Courage for the sake of the gospel - Acts 21:15-26

As I mentioned in my previous sermon, Paul has come to the end of his missionary journey, and he has finally reached Jerusalem to deliver the collection that the Gentile believers from Asia and Greece had given him for the poor saints who belong to the Jerusalem church.  As we will soon see that upon his arrival, he is met with acceptance and opposition from the Jews, which ultimately leads to his arrest. What I want to highlight for you today is Paul’s courage for the sake of the gospel. I know this message will encourage you to have courage for the sake of the gospel.

To have courage for the sake of the gospel you must trust in God

Acts 21:15–17“And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge. And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.”

Paul was aware that the Jews had plotted to kill him from the beginning of his ministry. This started according to (Acts 9:20-24) after his conversion in Damascus when he began to proclaim Jesus is the Son of God in the synagogues.

Throughout Paul’s missionary journey’s trusted God while he suffering persecution for the sake of the gospel,

2 Corinthians 11:23–33 “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, the who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas (Air-uh-tuhs) was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

To go through all of this shows Paul’s trust in God and courage for the sake of the gospel.

As Paul continued towards the end of his 3rd missionary journey, the realization of countless dangers that awaited him became all too real when in Acts 20:21-23 the Holy Spirit had solemnly testified to him that in every city bonds and affections awaited him.

Paul’s trust in God and courage for the sake of the gospel couldn’t be more clear when he expressed in Acts 20:24 these words to the elders in Ephesus “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Paul’s trust in God gave him courage to reach Jerusalem even after his fellow believers in Tyre according to Acts 21:4 told him through the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem. And when he left there and arrived in Caesarea we are told in Acts 21:11 that the prophet Agabus came and “he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”

And in Acts 21:12 even when his own companions, who traveled with him, along with believers from Caesarea heard this prophesy what would happen to Paul they began to plead with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Paul goes on to tell them in Acts 21:13“What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Paul’s courage came from his trust in God; no matter the outcome. As Paul once said in Phil 1:21 for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Paul’s trust in God for the sake of the gospel stemmed from him being radically changed by the gospel. He knew that God had transformed him from someone who was a persecutor of the church, spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, to someone who was now made alive together with Christ - by the grace of God he was saved - saved from the wrath of God. And he felt an indebtedness to God for saving him, he knew that salvation by God’s grace through faith in Christ was the only hope for sinners, and he wanted to share this life saving gospel to everyone - even if it meant his own death.

If you have been saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ, you’re indebted to God for saving you, you ought to have the same courage for the sake of the gospel. Trust God by faith and make it your priority to reach your loved ones, friends, and people you meet with the gospel, their only hope to avoid the wrath of God is to repent of their sins and belief in Christ to be saved.

Paul’s ministry report to the Jerusalem leaders

Acts 21:18–20a “On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord.

Paul and his group met up with James - the half-brother of Jesus - who is one of he leaders of the Jerusalem church along with the elders. Paul gave to them a detailed report of all the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. Countless number of Gentiles had come to the faith in Christ because of Paul’s courage to share the gospel, yet he wouldn’t dare take any credit, he gives all the credit and praise to God for the gospel, the reason is that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greeks.

You must never take credit for the ministry work. All credit and praise belong to God alone. The response from the church leaders after hearing Paul’s ministry report cause them to glorify the Lord, for they knew that the Lord aided Paul and gave him tremendous courage and faith to spread the gospel in some of the most hostile cities, especially after hearing about Paul’s imprisonments, beatings with rods, being stoned and left for dead. Paul’s acts of courage to share the gospel would have encouraged these church leaders to have the same courage and faith to share the gospel even when faced with opposition and the threat of persecution.

I want to emphasize to you that sharing your testimony with others about the things that God has done through you even though you faced opposition and persecution it can encourage them to have the same courage to share the gospel with others.

The Jerusalem leaders raised some concerns

Acts 21:20b–22 “And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.”

After praising God for what he had done through Paul’s ministry the Jerusalem leaders addressed their concerns with Paul. There were myriads/murias/moo-ree-as/ten of thousands of Jews who have believed and had become Christians, but here is the concern, they were still zealous in wanting to keep the ceremonial Laws by observing the sabbath, feast days, and dietary restrictions. On top of that these Jewish Christians had been informed that Paul was going around teaching all Jews who lived among Gentiles that they needed to abandon what Moses had taught, saying that Jewish Christians no longer needed to circumcised their children or live according to Jewish customs.

These false rumors about Paul’s teaching undoubtedly were made by the Judaizers who had earlier according to 15:1-5 caused turmoil in the Jerusalem church by their false teaching. Paul never once taught that Jewish Christians needed to abandon observing the law of Moses or to be circumcised. According to (Acts 16:1-3) Paul himself took Timothy - a Greek - and had him circumcised because of the Jews. Paul himself followed the Jewish custom of taking a Nazarite vow according to Acts 18:18. In writing to the church at Galatia, Paul had to squash the lies that were being told about him that he opposed circumcision, Galatians 5:11“And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.”

What Paul actually taught about the law of Moses and circumcision was that salvation can only be obtained through Christ alone, and that no one can be justified by the works of the law. Paul writes in Romans 3:28 “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” Galatians 2:16“knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Galatians 5:1–6 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”

These false rumors about Paul’s teaching were an attempt by the devil to stop Paul and the spread of the gospel. Anytime you are courageous for the sake of the gospel the devil will have people lie to on you, to discredit you, with the intention to stop you from doing the Lord’s work of spreading the gospel. I want to let you know from my own experience this will happen, but you must be resilient and have the courage for the sake of the gospel and continue to do the Lord’s work.

Acts 21:23–25“Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

The Jerusalem leaders knew soon everyone would know that Paul had arrived in Jerusalem. They need to do something. They suggested that Paul prove that these things that were being said about him were false. He needed to take their advice and take four of their men who have taken a Nazarite vow and take them to be purified along with him, remember Paul himself had taken a Nazarite vow according to (18:18), and Paul also needed to pay for their expenses so that they could have their heads shaven, which was according to Num 6:18. The Jerusalem leaders believed that when the Jewish people observed Paul doing these Jewish customs in the temple all the things that were being said about Paul’s teaching against the law of Moses and circumcision will be proven to be false, because Paul would be living in obedience to the law.

Then the Jerusalem leaders reminded Paul that nothing had changed concerning what had been written to the Gentile believers that they didn’t need to observe the law and be circumcised as had been previously agreed upon during the Jerusalem council, and that they only needed to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.

Paul’s humility for the sake of the gospel

Acts 21:26“Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.”

Paul understood the contention and lies that had been swirling around about him, and he wasn’t going to allow those lies to cause a hindrance to non-believing Jews from believing the gospel of Christ. Paul humbled himself for the sake of the gospel. Paul in writing to the church at Corinth said these words in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

Sometimes, having courage for the sake of the gospel requires humility. I want to encourage you to remove any self-pride and be willing to humble yourself before others for the sake of the gospel. I want you to realize that you should always place your obedience and trust in God. And this is my challenge to you today: reach your family, friends, and the stranger with the gospel. Step out on faith and have the courage for the sake of the gospel.