Remembering the Early Church

Intro

Taking a trip down memory lane. Photo albums remind us of important moments and experiences and our history constructs. It forms us into who we are today. This morning we are going to travel memory lane of Paul’s missionary journey. It reminds who the early church was, and by extension who we are to be.

Transcending Love for One Another v. 1-6

Ex: Use the map to explain verses 1-3. Paul travels through Macedonia to give encouragement and collect the offering for the church in Jerusalem. Acts 11:27-30. Agabus in Antioch. Representatives from various churches who gave gifts to the Jerusalem church. Corinth and Philippi are “missing” but perhaps present in Luke and Titus or even Paul.

ILL: 2 Corinthians 8:1–7 “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.”

EX: Their love expressed itself tangibly and it transcended cultural and ethnic barriers. It also transcended socioeconomic barriers (rich and poor). Aristarchus and Secundus from different classes. Aristocrat and and slave who was second.

APP: Do you know people who are different from you culturally? Do you show love and concern for Christians who are in different socioeconomic class? Are you jealous of the rich? Scoff at their easy? Do you judge the poor? Assume their failures? Do we have compassion for the lost and the hope that they will become found? This is the ancient version of Paul’s facebook friends and Instagram followers. At one point these men were lost pagans. In need of the Gospel.

Do you believe that God has to the power to save those who are not like you? He does, Christians love transcends all earthly barriers because Christ’s power transcends life and death.

The Transcendent Power of the Spirit v. 8-12

EX: They are in Troas and Paul meets with the Christians there on the first day of the week to break bread. This is possibly a reference to Christians meeting on Sunday rather than Saturday as the Jews would. They did this become it was the day of the Lord’s resurrection. Jesus rose on a Sunday. As they met, Paul probably had a sense that he would not see them again. So, he prolongs his speech, dinner to midnight which could have been as long as 4 hours. And this young man (8-14 years old some translate as lad) sits next to a window maybe to avoid smoke from the torches or lamps in the room. And Paul spoke still longer, that is past midnight. So, he falls asleep and falls three stories and is “taken up dead”. Paul then goes down to him and bent over him.

ILL: This is reminiscent of the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 17:17-24. In which a widow’s child dies and Elijah lays him on his bed and stretches himself over the boy. And the boy is resurrected.

EX: Paul says, Acts 20:10b “, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”” Paul then gets up breaks bread and keeps conversing until daybreak!

ILL: Now, I believe this is significant because it connects the ministry of Paul to Elijah, it also connects his ministry to Peter since through Peter Dorcas, Tabitha, was raised from the dead. (Acts 9:40-41) Peter the mouthpiece of the apostles and the connection gives credibilty to Paul’s apostleship. God is uses Paul in a special way. 14 books of the NT. 2 Peter 3:16 and most importantly it connects him to the ministry of Jesus who raised a widow’s son, Jarius’ daughter, and Lazarus. Not to mention the mass resurrection of the saints that rose when Jesus died. And most obvious the resurrection of Christ himself. This is the last miracle on this missionary journey and gifts one last stamp of approval of the missionary work of Paul.

APP: The Bible is filled with resurrection. The God of the Bible rules over life and death itself. He is till conquering death today. As people from all over the world are placing their faith in Christ through missionary efforts and I encourage you to take part in this resurrecting power through giving to Lottie Moon. Last year we gave $820. This year we our goal is $900. The link to give is our our website or you can give by check and write “Lottie Moon” in the memo. You can join in by praying with your family for our missionaries. We pray all week for the highlighted missionary each Sunday. Finally, this is a reminder that is still bringing the dead to life through the Gospel.

Ephesians 2:4–6 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

God really does raise dead and God really does bring spiritually dead people to life. It’s real, and you can trust the Bible. In fact, it is one of the reasons I believe the Lord saw fit to include travel logs.

What Good Are Travel Logs? v. 13-16

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

EX: Map back up. Paul is on a mission to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost and this account details his travel to get there. And for today here is what I want you to see from this travel log. That this would train you in righteousness by reminding you that these are Real People, Real Places, Real Events. The men mentioned in v. 1-6 were real men you listened to Paul and gave their life to travel with him and deliver their churches gifts. They took real risks to display tangible love to other Christians they might never have met. Paul went to real cities like Assos, Mitylene etc. And though it was first century these were real places just like Columbus, Galloway, Prairie Township and your neighborhood. And Eutychus was a real boy that really died. He had a mother and people who cared about him. And really did raise from the dead.

APP: God is still at work with real people, in real places, and doing real miracles as those dead in sin are raised with him to life!

Conclusion

This morning we took a short stroll down the Bible’s memory lane. We remembered Paul’s missionary work in Macedonia, Asia, and Galatia. How these people were changed forever. They loved the church that sent them their missionary, so they were eager to give. We remembered the resurrection of a the Widow’s son, the resurrections performed by Christ, and were reminded that God still raises the dead. I pray we live and pray knowing that God is still working in our midst. Will you fuel the preaching of Redemption Hill Church through your earnest prayers