Acts 21

Scripture-Acts‬ ‭21:13‬ ‭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.”Observation-What does it say?Paul was being warned by friends of the danger of going into Jerusalem to preach the Gospel. However, the above verse shows that Paul was ready and willing to die for the Lord Jesus Christ.Understanding-What does it mean?Paul was ready to surrender everything, even his own life, for the mission at hand.Paul understood his mission on this earth and he was determined to follow through on it. A man who used to be part of martyring Christians was now willing to be martyred for the same cause. That 180 degree turn was only possible because of the grace of Jesus Christ that gave Paul new life and the Holy Spirit working in and through him.Life ApplicationWhat better cause to give your life for than the cause of Jesus Christ!During our daring faith series, we've been talking about stepping out of the boat in faith and surrendering our will, wants and lives for the cause of furthering the Kingdom of Christ. When Dave Arellano shared a couple of Sundays ago about what it means to be a soldier, a soldier is willing to die for the cause they believe in. A soldier is willing to sacrifice and surrender the comforts of sleep, recreation, and time to accomplish the mission that their commanding officer had assigned them to. With Christ as our commanding officer, are we willing to die completely to ourselves so that He would be glorified? Are we willing to put aside our comforts and what the world defines as success in order to further His Kingdom and fulfill His call over our lives? There is no greater purpose in life than living for His glory.Dear Jesus, thank you for Paul's story of redemption and for his determination to follow through on his call to glorify You, no matter the cost. We pray that his example would continue to inspire us to die to ourselves in order to fulfill our call to multiply Christ followers everywhere. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that continues to help us in fulfilling that call. Amen. To check out the discussion or to join in click here.‭‭