Third Missionary Journey, Continued. Acts 20:1-38

Transcription

1 1 Third Missionary Journey, Continued Acts 20:1-38

2 2 Text: Acts 20:1-38, Third Missionary Journey, Continued 1. When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3. where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 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. 5. These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6. But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days. 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. 8. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9. Seated 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. 10. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. Don t be alarmed, he said. He s alive! 11. Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.

3 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. 13. We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15. The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17. From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18. When they arrived, he said to them: You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the good news of God s grace. 25. Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.

4 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32. Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33. I have not coveted anyone s silver or gold or clothing. 34. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive. 36. When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. (NIV) Introduction: I. Verses 1-6 summarize events that actually took place over many months.

5 5 II. Verses 7-12 tell of Paul s work at Troas. III. Verses relate parts of Paul s continuing journey to Jerusalem. IV. Verses speak of Paul s meeting with the Ephesian elders and his sorrowful final departure from them. Commentary: Journey through Macedonia and Greece Acts 20:1, When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. (NIV) I. After the uproar (circa 54 A.D.) caused by Demetrius was over, A. Paul sent for the disciples and exhorted them, then Paul had evidently been sequestered during the riot to protect him from harm. B. left Ephesus and started a journey toward Macedonia. 1. This trip had already been planned. a. Acts 19:21, After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. After I have been there, he said, I must visit Rome also. (NIV) b. The riot may have hastened the beginning of the journey.

6 6 Acts 20:2, He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, (NIV) I. Paul passed through those parts (Macedonia) and exhorted the disciples. He then came to Greece. A. Greece as used here refers to the district in which Athens and Corinth were located. B. The First Corinthians letter had been written and sent to Corinth during his final months at Ephesus. C. From Corinth, included in this verse, Paul wrote the book of Romans and dispatched it from Cenchaea by Phoebe in circa A.D. D. Second Corinthians was written from Macedonia in 55 A.D. E. Galatians appears to have been written at about this same time although some date Galatians near the time of the Jerusalem Council shortly after the conclusion of the first missionary journey. Acts 20:3, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. (NIV) I. When Paul had spent three months there... II. a plot was laid against Paul by the Jews... A. Paul was carrying much money with him for the poor saints in Jerusalem.

7 7 B. This would have made hiring murdering thieves to kill and rob Paul very easy. III. at about the time Paul was about to sail for Syria. A. There could have been a plan to kill Paul on board ship where escape from assassins would be most difficult. IV. To circumvent the plot against him Paul decided to return through Macedonia to Syria. Acts 20:4, 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. (NIV) I. Companions in travel included:... A. Sopater of Berea who accompanied Paul as far as Asia. B. Thessalonians (Macedonians) in Paul s group were: Aristarchus and Secundas. C. From Galatia: Gaius (Derbe) and Timothy (Lystra). D. From Asia:...

8 Tychicus and Trophimus. E. The Corinthian contribution was likely entrusted to Titus and two other brethren Paul had dispatched to Corinth to receive it Corinthians 8:6-8, So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. (NIV) II. Paul took every precaution to: A. transport the contribution money safely. B. to protect himself from charges of misappropriation of funds by being accompanied by this honorable entourage. III. Titus was a faithful disciple and fellow missionary with Paul. A. Why is his name not mentioned even once in the book of Acts? B. A New Testament book was written to him by Paul. C. Commentator Ramsay via Coffman suggested Titus was Luke s brother and modesty forbade the mention of his name.

9 9 D. Interestingly enough Luke does not use his name in either The Gospel According to Luke or Acts of the Apostle, both of which he wrote. 1. The presence of Luke at a given time and place is often indicated by the grammatic first person plural such as we or us. Acts 20:5, These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. (NIV) I. These, the people mentioned in verse 4, had actually gone ahead of Paul and Luke. A. These disciples may have been collecting money for the poor saints in Jerusalem during this time. II. They were waiting when Paul arrived in Troas. Acts 20:6, But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days. (NIV) I. Paul and those traveling with him departed:... A. from Philippi,... B. after the feast of unleavened bread, Passover,... C. by ship. II. The trip from Philippi to Troas: A. took five days.

10 This trip had taken only one day (Acts 16:11) traveling in the other direction. 2. Going in the opposite direction against the wind took longer. B. Paul and his company stayed in Troas seven (7) days. C. The seaport of Troas on the western shore of Asia was located very near the site of ancient Troy. D. In New Testament history Troas was: the place Paul met Luke. a. Acts 16:8-11, So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, Come over to Macedonia and help us. After 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. From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. (NIV) 2. the gateway from Asia to Europe where a door opened for Paul. a. 2 Corinthians 2:12, Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, (NIV)

11 place of a remarkable worship service. a. Acts 20:7-12, 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. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated 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. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. Don t be alarmed, he said. He s alive! Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. (NIV) 4. Perhaps the site of Paul s final arrest. a. 2 Timothy 4:13, When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas,and my scrolls, especially the parchments. (NIV) Visit to Troas Acts 20:7, 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. (NIV) I. Upon the first day of the week,... A. Christians meet on the first day of the week for worship...

12 12 B. in commemoration of the Lord s resurrection from the dead. C. Christ appeared to witnesses on at least three Sundays following his resurrection. 1. John 20:19, On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you! (NIV) 2. John 20:26, A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you! (NIV) D. Pliny (A.D. 112) wrote Trajan that Christians met on a fixed day before daylight and sang. They dispersed and reassembled to take food. II. when the disciples came together to break bread,... A. A prime reason for meeting was to observe the Lord s supper in remembrance of the passion of Christ for the remission of sins. III. Paul preached to them... IV. intending to depart on Monday. V. Paul preached until midnight. A. We don t know exactly what time the service began, but it lasted a long time for sure.

13 13 B. Paul would not see these disciples again, at least not for a long time, and he had many urgent things to say to the disciples at Troas. Acts 20:8, There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. (NIV) I. The upper chamber where the meeting took place was well lighted. Acts 20:9, Seated 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. (NIV) I. A young man named Eutychus sat in the upstairs window sound asleep. II. As Paul continued preaching, Eutychus, being sound asleep, fell out of the window and was taken up dead. A. Doctor Luke said Eutychus was dead. So much for that issue. B. Sleeping in church can cause you a lot of trouble! C. The only thing we know about Eutychus is what is said in these verses. D. How would you like to be remembered for the next two thousand (2,000) years for having gone to sleep in church? Acts 2:10-12, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs we hear them declaring the wonders

14 14 of God in our own tongues! Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, What does this mean? (NIV) I. Paul went down, fell on Eutychus body and embraced him. A. Paul, and all Christians, was concerned about disciples who face tragedies. B. Elijah. 1 Kings 1:21, Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals. (NIV) C. Elisha. 2 Kings 4:34-36, Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy s body grew warm. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, Call the Shunammite. And he did. When she came, he said, Take your son. (NIV) II. Paul said, Don t be upset, for his life is in him; that is, he s going to be alright. A. Eutychus was dead! The expression here reminds us of similar statements elsewhere. B. Jesus said of Lazarus, Our friend Lazarus is asleep. C. Eutychus was here raised from the dead. III. Paul went back upstairs,... A. broke the bread and ate, and...

15 15 B. talked with the disciples until daybreak. IV. Paul then left Troas to continue his journey to Jerusalem. V. The disciples in Troas were greatly relieved that Eutychus was alive with not even a broken bone, scrape or bruise. Travels to Assos, Mitylene, Chios (Kios), Samos and Miletus Acts 20:13, We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. (NIV) I. Paul s traveling companions:... A. went to the ship,... B. set sail for Assos, As Troas and Assos were on opposite sides of a peninsula it seems strange that these travelers were on board ship for this trip. 2. The distance by ship was twice that of a land trip. C. had plans to meet Paul in Assos. 1. Assos was a seaport of the Roman province of Mysia in Asia minor. II. Paul made this twenty mile trip from Troas to Assos by land. A. But why?

16 16 B. Perhaps he needed time alone: because of his sorrowful farewell from Troas, because of his knowing bonds and afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem. Acts 20:14-16, When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. (NIV) I. Paul met his group at Assos and boarded a trading ship on which his co-workers were passengers. II. They traveled by ship to:... A. Mitylene which was the wealthy chief city of the island of Lesbos, an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor, and... B. over against Chios (Kios) the following day. 1. Chios was an island in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Asia Minor at the entrance to the Gulf of Smyrna. C. The day following they touched at Samos. 1. Samos was an island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Lydia in Asia Minor.

17 Trogyllium was a city 20 miles south of Ephesus located near the foot of Mount Mycale opposite the island of Samos in Caria. D. The next day they came to Miletus. 1. Miletus was only 37 miles south of Ephesus, an ancient seaport of Asia Minor situated on the Mediterranean Sea. 2. To save time Paul had decided to by-pass Ephesus so he could spend more time in Asia. 3. The ship must have stayed in Miletus for a few days during which time elders from Ephesus came to Miletus for a farewell meeting with Paul. III. Paul was hurrying in hope of reaching Jerusalem by Pentecost. 1. Feast of Weeks, Feast of Harvest. 2. Pentecost was the fiftieth (50 th) day after the offering of the bailey sheaf at the Feast of Unleavened bread. 3. The church began on the Pentecost of Acts 2. Paul Summons the Ephesian Elders Acts 20:17, From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. (NIV) I. From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus and asked the elders of the church to come to Miletus to meet with him.

18 18 A. Elders were appointed in every church when qualified men were available. 1. Acts 14:23, Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. (NIV) B. Each church/congregation had its own elders. 1. Elders, also known as bishops, were collectively to serve in only one church. 2. Acts 20:28, Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,which he bought with his own blood. (NIV) Paul s Address To The Ephesian Elders Acts 20:18, When they arrived, he said to them: You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. (NIV) I. When the elders arrived, Paul said to them:... A. You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, that my conduct was exemplary among you. 1. Could we make a similar statement to all who know us? B. His statement also refers to the Ephesian knowledge of the hardships and sufferings Paul experienced because of his preaching Christ.

19 19 C. Paul also refers to the fact that he at first supported himself in order not to be a burden on the Ephesians. 1. Paul was not in the preaching business to make money. 2. At other times, when support was available, he spent all his time preaching the gospel as in Ephesus and elsewhere. Acts 20:19, I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. (NIV) I. Paul said the Ephesian elders knew how he:... A. had served the Lord... B. with all lowliness of mind, Paul did not ever preach with an arrogant attitude. C. with tears, and Acts 20:31, So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (NIV) D. with trials instigated by the Jews Corinthians 11:23-33, Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more

20 20 frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. (NIV) 2. Acts 20:3, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. (NIV) Acts 20:20, You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. (NIV)

21 21 I. Paul declared that he had not shrunk from preaching to the Ephesians:... A. anything that was profitable,... B. teaching publicly and privately, from house to house. 1. House to house, person to person was crucially important in Paul s day. 2. It is equally important today! Acts 21:21, Then the Lord said to me, Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles. (NIV) I. Paul testified to everybody, both Jews and Gentiles. A. We are likewise to preach publicly and privately to people of all races, nations and socio-economic statuses. II. Paul preached repentance toward God. A. All sins are against God, especially the sin of rejecting God s Son! III. Paul preached faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. A. This is the heart and soul of the gospel. B. John 17:3, Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (NIV) Note: The order of repentance and faith are reversed here. We speak of putting on our shoes and socks, but we always put on our socks first.

22 22 Acts 20:22, 23, And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. (NIV) I. Paul further said:... A. I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem. B. I do not know what will happen to me there... C. except that the Holy Spirit testified that bonds and afflictions abide me in every city. 1. One way the Holy Spirit testified to Paul was through prophets. a. Acts 21:10, 11, After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, The Holy Spirit says, In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles. (NIV) 2. In Corinth God spoke to Paul in a vision. a. Acts 18:9, 10, One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: Do not be afraid;keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city. (NIV)

23 God also spoke to Paul in the Scriptures. a. Hebrews 10:15-18, The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds. Then he adds: Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. (NIV) Acts 20:24, However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the good news of God s grace. (NIV) I. Paul further said:... A. I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself... B. that I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus. 1. Paul was so dedicated to preaching the gospel that everything else, even his very life, took second place. 2. Are we this dedicated to Christ? 3. To what are people now dedicated to this extent? II. Paul s ministry was to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

24 24 Acts 20:25, Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. (NIV) I. You Ephesian elders among whom I preached for three years will see me no more. A. Paul preached one gospel described variously as: testifying the gospel of the grace of God (verse 24), and preaching the kingdom (verse 25). B. Paul evidently gave this assessment from his own impressions without guidance from the Holy Spirit. 1. Paul s life was in fact prolonged many years. 2. Paul did in fact revisit Miletus and perhaps Ephesus. a. 2 Timothy 4:20, Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. (NIV) b. 1 Timothy 1:3, As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer (NIV) c. 1 Timothy 3:14, Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, (NIV)

25 25 d. Philippians 1:25, Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, (NIV) e. Philippians 2:24, And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. (NIV) f. Philemon 22, And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. (NIV) g. Hebrews 13:23, I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. (NET) 3. Perhaps Paul never saw these individual elders again. 4. God may well over-ride our judgments, opinions, premonitions and impressions. Acts 20:26, 27, Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. (NIV) I. Paul testified to the Ephesian elders that day that he was free from the blood of all men. A. How did Paul become free from the blood of all men? B. By preaching and living the gospel! II. Paul declared, I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God.

26 26 A. To be free of the blood of all men we must preach and live the whole counsel of God! B. If we preach and live only a part of the word, counsel of God, we are guilty of the blood of others we may influence. C. Scriptures: Matthew 4:4, Jesus answered, It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (NIV) 2. Luke 24:25, He said to them, How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (NIV) 3. Ezekiel 33:1-7, The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone s life, that person s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood. Son of man, I have made you a watchman for

27 27 the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. (NIV) Acts 20:28, Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. (NET) I. To the Ephesian elders, presbyters Paul said:... A. Take heed to yourselves. 1. Before we can influence others for Christ we must take heed to ourselves. 2. I can t hear what you say because what you do thunders so loudly in my ears, someone said. B. Take heed to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops, overseers.. 1. How had the Holy Spirit made these men bishops?... by developing the qualifications of the office within them and by their appointment by the church. 2. Elders are responsible for the spiritual welfare of all Christians in their care. C. Feed the church of the Lord, God which he purchased with his own blood. 1. The church is so valuable that Christ bought it with his own blood on the cross. 2. Lord Jesus, God. Christ is deity!

28 28 Acts 20:29, 30, I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. (NIV) I. Paul said he knew that after he left false teachers would infiltrate the church. A. These wolves would not spare the flock, sheep. B. Some of these false teachers would arise from among the very men to whom Paul was speaking. 1. Apostacy was to arise from among church leaders, from within the government of the church. C. These false teachers would speak perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. 1. These false teachers were leading others away for their own glory, pride of life. II. The Scriptures speak frequently of the dangers of apostacy. A. Matthew 7:15-23, Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, Lord,

29 29 Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! (NIV) B. 2 Corinthians 11:3, But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (NIV) C. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness

30 30 deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. (NIV) D. 1 Timothy 4:1-5, The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (NIV) E. 2 Timothy 3:1-8, But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. (NIV)

31 31 F. 2 Timothy 4:1-5, In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (NIV) G. 2 Peter 2:1-3, But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. (NIV) H. 2 Peter 3:1-7, Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. But they deliberately forget that long

32 32 ago by God s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (NIV) I. Revelation 17:3-6, Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. The name written on her forehead was a mystery: babylon the great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. (NIV) J. Revelation 18:1-5, After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted: Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. Then I heard another voice from heaven say: Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. (NIV)

33 33 Acts 20:31, So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (NIV) I. Paul exhorted the Ephesian elders,... A. Watch 1. for the coming wolves. B. Remember how I admonished every one night and day with tears for three years. II. The Ephesian church did indeed waver in its devotion to God. A. Revelation 2:1-7, To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (NIV)

34 34 A. These heresies were of the Gnostic and Docetic varieties. Acts 20:32, Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (NIV) I. Paul further said:... A. I commend you to God. B. I commend you to the word of his grace which is able to build you up. a. God s word is able to build up disciples. b. No human philosophy can do this. c. The inheritance is eternal redemption, heaven itself. d. The sanctified are the saved, not a group within the saved. e. We are sanctified by the word of his grace. Acts 20:33, have not coveted anyone s silver or gold or clothing. (NIV) I. Paul was exemplary in Christian living. A. I have coveted no one s silver, gold or clothes. B. Paul s one purpose was to save souls!

35 35 Acts 20:34, 35, You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive. (NIV) I. Paul further said to the Ephesian elders:... A. I coveted no man s silver, or gold or apparel. B. I did manual work to support myself and those associated with me. 1. Paul was a tentmaker, leather worker. Evidently there was an ample amount of this type work available for Paul did not appear to have trouble finding employment wherever he was. C. In all things I set you an example that: Nothing is worse than a Christian who preaches but does not practice the faith. 2. You should work as I have done to help the weak. 3. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus, It is more blessed to give than to receive. a. This quote is no where else found in scripture. b. Our society believes and practices the very opposite of this principle.

36 36 Emotional Parting Acts 20:36, When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. (NIV) I. At the close of his discourse, Paul kneeled down and prayed with all present. A. When did you last kneel to pray? B. Luke 22:41, He withdrew about a stone s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, (NIV) C. Acts 7:60, Then he fell on his knees and cried out, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. When he had said this, he fell asleep. (NIV) Acts 20:37, 38, They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. (NIV) I. The Ephesian elders all:... A. wept sore, This shows how very much Paul s converts loved him. B. fell on Paul s neck and kissed him, and... C. sorrowed most of all because Paul had told them they would not see him ever again. 1. This was Paul s belief at this time.

37 After his first Roman imprisonment Paul apparently returned to Ephesus. 3. By then some of the elders may have died making this the last time he would see them. II. The elders brought Paul on his way to the ship. A. Early Christians frequently went with missionaries as far as they could. B. Early faithful Christians were a tight knit group.

38 38 Questions Acts 20: After the Ephesian uproar was, called unto him the, them, and to go into. 2. Paul stayed in. laid wait for Paul as he was about to into. He changed his plans because of this and returned through. 3. Who accompanied Paul on this part of his journey? 4. Upon the of the, when the came together to, to them and continued his until. 5. What is the significance of meeting on Sunday for the purpose of breaking bread?

39 What is the significance of the statement that there were many lights in the upper chamber where the disciples met? 7. For what is Eutychus remembered? 8. Verse 11 speaks of breaking bread and eating, an obvious reference to a meal. Is this the same breaking of bread mentioned in verse 7? Give reasons for your answer. 9. Between Troas and Miletus, Paul and his company traveled to and/or nearby,, and. 10. Paul had decided not to visit at this time because he was trying to get to by. 11. From sent to and called the of the to come to Miletus to meet with him. 12. How had Paul served the Lord among the Ephesians?

40 Paul both to the and also to the toward and toward our. 14. The in every saying that and awaited. 15. Paul was determined, even at the cost of his if need be, to finish his with and the which he received of the to the of the of. 16. Was this the last time these Ephesians ever saw Paul? 17. What caused Paul to be free of the blood of all men? 18. Elders have authority in only one. Elders can also be called,,, and.

41 Of what did Paul warn these elders? 20. What were they to do in view of these dangers? 21. Christ purchased the church with his own. What does this say about the value of the church? 22. Paul commended the to and to the of his that is able to build us up and give us an among all them which are. 23. Paul s dedication and ministry are described in verses What did Paul say about these things and how does Paul s example compare with today s typical ministers examples?

42 When Paul had finished his speech he and with them all. They all and on s and him most of all for the which he that they should see his no more. 25. During the time Paul was in Macedonia, what books of the New Testament did he write? and, and. 26. Tell what you know about the contribution Paul was taking to Jerusalem. 27. What do you know of the ancient city of Troas? 28. How often should disciples break bread and when should this be done? Give reasons for your answers. 29. Why is it said that the upper room at Troas was well lighted?

43 What does Revelation 2:1-7 tell us about the future situation faced by the Ephesian church?