SERMON: Acts 21 “The Beginning of the End”

“How can we best prepare for whatever lies ahead?”

1. Be Sure of Your Purpose

2. Be Sure You Do the Lord’s Will

3. Be Sure You Are Being Watched

“With confidence in the Lord we have confidence for whatever lies ahead.”

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
1. How would you describe your purpose in life? Can this change over time or in various circumstances, and can one have more than one purpose? What “great work” (Nehemiah 6:3) are you currently engaged in?

2. What emerges from this chapter is a man with a singular purpose, and that is to reach Jerusalem. Does Paul strike you as foolish or courageous in his decision, despite much other counsel, to pursue his course to Jerusalem? When have you made a decision that went against the witness of those close to you or those you trusted? What happened in the situation for you? Read Luke 13:31-35, and answer how this situation compares to Paul’s.

3. The topic of the “will of God” could easily take up several Sunday’s worth of sermons, and is a subject of great discussion amongst theologians and seminarians! As you review v. 14 of our text, what is the significance of God’s will for Paul and how did it impact his life? Read the following cross section of Scriptures that speak to various aspects of the “will of God” and discuss them in your group. How does one know the will of God, and what does it mean to “do” the will of God? Psalm 40:8; Matthew 6:10; Luke 22:41-42; John 4:34; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 1:7-12; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 10:36; 2 Peter 3:9.

4. The instance of Paul paying the vow in vv. 20-26 are intended to show Paul’s critics that he has most certainly not advocating for the throwing out of Jewish customs as falsely accused. Again, we see Paul seeking unity over that of division in matters not related to salvation. How does this passage illustrate the principles of 1 Corinthians 9:19-23? How do you decide when you should bend for the sake of others or stand your ground?

5. Repeatedly in the book of Acts we are reminded that it is often that a Christian is called to suffer for the faith. Read through the following passages and discuss how this impacted Paul and the first century Christians, and how what it means for us, and how God often uses difficult circumstances to bring good. Luke 6:22-23; Acts 5:40-42, 9:15-16, 20:22-23; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:4.

6. How does it make you feel to consider you are being “watched” as a Christian? What would a non-believer come to believe about Christianity as they interact with you? What message are you sending?

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