How Do we Discern the Holy Spirit's Leading?
Acts (To Be Continued...) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 5 viewsPaul said in Acts 20:22-24 ,that He was compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. But in Acts 21:4, the disciples in Tyre urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. In Acts 21:10, Agabus is urged not to go to Jerusalem by the Spirit. What are we to make of this? Do both sides feel led by the Spirit? Why does Paul still go? How do you discern the Lord's will in this?
Notes
Transcript
Please open your Bibles to Acts 21:1. Acts 21:1. We are back in Acts.
And we have a new look—Following in the Footsteps of Jesus. (on screen)
I really want to finish the book of Acts—and not just to get through it...
because it is mainly about Paul and his devotion to Jesus.
He wants to be like Jesus, grow closer to Jesus, be united to Jesus, glorify Jesus--basically wants to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
and as you think about your life in 2025—I want you to think about this question just for a moment—How can you grow in your relationship with Jesus in 2025?
I asked it a couple weeks ago—let me ask again. and just give you a moment to think and pray.
(pause)
these last few chapters of Acts—will help us with this.
Acts 21:1–16 (NIV)
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.
(look at the map here)
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.”
15 After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.
16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
Look at this carefully...
If you go back to chapter 20....chapter 20:22-24, look at what Paul says:
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Notice: Acts 21:4
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.
and then Acts 21:10
Acts 21:10 (NIV)
10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. (Agabus actually shows up in chapter 11—and through the Spirit predicted a famine to happen—and it did!)
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.”
so—who is right? so on the one hand...Paul felt called to go to Jerusalem by the Spirit…feels led
but on the other side...
these disciples in Tyre in 21:4 are led through the Spirit to tell Paul NOT to go.
Agabus in 21:10 feels led to tell Paul NOT to go. and dramatically illustrates it with a belt.
who is right? you have Paul vs. everyone else...
and that leads me to ask this very important—question—if we are going to grow with Jesus in 2025—we have to be able to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading…
it’s important!
because was a man led by the Spirit
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
the Holy Spirit filled and led and empowered Jesus Christ.
and when we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit unites us to Jesus, fills us, empowers us, speaks to us (primarily through His Word) but in all sorts of situations.
How to Discern the Spirit’s Leading:
Realize we interpret the Spirit’s leading through our own filters. (or biases or history)
what do I mean by that?
If I use the language “The Spirit told me to _______.” some of you will be like “That’s great!” we should be listening to and discerning the Spirit....
some of you are more skeptical by nature. “How do you know? how do you know you just didn’t have indigestion or heartburn—maybe that’s what you felt.
and some of you will feel triggered. I remember in college, I knew a person who grew up in a certain denomination and church that used this language constantly… “God told me so...” “The Spirit told me so...” and my friend had a major illness, so the leaders of that church gathered around that person, prayed for them, believing in faith for healing…they would sometimes pray for a long time, even hours, until my friend would shout out “I think I am healed” (even though they weren’t) just because it dragged on so long—and my friend felt pressure from that environment. and now my friend is no longer following Jesus—partly because of that background.
so this kind of language can be discouraging or triggering...
so start out by recognizing that we all react to this differently based on our backgrounds and personalities and giftings.
so how do you react when you hear people say “The Spirit told me...” “God told me...” and how does that affect how you discern the Spirit’s leading....
maybe some of you shy away from it; maybe some of you embrace it and are not discerning enough…where do you land. I wish we could go around the room and share.
Understand the NT Gift of Prophecy. (vs. 9-10)
there are many spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament that the Holy Spirit gives to us to help build up the church—the family of God and glorify Him.
one such gift is the gift of prophecy.
we see it mentioned in vs. 9-10.
Acts 21:9–10 (NIV)
9 He (Philip) had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
we also see it in the Spiritual gifts list like 1 Corinthians 12.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
1 Corinthians 14:1 (Paul urges us to seek out this gift—even though not all of us will have it)
1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.
what is it?
I believe—and there is debate--
Sam Storms: “a human report of a divine revelation”
I believe the NT gift of prophecy is “telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind.” (Wayne Grudem)
so it’s not necessarily predicting the future only (though it may include that) like Agabus did in chapter 11
it doesn’t always overlap with teaching or preaching—but it might—with its immediacy (teaching or preaching involves prior studying and applying a passage of Scripture) prophecy has a fresh immediacy, something spontaneous from God that He brings to mind in the moment.
i also don’t believe that the NT gift of prophecy is always perfect. It’s not what theologians call “infallible.” It can be subject to human error.
how so if it is a gift of the Spirit?
if you look at this beautiful drawing…I drew this on a piece of paper—and asked Michelle our communications director to expand it.
there are 3 parts to prophecy—there is the revelation from God. God’s revelation—His Word to a person is always perfect. that’s infallible. without error.
but then the human being—ourselves—we interpret it. we try to make sense of it—and its meaning. through our filters, through Scripture, and others.
then there is the communication and you could add the word application of it.
so the revelation from God is always perfect, without error.
but our interpretation of it can be wrong, and our application and communication of it may be wrong.
another way to say this--in other words NT gift of prophecy is not the same as the OT prophets. the OT prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah would say “thus saith the Lord.” It was perfect. it was revelation recorded perfectly in Scripture and interpreted and communicated rightly.
but the NT prophets are not the same. it is not on part with the OT prophets; it is not the same as revelation revealed in Scripture. NT prophets-- they hear from God yes—but may misinterpret and misapply.
so think of our situation here in Acts 21.
in Acts 21:4
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.
if this would have been a perfect interpretation—Paul would not have disobeyed it.
or later with Agabus taking the belt and binding Paul.
I think we can say—all 3 parties—Paul, the disciples at Tyre in vs. 4, Agabus and that crew in vs. 10-12 all heard a revelation from the Lord. that was perfect…but they interpreted it and applied it differently.
this is why if you go back to 1 Corinthians 14—which is all about the NT gift of prophecy vs. speaking in tongues...
look at how Paul talks about the NT gift of prophecy:
29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
so don’t just accept it…evaluate it. compare it to Scripture—let that be the ultimate filter. Scripture trumps prophecies—prophecies are evaluated in light of Scripture.
and yet at the same time...
1 Thessalonians 5:19–20 (NIV)
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt (some of us want to treat them contempt because they feel like cuckoo for cocoa puffs)
21 but test them all; hold on to what is good,
22 reject every kind of evil.
so I think here in Acts 21…we see the NT gift of prophecy in action in Tyre and with Agabus and company. They see the correct revelation that Paul going to Jerusalem will lead to problems.
but they misinterpret and misapply it.
now, the NT gift of prophecy—not to get too in the weeds—but it’s worth saying here--i have both read about and seen the gift used in remarkable ways.
one theologian writes that a missionary was speaking in their church…and said something like this, “I didn’t plan to say this, but it seems the Lord is indicating that someone in the church has just walked out on their spouse and family. if that is you, the Lord wants you to return to them and follow Gods’ pattern for your life.” the missionary didn’t know it, but in the church that day happened to be a person who matched that description and had entered that church for the first time in their life! the person made themselves known and acknowledged their situation and sin as the exact situation—and it changed their life.
Charles Spurgeon - famous preacher in the 1800’s in London. was not known to talk about prophetic revelations—but one time was preaching and deliberately pointed to a man in the audience and said “There is a man sitting here who is a shoemaker…’ and went on to describe exactly what was going on in his life…and what sin he had.”
the man who was called out later said he was afraid that Spurgeon would share more of his life, but it was enough to convict him, and he met the Lord and got saved.
I have sensed this at times—one sermon I preached on a topic—and part way through felt led to share how our identity is as children of God—not in our religion or works, and after the sermon, a person came up and said that 2 minute aside on that—changed my life…and they were not walking in freedom!
God can give these revelations in diverse ways—maybe impressions, senses, maybe a dream or vision… (I remember my dream—of preaching here - some were leaving and more were coming. Now I don’t know what the purpose of the dream was —but it reminded me in pastoral ministry—there will always be some people leaving your church and some coming. I found that encouraging. I also have to be careful with dreams b/c I have had dreams of preaching with no pants—and I don’t think God wants me to do that…)
sometimes this gift can happen 1 on 1 or smaller groups— “I sense the Lord wanted me to tell you this...”
so how does this understanding of the NT gift of prophecy affect how the Spirit is leading? and how we discern the Spirit?
Great question--I don’t think you have to wait for a fresh spontaneous vision. for the most part, God will lead as we pray, read Scripture, ask the advice of others…
but we need to have an openness to God speaking in fresh ways, while weighing carefully what is being said in community...
and not overly focusing on prophecies.
and that leads me to my 3rd point...
3. Develop humility about how the Spirit is leading you
if the NT gift of prophecy must be weighed and evaluated, we must have humility when it comes to sensing the direction of the Spirit.
I would also say this--be careful you don’t use the Spirit as the ultimate trump card. what do I mean? sometimes if you are trying to make a decision with a fellow group of Christians—talking and discussing about pros and cons…maybe even debating...
sometimes someone will say “Well the Spirit told me we should this...”
and that can be tough to know what to say to that. It can be played arrogantly as as spiritual trump card (not Donald Trump)
instead it would be better to say” “I think the Spirit is leading me this way...” “I am in the discernment process…would you help me discern if this is where God is leading?”
this is why you need to listen to your community - your mentors, friends, your spouse. If your spouse is not on board with what you sense the Spirit wants you to do—be patient. if it is truly from God—He will get your spouse on board in time.
this is why we need to listen to Scripture—does it align with Scripture?
some may wonder as we think about passage—is Paul being arrogant…is he going against the advice of community? everyone is telling him not to go. Is he just being stubborn?
does he have one of those stubborn, in your face, bulldozing personalities? “nobody’s going to tell ME what to do! I will show them!”
here’s the key
4. Check your heart motivation—is it for Jesus or self?
in some ways you could say--God had a unique call for Paul.
Back in Acts chapter 9. look at what God says about Paul when Jesus changed him.
Acts 9:15–16 (NIV)
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my (Paul) chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Paul knew he had to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Just as Jesus felt led to Jerusalem, so did Paul. it was a unique call. Jerusalem is where Paul would get arrested. His arrest and imprisonment would lead to him writing lots of NT letters that the church would use.
look at what Jesus said in Mark 8.
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
and just like Paul’s disciples or community didn’t understand Him...
Jesus’ didn’t either.
32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
just like Paul’s future included suffering…so did Jesus’.
it’s reminder that if God is calling us to something—it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. In fact, he may call us to suffer.
He WILL call us to suffer for Him. some directly for following Christ. some in just the general suffering of life—things like cancer, death of a loved one, just hard things.
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.
36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
suffering has a way of purifying our motivations—helping us see if they are really about Jesus or ourselves!
I ultimately don’t think Paul was being stubborn…or defiant.
he was allowing the community to speak into his life—and it makes sense they wouldn’t want him to go because they loved Paul.
now, sometimes I think people can be stubborn when it comes to discerning the Spirit.
everyone in their life is telling them “don’t do what you have in mind...” even their spouse is saying it! and the person can be pretty defiant, motivated by self and stubbornness “the Lord told me...” I am doing it no matter what! that’s more about the person and their ego.
but a Biblical motivation…puts Jesus first.
Paul wanted to follow WHEREVER Jesus led—for the glory of Jesus!
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
so as you think about discerning the Spirit’s direction—is your motivation to make this decision—motivated by Jesus and His glory or you?
14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
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.”
it’s all about the name of Jesus...
I want to give you some time to pray.
look at vs. 5....
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.
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
maybe you are sensing the Spirit’s direction...
maybe you need direction…we need to desperately rely on Him to lead us through Scripture, community, and wisdom.
maybe you need to talk to someone..to test what the Spirit is saying…
maybe you need to examine your motivations…are you glorifying Jesus?
and would you kneel to pray...
so did we solve it all?
as we look at these points:
our background influences how we filter this
understanding the NT gift of prophecy and how the Spirit works
having humility
honoring Jesus...
Final Plug:
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