Acts
21:10-14 (NIV)
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 Jews of 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."
Paul was on his way back to Jerusalem to
bring an offering to the poor in the Jewish church. This offering had been collected
from all the Gentile churches on his last missionary trip. He was obeying God
in going to Jerusalem. In this text we find him among the church in Tyre. He
had been staying at Philip's house along with Philip's four daughters who were
prophetesses. He had enjoyed almost a week of leisurely fellowship and spent
much time with the disciples there in worship.
In the midst of this great time God sends a
prophet to remind Paul of the hardships that await him in Jerusalem. The church
at Tyre hears the hardships and they immediately began to try to persuade him
not to go. The language in fact indicates that they pleaded with him on several
occasions during the week.
I wonder what their arguments must have
sounded like. Let us use our redeemed imagination for a moment and see.
"Paul, you have suffered so much already, surely God would not want you to
suffer any more. God must have sent Agabus to you to say you have suffered
enough."
Perhaps another chimed in and said something
like, "Paul if you die in Jerusalem all those who have trusted in Christ
through your life will probably lose heart and walk away from the faith. They
need you to teach them still. Surely God would want you to stay alive so they
could learn more from you about Christ."
Maybe another voice spoke up in the fray and
said, "Paul you are getting along in years and you have paid your dues, it
is time for someone else to take the reigns and it is time for you to retire and
take it easy. After all God does want us to enjoy ourselves while we are alive,
right?"
All of these voices sound so right. The logic
is sensible and practical. After all things are weighed on the scales of human
wisdom it makes sense for Paul to stay in Tyre and not go to Jerusalem, but
there is one thing that has not been considered, what does the voice of the
Lord say?
O how often the voice of the Lord runs
counter to our own thinking and wisdom. Now listen to Paul as he responds to
the words of his brothers and sisters in Tyre. "Why are you weeping and
breaking my heart. I am ready not only to be bound in Jerusalem but also to die
for the name of the Lord Jesus."
So it is even today that what God often asks
us to do is opposed by those who are in the Church. We must be on our guard
from the voices that would seek to encourage us to take the easier road. Let us
follow our Lord as he bids us to take our stand with him no matter what!
Seeking to Follow His Voice Alone,
Pastor Phil