This episode will walk through Paul’s Third Missionary Journey in the book of Acts, focusing on his powerful ministry in Ephesus and the road that ultimately leads him to Jerusalem. Together, we explore Acts 19:1–21:17 and see how spiritual warfare, deep discipleship, and unwavering perseverance shaped both Paul’s mission and the early church.

We'll highlight why Christianity is more than a one-time decision, it’s a lifelong process of formation. From confronting idols and false teaching to pouring into leaders and embracing obedience even when it’s costly, Paul’s journey challenges us to invest in others for lasting Kingdom impact. Whether you’re a new believer or a seasoned follower of Christ, this episode will encourage you to stand firm, grow deeper, and trust God’s purpose through every season of the journey.

References to Bible Verses:

Acts 18:23; Acts 19:1–22; Acts 19:4–6; Acts 19:8–12; Acts 19:13–20; Acts 19:21–22; Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:3–5; Romans 15:25–31; 1 Corinthians 16:1–4; Acts 19:23–41; John 15:18–21; 2 Timothy 3:12; Acts 20:1–6; Hebrews 10:24–25; Romans 15:4; Acts 20:7–12; Isaiah 40:29–31; Matthew 11:28; Acts 20:13–38; 2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Peter 5:2–3; Acts 21:1–17; Luke 9:23; Romans 8:18

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Thank you for listening, and welcome to the podcast. I'm your host, Jason McConnell. Once again, we step back into the book of Acts. If you're just joining us or if you need a quick refresher, let's take a breath to look at where we've been, because where Paul has been, matters for where he's about to go.

By the end of the second missionary journey, Paul isn't a rookie church planter anymore. Churches have been established, leaders are emerging. The gospel is pushed beyond Jewish roots and is spreading powerfully into the gentile regions. Lives are being changed, not just through ultra moments, but through ongoing faithfulness.

Paul is no longer focused on planting seeds. Now he's cultivating roots. The third mission journey marks his longest stay in one place, especially in Ephesus, where evangelism gives way to deep discipleship. This isn't just about winning converts. It's about forming believers, teaching truth, correcting error, and equipping the church to stand firm in a spiritually hostile world.

And Ephesus. Ephesus becomes a spiritual battleground. Idle worship, a coal practices, economic power structures, all of it collides head on with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here's where it hits home for us today. Christianity isn't just about making a decision. It's about formation, about becoming more like Christ.

Over time, the church grows strongest, not when crowds are impressed, but when believers are trained, grounded, and sent. So as we step into Paul's third mission journey, we're not just watching history unfold, we're being invited to ask a hard question, who am I strengthening in the faith and who is strengthening me?

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As we move deeper into Paul's third mission journey, the road brings us to one of the most spiritually charged cities in the ancient world, Ephesus. And this isn't just another stop on the map. What happens here is a turning point. This is where shallow faith gets challenged, partial understanding gets corrected, and the power of Christ confronts darkness.

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Head on Acts chapter 19 opens with a fascinating and honestly sobering encounter. Paul arrives in Ephesus and meets a group of disciples, people who believe, people who are trying to follow God. But Paul quickly realizes that there's something missing. Acts 19, one verse four kind of gets things started.

While Apollo was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? They answered, no, we have not even heard the holy, there is a Holy Spirit. So Paul asked them, then, what baptism did you receive?

John's baptism. They replied. So these men had been baptized into John's baptism, a baptism of repentance. They had responded to the call to turn away from sin, but they had not yet encountered the fullness of the gospel. They knew about preparation. They didn't know about fulfillment. They knew about repentance, but they didn't know about the resurrection power.

So Acts 19 verses four through six goes on to explain. Paul said John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him that is in Jesus. On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied there they were about 12 men in all.

So Paul explains that John's baptism pointed forward to Jesus and when they hear this. When, when they hear the full gospel preached, they are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, fully baptized. Then Paul lays hands on them and the Holy Spirit comes upon them. The story isn't about this emotional hype or, or so making a spectacle.

It's about completion. Uh, the theologian, John Scott, put it this way, Christian initiation is incomplete without the fullness of Christ and the spirit. This is important because Ephesus is not spiritually neutral ground. This city is a major Roman trade hub, wealthy and influential. It's home to the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Ephesus is also saturated with magic sorcery and occult practices. Uh, spiritual curiosity is everywhere, but truth is very rare. People, people that are hungry for power, for protection and for meaning, even if it comes from the wrong source.

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So when Paul begins teaching daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannis, the gospel doesn't just spread it, it confronts.

And Luke tells us that Paul's ministry is marked by extraordinary miracles in Acts 19, verses eight through 12. Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate. They refused to believe and publicly maligned the way, so Paul left them.

He took the disciples with him. They, and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyra. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. Here's the good part, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick and their illnesses were cured in their evil spirits.

Left them. Scripture Scripture's kind of careful here not to elevate Paul. This is about demonstrating the authority of Jesus over over any other counterfeit power. And, and as Paul himself would later write in Ephesians six, verse 12, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.

Now, I know you've probably heard this verse before in this series, but it's important, it's an important verse to remember that that evil is, is a real thing that's happening here. But things get really interesting in Acts 19 verses 13 through 20. Check this out. Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits, tried to invoke the name of Lord Jesus over those who were demon possessed.

They would say the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out. Seven sons of Skiva, a Jewish chief priest were doing this one day. The evil spirit answered them. Jesus, I know Paul I know about, but who are you? Then the man who had the evil spirit jump on him and overpower them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran outta the house, naked and bleeding.

When this became known to the Jews in Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came openly. And confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly.

When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to 50,000 drachmas. In this way, the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. So here we have this group of itinerant Jewish exorcists who are trying to imitate what they thought Paul was doing for success. They had no personal connection or relationship with Jesus, so they didn't have the right to call on the name of Jesus, and this evil spirit totally called them out.

The evil spirit knew his enemies were Paul and Jesus, but these Jewish impersonators weren't enough of a threat to be known, so they got beat and thrown out naked. I can't speak for anyone else but that. That comment, but I don't know who you are, that would've sent chills down my spine. But moving on, a bunch of people who practice magic confess their deeds openly.

So this moment had a purpose. They brought their scrolls, which were incredibly valuable, rare, and expensive, and they burn them in full view of everyone. The total value of this 50,000 drachmas, I, I don't know if I'm pronouncing that right, but that's a year, that's many, many years worth of wages just going up in flames.

This goes beyond a symbolic gesture. It is repentance with teeth. This is where the application hits a square in the chest. I mean, so many believers today live with partial theology, they know just enough to get started, but not enough to be transformed, maybe. Somebody, maybe we met Jesus through a moment of crisis, maybe through a powerful sermon that really touched us, maybe through a friend or, or a family member.

But, but God never intended us to stop at the introduction. He, he calls us into formation. Paul writes in second Corinthians 10 verses three through five. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does, the weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. The believers in Ephesus didn't just. Believe differently. They started to live differently. They let go of those old sources of power, those old identities, old securities.

And what was the result? In this way, the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. So I, I want you to consider these questions for a moment. What did you start with and what is God inviting you to grow beyond? The gospel doesn't just call us to repent. It calls us to be renewed, to be equipped to be filled, so that Christ is not just known by us, but seen through us.

So guided by the Holy Spirit, Paul's itinerary was set. Commentary suggest this route through Macedonia and Ayo, then onto Jerusalem was to collect and deliver a fund. He had been collecting from other churches to help the church in Jerusalem, and, and they referenced Romans 15 verses 25 through 31 and one Corinthians 16 verses one through four for that, if you want to go read about it.

But Timothy Ian, uh, arrest us. Were there to help Paul. They were being assistance to the apostle to help maximize his ministry.

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Whenever the gospel truly takes root, it doesn't just change hearts, it ends up disrupting systems. In Ephesus, that disruption doesn't stay quiet for long. What began as a spiritual renewal now spills into the public square, and the result is a pretty chaotic scene in the book of Acts.

So Luke tells us in Acts 19, verse 23, about that time there arose a great disturbance about the way, of course, if you're, if you're a nerd like me, you might've heard there was a disturbance in the force. Right? But, but I digress. That phrase the way is important here. Christianity wasn't yet seen as a religion.

He, his livelihood depends on crafting silver shrines of Artemis. Now, these weren't just souvenirs, they were objects of devotion. Artemis worship was both religious and economic. To threaten the goddess was to threaten the city's identity and its income. So Demetrius gathers the craftsman and starts stirring the pot.

I want you to notice how he frames the issue. He doesn't start with theology, does he? Let's see what happens here. Acts 19 verses 25 through 28. He called them together along with the workers in related trades and said, you know, my friends, that we receive good income from this business. And you see, and here now this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia.

He says that Gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger. Not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess, Artemis will be discredited and the goddess herself who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world will be robbed of her divine majesty.

When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting. Great is Artemis of the Ephesians. So this opposition was. Quite the compliment to Paul's ministry, if you really think about it. As people came to Jesus, they stopped worshiping pagan gods and stopped buying shrines and idols associated with them.

So if there's actually so many people converting doing this that, that it actually makes an economic impact. That's, that's impressive. I mean, imagine Christianity having such an impact that people stopped, I don't know, buying Coke at the level that made it, made the executives wanna start persecuting Christians.

But only after appealing to the money does Demetrius actually appeal to tradition and religious pride. So money is key here, and the fear spreads, voices rise up and suddenly the city is in chaos. The riot builds momentum in Acts 19 verses 29 through 34. Soon. The whole city was in an uproar. The people seized gaas and aristocrats.

Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. The assembly was in confusion.

Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. The Jews in the crowds pushed Alexander to the front and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make. A defense before the people, but when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours.

But some 669 Salvation Army members were assaulted, including 251 women. So when the bad people doing bad things, or if you prefer sinful things, when they start to lose money because of a a Christian faith movement, they get a little angry and irrational. And Alexander who, who was seeing this and trying to separate the Jews from it, he's trying to let the mob know that, hey, the Jews don't approve of Paul and his mission either.

But that failed pretty miserably. For two hours they shouted in this theater and I can't, I can't even imagine how loud that must have been. But then the city clerk came in and kind of calmed things down a bit. Uh, acts 19 verses 35 through 41. The city killer quieted down the crowds and said, fellow Ephesians, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from the heaven?

Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. You have brought these men here, though they have not. Neither robbed nor temples, nor blaspheme, nor goddess. If then Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody. The courts are open and there are pro, pro counsels.

They can press charges. If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. As it is. We are in danger of being charged with rioting because of. Happened today. In that case, we would not be able to account for the commotion since there is no reason for it. After he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly, and just like that, the riot was dissolved.

Not because the crowd repented, but because order was restored. Now, here's where this meets us today. When the gospel confronts idols, whether it's money, identity, comfort, control, resistance is going to follow. Jesus warned his disciples, and I've mentioned this one before, John 15, verses 18 through 21, if the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

Right? Paul echoes that reality in two Timothy three, verse 12. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Jesus Christ will be persecuted. It sucks, but faithfulness does not always look like success. Sometimes it looks like standing your ground while the world shouts at you. Sometimes it looks like being misunderstood.

Sometimes it looks like endurance rather than applause. The believers in Ephesus didn't win a debate that day, but the gospel kept moving forward, and that's another lesson for us. God doesn't need our defense. He simply calls for our faithfulness. So if you've ever felt resistance or strong resistance simply for living out your faith, if obedience has cost you comfort or approval, take heart.

You are walking the same road. Paul did. The way still disrupts the world today. One transformed life at a time. So get out there and change lives. Alright? After the noise of the riots and Ephesus fades, the mission obviously doesn't end. It just has to move. And what follows may not feel too dramatic at first glance, but, but I don't, I want you to miss, I don't want you to miss this.

Some of the most important kingdom work happens.

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Not in the confrontation moments, but in the seasons of consistent encouragement, acts 20 opens with not miracles or mobs, but a movement. Uh, acts 20 verse one says, when the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out from Macedonia.

That word encouraging keeps showing up in this chapter. Paul doesn't rush away from chaos. He pauses to strengthen the people who have to remain behind. He understands something we often forget, moments of, of upheaval. It leaves believers vulnerable, and encouragement isn't an option at that point. It's sometimes it's essential.

And then Paul travels through Macedonia in Greece, revisiting churches. He helped establish years earlier. So these aren't casual visits. He's out here teaching re, you know, uh, warning, reminding and preparing them for hardship. Political tension remains high Jewish opposition that hasn't gone away, and the Roman world is incredibly, is increasingly suspicious of anything that threatens order or loyalty.

Acts 20 verses two through six tells us. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to people, and finally arrives in Greece where he stayed for three months because some Jews had plotted against him. Just as he was about to sell for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

He was accompanied by, uh, Speer, uh, son of Pyrus from Berea, uh, tus and es from Thessalonica Gaas, and from Derby Timothy also. Uh, TEU and TRO from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us at trios, but we sailed from Philippi after the festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Trios TROs, uh, where we stayed for seven days.

Man, I'm telling you, these names are getting hard, so I'm sure I slaughtered a lot of those. I'm just gonna move on. But here's the deal. Paul knows. That perseverance doesn't come from inspiration alone. It comes from grounded, being grounded in truth. That's reinforced over time, and that's why the scripture consistently ties endurance to encouragement.

Hebrews 10, 24 and 25 reminds us, let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day approaching encouragement is not. A personality trait. It is a spiritual discipline. Paul practices it intentionally, even while facing real danger.

In Acts 20 verse three, a plot against his life forces him to change plans. Uh, and the threat is consistent. I mean, it's, it's all over the place, but so the mission is to, the mission is consistent. The threat is consistent. They go hand in hand. But I want you to notice this. Luke quietly reenters the narrative in verse five with the word we.

That small shift signals something I think is kind of important. Paul is not traveling alone anymore. He is surrounded by a team, men from different regions, different backgrounds, different churches. This is multiplication and action. Paul is no longer just planting churches. He is developing leaders who will carry the gospel forward.

That's why Romans 15 verse four matters here. Everything was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the scripture and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope.

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Hope grows where encouragement is practice. We often underestimate how much presence matters in discipleship.

A text, a conversation, a shared meal, a reminder of truth In a hard season, Paul didn't build strong churches through charisma alone. He built them by showing up again and again and again. Faithfulness doesn't always look fancy. Sometimes it looks like walking the long road back to people who need to hear stand firm.

You're not alone. So I want you to ask yourself this week. Who has God placed in my life that needs encouragement? Not eventually, but right now because the gospel doesn't only advance through preaching, it advances through perseverance, practice together.

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Alright, so this next part is pretty wild. As Paul continues his journey, Luke slows the pace of the story and kinda zooms in on a single night, uh, one gathering, one young man, one ordinary moment that became pretty unforgettable.

What we find here isn't just a miracle story. It's kind of a reminder that God meets us in our weakness, not after we've conquered it. Acts 20 verse seven through eight sets the scene. On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and because he intended to leave the next day, kept talking until midnight.

There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. So I want you to picture this moment. 'cause we really need to kind of immerse ourselves in this moment. These believers aren't just casually strolling into church with their coffee in hand. These guys have worked all day. Many of them are laborers or servants.

Evening is the only time they can gather. So they've packed into this upper room, like a common meeting place in the ancient world. They've got lamps burning. The air is growing heavy bodies are tired. The hearts are still hungry. Paul knows he's leaving. So he teaches and he teaches, and he keeps on teaching, not because he's so, he loves the sound of his own voice, but because there is only so much time and the truth matters so much, and then we meet Utica in Acts 19 verse nine.

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Seated in a window was a young man named Utica who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Okay. That was a little shocking, right? This is, this is one of the most human moments in scripture.

There's no villain, no rebellion, just exhaustion. And a preacher who keeps talking, a young man is trying to stay awake, but suddenly tragedy and, and the room erupts and, and teaching turns into terror. Paul doesn't panic. Check this out. Acts 19, verses 10 and 11. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him.

Don't be alarmed. He said he is alive. Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. So don't miss this before Paul preaches again. Before he explains anything, he embraces UUs. Presence comes before proclamation and God restores life not only to Utica's body, but to this shaken community.

Wow. That word comforted is kind of key here. This miracle isn't recorded to show off any sort of power. It's recorded to show some grace. God works through ordinary gatherings, through tired believers, through imperfect moments, even through sermons that go too long. Right? And here's where this lands for us.

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Spiritual exhaustion. It's a real thing. You can love Jesus and still be tired. You can be faithful and still feel weak. Scripture never shames Utica for falling asleep, and God doesn't shame us for our limits either. Want you to remember that Isaiah 40 verse 29 through 31 reminds us he gives strength of we and increases the power of the weak.

God restores. Sometimes dramatically, sometimes quietly, but always faithfully. So let me encourage you for a moment, don't underestimate how much presence matters in discipleship. Showing up matters, staying connected matters, even when you're tired, even when you're struggling to keep your eyes open. God doesn't only work in mountaintop moments, he works in upper rooms, late nights, in tired hearts, and his grace is more than enough to meet us there.

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So as Paul's journey presses onward toward Jerusalem, Luke slows the story again, not for a miracle or for a riot, but for a conversation. And this may be one of the more tender, sobering moments in the entire book of Acts. What we're about to hear isn't preached to a crowd. It's spoken to shepherds and it reveals Paul's heart more clearly than almost anywhere else in scripture.

And we begin with more of Paul's travel plans. Acts 19 verse verses 13 through 17. But the long and short of that is that Paul bypasses Ephesus itself and, and instead calls the elders to meet him in Mellet. This isn't avoidance on his part, it's wisdom. He knows that if he returns to the city, he may never leave, and time is short.

So when the elders arrive, Paul doesn't start with instructions. He starts with his life In Acts 19, 18 through 19. When they arrived, he said to them, you know how I lived the whole time I was with you from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility. With tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents, you know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you, but have taught you publicly.

From house to house. I have declared both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God and repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. So this is leadership by example. Paul doesn't claim any authority. He demonstrates his faithfulness and humility. Endurance and his tears. He reminds them that ministry was never about status.

It was about sacrifice. But then Paul speaks words that I think would silence any room in Acts 19 verses 22 through 24, and now compelled by the Spirit, I'm going to Jerusalem not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city. The Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

However. I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task. The Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you for I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

This must have been really sobering. And it wasn't bravery, it was surrendered. Obedience. The father let Jesus know that he was heading what he was heading towards, and Jesus has done the same to his servant. Paul. Paul knows suffering, awaits him, imprisonment, opposition, possibly death. And he still goes because faithfulness is not measured by safety but by obedience.

But then comes the warning, acts 19 verses 28 through 35. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flocks of the Holy Spirit has made you overseer be shepherds of the church of God for which he brought bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, Savage Wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock even from your own number.

Men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard. Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance.

Among all those who are sanctified, I have not co coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work, we must help the weak. Remembering the words of the Lord.

Jesus himself said it is more blessed to give than to receive. So false teaching will come not always from outsiders, but sometimes from within. And Paul charges them to guard doctrine, protect people, and remain vigilant. And then this moment is why theologian David Guzzi calls this passage the most complete picture of New Testament pastoral ministry because we see humility, courage, vigilance, generosity, and love all woven together.

Paul reminds him, he coveted, no one's silver or gold. He worked with his own hands. He gave more than he took, and then something rare happens here, Paul kneels, he prays and groan men weep Acts 20 verses 36 through 38. When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept and embraced and hugged and kissed him.

What grieved them the most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. So this. This isn't sentimental weakness. This is spiritual family. Years of shared hardships, discipleship, laughter, correction, and growth. It's all coming to a close. Every believer is a steward of influence.

Now, you may not carry the title of elder or pastor, but someone is watching you walk. Someone is learning how to follow Jesus by observing your faithfulness. Discipleship multiplies when leaders invest deeply. Paul writes later to Timothy in second, Timothy two, verse two, and the thing you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

And Peter echoes the same heart in first Peter five, verse two through three. Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care. Watch over them. Not because you must, but because you are willing as God wants you to be. Not pursuing dishonesty, gain dishonest gains, but eager to serve. Not lording over those entrusted to you, but being an example to the flock.

Look as Paul didn't just build churches, he built people and then he trusted God with what came next. So here's the question. This passage is, is asking us. Who are we intentionally pouring into? And are we living in a way worth following? Because faithful ministry doesn't end with applause. It ends with tears, with prayers and, and the quiet confidence that God will carry forward what we've entrusted to him.

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As Paul Boards ship after shift, moving ever closer to Jerusalem, the tone of acts begins to change. The journey narrows, the warnings grow louder. In what once felt like missionary adventure now feels unmistakably like a march towards suffering. This is not Paul running from danger. This is Paul walking straight into the will of God.

That all begins in Acts 21 verses one through four. After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to see and sailed straight to cost. The next day we went to roads and from there to Pat Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Fania and went onboard and set sail. After siting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed onto Syria.

We landed at Tyree where our ship was unloaded. Had unloaded its cargo. We sought out the disciples there and stayed with him seven days through the spirit. They urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. So Acts 21 opens with the tender, the tender goodbyes and difficult farewells. And Luke describes a journey almost breathlessly costs roads, patara, each bringing Paul closer to what awaits him Along the way, believers repeatedly urge Paul not to continue.

Now we're, we're not actually told how the church was planted in Tyree, but it's clear there were disciples there and, and understand the Book of Acts isn't going to be a complete view of the early church activity. Just a partial picture of the important parts. But let's talk about this idea that the disciples are urging Paul not to go on through the Holy Spirit.

And this seems to suggest, uh, this might have been more of a human interpretation of the spirit's warning because I can't imagine Paul. Would ever go against the Holy Spirit's direction. So there's a conflict here. There's an emotional attachment to Paul and they're, they're sensing the spirit's warning and using that as a sign to tell Paul, no, the spirit's telling us don't go.

But that's not what Paul was getting from it. So the journey continues in Acts 21 verses five through nine. When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out to the city, out of the city. And there on the beach, we knelt and pray. After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship and they returned home.

We continued our voyage from Tyree and Landon to MEUs, where we greeted our brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. Leaving the next day. We reached CESA and stayed at the house of Philippi, the evangelist, one of the seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. So despite the heartfelt pleas of the Christians entire Paul and his entourage continue on to Jerusalem.

Paul was convinced it was God's will that they continue. So they continued, I understand walking with travelers to the outskirts of the city that was nothing new. It was the city tradition, but prey on the beach was uniquely Christian. And then they went on to to MEUs where more Christians were found.

I'm thinking it must've been amazing to see the fruits of his labors in God's work in every city. As they ran into more and more believers, we also run into Philippi again, and that must've been wonderful to see that. After his work bringing the Ethiopian eunuch to faith, he continued on through the coastal region and wound up in Cesare.

Also, interesting to note that his four daughters all had the gift of prophecy, but we don't see or read anything about them telling Paul. About his upcoming time in Jerusalem. Instead, God uses someone else. Let's read Acts 21 verses 10 through 14. After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea coming over to us.

He took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, the Holy Spirit says in this way, the Jewish leader in Jerusalem will be bound. We'll bind the owner of this belt and we'll hand him over to the Gentiles. When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

Then Paul answered, 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, when he would not be dissuaded. We gave up and said The Lord's will be done. So once again, we see Paul surrendering to the will of God, and this isn't stubbornness.

This isn't stubbornness. Paul isn't confused about the cost he's resolved about the calling. He understands something essential about following Christ. Obedience does not guarantee safety, but it does guarantee purpose. In the ancient world, Jerusalem was volatile. Roman authority, Jewish leadership and rising Christian influence were all colliding.

Paul knows walking into that city means walking into hostility, and yet step by step, he continues. Eventually the believer stopped pleading and then just trust Paul to God. That phrase, the Lord will be down. Echoes throughout scripture. The warnings of danger from the scripture were meant to prepare Paul and all these requests for Paul to turn back.

I mean, it's totally understandable, it's logical, it's very human, but it wasn't of God. Jesus never hid the cost of discipleship and Luke. Nine verse 23. He said, whoever wants to be my disciples must deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow me. Paul is living that out in real time. The cross isn't theoretical.

Now it's looming and still Paul goes, why? Why would he do that? Because Paul's eyes are fixed beyond the present moment. Romans eight 18 gives us the lens. I consider that our present suffering sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Obedience often has a cost, but we'll continue on with Acts 19, verses 15 through 17.

After this, we started our way up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from CESA accompanied us and brought us to the home of Na, uh, Nason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples. When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. So here we go.

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Paul finally arrives in Jerusalem, welcomed warmly by the brothers and sisters There. It's, it's a quiet moment. There's not any crowds, no speeches, just a lot of fellowship. But the storm is coming. This marks the beginning of the final phase of Paul's ministry, not defined by travel, but by testimony through suffering.

Here's the question. This passage presses on our hearts. What are we willing to obey God in? Even when the outcome is uncertain, God's will is not always safe, but it is always purposeful and sometimes the great, the greatest witness we can give isn't how boldly we speak, but how faithfully we walk step by step into the calling God has placed before us.

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As we close this chapter of Paul's third mission journey, it's clear this wasn't just a travel log. It was a masterclass in faithful obedience from Ephesus to Jerusalem. We've seen that the gospel doesn't advance without resistance, but it never advances without purpose. First, we're reminded that the spiritual warfare is real, but Christ is victorious.

Ephesus shows us that the battle is not just ideological, but spiritual powers are gonna push back Idols, resist being toppled, and yet again and again and again, Christ proves stronger. Darkness does not win by being loud, and truth does not lose by being opposed. Second, we see that discipleship requires time, truth, and sacrifice.

Paul didn't rush people through shallow faith, he stayed. He taught, he warned, he wept. He invested years into forming believers who would stand firm long after he was gone. Discipleship is slow work, but it is holy work. And finally, pouring into the lives of others creates lasting kingdom impact. Paul's greatest legacy wasn't miracles or sermons, it was people.

Elders who could shepherd churches, that could endure believers, who could carry the gospel forward without him. What Paul poured out multiplied far beyond his lifetime. And you may never preach to crowds. You may never travel to the ancient world, but you can disciple faithfully. You can encourage someone who's weary.

You can teach truth to someone who's hungry. You can model obedience when the cost is real. And God delights in using ordinary obedience to accomplish eternal purposes. The third mission journey reminds us that faithfulness isn't flashy, but it is powerful. And when Christ is at the center, no act of obedience is ever wasted.

Until next time, keep loving your neighbors. Dive into God's word daily and may the Lord bless you and keep you and fill you with his peace. Take care of God bless, and I'll see you in the next episode.