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Christian Liberty and Resistance (Christ the Redeemer)
Christ Church on May 27, 2025
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Discerning the Lord’s Will (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #38) (KC)

Joshua Edgren on

INTRODUCTION

How do you know what the will of God is for you? We pray that God’s “will” would be done on earth as it is in heaven, but we have many choices to make, some obviously significant and every choice momentous.

Paul said that he was compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21, 20:22), and yet, the same Spirit filled disciples urging Paul not to go (Acts 21:4, 11). Does God do this regularly? Does God send mixed signals?

God is not trying to trick anyone, but He does test us. The Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted (Mk. 1:12). This was not so that Jesus would fail, but so He would succeed. Christians must trust and obey God’s clear Word, and then we trust His providence in the gifts, opportunities, and desires He gives us.

The Text: “And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara…” (Acts 21:1-14).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

After leaving the Ephesian elders at Miletus, Paul’s entourage sailed along the coast of southwest Asia Minor, until they came to Syria (Acts 21:1-3). While there for seven days, the disciples, by the Holy Spirit, warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem before sending him on his way with prayers (Acts 21:4-6). Sailing south along the coast of Palestine, they came to Caesarea and stayed with Philip, one of the seven, who had four faithful daughters (Acts 21:7-9). While there, the prophet Agabus, foretold that Paul would be arrested in Jerusalem, and everyone tried to dissuade Paul from going (Acts 21:10-12). But while Paul felt the emotional force of their pleas, he was unmoved and ready to die if necessary, and the brothers committed him to the will of the Lord (Acts 21:13-14).

THE WILL OF GOD

How did Paul know what the will of God was? We may not be able to answer exhaustively, but we can have a basic understanding of how God wants us to discern His will. Theologians commonly distinguish between the “decretive will” of God and the “preceptive will” of God. The decretive will is what God has decreed will come to pass before all time (Gen. 1:3, Is. 46:10, Eph. 1:11); His preceptive will is what God has revealed is good and right for His creatures to do (cf. His law, Ex. 20, Dt. 5). So it is God’s preceptive will for all men to repent of their sins and obey God’s law, but regardless of whether they do or not, God works all things together for good for those who love Him (Rom. 8, Gen. 50:20). So while we cannot know God’s ultimate decretive will, His preceptive will (His law and gospel) is the central revelation of His will for us (1 Thess. 4:1-7).

DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD

So, when you’re trying to determine God’s will, begin by asking: is it lawful/moral? If not, it is not the will of God. It is not the will of God for you to marry an unbeliever, to disobey your parents, or cheat or steal. These moral obligations also include providing for your family, your parents, and having a church community. You would need a clear indication from God that a higher duty is requiring you to set aside one of those duties (e.g. a boss or parent or pastor asking you to sin).

If it is lawful, then the next questions would be: What are your abilities, opportunities, and desires? You may have the ability and desire, but no opportunity. You may have the opportunity, but no ability or desire. As it is sometimes said, “the need is not necessarily the call.” Many orphans need to be adopted, many unreached peoples need to be evangelized, but the need is not necessarily the call. But if you have an opportunity and the ability, sometimes the will of God comes down to what you really want to do. On the other hand, as Jonah learned the hard way, sometimes the need amounts to a command and it doesn’t matter what you want to do (e.g. the Good Samaritan). Also, remember that wisdom is found in the multitude of counselors, and at the same time, you can’t just go along with the multitude (Ex. 23:2).

FACE TOWARD JERUSALEM

Later, Paul will explain that he came to Jerusalem to bring alms and offerings (Acts 24:17). While there may have been other factors at work, it appears that Paul was very concerned to bring his entourage from the new churches in Greece with their offerings to Jerusalem. He knew the risks involved full well, but he believed that this was what was most needful, perhaps particularly for the unity of the Jewish and Gentile churches.

It also continues the pattern of the apostles imitating Jesus, “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:51). And just as Peter wanted to insist that Jesus not go (Mk. 8:31ff), Paul faced similar resistance, testing his resolve. And so we can expect similar testing, and while it can occasionally be wise to double check our decisions, our general instinct ought to be “not to doubt in the dark what we knew in the light.” If we are walking in the Light, confessing our sins and forgiving one another, while God does test us, He does not trick us.

APPLICATIONS

Safety is Not the Highest Good: Our God plays with death and dragons. Wisdom is not reckless, but it is ambitious and courageous. By faith some overcame armies; and by faith some were stoned and sawn in two (Heb. 11). And all of them obtained a good report. Winning and victory are found in obedience to the Lord, not necessarily surviving.

Parents, beware of making safety the highest good. Obedience is the highest good, and obedience often requires selfless courage, danger, and even harm. Paul was prepared to go to prison and die if necessary for the name of Jesus. Wives, beware tempting husbands or children to be unfaithful by your fear of harm. Better the obedience of Christ (dying at 33), than a long life of grieving His Spirit.

Stick to Your Near and Clear Duties: “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33). “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Ps. 37:4). And this includes keeping your word/vows/covenants (Ps. 15:4). This is how God ordinarily shows us His will.

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The Nations are Clean (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #16) (King’s Cross)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

In many ways, this passage is the hinge of the book of Acts. The whole book describes the continuing work of Jesus, and just as He promised, the goal is a mission from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Everything has been pointing to this: all the languages at Pentecost, Stephen’s message that God is not bound to one place, the conversion of the Samaritans, the baptism of the Ethiopian, the conversion of Saul, and now we come to Peter’s vision.

But while Jesus had clearly sent the apostles out to preach the gospel and disciple the nations, it had not yet been made clear that this meant that the Gentile nations could remain Gentile nations without converting to Judaism and still be full members of the household of God. Here, God declares the unclean nations to be clean. This means the nations can come to God. And since Jesus is Lord of the nations, this means that they will come.

The Text: “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always…” (Acts 10:1-20)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Luke emphasizes the faithful devotion of this Roman soldier, as does the angel who appears to him (Acts 10:1-4). The angel does not give Cornelius the plan, but he does give him instructions for finding out the plan from Simon Peter, which Cornelius then explains to his servants and a devout soldier in his house (Acts 10:5-8).

While they are on their way, Peter is in prayer on the rooftop and sees a vision of a great sheet being let down from heaven to earth, full of all kinds of ceremonially unclean animals (Acts 10:9-12). The Lord spoke to Peter by name, inviting him to “kill and eat,” and when he declined, the voice insisted by saying that what God has made clean, do not call common/unclean – and this happened three times (Acts 10:13-16). Then, while Peter was puzzling over the vision, the men from Cornelius arrived at the house asking for him, and the Spirit ordered Peter to go with them, doubting nothing (Acts 10:17-20).

WITH ALL HIS HOUSE (OBEDIENCE)

Nations are built out of families and households, and the kind of nation you get depends on the kind of households that make it up. Family is the building block of human society. You cannot have virtuous society apart from virtuous families. You cannot have faithful leaders who fear God and hate covetousness and all lies, if you do not have many families led by such men.

Not only was Cornelius a devout man, but he led his whole household in this piety (Acts 10:2, 4, 7). It seems all the more remarkable given the notorious reputation of Roman soldiers for often being brutal, rapacious idolaters. Here was a man who likely risked his job, his reputation, and his fortune in worshiping the God of the Jews. While all is grace, the angel of God specifically notes the obedient devotion of Cornelius in prayers and alms as noticed by God (Acts 10:4). Obedience put Cornelius in the path of God’s plan and blessing.

We are saved by grace, but we are saved for good works that God prepared for us to walk in, and God loves to reward the good works He prepared for us. We earn nothing, but like a faithful Father, God blesses obedience. Honoring father and mother is the first commandment with a blessing (Eph. 6:2-3). In a difficult marriage, a godly woman seeks the attention of God by her gentle and quiet spirit (1 Pet. 3:4). A godly man takes responsibility for his household and is particularly zealous to remain in fellowship with God and one another (Josh. 24:15, Job 1:5). We are not often given the whole plan, but we are given instructions for finding out the plan. Daily obedience in our families puts us in the path of God’s plan and blessing.

WHAT GOD HAS MADE CLEAN

The clean/unclean laws were part of the schoolmaster-law to lead Israel to Christ (Gal. 3:24, 4:2). It taught Israel to pay attention to what they ate, what they touched, who they had fellowship with in order to teach them that sin has infected everything and if it is not cleansed, it is infectious and it will only spread to everything. And you cannot appear before God in that unclean state. But when Christ came, Israel graduated from that schoolmaster and came into maturity, where the real clean and unclean distinctions must now be made not between different kinds of animals or people, but between sin and righteousness (2 Cor. 6:14-18). Sin is what destroys our fellowship, but we have fellowship with God and one another as we are cleansed by the blood of Christ, confessing our sins to God and one another (1 Jn. 1:7-9).

Food and drink are central signs of our fellowship, and everything is sanctified by the Word of God and thanksgiving (1 Tim 4:3-5). So we must not destroy fellowship for the sake of food and drink (Rom. 14:19-21). This can be done through a pharisaical strictness, demanding of others what God does not require. Or this can be done through pharisaical laxness, not requiring of others what God does require. Demanding that others cater to your food fads or preferences and making fellowship difficult is disobedience to this principle: rise and eat. And parents must not let children become little food tyrants or become tyrants themselves. Those with scruples about alcohol may not bind the consciences of others, but in our community, it is far more likely for drinking to become an occasion for harm. Honor God and love your neighbor.

CONCLUSION: LORD OF THE NATIONS

The vision that Peter saw means that the nations are clean. The nations do not have to become Jewish in order to come to God. Russians, Japanese, Somalis, and Americans may come to the Father, through faith in Jesus Christ. The Church is therefore a multinational body from every tribe and tongue, but the nations still bring their own unique treasures into the Kingdom: people still live in tribes and speak different languages (Rev. 7:9, 21:24).

This cuts against fleshly prejudice and fleshly uniformity. And the best way to learn this dance is by building devout households that stay in fellowship and are ready to obey. Love and serve those closest to you first, beginning with the neighbors in your own house, working your way out from there, including your nation. And in this way, all of the nations will come to Christ.

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