Introduction
      There was once an 80-year-old man who went to a clothing store to buy a new suit. The salesman was very helpful and friendly, and he asked the older gentleman why he was buying the suit. The older man replied that he was getting married the day after tomorrow. He added that he was marrying a much younger woman. The clerk smiled and said, “Well, she must be rich then.” 

      The older man said, “No, she doesn’t have any money.” 
      Then the salesman said, “Well, she must be a great conversationalist.” 
      “No.  Actually she is rather dull.”
      “Well, then,” said the clerk, “She must be very beautiful.”
      The man replied, “No, she is rather plain.”
      Exasperated and confused, the clerk finally asked, “Then why are you marrying her?”
      And with a twinkle in his eye, the older gentleman said, “Because she can drive at night!”[1]

      Decisions. How do we make them? What are the factors we use to determine what we are supposed to do? How do we know where to go in life? What job to take? Which person to marry? As Christians we believe that we are a people who are guided by the Holy Spirit. Yet, when God speaks, is it always unmistakably clear? Is the guidance of God and the leading of the Spirit easy to understand?
      I know a woman who thought she had finally found Mr. Right. She was sure that after many disappointing relationships, he was the right one for her. It was the first time she had really loved a deeply spiritual man. She prayed about it, and it seemed to her that the Spirit was leading her. But scarcely was the ink dry on the marriage license when trouble began. He wasn’t what she was looking for after all. How could she have missed the Spirit’s guidance so badly?
      In the passage before us this morning, we read of the way in which the apostle Paul followed the leading of God’s Spirit as he concluded his third missionary journey. This is not the first time Paul sensed God’s divine guidance. You will recall that previously, in Acts 16, Paul received his vision of the man from Macedonia asking him to come over and help, and the Holy Spirit was clear in shutting other doors and opening this one to go to Macedonia. Then in Acts 19:21, we read that “after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then on to Jerusalem. He said, ‘After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.” Finally, in Acts 20:22,23 Paul said, “’And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testified to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me there.’” It sounds as though Paul truly believed it was the Spirit of God directing him. What are we to make of these things?
      As we consider this passage, I want you to notice three matters by way of emphasis: the travels of Paul; guidance by the Spirit; and the role of suffering.

I. The Travels of Paul
      Our text begins with one of the numerous travel descriptions in the book of Acts. Here Paul and his companions leave the Ephesian elders who had come down from Miletus to meet them, and they traveled on towards Jerusalem. We are told that they boarded a ship and headed to Syria and the port of Tyre. Even though it is not mentioned in the book of Acts, a church had been started there, and during a weeklong layover, Paul met with the believers in that city. Paul’s visit was a great encouragement to them, and in the course of their time together, they spoke “through the Spirit” and told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
      The missionaries continued on their journey from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where they greeted another group of Christians. A day later, they sailed to Caesarea where they stayed in the home of Philip the evangelist for several days. You will recall that this is the same Philip who 25 years before, back in Acts 6:5, was appointed a deacon. In addition, he was the first to take the gospel cross-culturally into the region of Samaria (Acts 8:5), and he was the one who led the eunuch from Ethiopia to Christ on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8:26-39). 
      I want you to notice something special in this passage about the ministry of Philip. It says in our text that he had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. The Puritans referred to the home as a little seminary, and I imagine that was especially true in Philip’s house. Growing strong daughters who were gifted in preaching the gospel is an accomplishment in any age. Many of us parents are uncertain about what to hope for in our children, but Philip wasn’t. He knew what was most important in raising his girls. We parents are often reduced to organizing and managing our children’s activities rather than nurturing and shaping their souls. We entertain, chauffeur, clothe and fund, but we struggle to really prepare our kids for deeply living the Christian life. Why is this?
      Mary Pipher has written, “America today is a girl-destroying place. Everywhere girls are encouraged to sacrifice their true selves.” Young women are pressured to evaluate themselves on the basis of appearance, and many young women scorn their bodies and punish themselves in a desperate attempt to match the image of beauty they see in magazines and on TV. How did Philip counteract a pervasive cultural bias against Christ in his day? One thing is for sure, Philip looked upon his daughters as a gift from God, and he knew that the greatest thing he could give his girls was a love for Jesus. He also surely stressed the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and reminded them that they were given a gift to use for God’s glory. 
      Parents should never forget that the truth of Christianity is as much caught as it is taught, and you and I can’t give away what we don’t have ourselves. Many years ago, Lorie and I had the privilege of enjoying dinner with Mrs. Howard, the mother of Elisabeth Eliot and David Howard, two of the great missionary influences in the last century. Mrs. Howard and her husband, who had passed away, had five children, and each of them went into full-time Christian service. We asked her, “What was the key?” Mrs. Howard related a story I will never forget. She said that her husband was always up by 5:00 a.m. every morning so that he could spend time reading the Bible and in prayer. And one of the great efforts of all five children in the Howard household was to see if they could rise before their father. 
      One morning young David got up so early that he just knew he had awakened before his father for the first time. He got out of bed, tip-toed down the stairs, walked quietly to his father's study, and peered through the door. But there, to his chagrin, was his father already on his knees praying over a list of people and things. His back was to David, and he did not notice his son. Quietly, David tip-toed up to his father and peered over his shoulder, and he looked at the things for which his dad was praying. And there at the top of the page, he saw his own name written - "David". His father was praying for him, right at the top of the list. David tip-toed back to his room that morning, but he never forgot that experience. It was one of the things that motivated him to become a missionary years later. 
      Truth is as much caught as it is taught – in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard, in the home of Philip the evangelist, and in your home and mine.

II.  The Guidance of the Spirit
      While Paul was in Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus came down from Jerusalem. This was the same Agabus who predicted a large famine back in Acts 11:28, which in fact came to pass. In Acts 21 Agabus acted out a prophecy which involved binding Paul with his belt, and the prophet concluded with the warning that the apostle would be arrested if he went to Jerusalem. Others joined in sharing words of concern and caution. The group did not want Paul to go. However Paul responded, “’Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus’” (21:13). The text adds, “When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done’” (21:14). 
      Was Paul supposed to go to Jerusalem or not? Did the apostle hear the Spirit earlier, or did these folks in this chapter hear a warning from God? Would the Holy Spirit work in contradictory ways? What are we to make of these things? There are two possible answers. The first option is that Paul missed God’s will while others saw it. Pastor and commentator James Boice held to this conclusion. He wrote that he thought Paul’s desire to find acceptance among the leaders in the church in Jerusalem caused him to do too much, and the apostle missed God’s call out of his own stubbornness.
      The second option is that Paul genuinely heard God’s call to go to Jerusalem, and everyone else simply heard the confirmation by the Spirit that things would be difficult there and then falsely concluded that Paul should not go. Many times we hear that something is going to be difficult and assume it is not God’s will. We are programmed by our culture to take the easier road. When we meet resistance, we sometimes falsely assume God is shutting a door, when in actuality He is teaching us to persevere.
        Some Christians may be surprised to learn that God’s will for their lives is not governed by their personal peace and prosperity. The gospel of health and wealth is a totally foreign concept in the New Testament. We are not saved to prosper but to serve, and the Kingdom of God cannot be equated with the American Dream. 
      I know you were as affected as I was by the words of Dr. Peter Kuzmic last weekend during our Missions Awareness Conference. It was stirring to listen to him relate his faithfulness to Christ in the midst of suffering and struggle. What an example of faith he gave us to follow. I was particularly stirred when he told us about his decision to leave the comforts of Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Boston and return to Croatia to carry on his ministry in that war-torn area. The mayor of his home city called and said to him, “We need you.  You must return. Why aren’t you here to help us in our time of need?”
      Dr. Kuzmic’s experience reminded me of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s agonizing decision to return to Hitler’s Germany in 1939. He had been invited to the United States to teach and preach, just as the church struggle was intensifying in Germany. Martin Niemoeller, a leading pastor in the Confessing Church movement, had already been arrested and sent to a concentration camp. German Christians were being manipulated to support Hitler’s racial policy of maintaining the purity of the Aryan nation. Aboard ship on June 8, Bonhoeffer wrote in his journal, “We ought to be found only where God is. We can no longer, in fact, be anywhere else than where God is. He takes us with Him. Or have I, after all, avoided the place where He is?”[2] 
      By the time Bonhoeffer’s ship docked in New York City, he was in agony over his decision to come in the first place. The Americans treated him with generosity, affection and helpfulness, but he was not at peace. Theologian Paul Lehmann begged him to stay, citing the powerful influence he would have on theology. But within weeks Bonhoeffer made up his mind that he must return to his homeland. He wrote the following to Reinhold Niebuhr, another famous theologian:

      You and I have to be careful not to limit God’s will for another person. If God is calling them to something difficult, we must let them go. Paul answered the call of God, and it cost him his freedom. Yet the Lord did amazing things through this next episode of his life. Through his arrest, imprisonment and subsequent trials, Paul was able to preach the gospel to the Jews, to governors and kings, and even in the capital city of the Roman Empire. Later the apostle would write, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Phil. 1:12,13). God guided Paul, and He will guide you, too, if you ask Him.

III.  The Role of Suffering
      Courageous leadership is not afraid to choose the path marked by the cross. That is what Paul did, in spite of the warning of his friends and the almost certain prospect of persecution. The apostle felt compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem in much the same way that his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did. You will recall that Christ Himself set His face like a flint toward Jerusalem, even though His disciples urged Him not to go. Whenever Jesus talked about His coming suffering, His followers tried to dissuade Him of such thoughts, and they wanted to redirect His plans. But Christ would hear nothing of it. He knew the cross awaited Him. He knew this was His calling. He knew it was His destiny. And He committed Himself to the doing of God’s will, regardless of the sacrifice.
      Struggles in the Christian life are meant to train us for discipleship that removes all the excuses. It produces a spiritual toughness which strengthens our ability to meet the demands of life. My friend Doug Webster has related how he learned the truth of this when his son Andrew completed the San Diego Regional Life-Guard Academy.[4] The physical and mental challenges of becoming an ocean life-guard are designed to prepare you to rescue people in the worst of circumstances.
      If you couldn’t swim the 500 meters and run the mile in the required time, you were dropped from the training program. Failure to complete any of the daily physical tests resulted in immediate termination. If you showed up late, you were dropped. If you couldn’t jump off the pier, you were dropped. If you scored low on the written tests, you were dropped. It was not uncommon for trainees to become sick, and some had to be rescued themselves. A few passed out, and on one occasion paramedics were called. Andrew’s class started with 35 people and ended with 23. 
      Every day, Doug was eager to see Andrew’s face when he came home around 5:30 p.m., because he knew that he’d be able to tell immediately whether or not he had been cut from the academy just by looking at his expression. Andrew’s feet were swollen and blistered from swimming with fins, and his body ached so much so that Doug wondered how much longer his son would be able to hold out. Then on top of it all, he got the flu, but he still had to complete the swims and runs in the required qualifying time. Andrew completed the training, and today he is an ocean life-guard in San Diego.
      What impressed Doug most about the training was that it was designed to remove all excuses. Ocean life-guards are trained to rescue the victim if it is at all humanly possible. They have been conditioned mentally and physically through rigorous training to do whatever it takes to rescue a drowning person. They have been pushed to the point of utter physical exhaustion to prove to themselves the necessity of mental toughness. The apostle Paul would say that we all could use some spiritual toughness and tenacity when it comes to following Jesus Christ. 
      It is one thing to know God’s will; it is quite another to do it, especially when our friends are urging us to take the path of least resistance, the easier way before us. We should always listen to the counsel of others, but it should never drown out the clear leading of the Spirit of God, even if it means the way of suffering. 

Conclusion
      The late pianist, singer, and composer Ray Charles is the subject of the award-winning biographical film Ray which stars Jamie Foxx. Ray is about the challenges, successes, failings, and addictions of the famous blind musician. The film reveals how Ray Charles compensated for his blindness by learning to hear what others could not – a skill that would contribute to his musical talent.
      In the film there is a scene when, as a 10-year-old boy, Ray enters his room and trips over a rocking chair. He falls, cries out in pain, and calls to his mother for help. His mother instinctively steps forward, but then stops herself, quietly steps back, and returns to her work. Ray, lying on the floor, continues to cry for his mother’s help.
      Believing he is alone, Ray is forced to listen more carefully for help. First he hears men chattering outside and then a hen clucking. He stops crying, turns his head, and slowly gets up. He hears more people talking, a cow mooing, and metal clanking. He turns his head in the direction of a kettle of boiling water.
      Stretching out his arms, he walks toward a crackling fireplace and feels its heat, pulling his hand back when it comes too close. His mother watches him carefully, concerned with his every move. Ray listens intently as a horse and carriage go by.
      Then he hears a cheeping grasshopper close by and walks toward it. He bends down and, fumbling a bit, encloses his hands and puts it to his ear. His mother is taken aback and gives a low gasp. 
      “I hear you Mama. You’re right there,” Ray says.
      His mother now has tears streaming down her face. She tells him, “Yes, yes, I am.” She kneels in front of Ray and embraces him.[5]
      Could it be that the Lord is doing the same for you and me whenever we encounter suffering? God is at work in ways we cannot see. He is often silent even when we cry out in pain. But we should never mistake God’s silence for His absence. He is taking the painful experiences of our lives to shape and form us in the way of Christ. God is ever with us, watching our discoveries, celebrating our growth, feeling our pain.
      This was a truth Paul knew, and it is a truth we need to learn as well. He followed the calling of God to Jerusalem, and he was unflinching in his discipleship. Are you? Amen.