Pursuing The Call Part 9 If You Want To Leave An Impact On People Series

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!