Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Summary: Well-intentioned people sometimes give bad advice.

That’s what happened to Paul on His way to Jerusalem This passage teaches us to listen to advice, but follow God’s will at all costs; and explains why Paul did not fear death.

TEXT:

INTRODUCTION

Advice can be a wonderful thing…or an absolute disaster.

I bet that all of us can think back to some bad advice you RECEIVED or perhaps some bad advice that you have GIVEN.

Sometimes we don’t want to hear advice, but we should hear it anyway and pay heed to it.

Erma Bombeck said, “When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ it’s a mere formality.

It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no.

You’re going to get it anyway.”

says, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.”

So generally speaking, getting advice is a good practice.

But sometimes people are very well-intentioned… in giving very bad advice.

Illus.

– Here are some examples of some really bad advice: -

Illus.

– Here are some examples of some really bad advice: -

- (Slide 1: A women’s magazine cover that says, “NAG HIM…and he’ll be by your side longer.”)

- (Slide 2: A 1950s newspaper ad with a smiling mom and healthy baby that says, “For a better start in life, start COLA earlier.”)

- (Slide 3: Photo of a tire with a screw in it that says: “Instant snow tractions: Put a 2-inch screw in each tread.”)

- (SLIDE 4: Slide says, “If your girlfriend says, “I don’t anything for my birthday, don’t get her any.

It will show you are a good listener.”)

TS: In our text, we see Paul’s friends trying to give him advice, and Paul continues to reject it.

He steadfastly walks straight into the jaws of trouble and persecution.

He was getting lots of advice and counsel, but was it good counsel?

In our text, we see Paul’s friends trying desperately to give him advice, and Paul steadfastly rejecting it, walking straight into the jaws of trouble and persecution.

He was getting lots of advice and counsel, but was it good counsel?

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I see two key things in this passage …

I. FIRST, WE SEE PAUL’S DETERMINATION TO DO THE WILL OF GOD

EX: Bad Advice

1st verse 4 they advised him he should not go to Jerusalem.

They knew trouble was on the horizon

They choose to warn him against going.

Out of love for him, they tried to spare him.

They should have encouraged him to make him ready

2nd verses 10-12, a prophet named Agabus foretells the persecution Paul would face if he went to Jerusalem, causing the disciples to urge him not to continue.

Notice that Agabus was told what would happen

this was a prophesy from God

it was 100% accurate

However, the warning wasn’t from God!

It was the disciple’s reaction to the prophesy

So, if it was God’s will for Paul to go to Jerusalem, how do we deal with the warnings of the Holy Spirit in our text?

Shouldn’t we listen to the Holy Spirit?

Albert Barnes, gives this explanation:

[This] was not understood by Paul as a positive command that he should not go to Jerusalem; for had it been, it would not have been disobeyed.

He evidently understood [them] as expressive of their earnest wish that he should not go, as [informing] him of danger, and as a kind expression in regard to his own welfare and safety.…Paul

was in better circumstances to understand this than we are, and his interpretation was doubtless correct.…It

should be understood, therefore, simply as an inspired prophetic warning, that if he went, he went at the risk of his life—a prophetic warning, joined with their individual personal wishes that he should not expose himself to this danger.

The meaning evidently is that they said by inspiration of the Spirit that he should not go unless he was willing to encounter danger, for they foresaw that the journey would be attended with the hazard of his life.

AP: What truths are there for us to learn here?

1.

First, we can learn that not all advice is good, even if it comes from people who love us or are wise and knowledgeable.

or the right advice, even if it comes from people who love us or are wise and knowledgeable.

Sometimes good people can give you the wrong advice.

v. 4 is an example

Greek scholars say that the phrase “through the spirit” in the Greek really means “in consequence of the spirit”—that is, the disciples were saying not to go to Jerusalem because the Holy Spirit was giving advance warning of what was to happen.

Greek phrase “through the spirit”

literly means “in consequence of the spirit”

ly means “in consequence of the spirit”—that is, the disciples were saying not to go to Jerusalem because the Holy Spirit was giving advance warning of what was to happen.

—that is, the disciples were saying not to go to Jerusalem because the Holy Spirit was giving advance warning of what was to happen.

Not forbidden, sent

Sometimes the advice we offer others can be based more on what we desire than what is the will of God.

.

Maybe the Holy Spirit revealed these things to these brethren so they would pray the more earnestly for him, or perhaps to test Paul’s will to see if he would follow God’s will.

Whatever the reason for these revelations, it’s clear from this passage that sometimes well-meaning, even spiritual people can take accurate facts but come to a wrong conclusion.

Also, sometimes the advice we offer others can be based more on what we desire than what is the will of

2. Second, remember, only those facing a decision know all the facts and are qualified to make the final decision and face the consequences.

God.

This was the case with Paul’s friends when Agabus warned Paul about what was to happen in Jerusalem verses 10-11.

Agabus himself didn’t try to stop Paul, but when Paul’s traveling companions heard Agabus’s prophecy, they began to try to dissuade Paul from going to Jerusalem.

– Look at verse 12 again: “And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.”

Paul’s friends, including Luke, the writer of Acts, loved Paul and were concerned for his safety.

But they didn’t know the big picture of what God was up to, which we’ll see in the weeks ahead.

So, the first thing we can learn is that not all advice is good advice.

2. Second, though we should give counsel, remember that in the end, only those facing a decision know all the facts and are qualified to make the final decision—and will face the consequences of their decisions.

3.

One more lesson is that God’s will should be paramount in our lives.

But once they saw that Paul had made his decision, they simply left the matter in the Lord’s hands.

Yes, when asked for advice, DO give your insights and cautions, but in the end, a decision a person has to make is ultimately his or hers alone.

3.

One more lesson is that God’s will should be paramount in our lives.

Even if his best friends opposed him, Paul would not veer from his determination to do the will of God in his life.

Even though he knew that it meant SUFFERING in Jerusalem, Paul would not turn away from God’s will.

Even if it led to his DEATH, Paul set his face to do God’s will.

Paul was determined to do God’s will NO MATTER THE COST.

He says at the end of verse 13 –

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That is devotion

“I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

That’s the kind of determination we need to do God’s will in our lives!

We need the same devotion to God’s will as revealed in His word.

What is God’s will for your life?

We tend to see “God’s will” as big choices we make in things like the right spouse, or the right vocation for our lives.

But the only places the Bible talks about the will of God have to do with specific commands Christ has given us.

That is, the will of God is to do what He has commanded us to do.

For instance, says, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

What is God’s will for you?—Well, for one thing, that you give thanks in everything.

What is God’s will?

- It’s God’s will for you to be saved.

Have you been?

- It’s God’s will that He be first in your life

- It’s God’s will that you love one another.

Do you reach out to those in need and love the unlovely and forgive one another?