Reading: Acts 20:1-12:
• In 1 Corinthians 15:32, the apostle Paul makes a cryptic,
• Yet incisive reference to his time in Ephesus:
“I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus”
• That was his description of the frenzied riot he and his companions,
• Had just endured in chapter 19 verses 23-41.
• Snarling and angry, Demetrius and his mob,
• Were ready to tear them all apart in a bloody rage.
Fortunately, though:
• God used a simple town clerk (vs 35)
• To quiet them down and restore reason.
• So what had crescendoed to a roar,
• Soon dissipated into a shuffling murmur as the people went home.
• With peace reestablished and the growing church safe,
• Paul now decides that the time is right to move on.
• Actually, he had already made up his mind to go in chapter 19 verse 21:
• We join him as he packs his bags and charts a course to Macedonia,
Note: Chapter 20 is the start of another change in Paul’s ministry:
• It is noticeable at the beginning of the chapter,
• And more noticeable as we advance through the book.
• Up to now Paul has been involved in pioneer work,
• He has gone into new areas and founded new churches.
• Now in Acts chapter 20 and onwards he goes to established churches,
• And gives them some final advice and encouragement.
Leaving Ephesus, Ministering in Macedonia:
• Paul has laced up his sandals and his suitcase is by the door,
• But before he sets off, he has one more loose end to tie up.
Exhortation (vs 1-2):
“When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia.
He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people,
and finally arrived in Greece,”
• After three years of ministry in Ephesus,
• A good number of people had trusted Christ, they had become disciples.
• Evangelism, sharing the message, isn’t what’s crucial now,
• But exhortation, encouraging these disciples to keep going forward.
• The word for encouragement is used three times, verses 1, 2 & 12.
• And is a key theme throughout this chapter.
Look at one word for a moment:
• This word translated “Encouraging” in the N.I.V.
• Or the word “Embracing” & “Exhortation” in the King James Bible.
It is a great word “Exhortation” but not a word in common usage:
• The Greek word for “exhort” is ‘paraka1e’:
• A word which literally means, “to call alongside, to help.”
Ill:
‘Para’ means alongside.
• Para-lell bars one bar alongside another.
• Para-chute is a chute alongside.
• The Holy Spirit is called the “Paracltos”
• The called alongside one who helps or comforts us (John 14:26).
An exhortation:
• Is when you draw alongside somebody to encourage, to help and to strengthen them,
• Exhortation can mean a variety of things,
• It may be a word of warning, or a word of rebuke.
• It may be a word of comfort or a word of encouragement,
• Exhortation was a gift Paul had,
• And he paused to employ it before leaving the Ephesians and going to Macedonia.
Ill:
Man said to Billy Graham “He had the gift of criticism”.
• Many have it and that is not from God!
• But exhortation is! And we need many more people to exercise it.
3 ways Paul encouraged people:
(1). By his presence (verse 1-2).
• Paul was accessible to people,
• He visited people, he visited their homes and churches on a regular basis.
• He may have been the great apostle, but he was not standoffish,
• He rubbed shoulders, he spent time with people.
(2). By his words.
• He preached and he discussed the scriptures with folks,
• We will say more about that later.
(3). By his actions.
• It was the miracle of Eutychus,
• That sent the Christians home comforted or encouraged (verse 12).
• Often he worked as a “tent maker” so that he would not burden the church.
• Often he could say “You know how we lived among you” (vs 18).
Departure (vs 2):
He traveled through that area,
speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,
With his encouraging advice given and his good-byes said:
• Paul sets off for Jerusalem via the Greek districts of
• Macedonia (the northern section) and Achaia (the southern section).
• That travel plan actually took him in the opposite direction from his ultimate goal.
• Getting to Jerusalem.
• But that wasn’t bad planning, or a mistake,
• But a plan of action in motion.
• He is going to retracing his steps through Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea,
• He is revisiting the places he went to on his second missionary journey.
He is doing this for two reasons:
• (a). He wants to nurturing and exhort the churches he had started years earlier.
• (b). He is also collecting money from these churches, I will explain why later.
• Then, having done this:
• Paul heads for the next stop on his journey: Greece (Acts 20:2).
At Greece, on to Troas (vs 3):
and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months.
Paul has a fruitful three-month stay in Greece:
• Most or all of his time was spent in Corinth.
• During which time he writes his doctrinal masterpiece, the Epistle to the Romans.
• His dream, his personal ambition in life is to get to Rome,
• In fact he states that in his letter to the Romans chapter 15 verses 25-26:
“Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there”.
• However, his plans were about to be messed up.
(3). Murder attempt (vs 3):
Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.
Paul had planned to catch a ship at Cenchrea (Corinth’s port):
• Which was taking Jewish pilgrims to Palestine for Passover,
• But he was made aware of a dangerous plan to kill him.
• Apparently, some of the Jews in Corinth (chapter 18) wanted to:
• “Assassinate him on board ship and dispose of his body at sea.”
Ill:
• Chapter 18 Paul set up a Christian church right next door to the Synagogue,
• Not only that two Synagogue rulers, key people got converted and joined him.
• The Corinthian Jews were so angry that they went to the Roman Proconsul Gallio,
• To press charges against Paul and to lawfully get rid of him.
• But the Proconsul sided with Paul and gave him permission to preach & teach.
• When the Jews found out Paul was going to be on board a boat….
• This would be pay back time, it would be easy to:
• “Assassinate him on board ship and dispose of his body at sea.”
But when Paul found out about this evil plan of action:
• He wisely traveled back through Macedonia on land.
• It would take longer, but he would be safe.
Question:
• Does this evasive maneuver mean that Paul didn’t trust God to protect him on the ship?
• Did he show a lack of faith & courage by changing his travel route?
Answer:
• Not at all!
• Paul would have been foolish to board that ship;
• God had informed him of the plot so he could escape the assassination attempt,
• Not so his courage & faith could be tested.
• Paul trusted God,
• But he also knew when to retreat from danger.
Ill:
Lock up your car, house etc
• God gave us common sense and he expects us to use it.
• Quote: “The trouble with common sense is, it isn’t that common”.
• Too many Christians over-spiritualize things,
• If we are right with God, enjoying regular times with him (word & prayer).
• Then expect him to guide you through common sense on many occasions,
• UNLESS he shows you differently!!!
The detour and the delay:
• Meant Paul would not arrive back in Jerusalem for Passover,
• All he could hope for now was to be back in time for Pentecost (50 days after Passover).
(4). Good Companions (Verse 4):
He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
Paul was a team player:
• Most of the time he is working with others,
• Or has someone working with him;
• First missionary journey; Barnabus and John Mark.
• On his second Silas and Timothy and Luke.
• Now at the end of his third missionary journey
• Luke tells us about his traveling companions:
They traveled with Paul for two reasons:
(1).
• These men may well have been students,
• Selected from local churches to learn from Paul as they traveled.
(2). They were men sent by the churches where Paul was collecting money:
• The church at Jerusalem had experienced a famine and then poverty & persecution.
• Paul had organized a collection from the gentile churches to help them.
• We are not told this in scripture, but most scholars believe,
• Paul was trying to bring closer links between the Jewish & Gentile churches.
• That’s probably true, But Paul was greatly concerned,
• He had great compassion for the hungry, persecuted Christians.
Each church he visited also sent a representative as well as money:
• They would accompany him to Jerusalem,
• And they would present their gift on behalf of their local fellowship.
• Paul wrote about this collection in two chapters of 2nd Corinthians,
• Chapters 8&9.
(3).
• The large group of men could also protect and guard the money.
• This incident is explained in Paul’s letter, 1 Corinthians chapter 16 verses 1-4.
1Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.
These companions are a great mix of people:
They show to us that in the early Church there is no rank or hierarchy in the family of God:
• The man whose name was Secundus, which means “the second,”
• He was obviously a slave.
Slaves did not bother to name their children; they just numbered them—the first, the second, the third, and so on. It may be that “number three,” Tertius, who wrote the Letter to the Romans as Paul’s secretary (see Rom. 16:221, was this man’s brother).
• Also from Secundus’ church was Aristarchus (In English his name is Aristocrat).
• Representing the church of Thessalonica were the upper class and a slave.
• Yet they are both equals!!!
• Quote: “Only place a slave and their master were equals was in the early church”
• Sopater from Berea, he apparently has a famous father.
• Timothy was a half cast -Jewish mother and a Gentile father.
• Some of the men were from Asia, some from Europe.
• This diverse and mixed bunch of people were Paul’s traveling companions.
• Paul treated them all as brothers in Christ.
• He lived out the truths he wrote to others:
Quote Galatians chapter 3 verse 28:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
With this group of men, Paul continued to move from city to city:
• Eventually he would link up again with Luke in Philippi – verse 4;
• This is indicated by Luke (the author’s) use of the pronouns us and we in the account.
Verses 5-6:
These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
Apparently, Luke and Paul stayed in Philippi to celebrate Passover with the believers there:
• Then they met up with the other men,
• Who had already crossed over to Troas.
• This brief, seven-day visit in Troas must have been nostalgic for Paul.
• For it was here that God had given him the vision of the Macedonian man,
• Who called out to him,
• And caused Paul to visit this area.
Acts 16 verse 9:
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Portrait of Worship in the Early Church
• In describing the events at Troas,
• Luke gives us a glimpse into a day of worship at a first-century church.
Verse 7:
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
Four facets of their worship are especially outstanding in this verse.
(1). Sunday worship (vs 7).
• First, we notice on what day of the week the early church met to worship.
• This is the first clear indication of the growing emphasis on Sunday among Christians.
• That quote from 1 Corinthians chapter 16 also indicates to us Sunday worship.
• The Jews observed the Sabbath, the seventh day, Saturday.
• But the Christians met on the first day of the week, Sunday in honour,
• We assume, of the day of Jesus’ resurrection (Matt. 28:l).
Ill:
Paul in his notices gave out next weeks meetings like this.
• Next Sunday there are no meetings,
• We will instead be meeting at 5.30am & 8.00pm Monday’s instead,
• That is what it was like for the first Christians,
• Sunday was a normal working day, so they met before or after work.
(2). Fellowship: “We came together”:
• Implies that the church service was primarily a time for believers.
• On Sundays, Christians would meet to spiritually prepare themselves for the week ahead,
• Then throughout the week they evangelized,
• Church was primarily a place of prayer, study & communion (Acts 2:42).
• Then when they departed,
• They evangelized, gossiped and lived out the gospel.
(3). The Lords Supper which was an integral part of their worship.
• Luke simply writes, “we were came together to break bread.”
• This phrase gives us no details concerning how they celebrated communion,
• Which is a good thing,
• Because now we are free to remember Christ’s death in a variety of ways;
• We are not limited to a formula or a pattern set in stone.
• Or though some Christians & churches would have you think that!!!
I believe passages like this teach us important principles:
• e.g. On Sunday (1st day) Christians meet to break bread.
• But remember these are principles not commands!
• And that principle is one of the reasons this church every Sunday,
• Meets together to ‘Break bread’, good principle that we follow!
Note:
• I was interested to discover that many of the reformers,
• Used verses like these to support their teaching:
• Preaching first and then communion.
• Quote: “There was to be no observance of the Lord’s supper without preaching”.
The final glimpse of church life Luke shows us is the presence of biblical teaching:
(4). Teaching.
Verse 7b: “Kept on talking until midnight”
• “Paul began talking to them,” and he talked and talked and talked!
• In fact, he kept teaching until midnight
• Showing us that an adequate feeding of Christians,
• Requires a significant period of time to properly unfold the truth.
Ill:
• Paul always placed great emphasis on preaching the word,
• That is seen all through the book of Acts and elsewhere.
• He instructed Timothy (1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 13)
• “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching”.
Now having said that, let’s be true to the passage:
• Two different Greek words are used in connection with Paul’s activities,
• That you might not notice in your English translation.
• Verse 7: “Paul spoke” He preached a logical thought out sermon.
• The words indicate formal teaching, that is sustained and carefully reasoned.
• Verse 11: “Paul talked”
• Refers to informal discussion of Scripture and answering questions etc.
Snapshot of a sleepy saint:
• Paul’s enthusiasm for sharing the scriptures,
• Had an unfortunate effect on a young man called Eutychus.
Poor Eutychus:
• Not only does he have the embarrassment of falling asleep,
• While listening to the great apostle Paul.
• But Luke records it so that every generation of Christians,
• Across the entire world can read about it.
Question: Why do we fall asleep in church?
(1). Tradition:
• When we were youngsters, our parents unwittingly taught us to associate sermons,
• With sleep when they allow their kids to sleep on their laps.
(2). Physical factors:
• Sometimes the church can be stuffy, poorly ventilated, and dimly lit,
• Often far to warm to keep us from feeling drowsy.
This probably played a part in Eutychus’ case:
• With the flickering lamps causing drowsiness and lack of concentration,
• They also raising the temperature of the room.
(3). Personal factors:
• Occasionally, we don’t get enough sleep the night before,
• Maybe we’re taking some medication or have a health problem that causes sleepiness.
(4). Indifference:
• This is just a plain lack of interest in spiritual things,
• Forced to go to the service by parents or there simply to meet with friends afterwards.
(5). Boring preacher:
• Let’s face it if a person is boring without a bible, they will be boring with one!!!
• Not everyone is called to preach, that’s why teaching is a gift.
• Each Christian is gifted, with equally valid and important gifts,
• Not everyone is a teacher.
Ill:
Camp.
• I will be the preacher,
• Someone else will be the maintenance officer (jobs no-one else wants to do).
• That tells me, I’ve got a big mouth,
• And they have a big heart!!!
Not everyone is called to preach and sadly some preachers are:
• Poorly organized,
• They ramble through their material; often in a monotone delivery;
• Spending far too much time on needless details,
• Completely out of touch with people’s needs and relevant application of the word.
• Let’s be honest, who hasn’t struggled to stay awake,
• While listening to preaching like that!
Those of us called to preach:
• We would do well to heed the words of Solomon
• (Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 9-11):
9The Teacher was very wise and taught the people what he knew. He very carefully thought about, studied, and set in order many wise teachings. 10The Teacher looked for just the right words to write what is dependable and true.
11Words from wise people are like sharp sticks used to guide animals. They are like nails that have been driven in firmly. Altogether they are wise teachings that come from one Shepherd.
Solomon didn’t just write a load of words:
• He pondered, he searched out, he arranged his thoughts,
• He looked to find just the right terms, so that he could communicate wisely.
• When we teach, we should take great care to find the right words,
• That will encourage the people who listen to us,
• I want to stimulating and urge my congregations into action,
• Not sleep!
Thankfully, in Eutychus case, his sleep is not permanent:
9Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”
• Paul and the others run down the three stories to see if he is alright,
• Unfortunately he wasn’t, he is dead, or is he?
Commentators are divided (not really important):
(1st Opinion).
• Some say; “They picked him up thinking he was dead”.
• But Paul looked closer at him and could see, “that he was alive”.
• So people have concluded by Paul’s words that the people thought he was dead,
• But Paul could see he was alive.
(2nd Opinion).
• Others say, he was dead,
• And when Paul got to him he worked a miracle:
• We have seen other miraculous things throughout the book of Acts.
• Why not another one.
• Luke recorded these events, and he was a doctor, he should know!
• If he says he was dead, I am happy to believe that.
• Whatever your opinion it is not an essential point in the passage,
• It is more an incident that happened during a service, these things happen.
Ill:
Lady collapse last week in my evening service.
• Now she didn’t die, I didn’t run to her and administer first aid.
• She was taken care of by members of the fellowship.
• These things can happen in church services,
• And we have an incident recorded here of such a situation.
Verse 10:
10Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11
• Paul embraces the young man and I think a miracle occurred,
• Life returns to his body, either interpretation of the passage, the boy recovers.
• Verse 11: They enjoy a midnight feast,
• Paul carries on preaching until daylight.
Application:
• Spiritually speaking, the gospel has that same power,
• To invigorate souls that are dead in sin. Through faith, we can come to life!
Verse 12: I like those last few words: “were greatly comforted”.
• What an incredible evening they had experienced:
• Imagine if next weeks service was advertised as:
An all night special:
• We have a great speaker, in fact probably the best you can find.
• At midnight we will have a feast,
• A time of worship and communion,
• And if anyone should accidentally die, our speaker will raise them from the dead!!!
• Sounds good to me,
• Certainly doesn’t sound boring or predictable!!
