Ready to be Bound

Heading to Jerusalem

Last week we left Paul and his group in the city of Miletus. There he gave his farewell speech to the Elders of the church at Ephesus.

In we read: “When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”

Now we come to verse 1 of . If you have your Bibles I would encourage you to turn with me to . If you don’t have a Bible there is one in front of you in the pew rack.

Acts 21:1–6 NIV84

After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 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. Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

Acts 21:1-

Now they get on a ship and go to Cos, followed by Rhodes, and then Patara. Next they get on a ship heading to Phoenicia and end up at Tyre in the area known as Syria.

At Tyre they found disciples there, and so they stayed with them for seven (7) days. The disciples in Tyre urged Paul NOT to go on to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, when the 7 days were up, Paul once again heads to Jerusalem. So all of the disciples and their family come out to say good-by Paul and his group left aboard the ship.

Acts 21:7–14 NIV84

We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 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 Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ” When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 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.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Acts 21:7-

They now head to Ptolemais where they greeted the brothers and sister for a day. Then they headed to Caesarea.

At Caesarea

When they arrived at Caesarea they stayed with Philip the evangelist. He had been one of the 7 deacons—originally chosen to serve in Jerusalem. Now living in Caesarea.

Caesarea was a port city which also housed the governing offices of Rome for the region (which included Jerusalem). So it was a very Roman city.

Philip had four daughters. All of them were apparently unmarried. And all of them appear to have the gift of prophesy.

Verse 10 tells us, after they had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea, and he has a prophetic message for Paul.

He took Paul’s belt and tied his own hands and feet. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will had him over to the Gentiles.’”

When the people heard this, they began to beg Paul not to go to Jerusalem. But look at Paul’s response: “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.”

QUESTION: What about us? Are you willing to be bound (arrested and hauled off) for the name of Jesus? Are you ready to lay down your earthly life for Jesus? Paul was.

Acts 21:15-

Acts 21:15–19 NIV84

After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 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. When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

Paul in Jerusalem

When they arrived they stayed with a brother from Cyprus named, Mnason. The only other thing we know is that he was one of the early converts to Jesus. Interestingly, he was originally from the same city as Barnabas.

When they arrived in Jerusalem, Paul goes to the brothers, James, and the elders and gives them a detailed report of what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

James and the elders (who somewhat had the big picture of what God is doing) praised God. But there was a problem. Look at verse 20.

Acts 21:20-

Acts 21:20–26 NIV84

When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

So here’s the problem. Paul is now in Jerusalem, and many thousands of Jews had believed in Jesus. And these followers of Jesus were also zealous for the law of God.

They had been told that Paul taught all the Jews living among the Gentiles to:

(1) Turn away from Moses.

(2) Telling them not to circumcise their children.

(3) And telling them not to live according to the Jewish customs.

Thus, the early church leaders were looking for some way to appease this crowd. Notice what they say, “What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join them in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but you yourself are living in obedience to the law.”

This shouldn’t have really been a huge problem, because the elders at Jerusalem had ruled what should be expected of the Gentiles. “They should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from the blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” This is repeated from .

The Nazarite Vow was something Paul had done before, so there was nothing that would have upset him. And that is exactly what he does.

But it doesn’t really work. Let’s pick up the reading in verse 27.

Acts 21:27-

Acts 21:27–36 NIV84

When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place.” (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.) The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Away with him!”

Things were getting so out of control, the commander ordered Paul be taken into the barracks.

Acts 21:37–39 NIV84

As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?” Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”

Acts 21:37-

So apparently, Paul was not who the commander thought he was—Paul was not Egyptian, nor did he lead a revolt.

Acts 21:40–22:24 NIV84

Having received the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ “ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. “ ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. “Then he said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking. ‘Quick!’ he said to me. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ “ ‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!” As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.

Acts 21:40-22:24

Romans 22:

So Paul shares his conversion story—His testimony if you please. And the people were with him, right up to the point he says, “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” That was simply more than they could stand!

Romans 22:25-2

As the crowd once again became unruly the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. This time he directed that Paul be flogged. Now the idea was to find out exactly why the people were so upset with Paul.

Acts 22:25–29 NIV84

As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.” The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. Then the commander said, “I had to pay a big price for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

Acts 22:

Romans 22:25-29

I love this part of the story. When the commander heard that Paul was a Roman citizen he was afraid. He had ordered a Roman citizen to be bound and flogged, which was against Roman law.

But how could a man, so hated by the Jews be a Roman citizen? There was a time when people could buy their citizenship, and that is what the commander had done. But it was extremely expensive, “I had to pay a big price.” The difference is that the commander had purchased his citizenship. Paul was born a citizen.

Conclusion:

Like Paul, we too are citizens. We were born again as citizens of Heaven. We are children of the King. King Jesus.

The problem that many of us have is we know this, but we don’t live as though we are citizens of Heaven. We live so strongly attached to the world that we fail to live for Jesus.

One of the big problems that we have in our country is what we are focused on. Some of you are focused on 30 years. If you live for 30 years that would be amazing. But you know what, most people think they will live for 60, 70, 80, or even 90 years. Some believe they will live to be 100 and THAT is the problem. If you are looking at 60, 70, 80, 90, or even 100 years of life you are short sighted, because you and I will exist for ETERNITY!

Most of us think in terms of

Now, listen there are only two things from this world that last forever—you’ve heard me say this before—the two things that last forever are the Souls of men, and the Word of God. That means to live truly is experiencing Jesus Christ, and to die is great gain because we will be in the presence of Jesus forever!

If I believe this, then I can say with Paul , “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Romans 22:25-27

Romans 22:25-29