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November 1, 2019 8:00 am
God has an encouraging word for you and me today. The Bible based Dr. Don Wilton on this edition of the Encouraging Word. Dr. Wilkins taking us back to just a moment, but you need to know when you pray with you and 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 or online at The Encouraging Word large Bob to the book of acts and chapter 21 want to speak to you today on following hauled off to God's will.
People listen.
The greatest thing you can ever do as an individual person is to just simply follow hauled off to what God wants you just know that's hard to do because if you're like me, I want to know I want to know what it looks like we forget right I want to know what seat I bought at the bowl game before I go because I don't do sitting with the sun shining in my face time because when I do that and they put me and facing the San Martin might only win by one point in the final analysis, so I want to know I want to know what it looks like I want to know that's a human thing we all could we all agree one another, God sees.
I have no argument for that. Just follow hard just say yes. Samuel said yes more and speak your servant is hearing greatest thing we can do you can do I can do is to know and to determine the will of God for our lives and then just do it. Just lay it down say Lord I will do that I can't figure it out. I don't even know if I got enough money. I don't know if I can get done if I have the energy and goddesses do it. Acts chapter 21 pull when we had departed from them and sit sale. We came by straight course because in the next day to roads and from there to Kara and having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia. We went aboard and we sit sale when we had common side of Cypress leaving it on the left. We sailed to Syria and landed the tire for the day. 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 to Jerusalem when our days.
They were ended. We departed 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 Tyre. We arrived at Paula Myers and we were greeted by the brothers stayed with them for one day on the next day we departed, and came to Caesarea and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist who was one of seven stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied and while we were staying for many days. A prophet named agonist came down from Judea and coming to us, he took Paul's belt down his own feet and hands and said, thus says the Holy Spirit.
This is how the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this bill and will deliver him into the hand of the Gentiles. And when we heard this we the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem, then pull Onset. What are you doing weeping and breaking my heart.
I am ready not only to be imprisoned, but I'm ready 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 will be done, and often these days, we got ready went up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us in bringing us to the house of Mason of Cypress in early disciple with whom we would large and when we had come to Jerusalem. The brothers received this Gladney on the following day all went with us to James and all the elders were present off the greeting them. He related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles threes ministry and when they heard it, they glorified God, and they say to him you see how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who believe they're all zealous for the Lord, but they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews you are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses telling them not to circumcise their children to walk according to our custom. What then is to be done, they will certainly hear that you've come due. Therefore, what we tell you we have four men who are under involved take these men and purify yourselves along with them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads. Thus, all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you that you yourself also live in observance of the law. But as for the Gentiles who you believe whips to later without judgment that they should abstain from what is being sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is being strangled and from sexual immorality. Then Paul took the man and the next day he purified himself along with them and he went into the temple at Jerusalem, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled in the offering presented for each one of them. One thing is for certain about this man pull.
He followed hard after God's will. Let's just take a look at this very briefly. This was quite a journey. I think you will agree want you to think for a minute about the rinky-dink ships that these people must've been traveling.
I'm not so sure any of us would've greatly just jumped on board, but he was here in Miletus so he got on board the ship and he went to this island cool cause, by the way, causes the port of the island of cars because even to this day carries the name. It's the capital city of the island cold because and then he came down here to this great island I'm going to talk to you about that little while cool roads and he stopped there right here.
This is also a port city Island on the scene. Nass River six I in a this is really a transliteration the sea Nass X are in a is River, which is a substantial River was a port city here, and he stopped off then. Then he got on a ship and he went to this place.
Corporate Kara, are you going to notice along nonstop line. I'm going to explain to you why he did that you already told us but some of you might've forgotten he was in a hurry so I got on board a ship different ship and he sailed all the way member Cypress. The Bible says was on the left of the ship came Roger through the Mediterranean Sea and this is where he landed the tire went to Caesarea by the sea, Ptolemaic Caesarea Caesarea America team the word by the sea is the word marriage team. But if you go come with me to Israel. Like many of you on December I'll take you to Caesarea by the sea, marriage team, a it's right here on the Mediterranean Sea very strategic place is going to become even more strategic because that's where Paul is going to be going to speak to the ruse, but any right so he carries from Benny ends up in Jerusalem.
I want to say this as we try to get a handle on this together is here. We've got a man who, don't you think when he was up in Asia and in the beautiful on the edge of the Aegean Sea person if I was Paul I think that I could legitimately call the churches together and say look, guys, I've done a lot and I'll be traveling all over the place. This is my third journey. It's time to hang up my cleats, you know, I'm just going to help around here� Keep going the way we all, but evidently Paul was driven by what is most important, and that is what does God want not my will but thine be done.
Jesus established that in the garden of Gethsemane. He could've called 10,000 angels, but he followed the will of the father and the result is you and I have life.
He's the one who restores our soul. What does it mean when we understand what pulled and what happened to poor in this journey look means a number of things when you follow hard, off to the will of God number one.
It means that sometimes you will be tearing yourself away you get that in fact other texts in chapter 21 in verse one. Use the word in the Greek text, the word dead means to literally tear away on a piece of paper appearance like this. You know, if you look back at the end of chapter 20 there is with all these people that he loved you ever had someone say to you, but we've never done it this way before. In God's economy. God understands that in our lives personally. We understand Paul had a deep and abiding love and friendship. God spoke the Bible tells us very clearly here that he just had to part from them. That would part sometimes falling hard off to the will of God means some of the things that are can be jolly tough really and you have no idea when you do it you can't see how that God brings you back to give before you left. You don't know that if you didn't know that you would have no need to have faith and without faith you cannot please God, church, trust God. Let God speak to you to us churches.
The done trust God hold business meetings where everybody comes together to tell God how much they don't trust. That's why the United States Congress is like it is because I don't think God's there. He's opinion is not valued by many and I'm so thankful for the many that do value his opinion. It means tearing away, but sometimes it also means multiple stops falling hard off the God doesn't mean to say you go somewhere and you unpack your bag, not in Paul's case that was true.
So let me pick on one of them. So he went a cause and then he went to Rhodes. I want to show your picture roads alright so the first picture you going to see is a very interesting picture. This is actually today if you want to know about it. This porch as cold Lynn Bross LINDORS so this is when you approach island of Rhodes pole and his entourage. Of course this wasn't here when pole came in and landed roads.
So what's the next picture here. This is way pole came which is just down the road on the East Coast.
This care is called the Colossus of Rhodes and back in the ancient world. The Colossus was one of the seven wonders of the will, so the Colossus of Rhodes, sat then at the temple and we could talk a lot about that, but this is the way actual bay that pole on the ship coming from because landed. This is where he came. So what's the yeah because I put the scene deliberately. You see this little opening here that's way he's entire ship went through by the way, that's not a ship and that's not me. I wish it was, he came in here and I want you to notice something this piece of rock out here. The Colossus over here which is a huge piece of rock. This is a totally sheltered part of the land go to the next slide here this little chapel actually stands right on a piece of land. They ended it's the apostle Paul chapel and it's got a big plaque is implacably done. Can you see the stone here. Maybe you can see that in the plaque said this actually seems to the states written in Greek and English should say is the apostle Paul landed here during his third missionary journey and then quotes the Scripture. There is neither Jew nor Greek, now the Mayo fee my own on the Bonnell free World War I, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ that's Rhodes.
So why did he ship pulled in at cause and then pulling the roads and then pull in at the Torah and then why did he get on one ship and go all the way across the tire well if you were to analyze this is from a nautical point of view. Very typically and consistently. This is the Aegean Sea every day in the Aegean Sea.
The winds during the day, come down from the north. They blow from the north always have always will. The winds blow this way which way is the ship going then at night. The wind dies down and in dying down the winds on the Aegean Peninsula shift and as they died down, they gently blow back from the South.
They push back this way and so sailors during the time of the apostle Paul wanting to go in this direction the yarn he had sailed power they would catch the winds, the breezes moving south, he landed at cause landed roads. He landed Qatar and what would happen is they would go into these protected little waterways for two reasons. Number one because of security. They didn't have lamps and lights to be able to look at rocks and things. That's why they would be destroyed. They couldn't see where they were going they didn't even have nautical instruments to the extent that we would enjoy them today so there was a security reason, there was a nautical navigational reason, but there was also a wind reason they have to take shelter at not because the wind changed in the opposite direction. But when he got to guitarist something happened when he got to Pretoria, you will remember that the apostle Paul had made a statement of the chapter 20 in verse 16, just before I read to you what did Paul say that, for Paul had decided to say apostate emphasis so that he might not have to spend time in Asia. Garrett is for he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem if possible. On the day of painted call when he got to Pretoria pole turned to his companions and said gentlemen, we got a problem we going to get to Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost placing problem solved is a much bigger ship that sails from here to tire. By the way, the much bigger ship could take on board 276 passengers.
Now how do we know that well because we are told that in act 27 verse 27. Sorry, not verse 27 verse 37. Then they will all encourage, ate some food themselves. We will all in all, 276 persons in the ship. By the way to sailed from Qatar or to tire in a bigger ship one journey took approximately five days. I guess a man falling hard off to God's will. He could've stayed had every reason because he was falling hard off to God's will. There are some things that we believe happened number one and sometimes falling hard off to God's will means tearing away. Sometimes you just have to go somewhere do something leave someone number two sometimes means multiple stops. Don't ever tell God that you've unpacked your bed you unpack them for you.
I've had the privilege of being with you for many many years and I believe with all my heart there's at least another good 20 years in me, but I can tell you this. Both my wife and I can tell you before God on have never told God that I will never leave you or leave you.
How cannot but God has been very gracious because he is given to us the greatest joy of our lives seek God for foods, the joy of your life.
God is not a God who gets it in for you. God's not out saying man on to find something that's going to really make. I'm just going to destroy his whole frame of reference. I'm in a Rupees auto I'm in a make him bleed that sound like God.
But what he requires is that you follow hard off to him. Sometimes when you follow hard off the godlike bullet means meeting interesting people and you know this is repeat. If you go from verse four through verse 15 payroll day, Philip the evangelist follow a winning tree's house and he had four daughters who prophesied our bid. Paul never heard so much talking in all his life.
I've often pulled about that, by the way they were unmarried. I'm grateful that the suggestion is that Paul was because he might be viewed potentially as an eligible bachelor. I don't know I'm just reading into the texture that you just meet interesting people. He did what about Agnes, the prophet came up from Judea. The Bible tells us quite a bit about and what about this man that we read about by the name of Mason with them in Mason of Cyprus Bible tells us he was an early disciple came from Cyprus. Who else came from Cypress anyone remember Barnabas member the church in Cyprus. There was a fellowship of believers and he was just meeting this this was hospitality. You folks are the best at hospitality. I love the way you so hospital you just open up your home is your hearts. There is nothing like you can go anywhere in the world you will never get hospitality like you get out of this room. I know I been the recipient of you are the most print. That's 20 and you know what happened. Pole went into the pipe man. He said man I'm going to stay at their house should man she can put the best food on the table.
They just have the nicest little room and they just make us feel like a Tahoe. I think you got a picture here of mice and Paul followed hard off to the will of God. Sometimes it means listening to a lot of good advice. Don't discount all the advice he's getting good advice can all ask you this question. Why do you suppose those that loved him based would not say team don't go to Jerusalem, I want you to think of of a person that you know and you love and respect. If you were in the in pole shoes and you very well that you'll frame this lady this man was falling hard off and you knew that whenever they got to where they were going that in all likelihood it would even cost the lives you ride. I'd say please don't go me what kind of frame is going to cite God to God by never see you again this is a feast of friendship and the movement of the Spirit of God is a very precious thing when you follow hard, off to the will of God get a lot of wonderful advice, but to preach on this don't listen to the court of public opinion. Don't pay ever attention to the court of public opinion. That's an entirely different matter and the survey says God don't do surveys don't listen to the court of public opinion you have multiple pressures godly men and women friends that speak from the heart because they love you. He he was falling hard off to the will of God, look at this.
Sometimes it means tearing away. Sometimes it means multiple stop. Sometimes it means meeting interesting people. Sometimes it means listening to a lot of good advice, but all times means following hard after go number times own children of come to us in many times I suppose some the hardest things we've ever said, even down cages God telling you to do well. Dad, this is what he signed with my son. Called my father, over 40 years ago. Karen and I are selling everything we have flying to New York I not ever see you again that we now know son, you know how much mom and I just love you and Karen. But if we never see you again in our entire life.
We know that you falling off to the will of God. Our joy we make. I didn't know we didn't know I would stand in this church four years ago.
As we celebrated my father's home call to heaven here how that happened.
What is God saying to you what is he saying to us, how does your last measure up. He is, he's the one the Lily of the Valley bright morning star.
The Rose of Sharon, this Jesus this is Jesus who is God gave his life for you and for that we might have life.
Jesus said outcome that you might have life that you might have more abundantly. I promise you this. You turn your life over to Jesus and then you and your business at school, at home in your marriage church life.
Just follow him in this life is no greater place to be no greater joy, no greater journey have does mean tearing away and it does mean making many stops and it does mean meeting a lot of wonderful interesting godly people and it does mean listening to a lot of great sound lasted the shade together. Bottom line. Follow hard is the challenge.
Follow hard after God. Perhaps you realize that not only is it something it's overwhelming.
But how can it be done.
Here's the good news. You do not have to do it alone. God is ready to begin a work in you and to complete the work.
He begins in you by his love to pray with you and pray for you phone numbers 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 and that phone number and a number ways to connect are also on our website@theencouragingword.org. I pray that you would open your heart right now to perhaps the most important 60 seconds for a pastor Dr. Don Wilton are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news. You know, these are such special times together. I'm so grateful my friends that we can worship together like this to the Encouraging Word board course screen you such a thought going to love I want you to know that you know this ministry goes on 24 hours around the clock all the time. We want to be involved in your life and we want to continue to pray for you. You can call us at any time talking with us all the time. Prayer for you, giving. We know that you are 100% gauge as we are sharing God's truth without searching, that's what this is all about weaning Jesus. Don't God is doing a great and I love you today.
Thank God for you, pray for God in relation