Sermon Tone Analysis

WOW, we have been out of the building for almost 2 months now.

I don’t know about you, but I have missed our church space!!!

I am totally wowed and blessed by the Middle School allowing us to use this facility at no charge, except to pay the custodians!!!

A tremendous building.

Originally we were supposed to be moving back in about 2 weeks!

UGH!!!

We are nowhere near that due to some delays with remediation and some plan changes.

HOWEVER - that does not mean God is not in control!!!

There may be a few more inconveniences coming up being in the school, we might not be back to our cushy and cheerful building all newly renovated just yet, but that does not mean that God does not have a plan where we are!!!

Sometimes our blessings come in disguise!! Sometimes the conflicts, changes, delays, etc all come with purpose!!!

Purpose that we do not see, but that God knows!

In the book of Acts we see that Paul takes three separate missionary journeys.

On Paul’s second missionary tour God forbid him to go to Ephesus and routed him a different way — we spoke of that a couple of months back.

However, on his third missionary tour - God brought Paul to Ephesus.

Now Paul’s “MO” (mode of operation) was to go to the synagogues and hold services there and conduct his church establishment often beginning with the Jews and people of faith in those places -

However, in Ephesus he made the Jews mad and they kicked him out...

Guess where Paul had to start the church there????

A SCHOOL!!!! that is right — a school!!!

Turn with me to :

This passage is so often skimmed over, but there is a lot we can gather from this experience Paul had!

His normal doors and means of doing what he did was closed off to him, but that would be a blessing in disguise - he would take to meeting in a lecture hall...

LECTURE HALL OF TYRANNUS

We are told that Paul held church services in the “lecture hall of Tyrannus”.

The Greek word for “lecture” is transposed into English spelling as “schole” or school as we pronounce it.

Paul moved his meetings to what was a public school or lecture hall.

We are told that Paul held church services in the “lecture hall of Tyrannus”.

The Greek word for “lecture” is transposed into English spelling as “schole” or school as we pronounce it.

Paul moved his meetings to what was a public school or lecture hall.

Did you notice how Luke summarized their experience in the school?

He said God did EXTRAORDINARY things there!

Did you notice how Luke mentions their experience in the school?

He said God did EXTRAORDINARY things there!

How many want to believe that although we have to extend our time in this school - God may just have some extraordinary things to do????

1. Effectiveness Doesn’t Require the Ideal

Sometimes it’s tempting to think that we need an “ideal situation” to be really effective.

We think our effectiveness is contingent upon the items on our list entitled, “idea situation”.

We might be tempted to think we need

 A building to be an effective church

 A facility that represents the ideal needs

In our lives we often wait for the ideal home, or job, or car, or bank account, or even spouse

Often we don’t even try to do something until we feel that we have these ideals put into place...

I’m not arguing that the ideal things are wrong or even something we should not pursue.

I am just saying that we don’t need the “ideal situation” to be effective!

Paul spent two (2) years in this school in Ephesus.

This time ended up being one of the most productive seasons of his ministry.

Paul spent two (2) years in this school in Ephesus.

This time ended up being one of the most productive seasons of his ministry.

What does this short paragraph tell us happened?

A. God did a miraculous work

 People were healed

 Evil was evicted from people’s lives

 People were delivered from things they were in bondage too (demon possession and addictions)

B. God did a meaningful work.

We are told in verse 9 that the people who followed Paul to the school were “disciples”.

That tells us that

Paul was not only bringing people to Christ, but he was maturing them in their faith.

Paul was not only bringing people to Christ, but he was maturing them in their faith.

 Discipleship and maturing believers.

 Other churches were planted around the area (Colossae, Hierapolis, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea).

 Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to the Corinthians that gives us teaching on (food, idols, Lord’s supper, spiritual gifts, conflict resolution)

 Visitors from other churches came seeking his advice

 They sent out missionaries like Timothy and Erastus to outlying locations

I am not saying we will be doing all of that in the next couple of months, but I am saying that we have an opportune time for God to use us in this place and location.

In some ways - all the students returning to school and their parents are going to see that there is a church in the Middle School - what if we prayed that surrounding our stuff and from our name being present that a great awakening would occur in hearts and draw people in!!!

C. God did an influential work.

The impact they had upon their community while in the school was amazing.

“This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.”

()

We know from the book of Revelation that churches were planted in the surrounding area in places we have no record of Paul being at.

Places like

 Colossae

 Hierapolis

 Smyrna

 Pergamum

 Thyatira

 Sardis

 Philadelphia

 Laodicea

It was while they were meeting in a school that this church had such an effective and powerful impact upon their community.

God can do the same thing through us meeting here!

Aren’t you thankful that God is not limited by our ideals???? AMEN!

2. Limitations Don’t Limit God

There is another surprising truth that emerges from this story.

Although we may appear to be inconvenienced by our limitations, God isn’t!

We are told that Paul held church services in the “lecture hall of Tyrannus”.

The fact that this lecture hall is mentioned sheds interesting light upon the teaching situation God used.

The Greek word for “lecture” is transposed into English spelling as “schole” or school as we pronounce it.

Let’s look at three human limitations this location presented.

Paul moved his meetings to what was a public school or lecture hall.

The fact that this lecture hall is mentioned sheds interesting light upon the teaching situation God used.

So let’s look at three human limitations this location presented.

A. It was an impractical limitation

Lecturers or philosophers took a break in the schedule during the hottest part of the day between 11 am and 2 pm.

The public schools or lecture halls were made available to outside groups like Paul’s at this time because of availability and that no one else wanted to be there at that time.

B. It was an inconvenient limitation

Some of the oldest translations of the Bible imply that Paul taught between the hours of 11 am and 2 pm each day.

That was also the lunch and siesta time.

Those attending would have had to be willing to sacrifice lunch and siesta.

One historian said that there were more people asleep at 1PM in Ephesus than there were at 1 AM.

IT WAS AN INCONVENIENT TIME OF DAY!!!

In a day where convenience is EVERYTHING - we fear inconveniencing people would only make for loss or struggle - but not when God steps in!