Acts 21, verses 1 through 16, and when we had parted from them in set sail, we came by a straight course to Coss and the next data roads and there from there to Pantera. And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard in set sail. When we had come inside of Cyprus, leaving on the left, we sailed to Syria and landed on tire. For there, the ship was to unload its cargo. And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the spirit, they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey. And they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship and they returned home. When we had finished the voyage from tire, we arrived at Tolemay. And we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. On the next day, we departed and came to Cessaria. And we ended the House of Philip, the evangelist, who was one of the seven and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And Cami Dusk took Paul's belt and bound his own feet in hands and said, 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. When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, what are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart for I am ready, not only to be in prison, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, let the will of the Lord be done. After these days, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem and some of the disciples from Cessaria went with us, bringing us to the House of Nason of Cyprus, an early disciple with whom we should lodge. Acts chapter 21, we are making our way through the book of Acts, come to a very important, I believe and key moment in the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. And therefore being key in his life, it teaches us a very important principle concerning the Christian life. And the idea is that there is no turning back. There is no turning back. It was President Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States who once said, nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than an unsuccessful man with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Persistence, the Bible speaks of it as perseverance. It is one of those unmistakable qualities of Christianity. Christians are expected to press on. Christians are expected to persevere in the faith, to persevere in calling, to persevere in duty. Above all, we love it. Seek to stay the course. That's what Jesus said, Mark chapter 13, and verse 13. But the one who undoes to the end will be saved. Perseverance. Now, perseverance does not mean perfection. Perseverance simply means that you're going in the right direction. Perseverance does not mean that you won't lose a battle or two. Perseverance just simply means you don't quit. As Paul was wrapping up his third missionary journey here in Acts chapter 21. As he was heading home from this last trip, as he was making his way and determined to get to Jerusalem. So that in Jerusalem, he might encourage the saints there with the testimony and the gifts of the saints out from Jerusalem, that he might check in with the leadership there and then ultimately go on to his ultimate destination, which was Rome. Here will be a possible of Jesus Christ to get to Jerusalem more than ever. It just seems he was determined to stay the course, no matter what,
no turning back, no turning back. What we have here in Acts 21 is essentially a travel log. See that? You might remember, you should remember that Luke. Dr. Luke is the one who wrote the gospel of Luke. And he also wrote the account of Acts. He can write the account of Acts because he traveled with Paul.
And in traveling with Paul, thankfully he recorded for us all of the God-led movements of the Apostle as well as the events that surrounded his life. And the itinerary that we see here that that Luke gives us is a precise and a full itinerary. Notice what he says. To leave in Philippine, chapter 20 and verse 6, they traveled for five days and they came to Troas. They spent five days in Troas. And from Troas, they traveled four days to Maletus. And from Maletus, they traveled seven days to Ty. They're entire. They spent seven more days. It's been seven days and Ty, because apparently they had a layover. The ship that they were on, the Bible says, had to be unloaded. And it had to be loaded again. And they had these huge cranes like we have today. These ships had to be loaded and unloaded by hand. It took some time. And Paul and his companions had some time on this on their hands. Apparently this loading and unloading would take a few days. And so they did, like most of us would do. They sent word to some brothers and sisters entire and asked them if they could hang out with them for a few days, living close to one of the busiest airports in the world. Like we do, we often find ourselves with the blessings of friends, suddenly calling us out of the blue and telling us that they have a layover or they have missed their flight. And wonder if they can come and hang out for a few moments or if we have an extra bed or pillow that they can probably. Don't get excited. Sheena, but what a joy it is, beloved. What a joy it is to have unexpected visits of friends. Wow, with these friends. They must have told them of their tribe, their tender travel to Jerusalem. And once they inform Paul of their, and once they inform, once Paul informed these friends of his, of his intended travel to Jerusalem, apparently the spirit of the Lord informed these friends. As he had already did the apostle Paul, that when Paul got to Jerusalem, there was going to be some trouble. There was going to be some persecution. There was trial that awaited Paul in Jerusalem. And I mean, heard this from the spirit of God, these friends did what any good friends would do. God has told us, have you continued on to Jerusalem? That's going to be trouble. It's going to be trouble. And the Bible says it after seven days in time. Have you worn the apostle? They all went down by the seashell, prayed with him, and they got on the ship, and they had it, but told them they traveled a day to tell them it's with the brothers and sisters there. And from tell them it's the Bible says the next day they came to cesarea. And there they would spend several days in cesarea catching up once again with Philip, a dear brother that they had known from Jerusalem. Remember that he was one of the seven in Acts chapter six, one of the original, the alternate servants. He was an early advantage. So remember that he had witnessed to the Ethiopian in Munich. In the church he was well known and apparently by this time Philip and his family had relocated to cesarea. And by now he had four daughters who were faithfully serving the Lord in their singleness. And apparently fulfilling the words of Joel chapter two and again in what Peter spoke in Acts chapter two on the day of Pentecost where the Bible says in the last days it shall be. God declares that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy and young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my spirit and they all shall with these four young ladies. Spirit of Lord had come upon them and in their singleness given themselves over to the things of God not concerned with the things of the world. Spirit of the Lord had come upon and they were faithfully speaking. In fact not only were these young ladies speaking the word of God the Bible says that while they were with Philip and his family a well known prophet came. One known as Agaphas. He came to the house apparently and he prophesied. And then prophesied again receiving from the spirit of the Lord. The events that were going to come to Paul as he enters into Jerusalem warning Paul again that going to Jerusalem made sure trouble sure punishment sure imprisonment and perhaps even worse see this recurring thing that is going on here. The warnings were real the warnings were severe that this is where we need to learn our lesson this morning. This is where the spirit of God desires to speak to us from his word and order our steps this morning. Spirit of the Lord will speak to us through the servant Paul and show us two important truths this morning. They will be pressed upon our hearts and minds and truths at ease that we find in this text the spirit's promise and Paul's resolve considered of the spirit's promise. It was made clear to the Apostle Paul that the road ahead would not come to 20 22 himself says and now behold I am going to Jerusalem constrained he says by the spirit not knowing what will happen to me there except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and affliction awaits me what's the Holy Spirit what's coming for understand this is given chapter 21 and verse 4 chapter 21 and verse 11 here's something to remember when the Holy Spirit makes a promise the Holy Spirit is going
to keep his promise. You know what the Holy Spirit promises with trial you are reading the numbers on to the church 16 verse 33 Jesus says in this world dinner that has massacued them here what the it's saying to the church chapter 10 verse 24 Jesus said master of the house builds upon how much more the vision promise us offer loss he does not promise us perfect health he does not promise us all loving relationships he does not promise us all abundant wealth and with the chapter 3 and verse 12 in Christ Jesus will be persecuted and this is not wanted in this world the most churches after Christ legislate godliness are seeking to be to be restrained in this reluce come upon you to test you as if something strange will happen to you that's strange
love it not only has the Holy Spirit promise trouble but he has also promised
he has also promised the promise of god is not only trouble but the promises that the end of that trouble is always rejoicing Bible says doesn't thank Corinthians chapter 4 for momentary light affliction is doing what is producing for us an eternal wake of glory far beyond all comparisons so while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal don't just
promise the preachers and the things of the promises of all the trouble you can see it though because he doesn't have the attention of course they need to go down but out of there he is moved by the compassion and concern of his allies and passions they're not detergatory all that fits his face no matter what he was going to fix his face before the ritual and when we had to turn to that he was going to fix his face before the ritual he told his boy or boy I need to do some you know what's going to happen they had no time to say
he took the call without the call and he did know the speech don't work but he did a straight unemployment that was a no doubt but after this he said like Jesus wanted to do a short walk what is waiting for me there round and development to take the focus to different to zip that and you know what that means the possibility of death is waiting you in Jerusalem this is from up again assuring these were the ones that have trusted us you know what? Adidas, what's he doing? Adidas was a man of God he knew that Adidas was a problem of God he knew that what Adidas was going for truth but at the same time he didn't hear a word who knows who did but who wanted to walk with Adidas, who cared about who, who were all the compassion that they called him and never signed he said something you should God you were going to do that? I'm sure why would you want to do that? It's wrong So what about development? People know the past is the Christmas he's got the feeling that love and the recognition of the dude without you kept it to the Christians if you are and Paul was a parent in the termination that I need to talk to you and my heart is breaking but my mind is making it a routine Y'all know what that means that's why I wanted to sit Paul from the teaches and the Bible is our own inspired from somebody who knows that Adidas is and you know what look at the other side we write