Call Of Duty (Acts 20:16-21:1)

Most of us can probably think of a movie where a character is about to escape some situation but, with almost no time to spare, they decide they have to go and settle one last score. If it’s the hero, it gives them one more chance to do something heroic before getting away just in time. In those scenes the characters make that choice because they feel like they must do it. They’ve got to sort out something that’s been left unfinished. It’s a matter of honor and duty and passion.

We see something a little like that in our text this evening. Paul is hurrying out of the Gentile world, trying to get to Jerusalem in time for Pentecost, but before the ship pulls out into the Mediterranean he decides he’s got to take care of something. And what follows is a very tender meeting between him and some of his friends from the city of Ephesus.

As they talk it’s clear that Paul felt it was his duty to give them this farewell. He testifies that he had faithfully carried out his duty toward them and then he charges them with duties of their own. Though this is a meeting of pastors there is still a lot for all of us to learn in this tearful goodbye.

We begin in chapter 20, verse 16.

Acts 20:16 – 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost.

It’s unusual for Paul to avoid something. We sometimes see him willing to go talk to violent mobs. Sometimes he was willing to be illegally beaten. So why was he hoping to bypass the province of Asia? Well, he wanted to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost. Scholars calculate that he’d have about 30 days to get there, which is not a lot of time when it comes to first century travel across the empire.

Throughout this section we see Paul making decisions. He decided to go back through Macedonia. He decided to walk, rather than sail, to Assos. He’s deciding to sail past Ephesus. Your life is full of decisions. Some of them are more trivial, some are monumental. But we can’t always tell which is which, right? So what should we do? On the one hand, we don’t want to live in such a way that we become paralyzed. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you don’t need to pray for an hour before deciding what socks to wear tomorrow. But, at the same time, we don’t want to swing the other side and live a life that neglects to include God in our decision-making. God has an opinion on where you live and where you go to college and where you work and how you fill your days. More than an opinion, our Lord has intentions and commands for us to follow. How do we do that? The believers in Acts did it by being Spirit-filled. We’re watching them do it, page after page.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:

1 Corinthians 7:17 (ESV) – 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit is our Helper who will teach us all things and guide us in the truth. We have the Scriptures as a guide for how to live a Godly life. With these precious gifts, we can make decisions that keep us in line with God’s will and put us in position to be used for His glory. That’s how Paul was making these choices.

Acts 20:17 – 17 Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church.

Their ship must have had a layover, so Paul squeezed out this one last mission before they left port. It was about 30 miles from city to city. I’ve never had to walk to the Fresno Airport, that’s about how far it would be. But, after receiving this sudden summons, these elders come straightaway.

Now, why was only Ephesus represented? What about the other cities in Asia that had churches? Well, it seems God placed an urgent message on Paul’s heart for this group, a prophecy in fact.

Acts 20:18-19 – 18 When they came to him, he said to them, “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.

Paul is convinced that he’s never going to see these people again, though he would write to them the letter we have in our Bibles after this encounter. But even though he could write, there was a pressing need in his heart to have this talk with them.

God will sometimes set time-sensitive duties and opportunities before us. We think of the owners of the upper room in which Jesus had His last supper with the disciples. God had led them to make that room ready, and it was in a specific window of time. As soon as Paul finishes with these guys, they walk him onto the boat. We can almost see the crew loading cargo and drawing up the gangways as they huddle together, but this was a needful meeting.

As he begins, we see Paul being very personal and genuine. It’s hard to get a clear picture on what Paul was like when you interacted with him personally, but we get a glimpse here. He reminds them that he was emotionally affectionate and it was genuine. More importantly, he invites them to think back and consider how his life matched the Gospel he preached. His life was defined by humility and service to the Lord. And I think that’s an important note in his choice of words: What Paul did was not for the human community. It wasn’t for the cause of justice. It was service he was rendering to the Lord as his Master. Now, our God is a God of community and justice, but Christians sometimes get their own ideas about how to bring those things about and then slap the name of Jesus on it, when it wasn’t His idea at all.

Our duty in this life is to serve the Lord. As Master, He will send us to minister to others, but let everything we do be unto Him.

There are a lot of tears in these verses. It shows us that Paul wasn’t simply a traveling speaker or performer. He had a real connection to these people. God wants us to connect with Christians this way. We can’t build a personal relationship with every Christian we meet, but we are to be knit together with some local fellowship of believers.

Let’s pause to consider how amazing it is to see that all the hate Paul had for Christians earlier in his life has been replaced by God’s love. It’s incredible what God can do in a heart. Not that long ago, Paul had been a man who wanted every Christian destroyed. Now, he risked his own life to make more Christians and to serve them.

But this sort of brotherly love is not just a Paul thing. We each have a duty to cultivate and live out this sort of love for God’s people.

1 Corinthians 16:14 – 14 Do everything in love.

Colossians 3:14 – 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

1 Peter 4:8 – 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Proverbs 10:12 – 12 Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.

Part of the way the Gospel transforms us is washing the hate out of our hearts and replacing it with love. There are things that make us angry. People we would like gone. But the love of Christ compels us into the kind of caring compassion that took Jesus to the cross to die for His enemies.

Acts 20:20 – 20 You know that I did not avoid proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching you publicly and from house to house.

We see here that Paul wasn’t doing what he did in order to be popular or receive the favor of man. He was no politician. Yet, even though he was above all that, he was deeply devoted to people and he was devoted to fortifying them through the teaching of the Word of God.

When the Bible is taught, the goal should be that people are convicted of sin and are shown how to be strong in the Lord. Whether that’s for salvation or sanctification (the day-by-day process of becoming more like Jesus), God’s Word is not meant to bully. It does make demands on us and it reveals that we are sinners, but it does that so we can then realize why and how Jesus came to save us from our sin. When Paul taught, people weren’t depleted, they were enriched by the truth.

Acts 20:21 – 21 I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.

Faith without repentance is not genuine. In the movies they will use movie money. There are two kinds, depending on how close the shot is going to be and how realistic it needs to look. One of them is very close to real money on the front, but on the back it’s blank. The one side can seem as real as can be, but it’s of no value without the back also. The same is true with repentance and faith.

Ray Stedman has a good thought about repentance and how it is a duty we carry out not just once when we become born again, but continually as we walk with God:

“To repent means to stop thinking and acting and living the way you have been. Instead, step out in faith. Trust the living Lord who is in you to operate through you, and venture out, move out! The Christian life is intended to be exciting, compelling, always interesting, always different, always lived on the verge of adventure and danger. That is why it must be characterized by faith. So, you see, there are the two basic steps, and you must take them over and over again. The way you begin the Christian life is to repent and believe. And that also constitutes your walk through the Christian life.”

Certain jobs have ongoing fitness requirements or qualifications that must be kept up. I think the marines have 2 a year. As believers, we have a duty to continue in repentance and faith.

Acts 20:22-23 – 22 “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, 23 except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.

It was humbling to see what Paul wrote here and then wonder when I last heard from the Holy Spirit. Have we interacted with Him lately? We never want our relationship with Him to be like one of those old friends that, if asked about, you say, “Oh I haven’t heard from that Guy in forever!”

Paul knew he was headed for trouble. The Spirit wasn’t warning him in order to stop him from going, but to prepare him for what was ahead. As believers, we have a duty to face the unknown and to accept the fact that sometimes suffering is part of the package. Subscription boxes are all the rage right now. Blue Apron, KiwiCo, Bespoke Post. You don’t always know what’s going to come in the box, right? It’s been curated just for you. In the spiritual life, it’s not all that different. “What’s in the box today? Ok…some encouragement and some new wisdom. I see we’ve got some suffering in there too!”

But, as one commentator wrote: “We should not shrink from danger or from death. Duty is to be done at all hazards. It is ours to follow the directions of God; results we may safely and confidently leave with him.”

Paul was at peace because he knew that, since he was walking with God, it didn’t really matter what he met on the road ahead. His Savior and Friend could be trusted to keep him in His loving care.

Acts 20:24 – 24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

Paul really wanted to finish his race. He wanted to finish it well, and he didn’t necessarily want it to be over early, but he was looking forward to the end. By this point he had already had his vision of heaven we read about in 2nd Corinthians, so we can sympathize. But, as he headed to that finish line, he wanted to play out every last second.

That doesn’t mean we can never stop doing something that we do right now for the Lord. Paul was about to enter a very different season of ministry, one where he didn’t travel the world establishing churches. But even when life changed, his purpose and desire to serve God did not. In that sense, no matter whether the terrain was a level sprint or a slow, rocky climb, he kept going.

Acts 20:25-27 – 25 “And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again. 26 Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27 because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God.

Paul reveals here that we have a duty to the people around us. To bring them the Gospel. Many of you have probably been in a safety training and heard the poem “I Chose To Look The Other Way” by Don Merrell. It opens:

I could have saved a life that day,
But I chose to look the other way.
It wasn’t that I didn’t care,
I had the time, and I was there.

I don’t want us to be condemned, but reminded that we do have a commission and command to go and preach to those who are lost. As we do so, both individually and as a church, like Paul we want to keep in mind the “whole plan of God.” God’s plan for a person or a family or all mankind is more than just the 5 popular topics that stock Christian bookshelves. Marriage, parenting, finances, those sorts of self-helps that are constantly churned again and again. God has a comprehensive and involved plan, spanning from creation to consummation and it’s all knit together. So, we want to be aware of it and learning more about it. We can be by systematically reading and studying the whole of the Bible. Paul believed that it was his duty to be well-versed in the plan of God and we do too.

Acts 20:28-31 – 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.

So now, he is giving the watch over to these spiritual shipmates. It wasn’t that he was tired of helping them, far from it. But the Lord was leading him on and so he had to lay the care of this church down for others to take up as their duty.

It would’ve been quite a loss, in one sense, to have Paul say, “This is it. I’m headed out. You’re on your own.” And then to be told that some very real threats were going to come against their church, specifically. But, Paul was telling them and had shown them how to equip themselves for the job ahead. What a great thing that God empowers us to continue the work of the church in an unbroken chain of growth from that time until now.

Part of their job was going to be resisting these wolves. Toward that end Paul told them to stay alert. Not paranoid, but watchful. There’s a difference between the two. And watchfulness is part of being on duty. Paying attention and using our minds and keeping a look out.

Acts 20:32-35 – 32 “And now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me. 35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

So, we’re got a duty to love and to be alert and also, we see, to walk in grace. Grace is the way. It is able to build and repair and fortify. Though wolves would be doing their thing, we know there were also faithful men there. Men like Timothy.

We see in Paul’s example that we have a duty to be content. Paul had laid hold of contentment, both in blessing and in severe want. We can too, because we have the same Spirit within us. In Hebrews 13 we’re commanded: “Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have.”

Along with that we see Paul saw it as his duty to provide for others. We would flesh this out to mean those who cannot provide for themselves. We know Timothy had many infirmities. He may have had long periods where he was unable to work. Today, we have many wonderful ways to provide for those who have no provision. And it is our duty to allow the Spirit to lead us into which of those He would like us to involve ourselves in, if we’re able.

Acts 20:36-21:1 – 36 After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. 37 There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship. 1 After we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail straight for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

It’s a sad farewell, but as most of us know, this life has far too many sad farewells. But, though we may have to part ways with those Christians who are dearest to us in this life, we can know that we will be reunited with them again in heaven. Where there will be no more hurt, no more wolves, no more danger. Only joy forevermore, together with our Lord.

God has given us so much and part of it is duty. Duty to Him and then to others. Duty to love, to preach, to give, to watch, to face the unknown, to obey, to repent, to run the race. These aren’t thing we have to do in order to earn salvation or to make God happy with us. But they are part of the transformation the Lord accomplishes in us and the wonderful Kingdom work He has sent us out to be a part of. We have what we need to do all these things. Now we get to live them.

Lessons Of The Fall (Acts 20:2-15)

I love watching those super slow speed replays of athletic motion that they can capture these days. Whether it’s swimmers taking off from the block in an Olympic race or a keeper diving and twisting to save a shot on goal. One of the best is the baseball swing. It’s a thing of beauty. “Hitting a ball with a round bat is considered one of the most difficult skills in sport.” From stance to contact to follow through there’s an incredible amount of motion as muscle groups from the feet and legs up through the abdominals into the shoulders, arm and neck all do their part, some turning one way, some turning another, all together an amazing, graceful movement.

Everybody’s stance and swing is just a little bit different, but each member of the team is on the same side, part of the same effort, and gets a chance to contribute toward the common victory.

In our passage tonight we see a lot of motion as Paul and his gang of eight move through various cities on their way toward Jerusalem. As they go, we’re able to see the beautiful, grace-filled motion of Christian ministry, with many different things happening, but happening harmoniously and effectively. Looking at these verses, we can highlight some principles and characteristics of doing God’s work in a way that glorifies Him, strengthens others and keeps us in spiritual scoring position.

As we begin, Paul is headed out of Ephesus. In verse 2 we read:

Acts 20:2-3a – 2 And when he had passed through those areas [of Macedonia] and offered them many words of encouragement, he came to Greece 3 and stayed three months.

Throughout this whole section a general characteristic of Christian ministry is that it is full of activity. That isn’t to suggest that Christians should be busy for busy’s sake. As we’ve seen many times, there are specific things God the Holy Spirit wants to lead you in and to simply do other things just to do them is actually detrimental to your spiritual development. But, there’s no denying that for all the disciples in this book, the Christian life is a life of active service. Some stay local, some travel out. Some speak, others sew, but everyone is engaged.

We also see here (and later in verse 12), that Christian activity is characterized by encouragement. Now, encouragement isn’t just flattery or blind optimism. In the Bible it means to help, exhort and comfort. Paul here was going around speaking urgently to these young churches, some of whom would go through very difficult times, but, though the message was urgent, it wasn’t meant to weigh them down with a burden. Christian ministry is encouraging because its aim is always to build up. Even when Paul had to go deal with serious issues in, say, Corinth, his goal wasn’t to tear down what had been built there, but to strengthen them in the truth and in the Spirit.

Our messaging, our ‘many words,’ should be the same. What are my words building? If I have to give a correction to a fellow believer, am I doing so with the intention of building them back up, or am I just hurling words at them, wanting them to feel stung like a brick through a window? When I speak to non-believers, what’s my goal? In Acts we see that the Christian goal was that they would believe and be saved. The words flowed on a river of compassion and grace, not anger and venom.

Now, before we move on, Paul was giving many words of encouragement to these believers, but with a backdrop of unrest and the potential for very real persecution. These were people who acknowledged that, in some cases, they may be attacked, imprisoned or killed for coming to church. And we can be sure that Paul did not say, “Nah, none of that is going to happen!” In fact, he probably said the opposite. And yet, they were comforted and built up.

Our words of encouragement (at this point) usually are less about persecution and more about suffering. The people you know are struggling with sickness or loss or fear. Our words of encouragement shouldn’t be platitudes that “everything is going to work out.” Or that God is going to heal every affliction they have in this life. In the end, all will be made well, all suffering will be dealt with, but in this life, lots of Christians are going to suffer and die and our encouragement, our support for them needs to be true and honest, otherwise it is no support at all.

Acts 20:3b – The Jews plotted against him when he was about to set sail for Syria, and so he decided to go back through Macedonia.

Flexibility is a characteristic of Christian ministry. We can’t always predict what is going to happen and what obstacles we might face. Rather than walk off the field, we just need to adjust our swing. When a pitcher throughs a curveball, the batter doesn’t throw up his hands and say, “I thought you were just gonna throw them nice and slow right down the middle!” That’s not how it works.

It seems that Paul had booked his passage and that, perhaps, these guys were planning to take the voyage with him and maybe toss him over the side once they were out in the open sea. We don’t know for sure, but at the last minute the plan had to change.

The Jews’ plot backfired, because instead of making a beeline for Syria, Paul decides to extend his trip and goes back to do more ministry through Macedonia.

Acts 20:4 – 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.

We’ll see in the next verse that Dr. Luke joins the group once again as well. So you have a team of 9 guys on their quest to Jerusalem. The fellows in this list were probably selected by their churches to be a part of the delegation that was bringing relief money from the Gentiles to the church in Jerusalem. That was the major purpose of their trip together. And it highlights for us that a characteristic of Christian ministry is generosity. The Gentile Christians in Corinth, on the human level, had nothing to do with the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. But, as far as they were concerned, they were family. If Jews were suffering and Gentiles could send relief, of course they’d supply what they could.

In the Bible we are commanded to make generosity a priority. We’re told that our financial giving to the work of God should be regular, sacrificial and joyful. We should support local ministry and allow the Spirit to lead us in how we can support wider ministry of evangelism and compassion. What you give should be motivated by love, but it should be happening. It’s not a question of ‘if’ but of ‘which.’

Now, these guys listed here show us a few things about Christian ministry. First, the fact that they exist and are here participating in the work reminds us that the goal of local church ministry isn’t just to generate some program. The goal is to harvest people. To save them out of the clutches of sin and then to help them become fruitful members of Christ’s Body. Paul didn’t go to these cities and say, “Ok, we need to establish a program that will generate money to feed hungry people in Judea.” He preached the Gospel, then, when people got saved, he established local churches and then those people lived out the Christian life, which included activity like generosity and compassion and all that. Churches can become project or program oriented and the expense of actual people and that’s not what we want. People in the church aren’t cogs, they’re children of God.

We also note that these guys had different levels of experience, different areas of expertise. But they were all useful in God’s hands. The Lord could bring them together to work harmoniously, taking curve after curve together.

Acts 20:5-6 – 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread. In five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.

Again, we would note their flexibility. Sometimes in the Christian life we find ourselves waiting, sometimes we’re moving. Sometimes we get to be reunited with friends in ministry, sometimes we’re doing stuff with strangers. But this group of guys were a well-oiled machine, because they were filled with the Spirit and shared a common heart of grace.

Acts 20:7 – 7 On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread. Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he kept on talking until midnight.

A characteristic of the Christian life we might draw out here is the camaraderie of believers. We use the word ‘fellowship’ a lot, but that’s a somewhat old fashioned term. To be ‘in fellowship’ with other Christians means to share together with them. Sharing one another’s sufferings and one another’s blessings. It means we partner together in faith. It is meant to be a living, family bond. And that means we embrace one another, warts and all, in love and friendship, with Christ as our focus.

When it says Paul kept on talking until midnight we shouldn’t assume he was just monologuing for 6 hours. Rather, scholars point out that the term used means he discoursed with them. Undoubtedly he had a lot to say, but they also had a lot to ask. During this section of Acts it’s believed that Paul wrote 2nd Corinthians, Romans, maybe Galatians as well. So clearly he had a lot of doctrine on his mind. But these were young Christians who would’ve had a ton of questions. And, Paul was probably assuming he’d never see these people again. That’s what he’s going to tell the Ephesians in the next passage, so it’s probably his thinking here as well.

Acts 20:8 – 8 There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled,

This large, upper room, was probably filled with smoke. These people had probably worked a full shift all day long. That is going to give some context to what’s coming next. But, before moving on, we should highlight the fact that integrity is a characteristic of Christian ministry. We see it also in how they’re handling the funds being collected. There was nothing shady going on. They conducted themselves on the up and up. Now, the Christians of that time were sometimes accused of very strange things. It was suggested they may be cannibals. Some accused them of having weird, secret meetings in the dark where they butcher babies and commit acts of incest.

Obviously none of that was true, butI appreciate that the Christians here behaved like Daniel. Lights on, windows open, gathering together openly. That doesn’t mean Christians are never driven underground, when possible, they were public with their activity. “You say we’re eating human flesh, well let us show you what the Lord’s supper actually is.” It’s a sad thing when you hear in the news about underhanded, questionable practices are happening with God’s money or in a ministry. That shouldn’t be true of God’s people.

Acts 20:9 – 9 and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead.

Some commentators say that the devil pushed him out the window to distract Paul! Others rail on poor Eutychus for not being spiritual enough to stay awake. Listen – he probably had worked from dawn till dusk. Now was on hour 6 of a church meeting. The room is stuffy and hot and filled with oil smoke. He’s just trying to get a breath of air…he probably gave his real seat up to someone else. And he just finally tanks out. I know I’ve felt this way before. There have been times where we’ve been overseas and we’re just wiped from travel and everything and we’re in some church meeting and I’m about to nod off and I’m thinking, “Man, is it going to look bad if I fall asleep right now.” So, let’s not criticize this poor guy.

We can learn something from this example, though: Accidents happen. In this case, everything is going to work out great right away – Eutychus is going to be raised from the dead – but sometimes, lots of times, that’s now how it works. God’s people get hurt. God’s people die. Not because God pushed them out the window or even the devil did, but because we live in a fallen world. Here at Calvary, we’re not Calvinistic when it comes to salvation. But if you stop and think about it, a lot of Christians sort of become Calvinists when it comes to things that happen in life. Listen: sometimes calamities just happen. Not so God can work a miracle and not because people were so worthy of judgment, but because the world has been infected with death. John the Baptist wasn’t beheaded in order that God might do some glorious miracle. And when a tower collapsed on some people in Siloam in Luke 13 they didn’t die because they were worse sinners than other people. The world has been ruined. And God is working a large-scale, cosmic plan to redeem. In the meantime, sometimes people fall out of windows. Let’s be careful not to blame God for that.

Acts 20:10 – 10 But Paul went down, bent over him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, because he’s alive.”

Some try to suggest that Eutychus wasn’t actually dead, but he was. A medical doctor pronounced him dead. What we’re seeing here is a miracle. But it also serves as a type in a few ways.

First of all, this is a type of what God has done for you. But it is also a type of what we can do for one another. Paul, maybe on this very trip, wrote this to the Galatians:

Galatians 6:1 – if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

Eutychus had been overcome by sleep and, as a result, fell. Paul, his loving brother, gently and compassionately took him up in his arms and brought him back into fellowship with the others.

This is a characteristic of Christian ministry: We’re to intervene in these situations and do what we can to restore the fallen back into the Body.

Acts 20:11-12 – 11 After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul talked a long time until dawn. Then he left. 12 They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

We might note here that there is a practicality in the Christian life. There was food that needed to be prepared, lamps that needed to be filled with oil, chairs to set out. It wasn’t just all emotionalism or individualism. And, I do love that after this shocking event – the death of a young man – Paul treats it simply as an intermission. He goes back and starts teaching again. Sometimes, if we’re not careful, we start to become superstitious about things. God does lead in subtle ways sometimes, but this accident with Eutychus wasn’t a ‘sign’ that Paul should stop. I was driving somewhere the other day and just as I got on the freeway a cardboard box full of something in the truck in front of me sailed out of his bed and bam right into me. That’s a drag, but it wasn’t a sign that I should turn back home.

The passage closes with a trip itinerary.

Acts 20:13-15 – 13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul on board, because these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went on to Mitylene. 15 Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and the day after, we came to Miletus.

One characteristic that we might pull out here is that the Christian life is one of endurance. Whether you were the guys on the boat or Paul walking 20 miles to the next town, it was an effort. Inning after inning, the pitches kept coming. Sometimes straight down the middle, sometimes crazy curveballs high and inside. But we see the Christians in motion, full of grace, sometimes being brushed back, sometimes hitting a home run, but consistently accomplishing great things with the Lord.

And that’s one of the great things about this book. It shows that no Christian is meant to be a lifeless drone in some rigid operation. Paul, on this leg of his trip, would write Romans and explain that we are all various parts of One Body, with various abilities and tasks. Using the baseball analogy, you might be at bat or you might be on deck. But everyone is part of the action. And though we can’t predict each pitch we’re going to get thrown at us (we may even get beaned by one or two), we can continue what was started in Acts. As we, too, engage in the Christian life and take our swings. We can be taught and be teaching. We can be generous and practical. We can be active and flexible. We can live with endurance and camaraderie with our teammates. These are the motions of the Christian life. We are the ones at bat. God has called us out onto the field. And that is an exciting thought.

Rage Against The Missionary (Acts 19:21-20:1)

After years of uninterrupted ministry, we find ourselves in a time where Christianity is becoming more suspect to the world around us. There are some who suggest that church gatherings are “super-spreaders” of COVID-19. We see officials trying to make the case that Amy Coney Barrett’s faith is going to lead to the ruin of the American society if she is confirmed to the Supreme Court.

At the same time we see a general backdrop of societal unrest. It’s truly an usual time. While I’m not suggesting that we are facing the kind of persecution that Paul faced in Ephesus, I will say that the idea of a sudden riot breaking out in our town and Christians being called on the carpet is not as far-fetched as it used to be.

We’re seeing lots of demonstrations in lots of places over lots of issues. Some are peaceful, some are not. Some are rallies, some are riots. Often, the point of these gatherings is to angrily complain about who is to blame for one problem or another. No doubt many of you have been invited to a gathering of that sort. And, these sorts of peaceful protests have their place in a free society. But what is our part to play? Or, what might we expect and how might we respond in a time like this?

God’s word gives us guidance and an example here in Acts 19. And even if this passage isn’t meant to be direct preparation for us, we can still be built up by being reminded of what Christianity is. We can be built up and fortified against the kinds of attacks the enemy might use in our city or our nation. And we can be reminded of just how helpful and essential the Church really is.

We begin in verse 21 of chapter 19.

Acts 19:21 – 21 After these events, Paul resolved by the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. “After I’ve been there,” he said, “It is necessary for me to see Rome as well.”

We saw last time that a wonderful revival was taking place in the city of Ephesus. Lots of people were getting saved and having their lives transformed. We’re about 25 years past Pentecost at this point. And Paul has spent the last 2 or 3 years in the city of Ephesus being used by God. But now, he’s decided to move on. Rather, I should say that he and the Lord decided it. Certainly it was his desire to go back to some of the places he had been before, but it wasn’t just his plan. The Holy Spirit compelled him to go. In the next chapter he’ll say he was bound to do it.

It shows us that Paul consistently had plans for future ministry, while not neglecting present opportunities. Paul was great about being in the moment and seeing what was right in front of him, the needs, the open doors, the chances to preach and the minister. But he also kept making future plans for more service to the Lord. If we follow his thinking during this time in his life, piecing together what’s written here and what he wrote elsewhere, his plan was to go to Greece then Jerusalem, on to Rome and even as far as Spain. He had a passion for ministry and the preaching of the Gospel. And, while we might say he was motivated by those personal desires, we also see he disciplined himself to be directed by God the Holy Spirit. This mentality kept him from becoming the kind of person that never did anything until that one big opportunity came alone, but also kept him from just doing his own thing and calling it missions.

Now, if you were to look at a map, you’d see that if he wanted to end up in Jerusalem, going to Macedonia was the wrong way. Why take the long way ‘round? Well, trouble was brewing in the church at Corinth and he felt a duty to get involved. And he also wanted to gather an offering from the Gentile churches to be brought to the believers in need in Jerusalem.

So, it wasn’t just that Paul wanted to do something new and exciting. This can happen to Christians sometimes. There’s an excitement to do something fun and new. And often God does call us to do new things. But it’s always easier to pick the job of planting a tree than pulling a bunch of weeds. And, in the wide scope of ministry, sometimes we’re going to be asked to do the weed pulling.

Acts 19:22 – 22 After sending to Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

We see a selflessness in this act. These guys helped Paul, but for the sake of the family in Corinth, he sent them out. Timothy had a pastor’s heart and Corinth needed a compassionate pastor. Erastus, we learn in Romans 16 had been the city treasurer there. So he was a great candidate to send to prepare the gathering of funds for relief in Judea.

While your resume doesn’t determine or limit what kind of thing you can do for God, you can use your abilities and position for the furtherance of the Gospel. Dorcas could sew. She used that for Christ. Joseph of Arimathea had money and influence. He used them for Christ. If you have a mind for administration, offer it to the Lord. If you’re in a position of leadership in a company or a municipality, use it to glorify the name of Christ.

Acts 19:23 – 23 About that time there was a major disturbance about the Way.

Why now? Why not shake things up in the last 2 years? Of course, we know the devil can’t simply do whatever he wants, God was extending protection to Paul throughout his ministry in Ephesus. But now, just as the apostle was about to pack up, there was an onslaught.

It reminded me of a moment in the classic movie Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. Khan, the villain, is chasing the heroes and they’re about to escape into a nebula. One of Khan’s lieutenants says, “If they go in there, we’ll lose them.” So Khan says, “Explain it to them.” And they open fire on the Enterprise and the battle ensues. Paul is launching out again. I’m sure, in his strategizing, the devil would rather have had him stuck in one place than on the move.

Now here Christianity is referred to as “the Way.” We don’t use that phrase much anymore, but maybe we should. It reminds us that we are headed somewhere. We are leaving this world behind and we’re supposed to bring people along with us. We’re reminded that this Way is a different way than the unbelieving world is taking. Different destination. Different pace. Different scenery and purpose. We’re reminded that it is the Way, not the Stance. By definition it’s an image of progress and development and growth. It requires participation and endurance and trust as we walk along after the leading of the Lord, often without much visibility.

Why were the unbelieving Ephesians so disturbed? We’ll get some specifics in a moment, but we know, generally, it was because these people became so different. Those who had been pagan weren’t pagan anymore. Those who had shared a mindset of materialism didn’t feel the same way. This caused a great agitation among the unbelievers. That’s a great contrast to what is meant to be true of us as Christians. The Gospel made them agitated, it’s to make us agents of peace and joy.

Acts 19:24 – 24 For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, provided a great deal of business for the craftsmen.

This guy was a leader among those who made pornographic, pagan mementos for worshipers and tourists who went to the temple of Diana. We also learn that he was doing just fine. A great deal of business. But his business was a detriment to the lives and souls of people and, ultimately, the world around him. He helped furnish their spiritual prisons.

Some professions are wrong. There are industries that God-fearing people have no business being a part of. I don’t need to list them because the Holy Spirit will disqualify them in your heart as you walk with Him. But what we do in the 9-to-5 matters. And if it brings destruction and enslavement to people, we should count it as loss and walk away, just as so many Ephesians had done.

Acts 19:25 – 25 When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said, “Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business.

So here we have the primary reason for the disturbance: Christianity was a threat to their prosperity.

Is God for prosperity? There is a whole swath of teaching called the “prosperity Gospel” that suggests that God wants you to be healthy and wealthy and have material blessing. Reading the Bible, I think a fairer question to ask is whether God is against prosperity. The answer has to be “Sometimes, but not always.” God is against ill-gotten wealth. He’s opposed to people becoming rich through taking advantage of others. And He often warns us about the spiritual dangers of material prosperity.

But, it’s also clear that being well off is not, as a rule, a bad thing. Many of the Old Testament heroes were incredibly wealthy. Even here in the book of Acts we see faithful, Spirit-filled believers who had a lot compared to others. Lydia is one. She used her wealth to bless people. Cornelius had a household and, we’re told, gave a lot of money to the poor.

It’s the heart that God is interested in, not the wallet. But we should be careful, because the wallet tends to exert influence over the heart. So be on watch for that danger.

Acts 19:26-27 – 26 You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods. 27 Not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin—the very one all of Asia and the world worship.”

They considered Christianity to not only be a threat to their prosperity, but also to their philosophy and their prominence. They said, “Paul is teaching that hand made gods are not gods!” What a sad philosophy to believe in. “This little silver idol will protect me and give my life meaning and bring me vibrance and fertility!” We’re removed from that overtly pagan way of thinking. But the human heart must rely on something. Today we might substitute a paycheck or career in the place of the silver shrine. My ‘identity’ or affiliation becomes that thing that we think will keep our lives steered on course. God comes along and dismantles those lies, revealing how lost and rudderless we are without Him, but then gives us truth to build a real life on. A good life that matters.

As Christians, we want to be delivering truth. We can argue against the philosophies of this world, and should, with the end goal being that we give people the truth of life.

The Ephesians were bothered that Christianity might destroy the prominence of their proudly pagan city. They can’t even hear the absurdity of their beliefs. Hearing them talk, you’d think the Artemis was some sort of ancient Tinkerbell, who can only survive if enough people clap for her. Puny god!

This pulls back a curtain for us, though. Don’t expect people out in the world to hold rational beliefs. This is important in a volatile time like we find ourselves in. People believe crazy things. They make sense to them because they’re trapped in their sin. There’s no use beating them upside the head. It’s the heart that we need to focus on. The truth will set them free. So we want to base our ministries and our behaviors on the unchaining truth of Scripture.

What’s a real world application of that idea? Well, let me just say this: In this passage, there’s no Christian petition to close the Temple of Artemis. I’m guessing there was a lot of prayer for that to happen, but the Christians believed that if a person’s life was transformed, they wouldn’t keep being pagan. And that’s true. So, listen, I’ve signed petitions. We’re not against them. But the ultimate answer for what’s wrong in our society is that people need to be set free from sin and given new life in Christ. We can prove it from the Bible and we can prove it from history. You look at historic revivals, like the revival in Wales in 1904, and you see how places are transformed once people are transformed. During that 1 year revival, maybe 150,000 people were saved out of the population of 2.4 million. But even that relatively small percentage was enough that “The crime rate dropped, often to nothing. The police force reported that they had little more to do than supervise the coming and going of the people to the chapel prayer meetings, while magistrates turned up at courts to discover no cases to try. The mines underground echoed with the sounds of prayer and hymns, instead of nasty jokes. And, [they say] not only did the miners put in a better day’s work, but also that the pit ponies were so used to being cursed and sworn at, that they couldn’t understand orders being given in kind, clean words! Yet, still the work output increased.”

That’s the kind of salty effect we’re meant to have in Hanford and the wider world.

Acts 19:28-29 – 28 When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.

This mob was marked by rage. We’re to be a group marked by joy. It’s easy to be angry. It’s God’s intent that we be full of grace. Think of people God used in great revivals. Evan Roberts was one of those used in a major way in Wales. “Someone remarked that the most striking feature of the revival ‘is the joyousness and radiant happiness of the evangelist…The very essence of his campaign is mirth.’” Think of Chuck Smith, used by God during the Jesus Movement of the 1960s. A man of grace and joy.

Now think of the movements shaking our nation today. They’re marked by rage and anger and destruction and violence. That’s not from God.

This angry mob went and found two of Paul’s friends and dragged them out into the riot. I’m guessing it was a surprise to them, but, then again, this is what you sign up for when you become a believer. You’re not only joining the ranks of heaven, you’re enlisting in a war where you’re promised trouble, hatred and attack from the enemies of God. We know that Aristarchus would later become a prisoner for Christ along with Paul. We’ve signed up for the same thing.

Acts 19:30-31 – 30 Although Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him. 31 Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to venture into the amphitheater.

Paul is often pictured alone in a cell or adrift in the sea, so it’s a nice reminder that he had friends who really loved him. And they knew he wouldn’t hold back, but would go put himself in danger for the sake of his friends and the Gospel. Yet, in this situation, that wouldn’t have been wise. Matthew Henry wrote: “We may be called upon to lay down our lives, but not to throw away our lives.” In this situation, Paul needed wise people to counsel him to not go in. And we see he took it as from the Lord. Later, when all his friends beg him to not go into Jerusalem he says, “Hey, I’m going.” But here, it seems, the counsel was from the Lord for his protection.

Don’t be a yes-man to your Christian friends. Sometimes our friends have ideas or are making plans that are going to shipwreck their lives. Be brave enough to try to restrain them or at least plead with them not to set sail into ruin.

Acts 19:32-34 – 32 Some were shouting one thing and some another, because the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some Jews in the crowd gave instructions to Alexander after they pushed him to the front. Motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Things are boiling over now. For some reason the Jewish community decided to try to get out in front of the story. Probably because no matter who is being persecuted, if it’s not the Jewish people, they’re usually second on the list. So, Alexander goes out there to try to separate the Jewish community from the Christians, but we’re way past discussion or debate by this point. It’s just fury and frenzy. And in his failure we see that it was not a good scene for Paul to insert himself in.

Acts 19:35-41 – 35 When the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, “People of Ephesus! What person is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven? 36 Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are not temple robbers or blasphemers of our goddess. 38 So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further, it must be decided in a legal assembly. 40 In fact, we run a risk of being charged with rioting for what happened today, since there is no justification that we can give as a reason for this disturbance.” 41 After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.

This guy is probably the top dog, when it comes to city officials. He’s doing the best he can, but you can tell his focus is all on their liberty. He didn’t want Ephesus to lose its status as a free city in the Roman Empire. Worse, a riot like this could lead to military intervention and capital punishment for rioters. The city clerk wants to keep his power and keep his liberty and his autonomy. He didn’t care that innocent men might die. He didn’t care about any of that. He cared about keeping the status quo. “Let’s all calm down and get back to living how we were so that no one will bother us and we can just do our own thing.”

As Christians we don’t want to just maintain the status quo in our communities. Righteousness exalts a nation. We’re to pursue justice, living quiet and peaceful lives marked by Godliness and dignity.

Luckily, this riot defused without more violence. Everyone went home, but it would’ve been a scary reality for the Christians in the city, and at just that moment, Paul announced he was leaving.

Acts 20:1 – After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying farewell, departed to go to Macedonia.

They would have to live in this time of instability, but they didn’t need to be shaken. Paul encouraged them that there was no need to fear the mob. They may come. Suffering may increase, but God was still surrounding them with His love and faithfulness. And the Christian imperative to walk with God in a way that changes lives continued, despite the unrest and suspicion. Because, even though Christianity may be a threat to paganism, ill-gotten prosperity or human pride, it is a force for peace and good in every city, in every climate. The nations may rage, but the Lord God is with us and will empower us to be His Body, working His good work wherever we find ourselves until we move on to our final destination.

Not The Magic Kingdom (Acts 19:11-20)

Do you want to “unlock the power of God in your life?” That’s a phrase that is used by some in more charismatic circles, but they’re not the only ones. A simple Google search will show that this is an idea that is tread over a lot out in the Christian world. Here are a few search results titles:

“Unlocking Kingdom power and authority in you.” “Unlock and develop God’s brain power.” “Unlocking our access to Divine power.” “The key to opening the heavens.” “The key to unlock the Holy Spirit’s power in your life.” “Prayer is the way to unlock the power of God.” “Faith is the key to unlock God’s power.” “3 keys you must possess to unlock the power of God.” “5 ways to unleash God’s presence and power.” “7 keys to help you unlock the power of prayer.”

These links lead to articles, books, sometimes programs or conferences which make claims and promises to move you into a category of “more.” More power. More manifestations. More tangible experience with the supernatural outpouring of God.

One such annual conference had a promo video in 2019. It wasn’t being held by some heretical church or cult. It was a church we might go to if we lived in that town. The conference billed itself as a special time in God’s presence because it is “in God’s presence” that every good thing starts. And then their list was: “The darkness scatters, cities transformed, nations restored, sons and daughters reconciled. In His presence we encounter MORE.” It then showed a montage of worship concerts and lots of people laying hands on each other.

I don’t list these things to deride the idea of God’s power pouring through God’s people to transform the world. That’s why Christ has a Body on the earth. But, so often, what we find is that there is a desire to systematize or synthesize some method, some formula, that promises to generate some wanted result, usually visibly manifested in a feeling or behavior that we label as spiritual.

Here’s the problem: This is not how the Christian life is described in the Bible. It’s not how it’s described and it’s not how it’s demonstrated. We can look at those moments of great outpouring in the Old Testament, where the Shekinah came down at the dedication of the Tabernacle or Temple and say, “There, look: They had a worship service and were going through this holy liturgy and God ‘broke out’.” But, the Church is not Israel.

What about Pentecost? Wasn’t there an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, visibly manifested, during a worshipful prayer gathering? Absolutely. And it happened once again in Acts 4. But, in those moments, we don’t see the Christians working God like a machine. Running through some formula in order to experience a particular feeling or result that they decided upon beforehand.

Now, fast forward to Acts 19, where we find ourselves tonight. We see incredible outpourings of God’s power. We see a city transformed. We see lives changed. Sinners reconciled to God. We see dramatic things happening that astonish everyone who hears about them. How did Paul accomplish this? How did he unlock and unleash God’s power in Ephesus? The truth is, he doesn’t! As Luke tells the story, Paul doesn’t even appear on the stage. He’s mentioned and referenced by some of the other characters, but we see no effort on his part.

In our verses, when some characters do take it upon themselves to try to stir up the power of God and accomplish a spiritual purpose, the result is that they get wrecked. They were looking for a particular manifestation of power but, in the end, not only did they not help the people they were trying to help, they’re worse off themselves.

In the mean time, while they’re fooling around with some spiritual chemistry kit, God is busy throughout the city doing extraordinary work. We see in this example that He did not have to be “invited” to come, or coerced or cajoled or conjured to work His magic in Ephesus.

I find this to be a hard issue because, on the one hand, we saw last time that God’s desire is for us to live supernaturally empowered lives filled with His everlasting abundance. As a Christian, you have been given Living Water. You’ve been given supernatural gifts. You’ve been given the indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit. That is the present reality for those who have been born again.

But, at the same time, so often we can slip into a pattern of life that feels completely devoid of God’s power and presence. Theologically He is always with us, but what about our feelings? This is what leads to all those Google searches and conferences and programs.

What we discover as we study God’s word is that there is a difference between living in Christ’s power and just feeling something we want to feel. Some magical experience that validates us.

This scene in Acts 19 is very helpful and shows not only that God does not need to be conjured, but the dangers of trying to make the spiritual life formulaic.

Acts 19:11-12 – 11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that even facecloths or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.

You have to chuckle at the opening words: God was performing extraordinary miracles. Your translation may say “unusual.” Aren’t all miracles extraordinary? They are, but Luke is making a point here: Something specific and particular was happening in this moment in this city. This happens from time to time in God’s history. Think of Peter in Acts 5. There was a period where God was using him to heal people like crazy. Even if his shadow fell across them, they would be made well.

But Peter and Paul weren’t “faith healers.” There are some who claim that title today. Peter and Paul couldn’t just heal people at will, like Superman using x-ray vision. There are multiple times when Paul was unable to heal people, even when he really wanted them to be made well. We think of his own thorn in the flesh, Timothy’s infirm stomach, he left Trophimus sick at Miletus and he was heartbroken at how sick Epaphroditus was, he thought he was going to die.

These guys weren’t faith healers. Neither are the people who claim to be today. What does the verse say? God was performing the miracles. It was His work and His decision. Why was He doing so?

We can’t know the mind of God, but obviously He decided Ephesus needed this kind of ministry at the time. This was a city full of superstition and magic and occult practices. And the Lord did want to verify and authenticate the message of Paul. He was proving that this representative was true and different from every other wonder-worker in town.

We also see that, sometimes, God likes to square off against the false gods of man. He did so in Egypt. He did so when He sent Elijah to confront the prophets of Baal. God doesn’t only play defense, He plays offense too. He went to this pagan swamp and planted His flag there.

There’s no suggestion that these miracles were Paul’s idea or his method to get people’s attention. In fact, we simply see him lecturing in classes and then, it seems, working up a sweat, probably tent making. He is most definitely not selling his rags to turn a profit. If you get some offer to buy a prayer rug or some other item that is supposedly blessed by some faith healer, save your money. What we’re seeing here was unusual, even by miraculous standards.

There is an important subplot that runs through many stories in the Bible that I like to bring out when we can. And that’s that God can use anything for His glory and His eternal work. Your words, your home, your singing, your countenance. Even your old dish rags or shoebox if His plan permits.

Now, we tend to identify something that we think God should do in our city or to address some problem and then we try to convince Him to do it. Paul’s not doing that. No, it pleased God to bring this little revival to Ephesus and Paul was simply willing to participate in submission and faithfulness.

Here’s what happens when we make it our business to plan God’s work for Him.

Acts 19:13-14 – 13 Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.

These aren’t Christians. They’re Jews who were sons of a priest. Not a high priest in the official sense. Scholars think they were either sons of one of the chief priests who led one of the 24 courses or priests, or they were just saying they were sons of a high priest for street cred.

Why are they in Ephesus? Well, they were vagabonds. This was their job. They would go from place to place, like Doc Terminus in the old Pete’s Dragon, getting paid to work their magic and then move on. In contrast, why was Paul in Ephesus? He was there by the leading and permission of the Holy Spirit. Let that be a warning to us individually as we think about how we serve God and to Christians involved in church planting efforts.

These guys were using a formula, incantation approach to their ministry. That was the prevailing method in that region at that time. What’s our secret sauce today? Sometimes it’s ‘data’ or methods that convert to certain behaviors or phenomena. These sons of Sceva were marrying practices from the world into their spiritual lives, hoping for a tangible result. Rather than believing and submitting to Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit, they were simply trying to harness His power for their own purposes. And, if you think about it, this is a terrible compromise on their part. They’re supposed to be priestly Jews, and here they’re invoking a man who is seen as a false messiah!

Let’s see how it goes.

Acts 19:15-16 – 15 The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.

These men had no authority because they didn’t represent Jesus. If someone came to your front door and shouted, “Come out with your hands up!” and you could see that they weren’t a cop, there’d be no need for you to come out. In fact, you’d probably arm yourself for an altercation. That’s exactly what happens here. Looking back on it, it’s somewhat comical to us, but this does highlight a very important principle for the real world: There are real problems out there, people whose lives are being ruined by sin while they’re held captive by the devil. If we want to bring true solutions to a life or a city or a nation, only real Christianity is going to make the difference. Not formulas or half measures or things that just feel spiritual. We need the actual work of God. Not swaggering out in pride and presumption and sprinkles of paganism like these guys.

The good news it that God is so powerful and so gracious, He is able to accomplish the impossible in the most ruined of places, through just 1 person if necessary. Look at Joseph or Nehemiah or Daniel. Look at the revivals of history. These stories don’t start with formulas or men devising a plan. They begin with people who know God and believe Him and choose to follow His leading.

Acts 19:17 – 17 When this became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high esteem.

When Luke gives a vitals report of the work of God he does not elevate experience or wonders over the glory of God or the spread of His word. For the individual man in this story, it would’ve been really great for him to no longer be demon possessed. But that wasn’t the end goal. Without a permanent intervention in the form of salvation the exorcised demons might just come back, this time with a few of friends in tow. But now we see the fear of God starting to grip the hearts of the people of Ephesus. And that is a very good thing because it leads to life change.

Acts 19:18-20 – 18 And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19 while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread and prevailed.

They came together, not to experience manifestations or emotionalism. They came to get rid of their obsession with those sort of things. Book burning is not generally a good thing, but this is one we could get behind. Instead of gathering as a church and saying, “We want to feel a tangible manifestation that makes us feel like something supernatural happened,” they said, “We want to have a tangible demonstration of our repentance!” As the Bible promises, the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom. As they learned more about what it means to be a Christian and learned more about the word of God and how it directs us, they realized, “Oh wow, I need to get rid of this book.” They believed God and what He said about certain practices.

It’s silly to say, but God has opinions. He has stances on things. He has made decisions about what is good for you and what is not good for you, what is glorifying to Him and what is outside the boundaries of your relationship with Him. We need to agree with those opinions. This is why it matters when God’s people disagree over Biblical prohibitions. God’s word has to prevail and be the authority. When someone comes along and says, “It’s not ok for you to not observe the Sabbath,” we can say, under the authority of Scripture, that they’re wrong. We don’t have to observe the Sabbath because God has dismantled that regulation. Rather, it was never for the Church. But, when people come along and say, “The Bible has antiquated and bigoted views on sexuality, we no longer need to go along with what it says,” we can authoritatively say, “No, you’re wrong. That boundary still exists.” The issues aren’t always simple, but they are discoverable as we ingest God’s word and study it and allow it to prevail in us. As we personally submit to it and say, in our own lives, “I need to burn this book of magic because it is in contention with the teaching and leading of my God.”

Those acts of obedience can be hard and costly. Scholars argue over how much money this was worth, but they agree that 1 silver piece was a day’s wage. Meaning 50,000 days of labor. If we took the average American income, that’d be somewhere north of $8,000,000. That’s a costly repentance. Of course, they were making out ahead in the end. In Paul’s letter to these Ephesians he talks again and again about the riches they received in Christ. About 8 times he speaks to them about the endless treasures of God’s kindness and grace and our rich and glorious inheritance in Him.

Amazing things were happening in Ephesus. But they weren’t by man’s design. They weren’t man’s idea. Paul, for his part, is completely passive in these verses. And yet we see the power of God shaking this town up in a remarkable way. As it was happening, we see these believers coming, not to generate some experience. They’re making it a point to separate themselves from magical mysticism and instead embrace the word of God and have it rule over their everyday lives.

The problem is, we want to see God bring revival. We want God to dramatically transform lives, even work wonders. We want to enjoy the kind of relationship with the Lord that we see in people like Paul or Jonathan Edwards or A.W. Tozer or so many other examples. And we want to feel spiritually invigorated.

Those are all good desires. And God does still work in powerful and miraculous ways at certain times and in certain places, but it’s according to His design, not ours. So, how do we unlock the power of God in our lives or in Hanford? First of all, He doesn’t deadbolt the door. The veil is torn. Paul would say, more than once, in his Ephesian letter, “you have access to God right now.”

So, what about the power? Paul said that as we trust Christ He will make His home in our hearts and then He will empower us with inner strength through the Holy Spirit by His own glorious, unlimited resources. The question is not what we do to convince God to ‘break out’ in our midst. The question is: Do we trust the Lord? Do we believe what He says in His word? “Yes I do, so I should see the following manifestations of miraculous power…” That isn’t how it works. That’s not what we see in the New Testament. “But I want to feel it.”

God’s word says you have received power. He’s given it to you. Our walk with God is supernatural. You are supernaturally gifted as a Christian. You’re part of the impossible, eternal work of God on the earth. But the when, how and look of it is God’s business. Our part is to trust, obey and be led.

Be All That You Can Be (Acts 19:1-10)

What does it mean to be a Christian? If you were asked that question how would you answer? The question is not “how do you become a Christian,” but “what does it mean to be a Christian?”

We would probably start with a set of beliefs. But what people put on that list can be shockingly varied. Organizations like Barna and Pew Research Center study these sort of questions. Here are some findings that might surprise you: Pew found that 20% of self-described Christians do not believe in the God of the Bible. 42% of evangelicals say they believe God accepts worship from all religions. 65% of evangelicals said they believed this statement: “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.”

While we know you can’t have Christian faith without a set of beliefs, we also know that it is more than simply a list of facts and precepts. Christianity is a life that is lived out. A new life in relationship with the living God. And so it is more than just a body of knowledge. It includes experience and advancement and participation in the unfolding plan of God as He pours out His power all over the earth. As students of the Bible, this is what we learn about the Christian life. So, when asked “what does it mean to be a Christian,” we would probably begin by talking about the Lord and the truths He has revealed which we accept in faith and then we’d also start talking about things like the Great Commission – that ongoing rescue program that God has drafted us into.

But, believe it or not, nearly half of practicing Christian millennials believe it is wrong to share your faith with someone of a different religion. In other words: evangelism. And “when asked if they had previously heard of the Great Commission, 1/2 of U.S. churchgoers say they do not know the term.”

Where am I going with all of this? It’s not just to depress us about the state of things. Tonight our text provides a great exposé on what it means to be a Christian. We will see a group of people who are earnest seekers of truth, they want to believe. Yet, the content of their faith is severely lacking. Paul comes along and starts to fill in that necessary content. But it’s not all academic. At the same time, we see the spiritual activity of Christians. Put together we see once again how Acts presents Christianity as a life that encompasses the mind, the heart and the hands and feet. That Christianity is about developing and delivering. That spiritual education and spiritual experience are both a necessity in the life of a Biblical Christian.

As we begin, we find Paul making good on the promise he made back in chapter 18, verse 21. He returns to the city of Ephesus. For background, we know that there are Christians there already, Priscilla and Aquila might still be hanging out. But now Paul’s back to do God’s work.

Acts 19:1 – While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” “No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Luke calls them disciples, but we’ll find out they’re ignorant of Jesus. We might think of them as Old Testament believers, though some commentators believe they were connected with the local church in town. Paul is going to be a big help to them and we’ll see him bring them along graciously.

As Christians, we should understand that the people we encounter come from a wide variety of backgrounds with different levels of exposure to the Bible and Jesus. The way forward is grace. And, as a church, we want to be as welcoming as possible while we proclaim the truth. This is one of the sad realities of churches that become really ingrown. They gather together, as a like-minded group, preaching to themselves. But if no outsiders can ever come in, what good is the preaching? We want to be welcoming to all sorts. Paul was open to speak to Pharisees or Sadducees, Jews or Gentiles, pagans or tradesmen, seekers or mockers.

We don’t know how Paul came across these guys, but as they interacted, something about them gave him the impression that they definitely had faith, but that they were deficient in their spiritual lives. We see it there, he says, “When you believed…” but, it’s clear to him that something was off.

What was it? We don’t know. But we can guess that, even in their earnestness and zeal, they lacked the marks of the indwelling Holy Spirit. What are His marks? This is an important question, because if you’re a Christian here tonight they are supposed to be marks showing on your life.

God’s word tells us what the fruit of the Spirit is: Love. Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. To be a Christian is to be marked by these. In addition, the presence of supernatural empowering to serve God with spiritual gifts.

Since we believe the Bible to speak truthfully not only about who God is but who we are, we can have certain expectations about spiritual development in our personal Christianity. The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives isn’t like Rogaine, which might encourage hair growth in some people. That’s not how the Christian life is meant to go. When we walk with God, He does complete what He began. Which means you and I do bear fruit, which will lead not only to wonderful blessings, but also to us becoming recognizably different when others look at us. Different in disposition. Different in communication. Different in focus and perspective.

Because, being a Christian doesn’t just mean you’re certified for heaven. It means you are a new creation. Brand new. A new mind. A new heart. A new purpose. New abilities given to you by the Holy Spirit to glorify God and serve Him and others. Of course that will stand out as we cooperate with what God wants to do in us.

So, Paul saw these guys and thought to himself: I’m looking at caterpillars here, not butterflies. They were missing that spiritual transformation that is promised to Christians.

Before we move forward we should recognize that these verses are a historic battleground between different groups of Christians. There’s a big fight here over Pentecostalism and the gifs of the Spirit. I’m going to touch on some of those themes tonight, but not nearly as much as is necessary, because it’s an important issue and one that people get very emotional about. If you would like to know more about what the Bible says on the subject and our church position, visit calvaryhanford.com/tobecontinued.

Now, Paul asked these guys “did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” It’s time to turn that question on ourselves. Doctrinally, we know, thanks to the special revelation of the New Testament, that “when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit.” So the question for us is not “did you receive,” it’s, “since you received, is there a difference?” Because the Bible also explains that Christians are able to quench the Spirit. And that, having begun in the Spirit we can drift into a life that’s not spiritual. Therefore, we’re commanded to go on being filled. Are we? Are we marked by His leading and influence and power in our lives?

Acts 19:3 – 3 “Into what then were you baptized?” he asked them. “Into John’s baptism,” they replied.

So, these guys were disciples of John the Baptist. That means they believed in repenting of their sins and were waiting for the arrival of the Messiah. There are a couple of good thoughts for us here. First of all, it’s ok to find out where people are coming from. These guys were seen as spiritual, labeled as disciples, but after a little investigation we discover they don’t even know who Jesus is. So, when you’re interacting with people (or with podcasts) do a little research.

Second, Paul asks them another great question that we can turn on ourselves. Into what were you baptized? If you’re a Christian and you’ve never been baptized, it’s something you should do because your King has commanded it. But if you have been baptized, remember what that means. It’s not just some meaningless ritual. It is the outward demonstration of what has gone on in your heart and it is the demonstration of what we might call positional reality. To be a Christian, being baptized means that you identify with Him in His death, burial and resurrection. It means now you are dead to sin. It means you have been cleansed from your unrighteousness and raised up into a new, supernaturally motivated life. It means you have now been given a ministry of reconciliation.

This verse also gives us a little devotional idea: These guys had been baptized under John the Baptist’s ministry. Here they are, 25 years later, still waiting for the Messiah. Still earnest. Still trusting God. Still living a spiritual life, incomplete as it was.

While we don’t want to be lacking in the ways they were, they are an inspiration for us. We know the Messiah, but we, too, get to wait for him, eagerly, with expectation. Whether that takes 25 years or 25 hours. Don’t lose hope. He’s coming. We’re waiting.

Acts 19:4 – 4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”

These guys were missing some very important and essential information. There are essentials when it comes to Christian belief. For example, if you don’t believe Jesus Christ really lived or that He is really God or that He really died on the cross and rose again, then you are not a Christian. You may be religious or philosophical, but you’re not a Christian.

Now, these guys were good guys. We would’ve described them as holy and devout. But you see, all they had done was turn their backs on sin, as John had told them. But, without a Messiah, they were directionless.

J.C. Ryle put it this way: “You may cast away your old habits, as a serpent casts off his skin, but if you are not resting all upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…you have…received the grace of God in vain.”

It does no good to reform behavior if the heart is not won for Jesus Christ. These guys were fine, moral, religious men. But they needed Jesus to come and take hold of them. And, from their negative example we might say that, to be a Christian means you’re for something. Not sin. You’ve turned from those idols and left them far behind. But now your life is for the Lord. For His glory. For His service. For His pleasure. We’re not just out of evil, we’re now in Christ.

Acts 19:5 – 5 When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

These guys are earnest, humble, obedient. Those are marks of Christianity. Having been filled in on what they were missing they immediately said, “I want to belong to Christ. I want to join His Kingdom and be forever marked by Him.”

Acts 19:6-7 – 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. 7 Now there were about twelve men in all.

So now we see that not only was their education made more complete, they also had a new, supernatural experience. There are, of course, some who believe and teach that to be a Christian means you must speak in tongues and experience what we call the “sign” gifts, like those we’re seeing here. That is neither the teaching of the New Testament or the pattern seen in Acts.

However, what is clear is that being a Christian means you will be supernaturally gifted and empowered to live out a life that includes the impossible for Christ Jesus. While we reject many of the carnal excesses of Pentecostalism, we simultaneously do not believe in or want a form of Christianity that is devoid of the supernatural. God says He has spiritual gifts for you. Different kinds and different works, but the Holy Spirit distributes to each and every Christian some sort of gift. Christianity is not just “I believe a set of doctrines and I attend church and I don’t do bad things.” What about the power of God and His living water rushing like a torrent through your life? What about overcoming the world? Confounding the wisdom of the wise? What about receiving the dynamic power of God the Holy Spirit that it might show through us like treasure in clay jars?

Christianity is not simply a moral philosophy. And it’s more than just us checking in with the Man upstairs from time to time. It is an all-encompassing, supernatural life, lived out by people who have been made dead to sin and alive in Christ who now operate as His Body on the earth.

In this passage, many commentators rush to tell you how there’s no supernatural outpouring of the Spirit in these ways anymore. That we “have no reason to expect” extraordinary gifts. But how could that be true? The Father sent the Spirit to be with us and to help us and to guide us and lead us and bring dynamic power into our lives so that we can accomplish wonderful, eternal work.

Part of that work is us exercising spiritual gifts, here demonstrated by tongues and prophecy. Some of you have these gifts. You need to exercise them. We learn the proper way to do that when gathered together as we look at passages like 1 Corinthians 12-14. But being a Christian means not leaving God’s precious gifts, hand-picked for us, left on the shelf.

So we see these guys exercising spiritual gifts. What are your gifts? If you were about to retire and your accountant said to you, “What are your assets?” You probably wouldn’t say, “I dunno.” You know what they are because you’ll need them. Or, if someone said, “You’ve received a significant inheritance.” You wouldn’t say, “I don’t need to know about it.”

God has gifted you, to grow you and bless you and use you to serve others. Being a Christian means not only discovering those things but then exercising them.

Now, if the story ended here, we might be tempted to think that charismatic experiences are the pinnacle of Christian living. But it doesn’t. We’ve got a few more verbs as Paul continued his work.

Acts 19:8 – 8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

The Apostle showed a great ability to balance. He could balance ministry inside the church and outside to unbelievers. We find him both evangelizing and making it a point to develop strengthen those who already believe.

Being a Christian means getting involved in ministry, not simply going from experience to experience. Paul said he spoke in tongues more than anybody. And he, clearly, had a profound communion with God. But we don’t see him going from afterglow to afterglow. He was balanced looking in and looking out, doing the ministry while also continuing to develop himself.

Acts 19:9-10 – 9 But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.

We note here that this ministry was based on “discussions,” not Pentecostal ecstasies. He could have hosted spontaneous tongues services, right? But he didn’t. So, on the one hand we see him looking at these guys in the first part and saying, “You guys need the filling of the Holy Spirit!” And leading them to that wonderful reality. And now we see him saying, “the people of this city need rightly divided truth, presented in a way they can understand.” It’s balance.

As Christians and as a church we’ve got to find a way to walk the line where our faith isn’t just a list of intellectual bullet points of orthodox doctrines. But it also cannot be just a pursuit of particular manifestations that seem amazing to us. These are the camps people tend to fall into. One or the other, and they’re both missing something vital. The Biblical way, detailed in the Epistles, exampled in Acts, is to have a vibrant relationship with God based upon truth that operates in us. That we continually grow in our knowledge and understanding of God’s word, while also perpetually exercising the supernatural gifts that have been supplied by the Holy Spirit. Being a Christians means that we believe and we move. With purpose. According to truth. There should be a liveliness to us that is recognizable and yet unexplainable to the world around us. A life and a church characterized by proper knowledge and powerful activity. It’s possible. It’s God’s plan. Let’s participate. Be all that you can be as a Christian.

A Star Is Born (Acts 18:18-28)

Researchers, like those at the University of Calgary, estimate that each year 150 billion new stars are born in our universe. Closer to home, NASA calculates that the Milky Way Galaxy is producing about a half dozen new stars each year. Dr. Roland Diehl, a physicist that studies these sorts of things, says: “Our galaxy isn’t the biggest producer of stars…in the universe, but there’s still plenty of activity.”

In our text tonight, we might say a star is born. He’s not a major character in the New Testament, but he’s one we remember – Apollos, the silver-tongued preacher who would ultimately do a great amount of work and find his name listed among church leaders like Paul and Peter. He shined brightly for the Lord in Asia Minor and Greece and I’m sure many other places.

But, what we find in our verses is that he was just one individual being used by God – one star in a growing constellation of Christians who were shining the light of the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. So much of Acts is dedicated to the movements of Paul and what God accomplished through him. Tonight, he’s on the move again. In fact, this is one of those sections where Luke covers a huge amount of ground in a very small number of words. Paul’s second missionary journey ends in verse 22 but Luke moves on to his third journey already in verse 23.

But it’s not just about Paul. Throughout the story we see others in each place. As we read, there’s a theme of brotherhood and connection. We see the Christian family cooperating and expanding, but also people growing in their faith and their understanding and usefulness. The second half of Acts is largely about Paul but it’s not only about Paul. Because the Church isn’t a basketball team, where you have a few superstars and then a few other guys and then support staff and then that’s the end of the list. The Church is a family and every one of us who is a Christian, whether we’ve just been born into the faith a few days ago or have been in it for 80 years, each of us is a part of what God is doing, a light shining in the darkness of our world.

So, let’s get into it, starting at verse 18. When we left off, Paul had spent at least a year and a half in the Greek city of Corinth.

Acts 18:18 – 18 After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.

It was unusual for Paul to be able to spend so much time in one place. Sometimes he was only in a city for a few days before having to run for his life. But his long stay with the Corinthians had come to and end. Why? We don’t know for sure, other than that God’s call on Paul’s life was not to stay planted in one place, but to go here and there as a mobile preacher of grace. The timing was up the Holy Spirit. And we’ll see in these verses that Paul was sensitive to the will of God when it came to when he stayed somewhere and when he moved on. We’re reminded of that comforting but significant phrase in Psalm 31:15, “My times are in [His] hands.” Other translations say it this way: “The course of my life is in your power,” (CSB) or “My future is in Your hands.” (NLT)

We notice, right from the start, that family feel. Paul said farewell to them as “brothers and sisters.” And though these Christians in Corinth would later be a cause of heart hurt for him, he always thought of them as family.

We see that Paul’s friends Priscilla and Aquila came with him. We talked about this couple a bit last time, but let’s focus in on this: Going with Paul, they had to close up shop again and step out into the unknown. They had already been driven out of Rome. They had to start all over there in Corinth. And now, they found themselves on a ship sailing again. I doubt that they were able to take all their tools and inventory to make for a soft landing in Syria. But they did it for the Lord and the Gospel. It’s a very good thing they did, but it certainly wouldn’t have made financial sense at the time.

Jesus once said:

Matthew 10:29-30 – “I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.”

Now what about this vow? My, oh my do commentators get into a tizzy. First there’s the argument over whether Luke is speaking about Paul or Aquila shaving his head. Then there’s the argument over what kind of vow it was. Some say it was a Nazarite vow, others say it wasn’t. Some say it was an act of profound thankfulness to God, others say it was a failure in Paul’s life. One commentator we really love calls it a “deliberate sin” and believes this to be “the beginning of the end for Paul.”

We simply don’t know what this vow was about. It seems pretty clear that Luke had Paul as the subject. But we’re given no consequential or editorial data about this act. Paul wasn’t a perfect man. He called himself the chief of sinners, after all. But we also know that he was, at times, the lone defender of the Gospel of grace. He was the champion of Christian liberty from the Law of Moses.

Rather than argue the merits, since we simply don’t have all the information, for me it was a good reminder that Paul had a deep and active personal relationship with the Lord. It wasn’t all public. He had more than a theological relationship with God or professional exercise of his Christianity. He was speaking to His Lord one on one. Being moved to acts of devotion that we’ll never know about. Things that didn’t have to do with his official job in the church. He was growing all the time and we want to be Christians like that.

Acts 18:19 – 19 When they reached Ephesus he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews.

We learn in Romans that there was already an established church in Cenchreae and so the trio hop over to the city of Ephesus. Paul is in a hurry, but he sets aside a morning to go and preach to some of his countrymen. Hopefully we’re never too busy to do ministry when the opportunity arises. Paul isn’t going to stay, but he had time to do the work of an evangelist that Saturday.

We’re told he “left” Priscilla and Aquila there. We don’t have all the conversations, but it reads as though Paul directed them to stay. We remember that Paul had apostolic authority and this faithful, Christian couple were willing to submit to his leadership, even though he may have started out as their employee and even though some scholars think that Priscilla was a member of nobility. They were humble and flexible and, because of that, they’re going to be very useful in a little bit.

Acts 18:20-21 – 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, 21 but he said farewell and added, “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

It must have been a strange sensation for Paul to be asked to stay. That’s not how it usually happened. But in his decision we see a good snapshot of his ministry mindset. First of all, if Paul was numbers oriented, he would’ve stayed. Ephesus is a big city, an important city. Conventional wisdom would say ‘strike while the iron’s hot.’ But Paul said no. He wasn’t motivated by numbers of followers or those sorts of metrics that are so prevalent in Church culture today. We also see that he believed God should set the course of ministry. His goal was not to hit a certain number of cities per year or plant a certain number of churches, but simply to be in God’s will. Because, third, he trusted God to do what was right and best in each of these places. God had a heart for Ephesus. So did Paul, but not as much as God. So he was content to allow the Master to send him out into the harvest into whatever corners and avenues of the vineyard that the Master saw fit.

Acts 18:22 – 22 On landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, then went down to Antioch.

Luke covers a lot of ground here. Surely, each of these stops would’ve included great stories of God’s power. But that’s not the Holy Spirit’s focus in these verses. Instead we’re seeing place after place that either a work is getting started or there are established Christians living out their faith.

We started in Corinth where there were many believers whose lives had been dramatically transformed. Then to Cenchreae where a church had been started. On to Ephesus where something new was just beginning and Christian operatives were left to get things up and running. To Caesarea where people like Philip the Evangelist lived and Cornelius with his household. Preachers and saints ministering to the soldiers of Rome and the people on the coast. To Jerusalem where there were apostles and many others who walked with Jesus. Then to Antioch, Paul’s home church, full of faith and prayer and mission. A blend of Jews and Gentiles all together in the family of God.

In the darkness of the world, everywhere we turn we see constellations of believers lighting up. New stars being born, others shining as brightly as ever. Not because there was 1 man doing something, but countless people all functioning as the Body of Christ wherever they found themselves.

Paul had been out in the wider world, but his friends at Antioch had kept the light on for him. The same was happening in each place that he went to and would go back to starting in verse 23.

Acts 18:23 – 23 After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

No record of Paul getting to some place where there had been a church planted and it being a ghost town. They all kept the light on. And were ready to be built up and strengthened by Paul when he came. And this was a welcome and necessary work. As Matthew Poole wrote: “though the seed be duly sown, yet it must be seasonably watered.”

That’s not only true for Galatians and Phrygians, but for Hanfordite and Lemoorons as well. Once transformed by the power of Gospel we can then go on being strengthened and built up, able to bear more, endure more, accomplish more in the power of God. Paul was a great evangelist, but he also made it his business to reinforce the faith of Christians. That’s a necessary part of the Christian life. And we see that playing out in our remaining verses.

Acts 18:24-25 – 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism.

So here we have a remarkable, Egyptian man. He was Jewish by nationality but had become a believer in Jesus, though he had, apparently, not heard of Jesus’ death and resurrection, not to mention Pentecost. He’s described as eloquent, competent, fervent and accurate. That’s a pretty good stat sheet. One resource said it like this: He had a lot to say and he said it well. But, despite his many gifts, he was incomplete. But that’s ok, because God had positioned others right where they needed to be in order to build him up and complete what was lacking in his knowledge.

Acts 18:26 – 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately.

So, we’re told in verse 25 that he had been speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, and now in verse 26 it was explained to him more accurately. And I love that, because it shows that we don’t have to wait to preach until we have a PhD in theology, or until we have an entire Gospel memorized or anything like that. If you are a Christian, you know enough about God to become a Christian. And you don’t need to wait to tell people about Jesus. But, at the same time, all of us have room to grow in our accuracy and understanding and knowledge of the Scriptures. In that synagogue, Apollos was probably the smartest guy in the room. But it was two refugee laborers who would fill him in on what he was missing. So, while we have a green light to go and preach the Gospel, we’ve got to be sure we stay meek and humble and recognize that we do not know everything. We need to continue to be instructed in the Word of God and by His Holy Spirit. We want to become more accurate all the time. Like one of those flashlights that you can focus the zoom. If you’re in a dark room, I’m glad to have a flashlight of any kind. But even better to have one that is bright, accurate, able to be focused into a highly directional beam.

Now, before we move on, I’d like to commend the bravery we’re seeing here. There’s a lot of Christian courage in this verse. You’ve got Apollos, standing up in boldness to preach all that he knew. He obviously didn’t have every answer about Jesus, but he wasn’t going to shy away. We also see great bravery from Priscilla and Aquila. They were in the synagogue too, and they would’ve known what sort of things could happen to Christians in situations like this.

Their example reminds us that the Christian life is one of grace and kindness and tact, but also bravery. You’re commanded by God to get into the fight. To respond to the spiritual crisis this world is in. We can’t just stay home all the time and hope there’s a Paul out there somewhere. Because there’s a whole group of people right in front of us who are in desperate need of the Gospel.

Acts 18:27-28 – 27 When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters wrote to the disciples to welcome him. After he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

There’s no hint of jealousy or turf war or anything like that in any of this. They’re all family together. Brothers and sisters. All working together. Building each other up. Cooperating and communicating. And we see that Apollos did a couple of things: First, he didn’t just breeze in and out on his own whims. He’s connected himself with the church and he’s working with them in his desire to go over to Achaia. He’s not just a lone gunman doing whatever he wants.

We also see that he used the gifts he had. Now, on the human level, he had a lot of gifts. Eloquence and intelligence and charisma. Sometimes we slip into a mistaken mindset that since God loves to use the foolish things of this world that must mean He NEVER uses smart people or well-spoken people. That’s not true. He’ll use anyone who is submitted to Him. And Apollos put his skills and gifts into the hands of God and allowed them to be used for ministry. When Jesus was looking for ingredients, one boy came and said “I’ve got five loaves and two fish.” Another time someone had seven loaves. Apollos used his oratory, Lydia used her home. Priscilla and Aquila used their business. Dorcas used her sewing kit. David used his harp and his sling. What gifts and abilities do you have? God can use them. And He does use them. It’s not just hypothetical. Ivor Powell writes, “If Priscilla and Aquila had not been present the church may have lost one of its greatest evangelists.”

But there they were. Living a life of grace and courage. A life that cared about the proper understanding of the Scriptures. One that didn’t divide from people but which welcomed them and reached out to them. And as we see Paul moving north and west we see Apollos and others moving out in other directions. Apollos became a great help to Christians in Achaia who needed to be built up and strengthened just as he had needed to be built up and strengthened. And more and more lights were born in place after place. Connected in the family of God by the love of Christ.

When we look up certain stars seem larger or shine brighter. Some are much larger than others, some are just closer to us. The truth is, no matter the size, all of them declare God’s glory. And though many pass off the scene, year after year others are born and take their place in the night sky. The Church is like that. What started 2,000 years ago continues today. From the human vantage point, our lives may end up seeming like a luminous supergiant or maybe more like a yellow dwarf. But even the smallest of lives can be an amazing part of God’s work. Whatever the size of our ministry, whatever our orbit, we can keep the light on, continue growing in brightness and heat and constancy, and be a part of the spiritual birth of others who are currently trapped in darkness.

Living The Dream (Acts 18:1-17)

Thanks to Seinfeld the words “yada yada” have become a well-used phrase since 1997. Seinfeld wasn’t the first to use it, but it will forever be associated with the misadventures of Jerry and his 3 friends. Characters in the episode used ‘yada yada’ to skip over various details when telling a story, usually because those details revealed things they didn’t want the people around them to know. As the scenes unfold, characters are left to speculate over what those various yada yadas passed over.

In Acts 18 Luke, the writer, is relaying a new chapter in the story of Paul’s work in Greece. We find him in a new city, Corinth and as the story is told Luke passes over a lot of details. As a result, there’s a lot of speculation that goes on when studying the passage. Now, obviously this is written exactly the way that God wanted it written. We don’t need to fret as if we’re missing something essential. At the same time, if you read commentaries or sermons that deal with these verses, you’re going to find all sorts of speculation. Here are a few items that aren’t agreed upon:

Why Paul left Athens and after how long.
Whether Priscilla and Aquila were Christians before they met Paul or not.
Whether Paul was being bold in the first 4 verses or cowering in fear.
Whether Gallio was a just judge or whether he was yet another unscrupulous official.
Whether it was Gentiles who beat Sosthenes or if it was his own Jewish countrymen.

The gaps in detail are not bad, but they leave a lot of room for interpretation. And it’s surprising this story is the setup for such a significant part of Paul’s ministry life and such a significant portion of the New Testament. A lot of Biblical real estate is devoted to the Corinthian church and Paul’s relationship with them.

In this text we also get the sense that something is not quite right with our dear Paul. He’s isolated and has run out of provisions, but it’s more than that. He’s discouraged. He describes how he was feeling later in 1 Corinthians 2 where he says, “I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling.” It’s hard to imagine the Apostle Paul as frightened, but he was. And he was to so profound a degree that the Lord Jesus is going to come and appear to him, personally, and tell him to not be afraid, to not be silent and to not worry about being harmed.

Paul may have been feeling low, but by the grace of God he was about to make some of the most meaningful friendships of his life and accomplish some powerful ministry which (through his epistles) have had ongoing repercussions all over the earth for thousands of years.

Though we may wish for a few more background details, here’s what we know: First, that even the strongest of Christians can fall into discouragement. But, no matter how discouraged you are, how isolated, how out of supply or frightened of what’s coming you may be, you can be built back up in the grace of God, because our Lord has not abandoned you. And, one more thing we can be sure of from this story: No matter how bad the place or how threatening the situation, God can accomplish wonderful things, transform lives and make a difference.

So, let’s get into it in verse 1.

Acts 18:1 – After this, [Paul] left Athens and went to Corinth,

We don’t know why Paul left Athens. Things weren’t particularly volatile when chapter 17 came to a close. But, at some point, he did. And he left alone. Corinth was a trashy city if ever there was one. It was known as a city of vice. It had a pagan temple that employed 1,000 prostitutes. Even among the heathens this was a place known for drunkenness, immorality and all sorts of poor behavior.

So this is where Paul finds himself, on his own, and, apparently out of money and food, because he has to get a job.

Acts 18:2-3 – 2 where he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them, 3 and since they were of the same occupation, tentmakers by trade, he stayed with them and worked.

What does it mean he “found” them? Well, again, we have to fill in the blanks ourselves a bit, but clearly he needed a job and shelter. So it’s probable that he answered an ad or went to the tent shop and inquired of whether they needed an extra hand. They quickly figured out that they were both Jews and they got on well. Was this couple already Christian when Paul met them? We can’t be sure. It seems like Luke would have relayed the story if Paul led them to Christ, the way he did in the case of Lydia, for example. But, what we do know is that this seemingly chance encounter was the start of one of the richest relationships of Paul’s life.

Of course it wasn’t chance, it was providence. There’s Paul, God’s servant, in a strange city, packed with people (at least 200,000 people lived there), he’s got no money, he’s got nowhere to live and the Lord directs him to a shop where he can not only be supplied with work and shelter, but also where he’ll find lifelong friends.

In the Christian life we want to develop a greater and greater openness to receive from the Lord and to be positioned by the Lord so that He can do great things like this for us. If our heads are always down, if we’re always looking in, if we feed selfishness and cynicism and skepticism, it’s going to make us very brittle as God tries to form and shape us. And it’s going to make it very difficult for us to receive some of the wonderful gifts God would like to give us.

Now, we learn something about Paul here: He was a tentmaker. He probably made all sorts of leather goods, but tent making would’ve been a big part of it. Couple of things here. First of all, in our culture there’s long been a divide between blue collar work and white collar work. That’s not really a good thing. You look at Paul: He had a really high level education. His original plan had been to be someone who thought and studied. But, at the same time, in that culture you always learned a trade so you could support yourself. And, for you young people, I’d highly recommend that type of mentality. Particularly if you think you’re going to go into the ministry or full time missions work. Don’t turn your nose up at skills or trade.

But, second, this spoke to me the other day: As tentmakers, Paul and Aquila and Priscilla would be supplying product and services to all sorts of people, including Roman soldiers. We live in a time when everyone wants to boycott everyone else. We live in a time when people refuse to serve others because of their politics or values or their job, those sorts of things. Can you imagine a Roman solider coming into the tent shop and Paul saying, “I REFUSE to make a tent for you, empire scum! Also, let me tell you about the Lord Jesus Christ who loves you so much He died for you!”

If you have a personal conviction from the Lord about particular products or companies that you don’t want to support, that’s your business. But let’s not just jump onto every anger bandwagon. Be gracious. Be led. Be directed by God, not by the crowd.

Acts 18:4 – 4 [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.

We see a term like “reasoned” there and it’s easy to think that it means he was giving them doctoral thesis-level lectures and intricate logic and all sorts of academic genius. But that’s not what was happening at all. Here’s what was happening:

1 Corinthians 2:1-2, 4-5 – When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. … 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

The most basic message that Jesus Christ, God come in the flesh, came and lived a perfect life, died on a Roman cross, then 3 days later rose again from the dead so that all who believe on Him and call on His name will receive everlasting life is enough to make a difference. Paul found himself in one of the wickedest cities in the world and that was the message. So, when we look out at notorious places, full of sin and ruined lives, what do they need? They don’t need hatred from us. They need the message of the cross. The Good News of that one, magnificent 3 day weekend, where everything changed.

Acts 18:5 – 5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.

There’s nothing wrong with working a regular job. Paul proves that. But in his particular situation, I think we’d all agree we’d rather him be preaching theology than patching a tent. Especially because he rarely was able to stay long in one place before being attacked. So, Silas and Timothy arrive and are able to support Paul so that he could focus on the ministry. And that is a very good thing.

As Christians, we should work to financially support ministry. Not only our own ministries, but other individuals and organizations that are proclaiming the Gospel. Allow the Lord to direct you in that.

In Luke’s description of Paul’s message we notice two things: First, that (as always) it was based upon the revealed word of God. Not trend or opinion or human philosophy. What has God said in that Scripture? Second, we see there blazing off the page: Jesus is the Messiah! He was not just a wise teacher, not just a good man, not just a great example of selfless living. He is THE Messiah. Meaning He and He alone is King, is Savior, is the Anointed One. He is the Decider for your life and my life and for the whole world. Let us all bow our knees to the King of kings and acknowledge Who He really is: Messiah and Lord.

Acts 18:6 – 6 When they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes and told them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

There are two powerful realities on display here. First of all, you are responsible for your own spiritual health. No one can be saved for you, no one can obey God for you. Your faith is an individual relationship with God and you are responsible to respond accordingly. Second, Christians are also responsible to preach to the lost. Paul here is probably referencing this passage in Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 33:3-6 – 3 When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. 4 Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. 5 They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. 6 But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.’

That should be a sobering and stirring message for us to be about the Lord’s business when it comes to evangelism. We are commanded to preach and to make disciples.

While Paul’s message to these Jews seems harsh and final, we know that he still loved them. And we know that he wasn’t shutting the door on ever talking to them again. Look at the next verse.

Acts 18:7-8 – 7 So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole household. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.

There’s something comical about the fact that he set up shop next door. Probably offered a lot of friendly waves from the front porch. In fact, he did more than that, he continued sharing Jesus with any of those faithful Jews who came to hear. One of them was the guy in charge of the synagogue!

So far we’ve seen not only the power of God’s providence, we also can see just how usable our lives can be in His hands. Our words can be used. Our work can be used. Our financial contributions can be used. Our homes can be used. God can take any aspect of your life and apply it to His purpose and that is an exciting thought. And we also learn that opposition is no reason to quit. The Jews had responded to Paul with an organized resistance, he didn’t quit, he pivoted but continued the work. Though, it seems he was having a hard time with it all. Look at verse 9.

Acts 18:9-10 – 9 The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”

Why Corinth and not Athens? Why Costa Mesa and not Santa Monica? Those are questions we can’t really answer. Instead of getting into arguments about election, we’d be better used if we assumed that God has “many people” in Hanford and go out and work the field. The truth is, He does have many people, all around us, currently trapped in sin and guilt and lies and we are sent to courageously be a part of the liberation effort.

On the devotional level, if you’re afraid tonight, facing some unknown or hard situation, take heart that even the Apostle Paul got afraid sometimes. But also take courage by holding fast to the Lord, who knows exactly how we feel and has a word for each of us, He has promises for us, He has provision for us from His limitless supplies of grace and strength. Be of good cheer.

Acts 18:11 – 11 He stayed there a year and a half, teaching the word of God among them.

Paul obeyed and stayed much longer there than he was usually able to. Of course we know that just because the Lord had “many people” in that city didn’t mean it would be easy. The work was hard but worthwhile.

Acts 18:12-13 – 12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the tribunal. 13 “This man,” they said, “is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

Now, wait a minute, didn’t Jesus say “no one will lay a hand on you?” What gives? Did that promise expire after 18 months? Do you ever wonder if God’s promises really apply to you? Now, sometimes Christians take Biblical promises for themselves that don’t belong to them. Promises to Israel, for example. So, we want to be careful students of the Bible and be sure we understand what is and isn’t promised to us. But, when God has promised, it is sure and true. Thanks to Jesus, all God’s promises to us are Yes and Amen! Paul wouldn’t be hurt in this but that doesn’t mean there was no opposition. In this case, there was an official trial before a Roman official, Gallio.

Acts 18:14-17 – 14 As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or of a serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews. 15 But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but none of these things mattered to Gallio.

Some commend Gallio, saying he is a shining example of the separation of church and state. Others say he was being wonderfully impartial. It doesn’t seem like that’s the sense Luke is giving. Instead, we see a man who could care less. He doesn’t even bother to differentiate between Christianity and Judaism. He sees a man being violently assaulted in the courtroom and just lets it happen.

Historical records tell us that Gallio was not a well man. He was dying of consumption. What a sad, missed opportunity. God, in His mercy, allowed a situation in which this terminal non-believer would have the chance to hear from the great apostle, but none of these things mattered to Gallio. As one commentator put it: It matters to him now.

If Luke were here there are a bunch of questions I’d ask him about this particular episode of Paul’s life. But, here’s what we know from what we see: First, God is always busy accomplishing His purposes. Second, His promises will not fail. Third, His providence is on the move and we are invited to be a part of it. Fourth, because God is so powerful and so gracious, He can use anything that we’ve consecrated for that providence, whether it’s our tongue, our time, our money, our home, our sufferings, our triumphs, our friends, or our enemies. Fifth, no city is too far gone and no person is too far gone to be saved by the Gospel. Look at Sosthenes. He was not only the new leader of the synagogue after Crispus became a Christian, but he was probably the representative bringing the case against Paul. Their effort was a failure and he was immediately punished for it. It reminds us of how, under the Hussein regime, Olympic athletes were tortured and imprisoned when they would lose a match.

But here’s the good part: When Paul wrote his first letter to the Christian in Corinth, this is how it opens: “This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.”

We do have to speculate a bit, but it seems very probable that this is the same man. Look at what God can do. Even in a city like Corinth. Even when we’re low on supply. Even when we’re scared or discouraged or feeling alone. Even when the powers that be are against us. Even still, God is able.

Paul had a dream in which Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid but keep on speaking.” The promise was for Paul, specifically, but that charge to continue on can be ours as well as we live out this life for God’s purposes. Knowing He has much to do, many to save, and no end of options when it comes to using our lives as we submit to Him.

Head For The Hill (Acts 17:16-34)

The book of Acts is such an enthralling book. To see these astounding things happening, against all odds, with powers and empires trying to hold back God’s work, yet the Gospel keeps spreading and transforming lives. Saving people who seem unsavable. Reaching places that seem unreachable.

If you’re like me, it’s easy to start thinking of these stories as if they belong in a superhero comic or Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. That they’re the fantastic exploits of larger-than-life champions, a sort of Christian mythology, far removed from the kind of spiritual life I should expect. It’s a mistake for us to think that way. When we look at these Christian examples found in the book we discover that they assumed others would also experience the filling of the Spirit, that they would be used, that God’s work would continue, not only through Apostles, but through ‘average’ Christians. Paul thought that of Timothy and Titus and, really, all the Christians he wrote epistles to. So did Peter, who wrote to all of us in his letters that he expected our faith to be strong and genuine, that we be ready for action and that the angels of heaven are eagerly watching God unfold His work through us, much in the same way we eagerly watch Him do so in the stories of Acts. It’s a mistake for us to separate out those ancient Christians from ourselves, as if we’re in a lower weight class.

But there’s also a tendency to treat the book of Acts like a recipe book. That if we simply copy the methods of the first century church, then that will “unlock” the dynamic power of God. First of all, we see that there were all sorts of different methods depending on what was going on. Second, these examples are not formulaic. They’re a historic testimony of an ongoing effort. Luke says in the very first verse that his books are a record of what Jesus began to do and to teach. For over 2,000 years Jesus has still been doing and teaching through His Body here on the earth, that’s you and me.

So, if Acts isn’t a comic book and if it isn’t a recipe book, what is it? Just a history book? We know it’s more than that. It may help to think of it as a book more in the warfare theory category. After all, the New Testament says that we are engaged in a spiritual war. Sent out with armor to demolish strongholds, to conquer, to rescue captives. Books about the practice of war will, naturally, have a historical bent, but will be more than that. They show us principles of battle science. They tell tales that not only stir our hearts but have real world application, that is, if you plan on going to war yourself. But, when learning from them, you wouldn’t say, “Ok, here’s what Napoleon did to defeat the armies of Austria, so I just need to copy him and I’ll win, no problem.”

What’s the point of all this? We’ve come to one of the more celebrated passages of Acts – Paul on Mars Hill – and I would submit to you that for us, this is one of the most relatable stories in the entire book. Of course, all of it has application and value. But for the relatively unpersecuted, 21st century Christian, we can see ourselves in this scene much more easily than locked in a 3rd world dungeon, or being beaten in the city square, or being brought before a Church council. In other parts of the world and in other times in history, those other scenes have been more comparable to what Christians regularly experience. But Paul, speaking to a diverse group of people, each with their own philosophy and perspective, that’s a lot like what we encounter. You may not find yourself in the Areopagus, but is the water cooler at work all that different? Maybe not.

So let’s take a look at this famous story and see what sort of principles we can gather about God’s heart, His work and how it might apply to us and through us.

We’re picking up in verse 16 in the city of Athens, where Paul had fled to escape danger in Berea.

Acts 17:16 – 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols.

What was so different about this pagan city compared to every other pagan city he had visited? All these Gentile places were full of idolatry and heathen temples and all sorts of outright polytheism. So why did Paul have this sharp reaction? Well, first of all, Athens was well known for being incredibly idolatrous. Pausanias, who lived shortly after Paul’s time, is known for writing a book called Description of Greece. He said, “there were more images in Athens than in all Greece besides.”

We would also say that Paul was particularly moved by the Spirit in response to what he was seeing. He didn’t normally have a casual opinion of sin, but as he looked around and saw the saturation of idolatry, his heart was stirred. Perhaps it was even more stinging because Athens was supposed to be the center of study and learning. “A city…thought to be more enlightened than any other…[where] learning and arts were carried to greater perfection than anywhere else in the world.” And what did it produce? Lie after lie. Snare after snare. Spiritual ruin. No wonder it distressed a man who knew the Living Savior.

There’s a principle of application for us here. Paul was waiting and as he took a look around, he had a spiritual perspective and saw spiritual needs. We are waiting. Waiting for the Lord’s return. While you’re waiting, take a look around and get busy furthering God’s work.

Acts 17:17 – 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

One spiritual truth that comes out of this situation is that everyone who isn’t born again needs salvation equally. The Jews needed it just as much as the idol worshipers. The Stoics just as much as the Epicureans. The idle troublemakers in the marketplace just as much as the shopkeeper. All are in need of God and all are loved by God.

A point of application here is: Paul wasn’t only distressed, he walked onto the field and got involved. There’s a lot out there to upset us, especially as God-loving, moral people. Let’s not just be upset, but to take our concern and put some legs on it and get to the Lord’s business however we can.

Acts 17:18 – 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?” Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

We don’t need to get too deep into what it meant to be a Stoic or an Epicurean. Suffice it to say, they were different philosophies about how a person should live. Some of these people believed that the gods were too far removed to have anything to do with humankind. Sort of agnostics. Others thought that the highest value of man was to live a good life and relate well to friends. Some were pantheists – thinking there is no actual, personal God. Others, I’m sure, didn’t care about religion as much as they just wanted to make a buck and mind their own business.

And this is the situation we find ourselves in today. There are a lot of people with a lot of different ideas. You come across them all the time at work or in school or in the donut shop. The internet has made junior philosophers of everybody. There are some people who fashion their lives after a Jordan Peterson video or do whatever Joe Rogan or Oprah Winfrey says. There are other people deep into Critical Race Theory. I’ve got a friend from college who has decided he doesn’t want to be a Christian anymore, he’s watched some stuff on YouTube and now he doesn’t think human beings have a free will. Not in a theological sense, in a philosophical sense.

So, on any given day, you and I might encounter a modern day “Epicurean” or “Stoic” or a scoffer or just people who don’t quite understand what you’re all about as a Christian. Paul examples to us here that, no matter who you’re talking about, the target goal is the same: Tell them the GOOD news about Jesus Christ. How He lived and died and rose again and what that means for each and every person on the earth.

We note that some called him an “ignorant show-off,” or a “babbler.” Your translation may even render it “seed picker.” Which shows that even though there wasn’t violent hostility in Athens, there was still hostility. And we should expect there to be levels of hostility to rear up when we live out or speak out our faith in Christ.

Acts 17:19-20 – 19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting? 20 Because what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these things mean.”

The Areopagus was a prestigious place, this was quite an opportunity, but the setting is somewhat casual. Paul’s not on trial. There’s no riot or commotion. There was a group of people interested in hearing him. In that sense, it’s like when your supervisor at work suddenly says, “You go to church, right?” That moment can feel intimidating, because in many cases such an opportunity is somewhat rare. Or maybe you’re at some training and they’re doing a Q&A time or want input and suddenly the focus is on you and you’ve got these professionals or experts and you get the chance to speak. Maybe you’re in a classroom setting or even just on the family text thread and that nonChristian sister-in-law with a Masters degree opens a door for you to say something about what you believe.

In that moment we want to react quickly, take the opportunity that is presented. We’ll see Paul doesn’t have much time, but he uses what time he has. And we want to realize that the things we say might sound new and strange to a lot of people. Our perspective on what matters in life, our perspective on suffering or generosity or truth and ethics, these are things that many people not only don’t understand but are confused by.

What we’ll find is that, in this moment, Paul is not going to present them a “teaching” as much as he is going to present to them a Person. And that is a very important principle when it comes to living as witnesses for the Lord. Christianity is not a system. It’s not a philosophy. It is a relationship with the Living God, our Creator, our Savior, who then does take our lives and give us a worldview and way of living, but it’s the Person we want to present, not a philosophy.

Acts 17:21 – 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new.

Luke gives us an editorial comment here, but it can encourage us. Some of the people around us are not on a genuine search for spiritual truth. The Philippian Jailer, that guy’s in crisis. He is genuinely looking for answers. Same with the Ethiopian Eunuch. These folks, some were probably earnest, but a lot were just going about their business without any real interest in Paul’s God. Even so, God’s word and the Holy Spirit are powerful enough to break into hearts and make a difference.

Acts 17:22 – 22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect.

It’s not a good thing to be “religious in every respect.” Religion is a deadly thing. Look at what intense “religiosity” did in the Bible, whether it was the Athenian flavor or that of the Pharisees. We relate to God on the heart level, not the legal, ritualistic level.

Acts 17:23 – 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.

Now, remember, Athens was supposed to be this pinnacle of thought and learning and spirituality. But think for a moment about how silly this really is. In Greek mythology the gods would sometimes come down and mingle with the people. Imagine some god, the unknown god, showed up one day, and said, “I’m here. I’m powerful. I want to know if you worship me.” Their response was, “Oh yeah, we put a little shrine over there. That one can be yours.”

“Well, did you search for me or honor me or try to obey me?”

“Like I said, there’s a placeholder shrine over there…we’re hoping that would cover it…”

That’s the pinnacle of human philosophy. The best man can do is make gods for himself, fashioning them according to his own imagination and frailties and insufficiencies.

Luckily, we no longer need to live in ignorance, because the one true God has revealed Himself.

Acts 17:24-25 – 24 The God who made the world and everything in it—he is Lord of heaven and earth—does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.

God is not only Maker, He is Master and He is the Maintainer of all things. Breathing hasn’t been quite so easy the last weeks with the fires, but let’s be reminded that every breath is literally a gift from God. He does so, not because He needs us but because He loves. He is a Giver and a Sustainer and, Christian, He will sustain you now and forevermore.

Acts 17:26-27 – 26 From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

There’s so much talk about ethnicity and race these days. We don’t want to be callous or without tact, but boiled all the way down, the Bible declares there is one race – the human race. Interestingly, the reason why mankind has split off into national groups is, according to Paul, so that God could work out His loving providence and draw all men to Himself. How can that be?

Well, we remember the first great division of people at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. There they were, working together to reject God, and God said, “For their own good we need to split them up, because if we let them continue on this path, they’re going to be lost.” So in love God confused our language. And here Paul reveals that God scatters people throughout the world and throughout the generations so that they will always be as close as possible to connecting with Him if they will turn in repentance and faith.

On a practical level, this means that God has scattered you into this time and this place for a particular, loving and spiritual reason. This is why we need to be very careful about tinkering with the movements of our lives. We don’t want to spend time in Philistine territory like David did. We want to be where God wants us to be because He wants us there on purpose.

We also learn here that any person, in any condition, can reach out for God and immediately lay hold of Him. There is no one too far gone. Whether you’re the prodigal in the pig pen or the king in the palace, God our Savior is immediately within reach and He is, in fact, reaching out to each of us.

Acts 17:28-29 – 28 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 Since, then, we are God’s offspring, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.

When you think about nonChristian religious ideas which try to answer the questions of how we get to heaven or how to live a meaningful life, they’re pretty sad. About as sad as carving a little image and calling that a deity. People in our day-to-day lives will often say things like “I’m a good person.” Ok, but that’s not anything. That’s like saying, “I’d like to be awarded the Nobel peace prize, please.” “Ok, on what basis?” “Well, I didn’t commit genocide today.” That’s not how it works.

Now imagine a thrice Holy God who gave you life and breath and help and a way to be saved. And you stand before Him and say, “I wasn’t AS bad as I could’ve been.” “Ok. Well, did you love Me? Did you try to know Me? Did you listen when I spoke to you?” “No, I made you this carving.”

Paul highlights the fact that even unbelievers have an innate understanding that there is a God and that we owe our lives to Him. “Some of your own poets have said…” As Christians we need to preach and live out the truth that our lives are not our own. They belong to God. A gracious God, full of love and kindness. But our lives are His, for His glory, for His use.

Acts 17:30-31 – 30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

No more excuses. If a person wants salvation, if they want a life of meaning, if they want to be saved from hell and be made right, they must turn toward God from whatever other idol they serve or philosophy they follow. It is commanded. And that is the first step for the unbeliever. Not some method or program or formula. Repent! And it’s urgent they do so, because each passing moment, each breath they take is one closer to that final judgment, where they will stand before a perfect God and have to answer this question: Are you righteous? There is none righteous, no not one. Only Jesus Christ passes inspection. And only those who are in His hand will escape judgment and the penalty for their sin. Christ is that Man appointed by God, He is the GodMan, who will judge the world in righteousness. And we know it’s true because He was raised from the dead.

Acts 17:32-34 – 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” 33 So Paul left their presence. 34 However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

It would’ve been an intimidating crowd and a not-altogether friendly one, but Paul didn’t shy away from really delivering them the truth. They asked some questions, he directed them to Jesus and for their need to repent and be saved. Some people mocked him, some were shook but weren’t ready to decide, others were born again. And that’s going to be our experience as well. The encouragement is that, when we share the Gospel, the reaction is not our responsibility. There will be a whole range, like we’re seeing here. Our responsibility is the message, so let’s be sure to deliver it in full. That doesn’t mean we have to narrate the entire Bible, but we can give a presentation of the truth in telegram length, if necessary. God is real. You’re a sinner. God wants to save you. Jesus Christ is the only way. Repent and believe.

What Acts demonstrates is that, just as God has scattered people throughout the world on purpose, He has also put you in certain places on purpose so that you can further His work and testify on His behalf. We can do so with force and boldness, like Paul, but also with grace and tact, like Paul. He didn’t get into a shouting match with the scoffers. When it was time, he left peaceably.

As the chapter closes, Luke records 2 of the converts. I find this to be a very interesting post script to the scene. Dionysius was an “Areopagite,” meaning he was probably one of the judges in this prestigious institution. He would’ve been at least 60 years old, and he was named for a Greek god also known as Bacchus, as in the god of drunken revelry. Among other things, he was also the god of insanity and ritual madness. But, he was also a god who had, supposedly, died and risen again. So here we have this man, long steeped in paganism, an exemplar of Satan’s counterfeit and ruin of man. And even he could be reached by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Tradition tells us that he would ultimately become the Bishop of Athens. What a great end after so many wasted years.

So, when you and I find ourselves in some intimidating conversation, take heart, take the opportunity and remember that we are part of the continuing work of God on the earth. And our God can overcome any lie of the Devil, our truth is enough to impact the smartest guy in the room, and no life is too far gone. Even old Areopagites might be brought from darkness to light and used by God.

We may not find ourselves in Philippian dungeons, but we probably will find ourselves on a Mars Hill or two at some point. Head for the hill and know that you are in good company and have a good God standing with you, filling your heart and using you for His glory.

Quiet Courage (Acts 17:1-15)

The last time we were in Acts, it had been quite a ride. Paul and Silas had faced down a demon, a riot and a brutal beating. But that was only the opening act. That night was the main event: their stay in the Philippian jail. Songs at midnight. Earthquake. Souls saved. Lives changed. And finally, Paul secures a thrilling victory, revealing their Roman citizenship, which left the fledgling church protected (at least for a time) from the meddling of unfriendly officials.

In modern times, this would have been a good opportunity for Paul to head home, secure a book deal and write a best-selling memoir. But, of course, that’s not what happens. For Paul, there were still other roads to take, other cities to visit, other crowds that needed the Gospel.

Already in his life as a missionary he’s been beaten severely, stoned to death, maligned and run out of various towns. And yet, on he goes, with his friends, convincing all kinds of people everywhere he goes to join him in this life of faith.

Tonight, with the drama of Philippi in his rearview, Paul continues on, knowing that he could expect the same violent opposition to be waiting for him in the next town, and then the next town and the town after that. But on they go, in quiet courage. Not parading themselves, not capitalizing on their exploits for personal gain, but driving deeper and deeper behind enemy lines in their mission to seek and to save those who were lost. As he goes, we see his companions also live out a strong but quiet courage, as do the new Christians that are made as they move through city after city.

We begin in verse 1 of chapter 17.

Acts 17:1-2 – After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Despite all that Paul suffered at the hands of his countrymen, he never lost hope that they might have their eyes opened. While the Gentiles didn’t treat him much better, when going to these Jewish communities he knew that there would be very strong reactions to his message. Some would believe and receive Christ, others would actively reject what he was saying and that rejection often included violent outbursts. But still, in place after place, he took courage and walked through the doors.

When I come here on Wednesday nights I don’t usually find myself thinking, “They might kill me for what I’m going to say today.” But Paul did. Each Sabbath was like being landed on the beach at Normandy.

In this case, the city was Thessalonica. His first letter to them would be the earliest of his epistles that we have preserved in the New Testament. Though his visit with them will be brief, the impact was great. In First Thessalonians, Paul describes the believers there as being full of work and faith, motivated by love, showing endurance and hope in spite of suffering. He says that the Gospel came to them in power, which suggests there were some remarkable things happening in those 3 weeks that he and the team were there.

One quick note about the team: We see that Dr. Luke no longer includes himself in the narrative, so it seems he stayed back in Philippi to continue the work there. He’ll join back up with the guys in chapter 20, but for now he is willing to man the fort as they press on.

Sometimes spiritual courage means doing something that isn’t your job. We can’t even imagine Luke saying, “I’m a doctor, not a babysitter!” Remember: We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. So, in a situation like that, we aren’t to think of ourselves as a “doctor” or whatever else. We’re to think of ourselves as “God’s man” or “God’s woman” in the situation and make ourselves available to whatever needs doing.

We notice, also, that Paul’s appeal was made from the Scriptures. He came with God’s eternal, revealed truth and appealed from it, not from trends or what would sound most pleasing.

Sometimes in discussions on evangelism or apologetics you might hear the question: “How do you prove the existence of God to an atheist not using the Bible?” Or, “how can I preach to a Mormon using their own books?” Those questions are understandable and aren’t necessarily wrong, however they move us down the line toward the idea that it’s intellect and reason that will convert a person. Intellect and reason are important and significant, but Paul would later explain (very clearly) that it is the Gospel that is the power of God that brings salvation. Not simply airtight arguments or human logic, but God’s revealed truth, contained in His word. And we need not be ashamed of it.

Of course, Paul met people where they were at. Mars Hill is a wonderful example of that. When the Jehovah’s Witness comes to the door, it will help to know a thing or two about how their translation works so that we can bridge to the unadulterated truth of Scripture. But, while we do want to meet people where they’re at, we want to be sure not to leave them there in their ignorance.

Now here was the main thrust of Paul’s message:

Acts 17:3 – 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”

Very clear, very plain. Jesus is the Messiah. He said the name. In the pop culture of social media right now you’ll often see people talking about someone who has been killed and they’ll say, “Say his name,” or “Say her name.” Paul knew that it would be very controversial for him to speak this way to these devout Jews, but he was not willing to leave them with some ambiguous message, like: “Let go and let God.” Rather, he explained again and again, “Jesus is the Messiah.”

And, we’re told, he proved the necessity and reality of His sufferings and resurrection. What a comfort to know that what God has revealed is objective truth. The resurrection is one of the most provable events in human history. And the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was, indeed, the long-expected Jewish Messiah, is objectively provable. We can look into the infallible word of God and decode who that Anointed One was. We know when He would come. We know from where He would come. We know what His works would be. Christ Jesus was that One. He alone fits the list.

If you are someone who feels like you have a good handle on how to tell the story of Jesus but would like more help with the “proving” part, there are a number of helpful books that can get you started and show just how rock solid our faith is. Three books that will get you on your way are: Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell, The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel and God’s Not Dead by Rice Broocks. There are many more, but those are a good place to start.

Why was it ‘necessary’ for the Messiah to suffer and rise again? This idea of a slain Savior was really difficult for even thoughtful spiritual seekers to grasp. Think of the Ethiopian Eunuch. Couldn’t the Messiah come and fix everything by executive order, as it were? No, the Christ had to suffer and rise. It had to happen because without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. And without the resurrection we are hopeless and of all people more pitiable. There are essentials in the Christian faith. The death and resurrection of Jesus are two of them.

Acts 17:4 – 4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.

Proof alone can not turn a human heart. There has to be a surrender in the will. Happily, in this case, many did surrender and acknowledge Christ as Savior and King.

Interestingly, in describing the conversions here, Luke says they “joined” Paul and Silas. There was an immediate coming together. The founding of a community. They were knit together into a local church body, all united, despite their differences in class or status or nationality.

Acts 17:5-8 – 5 But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly. 6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, 7 and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king—Jesus.” 8 The crowd and city officials who heard these things were upset.

There was a time when a riot like this seemed like a strange and antiquated thing. Not so much anymore. Of course, this is still what many of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world deal with on a regular basis.

Paul and Silas were the targets here, but if they couldn’t be found, any Christian would do. Jason, for his part, wasn’t some sort of powerful, influential person, he wasn’t an apostle. But he was a Christian and that was enough. Sometimes in life we’re presented with out of the blue difficulty, whether it’s in the form of persecution or other suffering. We can take courage and know that God has not left us, even when something as unpredictable as this happens.

There in verse 6 they utter the incredible line: “These men…have turned the world upside down.” What a great thing to have said. Ironically, if these Christians were so dynamic and powerful, you’d think the people of the mob would be slow to move against them and quick to hear what they have to say. But these are people held captive by the Devil to do his will.

I also love the fact that Jason and these other fellows were included in this accusation. They hadn’t done anything but join the family and shown some hospitality. But the angry mob said, “They’re part of the whole thing!” And that’s true. Your small actions, done unto the Lord, have eternal weight.

As for the “turning the world upside down,” that’s a good reminder of what the goal of Christian ministry is. Our goal is not to make sinners more comfortable on their way to hell, but to rescue them. They are in the depths of their guilt, swimming ever deeper into the abyss. And then God sends us to grab them and help them understand that there is life above in the other direction.

As for the charge that they were acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees, well, that was mostly untrue. It had only been a couple of weeks. They didn’t have time to refuse to pay their taxes. They were great citizens. Ones who weren’t taking advantage of people or cheating the system (or starting riots). It is true that they now bowed the knee to a greater King: King Jesus. In the land of liberty it’s always good to be reminded that we serve a King. We belong to Him and it is our duty to carry out His will.

Acts 17:9 – 9 After taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them.

Jason and the brothers are silent in this story. They demonstrate a quiet courage to endure faithfully, even in the face of injustice and unfairness. They paid the fine. In this case, they wouldn’t have to pay in blood, but in silver. But there was still a price to pay and they were willing to pay it.

You know, so far in American history, it has been very inexpensive for people to be Christians. That may be changing. For some churches, as fines are coming down, things are starting to become more costly. We can trust that the Lord will guide us and, however He guides us, we also can walk in quiet courage like these infant believers in Thessalonica. It is courage to live a life forfeited to God.

Acts 17:10a – 10 As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea.

It would be about 50 miles to Berea. Not exactly a safe trip, but courage again from Paul and Silas. It seems that, as Luke had been left in Philippi, Timothy was left in Thessalonica. That would’ve taken some courage. This young man, left to tend a brand new church that was being actively persecuted.

Acts 17:10b – Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

“Hey, maybe let’s try a local park or something this time? Things seem to go poorly when we do these synagogue outreaches.” It’s true, Paul’s method met a lot of resistance, and it’s easy to focus on the opposition, but we also see that every time he did this a lot of people gave their lives to Christ. Look at verse 11:

Acts 17:11-12 – 11 The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men.

Now, do we need to ‘cancel’ Luke for being racist here? What’s this nobility talk? Like a lot of Bible words, the term is a wide one, but most resources agree the sense of the word is “generous.” The people of Berea had a greater generosity of heart and mind than their neighbors 50 miles away.

The truth is, we know that different cities and regions have a vibe. For example, it doesn’t matter where you go, everyone is friendlier than Californians. Economists and sociologists study this stuff all the time. Barna is a group that studies things like this. In 2016 they listed El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico as the most generous cities in America. In the top 50 there was only 1 entry for all of California. The city? ‘Fresno-Visalia,’ ranking at #29.

Barna also researched the most “Bible-minded” cities in the US. Fresno-Visalia came in at #71 on that list. There’s only 1 California city higher than that: San Diego at #70.

In verse 12 it says “consequently” or your version might say “therefore” or “as a result.” The consequence of a person examining the Scriptures should be life change. That’s not only for people who get saved, but for you and me as well. As believers, we are to continue in an ongoing study of the Bible, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in all truth. Ours lives should be continually changed by the power of God’s word. And when we minister to others, we should always appeal to Scripture because it is powerful and life changing.

Acts 17:13 – 13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.

As God sends out His workers into the field, so the Devil sends his out to sow tares and ruin young crops. There is a Satanic agenda that is anti-God, anti-Israel and anti-Church that permeates this world. And though we cannot always predict when he will launch an attack, we can expect him to stand in opposition and to marshal his forces to fight against God’s work and God’s people.

Acts 17:14-15 – 14 The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Again, we see a determined, quiet courage defining these Christians. You see it in Silas and Timothy, willing to stay behind while being spiritually shelled by the enemy. We see it in those brand new believers who were willing to escort Paul to Athens, standing with him in spite of the danger.

Why leave Silas and Timothy only to have them come and join him a few days later? We can’t be sure. Perhaps the situation was so serious they had to get Paul out as quickly as possible and didn’t have time to prepare properly. I also think it’s because Paul and the guys knew that, for these brand new churches, even a few more days of instruction and ministry would make a big, big difference. When you’re an infant believer, out in pagan Greece, 6 days with an apostle is much better than 3 days with one. They needed every precious ounce of spiritual guidance. Of course, even when the team left, these Greek Christians were never alone. They had each other. They had the Spirit and they had the filling of God’s courage and the demonstration of how to use it as they began their own walks with the Lord.

Tonight each of us should take courage, keep it up, and move forward in the power of God. Relying on His word to continue the life changing work in our own hearts and in the lives of the people we’re trying to rescue. As we live out our days, we should do so with quiet resolve, generosity and thoughtfulness, being willing to do whatever needs doing, expecting opposition but remembering that our King is on our side and He is leading the way, lighting our path, equipping us as we go through the world proclaiming the good news of our Messiah.

I Don’t Go Walkin’ After Midnight (Acts 16:25-40)

As of last Thursday, California prison officials said that “as many as 17,600 California inmates may be released early due to the coronavirus, 70% more than previously estimated.” We’re not the only ones. Indonesia has released 12% of their prison population, which would be like us turning out about 300,000 inmates here in the States. Some shocking things have happened as a result of this trend. While such decisions have angered some, others feel it’s not nearly enough. Human Rights Watch recently wrote that “prisoner releases have been too few and too slow.” Their perspective is that there are many people in prisons worldwide who have been wrongfully accused, held without trial or are subject to inhumane conditions like overcrowding. To be sure, the issue is complicated. There are a lot of people being held in prisons who shouldn’t be there. And there are a lot of people there because of what they’ve done.

Now take a moment and imagine yourself in one of those jails. You can pick Pelican Bay if you’d like or Lurigancho in Lima, Peru. Imagine you’re there and let’s say you’re guilty of a terrible crime. But then, one evening, the guards come and say, “They’re letting you out. COVID.” And you reply, “That’s Ok. I’ll stay here.” Or, imagine you’ve been framed for a crime you didn’t commit and now you’ve got a free ticket out. “I think I’ll just hang out, if you don’t mind.” And not only you say that, but everyone in the prison says it. I think we’d need to test the tap water!

We’ve got a scene like that before us, tonight. In a dreadful, first century jail, we find Paul and Silas crumpled in stocks, their backs still bleeding from the ruthless scourging they’d endured. Through an amazing series of events, they and all the other prisoners are busted out of their cells. And yet, they all stay right where they were. After that, Paul and Silas will be brought out of their dungeon, into a home to have a meal and some medical care. Then, of their own free will, they go back to their cell. And then, having received an official notice of release, they for the 3rd time say, “We’ll stay, for now.”

This isn’t the only strange thing that happens in this text. In fact, the more we look, the more it seems like some sort of Bizarro World, where earthquakes assist rather than destroy, jailers ask prisoners for life advice and city magistrates are at the mercy of people who had been their helpless victims just a few hours before.

They say “you can’t fight city hall.” In this case, the believers didn’t, but God did. When God fights, at least in this dispensation, He doesn’t do so with a “take no prisoners” mentality. No, He is more than happy to rescue His enemies, give them quarter and even add them to His ranks and family.

We put in at verse 25.

Acts 16:25 – 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

In our last study we talked about just how brutally these men had been treated. Their personal physician had diagnosed it as ‘severe.’ Their wounds had not been tended or cleaned, meaning they were still open and bleeding while they were fastened into agonizing stocks and left to their physical misery in the inner prison.

But, here they are, in one of the most famous and picturesque scenes in all the New Testament, singing songs in the night. That’s a special promise God has given to His people, by the way. In Job, we’re told that God gives His people songs in the night. In oppression, in suffering, in hardship or strain, God has a song for you. A melody to bring you hope and peace.

Why midnight? Well, I like to think that God was making a point. You see, the Devil had mounted an offensive at the hour of prayer, sending his agent to infiltrate the meeting of the believers. It had led to this prison scene and I’m sure Satan was quite proud of himself. There they were, in his world. The dark of night. The hopeless pit. But God answered back. He went into the dark of night, into the dark of that prison and would everything right. It may be midnight, but that only meant a new day had arrived. And what the Devil, I’m sure, had counted as a win was about to become an astonishing harvest for the Kingdom of Light.

We’re told that the prisoners were “listening” to them. The term used is for real attention. They didn’t just hear the tones, they listened intently to what was being said, what was being prayed.

What were they singing and praying about? We’re only left to speculate. But it’s not a stretch to assume that, first of all, word had spread about why these guys were here and what had happened. And, it’s not a stretch to think that Paul and Silas were praying for that young girl who had been set free from a demon. Praying for the wicked men who had enslaved her. Praying for the group of Christians there in the city. Praying for their own deliverance. I’m sure they were singing great things about a man named Jesus, who lived and died and rose again. How He is a God who never leaves us or forsakes us. There was a lot to listen to, on that unusual night.

Acts 16:26 – 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.

This was quite a quake, not like the little ones we get here that swirl the pool a little. From top to bottom, this prison was shaken. But we see that it was a magnificent miracle, a precision airstrike from heaven, accomplishing very specific goals: Open the doors, loose the chains. Strong enough to have its effect even in the inner dungeon, but, at the same time, the walls stayed up. No casualties. This building wasn’t made of reinforced concrete. It wasn’t on rollers like modern skyscrapers in San Francisco. This earthquake was only beneficial, at least as far as the prisoners were concerned.

Sadly, there are some Christian commentators who are quick to say this wasn’t a miracle, just a coincidence. That security was so primitive, of course the doors came open. They say that the other inmates stayed in their cells, not because of the work of God in their hearts, but because they were too afraid to run or that they didn’t realize their shackles were off.

Why not marvel at the power of God? Why not see He was working out yet another grand purpose of deliverance and grace? Who ever heard of an earthquake like this?

Acts 16:27 – 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

In that era, a jailer who allowed a prisoner to escape would have to take his place. We have no idea how many people were in the prison that night, but one thing is clear: He’s done. He woke up to a terrible reality. He was in a completely hopeless and desperate position, and he knew it. The natural solution was for him to end his own life. That would be preferable to what the government would do for him. And, the Greek and Roman cultures were much more amenable to suicide.

Sadly, suicide is become more commonplace in our own culture. It’s the 10th leading cause of death, according to the CDC, rising over 35% in the last 20 years. But that was before COVID. In the wake of all that’s happened, many health officials are concerned of a skyrocket in numbers.

Before we move on, let me say, first, that if someone you know and love ended their own life, that is not the unpardonable sin, as is sometimes depicted in pop culture. Don’t lose hope over that. And, second, if you, for whatever reason, find yourself considering suicide, we plead with you to refuse that impulse and reach out for help. No matter what’s going on in your life, what you’ve done, what you’re facing, God already knows and He loves you and He has sent help. We, the Christians around you, are part of that help. And just as we’ll see Paul intervene to save this jailer’s life, we want to intervene for anyone listening who might feel they can’t go on. Your situation may look desperate and hopeless, but this story proves that, in Christ, there is a new day, full of life and help and hope.

Let’s see what Paul did in verse 28.

Acts 16:28 – 28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!”

Paul must have received what is called a word of knowledge here. God not only revealed to him what the jailer was about to do, but also why he was about to do it and that all the other cells were still occupied.

“We’re all here.” What must have been in those songs they were singing? Surely, there were men in that prison who were facing execution, starvation, disease, torture. But there they stayed. This simple fact reminds us of a great many truths when it comes to Christianity. First: God can bring transformation to the hardest of hearts before tonight is even over. Second: even the simplest presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is enough to change a person if they will, by faith, believe. Third: praying and singing matters. They’re not just time fillers. They are powerful activities. When we pray together, when we sing together, these are mighty actions. So, let’s make it a point to fill our singing with great songs. Let’s deepen our prayer lives to not be rote or repetitive, but rich and full.

Which songs people enjoy are obviously subjective on some level, but as a church and as singing Christians, we want to be singing the kinds of songs that keep men in their cells. Songs that speak the truth about Christ and His cross. About His rule over our lives. About our bankruptcy but His generosity. That He is Lord of all. We don’t want to just sing songs that make us feel fuzzy, but songs that proclaim the greatness of our God and tell the story of what He’s doing in this world.

Now, it’s interesting, this isn’t the first jailbreak we’ve seen in Acts. In chapter 12, Peter had been hurried out, very hush hush. But here, Paul and Silas are just waiting around. Didn’t God want them to go? Apparently not. What’s the difference? Well, we know it’s because God was accomplishing a bunch of things on their way out. But for the guys themselves the difference is simply the leading of the Holy Spirit. He told them to hold and they were in tune with Him and were willing to obey.

Acts 16:29-30 – 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

We see that the jailer felt no relief that the prison was still full. No, he was terrified. He realized he needed to be rescued. He knows something very great was going on. That’s why he called them “Sirs.” It’s a term that you use for a person of supreme authority. He realized, “These guys are the ones in charge here, or at least they know the Person in charge.”

We talk about collateral damage when a mission is being accomplished. God turns it upside down. In this jailbreak there’s a bunch of collateral deliverance. Prisoners transformed. A jailer’s life saved. His family saved. What a gracious God we serve!

Acts 16:31 – 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

That’s it. That’s the deal. Could it really be that simple? It was and it is. Sometimes it’s hard for us to not get in the way. Especially if we’re having a spiritual conversation with someone we really know and when we know what’s going on in their lives. We know about those things that are trapping them or ruining them. We know old arguments they’ve brought up. And, when they ask us, we might think, “Now’s my chance to tell them all the things they need to do make their life better or holier or whatever.” But, if we’re talking about salvation, let’s not stand in the way. It’s the power of God in a regenerated heart that accomplishes good anyway. Paul didn’t need to say, “Well, listen, you need to be less mean to your prisoners. And you’re going to probably want to make some changes. Christians take Sunday nights off.” There was an immense amount of work to be done in this man’s heart and life, but it’s God who does the work. So, what must you do to be saved? Believe. And if anyone else does the same, they’ll be saved, too.

Acts 16:32 – 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house.

There’s always more for us to learn. But, the primary message of the Gospel can be said in just a few, short words. And God’s word is for everyone, everywhere and is sufficient to rescue in any situation. It is the message of God making peace with his enemies, who are totally underserving of help or forgiveness. And yet, He has made a way. That’s a message worth getting your family out of bed for, which is what this guy did that night.

Acts 16:33 – 33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized.

So, here we see God is already doing a dramatic work in this man’s heart and it is changing his behavior. This same man, a few hours ago, mercilessly refused to clean their open wounds or let their doctor friend tend to them. And now, the Holy Spirit has revealed to him that he should be the one to make that right. We never need to worry about whether God is able to lead people to make changes in their lives. Of course He is. And when we try to force the changes from outside, well, then it is more of a costume than a piece of fruit growing on a branch.

I love how we see here he served them, then they served him. He washed them, they baptized him and his family. There’s an instant affection, an instant fraternity, an instant cooperation. No leftover resentment or bitterness or grudges. Just tender-kindness and selflessness, on both sides.

The truth is, the jailer’s refusal to get them medical care the night before probably changed Paul and Silas’ lives. I was doing some research on what happens when you leave wounds open for 6, 12, 18 hours. These are serious lacerations. His callousness was going to result in scars they’d carry forever. Maybe dangerous infection. But, the Apostles made no demands. They were still in pain. Still without food and rest. Yet, they put this man and his family first.

Acts 16:34 – 34 He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.

Pretty unusual meal, I’m sure Paul explained his own story of coming to Christ. They would’ve had to quickly tell the story of Jesus. Who was He? Where did He come from? Why did He come? All while wolfing some food, there in the dim light of daybreak.

We see the jailer’s rejoicing, how his heart had been filled with compassion and rightness. What a good thing that Philippi now had a Christian jailer, right? What an amazing post. Still today, prisons are hard places, filled with hard people, but they are a field ripe for harvest. Thank God He sends faithful servants into those prisons to be light there.

Acts 16:35 – 35 When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men.”

We aren’t sure whether they knew about the earthquake or anything that had happened that night. They seem pretty casual to me. Once the rage of the riot had worn off, their case against the missionaries looked pretty thin. So, they send the ‘rod-bearers,’ the very men who had savaged them the day before, to kick them down the road.

Acts 16:36 – 36 The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace.”

So, first of all, it seems like Paul and Silas went back to the prison. It’s possible they were staying in the house, but I’m guessing they would’ve gone back, in order to not cause deadly trouble for the jailer. Back with the rats. Back with the pools of blood they had let out the night before.

For his part, the jailer is excited. God had delivered His servants and they were free to go!

Acts 16:37 – 37 But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to send us away secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”

This is like a classic Shyamalan moment. No one saw this coming. Remember how they had talked about “these Jews that are here.” How the people of Philippi acted like they were so concerned about the customs and laws of Rome. But, it’s bizarro world. Claiming they cared about the customs and laws of Rome, they broke a bunch of them. And these hated “Jews” were actually Romans.

Paul’s not being vindictive or spiteful. If all of this was just swept under the rug, there would’ve been many difficulties for the young Christians in the city. Plus, Paul was never one to miss an opportunity to confront people with their need for rescue. I think he’s taking such an opportunity here.

Acts 16:38-39 – 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town.

It’s interesting to contrast these officials with the jailer. They each had their own hopelessness revealed to them. They each were guilty of a serious offense. One fell on his knees and surrendered at the cross. The others said, “Get out of here as fast as you can.” It’s the same that happened to Jesus. It’s the same that will happen to us as we spread the Gospel. Some will be like the jailer, who begged for rescue. Others will be like these magistrates, who begged them to get lost.

Acts 16:40 – 40 After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.

Paul and company would go on their own schedule, thank you very much. What a story they had for their friends and the new church there in Greece. On their way out, their purpose was ministry. They didn’t try to get these guys fired or arrested. They didn’t call down hell on them. Instead, they brought joy and encouragement. Told Lydia they’d have a new family at church this week: The jailer’s. And then others after that, and others after that as God continued His glorious rescue.

He’s still doing it today. Not in half measures or fuzzy math, but with real transformative power. Don’t settle for less. Don’t stand in the way. Go with God and be a part of His magnificent doings.