"A Good Goodbye (Acts 20:1-21:14)" | 8/7/22
Acts 20:1-21:14 | 8/7/22 | Will DuVal
When I was 7 or 8 years old, my favorite cousin Jenny moved from VA to spend a full year living with my family in TN, as she finished up nursing school. And I can still remember when she graduated and the day finally arrived for her to move back out, all standing together in our big foyer, saying our goodbyes. And having recently watched Home Alone, I believe it was, I decided to try out a NEW farewell send-off I’d learned; so I looked Jenny in the eyes, and sincerely, but innocently wished her, “GOOD RIDDANCE”. (Fortunately, before my father could spank me, Jenny gently explained that “good riddance” was NOT just a fancier way of saying “Good luck”.)
Not one of my finer “Goodbyes”. Well, as we continue our study through the book of Acts this morning, and we come to the end not only of Paul’s missionary journeys (as he returns home from his third and final mission trip in ch21), but we’ll ALSO be starting the beginning of the end of the entire BOOK of Acts, because chs21-28 form one long, continuous story detailing Paul’s arrest, his multiple trials, and his extradition to ROME, where he will ultimately be put to death by the Emperor Nero around 64AD. So chs20 and 21 this morning are kind of like Paul’s “Farewell Tour”, as he travels back through many of the regions where he has planted churches, saying his last “Goodbyes”. And I believe Paul has a thing or two - or FIVE! - to teach us, about what makes for a “Good Goodbye”.
They say, “All good things must come to an end”. And we have ALL no doubt experienced this painful truth, personally.
The end of an important relationship, as a loved one passes away.
The end of a sweet season of life, as you move towns, and have to start all over.
Or as you launch your kids out into the world; say “Goodbye” as they head off to college.
Our lives are FILLED with difficult “Goodbyes”. And yet, they ALSO say, “It’s not how you start, but how you FINISH that matters.” We want to finish strong. And that includes, a good goodbye.
So I hope this message will be extremely practical for you, but not MERELY practical; that it would be deeply theological as well. Because one day, eventually, everything that you and I see and touch and experience and love here on earth WILL come to an end. Either because we DIED, and said goodbye to this world for good, OR because the universe ITSELF “burned up and dissolved”, as 2 Peter 3 tells us it one day will. WHICHEVER comes first - your death, or the universe’s, upon Christ’s return - the question for you and me is the same: “Will we be READY?” Ready to say a “good goodbye” to this life, in this world, because we are so confident in both the legacy we’re leaving behind us, as well as the future we’re stepping into?
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Well, typically this is when I would invite you to stand for the reading of God’s word, but this morning, because we’re gonna cover SO much text together, I think we’ll read each section individually as we go, and simply open in prayer; Let’s PRAY…
There are 5 ingredients in a “good goodbye”:
#1 - It should Be ENCOURAGING.
We learn this from Paul’s farewell example in Ephesus & Macedonia in, ch20, vv1-2, we read:
“After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.”
Remember last week, Paul had ticked off the non-Christian silversmiths in Ephesus, by persuading many people to trade in their useless idols and worship Jesus instead. Jesus was bad for business. So they formed a MOB and wanted to KILL Paul. So he’s gonna skip town here in ch20, but only AFTER Paul has called all the believers in Ephesus together, and ENCOURAGED them.
I remember the night of my HS graduation party. After the ceremony, our whole class took a charter bus to Memphis, where the school had rented out this swanky ballroom in a fancy hotel downtown, and we enjoyed this gourmet dinner and then partied til midnight, with all my best friends; it was probably one of the best nights of my life. But I remember getting home late, checking in with my mom, and collapsing on her bed in emotion, sobbing, “I’m not ready to say ‘Goodbye’ to high school; I’ll NEVER be this happy again!” And my Mom just hugged me, and encouraged me, that “If you think HIGH SCHOOL was great, just WAIT until you get to college! Imagine all the best parts of high school without any of the adult supervision!”
Our “goodbyes” should be ENCOURAGING.
#2 - Not only should we be encoura-GING with our goodbyes; we should ourselves Be ENCOUR-AGED by them as well.
In vv3-6 here, as Paul makes his way BACK through Greece & Macedonia, we read:
“There [in Greece] he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. [Remember, Ephesus wasn’t the ONLY place Paul had upset folks; he left an angry mob behind him the last time he was in CORINTH as well, back in ch18. And apparently upon his return there, some five years later now, his old enemies have resurfaced. But fortunately Paul discovered their plot to send an ASSASSIN on board his return ship home to Antioch, while Paul couldn’t escape out at sea. So he decided to take the LONG route, by LAND, through Macedonia instead. But I want to focus on vv4-6:]4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.”
Now, Luke is of course the author here, recording Paul’s traveling companions for us. But we know that whenever Paul himself lists a bunch of names for us in his OWN letters, it’s almost always to tell us how much of an ENCOURAGEMENT those folks have been to him:
Consider his conclusion to ROMANS: “I commend to you our sister Phoebe… she has been my patron… Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life… Greet Rufus… and his mother, who has been a mother to me as well…” (16:1-13)
Or Paul’s ending to 1 Corinthians: “I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit…” (16:17-18)
That’s the same role that Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus all play here: they ENCOURAGED Paul along his return journey home, through Macedonia.
Saying “Goodbye” is one of the hardest, but most special things I get to do a LOT as a pastor. In a church of some 350 people, in a pretty transient city like St. Louis, it feels like someone is ALWAYS leaving. It’s fitting that the Merchants are back in town, worshiping with us this morning; we said ‘Goodbye’ to them 2 years ago, as they headed north to Michigan. And I’ll actually be back up there again in 2 weeks officiating Simon & Abby’s wedding, just before THEY leave us, and take Brandon and Carley with them too. (I have to admit: with the summer we’re having here, I can’t blame anyone for moving north!)
But it’s always hard to say goodbye. And yet it’s GOOD. I get so much ENCOURAGEMENT from those goodbyes, as I consider Paul’s farewell words from his second letter to Timothy: “My child… what you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” The Merchants, the Bokmas, the Dykstras - as hard as it is to say “Goodbye”, we know that God’s plan is to USE our separating to MULTIPLY the spread of His gospel! That through them, the ministry of our church is now gonna extend and reach a bunch of Michiganders who we would otherwise never have the chance to cross paths with. What an ENCOURAGEMENT!
Similarly, we just had one of our last meetings together as a life group last week. Because in 2 weeks, after “Sign Up Sunday”, we’re gonna be multiplying into TWO groups, and Polly and I will start a whole NEW life group. We’ve done that I think SEVEN times now, in our 7 years at West Hills. It’s always tough to say goodbye. But it’s GOOD. Because we get to enfold NEW folks into the life of the church, into life-giving community here.
But to make it even more theological for you, as promised, I just want to highlight and celebrate how ENCOURAGED I am, personally, by those of you - elderly saints, in particular - who are ready to say “Goodbye” to this world. Because you KNOW where you’re headed! And you can say with CONFIDENCE, even EXCITEMENT: “Don’t cry for ME, when I’m gone; cuz I sure as heaven won’t be crying; no tears where I’M headed!”
You know, it was so interesting, getting the text message a couple weeks ago that June Nystrom - our 97 year old founding member of this church - that she had contracted Covid… I got that text while we were vacationing at Polly’s grandparents’ lakehouse in Michigan, who are ALSO in their 90s, but who do NOT know the Lord. And I have to confess to June, that as concerned as I was for her health, there was also a bit of RELIEF for me, as I considered what a DIFFERENT situation it would have been to receive news that Gran and Dadaddy had contracted Covid. Cuz they’re not READY to go meet their Maker yet. But June IS. She’s ready. And when she DOES say her final goodbye - she’s back home now, by the way, she’s doing fine; I just talked to her again yesterday. It’s gonna take a lot more than a little CORONAVIRUS to take June Nystrom down! - but whenever she finally says, “Goodbye”, I know we’ll all be celebrating, ENCOURAGED, at her funeral.
#3 - And I promise to be BRIEF on this point, but our goodbyes… should Be BRIEF.
In vv7-12; we read:
“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together [In Troas] to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. [Paul knew this was probably gonna be his last visit EVER to Troas - he will prophesy just a few verses later in Miletus that they won’t see his face again; Paul KNEW he was headed for arrest in Jerusalem - so he “PROLONGED” his speech all the way to MIDNIGHT!]; v8: There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered [Luke’s setting the MOOD for us; there’s a REASON we don’t dim the lights and crank the heat here in the sanctuary, and hold worship services at MIDNIGHT!]. 9 And [sure enough] a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer [Luke goes out of his way here to cut poor Eutychus some slack, and point out that even PAUL - probably the greatest preacher who ever LIVED! - even Paul was known to drone on, and belabor his sermon points far too long at times]. And being overcome by sleep, Eutychus fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. [This is every pastor’s favorite Bible story. Because it simultaneously 1) COMFORTS us to know that even PAUL’S sermons put people to sleep at times, but it also 2) WARNS our congregation of the DANGERS of falling asleep in church! There are a few of you regulars here at West Hills who make me WISH that our windows could open, so I could sit you right beside them during the sermon... Nap at your own risk! But since I lack the apostolic power to raise you from the DEAD; that’s…] v10: But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. [Paul keeps them up still LONGER, all the way til DAYBREAK, but at least now they’re just “CONVERSING” - it’s a different verb in the Greek; he’s not preaching AT them now; he’s just talking WITH them] v12: And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.
Now, in any other context, someone getting raised from the DEAD would be an occasion for front page news! But here in Acts, it’s just 6 tiny verses within a 5-point sermon, within a 28-chapter book. And I think Luke’s brevity here drives home the point that even RESURRECTION is no big deal for our omnipotent God.
But returning to the main point at hand, Luke’s emphasis here is arguably less on God’s power of resurrection, than it is on the importance of CONCISENESS with our “Goodbyes”. And the CONSEQUENCES of ignoring that wisdom! The very next section here reinforces the point; Paul must have learned his lesson from the mishap in Troas, because he stopped dragging out his “Goodbyes” after that, as he continued his “farewell tour” through the rest of Asia:
v13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.” → Paul’s in SUCH a hurry now, he’s ready to sail right on PAST Ephesus, the city where he spent 3 whole YEARS of his life, and formed his DEEPEST bond with the church there. But he’s not gonna be caught guilty of lingering once again; NOW he’s a man back on a MISSION.
I know I’ve shared with you how DIFFICULT my time in Nashville was, at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Saying “Goodbye” to THAT season of life was NOT difficult; THAT time I said, “Good riddance” and MEANT it!
But there’s wisdom here even for the painful goodbyes in life: to keep them BRIEF, whenever possible. Rip the Band-Aid off. There’s nothing more awkward than those 2 weeks AFTER you turn in your 2-week notice, is there? Whether you loved the job or NOT. You just wanna move on.
But if I could offer us a BRIEF, SPIRITUAL application point as well: whenever I’m asked to pray for someone who’s in the process of dying, I always ask, “Are they a BELIEVER?” Because I need to know how I’m praying for them. If they’re NOT a believer, I’m gonna pray that their death would be as painful and drawn-out as NECESSARY in order to BREAK them and FORCE them to cry out to God for mercy. That their suffering might SHOW them just how hopeless this world really is, that they’ve spent their entire lives living for, and how much they better PRAY that there’s another, better world to come, and if there IS, just how HELPLESS they are to GET there on their own, without Christ’s help! That’s my prayer for the dying UN-believer.
But Ohhh, but what a comfort when I hear that the dying person is a believer. Because I get to pray that God would HASTEN their homecoming; “Lord, take them QUICKLY, home to you”.
#4 - When we say “Goodbye”, we ought to strive to Be AT PEACE.
Now, Paul’s words from Miletus to the Ephesian elders here in vv18-38 are some of the most important we find ANYWHERE in Scripture on what it means to be a leader in the church. If you’re a leader HERE, at West Hills - an elder, a deacon, a life group leader - or you ASPIRE to be one, Paul’s exhortation here should be familiar to you. And we could easily camp out and spend a whole sermon here, “The 12 Characteristics of a Godly Leader”, and my hope is that one day, God willing, I’ll get to do that. But I think we can ALSO understand this passage as a continuation of our theme of “Goodbyes”; this is Paul’s “farewell address” to the Ephesian elders. And WITH it, he models for us what it looks like to be AT PEACE with one’s God-ordained departure. And to DO that, you have to be at peace BOTH with the PAST, and the legacy you’re leaving behind, AS WELL AS with the FUTURE, and the new season of life you’re stepping into. So Paul alternates here between the two, and we’ll follow along with his train of thought, and alternate between sub-points 4a and 4b in your bulletins:
First, to be at PEACE with the PAST, you must be committed to Serving God’s WILL.
Vv17-21, Paul declares to them: ““You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Have you ever wondered, “God, what is your WILL for my life?” Here’s your answer: 7 things. Paul exhorted his churches, he exhorts US TODAY, to “Imitate [him], as he imitated Christ” (1 Cor 11:1); in these 7 ways:
He was RELATIONAL; he said, “I lived among you”; you KNOW me; you’ve SEEN my example, of Christ-like leadership.
Paul was HUMBLE; he said, I “served the Lord with all humility”
He was EMPATHETIC; I “served [you]… with tears”; tears of JOY when you were up, and tears of HEARTBREAK when you were down.
Paul was STEADFAST; I served you despite “trials that happened to me”; they didn’t deter Paul from remaining committed in selfless ministry to the Ephesians.
He was BOLD; “I didn’t shrink from declaring to you…”; he was too zealous for their sanctification, their discipleship, their growth in godliness. And that’s…
Paul was EDIFYING; I declared “ANYTHING that was profitable”... in public AND in private; whether you were Jew OR Greek”, in EVERY case, my SINGULAR aim, was to BUILD YOU UP in the faith. Which is #7…
Paul was GOSPEL-CENTERED; what was the heart of ALL his instruction? Paul’s core message? It was the GOSPEL: “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Repent of your sins, and trust in Jesus - his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins - and you WILL BE SAVED!
Now Paul shifts gears in v22, from recapping the PAST to considering his FUTURE:
“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by[d] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.”
Paul not only served God’s will in the past; he is following God’s WILL into his FUTURE as well; he’s following God’s leading through the Holy SPIRIT. Despite knowing only that he’s going to be imprisoned and SUFFER for the faith. But he says, “All that matters to me, is remaining obedient to the Lord, by preaching the GOSPEL of His grace toward me, come what may.”
Then he flips back to reviewing his PAST ministry again; vv26-27:
“Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”
Translation: anyone in Ephesus who STILL hasn’t repented and trusted in Jesus, after my nearly 3 years of passionate evangelism there: their blood is on their OWN heads. Because I declared “the WHOLE COUNSEL of God”. Paul didn’t just serve the WILL of God; he served them the WORD of God too. ALL of it. Not just the parts he liked. Not just the parts that squared well with his theological presuppositions, or the parts that fit conveniently into the sermon series that HE wanted to preach; No: “the WHOLE COUNSEL”. Because Paul really believed that “All Scripture - the Conquest Narratives of Joshua, the Imprecatory Psalms, the book of LEVITICUS; ALL Scripture! - is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).
And BECAUSE Paul believed that, God’s word was to be the foundation not only of his own ministry in the past, but of the Ephesian elders’ ministry in the FUTURE as well; here’s his exhortation to them, in vv28-32:
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. [Fellow Church Leaders: if we are ever tempted to complain about the flock we serve - cuz let’s face it: sometimes sheep do STINK! - but may we ALSO remember that these are all sheep who Christ DIED for! They say a thing is worth what someone is willing to PAY for it; leaders: may we never forget the value of the sheep under our care, who God purchased at the highest price of ALL: the precious and perfect blood of his own SON! Paul continues…] v29: I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. [False teachers, after their own selfish gain] 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God [HERE IT IS…] and to the word of his grace, [GOD’S WORD] which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
How are you gonna “pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock”? How are you gonna “CARE for them”, VALUE them, PROTECT them from the wolves, even the wolves INSIDE the church itself? How are you gonna CONTINUE growing in the faith, and be ASSURED of your inheritance in Heaven? There’s only ONE way: Paul commends them to GOD and to His WORD. Jesus said, “If you build your life on MY WORDS, you’re building on the ROCK; everything else in this world is sinking sand.”
Last pairing here; Paul shifts back to reviewing the PAST once more; vv33-35:
“I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands [my OWN hands] ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Not just God’s WILL. Not just His WORD. Paul served in God’s WAY as well. See, it’s possible to obey God for the wrong motive. It’s possible even to preach the BIBLE with an ulterior motive. But Paul declares: “I did it, I served the Lord, the RIGHT way, GOD’S way. NOT for selfish gain, without coveting; as a matter of fact, I worked bivocationally as a tent-maker to support my gospel ministry, and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who said, “I came not to BE served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45). Paul says, I poured my LIFE out for you, Ephesians, in Christlike service.
And in the same way, Paul can bid them “farewell” and head confidently now to Jerusalem, come what way in the near FUTURE, because he is STILL following God’s WAY; vv36-38:
“And when he had said these things, [Paul] knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.”
Don’t you love how REAL the Bible, and its characters, are? This isn’t the dispassionate mysticism of Hinduism, or the cold intellectualism of scientific materialism. The Bible is full of REAL people, with REAL emotions, dealing with REAL struggles in the REAL world, just like you and me. It’s full of “weeping” and “sorrow” and grieving losses.
And yet, it’s simultaneously full of GODLY example and exhortation for us; amidst all the heart-wrenching goodbyes here, don’t miss how Paul follows God’s way. Our mission statement here at West Hills essentially says: “We exist to glorify God by growing toward Him in discipleship, living with each other in Christian community, and reaching OUT to others in mission. Discipleship, community, mission; THAT’s how we glorify God. And Paul models all THREE here in his goodbye to the Ephesian elders: he PRAYS for them [discipleship], he WEEPS with them and EMBRACES them [community], but he STILL gets on the boat, and LEAVES them, because he knows he’s still got WORK to do [missions].
So to RECAP: How do you make sure you’re AT PEACE when it’s time to say “Goodbye”? To be at peace with your PAST, as a CHRISTIAN, you have to be able to look back and say, “I know I served God’s WILL, in accordance with God’s WORD, ALL in God’s WAY.” And to be at peace with your FUTURE, with where you’re headed, you need to know that you’re following God’s will [his Spirit’s leading], in alignment with His word, and your doing it in God’s WAY [for HIS glory, as a missional, communal disciple.]
SO much more we could squeeze out of those 20 verses, but I’ve gotta wrap up…
#5 - In Tyre & Caesarea (21:1-14), Paul teaches us that with our “goodbyes”, we must Be RESOLUTE.
Ch21 now:
“And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed 6 and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
We read on; v7: When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. 8 On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven [the original deacons, from all the way back in ch6, you recall], and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. 10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.””
Here’s a question worth considering: was Paul really supposed to go to Jerusalem? Some commentators say NO, that Paul made a MISTAKE in going to Jerusalem, ignoring the warnings of his friends and prophets. After all, there’s nothing to suggest that they were FALSE prophets. V4 plainly says, “through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.”
Others suggest that if Paul was RIGHT, and truly following the Spirit’s leading to Jerusalem, then his FRIENDS must have made the mistake. After all, how could the SAME Spirit tell Paul to go to Jerusalem, and tell his friends to WARN him against going to Jerusalem?!
I wanna suggest to you that’s exactly what God orchestrated, in order to test Paul’s resolve and his faithfulness to God’s calling. Will Paul be like Jesus, who when HE was called to go to Jerusalem, knowing full WELL the fate that awaited HIM there, “Set his face,” and obediently followed.
Here’s the practical implication for you and me: don’t expect that just because God calls you to something, it’s gonna be EASY. Sometimes God opens doors as a way to show us which way to go; but OTHER times God closes them and calls us to go anyway, to see if we’re faithful enough to kick DOWN the door, if necessary.
CONCLUSION: How can we do ANY of this? The ONLY way we can be at peace, encouraged, resolute, confident about “good things coming to an end”, is when we know how the story ends.
Ex: football season is upon us… ever TIVO a game, then find out final score…
Friends: we KNOW how the story ends!