Surrendered to Do God’s Will

Acts 21:1-16

There are people who take risks for the sake of advancement of science. The first Soviet cosmonauts risked their lives going into space - who knew if the capsules wouldn’t explode in space. Many prior attempts had failed. Others take risks for the sake of money. The first person to circumnavigate the globe was Magellan - trying to find new trade routes. But his life came to an end in the Philippines when he was killed by the Visayas. They risked their lives for science and money. But some risk for the gospel.

When Adoniram Judson - the missionary - asked his wife’s father for her hand, he wrote - “Do you consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; do you consent to her departure, the hardships and sufferings of a missionary; do you consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; the fatal influence of the climate of India; to every want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent, in hope of meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the praise which shall redound to her Saviour from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair.” You can imagine the father’s distress - but he must’ve consented because they got married and set sail. But both Adoniram and Ann Judson perished in Burma - imprisonment and illness weakened them and they died. They risked all and surrendered to do God’s will. And so did her father - he gave her up to do God’s will.

We see today 2 groups of people who surrendered to do God’s will - those who freed and those who bleed. And those are our 2 points today. Firstly, the need to free in doing God’s will. Secondly, the willingness to suffer in doing God’s will.

Firstly, the need to free and be freed in doing God’s will. Paul had a mission to accomplish. The Spirit revealed to him that he will be imprisoned and will suffer many afflictions - he will bleed. This was God’s will for him. At Miletus, when Paul told the Ephesian elders about this, they wept for him. They freed him and surrendered him to go. So we see Paul’s journey in verses 1-2, from Miletus to the south of Turkey through Coos, Rhodes, and Patara, and thereafter by sea passing Cyprus and down to Phoenicia or Lebanon, where they finally came to Tyre. At each place Paul went, the believers had to struggle to surrender to Christ’s will. They all pleaded with him not to go down. Why? It’s only natural. We see their natural care and concern. In Tyre, we learn that after disembarking, Paul stayed in Tyre for 7 days. This meant that he spent the Lord’s Day worship with them - likely worshiping with them and teaching them. In verse 4, the believers prophesied by the Holy Spirit. They probably learned the same thing that Paul had learned by the Spirit - that he would be imprisoned and suffer in Jerusalem. Hearing this prophecy, they told him not to go. One can imagine - as with the Ephesian elders, who when they heard, wept with and for Paul - these likely also wept and pleaded with him not to go. And again in verse 10, when Paul and companions went to Caesarea, a prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus came all the way up to meet him. We learn that he prophesied by the Spirit. Verse 11 says he took Paul’s belt and used it to bind his hands and feet to demonstrate what would happen to Paul. He said, “Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” Agabus didn’t only speak the prophecy, he acted it out - like an Old Testament prophet. This is what Jeremiah did. He walked around only in a loin cloth wearing a yoke around his head to symbolize the coming judgment. Ezekiel drew an outline of Jerusalem on a clay tablet and laid down next to it for 430 days. After that, he shaved off his beard with a sword, and divided the hair into thirds. One third was set on fire, another third was scattered around the city and hacked with the sword, and the last third was scattered to the wind. And he took some remaining strands and sewed to his clothes to show God’s judgment on most of the city and his salvation of a few. So you can imagine the kind of alarm that came upon the brethren - there was going to be something horrifically terrible - Biblical in proportion - Old Testament in flavor that would happen if Paul was to go to Jerusalem. And we see their reaction. Verse 12 says, “And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.” In other words, the brethren in Caesarea as well as Paul’s companions pleaded with him not to go. This was a natural concern.

But the surprising this was this - even his companions were alarmed. These were Sopater of Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians; Gaius of Derbe, Timotheus of Lystra; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. And this was also Luke - who was recording Acts! These were the people who followed him and were mentored by him. They knew he would suffer - they heard him telling the Ephesian elders and wherever he went. But they reacted this way because of wrong interpretation of the prophecy. You see, the disciples in Tyre understood the same thing that Paul did by the Spirit - that he will suffer and be imprisoned. While Paul’s interpretation was to go - because this was God’s will; they wrongly interpreted it and asked Paul not to go. Similarly here in Caesarea, they pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem. The prophecy had not changed - in fact, it was clearer. It was done by performance. They saw and understood the prophecy, but were not willing to surrender to this inevitable conclusion. Agabus had said in verse 11 that this is what the Holy Spirit had said - that Paul - who owned the belt - would be bound and delivered by the Jews to the Gentiles. And Paul himself had said in verse 13 - “I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” So why? Wrong interpretation. And I think it was partly influenced by sentimentality. I say sentimentality not in an all bad way. they were concerned. But they knew what would happen to Paul! And verse 13 says that they were weeping so much that Paul’s heart was breaking. In fact, he said - what are you doing?! Weeping like this? It’s breaking my heart! Now, why was it breaking his heart? Now, we can choose to interpret this by looking at the feeling aspect. He was close to them like he was close to the Ephesian elders. They cried, he cried. Like Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus - they were all so sad and emotional that when Jesus came to his friend’s tomb, he also cried. But I want us to look at the text. In the case of Lazarus, Jesus delayed coming - he let Lazarus die. Then he asked Martha - do you believe your brother will resurrect? But Martha was shaky in her answer. Mary even accused Jesus that if he came earlier, Lazarus would be alive. So when he saw her weeping, he groaned and was troubled. And when he came to the tomb, he wept. Why? The following verse says the Jews asked why Jesus couldn’t prevent Lazarus’ death. Could Jesus have been sad that Lazarus died? Maybe you will accuse me of being unfeeling. I don’t think so. Not really. Not from the text. While we may want to think sentimentally, which may be natural, the text shows us clearly it was their unbelief that he wept. And my point here is the same. Paul’s heart was not breaking because he was sad they were sad. Rather, we may say that Paul was torn in the heart because their weeping and distress caused by not accepting God’s will was making him sad. But I think by the context here, it wasn’t sentimentality. He was distressed because of their wrong interpretation.

And in the end, they freed him to go. There was surrender on their part. This was the same in Tyre and Caesarea. In verse 5, despite asking him not to go, Paul did. The church from Tyre, we learn, sent Paul off. All the men, with their wives and children, walked them out of the city. There, they knelt down and prayed. And Paul sailed to Caesarea. In Caesarea, they also relented. Verse 14 says, “And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.” When they knew what the will of God was, they ceased. They did not continue to persuade. While they were concerned, they were no longer sentimental. Sentimentality, unwillingness to face or do what is difficult, will cause difficulty in accepting what God’s will is. But they ceased. And they freed Paul to do God’s will. Here, these disciples finally go it. They freed Paul to do what he was required to do.

Secondly, we see that Paul was willing to bleed in doing God’s will. He was willing to suffer and to be imprisoned and to die for Christ. We may give into sentimentality. We may give into our own will. When Jonah was called to go to Nineveh, he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to bring the gospel to these murderers. What if they repented? Instead, he tried to escape to Tarshish. And when he knew he was the reason for the storm, he told the sailors to throw him out - he’d rather drown than do what God’s will was. But not Paul. He insisted on going to Jerusalem because he was compelled by Christ’s Spirit. He went against his flesh. In verse 13, when he asked them why they were breaking his heart, his resolve may have been weakening. He was distressed why they didn’t understand God’s will for him. But he resisted. He said in the same verse that he was ready to be imprisoned and to die. He would not be persuaded. The reason is because when Christ saved him, he crucified his flesh. In Acts 9, when Saul was saved, Jesus already told Ananias that Paul would suffer many things for his sake. Paul knew this. And he also knew what kind of persecution it would be because he had persecuted like that. He went into every city to bring Christians back bound - to cast them into prison. This is what would happen to him - he would be brought bound and cast into prison. To know what would be done, how severe it was, and to willingly go - showed he was willing to fight his flesh and his will.

But he also yielded to the will of God. Verse 14 says, “And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.” We see here several truths. They were not willing to submit to the Lord’s will in the past, but in verse 14, they did. Paul would not submit to their lack of submission to the clear will of God. This means he was surrendered already to the will of God. Not only was he tenacious in rejecting the flesh, he was tenacious in submitting to Christ. He had received instruction from the Spirit. His path would be a path of suffering. All his disciples should expect no less. Dearly beloved, as we look at the wording here, we can’t help but be reminded of Christ’s submission to God’s will. When he was at the Mount of Olives, in that little garden where the olives were pressed, he said - “Father, all things are possible for you; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what you will.” He knew what the prophets had said about him. And he was willing to surrender himself. Before he went to Jerusalem, Jesus said to the 12 - “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on.”

Not only did Paul go against his flesh and submitted himself to the will of God, but I believed he realized through God’s providence, that his hardship would not hinder the church. As he was traveling down to Jerusalem, he would’ve seen God’s providence - how the church had grown. There are towns mentioned here in Acts 21 that are not found before this. Verse 7 mentioned Ptolemais - Paul hadn’t visited that city, but there was a church there. Before he reached there, he was at Tyre - there were prophets in that city - and Paul didn’t found that church. When he went to Caesarea, what’s amazing is that since Acts 8 till now, Philip got married and had 4 daughters. All of them were prophets. And there was Agabus from Judea. Not only that, in verses 15-16, when they traveled from Caesarea, there was some one else accompanying this group of people. Mnason of Cyprus - an old disciple went with them. After everything that had been said - the suffering and danger - this old saint accompanied them from Caesarea. He could’ve stayed comfortably retired in Caesarea, but he went. And one of the reasons is that he had a house in Jerusalem where all of them could stay. The kingdom was growing and this was an assurance to Paul. His labor all of this while had borne forth fruit. The labor of other men had borne forth fruit. And that’s why his suffering in the will of God would also bear forth fruit. It was Jesus who said that “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

Dearly beloved, how can we apply this sermon? The context here is about the work of God and the need to free people to do it despise the dangers and the need to surrender to God’s will. I can speak about missionary or even ministerial dangers. I can tug on the heart strings of officers and potential officers to serve. I can speak about the willingness to suffer. There will be ministry challenges and joys - there will be sacrifices like time and energy. Ministry is filled with joy as well as challenges. And we are thankful to all who give of their service for the work of God. But I can also appeal to their wives and family to know the challenges of ministry - that they be willing to free their husbands and fathers - this will lead to growth. And that wouldn’t be a wrong application. Those of you who have served as officers, perhaps in the next coming election, it is to return. Those of you who are praying, perhaps, as the Lord leads, you can join with our merry band. Perhaps it is even to be willing to surrender yourselves to serve Christ full-time.

But specifically, the context has to do with suffering for the will of God. And what we see is that Christ was at work in the church according to his will. He was working in the hearts of ht people to endure hardship, die to self, grow in grace, to love one another, and to interpret the will of God correctly. And we know as the Word of God says, that suffering is the will of God for every Christian. 1 Peter 4:19 - “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” But are we surrendered to do this? Far too often, we want to do our will. We don’t want to experience the hardship of asking forgiveness - resulting in broken relationships. We don’t want to experience the hardship of taking up the cross and denying ourselves sinful pleasures - resulting in many sorrows. Perhaps we want to save our children from hardship and trials - to give them the easy way out. Instead of doing the right thing and God’s will, we let them escape. Are we not rather condemning them with indulgence - not love; sentimentality - not sympathy? There are countless Christians, having done their selfish will instead of denying self who have encountered many problems. That’s not the suffering here. We suffer for doing wrong, instead of suffering because we’re wronged. So I’m talking about the willingness to surrender to God, to do his will instead of ours. That’s the surrender that is needed. In fact that’s the kind of surrender that grows the church. That’s how we grow. When we do not our will but the will of God.

What is it the confronts you today? You know the will of God in his Word, but you are willing to free yourself to submit to it. When Jesus said that he would be delivered to the Chief Priests, his disciples rejected it. Jesus had to say to Peter - Get away from me Satan! You don’t know the things of my father! When Peter cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest, Jesus told him to put away his sword and said these words - shall I not drink the cup my father has given me? And what did Jesus die for beloved? He died for you to deny yourself.

1. The Need to Free in Doing God’s Will

A. Their loving concern

B. Their wrong interpretation

C. Their eventual surrender

2. The Willingness to Suffer in Doing God’s Will

A. He fought his flesh

B. He yielded to God

C. He saw God’s providence