The Power of Fellowship | Acts 21:1-26
As Paul seeks out fellowship on his way to Jerusalem, Luke gives us five glimpses of its powerful benefits: (1) familial support; (2) spiritual ministry; (3) personal example; (4) mutual purpose; and (5) insightful perspective. This sermon is part 1 of “Unhindered,” Bryan Craddock’s verse-by-verse sermon series on Acts 21-28.
When I was fifteen, I was convinced that I would find true freedom by getting my driver’s license as soon as I turned sixteen. I did not want to miss a single day. But then I realized that my birthday fell on the Friday after Thanksgiving when all government offices were closed. I tried to go in on the Wednesday beforehand, but they would not let me. I had no other choice but to wait until the following Monday, and it felt like forever. Looking back, it seems silly that it was such a big deal to me. But then I think about how reluctant people are when they are forced to give up driving.
How do you define freedom? Instead of driving, you might value financial independence, or the ability to buy a home or have other possessions. You might connect freedom to living a life that is productive, meaningful, or just fun. Some want to be free from the moral judgments of other people, to follow their heart and be affirmed in it. Others just want basic health and security.
No matter how you define it, true freedom always seems out of reach. Just when you think that you are about to lay hold of it, circumstances change. When they do, some people get angry or assertive. Others withdraw into a deep dark depression. We need to think differently about freedom, and the Apostle Paul’s example can help us do that.
Luke, the author of the book of Acts, devotes eight chapters to the story of Paul’s imprisonment, and I am convinced that his purpose is not just biographical. In chapters 1-7, he describes how the church began to grow in Jerusalem. Then in chapters 8-20, he recounts how the gospel spread to other nations. In those sections, Luke provides practical insights for Christians to follow, so it stands to reason that chapters 21-28 would do so also.
I think Luke’s final sentence in the book helps us grasp his purpose for this section. In Acts 28:30-31, Paul is still a prisoner in Rome, but Luke says,
He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
How was Paul able to live an unhindered life with all the constraints of prison? How can we find true freedom regardless of our circumstances? I believe that Luke answers those questions for us in Acts 21-28. So, I invite you to join me in studying these chapters verse-by-verse to see the lessons that we need to learn. The first one may seem counterintuitive, but it’s foundational. It’s the power of fellowship.
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I doubt that many people would use the word “unhindered” to describe church life. They probably see it more like an old dog and pony show. You dress up in outfits that you wouldn’t normally wear. Someone cracks a whip. Then you prance around and jump through hoops to put on a good show. You can’t relax and be yourself until the performance is over. But it’s been ingrained in you to go back and do it over and over again.
That can’t be what Jesus had in mind in Matthew 16:18 when he said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” If we approach the church as a dog and pony show, we are missing the point. Last year we studied Acts 2:41-47, and we discovered that the practice of true Christian fellowship involves learning to live out God’s word, earnest prayer, sacrificial sharing, sincere worship, and faithful witness.
We need to experience the power of this kind of fellowship. In Acts 21:1-26, the Apostle Paul shows us that rather than being constraining, church life is the foundation for an unhindered life. As he travels to Jerusalem, he is fully aware that he is going to be arrested. So, he seeks out fellowship, and Luke gives us five glimpses of its powerful benefits.
Now as we walk through these verses, I presume that we will all want to experience the same benefits in our lives. But they are not a one-way street. To experience them we must all commit ourselves to being this kind of church. It will never work, if we’re just putting on a show. I would argue that faking it hurts us more than it helps us. So, I encourage you to let this study shape your personal approach to fellowship, and it starts with how we think about one another.
Familial Support
Our connections with family can be a source of stability and support. But the ties that bind us to them are fragile, paper thin. No one lives forever in this fallen world, and losing that central person who holds everyone together can strain those connections. We also stumble into conflicts that can tear us apart.
Jesus warned his followers that faith in him might provoke family members to turn against them (Mt 10:34-37). At the time, his own brothers did not believe in him (Jn 7:3-5). So, as the Jewish leaders were becoming more hostile toward him, his family came to speak to him, probably to advise him to tone down his teaching. Luke 8:19-21 tells us,
Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you." But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."
All of us who follow Jesus should relate to one another as family. We are born again as children of God. We are heading to the same eternal home that Jesus is preparing for us. Along the way, we face the same potential opposition to our faith. So, we all need the powerful benefit of familial support that comes from true fellowship.
Paul draws upon this benefit as he travels to Jerusalem. He makes a determined effort to spend time with other believers. Many of them had probably not met him beforehand. But Luke’s account in Acts 21:1-7 shows us how quickly their bond forms. He says,
And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home. When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day.
At the beginning of the chapter, Paul sets sail from Miletus on the southwest corner of Asia Minor or what is now modern-day Turkey. Initially, he and his group find passage on a ship hugging the coastline. But since his goal is to arrive in Jerusalem by the Day of Pentecost (Ac 20:16), they switch to a different ship that takes a more direct course to Tyre on the coast of Syria.
The ship stays in Tyre for seven days to unload before moving on, so Paul takes that opportunity to seek out the disciples there. Somehow through their fellowship and the work of the Spirit they come to understand the danger that awaits him, and they warn him about it. When it’s time for him to depart, they all gather to pray for him--men, women, and children. They treat Paul like a close family member, and that must have been deeply encouraging to him.
The ship makes a short journey about 25 miles south to Ptolemais. They are only there for a day, but Paul again seeks out the local church. Luke identified the believers in Tyre as disciples, but in Ptolemais, he calls them brothers. Even in this short visit, they feel that family connection.
Is that how our fellowship is? A lot of people come to church and leave without trying to connect. Others look for people like themselves and ignore everyone else. But to live this unhindered life, we all need to extend and receive the powerful support of relating to one another as family. The next benefit shows that our union goes even deeper.
Spiritual Ministry
Robotics engineers keep trying to mimic the human body, and their accomplishments are impressive. Robots are running, boxing, playing soccer, and shooting basketballs. But they still do not move like human beings. They fall far short of God’s amazing design. It’s hard to get all those parts to operate as a unified whole.
We could say the same thing about the church. We often fail to operate as a unified whole, but we are the body of Christ. God’s design is for us to care for one another. The Holy Spirit gives each of us unique abilities for building up the rest of the body.
So, this spiritual ministry is another powerful benefit of fellowship. Paul describes it in Romans 12:4-8, by saying,
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Now there is some debate among Christians about the New Testament gift of prophecy. Does it present new authoritative revelation from God for everyone? Or does it relate more to personal guidance? Did the gift change or completely cease at some point? Or is it still active today just as it was originally?
First Corinthians 13 & 14 are central to that discussion. We do not have time to work through those chapters now, but Acts 21:8-11 gives us a glimpse of the gift in action. Luke says,
On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"
So, Agabus and the daughters of Philip all have the gift of prophecy, but on this occasion Agabus is the one who foretells what will happen to Paul. Now Paul already knows that imprisonment and afflictions await him in Jerusalem, but in Acts 20:22-23, he told the Ephesian elders that he was still constrained by the Spirit to go. So, this message from Agabus is not for Paul’s benefit, but it helps prepare the church for what is coming. We’ll return to that in a moment.
Before we move on, we should consider whether we are all using our gifts in spiritual ministry within the body of Christ. We may have questions about the gift of prophecy, but Romans 12:7-8 also speaks of serving, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and doing acts of mercy. Is the Spirit prompting you to do any of those things? If so, don’t hold back. Let the grace of God flow through you. When the body functions well it leads to a third benefit.
Personal Example
If you’re trekking across difficult unfamiliar terrain, it helps to have a guide. You need someone who has been there before. They can keep you on track, steer you around obstacles, and show you where to step in the most treacherous spots.
Another powerful benefit of fellowship in the church is that we can learn from the personal example of those who are on the same spiritual journey with us. The prophecy that Agabus has delivered about Paul’s imprisonment highlights the example that Paul sets for the church. In Acts 21:12-14, Luke tells us,
When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, "Let the will of the Lord be done."
The believers in Caesarea respond in an understandable way. They don’t want Paul to suffer. While their concern for him is encouraging, it also makes it harder for him to follow through on what the Lord is calling him to do. So, he testifies of his willingness to suffer, and it has an impact on those believers. They say, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
It may sound as if they are simply giving up, but their statement is significant. Accepting and doing the Lord’s will is central to following Jesus. We hear it in how he prays on the night before his crucifixion. Luke 22:41-42 tells us,
And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."
Jesus is the ultimate guide. As he suffered and died to purchase our salvation, he also set the example for how we should live the life of faith, humbly submitting to God even in times of suffering. In 1 Peter 2:21, Peter calls us to follow in Jesus’ steps. As we seek to do that, it helps to see the example of other believers. Paul was committed to this. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, he says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
You might assume that he is able to say that because he is an apostle. But in 1 Peter 5:3, Peter says that local church elders should be examples to the flock. In 1 Thessalonians 1:7, Paul commends the whole church in Thessalonica for being an example to other believers throughout Macedonia and Achaia. So, we should all strive to live that way.
The example of one faithful person can inspire others to accept and do the Lord’s will, but it only happens in the context of fellowship. We must interact in ways that allow us to learn from the example of others and allow them to learn from our example. That kind of fellowship is powerful, and there is a fourth benefit that magnifies it.
Mutual Purpose
In sixth grade, I joined my school orchestra. I was learning to play drums. But when it was time for our first concert, I had not made much progress. So, I was assigned to play the triangle. I probably only had to strike it a half dozen times. But they were key moments. The song would not sound right without it. That’s the beauty of an orchestra. Musicians with different skills and abilities all work together to perform a piece of music, so that even a triangle becomes important.
The same powerful dynamic is at work in biblical fellowship. We come together with our different backgrounds and gifts to serve one mutual purpose. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus defines our mission by saying,
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
This undertaking is enormous. Its scope is worldwide. All the gifts that we saw in Romans 12:6-8 are needed to fulfill it: prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and acts of mercy. Every believer has a unique part to play, and all our life experiences contribute to it.
So, this mutual purpose unites us and energizes us to live for the Lord, and we see this dynamic at work in Acts 21:15-20a as Paul comes to Jerusalem. Luke tells us,
After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge. When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified God.
Now there are tensions beneath the surface here. The early church had to work through differences between Hebrew speaking Jews raised in Judea and those who grew up elsewhere in the Hellenistic world and spoke Greek. Acts 6 records that it came to a head in a dispute over the care of widows. Perhaps that is why Luke notes that Paul stays with Mnason who was raised on Cyprus. He and Paul were both Hellenistic Jews.
There were also concerns regarding Gentile believers. Old Testament law required Jews to separate themselves from Gentiles. So, some said that Gentiles needed to be circumcised and keep the law. Acts 15 tells us that the church in Jerusalem rejected those claims. Peter said that the Law is an unbearable yoke and that salvation is by grace (vv. 10-11). But we’ll see in a moment that there was still confusion over that issue.
Nevertheless, the brothers in Jerusalem receive Paul gladly. When he relates what God has done through his ministry, the elders glorify God. Their mutual purpose enables them all to celebrate what God has done. Later during Paul’s imprisonment, we see the power of this mindset. In Philippians 1:15-18, he says,
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
Paul is so committed to the fulfillment of the mission that he finds joy even when he is personally sidelined, stuck in prison. It isn’t about him. Is that your heart? Are you doing all that you can for this purpose--praying, using your gifts, and celebrating every step forward? If so, then you’ll appreciate one more benefit of fellowship.
Insightful Perspective
As soon as I got my driver’s license, I was navigating through traffic in downtown Los Angeles. It’s a bit more intense than driving around Kalamazoo. People don’t leave much space between them and the car in front of them. So, my driver’s training instructor emphasized that before changing lanes, we had to check our blind spot.
Driving is not the only situation where we have blind spots. They crop up in every undertaking and even every relationship. We focus on what’s in front of us and fail to see problems developing off to the side. We might even be unwittingly contributing to those problems. So, Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”
This kind of insightful perspective is a powerful benefit of fellowship. But you must be humble enough to receive it. Acts 21:20b-26 shows us how Paul responds to advice from the elders in Jerusalem. Luke says,
And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality." Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.
Is Paul betraying his beliefs here? Is he simply putting on a show to please people? To answer that we need to understand his teaching. He is clear in Romans 3:20-28 that no one is justified by works of the law. We receive righteousness as a gift by grace through faith in Christ. In Galatians 5 he argues that we are freed from the law and that circumcision for the purpose of justification is a rejection of the gospel. We are given the Holy Spirit so that we can obey the heart of the law, particularly as it’s expressed in the teaching of Jesus. But in Colossians 2:16-17, he says,
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
So, he did not teach Jews to forsake Moses, but he argues that keeping those detailed Old Testament commandments becomes a matter of personal conviction for a New Testament believer in Christ. At the same time, he also argues for humility in exercising our freedom. In Romans 14:19-20, he says,
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
He makes an even stronger statement in 1 Corinthians 9:19-20, when he says,
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.
Paul focused on humbly serving people for the sake of the gospel. He welcomed the insightful perspective of the elders in Jerusalem. He gladly paid the expenses for these men and went to the temple with them. He wanted to alleviate those concerns in the pursuit of peace.
Is that how we respond to people’s concerns? Are we humble and quick to listen? Do we pursue peace? Do we serve people for the sake of the gospel? Without the insightful perspective that comes from fellowship our blind spots will always hinder us.
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Biblical fellowship is powerful. Its benefits include family support, spiritual ministry, personal example, mutual purpose, and insightful perspective. It starts with believing in Christ. It’s our union with him that draws us together. So, if you have never done so, I encourage you to receive him as your Savior and Lord. If you want to learn more about that relationship with him, Romans 10 would be a good chapter to read.
If you are already a believer, do you need to change how you approach church life? You cannot really experience these benefits as a spectator. You must begin to relate to people in the ways we have talked about: as family, using your gifts, setting an example, serving the mission, sharing wisdom. If you are doing that, then praise God. Can you think of someone who needs to be drawn into fellowship? Would you reach out and encourage them? May we keep growing to be a faithful expression of the body of Christ!
Reflect
Which of these benefits have been most encouraging to you? How so?
What could you do to help others experience this kind of fellowship?
What would you say to someone who thinks that it is not important to be a part of a church?