WARNINGS FROM THE SPIRIT              The Acts of the Apostles Part 25

The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice

February 5, 2006

Trinity Fellowship

Raton, NM

Acts 20:36-38; 21:1-14

(20:36FF)

PAUL IS IN THE PROCESS OF SAYING GOODBYE TO HIS FRIENDS; AND IT IS A BITTER FAREWELL:  HE DOESN’T INTEND TO SEE THEM AGAIN.  PAUL HAS BEEN SAYING HE WANTS TO RETURN TO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP AT PENTECOST.  IN FACT, PAUL ALREADY EXPECTS THAT HE IS RETURNING TO JERUSALEM TO BE ARRESTED, AND PERHAPS KILLED FOR HIS FAITH.   AND MANY OF HIS FRIENDS, FOLLOWERS, AND FELLOW DISCIPLES ARE RECEIVING WARNINGS FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT ABOUT THIS. 

WARNINGS

SO THE QUESTION WE LOOK AT TODAY IS:  WHEN IS A HOLY SPIRIT WARNING SUPPOSED TO BE HEEDED; AND WHEN IS IT CONFIRMATION OF WHAT GOD REALLY DESIRES TO HAPPEN?

THE WARNINGS:

·        FRIENDS PRAY, WEEP, AND SYMPATHIZE WITH US (20:36)

·        FELLOW CHRISTIANS RECEIVE WORD FROM THE SPIRIT, TRY TO INTERPRET IT, AND PASS IT ON TO US (21:4; 9)

·        PROPHETS WILL SOMETIMES EVEN GIVE A VERY DETAILED PROPHESY OF WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN (20:11)

·        FRIENDS PLEAD WITH US NOT TO PROCEED (20:12)

 PAUL’S REACTION(V. 13)

PAUL REBUKES THEM, DETERMINED TO GO ON, EVEN IF HE DIES.  NOW, WHAT DOES PAUL’S RESPONSE HAVE TO SAY TO US ABOUT RESPONDING TO WELL-MEANING FRIENDS AND FELLOW BELIEVERS, WHEN THEY ARE ONLY TRYING TO INTERPRET VISIONS FROM THE SPIRIT?

AREN’T THEY REALLY FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT?

HASN’T PAUL (AND JESUS, AT TIMES) HEEDED THESE WARNINGS IN THE PAST AND ESCAPED WITH HIS LIFE?

HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN TO USE THE WARNINGS OF THE SPIRIT TO ESCAPE, AND WHEN TO STAND AND FACE THE PERIL?

I THINK THE ANSWER LIES IN SOMETHING WE TOUCHED ON LAST WEEK:  THE TIME THAT PAUL, AND JESUS BEFORE HIM, SPENT ALONE WITH THE FATHER.  WE STUDIED LAST WEEK THAT. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS IN A HURRY TO GET TO JERUSALEM, PAUL HAD SPENT A DAY IN PRAYER, ALONE WITH HIS LORD,  TRAVELLING BY FOOT WHILE HIS FRIENDS TOOK THE BOAT. (20:13-14).  PAUL HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH THE LORD; AND SOUGHT HIS WILL FOR HIS LIFE PRAYERFULLY AND DEEPLY.

AND HERE’S ONE OF THE OTHER EVIDENCES OF THAT:  THE BOOK OF ROMANS. AT THIS POINT, IT HAS BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE PAUL MET JESUS ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD AND WAS CONVERTED.  HE IS NEARING THE END OF HIS THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY.  BY NOW, HE HAS WRITTEN SIX OF HIS 13 LETTERS THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME BOOKS IN THE NEW TESTATMENT:

·        GALATIANS

·        1 THESSALONIANS

·        2 THESSALONIANS

·        1 CORINTHIANS

·        2 CORINTHIANS

·        ROMANS

IN FACT, PAUL HAS JUST COMPLETED THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS (1:8-15), IN WHICH HE SHARES THAT HE IS EAGER TO GET TO ROME, TO SHARE CHRIST WITH THE PEOPLE THERE.  AND HE KNOWS FULLY WHAT IS IN STORE FOR HIM  (ACTS 21:13  “I AM READY TO DIE…” 

BUT HOW DOES HE KNOW IT’S GOD’S WILL?

1) HE HAS SPENT THE LAST 20 YEARS OF HIS LIFE PRACTICING HIS PRIMARY MISSION:  TO SHARE JESUS CHRIST WITH THE GENTILES; GOD HAS PREPARED HIM ALL THIS TIME TO TAKE THIS MESSAGE INTO THE VERY HEART OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE; THE CAPITAL CITY ITSELF.

2) PAUL HAS COMMUNED DEEPLY WITH HIS FATHER IN PRIVATE PRAYER TIME AND SOUL SEARCHING. 

3) HE HAS STEPPED OUT IN OBEDIENCE IMMEDIATELY WHEN GOD ASKED HIM TOO, REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES.

4) HE HAS HEEDED THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN HE WAS WARNED NOT TO GO SOMEWHERE, BUT THE SPIRIT HAS COMMUNICATED THIS DIRECTLY TO HIM.

GOD INTENDS THAT THESE LATEST “WARNINGS” OF THE SPIRIT, GIVEN THROUGH WELL INTENTIONED FRIENDS, ARE NOT MEANT TO PREVENT HIM FROM GOING TO JERUSALEM, WHERE HE WILL BE ARRESTED; BUT TO ENCOURAGE HIM BY SHOWING HIM HOW DIFFICULT THE PATH WILL BECOME. 

IN FACT, PAUL’S EAGERNESS COMES FROM THE KNOWLEDGE THAT, “IN SPITE” OF THESE OBSTACLES, GOD IS GOING TO ONCE AGAIN BE GLORIFIED TO THE FULLEST, BY THE SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST INTO THE VERY HEART OF ROME.