All posts by Virjil Selvan

Ramanathan Worships at the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

In Chapter Acts 22:30

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

³⁰ The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Paul was alone, none of his disciples were present. He had a great desire to go to Jerusalem his own people, he believed he will be able to convince them

Let’s read ACTS 23

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” ² At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

⁴ Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

⁵ Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’^[a]”

⁶ Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” ⁷ When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

⁹ There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ¹⁰ The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹² The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³ More than forty men were involved in this plot. ¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

¹⁶ But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.

¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸ So he took him to the commander.

The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

¹⁹ The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

²⁰ He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. ²¹ Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

²² The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

²³ Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen^[b] to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. ²⁴ Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”

²⁵ He wrote a letter as follows:

²⁶ Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency, Governor Felix:

Greetings.

²⁷ This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. ²⁸ I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. ²⁹ I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. ³⁰ When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.

³¹ So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. ³² The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. ³³ When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴ The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

In verse 1

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”

Paul testifies that he lived a life with good conscience. Before we move ahead, I felt something God speaking to us about conscience.

This morning I believe your conscience was (Past tense)  speaking something to you.

The idea of a “conscience” (Greek, syneidesis) is something Paul spoke about (Romans 2:15; 9:1; 13:5; 1 Corinthians 8:7, 10, 12; 10:25, 27-29; 2 Corinthians 1:12; 4:2; 5:11). For Paul, the “conscience” was the moral aspect of one’s awareness and thinking. The aim of a Christian life was to live with a pure, good or clean conscience before God (1 Timothy 1:5, 19; 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3).

Acts 24: 16

¹⁶ So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Romans 9:1

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit

Paul says in Acts 24. I strive always to keep my conscience clear.

Conscience gives you the ability to evaluate your own thoughts and desires, to discern what is right and wrong, and to distinguish between what is good and what is best.

To help us get a handle on conscience and how it functions, I want you to think about an alarm clock. A good alarm clock does two things: It stays quiet when you should be asleep, and it makes a noise when you need to wake up!

That’s how your conscience is supposed to work. When you are on the right path, a good conscience will be at peace (Colossians 3:15). But when you are tempted towards the wrong path, a good conscience will sound the alarm. The problem with the conscience is that, like every other part of your soul, it has been disordered by sin.

Like an alarm clock, conscience can malfunction and stay silent when it should go off.

The conscience has died. How is your conscience today this morning. The Holy Spirit is talking you.

Paul stood there boldly and made a statement and present his case against the charges of the Jews with clear conscience .

Verse 2-3

² At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

Apparently the high priest didn’t agree that Paul had fulfilled his duty before God. (Perhaps he didn’t appreciate Paul’s pronouncing the divine name, especially in support of himself.) Whatever the reason, the high priest was so bothered by Paul’s claim that he ordered those standing nearby to slap him on the mouth (23:2). The high priest in this case was Ananias. He had received his office from one of the Herods in about A.D. 47, and held his position for about 12 years. He was known for his greed. Josephus accused him of embezzling the tithes of the ordinary priests and for handing out lavish bribes (Antiquities 20:205-207, 213).

Ananias was hated by Jewish nationalists because of his pro-Roman policies. They burned his home in A.D. at the beginning of the Jewish-Roman war. Then, the nationalists hunted him down and he was killed along with his brother (Josephus, Wars 2:426, 441-442, 448).

“Whitewashed wall” (Acts 23:3)

Caught off guard, and stung by the command, Paul lashed back at the high priest, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!” he said. “You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” (23:3). Paul had not been tried and found guilty of any infraction of Jewish law. He hadn’t even been officially charged with any infraction. For him to be struck as though he was guilty of a crime violated the very law the high priest claimed to uphold.

The phrase “whitewashed wall” referred to a person who was a hypocrite, as the high priest had shown himself to be. Ananias claimed to uphold the law but he was trampling all over Paul’s rights according to that law.

He was not found guilty yet and there was no evidence presented yet.

Some commentators seem surprised by Paul’s sharp reply. They note that it contradicts the spirit of Jesus’ call to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39) as well as Paul’s own advice to bless when cursed (1 Corinthians 4:12). But the problem exists only if we think of Paul as some quasi-divine person who had achieved sinless perfection. That is not the way Paul spoke of himself (Romans 8:9-25). The simple answer is that Paul was a human being who sinned, as we all do. Paul was an emotional individual, a reactive person. This is not the only time Paul was guilty of saying something cutting and passionate (1 Corinthians 11:19; Galatians 2:11; 5:12; Philippians 3:2). Here he momentarily lost his composure. Though he spoke the truth about Ananias, it was probably not something he would have said under more ideal circumstances.

Romans 7:24-25

²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature^[d] a slave to the law of sin.

“Insult God’s high priest?” (Acts 23:4-5)

Those standing next to Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!” Paul said: “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written [in Exodus 22:28]: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people’” (23:5). It seems unusual that Paul should have failed to recognize the high priest. He presided at regular meetings of the Sanhedrin, and he should have been identifiable. The answer may be that this was not a regular meeting, and that someone else other than the high priest was presiding. Paul may not have known the high priest at the time by sight. He had been in Jerusalem only a few times in the past two decades or so. Meanwhile, the office had passed to another individual with whom he may not have been familiar (or whose appearance had changed over the years.

Another answer sometimes given is that Paul’s eye condition caused him to have poor vision. A less convincing answer is that Paul was speaking ironically. That is, he would be saying, “I didn’t think that the kind of person who would order me struck contrary to the law could be the high priest.”

In any case, Paul quickly apologized. Even his apology showed that he continued to live by the principles of Torah and according to the law. Since the Scripture condemned speaking evil of the high priest, no matter what his character, Paul admitted that he had erred.

We see this throughout the scriptures

Numbers 12:

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. ² “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.

Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”

⁹ The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.

¹⁰ When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous

I still remember there was one person looking for a church , he called and he said, I heard a lot about you , the work you are doing and all that stuff. Then he started sharing with me on call his past experiences, this pastor is like that, all sort of . I told him that no one is perfect.

Then I told him , see if you are looking for a perfect church , sorry then our church is not in the list. If you looking for perfect church , then again sorry I am not a perfect pastor. He was like , see I am not saying that n all. He told me that he love to meet me , I told him , I will update him. I never called him again. I felt in my spirit, speaking about someone else is not right.

We need to know that God is hearing our words.

Paul divides the Council (Acts 23:6)

Paul’s speech had been cut short by the action of the high priest. He must have realized that it was pointless to make any further defence before a council headed by someone of the likes of Ananias. Instead of going on, Paul suddenly thought of a different strategy. He realized how he could pit the council against itself. Luke described Paul’s tactic: “Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead’” (23:6).

Luke had already defined the Sadducees, one of the major Jewish sects of the time, as a group “who say there is no resurrection” (Luke 20:27). he Pharisees, however, believed in a resurrection (23:8).

Paul was able to use the disagreements and differences in viewpoint between Sadducees and Pharisees to good advantage. The dispute between the two groups became so violent that Lysias, the commander, was fearful that his prisoner would be hurt. Lysias ordered a detachment of troops to take Paul from the council by force and bring him into the barracks (23:10). Paul was now taken into protective custody by the Roman authority. For the rest of Acts, for a period in excess of four years, Paul would remain a prisoner of the Romans.

“Testify in Rome” (Acts 23:11)

The situation must have seemed bleak to Paul. He had been warned over and over again that he would face dire troubles in Jerusalem. He had barely survived three attempts on his life in just a couple of days or so (21:31; 22:22; 23:10). That his life would end in Jerusalem must have seemed like a likely possibility. Jesus had spoken about a Jerusalem that killed the prophets and stoned those whom God had sent to its people (Matthew 23:37). Paul himself had seen and applauded the death of Stephen in this city. Now, it must have seemed that his turn to be killed had come.

But in one of the darkest nights of his life, Jesus appeared to Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (23:11). As during other critical moments of Paul’s ministry and life, God gave him special reassurance through a vision (9:4; 16:9; 18:9-10; 22:17; 27:23). Earlier, Paul had voiced his desire to visit Rome (19:21). The vision shows that Paul had Christ’s approval in his desire to move the center of his preaching westward to Rome.

Now, Paul was certain that he would get to Rome after all.

 In all this God was Present.

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Paul- Failed Ambitions

• His desire ended in utter chaos.
• People were taking an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him.
• Needed Rescue.

Paul- Uncertain Future

• His was Prisoned
• Not certain of what is going to happen Next

Paul- Disappointed, Doubt, Discouraged, Depressed.

• Failure
• Guilty of lost opportunities
• Choices

Take Courage

• Jesus knew he was down in spirit
• Jesus Encouraged him

Jesus Counter Responds

• ¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
• You did well
• You are not a failure
• Assurance of future, It not over Yet

Lord Cheered Paul Up

• God Comforted him
• God Acknowledged him
• Gave him a new Commission

Jesus Rejoices in Your Life

Whatever we do, whether we fail, or whether we do well. Christ rejoices in our life

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

In Acts 20, Paul and the others were standing on the beach at Miletus with the elders and the others literally weeping as Paul was boarding the ship. They knew they would never see their beloved Paul again. They all understood the danger that awaited Paul when he went as it were to the lion’s den of Jerusalem. He barely escaped the multiple plots and schemes of the Jews to kill him as they followed Paul and now, he is headed straight to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:

21 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ² We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. ³ 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. ⁴ We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. ⁶ After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. ⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ 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 Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 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.” ¹⁴ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

¹⁵ After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ 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.

Paul’s Arrival at Jerusalem

¹⁷ When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. ¹⁸ The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹ Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰ When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. ²¹ They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. ²² What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, ²³ so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. ²⁴ Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. ²⁵ As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”

²⁶ The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

Paul Arrested

²⁷ When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, ²⁸ shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” ²⁹ (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

³⁰ The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. ³¹ While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³² He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

³³ The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. ³⁵ When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. ³⁶ The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”

Paul Speaks to the Crowd

³⁷ As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”

“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. ³⁸ “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?”

³⁹ Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”

⁴⁰ After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic^[a]:

I used to look at the book of Acts one thing which I always used to remember about the passage which we read today about Paul being warned by the Prophets that he will be chained in Jerusalem and it will be difficult. And Today I am preaching this chapter. I’s amazing.

we have seen three missionary Journeys and this chapter points to the end of the third missionary journey. This chapter talks about God’s Leading , direction , suffering and confirmation .

Here Paul has to make a decision . I am taking about major decisions. I’m talking about major decisions which we have to make in life. Decisions that will alter the course of our life. Where to go to school. Who or IF to marry. What job to take. Whether to start a family. Whether to buy a house. Whether to join or associate with a church. Whether to put in for or take a promotion. Where to invest and how much to invest. Whether or not to retire and when. What to do in retirement. Whether or not to seek treatment for an illness, and what treatment to undertake. How to appropriately care for parents or spouses or children who need special care. And may more. These decisions can change the course of our life.

The Holy Spirit Confirms:

³ 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. ⁴ We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.

Will just summarize the entire chapter, Paul being warned by his disciples, followers. And then by a prophet that in Jerusalem there are hardships waiting for him. It was not that they wanted him to go. It was the love and emotions . They say him not to go because he will be persecuted.

In the past Paul escaped many trials, the beat him, tried to kill him in other places, one time they thought he died but he rose again. He escaped all that But this time, The Spirt confirms him that This would be the last, he wont be able to escape this time. This was a confirmation to Paul. This morning I will speaking on God’s will, the word of God for us this morning.

God’s will: The will of God consists of things that are in line with God’s plan and purpose. Simply stated, it is the things that God desires.

Picturise God’s will:

• All good and everything goes well
• Fit’s a little bit with my desire and my will

If I say everything but then it becomes my will so I need a little bit of my desire and my will.

• Suffering is not God’s will and It’s Sin
• My Past experiences
• It worked in that way so it will work this time also the same way.
• 100% Confirmation
  • Road should be clear and no confusion , then it’s God’s will for me.

In our life we will be either doing God’s will or going against it. We can broaden it with our responses.

No Desire to know the will of God:

The response of this group is that they don’t want to know the will of God but they are aware of it but they don’t desire to know. They don’t ask for it. It’s all about their planning and desires. They do everything by themselves and then say God your will be done.

Desire to Know the will of God but don’t submit to the will of God.

              The response of this group is that they know the will of God but does not do it. They are highly resistant by imaging the cost they have to pay.

Desire to Know the will of God and do the will of God

               The response of this group is that they desire to know God’s will. They wait on God. They Keep their desires aside and they do the will of God.

Actually , we can write a book on the aspect of God’s will. There are so many stories, so many experiences, so many people we have come across over the period of years who have either choose God’s will or they refused to accept God’s will. Our Spirt cries out. We have so many personal experiences. We had a desire to go to Pune and settle down. We communicated with our Pastor as well. I have shared this many times, we even went and prayed for that place. I choose a Company which had a branch in Pune as well. We were very excited. Pune being an IT Hub , my carrier and some international schools in Pune , we were confident that is the Place. One fine day , we got a call from our Pastor to meet and within few minutes everything changed. He was asking us to move to Panvel. Now whatever he said contradicts to our plans , prayers, desires, comfort. But I have seen my Pastors life, I have seen the hand of God in his family and ministry.

Paul’s response to God’s will.

He Acknowledges the will of God:

When Paul choose to go to Jerusalem, He knew that there are oppositions waiting for him. And he escaped many times before. Once he wanted to go to a place but the holy spirit does not allow him to go. But this time he sees a difference that People are speaking the will of God to him that he has to suffer. But with great emotions and love , they see the future what he is going to go through. But Paul acknowledges the will of God.

Paul Surrendered to God’s will:

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ 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 Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

The Prophet is not talking about what may happen but he is taking about what will happen.

Agabus has already been mentioned on one other occasion.
Acts 11:28-30 (ESV)
²⁸ And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).
²⁹ So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
³⁰ And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Paul enjoyed success in many places but he was also ready for challenges.

Paul was ready to suffer in God’s will:

God spoke to Ananias in Acts 9

¹³ “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Suffering was waiting for him. A journey which will be difficult and Paul choose to do that.  Our Journey with God will not be easy and it will be adventurous.

Paul choose hardship, unknown journey, trusting God to the fullest. He accepted it with willing fully and cheerfully What would you choose?

Paul God’s Will Entirely:

The one thing which I believe, it’s most important for us is Paul did not leave his calling halfway. Before this event he established churches, his name was well known, he did many miracles but why he has to go to Jerusalem.

Many of us are sometimes quite selective about what aspects of God’s will we are willing to do. We think that if we have done 99 % of the will of God, that is good enough and we have done very well. The 1 % of the will of God which is still undone does not matter to us. But it matters to God. But when we look at our Lord Jesus we see that He did not leave any part of God’s will undone. He said it was finished. He completed it.

In our Christian Journey , we move form one place to another, from one church to another being very selective, our vision changes, our goal changes and God’s will in our lives also changes.

This was also the difference between King Saul and King David in OT times. Saul was told to carry out some instructions – to destroy the Amalekites, with all their animals. But his obedience was incomplete. He carried out the order to destroy the Amalekites, but he did not do it completely. He spared their king and all their cattle. And then he tried to substitute what he had not done, for something that He thought would be even better – giving animal sacrifices to God. For that, he was rebuked and rejected by God with the words, ‘to obey is better than sacrifice.‘

Now, it was precisely because of this that God chose David to be king to replace Saul – Acts 13:22

After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

This implies that David carried out God’s will completely, 100 %, without leaving anything out, or making any substitutes.

We have to be careful not to fall into the error of King Saul who did God’s will, but not thoroughly. 90 or 95 % is not good enough. Seek to do it 100 %

In this text, Luke is showing that Paul has to go to Jerusalem. We remember that the believers there were suffering greatly and Paul and the others were to arrive with much needed aid that they had collected through the generosity of the churches.

There are many similarities between what Luke writes about Paul and what he writes about Jesus in his Gospel. As each one set their face like flint to go to Jerusalem. we must see the general similarity between what Paul is about to suffer in Jerusalem and what Jesus suffered there.

And therefore as we look at the whole world, we can see now just how greatly lacking it is in submission to the will of God. John 3:19 tells us ‘that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.’

 How would I respond to God’s Will.

• Have a Desire Hear from God
• Have a Desire to Hear from People
• Start working on the Calling.

Our Journey..

Jesus said it is finished, Paul said I have finished the race

2 Timothy 7

⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

John 19:30

³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Perhaps someone has done something against you and to this day, you bear a grudge against him and refuse to forgive him. God reveals His will in Ephesians 4:32 ‘And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’

Amy Carmichael (1867-1951)

Perhaps not many people thought that Amy Carmichael had much of a chance at being a missionary. Suffering from neuralgia, Amy was often weak and in pain so great that she was confined to her bed for weeks at a time. But Amy knew that God had called her to mission work. And with the encouragement of a few, she did go. In India, she found her life calling, and spent her remaining 55 years there without ever going home. Her life was dedicated to ending child prostitution and giving a home and a future to India’s many orphans. Amy was also a prolific author, and her many books have encouraged and inspired many throughout the years.

One can give without loving but cannot love without giving

In Missions , God’s will is adventurous, it’s joyful, it’s painful but is amazing. You all are here not my accident and we are hearing our message today about the will of God is also not accident. It’s God’s will.

If we are in a place of making decisions, hear God clearly. Always have someone in our lives whose thought challenges our thoughts.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.