ACTS
Pursuing The Call
Dr. Tom Bartlett
September 1, 2019
Acts 20:1-17a
OUTLINE
If You Want To Leave An Impact On People
ENCOURAGE THEM
After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. (Vs. 1-6)
Key - To encourage someone means to place courage in them
INVEST IN THEM
On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted. (Vs. 7-12)
Key - To invest in someone means to add value to them
REMEMBER THEM
But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. (Vs.20:13-17a)
Key – Remembering someone happens best when we spend time with them
MANUSCRIPT
In 1890 a girl name Henrietta was born. Her father was a wealthy bank owner, but in a stock market and economic crisis they lost everything. She was troubled by poor health as a preteen and at the age of 12 was diagnosed with muscular rheumatism, she suffered from bad eyesight, so bad that her doctors said if she continued her education, she would be blind by 30. At the age of 20 her mother passed away. After a public-school teaching career, at the age of 37 she decided to commit her life to the work of teaching the Bible in a time when woman teaching in many settings was not accepted. Her journeys took her to far away missions’ fields, she contracted terrible diseases such as hepatitis and others, and suffered numerous hardships. In the process of her ministry she began a Sunday school ministry in Southern California that grew to 6,500 students. She is credited with influencing the two greatest gospel preachers of the mid 1900’s – Bill Bright the founder of Campus crusade for Christ, (who published the Jesus film, now seen by more than 1 billion people worldwide, and beyond number salvation decisions globally), she also influenced and discipled a young preacher from North Carolina, Billy Graham. Untold millions have heard the message of God’s love through the Rev. Billy Graham.
As a college student studying youth ministry at the time, no book impacted me as much as the biography of Henrietta Mears.
She has impacted the lives of so many and even my own life, although she died 4 months before I was born.
As I think about life and what we get to do with it, I’m motivated to do all I can for the greatest cause the world has ever seen, impacting people with what Jesus has done and who Jesus is!
As I look at the life of the Apostle Paul, I see this same kind of determination. He is marching toward the goal line, the day he would see Jesus face to face and not just for a moment on a dusty road, but for eternity on streets made of gold!
In acts 20, Paul has just dusted off the insults and attempts yet once again to discredit him and silence him and he moves on. After thousands have come to know Jesus in Ephesus, it’s time to keep moving. And as we chronicle his life, you must know that he knows what lies ahead of him is not pleasant, his death would come soon.
Now, maybe it was after his encounter with Jesus in Acts 9, or maybe it was after he took three years in the Arabian desert to study the Old Testament with this new and profound understanding of just who the Messiah IS, or maybe it was after he started to teach the truth, but at some point, Paul decided that he wasn’t leaving anything on the table.
He said in 2 Timothy that he was being poured out like drink water as his end approached. He was giving everything. What an example, and what an impact!
Now, you might be thinking wow that’s great he’s a super Christian, I could never do that. NOT TRUE. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things! YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT!
God is calling Eastfield to change this part of the world and way beyond. HOW CAN WE DO IT? Let’s look at Acts 20 from the perspective of Paul and learn from him, we know he just put all of Asia on the map for God, now he’s heading to Jerusalem by way of Macedonia.
If You Want To Leave An Impact On People
ENCOURAGE THEM
I have to tell you that in a world of discouragement, we cannot find enough encouragement. An encouraging word to a person depleted of courage, is like water in a desert! Paul’s life was characterized by encouragement even in discouraging situations.
Acts 20
(Vs. 1-6) After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
Just reading this you can see that Paul’s life was all about pouring into and encouraging and training others. He is always traveling with a group and he’s lifting their spirits. Now not once in scripture that I’m aware of, does Paul say he’s discouraged. Yet we must know that he often felt that way.
Warren Wiersbe once said, “Depression and discouragement are occupational hazards of the ministry.”
When Demas left him or John Mark got homesick, he must have thought, “this too? I’ve got pressures all around me from the non-believers and now my team members too?”
You know what I’ve found? The best cure for discouragement in my life is encouraging someone else. Encouragement means to “place courage in”. To believe in someone even when they don’t believe in themselves.
Key - To encourage someone means to place courage in them
Next we see Paul’s impact and we can do the same, we impact people when we invest in them.
INVEST IN THEM
It’s not enough to simply tell them, yes you can make it, it’s another thing to get your hands dirty or open your wallet or take from your time to invest in that person.
I’m so grateful to men like George Stepan and Rick Warren and Jerry Cline who invested in me big time.
(Vs. 7) On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
This, by the way, and other instances show us that the church worshipped on the first day of the week in honor of the resurrection and the joining of the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers.
This reminds me of pastor and writer David Platt on his first trip to China. He went to meet some pastors in China for a bible study. You know, we might be thinking 1 hour or so, but these men were so hungry for the Word they asked him to keep on going. He went through the day, as long as he could in the night and then on into the next day and the day after. Why? Because these men needed this knowledge, they wanted it and he was willing to invest in them
Paul, knowing he is leaving, extends his time and teaches as long as he can, because he was investing in them. No doubt some of the miraculous things he was doing created an interest and added weight to his words, but these believers would be left as leaders. He might never see them again and he is squeezing out all he can.
(Vs. 8-9) There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.
JOKE: Maybe you’ve heard of the church that was so dead, that when I guy in the congregation had a heart attack and died in the service, the emergency personnel carried out 5 guys before they found the right one.
Now, I may have been long-winded at times, but I think Paul has the award for this one!
But, seriously, it was hot. Eutychus, a young man goes to the third story to find some relief, he’s sitting in the window with all the hot lamps going. In the Greek you can see that he’s fighting sleep, but it overcomes him, he falls asleep and wakes up dead!
(Vs. 10-11) But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.
Paul, using the gifting that God gave him revives this young man who had died. It’s interesting to note that Luke, the writer of Acts was a physician. If the boy was not dead, he would have known it.
Here’s Paul investing in them in every way. Had he died; it would have been a black mark on the work he was doing.
BANGALORE CONFERENCE – young man fell in front of a train and was killed after our conference on his way home.
One of things that we can do to leave an impact is to add value to them.
Key - To invest in someone means to add value to them
That means because of their interaction from you they have a greater sense of calling, worth, or they at least know there’s another person in this world that cares about me.
What can you give someone else? You might think, “I don’t have money”. Money often confuses relationships. Here’s what you can give them,
• Whatever God has taught you
• A listening ear
• A look in the eye
• Your time
Now this brings us to this last section. You also impact people by remembering them.
REMEMBER THEM
From time to time every month or so, I call my mentors and thank them for all that they have done for me. I also work to stay in touch with the many people that God has used me to influence for his work too.
Paul, it seems stops and talks and encourages and works to remember every stop, every city, every person. Why? BECAUSE PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD. YOU MATTER TO GOD!
Now we will see that Luke says “we” when he is with Paul and “they” or himself when he’s not.
(Vs. 13) But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land.
Now, granted that the boat trip was about 40 miles around a land area and the walk was about 20 miles, but here we see Paul taking a moment to recharge. He may have had people with him walking, but some speculate that he took time for himself, which is much needed and deserved.
He rejoins the team and look at the stops he makes and know that at each one he is remembering each place, each person with his stops.
(Vs. 14-17) And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.
Assos, Mitylene, Chios, Miletus, and hoping to speed his trip along, having recently spent three years in Ephesus, not to forget them, he calls for them to come to him.
I guess we could call this the on-going investment. It’s affirming that his interest in them was not just for a season it’s for always.
Key – Remembering someone happens best when we spend time with them
Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you.
Closing Illustration?
Time of Commitment
Offering/announcements
