Are you willing to die?
Are you willing to die?
Acts 21:1-16
On December 7th, 1941 the empire of Japan executed a premeditated attack bombing Pearl Harbor. The next day President Roosevelt stood before a joint session of congress saying,
YESTERDAY, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy. The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan….No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
December 8th 1941, the United States military had the highest number of volunteers in American history. Young men all over our country signed up to serve saying, “I am willing to die to defend America.” The courage of the American people led them to be called the greatest generation.
RC Sproul shares the story of his father, who was too old to be drafted, and accepted a job at the local draft board. Sproul writes,
After a few months of making decisions as to which men would go to war and which would not, he shocked everybody in our house when one day he appeared in an Army uniform. He said to my mother, “Honey, there is no way I could keep sending those kids to war and not go myself. I am constrained to go.”
His father looked at his family and said, “I am willing to die.” I am ready to do my duty. His mother replied with tears, begging him not to go. He was responding with courage, like Roosevelt predicted, with “righteous might.,” to do his duty, constrained by his spirit. Courageous men and women all throughout history have answered the call in times of war and persecution to rise up and say, “I am willing to die.”
Likewise, Apostle Paul was constrained by the Spirit to do his duty. He stood on the shores of Miletus looking at the Ephesian elders and declared, Acts 20:22–24
[22] And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by 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.
Paul was willing to die to do his duty for the Lord Jesus. Paul had a unique calling to go to Jerusalem to testify to the gospel of grace, but Paul’s calling to die is not unique. It is the calling of every Christian. Deitrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
After the Lord Jesus first told his disciples that he was constrained by the Spirit to suffer and die. Peter said, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Jesus replied, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on the things of man.” He then looked to all his disciples aud said, Matthew 16:24b–27
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [25] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [26] For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
Are you willing to follow Jesus? Are you willing to die?
Every Christian has to be willing to die to something and to die for something. Let me ask two simple questions as we study Paul’s journey to Jerusalem.
Are you willing to die to the opinion of others?
Like the Lord Jesus before him, Paul has set his face towards Jerusalem. And on his way he continued to encounter dear friends who begged him not to go. Acts 21:1–6,
[1] 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.
Paul landed in Tyre and stayed there a week. The disciples through the Spirit were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. This is interesting. Paul felt constrained by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem and here it appears the Holy Spirit is giving him the opposite message. What is happening? God is a God of order not confusion. I think the simplest way to understand this is that under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were confirming what the Spirit told Paul in Acts 20 of the hardships and difficulties that lie ahead on his journey. And then their natural human reaction was to plead with him not to go. John Stott notes, “The better solution is to draw a distinction between a prediction and a prohibition…perhaps Luke’s statement is a condensed way of saying that the warning was divine while the urging was human.”
The human pleading not to go to Jerusalem merely strengthened Paul’s resolve to go. We see a similar scene in Caesarea with a prediction and more pleading not to go. Acts 21:7–13,
[7] 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, 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.” (ESV)
They come to Philip’s house, one of the seven from Acts 6 who were set aside to care for the Greek widows. His unmarried daughters were prophetesses. We do not have what they shared, but according to early church historians Papias and Eusebius, these daughters, three who lived into their nineties, were mentioned as rich sources of information for the church fathers.
Agabus first appeared in Acts 11:27-30 declaring there would be a worldwide famine. His prophecy began the collection for the Jerusalem saints. He acted out his prophecy like the Old Testament prophets before him. Taking Paul’s belt, he bound his own feet and hands predicted Paul would be bound and imprisoned by the Gentiles. Again the Holy Spirit confirms what awaits Paul in Jerusalem. And notice those in Caesarea as well as Luke and Paul’s companions response in verse 12,
“When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem.”
Paul’s closest friends urged him not to follow the constraint of the Holy Spirit. Sproul notes,
It is interesting that when people are called to do their duty, and when that duty involves danger and peril and risk, it is their closest friends and family who inevitably try to talk them out of it. People who should be supporting those who are seeking to do their duty become impediments to it.
Beloved, when God calls you to do something you must be willing to obey. Listen to counsel, but God has given you orders, you obey. Everyone was giving Paul opinions of what he must do, but he did not count his life of any value except to fulfill the ministry the LORD gave him. Are you willing to die to the opinion of others? There have been many well-meaning parents and friends who give advice contrary to the Spirit out of fear of what may happen to their loved one or the difficulty of the journey. It is natural, but as Christians, we obey the Lord even when it does not always appear logical or rational.
When you come to Christ, you must be willing to die to the opinion of others. It does not matter what others think. It only matters what the Lord thinks. We want to listen to counsel, but our aim is to please our commanding officer. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. What has been God calling you to do? What is God calling you to do?
Are you willing to die for the will of the Lord?
Beloved, God is sovereign. He is in complete control of everything. His will is going to be done. Yet we will be challenged in many ways to choose our will over his; to choose comfort over pain; to choose ease over effort. Paul’s will may have been tested, but he was determined to fulfill his duty. Acts 21:12–14,
[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.”
Paul was willing to die for the will of the Lord. And we know he meant it for he eventually will die for the will of the Lord. Are you willing to die?
I believe every Christian wants to say yes. We want to be willing to die for the Lord. What does it mean for us to die? It means we have to be willing to put the Lord and his will before our own. We will always be tempted to choose ourselves over God. You may be tempted to choose to school social media in the morning over reading your Bible. You may be tempted to choose a career for money over doing what you know he wants you to do. You may be tempted to choose pleasure and sin over holiness. To die is to pick up your cross daily and follow the Lord.
It was the Lord’s will for Paul to be bound and imprisoned. It may be his will for some of us to be bound and imprisoned. Or some of us may get cancer or others of us may lose our job for our faith or some of us may not find a spouse or have children. We do not know the Lord’s will for our life, but will we trust him whatever his will is for us?
We must pray not to enter into temptation. Notice how Jesus’ pray to do the will of his Father was bookended by an encouragement to his disciples not to enter into temptation, Luke 22:39–46,
[39] And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. [40] And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” [41] And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, [42] saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” [43] And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. [44] And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. [45] And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, [46] and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (emphasis added)
We are willing to die for the Lord because he was willing to die for us. As the Lord Jesus prayed for his disciples, he knew they were unable to get to God without his sacrifice. Jesus wanted another way. He did not want to experience the fury of God’s wrath, but he lived to do the will of the father. Not my will but yours be done.
Jesus was willing to die for the Lord’s will. For it was the will of the Lord to crush him for our sake so we may be saved. He died for us. And because of his obedience, God raised him from the dead. Jesus lived and died and rose again. Now, everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Friend, if you have never trusted in Christ, let me urge you to do so today. Anyone who seeks to save his life, will lose it. But if you are willing to lose your life for Christ, your life will be saved. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? You may gain pleasure, or money or friends in the moment, but is it worth your soul? Friend, repent of your sins and trust in Christ.
The call of the gospel is a call to die. We must die everyday. We chose each and every day to die to self. We die to our desires. We die to our wills. We die to our pleasures. We die to our dreams. We lay them all down for Christ. Not my will, but yours be done.
Our aim as elders is to lead you to offer your lives as living sacrifices unto the Lord. Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Peter likewise urges the church, 1 Peter 2:4–5
[4] As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, [5] you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (ESV)
Scottish Pastor William Still notes,
Israel's sheep were reared, fed, tended, retrieved, healed and restored – for sacrifice on the altar of God. This end of all pastoral work must never be forgotten – that its ultimate aim is to lead God's people to offer themselves up to Him in total devotion of worship and service.
Are you willing to die? Is your life a willing sacrifice to the Lord? Is your life’s aim total devotion to him?
Beloved, there may be some of you who have fallen to temptation this past week. You may be loaded down with guilt and shame. Others of you may feel conviction of apathy or a drift into worldly pursuits. Others of you have been resistant to the Lord’s direction for your life. Regardless of how you came, I pray you will leave resolved to die to self and live for Christ. Jesus knew you would fail him so he went to cross. He was willing to die for you. And because he was willing to die, he was raised and sent you the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will empower you to die for him and to live for him.