Paul's Selfwill (Part 1)

Acts Lesson # 75

• God told Paul that those in Jerusalem would refuse his testimony concerning Christ.
• At the outset of his ministry, God told him that the Jews would NOT listen to him.
• Thus, God commanded him to hastily flee Jerusalem. His ministry was to be abroad—NOT in the city of Jerusalem and NOT primarily to the Jews.
• The Lord warned Paul that Jerusalem was the wrong place for him.
• Paul no longer belonged there.
• Yet, Paul presented the Lord with what seemed like a legitimate counterargument.
• Paul was sincere about his desire to reach the Jews, and he believed himself to be uniquely qualified to bring them to Christ.
• he was sincerely wrong because God had called him to another ministry.
Acts 22
• Like most of us, Paul wanted to fix the mess that he had created.
• He believed he was the best one to reach the Jews with the gospel.
• They all knew his earlier reputation of persecuting the believers. Even with God's explicit instructions, Paul questioned and second-guessed God's plan. The Lord told Paul to depart:
• God's command was clear-cut. Paul's ministry was NOT to be in Jerusalem.
• he made four visits to that city. Each visit got him into trouble, with no real progress with the Jews.
• He got into deeper trouble every time he allowed his zeal and his love for the Jewish brethren to control him.
• No matter how intense the enthusiasm and determination, God never gives a license to disobey.
• It is never right to disobey God in the face of clear and definite commands. God repeatedly told Paul NOT to return to Jerusalem.
An Effective Ministry is Always God-centric