When the Multitude of Counselors is Wrong!

Paul says, What are you doing? Weeping and breaking my heart. Those are powerful words. What are you doing with your advising and your weeping and your begging?

You are breaking my heart. He was in deep pain over the response of his friends and companions. But you know what else this means? This means that when Paul headed to Jerusalem, he was bereft of personal encouragement from his friends.

Even though he had companions with him, he was virtually alone. Have you ever received really bad advice? Someone steered you in the wrong direction or guided you in a way that later proved to be unwise. Proverbs 11.14 tells us that in the multitude of counselors, there is safety.

That principle is true. But what happens when the counselors around you are wrong? Even your godly friends? What if you're surrounded by people who are giving you bad advice? Stephen Davey continues his series through the last chapters of Acts. He's calling today's message when the multitude of counselors is wrong.

Here's Stephen. While we're here in chapter 21 of Acts, where we left off, I want us to learn some valuable lessons as it relates to not only receiving biblical advice, but more importantly, how to give it. Let's begin with verse one. And when it came about that we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course because and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara. And having found the ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. And when we had come inside of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed a tire for there the ship was to unload its cargo. And after looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days.

And I'll stop for a moment. The word for the words translated in verse four, we looked up menorists scale. We looked up the disciples means they found the disciples by searching for them, found it to be an interesting word.

In fact, I wondered here are disciples that don't know Paul is coming and they're certainly not waiting at the dock for Paul as he arrives. Well, how does Paul find them? Well, it says here, he looked them up.

What does that mean? It meant he searched them out. How, how would he search them out? I think he would search them out by simply talking to everybody he met about the resurrected Lord. And eventually he bumps into somebody who knew somebody or who or knows somebody and they know where the believers are meeting and worshiping. And so in that fashion, he, he looked them up. I have found by the way, as perhaps you have found that you can find Christians just about anywhere you look, if you're willing to talk about Jesus Christ, I discovered that the maid who cleaned our room in India was a Christian.

My wife and I discovered sitting across from us on a train to, to, uh, sure. Salone in France was a couple who were Christians. The waitress three days ago at the restaurant was a pastor's daughter who was a believer from Nairobi. You find them as you talk about Jesus Christ, whenever you have the opportunity to bring them up.

And that's what they did. They kind of went through this village, the city, and they were talking about the Lord, the people that they met. And in that fashion, they found the disciples. So if you're looking for fellowships, start talking about Jesus Christ. So they found them there and they made some lasting friendships.

I'm sure. In fact, if you skip down to verse five, you read, and when it came about that our days there were ended just a week, we departed and started on our journey while they all with wives and children escorted us until we were out of the city. They hated to see Paul go in one of Luke's rare references to children were told that entire families go down and they kneel on the beach and they bid farewell to Paul. What a touching scene, what a moving scene it must have been.

What a wonderful scene. However, if you go back and read the rest of verse four, you discover it really isn't all that wonderful. The latter part of verse four. And they kept telling Paul through the spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. He'd been there a week and they were now telling him through the spirit not to go to Jerusalem. Now, if you go back to chapter 19 verse 21, you discover that Paul was bound in the spirit for Jerusalem. He's headed there. He wants to be there. In chapter 20 verse 24, we read that Paul considers his ministry in Jerusalem, his upcoming ministry to be that which was specifically given to him by Jesus Christ. So what's happening here through the spirit?

I think here this text could be an idiomatic way of expressing kind of the way we express things as we give advice. You know, the spirit of God is just impressing on my heart that you should do such and such. So if you were one of those members of that fellowship, you would have said to Paul, you know, Paul, we know you're going to Jerusalem and we just feel we have this impression by the Holy Spirit that you shouldn't go to Jerusalem. Now the truth is they were they were half right.

They were right in the fact that if he went there'd be difficulty, but they were wrong in their application that he wasn't supposed to go. The spirit of God had indeed predicted persecution, but that was to prepare Paul not to prohibit Paul. Now notice the latter part of verse five. And after kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.

Then we went on board the ship and they returned home again. He had the whole fellowship here of people sincerely intent on keeping Paul from going to Jerusalem. They believe it is God's will that he not go.

So I can just imagine how some of these prayers really sounded with knowing that background. Some of them were probably like, oh Lord, you know, help, help Paul to see the light. It'll open his eyes, dear Lord. He's a stubborn servant, but we're trying to help them. We're trying to keep them from missing your will, but he won't listen. So Paul sails away.

No doubt. I'm sure grateful for Christian fellowship, but I'm, I believe probably a little troubled by the disagreement over his vision and their use of terminology. Now say a little more about that later, but let's go to verse seven. And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemy and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day. And on the next day we departed and came to Caesarea and entering the house of Philip, the evangelist who was one of the seven.

We stayed with him. Now this man had four unmarried daughters or for Virgin daughters who were prophetesses. These four daughters, by the way, were a part of that fading apostolic gift that received revelation from God prior to this revelation we call the canon of scripture.

They will be replaced. And eventually as fact, by the time you get to Paul's later epistles, there is no more mention of this office of prophet or prophetess, but an encouragement of the body to listen, to study the word and to hear the teaching of the presbytery, the elder, the pastor, the teacher, and other committed believers who are maturing, who are able to teach the scriptures as well as they communicate the apostolic record that we know is the scripture. Now, in case you missed it here, the proud father of these four unmarried girls is Philip the evangelist. Now he was one of the deacons in the church in Jerusalem. We read about his election in Acts chapter six. Luke is reminding us, all of his readers, of this by mentioning in verse eight, he was one of the seven.

Did you notice that? He was one of the original seven deacons. Now you may also remember that Philip served with another one of those seven, a man named Stephen. Stephen was the first martyr of the church. In fact, it was after Stephen was brutally murdered by the incited Jewish mob that the church in Jerusalem scattered and Philip among them left everything that he had known and lived among for Samaria for an itinerant ministry of evangelism. Do you remember, by the way, who presided over the murder of Stephen? Paul known then as Saul.

I say all of that so you and I do not miss this historic meeting in chapter 21. Some 30 years after that, that tragic event, you have Paul staying in the home of one of Stephen's friends. Perhaps it's the first time that they have seen each other for 30 years. Maybe you've watched the news footage as I did this past week of the embassy official, the American embassy official who was in Iran when the Iranians abducted those embassy officials and held them captive for nearly two years, I believe. Well, that American embassy official came face to face with the man who masterminded that abduction, the Iranian. And they met at a press conference as they were trying to work out difficulties between the two countries.

And they were sort of, you know, the poster boys for how to work it out. And so here they are in front of the press and the, and the microphones and the people. And, and I thought it was highly significant. It was, it was un or unscripted, but when the American ended the meeting with his Iranian captor, he reached out his hand and he shook that Iranian man's hand.

That footage can't really come close to what's happening here. It's a significant part of the same idea, but you have here a volume written in between the lines of volume of grace and forgiveness, former enemies, a tragic day, bloodshed, murder, the scattering of the church, Phillip's life turned upside down. And this man who represented all that he had fought against, they are now meeting for the first time. Do you have here as you climb into this scene and you watch Phillip in oriental fashion, embrace Paul and welcome him into his home, you have a volume of grace and forgiveness.

This is the man who killed my friend, but now we're part of the same body. And I want you to know, Paul, you're welcome in my home. That's another way of saying, Paul, I forgive you. Can I ask you a question?

When's the last time you've forgiven someone? Now, verse 10. And as we were staying there for some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea and coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, this is what the Holy Spirit says. In this way, the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. Again, you have another warning from the Lord.

It's a warning, men and women, not a prohibition. Nowhere does the prophet say under inspiration, Paul, you're not to go. It's as if the Lord is speaking through the prophet to Paul, those saying, Paul, do not go to Jerusalem unless you're willing to suffer. Verse 12. And when we heard this, we, as well as the local residents, began begging Paul not to go up to Jerusalem again.

Now, well-meaning advice. The church just misapplies the prediction. They're they're running it through the grid of how they feel, their nature, their human nature. And it sounds good to them. And it might even sound good to Paul. But basically they're saying, Paul, they just said he just said the prophet of God. And and we all agree that if you go to Jerusalem, you're going to be bound.

Why in the world would you ever do that? Stay away from Jerusalem for your own good. Say for your protection for the church. Think of us. Where would we be without you, Paul?

Don't do it. Did you notice the subtle confession of Luke in verse 12? He's writing this book. When we had heard this, we, as well as the local residents, began begging him not to go. Who's the we? Luke and Paul's traveling companions. Now everybody's begging him nothing, even people he's traveling with, including the very men who should have known that Paul's desire to follow the will of God superseded his desire for self-preservation. And they of all men should have understood Paul's direction and passion and vision.

But now Luke has to admit, well, we climbed into and we began saying the same thing, too. Then Paul answered verse 13. What are you doing weeping and breaking my heart for I'm ready not only be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking the will of the Lord be done. It's hard to really know how to interpret that.

Sort of a fatalistic, perhaps. Well, OK, I guess God's will will be done. You know, God's sovereign.

Jump off the cliff, Paul. I guess God's will be done or perhaps a resignation to good theology. Well, Paul, you seem intent on your ministry. So the will of God be done in your life.

We don't know. But let me give you two principles that emerged from his decision to press on. Number one, sometimes God may want you to do something that nobody else understands or agrees with.

Now, be careful here. Don't use Paul as an example whenever you want to be stubborn and do your own thing. You know what you remember, Paul?

He didn't care where anybody thought he did it anyhow. That's me, Paul. Well, try it, but you may not get you very far. The point remains, sometimes the will of God is discovered in the minority opinion, and sometimes the only one in the minority voting opinion is you. Those of you who are older Christians may remember decisions you made that nobody agreed with, but you knew God wanted you to do it. And in hindsight, they've had to come along and say, you know, you were you were right. I've cataloged in my mind and as I was studying, I just thought about the different things that I had been advised not to do, was advised not to go to the seminary I went to, was advised not to plant the church that I did, was advised to teach, not teach things that I teach. But the point of human nature is we really want to do things that people agree with, don't we? I've never had a person come into my office for advice and say to me, Stephen, you know, boy, I had advice you just gave me. Thirty-five other people that I've talked to all said the same thing that was different than what you said, so that must mean that you're right. It's a fantasy of pastors.

We just kind of think that'll happen one day. There's a Danish proverb that says, rightly so, he who builds to every man's advice will have a crooked house. Sometimes God may want you to do something that no one else would ever approve of or agree or understand. Secondly, following the will of God may be in the opposite direction of personal pleasure. Don't think for a moment that Paul wanted prison. Well, Lord, thank you for predicting prison, but since that's what I want, I can't wait to go to Jerusalem.

Far from it. He was committed to following in obedience the will of God, and it led him directly into the jaws of suffering. How many of us would consider God's will to mean the most difficult chapter of our lives? We tend to think that must not be God's will. That's why we have to ask God to change our wants, to conform to his will, and as he changes our desires, we can then say with Proverbs 3.6, he gives us the desires of our heart, right?

He has to change what we want. I like the little girl's thank you note to her grandmother. Evidently, your mother, like our kid's mother, writes thank you notes. And the honesty that's sort of shown through, I thought, was rather humorous.

She said, Dear Grandma, thank you for my birthday present. I have always wanted a pincushion, but not very much. How many of us would be that honest? Lord, thank you, but I didn't want this very much. I had my eye on something else. I had my eye on a different path, a different direction, a different result. Thank you. I'm supposed to say that, but not very much.

How do you deal with gifts you don't want? Those gifts from God that we call the circumstances of life. Now, with the time we have left, I want us to learn some things further from these events. And as I thought about applying the passage, which is really one of those easy passages to come up with all kinds of application for, I had the temptation to apply this passage to ourselves as we identified with who? Paul, right? We're Paul here. We're steadfast in our commitment to the Lord. We're stalwart, even though those around us beg and cry not to follow the will of God. That's us.

We'll go to the finish line. That's who we are. Well, I, after further consideration, thought that we probably identified better with those who were giving Paul wrong advice. So what can we learn from them?

Let me let me suggest a few things. We're kind of like these verse 12 says all the local residents. You know, that's the church and the friends of Paul. Well, lesson number one. Here's what we can learn. Don't enlist God's name to endorse your advice. The Spirit of God told me to tell you, dah, dah, dah, dah. You know, God's really been impressing on my heart that you should do thus and so.

I've been in the Word lately, and I thought of you when I got to that passage. And here's what I think God wants you to do. You know, be careful not to use the Lord's name in vain.

That's what it is. We sort of give authority to our opinion by saying, you know, God told me or the Spirit led me or I I feel impressed by the Spirit that you ought to. That's exactly what they were doing here. In fact, all of the people in these passages claim that their advice was from the Holy Spirit and they all had one thing in common.

They were all dead wrong. I think we throw God's name around far too much as we simply give our opinion. OK, that's you to learn. Let's go to lesson number two. God will not deliver his will for someone's life through you.

Now, if that surprises you, I'm glad you heard it. God may use you to to confirm his will in another person's life. God may use you to encourage his will in another person's life. God may use you to complement his will as it's being developed in another person's life. But we happen to believe in this wonderful doctrine called the individual priesthood of every who? Every believer.

Do you know what that means? Well, if we put feet to that great Reformation doctrine, what that means is ultimately God's Spirit resides and bears witness with your spirit to follow his will. There is no longer a mediator between you and God apart from God. On this plateau of people who are desiring to follow the will of God, the ground is level. You don't have people up here who really know the mind of God.

And so you go to them. You have people who can advise and help and instruct. But God is able, fully able to perfect that which he began to work in you till the day of Jesus Christ. His spirit dwells in your spirit. Ephesians 3 17 Christ dwells in your heart. And the result, among other things, is that according to Ephesians 1 17, you may have a spirit of wisdom.

Third, your counsel to someone else cannot replace their decision making struggle. As we traveled about these past few weeks as a family going back and forth to Grandma and Grandpa's house where the kids stayed while Marsha and I were away, we popped in these tapes, Odyssey tapes. You familiar with that stuff? Great, great stuff.

Kind of makes the trip go real quick. And forgive me for using a fictional illustration here, but you'll get over it. At any rate, we're listening to Eugene and Katrina carry on this conversation. If you've been following the Odyssey revelations, you know that Eugene proposed to Katrina, and Katrina refused. And this sent Eugene in a tailspin. Well, then after some time apart, they get back together again and are dating and all of that, and Katrina proposes to Eugene. And Eugene doesn't know what to do. So he gets out this clipboard, as only Eugene, this intelligent young man, can do. And he begins going around Odyssey surveying people, getting their vote on should he marry her or not. He's got the yes column and the no column. And of course, all is fine until Katrina finds out, who then is not too thrilled with what he's doing to discover whether or not he's supposed to marry her. So from there, it sort of degenerates and they begin to argue.

Well, anyhow, I think we're a lot like him. We would rather get out our clipboard and go around to all our friends and ask them, do you think I ought to do this or not? Or, I'm struggling with this decision.

What do you think I ought to do? Rather than struggle with the one who knows the answer. We go to everybody else and then maybe at the end it's okay, Lord, it's even here, 13 to 13. Can you cast the deciding vote?

I need to know by tomorrow. There is a struggle in discovering what God wants you to do. J. Grant Howard Jr. wrote 25 years ago in his book, Knowing God's Will and Doing It, when we give counsel that is oriented to the word, it will be instructive. But when we give counsel that is rooted in our experience, it may be nothing more than opinion. Our personal attitudes, opinions and biases always need to be related to and through the word before we prescribe them as the right medicine to someone's life. I like that.

One more. Before offering counsel to someone who asks advice, listen carefully. And look at verse 13 again. Paul says, what are you doing weeping and breaking my heart? Those are powerful words. What are you doing with your advising and your weeping and your begging?

You are breaking my heart. Sound like it didn't affect him to you? He was in deep pain over the response of his friends and companions.

But you know what else this means? This means that when Paul headed to Jerusalem, even though he had companions with him, he was virtually alone. He was bereft of personal encouragement from his friends. He did not feel with confidence that they were behind him and with him praying for him. But instead he went in effect alone. His spirit crushed his heart heavy, broken because no one understood him or agreed with him.

No one came up and we have a record of and said, look, Paul, I want you to know that I'm with you. I understand your commitment to Jesus Christ. I understand your desire to follow him into the crucible of suffering in Jerusalem. I believe you're doing the right thing. I just want you to know that when you go to Jerusalem, I'm back here and I am holding you up before the Father with love and prayer. And I'm on your team. Paul, count on me.

None of that. How could Paul persevere? Well, if you go back to Chapter 20, verse 22, you find what he says. I'm bound in the spirit. I'm on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies in me and every city saying the bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life.

Here it is. I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself in order that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. Paul says, this is why I'm going along. This is why in the face of all of my friends and churchmen and fellow believers disagreeing, this is why I press on for the sake of the church, for the sake of the glory of God, for the sake of the ministry that I've been given to do, for the sake of the testimony to the grace of God.

I'm willing to be the one person who stands apart from the rest of the world, even though the rest of the world includes the church. Would the God that we had more people who were as resolute as Paul in their faith, as as confident in their sovereign Lord to watch over them as committed to their testimony of faith to see it through to the very end, regardless of what may happen. But for us, the next time you're tempted to give advice, remember Paul. And the next time you receive advice, remember him as well. The next time you either give advice or receive advice, the example of Paul will help guide what you say or do.

Thanks for joining us today here on Wisdom for the Heart. This is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey. Probably the best way for you to learn more about us is to visit our website, which is wisdomonline.org. Once you get to our homepage, you'll be able to access the complete archive of Stephen's Bible teaching ministry. In addition, we post each day's broadcast, and that's helpful because almost every message is part of a series, as Stephen teaches verse by verse through portions of the Bible. So if you ever miss one of these lessons, you can go to our website to keep caught up. The archive of Stephen's teaching is available on that site free of charge, and you can access it anytime.

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