Sermon Notes for 4/27/2014 (Acts 21:1-16, Mark 8:31-36)
The Lord's Will Be Done
A. A journey with a sense of foreboding (1-12)
1) Moved by the Spirit, people urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem (1-7)
After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.
2) Hearing a prophecy, people warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem (8-12)
Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, `In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
B. Let's be able to say, "The Lord's will be done." (13-16)
1) Paul's heart (13)
Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? （Mark 8:31-36)
<"Abba>, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me." （Mark 14:36a)
"Yet not what I will, but what you will."（Mark 14:36b)
2) The bottom line of our lives (14-16)
When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
Summary
It took many years for people to accept that the earth is not at the center of the universe. We have a tendency to believe that everything revolves around us, and we feel insecure whenever we are reminded that this is not true. In this day and age, people don't believe that there is an actual "center" of the universe, but the Bible teaches that God, the Creator, is the center of all things. If we put our trust in this God, not only will our hearts not be anxious, but we will also have the ability to walk with the kind of peace that cannot be taken away.
For Discussion
1) What was God trying to communicate through prophecy?
2) How were people feeling when they said, "The Lord's will be done"
The Lord's Will Be Done
A. A journey with a sense of foreboding (1-12)
1) Moved by the Spirit, people urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem (1-7)
After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.
2) Hearing a prophecy, people warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem (8-12)
Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, `In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
B. Let's be able to say, "The Lord's will be done." (13-16)
1) Paul's heart (13)
Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? （Mark 8:31-36)
<"Abba>, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me." （Mark 14:36a)
"Yet not what I will, but what you will."（Mark 14:36b)
2) The bottom line of our lives (14-16)
When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
Summary
It took many years for people to accept that the earth is not at the center of the universe. We have a tendency to believe that everything revolves around us, and we feel insecure whenever we are reminded that this is not true. In this day and age, people don't believe that there is an actual "center" of the universe, but the Bible teaches that God, the Creator, is the center of all things. If we put our trust in this God, not only will our hearts not be anxious, but we will also have the ability to walk with the kind of peace that cannot be taken away.
For Discussion
1) What was God trying to communicate through prophecy?
2) How were people feeling when they said, "The Lord's will be done"