Disciples Serve Together

ME: Intro

Growing up,

My grades in school weren’t like the best,

But I was always passing.

That is, until middle school,

And I had to take Spanish.

I don’t know what it was,

But foreign languages just did not work in my brain.

I ended up failing the first three quarters,

Then did enough extra credit to just barely squeak by.

When I got into 9th grade,

It happened again.

I did a little better this time,

But it was still painfully difficult for whatever reason.

Getting ready for 10th grade,

I had a meeting with my guidance counselor and found out I had to take one more year of Spanish,

OR I could take 5 business classes from 10th-12th grade.

I took the business classes.

So, first period for my remaining years I had a class with the business teacher.

She was a great teacher,

Knew her stuff,

But she spoke very low with a monotone,

So, taking her class during first period every day for three years was a challenge in and of itself.

I barely made it through so many of those classes,

Until one day, it happened.

She had a lecture planned for the entire class,

I fell asleep with my arm on the edge of the table,

I slept through the dismissal bell,

The entire class stood up to leave,

But stopped at the door when they saw me out cold.

Well, Mrs. Vizvary came up and very gently...

Slid my arm off the edge of my desk,

Waking my up by almost knocking me out of my chair.

I hear the laughter of my class as they walk out the door for their next class.

I scramble trying to pick up my stuff to leave before getting scolded for following asleep.

But instead of that,

She responded with mercy.

Asking if I had a lot going on,

If I was stretching myself too thin.

I was a young man who had literally fallen when I fell asleep,

And she was a teacher,

Who had picked me up despite me falling asleep during her lesson.

And she continued to teach me even after that.

I share this story because this level of care and encouragement is shared by another teacher in our passage this morning.

And like my story,

He too had a young man who fell asleep during his lesson.

Fortunately for me,

His fall was much worse.

Yet, he was picked back up by his teacher,

Who continued to teach him even though he fell asleep during the lesson.

Now, this story is just a brief part of our passage this morning,

Because it is such a fast moving passage.

After spending three years in one place,

Paul covers a great distance,

Making abbreviated stops with a clear goal of bringing financial aid from these cities back to the poor in Jerusalem.

And he is hoping to get back by Pentecost.

We do not see some of the usual patterns of Acts:

There is no life-threatening persecution,

No evangelistic sermons for unbelievers,

No churches being planted.

Instead, we get a treasure trove of insight into the early church,

They way they serve together,

Worship together,

And care for and encourage one another.

And it is Paul who leads us through the exploring and appreciating of these treasures.

But there are many others in this passage who are treasures themselves for us to learn from and appreciate.

Slide - Map

So, if you look at the map on the screen here,

Let us quickly trace the route of his journey he leads us on in this passage.

First, he leaves from Ephesus,

Which is in Asia, the pink province on the map.

He goes all the way up to Macedonia,

Which is the orange province in the top left,

Then down to Achaia,

Which is Greece,

The green province in the middle left.

Stayed there for a few months,

Slide

Then went back up to Philippi,

Which is in Macedonia,

Slide

To sail down to Troas,

Which is the northern tip of Asia.

It took them five days for this trip alone.

He stayed in Troas for a week.

Then left by land to meet his companions who travelled by boat in Assos.

From Assos, Paul hops on board the ship,

And sails along the coast;

To Mitylene,

The opposite side of Chios,

Samos,

And Miletus.

Slide

Miletus is the scene where most of our passage takes place,

With Paul giving a lengthy teaching to the Ephesian elders before departing to continue his journey back to Jerusalem.

Slide

After he goes to Jerusalem, Paul expects the next part of his travels will take him to Rome and beyond,

Believing he will not return to these areas again.

Therefore, you will notice this sense that every stop along this passage seems to have this mixture of haste and finality.

Slide

But along the way,

We notice Paul is serving disciples,

And teaching disciples to serve.

Paul does not serve these disciples alone,

Nor does he teach disciples that they serve alone.

Instead, Acts 20:1-35 shows how Disciples Serve Together.

Vs. 1-6 show how we Encourage Together,

Vs. 7-16 show how we Worship Together,

And vs. 17-35 show how we Care Together.

The expectation for all members of Christ’s body is,

That we serve using the gifts God gave us as we worship Him to encourage and care for one another.

WE: Encourage Together (vs. 1-6)

Slide

So, let us turn now to look at vs. 1-6,

Which is essentially the travel itinerary for Paul,

With the top task for every stop being encouragement.

Last week, Adam was our tour guide for the Apostle Paul’s journey in ch. 19,

Including a chaotic riot at this huge outdoor theater,

That was eventually dismissed by the town clerk.

In vs. 1 of our passage this morning,

The riot had just settled down,

And the very next thing Paul does is gather the disciples in Ephesus together one last time.

Why?

To encourage them,

Before he says his goodbyes and leaves for Macedonia.

We already saw how many places he went through to get to Macedonia,

Slide

And as he passed through those areas,

Vs. 2 says he continued to visit believers to encourage them.

Eventually making his way to Greece,

Specifically, the cities of Athens and Corinth,

Slide

Where, vs. 3 says, he spent three months.

Historians believe Paul arrived in Corinth just before the winter of 56,

Staying in Corinth through the winter before departing early in the year 57.

It is assumed that it was during this stay in Corinth that Paul wrote Romans.

Slide

This is indicated by what he wrote in Romans 15:26.

Romans 15:26 ESV

For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.

Paul was given contributions from believers in Macedonia,

Which he travelled to in vs. 1,

And Achaia,

Which he travelled to in vs. 2,

For the poor saints in Jerusalem,

Which is where he plans on going to next.

So, Romans 15 is chronologically written during the same time at Acts 20.

Making a logical connection that it was during these three months Paul wrote Romans.

Something interesting to note is that Paul’s visits along the way encouraged the disciples.

And what does Romans say the disciples were doing?

They were contributing to the poor disciples in Jerusalem.

So, being generous was an encouragement to them.

Slide

The second half of vs. 3 continues Paul’s itinerary.

He was getting ready to set sail for Syria.

When he finds out that some Jews were plotting against him.

So, he changes his plans and travels by land back up to Macedonia,

To then take a ship from Philippi to Syria.

Slide

Vs. 4 is where we learn that Paul was not encouraging disciples alone,

But he and this list of companions were encouraging together.

Also, notice the cities these companions are from,

They should be familiar to us at this point in Acts.

The first guy is Sopater.

It says he is from Berea,

The son of Pyrrhus,

Who is also from Berea.

We saw Paul plant the church in Berea back in ch. 17 during his second missionary journey,

After he had been chased out of Thessalonica.

Speaking of Thessalonica,

The next two are Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica,

Where Paul planted a church at the beginning of ch. 17,

Before he had been chased out of the city.

Aristarchus has been a faithful companion of Paul’s along this third missionary journey.

If you remember,

In the last chapter, he and Gaius were dragged into the theater during the riot in Ephesus.

Later, in ch. 27, it says he accompanied Paul all the way to Rome as well.

Then, in Col. 4:10, Paul reveals that Aristarchus was imprisoned with him while they were in Rome.

The next companion listed is Gaius,

This says he is from Derbe.

Which is where Paul went with Barnabas on the first missionary journey back in ch. 14,

The day after Paul had been stoned almost to death in nearby Lystra.

Being from Derbe means this is not the same Gaius who was dragged into the theater.

Because that Gaius is from Macedonia.

The next companion listed is probably the most familiar, Timothy.

Of all the companions,

He seems to become the most closely mentored by Paul,

Describing their relationship as a father-son relationship in Phil. 2:22.

Timothy first joined Paul during the second missionary journey back in Acts 17.

He had separated from Paul for a short while in Berea,

Waiting with Silas to eventually rejoin Paul in Corinth in ch. 18.

Similarly, in ch. 19, Paul sent Timothy with Erastus into Macedonia,

While Paul stayed in Ephesus just before the riot broke out.

Ironically, the roles would reverse in the future.

Slide

Paul would later write to Timothy in 1 Tim. 1:3,

1 Timothy 1:3 ESV

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,

Paul explains in 1 Timothy that Ephesus needed Timothy because of the presence of false teachers,

Something Paul warned the elders in Ephesus about later in our passage this morning.

And the last two companions listed are the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimas.

Who would be from Ephesus.

Slide

Vs. 5 says this list of companions went on ahead to Troas,

Where they were waiting for us.

The use of “us” here is a subtle but important shift in Acts.

In vs. 1-4,

Acts used third-person pronouns,

Saying, “Paul…he…them…him” and so on.

Now, in vs. 5,

The author of Acts, Luke, begins using first-person pronouns,

Which also happened back in ch. 16.

Why?

Because at this point, he too is with Paul encouraging disciples together.

And writing as a first-hand witness to Paul’s missionary journey.

These first-person pronouns end in vs. 16,

Where Paul separates,

Likely because he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost,

Which is 50 days after Passover.

And vs. 6 gives us an idea of Paul’s timeline.

It says they sailed for five days to Troas after Passover,

Where they stayed for seven days.

So, when they finally leave Troas,

It is already 12 days after Passover,

Leaving Paul with 38 days to get back to Jerusalem in time for Pentecost.

GOD: Worship Together (vs. 7-16)

Vs. 7-16 continue the narrative at the end of the 7 days in Troas,

Where the disciples Worship Together.

Slide

It says, on the first day of the week,

Which is Sunday,

The church gathered together to break bread.

This spiritual rhythm had been in place since the church was born after Christ’s resurrection and return to heaven.

They would gather together to worship God on the first day of the week,

On the Lord’s Day.

Back in ch. 2,

We saw that this worship gathering would include the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.

And that is the reason they are gathering here,

To break bread.

Breaking bread is not just talking about a meal,

It is literally saying that they were detaching a piece of bread from a loaf.

So, it is talking about the Lord’s Supper,

Which is an act of worshipful obedience to God.

This demonstrates once again how the mission of the early church still defines our mission today.

We Connect with God through worship on the Lord’s Day every week,

Just like the early church.

One of the ways we connect with God through worship is by regularly participating in the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.

But gathering for the Lord’s Supper is not just about breaking off a piece of bread and going about their business,

Like drive-thru worship or something.

No, vs. 7 shows that while they were gathering to break bread,

Paul was also teaching.

And since this was his last day in Troas,

He figured,

He would keep on teaching,

And teaching,

And teaching.

It says he talked right up until midnight.

Now, do not assume they first gathered in the morning.

Most believe this was already an evening service.

So, while it was still a long gathering,

It was likely not as long as we might think.

Slide

But after we are told that Paul talked all the way till midnight,

We are quickly introduced to a young man named Eutychus,

Who, it says, was seated in a window and ended up falling asleep while Paul was talking.

Remember, Luke was there that night,

And look what he says after Eutychus already fell asleep,

“As Paul talked still longer.”

In other words,

Paul just kept on talking,

He kept on preaching.

So, you could imagine,

Even if they first gathered late at night,

Say you come to a service at 8 or 9 at night.

You are trying to stay awake and listen to a teaching that has lasted till midnight.

Like Eutychus,

Your spirit may be willing,

But clearly the flesh is weak.

Unfortunately for Eutychus,

He fell asleep on a window sill,

And if you have ever seen someone falling asleep upright,

You know that eventually,

Even if they have already fallen asleep,

They are going to be overcome by sleep,

And just fall.

That is what happened with Eutychus,

He fell...out of a third floor window…to his death.

Slide

Now, back in Acts 9:36-41, God raised Tabitha from the dead through Peter.

Here, God miraculously does the same thing for Eutychus through Paul.

And I love how brief this account is.

We can easily picture Paul is in the middle of teaching,

When this young guy can’t stay awake,

Falls out the window and dies.

Paul, seemingly unpanicked, is just like,

Hold that thought for a moment,

Goes down, quickly restores this kids life by the power of the Spirit,

Then goes right back upstairs to resume taking the Lord’s Supper.

Not our own weakness,

Nor even death,

Can ultimately stop us from worshipping God together through Jesus.

And I also love,

How after taking the Lord’s Supper,

Paul teaches again until the sun comes up.

But notice how it is a much more engaged teaching.

Because no longer is Paul just talking at them,

It says he is conversing with them.

Then, at the end of vs. 11,

Paul left.

Slide

After this miraculous story,

Vs. 13-16 is another brief section of Paul’s itinerary.

First, in vs. 13, Luke and the rest of the companions travel to Assos by sea to meet Paul there,

As Paul instructed them to,

While Paul travels about 20 miles from Troas to Assos by land.

Slide

Then, vs. 16 is really where we learn about the driving force behind this passage.

It explains why Paul has been hastily travelling through all these locations.

Because he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem,

Hopefully in time for Pentecost.

And as we calculated earlier,

When he left Troas,

He had 38 days left to get to Jerusalem.

YOU: Care Together (vs. 17-35)

Slide

But in vs. 17-35, instead of going to Ephesus,

He pauses in Miletus to call the leaders to him,

Where he both cares for them,

And teaches them to care for the church together,

Using the gift God gave them.

They had been ordained to shepherd the souls of the church in Ephesus.

And Paul reinforces this with his teaching here.

Slide

Later, in vs. 28, Paul refers to them as overseers,

Demonstrating how these terms are used interchangeably for one formal office of leadership in the church.

It is incredible to see that in Paul’s three years,

He developed a formal leadership structure for the church in Ephesus.

Slide

Clearly, it demanded him spending much time with these men,

Saying in vs. 18 how since he first set foot in Asia,

He was basically with them the whole time.

And what were they doing during that time?

Vs. 19 says, serving the Lord with all humility,

With tears,

And with trials.

And although Paul is talking specifically to elders here.

This is the mission of every member,

To serve using the gifts God has given us.

Serving does not exalt us,

It humbles us.

Serving will not always bring a smile,

At times it will bring tears.

And we do not just serve when it is easy,

We serve through trials.

Paul is teaching this general truth to a specific audience here.

And we know this is a general truth based on what Paul teaches elsewhere.

Slide

In Ephesians 4:7, he says,

Ephesians 4:7 ESV

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Slide

Then a few verses later, in vs. 11-12, referring to Christ giving gifts, he says,

Ephesians 4:11–12 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

Slide

Then, in even greater detail in 1 Cor. 12:4-7, he says,

1 Corinthians 12:4–7 ESV

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

So, members serve together,

Using gifts together,

To encourage together,

Worship together,

And simply care together.

This is true for all disciples,

All members of the body.

And here in Acts 20,

Paul is giving an example of this for those who have the gift of oversight to serve as elders.

Slide

Starting first with his own example.

As a faithful teacher of the gospel,

He does not avoid unpopular or difficult topics.

He teaches what is profitable.

Both in public,

And from house to house.

Remember, Paul stayed in Ephesus for 3 years.

Ch. 19 said that he was teaching every day.

So, his teaching was extensive,

Paul did not hold back.

There was no uncertainty or unwillingness to teach.

He taught wherever he could,

Wherever was necessary,

About whatever was profitable.

Slide

For example, in vs. 21,

He was teaching both Jews and Greeks about repentance and faith.

This is profitable.

Because this is the gospel.

And teaching this message is our mission.

When we say Go and make disciples,

This is what we are talking about.

It has been this way since the church was born.

Slide

Peter preached all the way back in Acts 3:19,

Acts 3:19 ESV

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

True biblical confession is taking the sin that is hidden in the darkness of our hearts,

And bringing it to the light.

Think of this even on a simple scale.

Have you ever had a thought in your head that seemed fine to you.

But when you spoke it out loud to someone else.

They did not respond the way you expected.

And clearly they did not think it was fine.

Instantly, you feel this sense of embarrassment for thinking this idea seemed fine.

And you changed your way of thinking,

Acknowledging it was not fine.

But it wasn’t until you spoke that thought out loud that it became clear it was a bad idea.

That is the idea of confession.

Our hearts and minds are deceived.

We need to take our sins, our folly, our wicked thoughts and deeds,

And speak them to God and others.

So, that you can take those thoughts from the darkness,

Speak them to someone who can say,

“No, that’s not okay.”

Then, from that confession,

That we pick up what Acts is teaching about repentance.

It is turning away from that sin we confess,

But then intentionally turning toward God in faith,

Trusting Christ to forgive you for your sins.

A full teaching of the gospel demands both.

Slide

After Paul reminds these men of this gospel truth,

He tells them what has been his driving force in this passage,

Preparing them for his departure to Jerusalem.

But he explains that he is going to Jerusalem because he is constrained by the Spirit.

This really does not explain how the Spirit led him,

But it is the best way he can express that sense of holy oughtness from the Spirit.

He senses that he ought to go to Jerusalem,

Because that is where the Spirit is urging him to go,

Even though he also admits,

He has no idea what he will encounter there.

In vs. 23, The only thing he expects to encounter is imprisonment and affliction.

Since that is what the Spirit has told him to expect in every city.

Now, don’t read this like he is Eeyore.

Like, “I don’t know what’s gonna happen in Jerusalem,

Probably just end up in prison or something.”

No, this is a Spirit-led awareness of true afflictions that he is not fearful of.

Instead, he persists in teaching.

Being an example of making disciples for all of us.

Slide

To help us understand,

He puts his trials in perspective in vs. 24,

Declaring that he does not consider life in this world of any value,

It is not precious to him at all!

But Paul was not just saying he has a low view of self or low view of life.

No, he is saying his life has a purpose, a goal.

And that is basically to serve God in the way he was called all the way to the end.

And compared to this goal,

Nothing in this life or world comes close to being as precious to him.

Slide

Therefore, Paul goes back to him leaving for Jerusalem in vs. 25,

Telling these elders that he does not think he will ever see them again,

At least, not on this side of heaven.

This does not seem to be a Spirit-led prophetic statement,

Rather, based on his perceived imprisonment and affliction,

This seems more like his expectation of the situation.

Because he has faced plot after plot against his life.

But he also seems to be focused on the ministry that lies before him in Rome.

So, he intends to head to Rome and beyond after visiting Jerusalem.

For all these reasons, Paul considered this the last time he would see these dear brothers.

Slide

So, what he shares next are what he believes are his last words to them,

Giving three statements as his last words.

First, in vs. 27, he once again reminds them that he did not avoid teaching them the whole counsel of God.

In other words,

He taught the special revelation of God that culminates in the Son of God,

Jesus Christ.

He did not suppress the truths of the gospel,

He had been faithful to proclaim the plan of salvation,

Including God’s judgment of sin.

So, no one could accuse him of not warning them,

He is innocent of the blood of all.

He preached this message fully to both Jews and Gentiles,

Using appropriate tact and discretion to contextualize to his audience,

But never compromising the good news of the gospel.

Slide

The second statement Paul gives is to be on guard for themselves,

This is a command for character.

Later, he would write 1 Timothy and Titus giving further detail of what it means for elders to pay careful attention to themselves.

Then third, he says to be on guard for all the flock,

That is, the church they serve.

Because the Holy Spirit has given them the spiritual gift of being overseers.

Slide

Peter uses similar shepherding language for elders in 1 Peter 5:2,

1 Peter 5:2 ESV

shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;

So, how are elders to oversee the flock?

By willingly (as Peter teaches) caring for them (as Paul teaches).

Elders are to be leaders who watch over, direct, care for, and give an account of the body they serve.

The flock is not just some social club.

Slide

Paul specifies that the Holy Spirit calls elders to care for the church that God has purchased with His own blood.

Two important points to take from this.

First, the Holy Spirit appoints and gifts elders for this task.

Second, all who are a part of the flock are redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Words cannot fully express how precious the church is to God,

He died for us.

Therefore, He calls men who pay careful attention to themselves to care for these blood bought people together.

This is remarkable language.

Because not only does it express the worth and the value of the church to God.

But it expresses the glory of Jesus Christ,

Because it was Jesus who shed His blood,

Making Jesus One with the Father and the Spirit,

All three being One God.

As Paul also says in Romans 5:9,

Romans 5:9 ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

And also Ephesians 2:13,

Ephesians 2:13 ESV

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Slide

So, the flock is clearly precious to God.

Therefore, elders must care for the flock by paying careful attention to them.

Why?

Because their are savage wolves who will twist God’s truths.

In vs. 29-30, Paul warns the elders that these fierce wolves will not spare the flock.

In other words, eternal life hangs in the balance of rightly understanding the gospel.

So, with this warning, Paul reveals something that can be painfully difficult to accept.

Sometimes, these wolves who distort the truth,

And lure disciples into following them,

Will come from within.

For the elders in Ephesus,

Paul is saying these wolves will come from the people of Ephesus,

People who seemed to believe like them,

People who they know,

Who they probably grew up with and worked with,

People who they broke bread with,

Who they considered friends, brothers, and sisters.

These are the people Paul warns them about.

It had to be one of the most difficult things for these elders to here.

But Paul was right,

Eventually Ephesus became plagued with false teachers.

Some worked their way into leadership,

And Paul addresses this in his letter to Timothy.

Slide

After his warning,

Paul transitions to a blessing in vs. 32,

Committing the elders to God’s grace,

Encouraging them in their mission,

And reassuring them that God will continue the work of making them holy.

Slide

Paul begins to conclude his teaching by echoing the words of 1 Sam. 12:3 in vs. 33,

When he defends himself against coveting material possessions.

He was never motivated by money or prestige,

Pointing out the fact that he worked as a tentmaker for all those years in Ephesus as proof of this.

He worked to support himself,

And even support those who were with him.

Slide

Then concludes with a blessing in vs. 35 paraphrasing what Jesus Himself said,

That it is more blessed to give than receive.

WE: Conc.

This is how Paul taught these specific members to serve using the gifts the Holy Spirit gave them.

In their case,

The gift was that of overseers,

To shepherd the church with care.

And it is especially exciting today that God had lined everything up for us to have this passage today,

Because during our quarterly meeting after service today,

We as a church have the opportunity to affirm that the Holy Spirit has gifted Paul Haynes and Adam Nichols to serve as overseers,

Calling them to be elders here at FBC Afton.

Much like the elders in Ephesus.

Slide

Now, when it comes to serving using the gifts God has given us,

What is your gift?

Do you have a gift to teach?

Or encourage?

Or care?

Or something else?

Every member is called to serve using the gifts God has given you.

So, what is your gift?

How can you serve using that gift here at FBC Afton?

I would love to hear your answers to these questions,

You can send an email to [e-mail] with your answers.

If you already serving using your gift,

Please email with that answer.

If you feel like you need help answering these questions,

Still send an email.

Lord willing, going into next year,

We will be implementing some processes that will help us to be able to easily take your answers to these questions and get you plugged in quickly.

But in the meantime,

We can begin exploring these questions.

Because the beauty of serving with the gifts God gave us as we worship Him,

Is that we then also encourage and care for one another.

So, let us serve together.

Pray.