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.’” 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.”
Subject: Group Think - Shared Leadership
The above passage is a perfect example of what happens when groups want to make the decisions about your life. Paul, in the previous chapter had told everyone that the Holy Spirit was sending Him to Jerusalem, although he had no idea what would befall him there. Although he knew that wherever he went in Christ's name bad things would happen to him:
Acts 20:22-23
And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
Now the prophet Agabus grabs hold of Paul's belt and tells everyone that whoever is the owner of the belt will suffer at the hands of the Jews. The "group" thinks it is not wise therefore for Paul to go to Jerusalem. Yet, the Holy Spirit, through Agabus, was not telling them Paul shouldn't go but only that he should expect the very thing Paul said in the previous chapter. The "group think" was to keep himself safe. The Spirit said "go" and be prepared for what awaits you. We often want to bend to "group think" because it is so logical. But it is not always spiritual. When God gives us His will it is not always comfortable and we are not avoid the parts of it He has also ordained, albeit not as comfortable. Group think causes us to miss God's will if it is not according to God's Word.
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