Ascent into Danger

Text: Acts 21:1-26

Central Idea of the Text: Paul travels to many places and maximizes his time to preach of Jesus.

Proposition: The church should not sleep on the Words of God, but receive and take them to heart.

Purpose: All hearers should be open to the correction of the Word, the surrender to God’s will, and the work of the Holy Spirit.

I am 100% a pastors kid. And as a young boy I was 100% a punk. Yes, everyone gave lip service to their love for me. But many of them did not have me in their Sunday School class. The ones who had to encounter me in real time I’m certain uttered under their breath either that I was a “holy terror” or a “little turd”. At least, that is what I would have said if I was a Sunday School teacher for myself.

I was the know-it-all, the blurt out every answer guy. I was the be too loud and make yourself the center of attention guy. I was the most awkward, gangly kid in the bunch. Until that one day ...

I don’t remember exactly what scripture we were reading that day in my 5th grade Sunday School class. But I seem to recall that it was a month or so before I responded to Jesus and became a Christian. But as we read the scripture that was not even about the tangent that my mind went on with the verses, I suddenly turned from the class idiot to the class Aristotle. The teacher asked a question about something else, but my brain was fully in deep philosopher mode. I said: “You know, there’s something in your brain. You don’t stop to think about it, but it’s like a unseen countdown timer. When you wake up each morning, it tells you that you have one less day to live. Today I have one less day to live than the day before. Death awaits us all. Am I ready for what comes after that?” The teacher, I’m sure was like, “Um, that’s a really deep thought, Nathan, but today we are reading the beatitudes.” And he went about teaching the class. But I sat there silent in brooding, holy-terror, pastor-kid philosopher mode. Death awaits us all. What comes next? I have one less day today than I had yesterday. What did I do with it? Will I make my life count?

Sometimes we encounter those days. Days when we turn that certain age. Days when we feel a certain way. Days when we get that diagnosis. Days when we encounter our finiteness in the loss of a loved one. When you see the thread winding down on your life, every day becomes more important. What are you going to do to make your life count?

That is the question that faces the Apostle Paul as he ascends the hill to face the danger that awaits him in Jerusalem. Let’s walk with him and count down the steps as we read today’s text from Acts 21:1-26. [Read Text: 5 Min]

This is the word of the Lord for us this morning.

Please pray with me: God, we see that this final climb was filled with many encounters with believers and many feelings. We can clearly see how many lives he had touched, the fruit of him ministry, and the weight that this final trip to Jerusalem bears. As your church ponders these things today, help us to weigh the cost of following Jesus and to count all as rubbish for the sake of serving HIM. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

As we dig back in this week, we once again turn to the map we track the progress of Paul. Last week saw Paul’s encounter with the Ephesian elders at the coast by Miletus. Zach set the table for us last week, but we will continue to be reminded of Paul’s words at that pivotal encounter. It was at Miletus that they wept and kissed Paul, and that they had keen awareness that he would not be returning to them. When getting on the ship, Paul goes in short order to Cos, to Rhodes, to Patara, and finally to Tyre. Once in Tyre, Paul will make his way from Tyre, to Caesarea, and finally to Jerusalem.

We are going to spend the bulk of our time this morning in the encounters at those three cities, but we do so because of Paul’s resolve in Acts 19:21. He must see Rome. And the road to Rome goes through Jerusalem for Paul. This is fixed in his mind and Spirit, and it informs the movement of his feet. This seems quite weird to all of us, because if you know Geography, you know that Jerusalem is in the exact opposite direction of Rome. And we know that the Jews were already pretty ticked at Paul. They created great opposition to him in Corinth, and had caused a near riot in Ephesus because of him. Now, for this pharisee-defector to show his face back there again? Nothing but trouble awaits, and the writing is on the wall.

Paul’s slow march back to Jerusalem then, is a march to his death. So, we could ask: Is Paul suicidal? Is this some kind of Paul Kamikaze attack on Jerusalem? Not at all. It is very interesting to take Luke’s Gospel of Jesus, and Luke’s book of Acts and lay them over the top of each other, because when you do, you notice that they have the same shape in geography and in movement toward a climax of the story. One involves Jesus and his ministry throughout the Galilee and Judea, before his final advancement upward into Jerusalem. The other involves the ministry of the Apostles and the church, which finally focuses on Paul and his eventual advancement upward toward Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a city on a hill. From whatever way you approach it, you travel upward. To advance with conviction and purpose upon Jerusalem is to walk in the way of the cross. It is to walk up a hill into the valley of the shadow of death.

It makes me want to put ourselves in Paul’s shoes for just a moment. Would you ever even consider making such a journey to begin with? What becomes clear in this text is that God is pressing Paul forward to do what must be done. He knows that his time is limited that he has left for ministry, and he must maximize the impact of his life and ministry. When you know that your days are numbered, will you simply idly waste them away, or will you make them count? Paul would make them count, but as he did, he would need to travel through the gauntlet of the church on his ascent into Jerusalem. Along this path, they would challenge and/or admonish him in three ways, which we will countdown this morning.

3: The Warning

Paul’s first stop off the ship is in Tyre. This city has not been mentioned in Acts, but there is a group of believers there, which does remind us that the scope of Acts and the stories of Acts are not limited to the accounts of this book. The church and her disciples have taken the gospel in ALL directions, and so as Paul travels closer to Jerusalem, it is likely he will come across other believers. He does, and all of Paul’s company stays with these Christians for 7 days. But look at what these believers do. Verse 4 says: “And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” The text does not spend much time with the tension of this, but I do think we should wrestle with this just a bit. The Spirit says through these believers “Don’t go.” But Paul’s conviction, again through the Spirit in Acts 19:21, is that he must go to Jerusalem and on to Rome. So, is God contradicting himself here? Is God double minded by saying two different things to the minds and hearts of two sets of believers? Is God setting up some type of Holy Spirit wrestling match, where he wrestles himself.

I do not see this as a contradiction, and I do not think you should either. The Holy Spirit is working in both of these groups to grant both the conviction, and the warning of the danger that is ahead. For the believers of Tyre, God is granting a good word through his Holy Spirit of warning. These Christians know who Paul is. They know how important and central he has been to the early church. They know what progress of the kingdom, what churches have been planted and lives have been changed because of Paul. Without Paul? It is hard to imagine a church without Paul’s influence and leadership. And so, God speaks through them to giving warning and gravity of the situation. Their words are a reminder to Paul of Jesus’ warning to believers in Luke 14:28, that we are to count the cost of following Him. Their questions form a gauntlet that Paul must advance through as he comes toward Jerusalem. Does he understand? Is he willing to suffer? Is he willing to die.

For Paul, also filled with the Spirit, the advancement to Jerusalem and Rome is wholly convictional. He must go there to advance the Gospel, to bring it back into the biggest spotlights and the seats of power with him as the Prime Target for death. If he is to die, he will die the Martyrs death of Stephen and James. If he is to live, he will preach the Gospel to every person he encounters and he will tell them: “I have seen the living Jesus. He has transformed my life. I am living proof.” People will ask: Is Paul Crazy? But I think Paul’s answer to the Christians in Tyre would be very similar to his words to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 5:13–15: “13 For if we are beside ourselves [out of our minds, crazy, insane], it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” The Spirit that compels Paul is doing so toward the best of ends, but Paul must have full conviction to use every moment, movement and word for Christ, even to the point of suffering and death.

2: The Weeping

As the countdown to Jerusalem gets nearer their arrival, we Now Paul and his companions advance in verse 8 to Caesarea. There we read that he meets Philip. Philip, as you may recall, has been no insignificant figure in Acts. He was one of the Original seven servants (or deacons) that were selected in Jerusalem. He was the first to bring the gospel into Samaria. And he was the one who ran to a chariot to bring the Ethiopian Eunuch to Christ. Outside of Paul, he is certainly one of the most vocal evangelists of this book. But now we find him settled down, some 20 years later in Caesarea, along with his family. He has (at least) four daughters with the gift of prophecy, but that is not the main attraction in Caesarea. There Paul meets Agabus, who (again by the power of the Holy Spirit) speaks these words of prophecy to Paul. To give the prophecy, he takes Paul’s belt from around his waist, binds his own hands and feet, and says in verse 11: “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”

Following the hearing of this prophecy, the gathered Christians at Caesarea launch into another round of: “Please Paul, don’t go!” “We Need you!” “You’ve suffered enough!” “They want to kill you!” “We don’t want you to DIE!” Multiple people, multiple cries. They just keep on coming. Even though Paul has just met many of these people for the first time, they nevertheless understand the significance of his life and his ministry. He is the top dog of the faith! If he’s gone, we might be goners too. Paul’s reply to all of their cries and tears is simply this “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?” It’s like he’s a dad whose kids are clinging to his legs, not wanting him to leave the house. He says they are breaking his heart. It’s the same word here that is used of clothing that is being wrung and scrubbed upon a washstone. You are raking my heart across the coals. But Paul’s resolve his clear. He says: “I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” He will not be shaken, because he is fully ready to purposefully lay EVERYTHING down for Jesus.

We should note here the tears, the weeping and pleading that come in this situation with Paul. Great tears that we see are a sign of great love. Sometimes, when we think of Paul, we think of a theologian, a missionary, a letter writer, a pastor. But we don’t think of him primarily as a church faither figure, as a figure to whom great love and affection from the church would be attached. But Christianity is not cold and calculated. To love God with all of our heart means to love God with all of our affections. Therefore, there will certainly be, in marching toward sacrificial parts of mission and our work, a dragging and a wringing of the emotions as we get toward the harder parts. The tears are a part of the journey, and we seek to give ourselves fully to the mission. Paul would live to fufill his saviors words from Matthew 10:39 past the tears: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

1: The Washing

The countdown reaches one as what has been prophesied now comes near completion at Jerusalem. There, in verse 17, Paul comes to meet the church in Jerusalem, with James and all of the elders of the church gathering to meet him. Remember that this James, is the brother of Jesus. He is continuing to be a very present leader and witness of that Jerusalem church. Paul takes time to recount all of the events of these past several years. Of course, they have all been on this journey together as a church, seeing not just the Jews but the gentiles as well called to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord. The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 had settled that trajectory. The gentiles would be welcome, and Paul had spent a great deal of time in ministry and outreach to the Gentiles. The church would soon reach a tipping point where there were more Gentiles than Jews in it. But for Paul, a Jew, to come back to those who were Jews (not Christians), would prevent many from giving him any hearing. The leaders observe: They are zealous! They are going to hear you’ve been telling Gentiles not to be circumcized and not to follow every Jewish custom! They will tear you apart. So what is the solution?

They propose in verse 23 that Paul ought to go thru a purification ritual. There are four other men who will be doing the same a taking this vow. Paul is encouraged to do this with them. If you’ve spent much time reading the Old Testament law found in Leviticus, you will know that there were many circumstances that a Jewish person would be considered unclean. For such occasions, there were ceremonies that could be undertaken toward their cleansing. This would signify their right standing to worship God along with their fellow Jews. Toward this sign then, Paul would come to the temple as one who would be purified. He was simply saying in this moment among his fellow Jews: I am a practicing Jew, I keep the law, I stand right with the Lord, and you cannot convict me of wrongdoing.

This outward ritual was a sign of that inward attitude. Paul did not come to Jerusalem with animosity or attacking his fellow Jews. To the contrary, much like Jesus, he was coming with empty hands and a heart of worship. He was coming in that same sacrificial attitude that the Lamb of God, Jesus, entered Jerusalem. His intention was, no matter whether he lived or died, he was the Lords. Look at his words to the Philippians that he later writes from Rome in Philippians 1:20–21 “... it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The outward ceremony is part of the inward posture of the heart. Paul says: I belong to Jesus. I lay it all down. To live is Christ, to die is gain.

Today’s message has follow the countdown with Paul with reminders for the believers along the way. Each day we have one less day, and we who follow Jesus must seek to make every day count. Even despite the warnings, may we count the cost of taking up the cross and find Jesus to be worth it. Even through the tears, may we see that the great love of Christ calls us to serve and give and love sacrificially. Even through the challenges and opposition, may we place our best foot forward in our witness for Christ in living exemplary lives. As we do, we will walk in the way of the cross and the example of Paul.

Friends, one of the biggest lies of the enemy is that we are called to lives of safety in Christ. We are not called to safety in this life, but we are given eternal security in the next. That is what leads witnesses to witness and martyrs to become martyrs. That is what leads a Christian pastor like Bonhoeffer to stand up to a tyrant. That is what leads Missionaries like Elliot and Saint to go to the cannibal tribe and lay down their lives to make contact with that tribe for the sake of Jesus. That is what leads middle eastern and African Christians to say no to denying Christ and receive the sword to their necks from Islamists, because their reward in heaven is greater. And that is what led one Charlie Kirk to secular campuses around the United States again and again to speak of his faith and the truths that were built upon it, a use of his freedom of Speech that placed him in the crosshairs of a man who hated truth

The threats to us are lesser, but they cause us to fear. Shut up, or you will lose some Facebook friends or cred. Stop acting that way and go along, or we will slap some label on you with an -ist or -phobe at the end of it. Go along with the policy or lose your job. Or just be quiet, nobody wants to hear about your Jesus anyway. But the example before us is simply this: We are called to the cross, not to safety. To join Jesus there is the way of a disciple. Each day that goes by is one day less.

I was watching a reunion concert for a favorite band of mine, DeGarmo and Key this last week. I was watching it with a lot nostalgia and sorrow, because the lead singer, guitar player, and pastor, Dana Key was playing in what would be his last concert. But he said something really profound in that concert 2 years before his death. He encouraged everyone attending the concert, those who follow Jesus to make this covenant together: “From this day forward, and for the rest of our lives until Jesus comes, we’re going to make our lives count for Christ.” What a tremendous resolve. What a great focus. What a glorious purpose. That we would make this day and every day we have left count for eternity. I want to make my life count for Christ.

Today, if you don’t follow Jesus and know of the hope he offers, don’t put him off. Eternal security is something you can know today. Lay down your sin at his feet. Take his blood upon your life. Believe in Jesus Christ. Be baptized and be saved. And resolve with us: Make every day count for Christ.