the world would exhaust its supply of gold, mercury, tin, zinc, oil, copper, lead, and natural gas. As Y2K approached, computers were expected to be the downfall of civilization.

A lot of the news we see and read is geared toward making us fearful. While some things are legitimate causes for concern, let us not be paralyzed by fear. Always remember that Jesus is Lord, and “in him all things are held together.”

—Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Because Paul was obedient and went to Jerusalem....

He preached the testimony of Jesus Christ to the people of Jerusalem (Acts 22)

He preached the testimony of Jesus Christ to royal officials in Caesarea (Acts 23:23-Acts 26)

The Lord miraculously kept Paul from dying from a poisonous snake bite (Acts 28:1-10)

Paul preached the testimony of Jesus Christ in Rome (Acts 28:17-30)

“Our circumstances shouldn’t effect what we believe about Jesus Christ.”