What Is God Doing? - Acts 21:27-36

Paul’s Arrest in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-36)

Have you ever sat down after one of those days, you know the kind I mean, and just wondered what God is doing?

We all have those days where everything seems to go wrong.

We sleep through our alarm, in the shower we bump the knob and the water burns us, we go to eat breakfast and the bread is moldy and milk is bad, the clothes in the dryer aren’t quite dry, the car battery is dead, and when we finally get to work our boss is angry because we are late!

In the passage of Scripture we will look at today, Paul is about to have one of those days.

It is in those days that we can begin to question what God is doing.

Our focus in those moments really matters.

Let’s dig in to Acts 21.

In an attempt to preserve unity and remove barriers to the preaching of the gospel, Paul has undertaken a ritual cleansing in keeping with the Jewish law.

He did this at the request of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.

The days of his purification are almost over when some of the Jews see him and start a riot.

Look at verse 28.

Acts 21:28 ESV

28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

Here Paul is, simply trying to do the right thing, and now he is suffering for it.

What is God doing?

The accusations that are being made aren’t even true!

They are spouting wild exaggerations and even jumped to a huge assumption.

Look at verse 29.

Acts 21:29 ESV

29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

They assume Paul brought a Greek into the temple and based on this assumption, they stir up the crowd.

Paul is dragged out of temple and they attempt to kill him.

What is God doing?

The Roman soldiers hear about what is taking place and comes to investigate. When he arrives, v. 32 says they stopped beating Paul.

Paul has been misrepresented, falsely accused, and flat out lied about. Now he is being beaten!

They are trying to kill him!

What is God doing?

The soldiers bind Paul with two chains and then ask what he has done.

Look at verse 34.

Acts 21:34 ESV

34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

The people gathered to accuse Paul don’t even know why they are there! They don’t even know what he has done.

This is our first clue that God has a plan and purpose here.

Paul is being arrested and no one even knows why!

That doesn’t usually happen.

God is at work.

Paul has to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd. They have become a mob crying out “Away with him!”

Doesn’t that sound familiar?

There was another Jewish teacher delivered to the Romans by his fellow Jews who then cried out “away with him.”

Paul, like our Lord, is being taken away according to the plan and purpose of God.

This is where we are going to stop today, right on the edge of Paul stepping into a huge gospel opportunity.

What we have here is preparation.

Sometimes, those days are preparation for a gospel opportunity.

What is God doing?

He is preparing us for use.

That is what He is doing every single day.

God has a plan and purpose for my life and yours.

Part of that plan and purpose is for us to share the gospel.

To that end, He provides us with opportunities to proclaim the death burial and resurrection of Jesus.

However, if we are not watching carefully, we will miss those opportunities.

That is our challenge today.

We must respond well to difficult days and be on the lookout for gospel opportunities.

This is only possible as we read the Word, spend time in prayer, and prepare our hearts to speak of Jesus.

Are you prepared?