Paul and Agabus

The people finally said "Let the Lord's will be done". This is a shorter lesson, so I like to discuss other Bible people that did the Lord's will instead of doing what they wanted. There is a concept chart for the students to write about the Bible people that are being discussed.

Review: Our last lesson, Paul was in Troas and he preached all day. Do you remember what happened to Eutychus? The lamps were lit, and he was sitting in the window (what floor? 3rd ) and he went asleep and fell out of the window! Paul went down and brought him back to life, which was a what? (Miracle)

Our lesson is found in Acts 21:7-17. Luke changes his writing in chapter 21 to ”we". What does that mean? Paul is traveling with several men again. Luke tells us the different places they sailed and even that they had to drop off cargo at one of the stops.

They stopped at Caesarea. They were there many days and then a prophet came to see them. His name was Agabus and he came from Judea. Agabus took Paul’s belt from Paul and tied up his own hands and feet.

He told Paul that if he went to Jerusalem, then the owner of the belt would be tied up just like this. He said the Jews would tie him up and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

The people begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem because they didn’t want Paul to go to prison! But Paul asked them “Why are you crying and breaking my heart? I am ready to be bound. I will also die in Jerusalem for the name of Jesus.” The people finally said since they couldn’t talk Paul into not going to Jerusalem, the people said “The Lord’s will be done.” 

So Paul was not talked into staying with them. He packed up his things and went to Jerusalem. There were other Christians that traveled with Paul when he went to Jerusalem. There was a Christian called Mnason of Cyprus and they were going to stay at his house.

The Christians were so glad to see Paul when he arrived in Jerusalem.

I want to talk about doing what God wants, and not what we want. It's not easy to do things God's way sometimes. It would have been easier for Paul to head in a different direction, when Agabus told him that if he went to Jerusalem, he would be put in prison. Do you think Paul wanted to go to prison? Do you think he smiled and said "Yah!?" Everyone knew how bad the Roman prisons and soldiers were, but Paul also knew that if God wanted him in Jerusalem, that was where he needed to be.

1. Noah built the ark because God told him to. His friends and neighbors made fun of him and only he and his family were saved in the flood because Noah obeyed God.  

2. Moses saw a burning bush, and God told him that Moses and his brother Aaron would be going to Egypt to talk to Pharaoh about letting the Israelites leave Egypt. Remember, Moses didn't think he could do it, but God told him to, so he did.

3. David had a fight with a giant. He picked up 5 smooth stones and after Goliath made fun of him and the soldiers for sending David, he put a stone into his sling and took Goliath down. David knew God would help him.

4. King Darius signed a petition that said that if anyone makes a request to God for thirty days, then they would be thrown into the den of lions. They could ask the king for favors, but not anyone else. It was known by everyone that Daniel prayed to God every day, and some of the kings people were jealous that the king like Daniel so much. Did Daniel stop praying? No, and so the king had to put him in the lion's den. God shut the lion's mouths and he made a new law: I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for He is the living God.

5. Jonah was told to go to Nineveh, but he was scared and went on a ship instead. He tried to hide from God...can you do that?

There was a storm, and Jonah was thrown into the water. God created a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he was inside the fish for 3 days. (Jonah 1:17) Then, the fish spit Jonah onto dry land! So God told Jonah again, to go to Nineveh. What did Jonah do? He went to Nineveh!

6. Jesus is God's Son, and He came and died on the cross because God wanted Him to. He knew how painful his life would be, and Jesus could have said He didn't want to do it, but He did what God said.

7. Paul said he wanted to do what God wanted him to. If being a prisoner was what God planned, then like the people said "The Lord's will be done." God has a plan for all of us, and we are to obey His rules and do what God says.

Take Home: Have fabric belts for students to take home and use for visual.

I did another concept for Agabus because we like them and they are easy to print. If you would like a different option for this lesson, click here. The students can write something for each Bible person that they did because God wanted it, and it wasn't what they wanted. This is only in black & white for easy printing. Click here to print.

Click here to print today's worksheet.

You can find all the Acts worksheets here.

Today's Bible Verse: So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” Acts 21:7 (NKJV) Click here to print the NKJV Bible Verse & Teacher's Visual.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission.

 Passport: Caesarea

Updated visuals

You may want to download the lesson to use

with the Power Point here: 

 Lesson

Click on the picture to find all the links for a Life of Paul lapbook.

The pictured free visual aids are here.  (Original publisher)