Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

Acts 20:36–21:16

Main Idea: Paul’s trip to Jerusalem illustrates the gift of Christian friendship and powerfully portrays the cost of Christian discipleship.

1. The Gift of Christian Friendship (20:36–21:16)
   1. The need for Christian friendship
   2. How Christian friendship is established
   3. How Christian friendship is experienced
      1. Practicing hospitality
      2. Showing affection
      3. Praying together
      4. Discussing important decisions
2. The Cost of Christian Discipleship (20:36–21:16)
   1. Perspectives on Paul’s decision
      1. The perspective of Paul (21:1-3)
      2. The perspective of the Christians in Tyre (21:4-6)
      3. The perspective of the Christians in Caesarea (21:7-13)
      4. The perspective of Luke (21:12,14)
   2. Principles to apply
      1. Love people, but love Jesus more.
      2. Value input, but follow God’s will.
      3. There’s something worse than dying: not living.
      4. When you follow Jesus down the Calvary road, you’re not alone and you won’t regret it.
      5. Following Jesus is costly, but not following Jesus is more costly.

This passage caused me to reflect back on a personal experience that occurred about fifteen years ago. I had finished my college degree in secondary education, and I was offered a job to be a high school teacher and baseball coach at a local school. The position came with a decent salary, good benefits, summers off, and lots of baseball. But there was one problem: the job clashed with what I knew to be the will of God for my life.

A few years prior Jesus had transformed me. Soon after my conversion I sensed a call into the ministry of the Word. Because of that calling, I thought I should go to seminary following graduation. And so, determined to follow through with the urge in spite of those who argued against it, I sold my beat-up car, packed a trunk, and flew to New Orleans to study theology. A friend’s family graciously housed me in a spare bedroom there and helped me secure a job on campus. Instead of the good salary that had gone with the teaching position I turned down, this job came with little money and had no benefits. But I was convinced I was following Jesus in enrolling in that seminary and trusting him with my future.

Looking back now, I’m so grateful for the Lord’s grace in guiding me through the difficult decision-making process that came on the heels of college. Back then some questioned my calling, and others thought me a fool for not accepting the teaching position. But had I listened to them, I would’ve missed out on the wonderful adventure God planned for me.

If you seek to follow Jesus, you too will come to various crossroads in your life. You will have to make many difficult decisions—some that may even make your loved ones question your sanity!

In Acts 21 the apostle Paul’s life illustrates the painful pleasure of following Jesus. Paul is a man on a mission, headed to Jerusalem. His friends think he’s crazy for going there. But Paul is “resolved” (19:21) and “compelled by the Spirit” (20:22), so he must go.

Before we examine the dominant theme in this text—the cost of discipleship—another theme stands out and deserves attention: that of Christian friendship. Paul’s trip is punctuated by a chain of hellos and good-byes, which underscores the value of relationships within the body of Christ and provides some insight into how to interact in Christian love.

The Gift of Christian Friendship

Acts 20:36–21:16

We pick up the story with Paul saying good-bye to the Ephesian elders. Farewells tend to be memorable and special, and this one certainly was. After studying Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, and in light of everything Paul said in his farewell speech, we can understand that Paul loved these men. And these elders loved Paul. So they displayed understandable affection and emotion. They knelt on the beach and prayed together. Then the group escorted Paul to the ship, perhaps comforting one another with the reality that they would see Paul again in glory. It’s a moving picture of Christ-centered community.

The heart-wrenching farewell is memorialized once again in the following verse before Luke lists ports and lengths of stay along the journey to Jerusalem. In the midst of all these names and places, Luke provides some vivid illustrations of genuine Christian fellowship and friendship at work. (I’ll mainly use “friendship” as opposed to “fellowship” in the following discussion because it may be more challenging and practical for us.) The important thing to remember about chapter 21 is that we must not get overwhelmed by all the names and places it records. Rather, we need to look at the strength of Christian friendship expressed there.

The team first took a small vessel around the southwest tip of Asia Minor. They briefly stopped at the islands of Cos and Rhodes before reaching the port of Patara on the mainland. Then they booked a trip on a larger cargo ship as they headed toward the major port in Tyre. There Paul and his companions “sought out the disciples” (21:4) and stayed with them for a week. The Tyre group deeply loved Paul and urged him not to go to Jerusalem. Yet when the week ended, the Christians in Tyre accompanied the missionaries to the beach (v. 5), and as was done in the Ephesus scene, the believers knelt down to pray before saying farewell (v. 6).

Paul then traveled south to Ptolemais and enjoyed a day of fellowship with the “brothers and sisters” (v. 7) there before proceeding down to Caesarea (v. 8), the seaside capital of the province of Judea and the location of Peter’s meeting with Cornelius (10:1–11:18). Paul stayed with Philip, one of the “Magnificent Seven” who distributed food to widows (6:1-7). This same Philip evangelized Samaria, the Ethiopian eunuch, and the coastal towns of Philistia (8:4-13). Philip rightly earned the title evangelist(21:8), a term rarely used in the New Testament (cf. Eph 4:11; 2 Tim 4:5). Even more unusual are Philip’s daughters. They were unmarried and they “prophesied” (v. 9). This means they were living proof of the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost (see 2:17). Luke, however, doesn’t draw attention to their prophecies. He focuses on the prophecy of Agabus of Judea (21:10-11), which we will look at in a moment.

After Paul’s resolute commitment to go to Jerusalem (vv. 11-14), the final scene of Christian fellowship is found in verses 15-16. Some of the believers accompanied Paul and his crew to Jerusalem. As they journeyed, they stayed with Mnason, a Cypriot and early disciple (cf. 11:19-20).

The Need for Christian Friendship

It’s remarkable to observe how often Paul is surrounded by Christian friends as he does the work God called him to do. Paul travels with friends. He stays with them. He visits them. He works alongside them. Here in Acts 21 we see this trait on display again. His friends surround him. They journey together. They spend time together. They talk together. They weep together. They no doubt laugh together. And they pray together. Is Paul’s constant contact with friends due to a weakness in his life? Is this merely the result of Paul’s personality? I don’t think so. I believe Paul surrounded himself with friends because he, like every person, is created in the image of God. And we humans are made for community. God exists in a perfect triune relationship, and we, who are made by him and in his likeness, are built for friendships.

Even the mighty apostle Paul needed friends. But the biblical importance of friends isn’t limited to what we can read about Paul. Look at Jesus—he was the “friend of sinners,” and he called his disciples “friends” (John 15:12-15). To live apart from others is not only to be unlike Paul, but it’s also to be unlike Jesus. Tim Keller rightly says,

To need and to want deep spiritual friendships is not a sign of spiritual immaturity, but of maturity. It’s not a sign of weakness, but a sign of health. (“Spiritual Friendship”)

Think back to Genesis 2. Prior to sin entering the world, when everything is perfect, God declares everything he made as being “good.” He notes just one exception: Adam is alone (Gen 2:18). Keller notes,

Adam was not lonely because he was imperfect, but because he was perfect. The ache for friends is the one ache that’s not the result of sin. . . . God made us in such a way that we couldn’t even enjoy paradise without friends . . . human friends. . . . Adam had a perfect “quiet time” every day, for twenty-four hours a day. Yet, he needed friends. . . . If you are lonely, you aren’t dysfunctional, you’re fine. You’re lonely because you’re not a tree. You’re lonely because you’re not a machine. You’re lonely because you’re built this way. . . . Now I have to be careful about this because one of the reasons you may not have friends is because of sin, but the passion for it, the need for it, the sense of lack of it, is not wrong at all. (“Spiritual Friendship”)

Keller goes on to challenge believers to see this need and to be open to cultivating new friendships:

Friends, let yourself need people. . . . Here’s the trouble. When you’re in trouble, it’s too late. You know, very few people walk around saying, “Ah, I love air. Ah. Air! Air! What good is my brain without air? What good would my life be without air?” . . . You only sound that way when you’re under water! Then you start to say, “Wow. Air!” And you don’t walk around saying, “I need friends” until you emotionally and personally go under, and then it’s too late—if you don’t already have them. You need spiritual friendships. (Ibid.)

How Christian Friendship Is Established

When you become a Christian, you not only enter into a new relationship with God through Jesus, but you also enter into new relationships with other believers (1 John 3:11-15). We see this reality illustrated in Acts 21.

As Paul journeys through these various places and meets with various groups of people (some of whom he probably hadn’t previously met!), we see a beautiful truth at work: the gospel creates spiritual friendships. What on earth would unite diverse people in diverse towns? A common Savior. The Christians in Tyre had such a bond with Paul, though they hardly knew him, that they could challenge Paul’s decision making! And Paul lets them! How could this happen? Because they all shared the deepest possible commonality with him: they too called Jesus “Lord” (vv. 13-14).

Christians are united in the Holy Spirit. Paul told the Ephesians, “[Make] every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). Paul didn’t say to “attain” the unity of the Spirit, but to “keep” it. We can’t ultimately create Christian fellowship; God establishes it. It’s our job then to cultivate it, to work on it, to maintain it.

Just think about these scenes of Christian brothers and sisters bowing on the beach before the Lord (20:36; 21:5). Here are two vivid pictures of what brings people, who would otherwise never be together, into deep intimate friendship. They bow before the same Savior.

Friendships happen when two people share something in common. And in the case of Christian friendships, the common denominator couldn’t be greater. Because Christians share a common passion in Christ, people who may not have otherwise spent time together can become great friends—no matter who they were before meeting Jesus. Young techies, then, can become friends with retirees; rock stars can become friends with doctors; hip-hoppers can share a deep bond of friendship with farmers; businessmen can be friends with hipsters; valley girls can enjoy friendships with home girls. And when diverse individuals kneel down before Jesus and do life together, it’s a powerful testimony to the life-changing, friendship-forming power of the gospel. And it gets the world’s attention. Jesus creates remarkable spiritual friendships.

How Christian Friendship Is Experienced

I see at least four ways Christian friendship gets expressed in this text.

Practicing hospitality.“Fellowship” means to share. The believers shared time and possessions with one another in general and shared their homes in particular. In at least four places, Paul stays with fellow believers: in Tyre (v. 4), in Ptolemais (v. 7), in Caesarea (v. 8), and finally in the home of Mnason of Cyprus at Jerusalem (v. 16). This indicates that early Christians didn’t say, “My home is my refuge,” as we often hear people today do in trying to justify self-indulgence and people avoidance. These believers viewed their homes as gifts from God (cf. Jas 1:17) and as places to be used for ministry and as a blessing to others.

Hospitality means “love for strangers,” or “love for new people” (Keller, Evangelism, 198; cf. Lev 19:32-33; Heb 13:2). Practicing it is required of church leaders (Titus 1:8), commanded of all Christians (Rom 12:13), and seems to be a spiritual gift for some saints (1 Pet 4:9-10). We shouldn’t practice hospitality with “complaining” (1 Pet 4:9), but with joy because, after all, Jesus himself has welcomed us (cf. John 14:2-3; Rom 15:7). Our displays of hospitality should be motivated by the gospel. Because God has welcomed us—new people—into his family, we should gladly welcome others into our homes and into our lives, as Lydia did (Acts 16:15).

While we must practice hospitality, some seasons of life will make extending it more difficult than others. But still we should seek to welcome others as much as possible. In transient areas there’s a deep need for hospitality because more new people are always coming into the region and feeling disconnected (Keller, Evangelism, 198–99). Some, in fact, have no natural family living nearby. Therefore, if you live in such an area, remember that hospitality requires two basic things: (1) a spirit of welcome and openness to making new friends, and (2) the actual sharing of resources.

It’s so important that the Christian resist the urge to avoid making new friends. It’s difficult for some to be open to new relationships, especially if they have already invested much time and energy in previous friendships that were interrupted by a move, a job change, or even by death. But not having friendships is hard on the heart, and it’s out of step with the relational nature of Christianity. You’re made for biblical community. And you have no idea how sweet and precious new friendships may become. Don’t cut yourself off from community.

Importantly, sharing resources is not limited to sharing your home. You can show a new person around town, give advice on shopping places, greet him or her at Sunday worship gatherings, and extend a lunch invitation after the service. And should you and the new person both have small children, you may want to schedule a playdate.

Showing affection is the second expression of friendship. I have already mentioned the emotion conveyed in the scenes in chapters 20 and 21. These friends displayed visible, physical affection for one another. We see them weeping, embracing, and kissing. In 21:5 we see that whole families accompanied Paul to the ship and knelt down with him in support. I don’t want to push this too far, but we should somehow show our love for one another visibly. We should shake hands, offer hugs when appropriate, even give an encouraging shoulder pat. Paul tells the Romans, “Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters” (Rom 12:10).

Praying together. We see the Ephesian elders praying for Paul (20:36), and then the Christians in Tyre pray for him (21:5). John Polhill comments, “The reference to prayer is not incidental. Everyone was fully aware of the difficulties facing Paul at Jerusalem. They were also aware that prayer was the disciple’s best fortification in a time of suffering and trial” (Acts, 434). Let’s learn from this example. Deep Christian friendship involves times of fervent prayer for one another (cf. Rom 12:12). So pray for protection, blessing, guidance, healing, relationships, and all other aspects of life and ministry when you gather with believing friends.

Discussing important decisions. Acting on God’s will wasn’t merely a private matter for Paul. Others weighed in on his decision to go to Jerusalem. Following God’s guidance involves allowing others to give you counsel. It doesn’t mean their counsel is always right. In this case the Christians had really good intentions. They urged him not to go to Jerusalem. Paul, however, had to make the difficult decision to reject their counsel because he sensed God was leading him—like Jesus—to face suffering in Jerusalem.

So then, basic Christianity involves experiencing Christian friendships that are created by Jesus and cultivated through practices like those we see in 20:36–21:16.

The Cost of Christian Discipleship

Acts 20:36–21:16

Paul is confident that God is leading him to Jerusalem. At the same time, other Christians are equally as confident that God has not called Paul to go to Jerusalem. So what do we do when we hear conflicting voices concerning the will of God? Let’s consider the perspectives on Paul’s decision and draw some practical guidance for following Jesus.

Perspectives on Paul’s Decision

Let’s consider four views on Paul’s resolution to go to Jerusalem.

The Perspective of Paul (21:1-3). Paul is in a hurry. Luke uses phrases like “the next day,” “another boat,” and “we boarded another ship” to tell us about this stage of the journey. The apostle is moving quickly because he wants to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost (20:16), even though he knows it will involve suffering (20:22-24). He is determined to give a love offering from the Gentile churches to the Jerusalem churches and to testify there about the gospel of the grace of God (20:24). Paul doesn’t care about the danger; he cares about obeying God’s will, regardless of the cost.

The Perspective of the Christians in Tyre (21:4-6). “They told Paul not to go to Jerusalem” (v. 4). However, Paul didn’t heed their counsel (vv. 5-6). How do we reconcile this text with the previous texts about the Spirit leading Paul to Jerusalem (19:21; 20:22-23)? Let’s read on before handling this matter.

The Perspective of the Christians in Caesarea (21:7-13). As Paul stays with Philip, he meets the prophet Agabus (v. 10; cf. 11:28-30), who gives Paul an object lesson in the tradition of Old Testament prophets (e.g., 1 Kgs 11:29-32;Isa 20:2-6; Jer 13:1-11). Agabus took Paul’s long belt, normally wrapped several times around the waist, and tied up his hands and feet with it. Then the prophet predicted that the Jews would tie Paul up and deliver him over to the Gentiles (v. 11). Though Agabus didn’t forbid him from going to Jerusalem, he did warn Paul of the events to come. Following this dire prediction, the concerned saints in Caesarea (like the saints in Tyre) urged Paul not to go to the city (v. 12). But their counsel also proved fruitless (v. 13). Paul wouldn’t be deterred.

The Perspective of Luke (21:12,14). Luke even included himself in the dissenting number. His presence is denoted by the “we” references at work throughout this passage. Apparently Luke also pleaded with Paul to change his plans. But after Paul rejected these pleas, too, the disciples surrendered (v. 14). The Christians respected their beloved leader’s firm conviction.

Commentators have pointed out how the apostle’s submission to God’s will sounds a lot like Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane. Jesus didn’t look forward to the suffering on the cross, but he submitted to the Father’s plan for it by saying, “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Paul’s deep anguish expressed in verse 13 has caused some to say that this moment was “Paul’s Gethsemane” (Polhill, Acts, 436).

What should we make of these various perspectives? Some have tried to argue that Paul was being disobedient in going to Jerusalem.

Luke, however, believed Paul was right in going to Jerusalem, as indicated by the references to the Spirit in 19:21 and 20:22. The Spirit led Paul to make the decision to go to Jerusalem, and he also provided the compulsion to go (Stott, Message of Acts, 333). Further, Luke clearly sees Paul as following in his Lord’s footsteps (ibid.).

With that said, what should we do with verses 4 and 11—these references to the Spirit? I like Stott’s explanation: “[We should] draw a distinction between a prediction and a prohibition” (Message of Acts; emphasis added). Agabus simply predicted what would happen. The conclusions Paul’s friends made based on that information weren’t infallible. They were human deductions. All of this, then, helps us understand 21:4. It’s probably best to take Luke’s statement as a “condensed way of saying that the warning was divine while the urging was human” (ibid.). This is consistent with the Spirit’s previous word to Paul. John Stott notes, “After all, the Spirit’s word to Paul combined the compulsion to go with a warning of the consequences (20:22-23)” (ibid.).

Paul’s decision should be admired. It was a difficult decision. But such is the cost of following Jesus. We can understand the dissenting voices. These people loved Paul. They were well intended. When they considered the inevitable suffering that awaited him, they naturally urged him to choose another path.

Indeed, it’s not difficult to see the parallels between the journeys to Jerusalem made by Paul and his Savior. In a pivotal point in Luke’s Gospel, Paul’s loyal friend says that Jesus “determined to journey to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51; cf. Isa 50:7). Luke later mentions this dire destination frequently (cf. Luke 9:53; 13:33; 18:31; 19:11). Prior to the cross, Jesus told the disciples that he would be handed over to the Gentiles:

“See, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spit on; and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.” (Luke 18:31-33)

Because of these foretold sufferings, Peter, like the Christians in Acts 21, tried to persuade Jesus to avoid such pains (Matt 16:21-23). But the Savior marched on. Praise God that he did! Now we like Paul must follow in our Master’s footsteps, wherever he leads, in the strength he provides, keeping our eyes fixed on him (cf. Heb 12:1-2).

Principles to Apply

The Lord Jesus bids Christians to follow him, regardless of the cost, by the power of the Spirit. Let’s consider a few lessons on what it means to count the cost to follow Jesus.

Love people, but love Jesus more. Paul clearly loved people in general, and his Christian friends in particular. Yet Paul treasured Jesus more than anyone. And so must we (cf. Matt 10:37). We must resist the urge to be people pleasers, choosing instead to be Jesus pleasers. We need to be able to say, like Paul, “I am ready . . . to die. . . for the name of the Lord Jesus” (21:13). No one or no thing is more valuable than Jesus. And we are ultimately accountable to him. So treasure the Lord supremely.

Value input, but follow God’s will. Paul listened to the counsel of others. The book of Proverbs teaches the value of heeding godly counsel (e.g., Prov 15:22; 20:18). Refusing to allow other Christian friends to speak into our lives is foolish. But at the same time, there may be occasions when following Jesus will make us look foolish.

Missions history is filled with the accounts of missionaries who left people and possessions for dangerous places, even though friends and family urged them to choose different paths. These condensed stories of Jim Elliot, David Livingstone, William Carey, Adoniram Judson, C. T. Studd, and John G. Paton are just a few examples of what I mean:

Jim Elliot, who decided to give his life to serve the Auca Indians in Ecuador even though people told him he was “too gifted” to consider such a thing, said: “Consider the call from the throne above. ‘Go ye, and from round about, come over and help us.’ And even the call from damned souls below, ‘Send Lazarus to my brothers that they come not to this place.’ Impelled, then, by these voices, I dare not stay home while these Indians perish. So, what if the well-fed church in the homeland needs stirring? They have the Scriptures, Moses and the Prophets and a whole lot more. Their condemnation is written on their bankbooks and in the dust on their Bible covers. American believers have sold their lives to the service of mammon, and God has His rightful way of dealing with those who succumb to the spirit of Laodicea.” Elliot and four other heroes gave their lives for the Auca Indians.

David Livingstone, who went into the heart of Africa, wrote a letter to the London Missionary Society: “So powerfully convinced am I that it is the will of the Lord that I should go to Africa, I will go no matter who opposes me.” Later, after countless afflictions, he still wouldn’t return home, even though others, like Henry M. Stanley, tried to persuade him to do so. Livingstone told Stanley, “God has called me to Africa, and I am staying here.”

William Carey, “the father of modern missions,” rose up in Europe and said to a group of ministers, “I am going to go to India and make the gospel known there.” A minister in the audience rebuked him: “Sit down, young man. You are an enthusiast. When God pleases to convert the heathen in India, he will do it without consulting you or me.” But Carey wouldn’t be persuaded—and praise God he wouldn’t!

Adoniram Judson, a Baptist missionary who had a desire to go to Burma (present-day Myanmar), a “closed country,” against the pleas of others, took his new wife into the heart of Burma. He labored for thirty-eight years, suffering through cholera, malaria, dysentery, and unknown miseries that would claim the lives of his first wife and second wife, as well as seven of his thirteen children and numerous colleagues. As a result of his resolve, today there are close to four thousand Baptist congregations in the middle of Buddhist Burma. Over half a million believers are represented in those congregations.

C. T. Studd, a wealthy Englishman, came to faith in Christ and, soon thereafter, sensed God’s call to go to China. His family brought a Christian worker in to dissuade him. Studd said, “Let’s ask God then. I don’t want to be pig-headed and go out there of my own accord. I just want to do God’s will.” He sought God’s will and decided that he should indeed go. Then later, when he was fifty years old, he resolved that he should spend the rest of his life in Sudan, when others again urged him to do otherwise! In the next twenty years, he founded the Worldwide Evangelization Crusade through his work in Africa, which has planted gospel seeds all over Africa, Asia, and South America.

John G. Paton served for ten years as the pastor of a church in Glasgow, Scotland, but God began to burden his heart for the New Hebrides. These were Pacific Islands filled with cannibalistic peoples with no knowledge of the gospel. Twenty years earlier, two missionaries had been cannibalized there. Paton received opposition from everywhere. The church offered him more money to stay. When one older man protested, Paton famously said, “Mr. Dixon, you are advanced in years now and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave there to be eaten by worms. I confess to you if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms. And in the great day, my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer.” Paton wouldn’t be persuaded, and soon he would be putting the Lord’s Supper elements into the hands of former cannibals that had repented and trusted in Jesus. (Paraphrased from Platt, “A Mission Only the Church Can Stop”)

The costly obedience of these missionaries, and others like them, blessed millions and set an inspiring example for a host of future missionaries. So value input but follow God’s will.

There’s something worse than dying: not living. Life is short. Don’t waste it! Pour yourself out for the good of others, and then you will actually find life (Mark 8:34-35). This may involve risk and hardship, but it’s worth it. Let us say with Paul, “I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).

When you follow Jesus down the Calvary road, you’re not alone and you won’t regret it. Jesus—our unfailing friend—is with us as we make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18-20). And even though suffering may be inevitable, following Jesus is worth it. This life is not the end. The best is yet to come (Phil 1:21-23). As John Piper commented on Acts 20:24, “Lord, keep me faithful to the job, then let me drop and go to my reward” (in Chandler, “My Heart Is Full”). When we see Christ, we will not regret having followed him.

Following Jesus is costly, but not following Jesus is more costly. I can see how an unbeliever could look at Paul’s life—and Jesus’s for that matter—and say, “What a waste!” But Scripture gives us a different view. Jesus said these words to his disciples about the disastrous result of pursuing material gain instead of him:

What does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? What can anyone give in exchange for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8:36-38)

The only thing more costly than discipleship is the cost of “nondiscipleship.” Follow Jesus now, and you will experience unspeakable joy later. Reject him now, and you will experience eternal suffering later. He bids us to come and follow him. Let’s surrender to his lordship.

Reflect and Discuss

1. How does this passage highlight the need for Christian friendship?
2. How are Christian friendships established?
3. How are Christian friendships experienced?
4. In what ways can you show hospitality to new people?
5. In what ways have you found it difficult to show affection to or to pray with your Christian friends? Explain.
6. Do you find it difficult to discuss important decisions with Christian friends? Why or why not?
7. What were Paul’s friends telling him about going to Jerusalem? Do you think Paul made the right decision? Explain.
8. How does Paul display a supreme love for the Lord Jesus?
9. What do the experiences of Paul and other missionaries teach about the cost of following Jesus?
10. Take a moment to pray for your Christian friends, asking the Lord to empower you to fulfill the purposes of Jesus. What can you do today to be a good friend to another believer?