Text: Acts 20:1-16, Title: Why Not to Sleep in Church, Date/Place: NRBC, 2/1/09, AM
A. Opening illustration: Just in case your boss catches you asleep at your desk, be ready to blurt out one of these excuses: *They told me at the blood bank that this might happen. *This is just a 15-minute power nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to. *I was working smarter - not harder. *Whew! I must have left the top off the whiteout. *I wasn’t sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm! *This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people! *I was testing the keyboard for drool resistance. *I’m in the management training program. *I’m actually doing a Stress Level Elimination Exercise Plan (SLEEP). I learned at the last mandatory seminar you made me attend. *This is in exchange for the six hours last night when I dreamed about work! *Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem. *The coffee machine is broken .... *Someone must have put decaf in the wrong pot. *Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just won’t wear off. *Ah, the unique and unpredictable circadian rhythms of the workaholic! *I wasn’t sleeping. I was trying to pick up my contact lens without my hands. *The mail courier flipped out and pulled a gun so I was playing dead to avoid getting shot. *Gosh, I thought you (the boss) were gone for the day. *Amen!
B. Background to passage: our text today comes on the heels of a riot in Ephesus on his third missionary journey. Paul is about to head for Macedonia and Acacia before going to Jerusalem and on to Rome then to Spain. His intention is to take a offering for the struggling church in Jerusalem then to evangelize the Latin world having preached and planted churches in most of the Greek world. But one of the overlooked components in Paul’s ministry is his pastoral concern for the churches. And so he makes an effort to revisit and stay with a few of the churches already established, and be assured that they are continuing in the faith. Just like Paul we should have a concern for encouraging others, and his ministry serves as a model.
C. Main thought: In this text we will see three ways that Paul had a ministry of encouragement, 3X, meaning
A. In presence
1. The first thing that he did after the riot in Ephesus was get back together with the disciples. Then he left and went to the troubled church at Corinth, and there he stayed three months. It was wintertime, so it was probably a necessary stay. And he probably did some evangelism in Illyricum during this time, but primarily, he just spent time with them. Then while in Troas, he joined the church in worship on Sunday (go into some of the other things that we can learn about the early church), and taught/preached until midnight. Then the little interruption of a young boy falling out of the window, dying, and being revived. Then he still stayed up and continued the worship and teaching until daybreak.
2. 2 Cor 11:24-28, Titus 2:2, 6,
3. Illustration: the conversation with Ross about how little time pastor’s spend discipling other believers, spend time investing in intimate fellowship with church members, tell about the difference in purpose between traditional bible studies and the triad groups, Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!” “No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.” What are the “big rocks” in your life?, tell about the visit that Alan Knox had with a former church and all the people that he wished he could have catch up with, John Ortberg pinpoints this in his article, Taking Care of Busyness. He says, "For most of us, the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them."
4. Paul is a busy guy! He has the whole known world at the time to evangelize, plant churches in, and strengthen. He is trying to keep a schedule to get to Jerusalem. And he was in his fifties or sixties, and getting close to the avg life expectancy with the eternity of the whole world in the balance. But with all these things weighing on him, he went and spent time with the churches. Our lives are busy, and few of us will get down to the end of our lives and wished we would have watched one more episode of CSI, or worked a little more overtime. Most of us will wished we could have spent more time investing in the lives of others in our lives. The early church was all about sharing life together, but yet most of us don’t spend time with each other unless it is because you are related. And most Christians have never had anyone sit down with them and intentionally disciple them. And what waste to have godly saints that have been walking with God for years never sit down over time with a young believer and pour out life into them. Remember it’s not even having all the answers as much as it is simply being there.
B. In word
1. In v. 2 it says that Paul encouraged them together with many words. Everywhere that he went he taught and preached, and the word used here in this text was that he had a teaching. And this usually included dialogue, asking and answering questions. He also wrote books of the NT during this time. At least 2 Corinthians and Romans were probably written during this time, possibly even 1 Corinthians or the lost Corinthian letter. And the whole church would come and listen to him for hours to gain knowledge and application of the Word.
2. Eph 4:29, Col 3:16, Col 4:6; 1 Thess 5:11,
3. Illustration: tell about a time when someone is uplifted by a single complement or thank you, tell about Dr. Bennett calming a hysterical mother at the funeral for her son by simply quoting scripture, So he has three hundred of these quotes. Then, every night, Johnny signs each one of them personally. Then the next day at the grocery store he puts this stack right by where he bags the groceries. He gets everyone’s groceries bagged up. Then on the last sack he puts the quote of the day, the encouraging word, in the sack. As the service ended the young man dashed for the exit, only to be stopped by a man named Dale Bockes. Mr. Bockes said, “Son that was a fine job.” And the lad said, “Fine job? Why I only went about two minutes.” “Yes,” said Mr. Bockes, “but you said it so well. It was so clear. You are a good speaker. I look forward to hearing you again.” And the next year, that young man spoke again. Now, John Kline, that young man, is a motivational speaker who speaks worldwide.
4. You never know how much encouragement is gained from a word. And from the Word. The culture of the church should be this kind of encouragement. But like Johnny, it takes effort; it takes investment; it takes concern. Just try it in your marriage. Try it when you leave today. People may think your weird, but if your heart is in it, and you do it sincerely, it will have an impact. Memorize a few encouraging scriptures that you can quote for people in a difficult situation. Demonstrate. You don’t have to be a preacher to do it. In fact, I would say that it is more powerful coming from you who are not preachers, b/c they expect the preacher to quote the Word, b/c its his job and life. When you do it, it testifies that scripture is your help in time of need. And dialogue over scripture is a powerful discipleship and learning technique, especially in a small group setting. Some would argue that this is the only way preaching should be done in the church. At any rate, the church over the word is a place for questions to be asked, truth to be sought, and relationships to be built around the reality taught in the bible.
C. In action
1. In the last chapter Paul endangered his life for wanting to go into the riotous amphitheater to save his friends. Then in this chapter immediately following the riot he demonstrates again his care and concern for them at the risk of his own life by not just leaving town. He waited a while in Troas for Titus who was supposed to be bringing word of how the Corinthian church was doing, before crossing over. Also Paul seemed to take the difficult and long routes, so that he could see the churches. He sacrificed for them, again demonstrating his concern for their edification. He is always embracing people everywhere, and weeps with them in the later part of the chapter. And when he stayed anywhere on Sunday, he went to worship with them.
2. 2 Cor 2:12-13, Col 3:17, 1 John 3:18, Titus 2:7, John 15:12, Gal 6:10, Jam 1:27,
3. Illustration: the men all going to Margaret’s to work in the yard. It still bugs me when preachers and staff members don’t got to Sunday School so they can rest, had one tell me that the other day, this week I got a email from a brother in Christ that I hadn’t talked to in a while, and he said he was little down, but also told me on the phone when I called him that he didn’t want to burden me with all his moaning,
4. The time aspect is critical, but normally the other thing that hinders us from doing what would be encouraging to another is that we just don’t think of it. We don’t have enough concern for folks. Or if we do, we just don’t care enough to set aside our agenda and get on board with the Lord’s agenda. Remember, first we love God, then we love people. What have you done in the month of Jan to be an encouragement to someone else in this church? Or maybe someone not necessarily in this church. If we haven’t done anything like that, maybe we need to rearrange our schedules. Just a visit to encourage would be great. Why is it only in the pastor’s job description to visit? Oh, it’s not, the covenant states that we all promise to pray for one another and give aid to another in sickness and in distress.
A. Closing illustration: She was an energetic young woman whose life was forever changed by an accident. Because her spinal cord was severed, she first struggled to survive. Forced to live her life as a quadriplegic, she nearly lost the will to live. Several women around her nodded. "How do you do it?" "After my husband, Ken, leaves for work at 6:00 A.M., I’m alone until I hear the front door open at 7:00 A.M. That’s when a friend arrives to get me up. "While I listen to her make coffee, I pray, ’Oh, Lord, my friend will soon give me a bath, get me dressed, sit me up in my chair, brush my hair and teeth, and send me out the door. I don’t have the strength to face this routine one more time. I have no resources. I don’t have a smile to take into the day. But you do. May I have yours? God, I need you desperately.’" "So, what happens when your friend comes through the bedroom door?" one of them asked. "I turn my head toward her and give her a smile sent straight from heaven. It’s not mine. It’s God’s. And so," I said, gesturing to my paralyzed legs, "whatever joy you see today was hard won this morning." She painted by holding a brush with her teeth. She goes through the drive up window at fast food restaurants. She produced record albums of joyful music. She married, & is now known as an encourager to countless thousands of people. Her name? Joni Eareckson Tada
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
