Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (Grk. DIOKO: to be pursued). 2 Tim 3:12 NKJV

Some guys are just magnets for trouble, like David, and certainly like Paul. The Jewish leaders were deeply rattled by Paul’s conversion. He was one of them! Everywhere he turned once he got saved they were trying to kill him. Imagine if Patrisse Cullors got saved, delivered of demons and filled with the Holy Spirit, and became an evangelist! Do you think she might get some backlash from the more malevolent members of her previous organization? All that desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But there is hope!

The word persecution comes from the Greek word meaning to be pursued. ‘To be pursued’ does not necessarily mean ‘to be caught.’ In fact, the Word gives us deep instruction on how not to be caught as we are being pursued. In 1 Timothy 3:1 for example, it talks about a bishop being blameless, which means to be prepared on all points so as not to be caught. Timothy talks about some being taken captive at the devil’s will. But that’s not God’s will. He wants to help us stay one step ahead of our pursuers!

One time, in a presentation of how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I was teaching on being led by the Spirit to a whole group of pastors of the Sudan Episcopal Church in Nimule, South Sudan. My audience became very attentive when I started talking about picking your way through a minefield because unbeknownst to me our camp was literally surrounded by minefields. My example was very real to my students!

The devil inspires trouble to come into our lives in two forms: outwardly and inwardly. Outward trouble can be very blatant, say in harassment in our ministry work or even a car accident. Inwardly we can have fears and torments, or even deep wounds from those closest to us. Some trouble we can see in the Spirit and avoid, while other trouble we miss for whatever reason and bring upon ourselves.

No one has ever walked perfectly except of course for Jesus! Abraham didn’t, Mary didn’t, neither did Peter, Paul, David or Esther nor have I. But their examples are written in the Word so that we can learn from them. There is some big learning for us in Acts 20!

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 20:16 NKJV

Paul wanted to go to Jerusalem. The Lord did not want him to go! Some have said that it was ok for Paul to go because eventually he wrote the ‘prison epistles’ of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians from house arrest in Rome. Is that the only way those epistles could have been written? I remember that some said that God allowed the Columbine High School shooting to happen because some people got saved at the funeral of a particularly devout young woman who died. Unbelievable! Do you think that the only way those people could have gotten saved is through the death of that young one? Paul made a big mistake, bringing big trouble upon himself, and I can prove it. Let’s see what we can learn from it!

This reality of self-inflicted trouble is very real to me because over the years I’ve had three of our team members in Africa die very suddenly, and very unnecessarily of illness and one die in a terrible bus crash, key souls sent prematurely to Heaven and their families and ministries left comfortless. Today we try to make sure each team member gets a yearly checkup, and we pray a lot over trips!

We are going to look at how Paul was repeatedly warned, what happened as he refused the warning,  why Paul was so desperate to go to Jerusalem, and how we can apply it to ourselves, our families and our work for the Lord.

And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,  except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. Acts 20:22-23 NKJV

What does it mean to be ‘bound in the spirit’? You have most likely had this experience! You had wanted to do something, but you felt no freedom, no assurance to go ahead and do it. One of the great characteristics of someone who hears clearly from God is honesty with oneself. Perhaps we are all tempted to think we are the person we imagine we are, rather than the reality which is pretty good when you consider what the Word and the Spirit say about you. You’ll hear clearly from the Lord when you are ruthlessly honest with the man in the mirror.

They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. Acts 21:4-5 NKJV

Paul had very little or no recorded fruit from the time he was arrested in Jerusalem – maybe Onesimus got saved then! (Philemon 1:10) – until the ministry on Malta, on the way to Rome as a prisoner, several years later. The great man of God who had such effective ministry at Antioch, in Galatia, at Macedonia, Philippi, Ephesus and many other places was now sidelined and almost taken out by his own self-inflicted trouble.

Why did Paul want to go to Jerusalem?

As I studied this question, let me show you something that threw me off track for a minute.

When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome. Acts 19:21 NKJV

This appears to say when you read it in the English that the Spirit of God was leading Paul to go to Jerusalem. But then we’ve seen that just a few verses later that the Spirit was NOT permitting him to go. What gives? The key is in the word ‘spirit’ – PNEUMA in Greek. PNEUMA can refer to the Spirit of God – the Holy Spirit – a demon spirit or the spirit of man. In Greek there is no capitalization, so when the English translators thought it referred to the Holy Spirit, they capitalized the letter S. If you leave it in the lower case than Paul is just purposing in his own spirit what he wanted to do. For you fellow study freaks you have the same problem in Romans 8:27. Just like Paul, I have purposed many things in my own spirit that were not from the Spirit of God even though they were sincere. Just ask my wife!

So, why did Paul go to Jerusalem? Paul had been obedient on other occasions when God told him ‘no’ ( Acts 16:6,7). God was clearly telling him ‘no’ but Paul was still going. And, Paul was such a leader that even his friends whom God used to tell him ‘no’ still went with him. Loyalty in your people speaks loudly to your leadership!

If you will carefully read the following incident that occurred in the Temple in Jerusalem perhaps minutes before he was arrested, I think it will give us the clearest clue to Paul’s thinking.

Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance  and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.'” Acts 22:17-21 NKJV

Why did Paul go to Jerusalem? Paul was never motivated by his personal safety.  His courage, and his willingness to be a living sacrifice, was extraordinary! But what he seemed to want to do here was to testify to the elite of Israel, many of whom had been personal friends before his conversion. Remember, he was a pharisee of the Pharisees! But Jesus Himself appears to Paul and says, “They won’t receive your testimony, get out of town NOW, I’m sending you to the Gentiles.” Had Paul run for his life right then, he would have escaped!

What could have happened after Acts 19 if Paul had been obedient and not gone to Jerusalem? Building upon the great crescendo of Acts 19 – ‘so the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.’ Acts 19:20 NKJV – perhaps he could have gone back to Antioch and written Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. Then he could have gone to Rome as a free man, a Roman citizen – he had contacts that were close to the emperor (Php 4:22) – and perhaps the whole history of the Church and western civilization could have turned out far better.Maybe we never have a ‘dark ages’ but go straight to the Renaissance, not just for western Europe, but for the whole world! Paul was the kind of guy who had that kind of impact, as the bulk of the New Testament scriptures can attest over two thousand years.

What can we learn from Paul’s big trouble? Paul almost lost his life. It took a series of miracles and great favor even from the unsaved to rescue him. The first thing we can learn is to be really honest with ourselves. I fast weekly because I’ve always had a problem with thinking too highly of myself, and David said ‘I humbled myself through fasting’(Ps.35:13). Keeping my flesh under wraps helps me stay honest, pure-hearted and simple.

So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” Acts 21:15 NKJV

Second thing we can learn is listen to your friends who are speaking for the Lord. When you want to do something and all of your friends who love you, who have proven their walk by the Spirit (capital S), and they are all in agreement telling you ‘You are crazy,’ then you had best learn to listen. There is safety in a multitude of counselors. I test things many times by just throwing them out to my friends and watching the reaction. Remember, lone rangers tend to get ambushed!

Finally, in whatever you go to do, stay pure-hearted before the Lord. The Master was able to eventually deliver Paul because Paul never blamed God for the mess and Paul stayed faithful. We are all going to make mistakes, and the biggest risktakers – like Paul – have the biggest impact at times, but they also make the biggest mistakes.

And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! 2 Tim 4:18 NKJV

Your life, your decisions, your faithfulness have incredible significance. The anointed impact of your life is world changing. Take courage, dear one! The one great work of the Spirit is to direct the heart. Trust God working in you, in your heart and listen to what He has put in there. When you’re not sure, and even many times when you are sure, test what you’re planning with those whom you love and trust. You can stay out of trouble, and have a greater impact in all you do, as you follow the Lord. Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…