Third Journey Series

Introduction

Video Ill.: Paul’s Third Missionary Journey - Graphe

This morning, we are continuing our summer road trip, going along with Paul on his journeys as recorded in Acts.

We started by joining Paul and Barnabas on their first journey as they traveled throughout the province of Asia, teaching about Jesus. We saw that the gospel will always spark some kind of reaction from hearers. Sometimes its good; sometimes it isn’t.

We saw how Satan, through this world, tries to disrupt the spreading of the Gospel, but we also know that in the end, he will not win.

Last week, we joined Paul, and his new traveling companion Silas, on his second journey. We saw how we need to be attune to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes God has something different in mind for us than what we may want to do. We need to listen and obey what the Spirit directs us to do.

We also saw that even in our darkest times, we can find joy because of our salvation in Jesus. It is in Him that we can find true hope and joy, not in the things going on around us in our world.

This morning, we are going with Paul and his traveling companions on his third journey. This journey was recorded for us by Luke in Acts 18:23 - 21:17.

No matter what Paul was doing, he was always concerned about the churches.

Paul no more gets home from his second journey than he sets out again for the third time, with the goal of building up and supporting what he had already planted.

Luke records it for us this way:

23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers. (Acts 18, NLT)

It is on this support mission that we find a few stories I would like to highlight this morning and see what lessons we can learn from these stories for our Christian walks today.

The first story happens in Troas, and we learn that we should not be asleep in the church.

It’s a familiar story we have heard many times before.

From Acts 20, we read:

7 On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. 9 As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. 10 Paul || went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” 11 Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. 12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home alive and well, and everyone was greatly relieved. (Acts 20, NLT)

Now, in Eutychus’ defense, this church meeting happened late in the evening, and was going on until midnight.

Many of the Christians were working folks, even slaves. This church service was happening when they could attend, after the end of the work day.

Many that were there had put in a full day’s worth of work, but were excited about hearing Paul speak — excited to learn about Jesus — excited to grow in their relationship with God. So they came to this upper room to worship and hear Paul teach.

Luke makes mention that there were lamps burning. Combine the fumes from the lamps with the stuffiness of an upstairs room, with physical exhaustion from working, and you have the perfect recipe for sleep.

We ought not think that Paul was just droning on and on; rather, scholars suggest that this would have been more of a conversation — an interaction between students and teacher.

Despite the conversation and learning that was going on, poor Eutychus was overtaken by the environment, fell asleep, and fell out the window, falling three stories to his death.

None of us, I do not think, will ever fall out of a church window today because we fell asleep during church.

But how many of us really are asleep in the church?

How many of us just go through the motions? We are simply worn out — exhausted by the things of life — so much so that church just becomes something else we have to do.

Are we engaged in our spiritual walks?

During church, are we engaged?

Author Asks If 'We' Are Present during the Lord's Supper

Source: Gordon Mikoski, "Bringing the Body to the Table," Theology Today (October, 2010), pp. 24-25

https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2012/february/4022012.html