Expending Life on the Lord’s Work

Transcript

GR 1625
01/08/2011
Expending Life on the Lord’s Work
Acts 20:1-16
Gil Rugh

Turn in your bibles to Acts chapter 20. We have moved well into the Book of Acts, which is unfolding the early history of the church. Acts chapter two marked the beginning of the church and from there we have moved through what took place in establishing the church, first in Jerusalem among the Jews and Peter was the dominant figure up through chapter 12. Then he fades into the background and the apostle Paul has been the leading figure. In all of this, this early history of the church has focused on the proclamation of the truth concerning Jesus Christ. It is centered in the leadership of the apostles, Peter being dominant in the first part, Paul in the second part but other apostles have been the focal point of establishing the early church providing the leadership for the early church, providing the teaching that will be foundational for the early church.

Also characteristic of the early church and its history, there were many miracles done and a great variety. A sample, there were paralyzed people healed in chapter 3, chapter 9, chapter 14. Ananias and Sapphira, a little different kind of miracle, were struck dead by the Holy Spirit for lying to the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 5. Angels came and brought deliverance to those imprisoned in Acts chapter 5 and Acts chapter 12. Demons were cast out in Acts chapter 8 and Acts chapter 16. The Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of hands as we saw with the Samaritians in Acts 8 and then later a similar kind of experience with Paul’s ministry at Ephesus. The dead were raised chapter 9 through the ministry of Peter. There were angels who appeared in Acts chapter 10, a magician, Elymas who was struck blind, for a time in Acts chapter 13. The apostle Paul experienced miraculous restoration. He had been stoned and left for dead but he’s raised up and is able to continue on his ministry in Acts chapter 14.

This multitude of miracles recorded through the history in Acts has caused some to think that we ought to be experiencing that today. We’re going to come to one of the greatest miracles in Acts chapter 20, another raising of the dead. And raising someone from the dead becomes perhaps the greatest of the miracles accomplished, bringing life back to someone who has died. Some think we ought to be seeing this today and it’s amazing how much attention that gets. I guess it’s not amazing because the world without the guidance of the Word of God is ready for these kinds of supposed supernatural events. Even believers, confused in their understanding of Scripture, often are drawn into these things.

We hear a verse like Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8, which says “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever,” and so we’re told if He did it, then why wouldn’t He do it today? He’s the same Savior, He’s the same Lord, it’s the same power and that is true, but Jesus Christ does not always do the same things that He once did. As we have noted before, at one time He walked this earth in a physical body. He does not do that today but He is unchanging in His nature, in His character but He is not always doing the same things. In prior history, God was working through Israel as an earthly nation. Today He’s working through the church, which is comprised of all nations so God is at work in the world but He’s not always doing the same things.

These miracles connected the apostles and their ministry with the ministry of Christ. Back up to Matthew chapter 8 verse 16, this is the earthly ministry of Christ of course and in verses, 14 and 15 Christ healed Peter’s mother-in-law. In verses 16 and 17 we’re told “when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.’”

So there He is establishing and demonstrating, He is the Messiah of Israel, the One who can bring in the kingdom promised by the Old Testament prophets and all that is associated with that. The apostles continue and have their ministry as Christ’s representatives validated by miracles. This is the time when the word of God is being given. We’ll make note of some of the Scriptures that were written even during the period-of-time we’re talking about with Paul’s missionary journeys. Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter 12. I realize these are very familiar passages to you but we need to have ourselves planted, understand the uniqueness of the apostolic ministry. There’s a large movement, in the world today, that involves a supposed revival of the gift of apostles so everything associated with apostles including miracles and so on are supposedly going on but it’s not genuine.

In Second Corinthians chapter 12 verse 12, Paul says, “the signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs wonders and miracles.” These marked out true apostles. That was necessary in the day when God was giving new revelation but once the revelation is given, remember Jesus told the people of His day who asked for signs, “it’s an evil and adulterous generation that craves for signs and if they don’t believe Moses and the prophets they won’t believe even if one is raised from the dead.” The issue is not a lack of evidence but a lack of faith to believe what God has said so the people would know that these are genuine representatives of the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world, they were given the ability to perform miracles that validated the message they have.

One more passage, Hebrews chapter 2 verse three . . . “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His will.” You see even the writer to the Hebrews notes the connection between the apostolic ministry and the validation of their ministry with signs wonders and miracles. Once the Word of God is given, it becomes an issue; you either believe it or you do not. God does not have to keep proving Himself again-and-again-and-again. He raised Jesus Christ from the dead once for all. He doesn’t have to keep demonstrating His ability to do that nor any of the other miracles.

When you look in the Book of Acts and come back to Acts, there is an emphasis that these miracles are taking place through the apostles or sometimes through a direct apostolic representative. Come to Acts chapter two verse 43. “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe;” and note, “and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” Not every believer is running around doing miracles but the apostles were doing many mighty miracles. This is demonstrating, even as Jesus working miracles demonstrated, that He was the Messiah of Israel, now it’s shown that even His death does not change that because He’s been raised from the dead and His representatives demonstrate His power as the sovereign Lord, the One who will indeed come and reign again.

Come to chapter 5 verse 12. “At the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were taking place among the people” so again you see that the emphasis on the miracles is taking place through the apostles. In Acts chapter 8 Philip will be used to bring the Holy Spirit to the Samaritians but he is sent as an apostolic representative and even there then we will have the apostles come and bring the confirmation of the ministry. In chapter 14 verse three and here you have again the ministry of Paul and those associated with him. “Therefore, they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands so you see He is testifying to the word of His grace.” The ministry, the grace of God demonstrated through Christ that’s being validated because it’s new revelation and Jews as well as Gentiles had to come to understand and to believe that.

Come to Acts chapter 20. In Acts 20, we have one of the greatest of the miracles, another miracle of raising a person from the dead. This is the third missionary journey of Paul. The first missionary journey they all start from Antioch came down to Cyprus and up into the region of Galatia here. The second missionary journey pretty well follows the third missionary journey. On the first missionary journey, Paul’s ministry here established the churches of Galatia and he wrote the letter to the Galatians then back to these churches. On the second missionary journey, he comes back, he revisits these churches and he is really following the same similar pattern, remember he comes over into Greece on that second missionary journey. The third missionary journey is going to take him on the same route where we left off and we pick up in Acts chapter 20. He is in Ephesus, and this is a very brief summary of Paul’s journeys as Paul is unfolding it.

The Book of Acts goes 28 chapters as we have it so we can be thankful the Spirit directed him to summarize or we would have volumes to wade through and digest, which would be more than most of us could handle so Paul has traveled through Galatia. He is over here in Ephesus and ready to leave Ephesus. His ministry on the third missionary journey has pretty well followed the pattern of the others. There has been a response to the gospel. There has been salvation but there has been opposition stirred up. In Acts chapter 19, Paul carried on an extensive ministry between two and three years in Ephesus. As we come to chapter, 20 Paul is completing that extensive ministry at Ephesus and even though Paul is centered here, workers with him carry the gospel out throughout the region here, in what we call Asia Minor; so his time there has a broad impact not only on the city of Ephesus but also, on the whole surrounding region.

It’s amazing what the Lord used the Apostle Paul to do. He’s not only traveling during times when travel was a lot different than it would be today and the added difficulty and trials that brought not only experiencing persecution and opposition that’s repeated, not only experiencing his own personal physical difficulties, he’s writing serious involved theological letters during these journeys. He’s written so far, these letters: The letter to the Galatians, those churches established on his first missionary journey; that was written during the first missionary journey. First and Second Thessalonians written to believers in Thessalonica over here in Greece and he wrote to them on the second missionary journey not too long after he had established and founded the church there in Thessalonica and then left. He wrote back to encourage them.

First and Second Corinthians, those extensive letters were written on the third missionary journey. Romans was written on the third missionary journey so it’s amazing he is not only carrying on a ministry of preaching and teaching but he’s carrying on this ministry and involved in everything else. All the credit goes to God as Paul gives it . . . “by the grace of God I am what I am” . . . he told the Corinthians but his ministry had a remarkable impact and continues to have. We wade through letters like the first letter to the Corinthians and the Second letter to the Corinthians then the Book of Romans. Try to digest them. Paul is writing these letters out while he is carrying on the ministry that he has to have.

Let’s pick up in chapter 20. His ministry in Ephesus has stirred great opposition and there was rioting in the city, you remember the Ephesians flooded into the arena, and spent hours just crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.” Things settle down and we open chapter 20: “After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia.” Macedonia of course is Greece so he’s in Ephesus and he’s going to go up to Troas then he’ll cross over and he’ll be in this region, the northern part of Greece, which is the providence of Macedonia. Down here will be Achaia where Corinth is located so Thessalonica up here in Macedonia along with Philippi and other places. It’s only an overview that we get here. We’ll fill in some additional information from the letters that Paul wrote during this time and he tells us other things that took place. In verse, one “he sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia.”

Now we know from other places that he sent Timothy and Erastus ahead of him. We’ll back up earlier; come back to chapter 19 verse 22. “And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while” so while he’s still in Ephesus he had earlier sent Timothy and Erastus over into Macedonia for a particular ministry there. He gathers then the disciples in verse one as he prepares to leave Ephesus and exhorts them, gives them an exhortation and he’s going to depart for Macedonia.

He goes to Troas. Luke doesn’t go into all the details but he does go to Troas and at Troas, here’s where we are. Now you can just pick it up on the map he’s at Ephesus he’s going up to Troas because that’s the seaport then he’ll cross over to go up here into Macedonia so when he had gone through these districts and had given them much exhortation he came to Greece. You see the summary we have. Nothing said here; he goes over to Macedonia then he came to Greece. Now this is all Greece but we call this Macedonia then down into Greece in the southern part is what he is talking about because he is coming to Corinth. That’s Luke’s summary but we can go to the letter Paul wrote that he filled in details.

Come over to 2 Corinthians chapter 2. Luke for whatever purpose chooses not to include or talk about Titus in his summary. The Spirit of God directed him what to write but Titus plays a key part in Paul’s ministry. We think of Timothy. We know Paul wrote a letter to Titus but he’s carrying on ministry with Paul and representing Paul during this time as well. Now Paul had traveled to Troas we find out in this letter he writes to the Corinthians, the second letter hoping to meet Titus whom he had sent earlier over into Greece to Corinth down there in the southern part in Achaia and he hoped to meet Titus and hear how the church at Corinth was doing. Paul had written the earlier letter 1 Corinthians and he was concerned. There’s trouble in the church at Corinth. He’s afraid that the church at Corinth is turning away from him, not only turning away from him, turning against him and there’s trouble there. The problem is when he gets to Troas Titus is not there. This causes even greater concern on Paul’s part. Let’s read it before we say anything else.

In Second Corinthians chapter 2 verse 12: “Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord . . .” so there’s opportunity in Troas, he’s there, and he has occasion to present the gospel. Luke records nothing of this. Again, it’s not because it wasn’t important it’s because he is giving a condensed account. “A door was opened for me in the Lord” meaning here is an opportunity for ministry but now when I came to Troas for the gospel, verse 13, “I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; so taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia.”

Then there’s a digression as Paul talks about, picks up verse 14: “But thanks be to God” . . . and goes on to talk about the wonder of the ministry God has given to him and to others in the ministry of the New Covenant of the finished work of Christ. It’s not until you get over to chapter seven of 2 Corinthians--Incidentally A.T. Robertson some of you like to read A.T. Robertson the great Southern Baptist Greek scholar. He wrote a book on this section of 2 Corinthians from chapter two verse 14 over to chapter seven thru verse four called, “The Glory of the Ministry.” Some of you might enjoy reading because that has all been maybe call it a digression because to break off—“I went there looking for Titus, I was unsettled in my spirit so I went on over to Macedonia and then—But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ” and on he goes.

Now we have to come to chapter seven verse five. “For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within.” You see what Paul’s life and ministry was like, conflicts without, the persecution, the opposition and the challenges. Fears within, how are the churches doing the believers? I’m coming back here to visit these churches but I’ve been gone. What has the devil done and the false teachers done? He’s troubled, “but God, who comforts the depressed” . . . the down, the lowly . . . “comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.”

I mean, ah, what a relief, he finally meets up with Titus and the report from Corinth is wonderful! Now you can appreciate why Paul broke off because as soon as he talks about how concerned he was--no word from Titus. You know what happens when you’re expecting something and you don’t hear, then you begin to think the worst. That’s what Paul, you know, it’s probably not gone well at Corinth and Titus hasn’t been able to get away but it’s not been that way at all. So all that going on Luke passes over all of this but you get the sense of what is going on in Paul’s life and ministry and the burdens of the ministry. The conflicts without, fears within, so just glimpses that we get into what the ministry of the word was like. We ought to be encouraged.

There’s a door opened at Troas an opportunity for the ministry of the gospel. Paul doesn’t believe he can continue that ministry. He’s so concerned about what’s going on in Greece and what’s happening with Titus that he has to leave that opportunity and move on, all in the Spirit leading, but you can see the pressures that he felt. He was normal person. You say why, wouldn’t you stay at Troas, a door for the gospel is open? There’s enough places where it’s not open; here you have an open--but I’m so concerned about what’s happening there with Titus, the ministry, and the churches. He has to leave that so that’s what brought him back into Greece.

Come back to Acts chapter 20, “so when Paul,” verse two, “had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he comes into Greece” and we know from what’s going on that’s why he comes down through Macedonia travels down here and he comes into Corinth. Call that Greece, Macedonia of course part of Greece. Now obviously he would have gone by ship from Troas over to Macedonia and he travels through places like Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, places that he had visited on his first missionary journey and preached the gospel and had churches established. He’s already written the letters to the Thessalonians on his prior missionary trip. He’s visiting encouraging exhorting them everywhere Paul goes that’s his ministry. Preaching the gospel to the unbeliever, encouraging building up with the word of God believers.

Luke says nothing about the duration of Paul’s ministry in Macedonia so we don’t know. It could have been quite extensive because he had established the church at Philippi, the church at Thessalonica. He had a welcome reception in Berea. Remember, “they searched the Scriptures to see if what he was teaching was true” so several reliable commentators estimate that Paul’s ministry could have lasted a year or more in Macedonia, so again you see Luke is not taking the time to talk about that. Again, the history would become voluminous if he was giving all that detail but we see this statement. We shouldn’t think Paul is just zipping through. He could have spent a year up in that Macedonian region. Luke just summarizes it and said he had gone through those districts, given them exhortation and he came to Greece. That could be over a year’s ministry summarized in that statement but now he’s down in Corinth. He spends three months there and a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria so he decided to return through Macedonia. Three months in Corinth. This is interesting and important to us, because something of great significance to us today, happened during these three months. He wrote a letter to the Romans.

Come back to Romans 15 verse 22 and were told: “For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions” . . . he’s writing to Rome and the church at Rome here, of course . . . “and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” And don’t forget what Paul is doing on this trip is he’s collecting an offering from among the Gentile churches to help support the church in Jerusalem back here, down here in the corner, Jerusalem because of the persecution and opposition that’s a Jewish center so you know what happens to the Jews in Jerusalem who become believers.

Well you know they get closed out from their family, they’re cut off from that, jobs would be lost all of this so the church there is in an improvised situation and verse 27 he says in Romans 15. “They were pleased to do so, and are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them in material things. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this, fruit of theirs, I will go by way of you to Spain. I know when I come I’ll come in the fullness of blessings . . . and then strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable.” Paul has a foreboding at least here because when he does return to Judea there will be trouble and results in his arrest and being carried to Rome and he will see Rome but not the way he thought, not traveling to Spain but as a prisoner of Rome so this is the setting.

Come back to Acts and then we’re going to go to Corinthians but back in Act’s chapter 20 verse three. He’s about to set sail for Syria. Evidently he plans to leave Corinth here and travel by ship and he may come over to here and then around and he’s coming to Syria and then evidently he probably planned to stop at Antioch his home base and then come down to Jerusalem with the offering that he’s collected but something happens in verse three. He’s about to set sail for Syria he learns of “a plot formed against him by the Jews as he’s about to set sail for Syria.” Most commentators are agreed since Paul changes the plan and goes by land back up into Macedonia. The plot of the Jews evidently entailed, perhaps as the ship gets out they get out to sea, you have Jews on there, who are committed to kill Paul and throw him overboard. What happens? Well I don’t know you go to bed one night you get up in the morning they can’t find Paul. I guess he fell overboard was lost at sea it happens you know. Maybe he got up to walk on the deck at night or something like that and fell over and the ship blown on. Who knows but Paul believes that he can thwart the plan of the Jews by just abandoning his plan to sail to go by ship so verse four.

“He was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrhus, by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.” Now I mention these different individuals here because this ties to Paul collecting the offering. He has a number of traveling companions and they’re not only there to help him in ministry but they have a more specific role to play. Paul is concerned that as he collects this money that there be no questions raised about what happened to the money. Did he syphon some of it off? He’s coming to these churches taking cash collections. How will we know he didn’t use some of it for his own personal use? Maybe he was buying a villa on the Mediterranean with some of it. You know he’s got a-lot-of enemies and you know rumors can be ruinous to believers, particularly when we are in positions of leadership, and so on, we have to be extra careful that there are no occasions for questions to be raised.

If all the offerings given to Indian Hills were given over to me every week, people would be wondering—I wonder if he takes some of that for himself so the offerings don’t come to my office and I don’t help in the counting of the offerings. There are men who do but they are a group of men who are involved in this and we want to handle that so that’s what these men are particularly here for, their names given here and their location. They come from the major areas where Paul has established churches so that these are trusted men from each of these areas and the churches in those areas can be confident that these men can be trusted so you have Sopater and Aristarchus and Secundus they come from Macedonia in the upper part of Greece. You have Gaius and Timothy representing churches from the Galatian region. Then you have Tychiucus and Trophimus who are from the churches from the region of Asia where Ephesus, Colossi, and other churches like that would be. You see from these major regions, Galatia, Asia, Macedonia you have men who have been sent to travel with Paul.

Come over to Second Corinthians chapter eight. Paul refers to this in this letter. As Paul anticipates coming to Corinth again he’s coming there for a reason. He’s collecting money so he’s collected money from here now as he comes down to Corinth it’s particularly not just to have a ministry to them but to collect the money that’s collected so chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians verse one. “Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God, which has been given in the churches of Macedonia.” What he’s talking about when he says the grace of God, which has been given? It’s the collection that was given, the money that was given, in the churches of Macedonia. Remember, Paul on this journey has come across here through Macedonia. What he is doing is collecting the money that was given for the poor in Jerusalem at Philippi, at Thessalonica, Berea so these churches in Macedonia. Now he’s going to come down to Corinth . . . “that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.”

You see the condition of the churches here in Macedonia. They are impoverished. The opposition to the gospel is intense, it’s costly for these people who become identified with Christ but they want to give for the poor believers in Jerusalem. They’ve been impressed with their indebtedness as Paul wrote to the Romans as we read, as Gentiles to the Jews, and so they’ve “given in their deep poverty” at the end of verse two . . . “overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.” This is the testimony of the grace of God at work. It testified that according to their ability and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord. They didn’t give because Paul came and put the pressure on, they gave because they counted it a privilege to give. They wanted to give, they “begged us,” in verse four, “with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and not as we had expected, they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.”

So Verse 6, “we urged Titus that as he had made a previous beginning, he would complete in you this gracious work as well.” So Titus goes over as an apostolic representative on behalf of Paul and part of his responsibility will be to prepare the collection so Paul goes on to tell them he wants to encourage them to abound in this work. And he’s not commanding them to do it but he’s encouraging them so you go on. Come down to verse 16. “Thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.” So you can see everything together as Paul goes over has Titus going as his representative. You know the troubles that are true with Corinth so Paul sends him there representing him to help establish the church and also to collect the money from them. Then when he doesn’t hear from Titus and he’s going, oh no! I mean now you’ve got money mixed in with the ministry and no word from Titus, this just can’t be good news. You could appreciate Paul’s concerns then so Paul speaks well of Titus. He not only “accepted our appeal,” verse 17 “but being earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. We have sent him along with another brother a well-known brother” so he talks about the collection that has been made. He speaks well. “Titus” verse 23 “he’s my partner my fellow worker among you as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ” so this is all part of it.

Then he’ll come down into chapter nine about the grace of God that will supply their needs. You know how Paul does. He doesn’t command them but he gives them an example of the Macedonians who are impoverished but they gave liberally. Then Paul will tell them in chapter 9, if I can summarize it, I’ve been boasting about what the Corinthians will do and this is going to be embarrassing for you and for me alike if I get there and your offering is a pittance. You won’t want to be embarrassed by the churches, that are so much poorer than you, are giving so much more than perhaps you did but Paul makes clear, I’m not going to take a collection when I get there. I’m going to pick up what’s already been collected. He told them that in his first letter as well so this is what’s going on.

In the context, it’s just amazing. The apostle Paul, with all this going, he’s collecting money. Now this is not just money for the poor this, has a specific focus. It’s for the church at Jerusalem and the impoverished Jewish believers there in the church, which has been the center of the church where the apostles have been located. All the churches have benefited from the church at Jerusalem, which in effect is the mother church and the center of apostolic ministry. Even as Paul has not come out from there himself, it’s where the other apostles have been centered and remained, even after persecution, as we’ve learned in our other studies.

So come back to Acts chapter 20. With all this going on, Luke doesn’t make a point of this. We’re just told that when Paul was ready to leave by boat, by ship and come across and go over and back into Syria, then down to Jerusalem with his offering the plot of the Jews causes him to really just retrace his steps and we’re going to come back the way that he came. Verse four, “His traveling companions had gone ahead and were waiting for us at Troas” so they do go by ship and go over to Troas. Paul retraces his steps. Safe for them to go, not safe for Paul. s“We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days” so the men make their trip and Paul goes on to meet them at Troas.

Now you’ll note in verse six it says, ”we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread.” We pick up the “we” there. Luke has joined the party at Philippi. Now that’s interesting because—turn back to chapter 16 verse 16. “It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination” . . . we’re at Philippi. This is the last of the “we” sections until we pick it up where we are in chapter 20 down through verse 17 so evidently Luke had remained at Philippi. Now we don’t know if he stayed there during that time when Paul left last time and now he’s picked up there with Paul at Philippi again. That’s why some believe that Philippi may have been Luke’s home because here again he does join the party with Paul the traveling situation with Paul and he’s at Philippi. So come back to chapter 20 just note that picking up of the “we” section again. Paul stayed in Philippi before going over to Troas until “after the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.” Remember you have Passover then you have the week following Passover so that week the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Then he took five days to sail to Troas. We noted before on the trip going the other way it only took two days so it depends on the winds how long the trip takes. It takes five days going to Troas. He “stayed there seven days. On the first day of the week when we were gathered together, to break bread, Paul began talking to them intending to leave by the next day.” So he spends a week in Troas and now on his last night there he’s together to break bread. It may be he is observing the communion service with them in light of remember he wrote the letter to the Corinthians and that understanding here may have been involved, or it may be a meal maybe both. It was the practice of the early church to have a meal in that context of the breaking of the bread but at any rate, it’s the fellowship of believers gathered together here.

Paul is talking to them. It’s on the first day of the week this is one passage that indicate that perhaps the church is developing a pattern of meeting on the first day of the week, as their meeting time. So they’re meeting on the first day of the week. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians in the chapter 16 verse two, he told them “when you come together on the first day of the week;” it may indicate a pattern that was unfolding. For the Jews the Sabbath had been the meeting time. That’s a Jewish day; Sunday is not the Christian Sabbath in that sense. The Sabbath is the seventh. You can’t have the first seventh. The first day of the week is the first day of the week; the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. That was the day set apart by God for the Jews not for the church.

Come back to Exodus 31. We have people today who think that the church ought to be observing the seventh day. They call themselves Seventh Day Baptists. There are Seventh Day Adventists. I periodically get letters or notes and materials sent to me and they always start out like this. Pastor Rugh, I have appreciated very much your ministry of the word of God. I don’t attend your church but I appreciate you teach the word of God. I was wondering why a man who teaches the word of God and wants to be so biblical fails and then they go on to tell me why I am sinning by not observing the seventh day. Usually there’s some material included so that I might be enlightened.

They error not knowing the Scriptures. Exodus 31 verse 13. God speaking to Moses . . . “speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; this is a sign between Me and you for your generations that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.’” It’s a sign between God and Israel. Come down to verse 16. “So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.” “It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever . . .”

Now I realize God rested on the seventh day and it precedes the giving of the Mosaic Law but you’ll note in verse 17. “It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth but on the seventh day He ceased from labor . . .” His pattern there was in anticipation of this Sabbath Covenant He would establish with Israel so you see where they’re probably motivated. If you don’t understand the distinction between Israel and the Church, pretty soon you’re getting everything blurred and confused. If the Church is the new Israel then the Church ought to be observing the Sabbath. Then in reformed theology they, therefore transfer in, not everyone but many transfer then the Sabbath has become Sunday and so we have the Christian Sabbath.

When we were new believers, we were confused on this. When I say we, our family. I wasn’t allowed to ride my bike on the Sabbath, which was Sunday because you should be resting. I shouldn’t go play and exert myself, I should be reserved and so here I am a young boy. You know, I have attention deficient disorder. I have to get out and do something. My parents liked that rest time, the nap. I did not but it was a confusion. The church is not Israel. This is between God and Israel even where the pattern of creation and the seventh day was in anticipation of that covenant He would establish with Israel.

That’s done and so in Colossians chapter two we don’t have time to go there in verses 16 and 17. God says don’t let anyone try to make you observe Sabbath days. Colossians 2 verses 16 and 17. That’s not for us today. Paul wrote to the Galatians and said, “I think I may have wasted my time in ministering to you. Perhaps you didn’t truly believe because you’re going back,” Galatians 4:10-11 “to observing days” and all of that. No, we’re not under that. All right, so they’re on the first day of the week.

In Acts chapter 20, Paul began talking to them. We don’t know what time he talked but he didn’t stop. He intends to leave the next day and he prolonged his message until midnight. Now that day, they’re in the upper room in the third story of a house. It’s dark and they didn’t have electricity then so they would light the oil lamps so now it’s getting a little warm. We know it’s warm because the window is open and you had these lamps burning and you know what happens with the oil lamps, they give off the smoke and that. Now you’re in a room like this, it’s warm, and you’ve got these lamps burning and the smoke there. It ends up we have Paul speaking in a smoke filled room. “There were many lamps in the upper room where they gathered together,” verse eight “so there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill . . . .” We don’t know how old he was but later he uses a different Greek word “pais” is used of him that referred to young people between the age of nine and fourteen so the young man probably within that age group. Paul’s reasoning with them, you know we have letters like Romans and Corinthians when Paul is speaking here he’s not giving something that’s entertaining and keeping them alert. I mean he is reasoning, explaining, discussing this goes on its midnight. You’ve got these lamps burning its warm and this young man is sitting on the windowsill, then he falls asleep.

“There was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead.” He just falls asleep rolls over and out the window and you know all the interruptions. I mean I appreciate this; you know what it is and those of you who teach, you know what it’s like; you’re trying to teach and there’s interruptions. Think of the interruption and the commotion. You’re on the third floor, you’re trying to keep people’s attention, already you’ve been speaking probably for hours. You do this at the end of a workday. That’s why they’re meeting in the evening. I mean so these are people who have come after a long day’s work. They’re sitting here, they have something to eat, then you’ve got this hot smoke filled room and Paul giving theological discourses at midnight.

Now you’ve got the added commotion, this guy falls out the window and lands three stories down and he kills himself, so he’s dead. So everybody’s got to rush down stairs. Paul “fell upon him.” He’s like Elijah and Elisha. Remember when they restored the dead, they covered them with their body and here Paul carries out that prophetic kind of activity and embraced him, and said, “Do not be troubled, his life is in him.” Now I take it he was truly dead because we’re told he was picked up dead. He was dead but his life is in him because he’s restored back to physical life and when he had gone back up and broken bread and taken and eaten he said well I guess I’ve talked long enough to put most of you to sleep we’d better stop. No, he talked with them a long while until daybreak.

How many of us including myself could have stayed awake through this? The apostle Paul giving a discourse like the Book of Romans from early evening to daybreak after you’ve worked all day and some of you have a hard time waking up when you have a good night’s sleep. You have a hard week; you work hard and all of a sudden now here you come in and sit down. What did they do to keep awake, keep alert? You know you have got to remember this; you note they didn’t have copies of the Scripture for themselves. They’re listening to Paul. They have got to take this all in so he keeps on talking until daybreak and then he left. “They took the boy away alive and were greatly comforted.” I mean I’m just amazed at the Apostle Paul’s ability to stay on track. I mean you’re speaking for hours, it’s midnight, this young person falls out the window gets killed, everybody’s got to rush down stairs, Paul brings him back to life we all go back up to the room and now he says where was I and here we go. Not for another 15 or 20 minutes until daybreak. No, from midnight to daybreak, that’s a long time.

“But we, were going ahead to the ship, to set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; so when he had arranged it intending himself to go by land he met us at Assos we took him on board we went to Mitylene. Sailing from there we arrived the following day opposite Chios; the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible on the day of Pentecost.” So we’ve got a timeline here. Paul stayed in Philippi to observe the Feast of Passover and of Unleavened Bread that week so now he’s journeying down here and you have some of the places he’s stopped here coming down, Assos here it is, Mitylene here, Chios he’s coming down and he’s going to stop at Miletus.

So he’s doing land and sea and his anticipation; why he’s not spending time, he doesn’t want to go into Ephesus because he knows he’ll get mired down there in ministry. He’s got fifty days roughly, less now because he spent some time already, a week almost, several days in Troas here, ministering; so he wants to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost. He’s hurrying so he stops at Miletus and he’s going to send for the elders and that’s where we pick up so you see what’s going on and Paul, can you imagine what a demanding task it would be to be traveling with Paul all of this going on? You know he preaches all night and then he leaves in the morning, just going perhaps on the trip on the boat he gets to sleep a little while and rest up and continues; on. We’d say oh no, you know you have to get between seven and nine hours of sleep, it’s not good for your health Paul but getting stoned not really good for your health either and getting imprisoned and damp prison is not good for your health.

You know we baby ourselves and say, “well I have to take care of myself you know” so you just…what did he say, being spent and being expended in the ministry; pouring himself in…I’m not saying we shouldn’t take care of ourselves. I’m not saying it’s wrong to take a break, not saying we shouldn’t eat healthy but we have to be careful we don’t adopt the world’s philosophy of pampering ourselves. Paul is using all of his energy in the service of the Lord. It’s a difficult time and he had fears and concerns of what was taking place in the churches. You know in 2 Corinthians 11 he talks about all the physical things he endures. He says on top of all this I have the concern for the churches weighing upon me and he was concerned. Look at the letter to the Galatians. He leaves town, the false teachers come in to corrupt the gospel and turn people away, and you know opposition, difficulty and trial, that’s the ministry. Now you don’t have to worry, well, did I get… you know is this too much on me, you know we have other responsibilities. You have to take care of your home. You have to make a living. That’s fine but we ought to be careful we don’t get so taken up with concerns about taking care of ourselves that we fail to utilize the opportunities God’s given us and praise the Lord for their faithfulness.

You note here, a man has been raised from the dead. That’s mentioned almost in passing. That was encouraging to the believers and of course to the family but we don’t go on a sidetrack and all of that. What is important is the ministry of the word. Luke is going to spend a lot more time talking about the ministry to the elders; their responsibility in the last part of chapter 20 than he does on the importance of the raising of a dead boy. The impact of that, what did the parents think when they got their boy back, how did this impact believers there and what happened in the coming days as the word spread about a boy who had been raised form the dead? It’s all about the ministry of the word and the raising of a person from the dead is put in that context. Remember the treasure we have in these earthen vessels of the word of God, the truth of God and the privilege of being involved in that ministry even today.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord for the Apostle Paul and those that You raised up to serve with him. Lord thank You for the example they are as faithful servants. Thank You for the ministry that impacted lives. Then Lord, not what was significant was this young boy was raised from the dead, the significant thing that was happening was the ministry of the word and Lord, Paul is ministering the word. He stops to perform a mighty miracle by Your grace but he’s not diverted from what really matters is the ongoing ministry of the word to build up these believers. The ongoing ministry of the word to testify to the greatness of Your grace. Lord, this is the word, we’ve been entrusted with, as your servants today and these days, the completed revelation You’ve given. Use us in the days of this week to represent You faithfully by living godly lives by taking opportunities to share the message of Christ with the unbelievers we have contact with, to encourage other believers, simply to be faithful servants of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the One in whose name we pray. Amen.



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