to the book of Acts in chapter 21 and that's where we'll be this evening. In our Wednesday night services right now we're studying the life of Paul and we're on, Paul's on his third missionary journey and wrapping it up and last Wednesday night we talked about his journey to Jerusalem and tonight we find him there at Jerusalem and We'll back up just a little bit. I don't want to spend a lot of time on things that happened on the way to Jerusalem, but we are going to touch on that this evening as we look at this message. So this is the conclusion of Paul's third missionary journey, and as he concludes that journey, he makes two decisions that are somewhat controversial. And we noted this, I think, last Wednesday night, we talked about the fact he went to Jerusalem, and there was some controversy there about him going to Jerusalem. And even today, there are those that debate, should Paul have gone to Jerusalem or not? Was he in the will of God or out of the will of God? when he went to Jerusalem, and if you read the commentaries you'll find that good men disagree about whether he was right or wrong even to go to Jerusalem, but he made that decision to go in spite of what was being said along the way, but he also joined with four Jews in making a vow. If you'll look there in chapter 21, and let's skip ahead to when he actually comes to Jerusalem. In verse 17 it says, When we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the day following Paul went in with us unto James, and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. So he arrives in Jerusalem, meets with James and the elders of the church, And when it says he told them particular, declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles, that phrase declared particularly means he went in detail over things that God was doing. So he shared with them just event after event after event, people that got saved, things that God did. No doubt he told them about the burning of the books at Ephesus and the silversmiths just all the things that happened on this journey this third journey as he's there preaching the gospel to the Gentiles in Asia and Europe and so he's recounting those things just one after another the things that had happened and you notice it says what God had brought among the Gentiles by his ministry doesn't take credit for what's going on you know this is just what God was doing through him but God was doing it so then the The elders, when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, they were grateful for what God had done through the Apostle Paul and the Gentiles being saved, but they were concerned that Paul would not be welcomed by the church there in Jerusalem. because it was believed that he was teaching Jews not to keep the law of Moses. If you'll notice, again in verse 20, it says, When they had heard it, they glorified the Lord, and they said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the law. And they are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? The multitude must needs come together, for they will hear that thou art come. So they're concerned about how he would be received by the church there, particularly among the Jews who were still zealous for the law. You know, I was thinking about this, and I think there's a parallel here today. And sometimes we get, again, we get zealous for traditions. The law is done away with. Christ was the end of the law. And then you have Jews who have been keeping the law all their life, and they've been saved, but they're still, they can't let go of the law. They can't let go of that which has been so much a part of their life. And many of the things that they were doing were not wrong in and of themselves, but there was no need to continue to do it. But they are. And they're not condemned for it. But they're too zealous for things that really have, again, are not necessary and were done away in Christ. And I think that's significant in Paul's response to understand that. And even I think there's application for us today that, you know, again, sometimes we get zealous for things that aren't necessarily wrong, but they're also not necessary. We don't have to do them. We, you know, it's things maybe we've always done and we've always done it this way, but it's, there's nothing in the Bible that says we have to do it this way, but it's just been so much a part of our life. We just can't let it go. And so we continue to do things and hold onto them zealously, even though they're not necessary. But, so they propose something to Paul. They say in verse 23, do therefore this that we say to thee, we have four men which have a vow on them. Part of the Mosaic law was you could make a vow to God to do certain things and God would allow that and so these men had done that. And so they tell him, verse 24, them take and purify thyself with them, join with them in this ceremony, be at charges with them, in other words, pay their expenses for this vow, and I'll come back to that in just a moment, that they may shave their heads and all may know that those things whereof they were informed concerning thee are nothing, but that thou thyself also walkest orderly and keepest the law. Paul was not as zealous for the law as these Jews in Jerusalem were. Paul sometimes did and sometimes didn't, but they're asking him to do this to make it appear at least that he has not abandoned the law of Moses. But what they're asking him to do is to pay the cost of ending this vow, because in Numbers chapter 6, and you can turn or you can just listen, but in verses 13 through 15, we read about this, the ending of the vow, when a person makes a Nazirite vow, and that vow could last for 30 days or longer, it could last as long as they wanted. But when they were done, when the vow was over, this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled, He shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and he shall offer his offering unto the Lord. And here's what he had to offer at the end of his vow. One he-lamb of the first year without blemish, so a one-year-old male lamb without blemish for a burn offering, one you-lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for a peace offering, and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering and their drink offerings. So, you know, there's an expense involved in taking the vow of Nazarite. When you come to the inn, you've got to come up with these animals. You're probably not talking about hundreds and hundreds of dollars, but it's still significant. There's four of them, so there's four he-lams, four you-lams, four rams, as well as four baskets of unleavened bread. and the cakes of fine flour and so forth, all of that. And what they're asking Paul to do is, Paul, you pay for all that for these guys. And sometimes a wealthy patron would do that for others that were maybe not so wealthy among the Jews, just as a, just to be a help. And Paul has come, and he's brought this huge offering from the Gentile churches, and maybe this money was taken from that offering. It's possible, and I don't think that would have been a misuse of the money, because it was to help the poor saints in Jerusalem. These guys, if they're not able to afford this, it would be in keeping with the purpose of that offering to do this. Or maybe Paul, you know, at times Paul had wealth, and he probably came from a wealthy family, so maybe just out of his own savings and his ministry as a tent maker, maybe he had the funds to do this, but nonetheless that's what they're asking him to do, pay for the offerings for these guys as they finish out their vow, join with them, pay for their offering, kind of join with them in this vow and everybody will know that you haven't forsaken the law. And they note in verse 25, but as touching the Gentiles which believe, You know, Paul, we understand that, you know, when it comes to the Gentiles, they don't have to observe the law. We've written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from strangled, and for fornication. Those were the things that were decided by the Jerusalem Council back in Acts chapter 15. And so they said, we're not asking that the Gentiles be required to keep the law, but we want the Jews to understand that you haven't abandoned the law. Now, again, Paul was not opposed to Jews keeping the law. He wasn't teaching the Jews among the Gentiles to forsake the law as such. Certainly, his message of salvation by grace apart from works, apart from the law, would suggest that it was no longer necessary to keep the law, but he wasn't going around telling them, okay, so just forsake the law. Matter of fact, sometimes, I'm getting ahead of myself, but sometimes Paul He did keep the law. He did things that were in the law. And he had a reason for doing that, and we'll see that in a moment. But, so, they asked Paul to do this, and Paul agrees to. Paul took the men, verse 26, the next day, purifying himself with them, entered into the temple to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until then an offering should be offered for every one of them. And so as he's there in the temple, we read that some of the Jews from Asia Verse 27, "...saw him in the temple, and they stirred up the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place. And further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus, an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple." You know, they're making an accusation. They don't even have any proof. It's supposition. Trophimus was with Paul. He must have brought him into the temple. Paul doesn't care about the law, so he wouldn't care about the necessity of Gentiles being separated in the temple. There was the court of the Gentiles, and there was a court of the women, and then there was the general court, and there was a wall between the court of the Gentiles, and I think it was the women's court that comes next, and no Gentile was allowed to go beyond that wall. Paul may have been referring to that in Ephesians chapter 2, when he said, in Christ, the wall of separation has been broken down, and we are all one in Christ, and he may have had in mind that wall in the temple at Jerusalem, but on the wall was this inscription, no foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught so doing will have himself to blame for his ensuing death. So if they saw a Gentile pass beyond that wall, then they, he took his life in his hands and the Romans allow the Jewish religious leaders the right to deal with those who violated that law, they could execute them. That was the one thing, one time the Romans would allow the Jews to exercise capital punishment against somebody is if they violated that law. So it would be a serious thing as far as they were concerned for a Gentile to go beyond the wall. And they're saying Paul brought Trophimus in beyond the wall, he must have, because he's here with him. And as a result of that, they grab Paul, they drag him out of the temple, and they begin to beat him, and they're going to beat him to death. But the Roman soldiers found out, and as they're about to kill him, verse 31 tells us that Titus came to the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem was in an uproar, and immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down into them, and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. God was intervening to spare Paul's life. And the chief captain came near and took him and commanded him to be bound with two chains and demanded who he was and what he had done. They think Paul is indeed doing wrong. They think that he's stirring up a riot, stirring up a mob against the Romans. And so they arrest him, bind him in chains, try to find out what's going on. They can't get an answer, a clear answer from the multitude, verse 34. And so they're going to take him into the castle, into their headquarters, and they're going to interrogate him. And the mob follows after them, verse 36. But Paul, as he's being led into the castle, he says to the chief captain, may I speak unto thee? And the chief captain said, canst thou speak Greek? Art thou not that Egyptian which before these days made an uproar and led out into the wilderness 4,000 men that were murderers? He had gotten away, so they're thinking, this is that guy come back, and Paul said, no, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city, no little city, an important city in Asia, and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs and beckoned with a hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue. And then chapter 22 gives us what he said to them. We're not going into that tonight. But the Roman soldiers found out what was going on, rescued Paul, but arrested him, believing he was trying to stir up the Jews to rebel against the Roman authority. And Paul assured them he was not, and asked for permission to address the mob. And the chief captain agreed to allow him to do that. So, looking at all that and the things that were going on as Paul was making his way to Jerusalem, I want to note two principles for our lives, for your life, for my life, but two principles I think that we need to understand here. in considering the fact, again, that Paul made two decisions that for many are controversial. The first principle is this, that we should always honor our conscience. You know, everywhere Paul went as he's making his way to Jerusalem, he's being told that he's going to be persecuted and he's going to be imprisoned. Over in chapter 20, as he's talking to the Ephesian elders, and we've looked at these verses, but he said, I go bound in the Spirit. I'm bound and determined to go to Jerusalem. And I don't know what's going to happen to me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. He said, everywhere I'm going, the Holy Spirit is telling me that if I go to Jerusalem, that I'm going to be persecuted and I'm going to be imprisoned. And everywhere Paul is going, there are people trying to persuade him not to go to Jerusalem. In verse 3 and 4 of chapter 21, he said, they landed at Tyre, and they found disciples there, and they stayed seven days, and those disciples said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem. And in verses 10 through 12, as Agabus comes from Judea and grabs, takes Paul's girdle and binds his hands and feet with it and says, this is what's gonna happen to the man that owns this. And when the people heard it, when those that were there at, he's at Philip's house. And as those in the house here, those that are with Paul here, they beg him not to go up to Jerusalem, verse 12 tells us. Paul, don't go. And yet, Paul went. Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem despite those warnings. Again, he said to the elders at Ephesus, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem. like the Lord Jesus, set his face to go to Jerusalem for his crucifixion. Paul says, I'm determined to go. Nothing is going to stop me. And he told them, none of these things move me. The fact that I'm hearing that I'm going to face imprisonment and persecution doesn't stop me, doesn't move me, doesn't cause me to change my plans. I don't count my life dear to myself so that I might finish my course with joy in the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God. So, Paul's hearing, don't go. If you go, you're going to be imprisoned, you're going to be persecuted. Paul says, but I'm going. He told them at Philip's house, verses 13 and 14 of chapter 21, what mean you to weep and to break my heart? I'm ready to not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And it says, when he would not be persuaded, we see saying the will of the Lord be done. Why is Paul doing that? Everybody's saying, don't go, don't go, don't go, don't go. If you go, it's a mistake, Paul, you shouldn't go, and yet Paul goes anyway. Why does he do that? Because Paul believes it is the will of God for him to go, even though he knows that he's going to face persecution and imprisonment, he still goes because he believes it is the will of God. Paul is committed to honoring his conscience, and in this case, that's what it is. I believe this is God's will. I can't not go. If I don't go, I violate my conscience, because this is something I believe is right, and if I don't do it, then I'm doing wrong. But Paul was committed to honoring his conscience in everything. He said in Acts 23 and verse 1, men and brethren, speaking to the Sanhedrin, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. He would, later on, in Acts 24, verse 16, he says, I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men. I always do what I believe is right. In 2 Corinthians 1, verse 12, he wrote to the Corinthian church, our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you. My conscience is clear in this matter, and he would tell Timothy, I thank God whom I serve for my forefathers with pure conscience. Even before he was saved, he said, I tried to do what I believed was right. Paul had this commitment to doing right, no matter what it cost. And Paul believes that going to Jerusalem is the right thing to do despite what everybody else is saying, even those who are saying from the Holy Ghost that he should not go to Jerusalem. But Paul believes this is God's will. His conscience is clear in this matter. He believes it's God's will that he go to Jerusalem. to the Ephesian elders. I want to finish my course with joy. I want to fulfill God's will for my life. I want to walk the path that God has set out for me all the way to the end. I want to do what I believe is God's will, what is right, and that brings joy to my heart when I do that. We talked about that last Wednesday night. And so Paul's not going to allow others to persuade him to abandon a course that he believed was in the will of God even if they invoke the Spirit of God Paul believed he was doing what was right and he was gonna do it no matter the cost. And I simply say, by saying that, I simply say this, there are times, there may be times when you must do what you believe to be the will of God even if others don't agree with you. Now, I say that cautiously. because the Book of Proverbs gives us some warnings. You don't want to be like the sluggard who it says in Proverbs 26 and verse 16, is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render reason. I don't know if you've encountered people like that. They're clearly making some foolish choices and everybody's telling them this is foolish, this is wrong, you shouldn't be doing this, but they're right. They know they're right. They won't listen to reason. They're persuaded they're right, even though you can give them legitimate reasons why they're wrong, and they're making a mess of their life, but they're so stubborn in their own willfulness, they will not listen to reason. We don't want to be that way. We don't want to be unreasonable. You don't want to be like the man who is wise in his own conceit. Proverbs 26.12 says, there's more hope of a fool than of a man who is wise in his own conceit. And the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. Proverbs 12.15. So, on the one hand, there's wisdom in listening to the counsel of others, but if I'm persuaded that this is something God wants me to do, and it doesn't violate scripture. We're not talking about something that is clearly wrong in scripture. There is what we could call an objective will of God, that is, this is clear-cut, there's no question, there's no subjectivity to it, there's no determining is this God's will or not, the Bible's very clear, it spells it out. Those things, I must obey God. But there are things that come up in my life where the Bible doesn't speak directly to that. I have to use judgment. I have to make a decision about the will of God and I have to look at the circumstances and I have to listen, I have to consider the scriptures that could apply. But ultimately I'm going to make a decision and it's a subjective decision. Nobody can tell me I'm right or wrong because there's no definite statement in scripture one way or the other. And what do you do when those kinds of situations come up? Well, you want to be walking with God, you want to be walking as closely with God as you can and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, but ultimately You're gonna have to make a decision that you're comfortable with, that you can live with, that your conscience allows you to make, that says, this is what I believe is God's will, and I'm gonna do it. And there are times when despite the best intentions of others, God's will is clear to you, and you have to do what you believe is right, even when it goes against what others are saying. Again, be cautious in that. But there are times when that is true. You know, When a man is being ordained for the gospel ministry, one of the questions that is asked of him is, if we don't ordain you, what will you do? And the answer that Ordination Council is looking for is this, I will preach anyway because God has called me. That's the right answer and that would be the right decision. Now, not Not taking that lightly, if the ordination council has a reason, a good reason, why they don't ordain somebody. But the point is, if God has called you, nobody should stop you from fulfilling God's call in your life. Hudson Taylor made a decision in his missionary endeavors. He believed that he could more effectively reach the Chinese if he adopted Chinese dress, and so he shaved his head, except for the little Q in the back, the little pigtail, like the Chinese did, and he began to wear Chinese clothes. so that he could more easily move about among the Chinese people. And he felt like it would just make it easier to reach them as he's going into the interior of China. And that was kind of what everybody else in the China Inland Mission did the same thing. But he was criticized for that. People thought he was wrong to do that. But he believed it was the right thing to do, and what God wanted him to do, and how God would use him more effectively. And so he did what he believed was right, even though other people were saying it's wrong. But it was what God wanted him to do, what he felt God wanted him to do, and so he did it anyway. So there are times when you'll have to make a decision, it's a subjective decision, there's no clear right or wrong, and ultimately you have to decide what God wants you to do. And you may have to do what you believe is right, even when maybe even everybody else is disagreeing with you, but you are convinced that it is the right thing to do. Again, be careful that you're not violating scripture in your decision, and you need to consider what others have to say. But ultimately, God is your judge. God is the one who determines his will for your life, and you're gonna have to make a decision that you're comfortable with that is the right decision in the face of God. So that's what I mean when I say honor your conscience. That's what Paul is doing. He is doing what he believes is right, even though everybody else is saying, Paul, don't do it. But he believes it is part of God's course for his life, and so he does it. But as you do that, then you have to trust in the sovereignty of God, which is the second point that I want for us to consider tonight. You know, did Paul make the right decisions? Well, the Bible's not clear, and again, good men disagree, but in going to Jerusalem, he honored his conscience, and even in joining with the men who had made the vow, he was trying to do what he could to avoid offense in the ministry of the gospel. Paul, at one point, said, you know, I'm all things to all men that I might by all means save some. Paul was willing to do things that were not required of him, but were not wrong, and he felt like would help him reach people with the gospel. Same thing with Hudson Taylor and his Chinese dress. Paul made a vow one time. Clearly, there were times when Paul did things in law. Paul had Timothy circumcised because of the Jews. They knew he was, his mother was a Jew, his father was a Gentile, but because people knew that he was half Jew, so that it wouldn't offend the Jews that Paul's trying to reach, he had Timothy circumcised. He didn't have to do that. It wasn't required. They're no longer under the law. But Paul didn't want to put a stumbling block in the way of Jews in reaching them with the gospel. So he was willing to do something that he didn't have to do, but in order to make it, the ministry, the gospel less offensive or to remove an offense for the ministry of the gospel. And that's what Paul's doing here when he agrees to join in this vow. They're saying the church may stumble over the fact that they think you're not keeping the law, so do this so that they'll receive you, and Paul's willing to do that even though he doesn't have to, but it's not wrong. It doesn't violate scripture, but he's doing this in order to keep a door open for his ministry. But is it the right decision in this case? Was it the right thing to do? Because the result of it was that he's beaten and imprisoned and Paul's going to spend the next four years in prison. So did he make the right decision when you look at the consequences of the choice and the choices that he made? And I don't have the answer to that question tonight, but here's where this trust God's sovereignty comes in. Right or wrong, we could debate that. Again, good men disagree, so we're not going to solve that question tonight. Right or wrong, God's will was accomplished and that's where the sovereignty of God comes in. God worked through Paul's decisions to accomplish his will for Paul's life. The Lord had told Ananias when Paul was saved on the Damascus Road and the Lord sent Ananias to him. Ananias didn't want to go, but the Lord said to Ananias, Paul is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." Suffering was a part of God's plan for Paul's life. Bearing the gospel before the Gentiles, which he's been doing, was part of God's will for his life, but also before kings and the children of Israel. So even this is going to present an opportunity for Paul to give testimony to the Jews, the unbelieving Jews in Jerusalem. is going to open the door for Paul to be able to preach the gospel to Roman officials. Paul gave the gospel to several, Felix, and Festus, and Agrippa, and even the emperor himself, who at this time was Nero. Paul's choices led to the opportunities to share the gospel with all these people that God had ordained that he ministered to when he saved him. This was part of God's plan for Paul's life. And Paul's decision simply paved the way for the will of God to be done in Paul's life. So was he right or wrong? I don't know. But is God using this and intervening and overruling if he was wrong to accomplish his will? Yes. And part of that goes back to the fact that Paul's not making a choice or choices that are clearly wrong. And Paul believes he is doing what is right, and God is honoring Paul's heart in seeking to do what was right, even if the decisions really were not right. Does that make sense? You with me? OK. That sounds odd. But anyway. And even the Lord encouraged Paul. In the midst of all this, in Acts 23 and verse 11, the Lord stood by Paul and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so thou must bear witness also at Rome. God encouraged Paul that all this was working out for God's glory and fulfilling God's purpose in his life. So when you do what you believe to be the will of God, as best you know, it's a subjective decision. You can't, you know, go to Scripture and say, this is absolutely right because the Bible says right here, make this choice. But there's some principles I'm looking at in the Word of God. I'm listening, trying to listen to the Holy Spirit within my heart, and as best I know my heart and the Lord, I believe this is the right thing to do. Whether it's right or wrong, you must believe that God will not abandon you, that God will fulfill his purpose in you even as you make that decision. Now, I also ask the question here, if I'm intending to do right, can I make a wrong decision? Will God let me make a wrong decision? If my desire is, my heart is to do right, and I'm doing what I believe to be the will of God, is God going to let me make a wrong decision? And I think probably the answer would be no. But right or wrong, I have to believe that God will. He's not going to abandon me. and He will fulfill His purpose in me regardless. Years ago, I was trying to make a decision about God's will for my life, and I consulted with, I took a day and I went to Bob Jones University, And I consulted with three of my former teachers that I had great respect for, and I just shared with them the struggle that I had and asked their opinion, their advice. But I remember one of those men, as he was giving me his thoughts about the decision I was making, told me about a preacher that he knew who had made a decision to change churches. And after he had made that decision, he felt like he had made a mistake. And he couldn't get over that. I messed up. I missed the will of God. And it's all over. It'll never be the same. God can't use me. He just couldn't get over it. And the point that this professor was trying to make is, no, that's not right. You can't think that way. As I'm trying to make a decision, he's trying to encourage me that you need to make the right decision, but don't overthink it. You know, even if you make a decision and you feel like you made the wrong decision, God's, it's not over. Your life's not over, your ministry's not over, God's not done with you, it's okay. God can still work, even in that. And again, you know, ultimately, the question comes back, if you want to do the will of God, without, with no, No hesitation, no strings, just, Lord, I want to do whatever you want me to do. If you just show me what it is, I'll do it. Then it's safe to ask the question, then what does your heart say? And it's pretty safe to believe. If you honestly could say, I'll do whatever, then you can trust your heart, your conscience that God is leading in that decision. Again, as long as you're not violating something clear in scripture. Even when Israel rebelled against God in the wilderness, he chastened them, but he didn't abandon them. You're God's child. He loves you. He's gonna lead you. And so trust him to lead. So let me just say in closing this evening, confess any sinful choices that you make. If you do make a wrong choice and you know it's wrong, clearly wrong, then confess that to God and accept his forgiveness. Obey God's objective will, that is what I know is the will of God. It's clearly spelled out in scripture. Do that, and then trust God when I have subjective choices to make. I don't know what God's will. I've got to make a decision, and there is subjectiveness here because I've got to decide what I believe is right, and I've got to apply principle, but there's no clear direction from God except what my heart says. Trust God to lead. Trust God to work His will. And whatever decision I make, believe that God will work through that to accomplish his will in my life and through me in the lives of others. So two principles that I think we can learn from these decisions that Paul made, that we need to honor our conscience and we need to trust in the sovereignty of God. Well, let's bow together for prayer. Father, we thank you for the Apostle Paul and his life and ministry and Father, I pray that your Holy Spirit will make clear these truths and principles that we have talked about tonight. And that we'll understand how to apply them in each of our lives. Lord, we pray for your direction. And we thank you that you want your will to be done in our lives even more than we do. That if we will honestly and sincerely seek your guidance, you will lead us. But Lord, we are human. Paul is human. We are fallible. Thank you, Father, that you're greater even than the choices that we make. And if we were to make a wrong choice, that it doesn't end your purpose for our life or your purpose through us in the lives of others. And we thank you for that, and we pray in Jesus' name, amen.