Seeing God’s Will Clearly | Acts 21

The book of Acts ends with Paul in chains, but the gospel continues to advance without hindrance. That same mission continues today through the Church, empowered by the same Spirit and called to proclaim the same gospel. As we close our study of Acts, we're invited to carry forward the commitments of the first-century Church and consider whether our lives reflect the mission Jesus has entrusted to us.

Through Paul's journey to Rome in Acts 23–28, we see that God is sovereign over every detail of our lives, including the delays, detours, and difficulties we don't understand. Despite imprisonment, opposition, and suffering, God accomplished his plans for Paul in his power and at his pace. The same is true for us. While Satan seeks to distract and discourage us, we can trust that God's plans are good, even when they look different from our own. As we surrender to Jesus, we can experience greater intimacy with him and be used for his purposes in every season.

As Paul stands before King Agrippa in Acts 26, he shares how Jesus transformed him from an enemy of the Church into a bold witness for the gospel. His story reminds us that no one is beyond God's saving power and that salvation is always a miracle. Like Paul, every follower of Jesus is called to share the gospel, trusting in God's help rather than our own abilities. As we near the end of Acts, this message challenged us to consider whether we've grown in Spirit-led missional living and are taking intentional steps toward reaching those who don't know Jesus.

In this sermon, Jonathan Linder, Director of Men’s Community, walks through Acts 22 and shows us what it looks like to be prepared to give a defense for the hope we have in Jesus, even in the face of opposition. Paul’s response reveals a passion for people rooted in the gospel, a testimony that points to Jesus, and a willingness to follow wherever the Spirit leads. Like Paul, we are called to live on mission, trusting God with the results and taking faithful steps to share the hope we’ve found in Christ.

God’s will can feel blurry when we don’t know what is next, but Scripture gives us clarity about what God is doing in every season: making us more like Jesus. Through Paul’s journey toward Jerusalem, we see that God’s will is revealed by the Spirit and requires us to live with open hands. Rather than waiting for God to conform his will to ours, we can trust him with what we cannot control, surrender what we are holding onto, and believe that even in waiting or suffering, Jesus will meet us there.

From the beginning, God created men and women in his image, equal in value and essential to accomplishing his purposes. Throughout Scripture, women lead, disciple, teach, serve, and use their gifts for God’s mission. At Watermark, the office of elder is reserved for qualified men, but that distinction should never diminish the significant role women have in the life and mission of the church. The invitation for all of us is to use the gifts God has given us, encourage others to do the same, and flourish together as the body of Christ.

In Acts 20, Paul charges the Ephesian elders to pay careful attention to themselves and to the flock God has entrusted to them. Elders are called by the Holy Spirit to steward a church that belongs to Jesus, remaining qualified themselves while caring for and protecting his people. Whether or not you are called to the office of elder, the invitation is to pray for your elders, gladly receive their shepherding, and, through the transforming power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit, grow into an elder-like follower of Jesus.

Every follower of Jesus is called to be a minister, which means leadership isn’t reserved for people with a title. In Acts 20, Paul points to his own life as an example of leadership shaped by Jesus: character that matches what he believes, humility that comes from submission to Christ, genuine care for people, courage to speak the truth, and a commitment to finish the ministry God has given him. The invitation is to become a leader worth following by depending on the Spirit, becoming more like Jesus, and faithfully living out the ministry God has entrusted to you.

Guest speaker David Platt joined us to teach from Isaiah 55 and remind us of God’s invitation to seek him with all our hearts. We see a God who is near, who passionately seeks his people, and who offers what our souls cannot find anywhere else. Through Jesus, the price for our sin has been paid, and we are invited into relationship with God—not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us. The invitation is not to observe from a distance or seek God casually, but to respond to him with repentance, dependence, worship, and wholehearted trust.

Guest speaker David Platt joined us to teach from Mark 11 and challenge us to consider whether we can participate in religious activity while still missing God. Jesus’ cleansing of the temple exposes a faith that looked active on the outside but lacked the fruit God desired. Because Jesus died and rose again, everyone who trusts in him can experience life with God through his Spirit. Rather than settling for casual cultural Christianity, we are invited to seek God and live with reverent worship, ongoing repentance, faithful prayer, forgiveness, and a heart for all nations.