Acts Chapter 20

Father, I thank you so much this morning. Lord, for these gifts that are given these ties that are given God, I pray in Jesus name that you would. It expand that you would continue to bring a wisdom and discernment Lord as to how we use these gifts in these ties and offerings. And I just pray, Lord, in Jesus name that with every penny and God, that you would be glorified. It's all yours. It's not ours God. We hold it so loosely and we just, we want your kingdom to come and your will to be done and everything that we're doing. So I asked God that you would bless bless them, Bless the people guns and it's given and yeah, we just we are here for you. We love you, Lord in Jesus name. Amen.

Okay. Well, good morning. My name is Lauren elmar. For those of you that don't know me and I'm the associate pastor. Here are Pastor John Eros is out of town this weekend and him and his wife, Marcy. They went to go visit family like their grandkids and so they were spending the weekend in Bismarck, which is awesome because I think it's probably much needed time to be at those grandbabies the last week. You know, John took us through chapter 19, and I just want a recap on a few and notes and highlights that I made, as he was speaking because I think it's really good reminder that we kind of coast and two Acts chapter 20 We need he said a few things. He said we need to agree with the anointing that God gives us. Do you guys remember that? Daddy says, no, I love you Daddy. She's like know what he did. He said that he said we need to agree with the anointing that God has given us and he said, faith and anointing needs to come together and he asked us this question. He said, what is it that God has placed on your heart to do? Do you remember that? Daddy you remember that? Awesome. Yeah, he said that he said, what is it that God has placed in your heart to do and he said it's important to ask God for a specific anointing.

How many of you left here doing that?

I have one hand raised. John is going to. Do I get more? No, I was just kidding. Yeah, he said it's important to ask God for specific anointing, if you don't know what that is, it's important that were asking. It's good. He said, the kingdom of darkness caterers in fear and thrives in an environment of cowardice and compromise.

He said, the kingdom of God, moves and power being fuelled by courageous faith and love. Do you believe that? Yeah. God moves in power. And it's being filled by creative faith and love. We step into that. He said an idle is an object of trust other than Jesus. Oh, what is it? Is there something that you put in front of the Lord? Is there? Something that is on the throne of the heart? It isn't him. The things to think about. Just a few more things that he has. Daddy said, all authority has been given to Jesus Matthew 28:18 and that we are joint heirs with Christ. He said, Heaven and Earth are connected and we're to be praying and ways that agree and contend for what is true for God and awesome time. We just want to see what we want. Write often times when things don't go our way, we have a tendency to question God or blame God or blame others or whatever the circumstances. But the reality is, is that the problem is never on God's end, right? Know it's us thinking that something, you should love the way that we wanted to, but that's just not always the case. We are called to bring the kingdom of God, to those who are lost and wandering and for the believer, John said, there's no retiring from the mission of God, because we are in this fight to the end. Yeah. Amen. Huh, he said, we, we are Eternal beings who have passed through death, living out eternity. Now, in this age, and in this age. So we step into that, we walk in that every moment of every day having Jesus at the Forefront of our minds and that's important. I'm just going to pray again real quick and then we're going to get into chapter 20. The Lord. I thank you God for just what you're doing through this series. God, I thank you for your truth. I thank you that you love us, God that you see us, that you care about every detail of my life. I pray in Jesus name that your kingdom would come in and through this message this morning. Do you would be speaking to the hearts and minds of your church? I pray Jesus that it would be.

by your power, and by your might, That we would that we would move our feet. That our hearts. Our minds are. So I will or emotion or Spirit god with submit to your Holy Spirit.

We love you, Lord. We need you. In Jesus name, amen.

So, as we look at the scripture, we see in chapter 20, you guys can turn your Bibles there if you haven't done so already. But as we look at this scripture and chapter 20, after all the Uproar, Paul departed to Macedonia, where he incurs the Believers and ended up in Greece, where he stayed for three months and then he was intro as This is a lot of travel and activity over a wide area, which brings us to the story, starting out in verse 7, with you to kiss, being raised from the dead. You guys remember the story? How he fell out of the window? The starting a 7 on the first day of the week be gathered with the local Believers to share the Lord's. Supper Paul was preaching to them and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight The upstairs room where where we met with lighted with many flickering lamps as possible on and on a young man named eutychus, sitting on the windowsill became very drowsy finally, he fell asleep, I fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. What if I'll do you just went down and he bent over and he took in his arms and he said, Dad, don't worry, he's he's alive and then they all went back upstairs. Like it was no big deal. I don't know. They shared in the Lord's. Supper, they ate together. Paula continued talking to them until dawn and then he left. And meanwhile the young man was taken home alive. And well praise the Lord and everyone was great. Really greatly relieved. Well I think that that's a relief and I think it's also relieved that our Windows aren't open so we can't fall three stories. I know that sometimes here at church, it gets long, right? Sometimes, right? And I just want to say this, like, you don't John and I wait, we always go back and forth with this, but we come to this conclusion in agreement that we want the Lord to move, right? And so if you've been a part of our family, you know, this if you haven't been a part of our family for very long or you're new here, you're going to know that sometimes words on at 11:25, sometimes it's 11:35 11:45 or sometimes it's noon. Do we want? We want God to have the freedom to move and we understand we totally understand that people have family obligations that people have to work that there's things that come up. So I just want to say this, you know, I I view this as our home. I view this as our living room and we're all family and so if you have to get up at any time to go, feel free to do that. I have a lot of people that come and ask me. And I like, it's okay, like, you can get up and go, if you have to go if we're if if our time is being extended and anyway, it's not being extended till midnight, but sometimes we do hit that noon-mark. Okay, verse 13, Paul went by land to ask us where he had arranged for us to join him. When he traveled by ship, he joined us there. And he said when we sell together to Middle beanie and the next day we sailed past the island of Ohio's. The following day, we crossed into the island of Samos and a day later, we arrived at my lead us.

Paul has decided to sail on pass Ephesus or he didn't want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem if possible in time for the Festival of Pentecost. We're 17 and when we landed in by the latest, he sent a message to the Elders of the church in Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him. And when they arrived, he declared, you know from the day that I set foot in the province of Asia and tell, now I have done the Lord's work humbly and With Many Tears, I have injured. The trials that come to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you but you needed to hear either publicly or in your home. I had one message for Jews and Greeks, the like the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God and of having faith in our lord, Jesus. And now I am Bound by the spirit, to go to Jerusalem. And I know what a waste mean.

I'm going to stop right there. All through Paul's Journey, he was determined. He knows he knew that he was appointed by God and he was willing to do whatever it took for him to fulfill his calling. Into field for fill the journey. He knew his time was going to be up and he he was speaking to these specific overseers and he had a very, very important message that he wanted to leave with them. And I think that there's some things from this message that we can all take. From first of all, we serve the Lord with humility.

You know it's so important that we have like the self-awareness of how we show up how we show up in situations. How is your two people? It's important that we have this, a healthy balance of ourselves, good understanding of our personal strengths and weaknesses and understand our position in our community, and The Wider community. And in society Paul is sitting here that regardless of what I've been through. I'm still going to show up. And in that showing up, I'm going to honor the Lord. I'm going to serve is God, who influences me, he was really humble and that humility produce fruit when we know who we are, the truth will set us free from frustration into fruitfulness. Does that make sense? When we know who we are, the truth will set us free from frustration into fruitfulness. Kind of like, you know, John says you just be you You just be you don't try to be anybody else, you be you and honor the Lord in it. We don't puff ourselves up in the Lord and we don't depress ourselves. Either there has to be this healthy balance in true. Humility is not boastful. It's ready to serve and it's teachable. Pride is being conceited. Feeling Superior, arrogant needing to be seen and heard and pride is generally unteachable. And as a pastor, I just want to say that I look for this. I look for this and in people's characters, I look for the people that are willing to get their hands dirty. I look for the people that are willing to pick up the broom and a dustpan. When it comes to a fellowship meal without being asked.

I think it shows a lot.

It's important. Family that were servant heart in that were faithful, that were available and that were teachable and that were willing to do whatever it takes. And it doesn't matter if it's in this setting or at your work setting and your family setting.

The Holy Spirit loves humility.

And we see that Paul shows up over and over and over again, giving us a very clear indication of who is on the throne of his heart. That he's not giving into flash that wants to control our be in charge. We know when that happens, don't we?

We can sense when that flash Rises up, Anna. Right. We might try to suppress it a little bit. Sometimes it's hard.

Philippians 2, verses 1 and 3. 1 through 3 says, is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any Fellowship together in the spirit, are your heart tender and compassionate, then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other. Loving one another working together with one mind and one purpose, don't be selfish, don't try to impress others be humble, thinking of others, better than yourself.

Was that the heart Pastor that you have when you came in this morning?

As a church. That is so important.

Again, the lord loves humility. The second thing that we can see from Paul here in this in, this scripture is that we are to stand firm on truth. Right.

There's 20 Pollos encouraging them by using his own story and he's not shrinking back. He preach to all people with the same heart attitude Desiring for them to turn toward God, and repentance and place their faith. In the one who died for them.

He said, repent and believe repenting is a change of heart. We talked about this all the time. It's turning away from sin. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to go there. Believing, that's faith. Faith is trusting in Jesus to rescue us. Is it believing what his word says? The weather Paul was in public or in private, you were going to get the same person. And he was honest, he was wrong, he was straightforward. Not willing to beat around the bush or waiver. He knew he was called by God, and he wasn't willing to preach part of the Gospel, but all of that, no matter what and he knew exactly what awaited him.

I can't imagine.

I can't imagine the Holy Spirit speaking and saying you know what? You're going to be persecuted and it's not just someone hurting your feelings. It's you're going to jail. You're going to get beaten. People are going to turn against you.

It's important that we speak truth and that we speak it boldly and I just want to throw this in there when it we speak truth, you guys. When we use the scripture, we don't do it to throw it in people's faces.

As if we're better. We speak truth in a way that honors. The Lord, that encourages that built up. It can't be tainted with self motivation behind it. Because if it is, there will be no power.

We, we tell people truth out of love, not to throw it in their face.

Verse 22 says and now I'm Bound by the spirit to go into Jerusalem. I don't know what awaits me except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after City that jail and suffering are had other versions use the verbage constrained by the spirit. So another words he was forced to go, he was led to go it with a holy spirit that that was a one giving him directions. And not only that. I'm letting people know, you know what these things are. Awaiting you? And yet he was committed to go anyway.

So what does this look like for you?

Maybe it's going back to the question from last week. What has God given you vision for?

I know that he's doing a lot and some of you.

I know that some of you are kind of tiptoeing, Jesus. Is this what you want for me?

Keep asking. Get prayer. Read scripture. And he'll show you.

Paul.

How is a reflection of who Christ was, and that brings me to my third point. That as Believers were setting. An example, we set an example. You know, John has mentioned multiple times over the course of the sermon series. In fact, I think you said it last week, you said it's not so much how we start. It's how we finish, right? And we finish. Strong 2nd Timothy, 4:7 says, I have fought the good fight. I finished the race and I have remained faithful. And as I was, as a man in the Scripture, it reminded me of the moment that Jesus had on the Mount of Olives. And I just want to take us there real quick. Route. 22 starting in verse 39 says, then accompanied by his disciples Jesus. Left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives where he told them pray that you will not give in to Temptation. He walked away about a stone's, throw, he knelt down and he prayed, father, if you are willing, take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine, then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently and he was in such Agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground. Like great drops of blood at last. He stood up again and a return to the disciples, only to find them asleep in exhausted from Grease and he said, why are you sleeping? Get up and pray so that you will not give into temptation.

Jesus gave his disciples some instruction on how they should pray in the present circumstance. We see that Jesus was coming face-to-face with Dad and in it. We see humility in his prayer. And when I read things like this, it gives me peace knowing that he gets it. Like he understands, doesn't he? He understands struggle and he was struggling to find other ways to accomplish what God had for him. God's will for him in his human desire. He was wanting to avoid the path of suffering that was before him yet he accepts the anointing. He accepts the will of God and he remains faithful to the call Jesus, that the example, Paul set the example, and we are two to set that example. We do the same no matter what, no matter how hard it gets, no matter how ugly it gets how bad it hurts would ever the suffering. Looks like it was, personally we stay the course. And I know that some of you have these various trials with much suffering and your personal relationships with family with work. You might look back and think while I was supposed to do this, or I should have done that. But This person that I thought. That happened. It wasn't my fault that this went this way.

God is faithful. So you remain faithful. Stay the course. Again it may not look like what you had intended and I've learned that myself both personally and in Ministry over the course of the last 10 years. I think so. It's going to look this way and it never does.

And never does.

Verse 28, so guard yourself. In God's people, feed the feed and Shepherd, God's flock. His church purchased with his own blood over, which the Holy Spirit has anointed you as leaders

He was giving them this Pat talk. He saying it's your responsibility to care for the church. We care. We protect and we guide our guard. What is his Is 2090 says, I know that false teachers. Like vicious wolves will come in among you. After I leave, not sparing the flock, even some men from your own group of rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following Paul gives us a very Stern warning here. He says watch out remember the three years I was with you my constant watch and Care over you night and day and my many tears for you and now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those, he has set apart for himself. It's important that we are guarding ourselves from wolves. We need to be aware of the dangers that are around us.

And I know that we said this before but I'm going to say it again. Jesus said those closest to you, will betray you.

You need to realize that this is a real thing. It's been in every age, and every generation, and some of you have experienced this firsthand.

it's something that we need to prepare our hearts for

And I hate to say it but kind of always expect it.

Right. Cuz the enemy he is. He's prowling around like a roaring lion waiting to devour.

I believe more than ever.

Do we need to see and have discernment practically and Also spiritually? We have to have eyes to see and ears to hear.

So what does it look like to have wolves? Among Us when he was just a few example.

Some will teach partial truth that can leave people away. They won't teach the whole gospel, it'll be watered down and it will eventually Source in Summit Point to themselves for others to look to you. When in reality or focus on Jupiter, we don't put me on a pedestal. Right, and we also don't lift ourselves up as if we're the only ones that know anyting. I thought we have it, all right.

A wolf's actions and words don't match up. They want to use people for their gain and when we've been around them, for some time we can generally see the state of their heart, right? And like, all, I thought this was, you know, so good. I thought this person was so good and then eventually is like, who what's Happening Here? We can see the true state of their heart and eventually comes out.

And generally.

A false teacher or a wolf, they don't want any sort of accountability.

They have this tendency to Buck Authority and they're unwilling to come under Authority.

First 33 says I have never coveted anyone. Silver or gold are fine clothes. You know, that these hands of mine have worked at Supply, my own need and even the needs of those who were with me and I have been a constant example of how you can help those in Need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord, Jesus, it's more blessed to give than to receive.

When he had finished speaking, he knelt, and he prayed with them and they all cried and embraced and Tim goodbye. They were sad most of all because he said that he would never see them again and they escorted him down to the ship.

We see here that once again, Paul lived out the message of the Gospel as he understood it he worked hard, he loved well and he served giving his all Satan trembles, when we, as Christians reflect the character of Christ, Jesus didn't come out his disciples to go out and reproduce themselves or reproduce what we call Church growth Theory, right? He commanded them and Austin. Go out and bear witness, and give testimony about the true disciple maker Jesus. And he was asking his followers then, and he's asking us now to demonstrate, be obedient servants and give service to the king and all that we do.

And that requires us doing exactly that being obedient servants serving King. Jesus following his way.

You know, sometimes our feelings, get hurt, right?

Sometimes our emotions can actually lie to us. The enemy likes to distort that stuff all the time. Things that come into our minds. We have to be on guard, we have to be. We have to know the truth. And who he says, we are our mission. Important to have a vision. So we can follow his way. And when it comes to the church, the church is not an audience to be entertained is an army to be empowered.

Like each and every one of us is a part of this. If you think oh that's for this person because they seem more annoying to do, that's for the pastor of that that's with no. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you have your part in it. And it is so important to understand that in, to grab that concept, we Proclaim God's Victory and Prayer by agreeing with Jesus, his power, his promises and his will, and his kingdom purposes. We confessed in and we were announced the works of darkness breaking any sort of agreement that we had with the Enemy. We humble ourselves.

Some of you might have family that you need to go to and apologize. And make something right?

Or some of you might have a friend or a spouse or loved one that you need to go to to make it right? Humble yourself.

Even if they hurt you really bad.

We humble ourselves. We submit to God. We resist the devil and he will flee from you. That's James, 4:7

Remember where Paul said in verse 28, he said guard yourself. We will not and cannot endure anything. Without Jesus. Do you have your armor on? Are you wearing that? Are you asking for that?

We need Jesus in the word of God, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will not overcome any type of tension trial or Temptation without the one who paid the price for our sins. We put our faith in Jesus, we die to our self life. And we brace, the Christ LED life. That's important. The we Embrace Eminem, the order to embrace and we have to know him, right? As we experience pressure.

We know that the war between light and darkness good and evil life, and death will continue as a kingdom of heaven. And the kingdom of this world fight for the prize, the Clashing of the Kingdom,

We have, we have to be so aware of what is happening in the spiritual realm and if you're like, Laura, I know nothing about that. Come talk to me. Come talk to me, cuz it's, if it's more even important than what's happening in the Practical. What happens in the Practical realm? What we see here?

Affect the spiritual realm. What happens in the spiritual realm affect the Practical? Mom, I talked about that all the time. We have to have eyes to see and ears to hear

almighty God and his plan to bring Justice against all Rebellion is being played out everywhere and in everyone. There's that tension. I know you experienced it because I experienced it. Everybody does. We have to know whose side were on.

I don't know about you but I am feeling the tension of Israel. And what is happening there?

I ate yesterday was a really busy day for our family of, actually, all of our girls were home, which never happens, but our girls were home along with our knees and I had no idea like what was going on and Daniel my husband worthy back there, he's guarding the door. He always goes the door. He took our girls fishing or some of them fishing, and it was Betty. Betty that reach out to me and

And I looked on the news and you know, this war that is breaking out, it's been 50 years. Since they've declared war.

And as Believers, we keep our eye on that, right?

I know a lot of you are already and have been praying for Israel. Our church has been standing behind is real. We have we've had prayer groups going. We have prayer group going for that. but I just, you know what, when I when I was reading the headlines and Some of you were texting me, I was thinking about this, I was thinking War battles, fighting it all involved. This great pressure hardship, intention and it affects all of us. There have been disruptions, there will continue to be a disruptions on all levels as we walk out at the end days. Really, we've been living in the end times since Jesus came. Right.

Nothing new. It's going to happen. We know that there will be casualties injury, death pain. But we have to remember that the weapons available to every follower of Christ. Our Superior And this is why we pray we intercede and we can 10 for what is right? And what is true?

So we're going to see these things. We've been warned about it. We read about it, we talked about it, We are very, very fortunate to be where we're at. And so it's like God what do you want me to do? We're not there, right? We're here. We intercede on behalf of Israel. We intercede on behalf of what's happening and we said God, your kingdom come, your will be done because it does affect us. It affects our brothers and sisters across the globe. Will you stand with me? We're going to pray. And make it a little uncomfortable but that's okay.

when I pray that the body here at abide along with their greater Church of God, Willfully Express and manifestation. As your sons and your daughters.

With the natural and the power of you Jesus to do Greater Works, which you promised. We would do.

Unity award for your church.

I thank you. Holy Spirit. I thank you for what you did during worship.

I pray God that you would lie that you would guide our prayers for Israel. Our prayers for the broader Church. Our prayers for each other, God.

When someone or something is popping into your mind when you're not even thinking about them, that's the Lord. That's the Holy Spirit nudging, you. To pray to intercede.

God do that in us. Would you nudge us? Lord? Teach us to pray. Your will

soften our hearts gone.

Give us a greater understanding Lord.

Of what you have for us.

Help us to be unified and all that we do Lawrence.

I know your heart is. Where is Real Gone?

I pray that our hearts would be right with you.

In Jesus name, amen.