Thursday
Evening Bible Study
February
27, 2014
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the broken hearted?
Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved? Target 4400 words
On the day of Pentecost, the church was born. It began with the Holy Spirit
filling the believers. As the apostles preached about Jesus, the church began
to grow.
By chapter seven, the church was beginning to experience persecution.
Stephen was the first one to die for his faith. One of the main men behind the
persecution was a man named Saul. But when Saul headed
for the city of Damascus to pursue the Christians there, he was knocked off his
horse by a bright light and he met Jesus. Saul is more well
known by his Roman name, Paul.
By chapter 10, the gospel began to reach even the Gentiles, starting with a
Roman Centurion named Cornelius.
In chapter 13, we began a new section of Acts as we began to focus on the
ministry of Paul.
Play Paul’s Missionary Journeys map clip
Paul’s first missionary journey took him from Antioch of Syria, through the
island of Cyprus, up into the area of Galatia, and back again, traveling
roughly 1300 miles.
Paul’s second missionary journey took him through Galatia, then up and over
through Greece, and then back through Jerusalem and on to Antioch. The entire journey was over 2700 miles.
We are now on Paul’s third missionary journey, starting through the
Galatian churches and then spending a couple of years in Ephesus.
The time in Ephesus has come to an end with the
city idol-makers getting the crowds upset at Paul for so many people leaving
their idols and turning to God.
20:1-6 Greece
:1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the
disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to
Macedonia.
:1 departed to go to Macedonia
Paul had been planning (Acts 19:21)
on going to Macedonia
(Philippi, Berea, etc.) then to Corinth, and then to
Jerusalem.
What Luke doesn’t tell us is that there is just a little more to the story
than this.
Paul apparently stopped at Troas before going to Macedonia.
(2 Co 2:12–13 NKJV) —12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach
Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no
rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave
of them, I departed for Macedonia.
Paul didn’t take the opportunity to preach at Troas
because he missed Titus.
Play Ephesus Troas Macedonia map clip
Paul will travel from Ephesus to Troas, then over to
Macedonia.
When Paul arrived in Macedonia, he wasn’t having an easy time.
(2 Co 7:5–7 NKJV) —5 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our
bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were
conflicts, inside were fears. 6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the
coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which
he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning,
your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
Titus had been in Corinth when Paul arrived in Macedonia.
Titus returned with good news for Paul, that the Corinthians had taken Paul’s first
letter seriously and had made some major changes in their church as a result.
Bible Students: Write in your
margins – “AD 56: Paul writes 2Corinthians from Philippi.”
:2 Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many
words, he came to Greece
:3 and stayed three months.
:3 stayed three months
Play Philippi to Corinth map clip
Paul stays in Corinth during these three months, then heads south to
Corinth.
Bible Students: Write in your
margins – “AD 56: Paul writes Romans from Corinth”
Do you remember what kind of city Corinth
was known for being?
It was the capital of immorality in the world.
I wonder if Paul wasn’t sitting at a Corinthian Starbucks writing to the Romans
as he described what he knew was going on around him. In Romans 1 Paul talks
about the consequences of no longer acknowledging God as your Creator, how man
slides down into a cesspool of wickedness …
Do you see any hints of Corinth in Paul’s letter to the Romans?
(Ro 1:29–31 NKJV) —29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual
immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters,
haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient
to parents, 31
undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
Paul had a good idea of what a world turned away from God
could become. He had Corinth
all around him.
:3 And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria,
he decided to return through Macedonia.
:3 return through Macedonia
Paul initially plans on taking a boat to Antioch of Syria, but because of
this plot against him, he changes his plans and starts back by land, through
the Macedonian churches (Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi).
:4 And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to
Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the
Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
:4 Sopater … Aristarchus … Timothy…
Paul has brought these men along with him from the various churches he’s
planted.
Look at the places where these fellows are from.
Play Paul’s Travelling companions map clip
It’s like the best from every stop.
Berea, Thessalonica, Derbe, and Ephesus (Asia)
Lesson
Pass it on
Paul is raising up leaders.
Jesus said,
(Mt
28:19–20 NKJV) —19 Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus didn’t say to make “converts”, but “disciples”.
A “convert” is someone who makes an initial decision to believe
in Jesus.
A convert is not a bad thing, but it’s just a first step. There are many people who take the first
step, and then stop following Jesus.
A “disciple” is someone who is committed to following
Jesus for life.
Jesus gave a definition of what a “disciple” was:
(Lk 9:23 NKJV) Then He
said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Being a disciple means to learning to deny yourself. It means that you are willing to face the
hardships ahead (taking up your cross).
Paul himself would later write to Timothy,
(2
Ti 2:2 NKJV) And the things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to
teach others also.
Paul had given Timothy a living example of this – Timothy
was a part of this group that followed Paul in his travels.
Notice how Paul discipled others – he just took
them with him on his journey.
Play Apple
Stand clip
People learn the best when we take them on the journey
with us.
Who were these men?
We don’t know much
about Sopater, Secundus, or
Gaius (there are several guys named Gaius in NT), but
Aristarchus was one of the guys caught in the riot in
Ephesus. He’ll eventually travel to Rome with Paul (Acts 27:2), and even be in
prison with Paul (Col.4:10).
Timothy – was Paul’s right hand man.
Tychicus would be one of Paul’s messengers while in prison (Col. 4:7)
Trophimus would make it to Jerusalem with Paul (Acts 21:29), and was still active in ministry at the end of
Paul’s life (2Tim.4:20)
:5 These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas.
:5 These men
While Paul traveled over land, the other fellows took a boat and they met
up at Troas.
:5 waited for us
We believe that Doctor Luke, the author of “Acts”, had left Paul back in
Acts 16:40, when Paul went through Philippi the first time. Now we get the hint
that Luke is going to go with Paul on to Jerusalem
from Philippi, as he starts again to refer to
Paul’s group as “us”.
:6 But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and
in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
:6 after the Days of Unleavened Bread
Also known as “Passover”, overlapping Jewish feasts. It seems to me that it was important to Paul
to spend the “feast days” with believers. He has spent Passover with the
Philippian church.
:6 Troas
Play Corinth Philippi Troas map clip
So Paul has gone back from Corinth, through the Macedonian churches, and on
to Troas.
The ancient city of Troy.
Remember how Paul had wanted to stop at Troas to preach, but didn’t the
last time he came this way? (2Cor. 2:12-13)
Now he gets his chance to spend some time at Troas. This is Paul’s third
time at Troas (passed through on 2nd journey).
20:7-12 Troas
:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came
together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and
continued his message until midnight.
:7 the first day of the week
Notice that the disciples are meeting on Sunday. Some folks will say that the early church
only met on the Sabbath.
Jesus rose from the dead on the
first day of the week, and we gather on Sundays to honor and remember the
resurrection.
Sunday would have been a regular work day for the world, so the church
would meet at night.
Do you see the impact that Judaism
and Christianity have had on the western world? We have Saturday off because of
the Jewish Sabbath. We have Sunday off because of the resurrection of Jesus.
:8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered
together.
Luke is giving a hint that the room may have been warm, perhaps even a lack
of oxygen/fresh air…
:9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus,
who was sinking into a deep sleep.
:9 Eutychus – “fortunate”
We’ll see just how “fortunate” he is.
:9 He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down
from the third story and was taken up dead.
:9 He was overcome by sleep
Have you ever had trouble staying awake in church? Me too.
:10 But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not
trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.”
God uses Paul to raise Eutychus from the dead. It almost
sounds as if it was no big deal.
:11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long
while, even till daybreak, he departed.
:11 and talked a long while
Paul talks through the entire night.
And you thought I got long winded.
:11 broken bread
Perhaps a reference to communion.
:12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little
comforted.
:12 comforted – parakaleo – to
call to one’s side, call for, summon; to address, speak to, (call to, call
upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort,
instruction, etc.
:12 they brought the young man in alive
Lesson
Don’t be too long winded unless you
can raise the dead
A good lesson for Bible teachers.
Illustration
A congregation was having trouble with the preacher preaching far too long.
They had a business meeting about the matter and it was decided that they would
buy a gavel and after one hour, someone would tap on the pew to signal that
time was up. The preacher agreed to this tap arrangement. The first night a
young boy wanted the honors of keeping time and tapping on the back of the pew
in front of him. After one hour, the boy was too embarrassed to make the noise
of tapping on the pew. The preacher continued to preach on and on, and all the
eyes of the congregation became focused on the boy. They all began to mouth the
words to the boy, “Go on, go on.” He became angry, and tried to hit the pew
with a loud knock; however, as he came down with the gavel, he hit the person
on the head sitting in front of him. As the wounded church member was falling
over in his seat, he said, “Hit me again, I can still hear him!”
20:13-16 Off to Miletus
:13 Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos,
there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending
himself to go on foot.
:14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on
board and came to Mitylene.
:15 We sailed from there, and the next day came opposite Chios. The
following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium.
The next day we came to Miletus.
:16 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 at Jerusalem, if possible, on the
Day of Pentecost.
:15 we came to Miletus
Play Troas to Miletus map clip
Paul is hop, skipping, and jumping southward along the coast of Asia.
:15 sail past Ephesus
Paul had spent more time at Ephesus than any other city. Yet he chooses to bypass it on this trip.
If he stops at Ephesus, he might not make it to Jerusalem for Pentecost.
Possibly because of safety, possibly because all the people that would want
him to spend time with them.
Since the Passover that Paul spent in Philippi,
he’s already taken about 24 days to go 360 miles to Miletus. That only leaves 26 days to go
another 650 miles to get all the way to Jerusalem.
Lesson
Choosing priorities
Sometimes we can get so busy and so caught up with things that we “need” to
do, that we feel helpless to do the things we really want to do.
Someone once wrote an article titled, “If You Are 35, You Have 500 Days to
Live.” Its thesis was that when you subtract the time spent sleeping, working,
tending to personal matters, hygiene, odd chores, medical matters, eating, traveling,
and miscellaneous time-stealers, in the next thirty-six years you will have
roughly the equivalent of only five hundred days left to spend as you wish.
General Eisenhower is quoted as saying, “The urgent is seldom important,
and the important is seldom urgent.”
(Ps 90:12 NKJV) So teach us to number our days, That we
may gain a heart of wisdom.
Be careful about telling people you don’t have time to do something if its something you really ought to be doing.
Most of the time, no one else has the ability to choose how you spend your
time.
If something is a priority, then make the hard choices and actually set
your priorities.
20:17-38 Ephesian Elders
:17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the
church.
:17 called for the elders
Even though Timothy has spent a lot
of time being trained by Paul for ministry, I find it interesting that in six
years, Paul will write to Timothy as the pastor in Ephesus and give him
instructions on how to select elders for the church (1Tim. 3).
Apparently these fellows had been
selected by Paul.
:18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the
first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you,
:19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which
happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;
:20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and
taught you publicly and from house to house,
:21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
:21 repentance … and faith
Lesson
Gospel essentials
We often say what salvation is only through faith in Jesus.
(Eph 2:8–9 NKJV) —8 For by
grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Salvation isn’t something we earn through good works, it’s
something that God has “given” to us, it’s something that’s done through
“grace”, through what Jesus did on the cross.
Our part is to simply believe.
And yet in both the gospels as well as the book of Acts, the element of “repentance”
is usually intertwined with faith.
This was Jesus’ message:
(Mt 4:17 NKJV) From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
(Mk
1:14–15 NKJV) —14 Now after John was put in prison,
Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and
saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and
believe in the gospel.”
This is what Jesus taught the
apostles to preach:
(Mk 6:12 NKJV) So they went out and preached that people should
repent.
This is what Peter preached:
(Ac 2:37–38 NKJV) —37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what
shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to
them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(Ac
3:19 NKJV) Repent therefore and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from
the presence of the Lord,
This was in Paul’s message as well,
as when he spoke to the Athenians:
(Ac 17:30–31 NKJV) —30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now
commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because
He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the
Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him
from the dead.”
We tend think that repentance is about changing your behavior, but it’s
something that starts on the inside.
repentance – metanoia – a change of mind, as it appears to
one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done
Repentance at its core is about the mind.
God wants people to “change their minds”.
I think that involves changing your mind about God.
I think it involves changing your mind about your sin.
A true change of mind does result in a change in behavior.
John the Baptist said,
(Lk 3:8 NKJV) Therefore
bear fruits worthy of repentance…
(Lk 3:10–14 NKJV) —10 So the
people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” 11 He
answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has
none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” 12 Then tax collectors also came to
be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he
said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” 14 Likewise
the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said
to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your
wages.”
Paul’s “gospel” included the word “repent”.
Changed minds that produce a changed life.
:22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the
things that will happen to me there,
:22 bound – deo – to bind tie,
fasten; put under obligation;
Paul has a sense of obligation by the Holy Spirit to be going to Jerusalem.
:23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains
and tribulations await me.
We’ll see at various stops that Paul makes how different prophets will
speak up and warn Paul about what is up ahead.
:24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to
myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I
received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
:24 none of these things move me
Lesson
What makes you quit?
Is there something that could stop you from serving Jesus?
(Lk 9:57–62 NKJV) —57 Now it
happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord,
I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 Then He
said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said
to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of
God.” 61 And
another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid
them farewell who are at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow,
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
In reality, each of these people were being challenged with the kinds of
things that would make them stop following Jesus.
For some it’s all about comfort – but Jesus doesn’t
promise you a nice place to sleep.
For others its family obligations – which are not a bad
thing – unless your family is keeping you from doing what God wants you to do.
For others it’s about all the “other things”, the other
things we want to do in life.
Paul was being warned about “chains and tribulations”.
They weren’t enough to make him quit.
:24 finish my race with joy
Lesson
Eye on the prize
I think one of the keys to finishing with joy is to remember who is at the
end of the race.
We are looking forward to the day when we see Him face to face and hear Him
say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
I can think of no greater joy than to hear my Savior say, “Good job”.
(Heb 12:1–3 NKJV) —1 Therefore
we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us
run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that
was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against
Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Play Chariots of Fire Eric Liddell Race clip
(1 Co 9:24–27 NKJV) —24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but
one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25
And everyone who competes for the
prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26
Therefore I run thus: not with
uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27
But I discipline my body and bring it
into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become
disqualified.
:25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching
the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.
Paul was convinced that this would be the last time he would see the people
of Ephesus.
:26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the
blood of all men.
:26 innocent of the blood of all
men
Ezekiel’s watchman.
:27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He
purchased with His own blood.
:28 the church of God
To all who are considered to be leaders:
It’s God’s church, not ours.
It’s the bride of Christ, not ours.
There was a sad news report
the last couple of days about the pastor (David Yonggi
Cho) of a huge Korean mega-church (one million members) being convicted of embezzling
12 million dollars from the church.
It seems to me you can only get to that point when you stop thinking of the
church as God’s church, and start thinking of it as your church.
:29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in
among you, not sparing the flock.
:30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things,
to draw away the disciples after themselves.
:31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to
warn everyone night and day with tears.
:29 wolves will come
Six years later, Paul would write
to Timothy about some of the fellows that sprung up in Ephesus:
(1 Ti 1:5–7 NKJV) —5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure
heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6
from which some, having strayed, have
turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring
to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things
which they affirm.
When Jesus writes a letter to the church of Ephesus in the book of
Revelation, He has this to say:
(Re 2:2 NKJV) “I know your works, your labor, your patience,
and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say
they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars
Apparently the church (and Timothy) took Paul’s warnings to heart.
But Jesus will also say this:
(Re 2:4–5 NKJV) —4 Nevertheless I have this against you,
that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the
first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from
its place—unless you repent.
God wants to not only keep our doctrine pure, but also keep our love strong
for Jesus.
:32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace,
which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who
are sanctified.
:32 the word of His grace
Lesson
God’s Word
This is what Paul was “commending” these elders to.
It is able to build us up.
It is able to give us an inheritance in heaven.
It’s not the “word” of the “law”, but the “word” of “grace”.
If I can do anything for you, I hope it is that I help you to fall in love
with and form a daily dependence upon the Word of God.
(2 Ti 3:16–17 NKJV) —16 All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every
good work.
:33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.
:34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my
necessities, and for those who were with me.
:35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must
support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It
is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
:35 It is more blessed to give than to receive
I have no doubt that Jesus said this, though the gospels don’t record Jesus
as saying this. We know that Jesus said
and did a lot more things than were ever recorded in the gospels.
(Jn 20:30–31 NKJV)
—30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in
the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31
but these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may
have life in His name.
(Jn 21:25 NKJV) And there
are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by
one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that
would be written. Amen.
Lesson
Give or take
Paul was reminding them that during his time in Ephesus, he had worked his
tent making job in order to support himself and his coworkers.
Paul later wrote to the Ephesians:
(Eph 4:28 NKJV) Let him
who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his
hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
There are people who think that everyone else owes them.
They have no problem expecting people to pay for them. They have the wrong
attitude in life. The mature Christian is one who learns to give, not take.
We sometimes act like this dog who thinks somebody is
going to take his prize bone…
Play Don’t
Touch My Bone clip
In truth, it’s really a much happier (blessed) place to be in when you are
a “giver” rather than a “receiver”.
This is more of what “grace” is all about.
God’s grace is how God have given us so much that we didn’t deserve, starting
with the giving of His only Son.
A mark that we have been changed by God’s grace ought to be an attitude of
giving to others and not expecting others to be taking care of me.
:36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them
all.
:37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
:38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see
his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.
They are sad that they don’t think they will ever see Paul again.