What Are You Willing to Suffer for the Gospel?
Acts 21:10-22:29
The Threat of Prison Did not Stop Him vs. 10-11
Friends and Loves Ones Could Not Stop Him vs. 12-14
One of the biggest hindrances to missionaries being called is parents. Parents don’t want their children to go to foreign fields.
Criticism from Other Believers Did Not Stop Him vs. 17-21
The people at Jerusalem had believed lies against Paul
“Those people really didn’t get saved”
Pride From His Own Beliefs Did Not Stop Him vs. 22-26
They set up a test for Paul to see if he still really was Jewish. They had four people who had taken a Nazarite vow and their vow was now finished. They wanted Paul to ceremonially cut their hair in the temple. And they wanted Paul to pay for it. (Paul had taken a similar vow and finished it in Acts 18:18)
Though he was free from the bondage of the law; he did not discourage Jews to hold to their historical customs
The Lies of Other People Could not Stop Him vs. 27-31
While he was performing the ceremony, a mob gathered together and grabbed him.
The place where the Nazarite ceremonies were preformed had a sign that read “No foreigner may enter within the barricade that surrounds the Temple and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuring death.”
They thought that Paul was bring in some of his Gentile friends into the protected part of the Temple
The Temple police believed that murder was going to be done, allowed the mob to drag Paul out and closed the doors so Paul’s blood could not defile the Temple.
The Abandonment of Christians did not Stop Him
Paul was only there because James and the leaders of the church of Jerusalem asked him to be there.
When Paul was arrested, not a single one of them attempted to free Paul or talk with his captors or try to defend Paul.
Even Beatings Did not Stop Paul v 32
What is This Message He had to Deliver at All Cost?
Acts 22:4-9
Jesus Christ came to die for sinners