Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #217 “Paul’s Commission & Farewell” (Acts 20:28-38) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, it’s good to have you with us today. Last week, you will remember we began looking at Paul’s famous final farewell address to the Ephesian elders who had come to see him in Miletus before he continued on his journey to Jerusalem. And in the first section of his address, he relates to the Ephesian elders the example he has set (20:18-27). He had identified with those under him in every way possible. He had taught them (v.20). He was a witness to the gospel (v.21). And last but not least, he had suffered because of his obedience to Christ’s call upon his life. And that is characteristic of all God’s faithful ones; the life of the cross. But now let’s move on to the next section, which we find in verses 28-31. He says…

Acts 20:28-31 (NKJV)— 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

SECTION 2: PAUL’S CHARGE & WARNING (20:28-31)— Now this second section of Paul’s message is his charge and his warning (20:28–31). Paul knew how quickly things could go bad in a church; and especially at a church located in a place like Ephesus, where Satan really had a stronghold and where the spiritual forces at work against them were very strong. Keep in mind Ephesus is where the whole “sons of Sceva” episode happened, where these runners of an exorcism business get thrashed, beaten, and sent away naked by a man they (being unbelievers) tried to exorcise in the name of Christ, unsuccessfully. It’s a very dark place. And so Paul charges the Ephesian elders with three things:

Keep Watch Over Yourselves— (1) First, they are to keep watch over themselves (v. 28). That is because even mighty men of God who may even be spiritual leaders in their congregations are susceptible to the attacks of Satan. And Satan knows that if he can get a Christian leader to fall, he can wound his flock through that leader. Plus a leader who falls into sin becomes (because of that sin) distant from God and less susceptible to the leading and anointing of the Holy Spirit. That can lead to (1) messages without the power of God and (2) leadership for the church that is man’s leadership rather than God’s, because the minister may no longer be able to discern the voice of God. That is why a minister must always remember that, as Robert Murray McCheyne once so eloquently put it, “My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.”

Keep Watch Over The Flock— (2) Secondly, Paul charges the elders to watch over the flock as “overseers”. And the word “overseers” here in Greek is “episkopos”, a word that has often been translated “bishop” but is used elsewhere in scripture as a synonym for “elder” (see v. 17). By the way, “elder” is the word “presbyteroi” in Greek. It simply refers to a mature man; one who is mature not in age, but spiritually. The term “elder” focuses more on the maturity of the minister, whereas the word “overseer” focuses on the function, which is to care for the people as a shepherd/pastor. Now what does a shepherd do? He/she keeps watch over sheep; and that involves feeding, caring for, and guarding them from predators. And so it fits with Paul’s imagery to begin the next section by talking about savage predatory wolves who will (not might, but will) seek to ravage the flock of God.

The Lions of Tsavo— Some time ago I re-watched a movie called The Ghost and The Darkness. If you are unaware of that movie, it tells the true story of the building of the railroad across the continent of Africa. And there was a bridge that needed to be built over the river in the southern Kenyan region of Tsavo; and a particular Christian architect (Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson) had been hired to oversee its construction. But for 9 months in 1898, during the construction of the bridge, two lions began attacking and terrorizing the crew. Now this had never happened before. Man-eating lions always hunted alone. But these lions hunted and coordinated their attacks together. They would sneak into men’s tents and drag them off. But they didn’t eat the men. They would just drag them off and have fun killing them. In fact you see in the movie that they eventually find their den, in which there are piles of human bones that these lions collected, both from the railroad and elsewhere. And there are varied reports about how many men specifically working on the railroad were killed; some go as high as 135. That may be exaggerated. But they still killed a very high number of people. They would attack during the day as well as during the night. Men would shoot at them and hit nothing but air. And this among other things suggested to many then and afterwards that those lions were somehow being influenced by the demonic. Even in the movie Patterson reflects on how they might be Satan’s means of trying to keep the railroad (a means of spreading the Gospel further into Africa) from happening. Now Patterson and another gentleman eventually track down and are finally able to kill these lions; and they then go on to build the bridge. But you get this sense (even in the movie) that not only were two lions killed, but a much deeper darkness had been conquered. Now Patterson had the lions stuffed and you can go and see them today at The Field Museum in Chicago. But in the movie you really get this sense of fear; because all around the encampment is this very tall grass. And you never knew what or when something might come out of it. Now all of this was a very real and tangible representation of the truth we read about in…

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)— 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

The Wolves— Now in a spiritual sense, this is what Paul is worried about regarding these elders and those under their care; he knew (with amazing foresight that must have come from God) that they would come under the influence of those who would seek to destroy their faith. Now these wolves he said would come from both without and also from within the church, and would be those who seek to distort the truth (vv. 29-30). They would be twisters of the Word of God. And Paul here reminds them that when he was with them in Ephesus, he warned them about these wolves day and night with tears (v. 31). And here he does the same.

Costly Liquid— Now just recently I had to do something very painful; I had to fill up my car with gas. Costed me almost an arm and a leg. I couldn’t believe it; and that was at one of the cheaper stations. And unfortunately the cost of gas is expected to rise even more. Is there any more fluid more precious and costly than gas right now? Well yes, there is.

A High Price— (3) The third element to Paul’s charge is that the elders must shepherd the flock because of its value in having been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ blood is the most costly currency there ever was. And so these elders need to tend, care for, feed, protect, and lead their flocks with that in mind. And what’s more (and we’ll come back to this) just as Jesus gave his own blood as the good shepherd in order that they might live (cf. John 10:11), so also these elders were to give their lives for the people under them. Now go ahead and look with me at the third section in…

Acts 20:32-35 (NKJV)— 32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. 35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

SECTION 3: COMMITTING THE PEOPLE TO GOD AND HIS WORD (20:32)— Now this third section of Paul’s message to the Ephesian elders finds Paul committing them “to God and to the word of his grace.” The teaching of the message that they received from him would enable them to stay close to God, to stay pure in their doctrine, and to be safe from the wolves. Now at that time they did not have a New Testament, and so they had to rely strictly on what they had been taught through Paul in order to understand what that message was. But today we have the full Word of God, which gives us that message in its fullness. And so we (like they) need to devote ourselves to knowing that message. Heresies and divisions most creep in when people do not know and abide in the Word of God.

Back To Example— Now in verses 33 to 35 Paul again returns to his own personal example, finishing his speech by once again presenting his own life as an example for these elders to follow. When he had been with them, he showed undying and sincere commitment. Also, he says he did not covet anything that anybody else had (v. 33). Instead he worked hard with his own hands to provide for his own needs and the needs of his team (v. 34). And in doing that he really demonstrated one of the chief aims for the Christian’s earning of money: helping those who are in need. In fact, he wrote to them in…

Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV)— 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

Paul’s Generosity— And so whenever Paul appealed for money for the poor, his request always rang with credibility because it was not just an dictatorial command he gave for the members of his congregations to obey, but was something that he himself led the way in, being extraordinarily generous with everything God had given him. I mean even now he is bringing with him to Jerusalem an offering for the impoverished Christians there. And some of that money was his own; tent-making money he had made by the sweat of his own brow. May we also be just as generous and oriented towards meeting the needs of the weak and poor as he was. Now let’s look at the final section. It says in…

Acts 20:36-38 (NKJV)— 36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

SECTION 4: A GRIEF-FILLED FAREWELL— Now this last section of this passage is of course the farewell itself (20:36-38). This is where he actually kneels down and prays with them, they all weep bitterly, and then fall upon Paul’s neck and kiss him. And, like we said before, this overflow of grief and emotion reveals to us just how much these Christians had to come to love Paul; because first and foremost he loved them and poured out his life to them, opening his life to them in every possible way. And here they return that love in a very real and powerful way. They accompany him to the ship and he (like his Master Jesus before him) sets his face towards Jerusalem, knowing that suffering would await him there.

The Example of Christ – Now one of the things that we need to remember is that shepherds are leaders who are willing to lay down their lives and even die for their flock. We don’t often think about that element of leadership, but it is one of the chief ones given to us in Scripture. And of course Jesus is our primary example of this. As Jesus had said in…

John 10:11 (NKJV)— 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

Not So Easy— Now that is all fine and dandy when Christ does that for us. Most of us have been raised to understand that basic element of the Gospel; and we who are naturally self-oriented don’t have much trouble receiving that. But the idea that what Jesus did for us, we are to do for others? That’s not so easy. But Jesus says clearly in…

John 15:12-13 (NKJV)— 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Miniature Good Shepherds— So we see that He laid down his life for us; therefore we must be willing to lay down our lives for our friends. And that is what Paul was (even at that moment) demonstrating to them and calling them to do as well. As miniature “good shepherds,” they were to lay down their lives for their flocks just as he (and Christ) had done. And it is Christ’s call to us today to live that way for each other. May we embody all of Paul’s love, generosity, selflessness, and devotion to truth and to the Word; because we know that that was also the pattern of Christ. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #216 “Following Paul’s Example” (Acts 20:17-27) Pastor Cameron Ury

You know, I don’t know if you have ever had to write a farewell speech before. Maybe for you, it was a letter of resignation. Maybe you got hired somewhere else and had to say goodbye to your boss, your coworkers, or perhaps even your parents if you had to then move long distance. Twice I have had to do that; in fact very much what Paul is doing in our passage today; and that is say goodbye to men and women I loved and ministered to and served alongside with for years. And both times were very very painful, even when people (after I explained in those board meetings and during those worship services) understood how God was leading and accepted it. But honestly, I have never fully accepted it. I miss those people. That is one of the blessings and the curses of ministry; getting attached to people and then sometimes having to say goodbye. And during both those transitions and in the years that have followed, I have hoped that (1) those churches were blessed by my being there and (2) that my ministry will have produced lasting fruit. And if God ever calls me to leave the church I am pastoring now (if so, hopefully many years down the road), I want to leave the church thriving, growing, and anchored deeply in Christ Jesus and in the Word of God. Well that is the situation we find Paul in in our passage today here in Acts chapter 20. He and his team have arrived at Miletus and are probably waiting for their ship to be unloaded and re-loaded. And the elders of the Ephesian Church he had helped start come to see him for what Paul knows will be the last time. And so he wants to encourage and exhort them. And so he gives this beautiful farewell speech to these Ephesian elders. And it is a very special speech, because it is the only record we have of a speech that Paul gave specifically to believers. And in it we have three primary themes. (1) First, Paul defends his behavior; but even more so was able to present it as an example to the Ephesian elders (vv. 18-27, 33-35). (2) Secondly, Paul presents both a charge and a warning to them. (3) And third, Paul commits these Ephesian elders to God and to His Word (v. 32). And so those three elements will form the outline of our discussion today and in the weeks ahead. Go ahead and look with me at the first section in of Paul’s speech here in Acts 20, verses 18-38. Starting with 17, it says…

Acts 20:17-27 (NKJV) The Ephesian Elders Exhorted— 17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

SECTION 1: PAUL’S EXAMPLE (20:18-27)— And so in this first section we find Paul relating to the Ephesian elders the example he has set (20:18-27). And in Paul’s example we see him highlighting four major things in his example that he wanted the Ephesian elders to emulate:

     (1) The first was that he had identified with the people, having lived among them (v. 18). He knew what their own personal struggles were and identified with them in those struggles, much as Jesus Himself did. He had served God with humility and tears (v. 19), going from house to house (v. 20). And he did that because in doing that he was able to identify what his people’s own personal needs were and then share specific points of the gospel message that were directly relevant to their own situation. He didn’t have a “one-size-fits-all“ approach to ministry. He knew his people. And what this also shows us is that he was very available to people, which we see not only in this passage, but also earlier in this chapter while he was in Troas (vv. 9–10), where he spent a whole night eating with, chatting with, and teaching the believers there. He wasn’t just a preacher, who comes and preaches and leaves and nobody really cares. No, he was a shepherd; a pastor who was deeply involved with his people, which is why we see people grieving whenever and from wherever he leaves.

    (2) Now the second element of Paul’s example was that he was a teacher. He identified what the Ephesians needed to hear and taught them constantly both publicly and from house to house (v. 20). He wanted to make sure that they were fully equipped to be able to endure in their faith in the midst of a very pagan and worldly context.

    (3) Now the third element of Paul’s example was that he was a witness to the gospel (v. 21). And the Greek word behind this word “witness” actually means “declared”. And it carries the idea that evangelism is a very serious and awesome responsibility because in it you are calling people to repent of their sins and turn to faith in Jesus Christ. Both in this verse, but also in verses 26–27, there is this reminder to us that we are called to be watchmen. We have an awesome responsibility to warn people of God’s coming judgment and implore them to seek life in Christ. And in Paul’s talking about his being innocent of the blood of all men, he is drawing directly from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel (particularly chapters 3 and 33). Just to give you a glimpse, listen to the words of just the first part of Ezekiel chapter 3. It says in…

Ezekiel 3:16-19 (NKJV)— 16 Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

A Faithful Watchman— And so what Paul is saying here is that he has been a faithful watchmen. He has been faithful to warn and instruct the people and now their fate is in their own hands. And that is something you and I need to be sure we are doing as well. God will not hold you guilty of the blood of your brother or sister if you witness to them and they don’t listen. He won’t even hold you guilty if (in trying your best) you don’t even do it all that well. But He will hold you accountable if you keep silent. All of us are watchmen. The question is whether or not we are faithful watchmen.

    (4) Now the fourth element of Paul’s example is something that is intimately tied to his commitment to evangelism. And that was that Paul suffered because of obedience. We see in verses 22–23 that there are two key things that he says the Holy Spirit is doing in his life. First, the Holy Spirit is compelling him towards Jerusalem. And secondly, through the voices of prophetic believers he has encountered, the Holy Spirit is revealing that he will suffer if he does go to Jerusalem. And what that shows you and me is that our ultimate goal is not “long life and happiness”. No, our ultimate calling in life is to be faithful to “declare” the message of the Gospel. And that may mean having to go through some very unpleasant circumstances. It may mean facing persecution, suffering, imprisonment, or even death. But our goal is to strive towards the Kingdom of God and the storing up of wealth there, not becoming comfortable here; because this world is not our forever home. All of it will pass away.

Olaf’s Dilemma— Just recently I watched with my kids the movie Frozen II. And in it there’s this little magic snowman named Olaf, one of my favorite Disney characters, perhaps because he is so much like me; oddly shaped and slightly misunderstood. But in this movie he is having an emotional crisis. He’s laying in the grass next to Princess Anna and starts pondering the deeper questions of life. And he says to Anna, “Tell me, you're older, and thus all-knowing, do you ever worry about the notion that nothing is permanent?” Anna replies, “Uh, no.” “Really?”, asks Olaf. “Wow, I can't wait until I've aged just like you, so I don't have to worry about important things.” And of course she is a little taken aback by that. But Paul knew what Olaf pointed out; and that is that nothing in this world is permanent. However, there is a world that is. And so if we want to make investments that last, we need to make them there.

You will not see my face again – Now after revealing to the Ephesian elders what the Holy Spirit has been communicating to him, he tells them very frankly that because of this they will not see him again (v. 25). And this of course prompts his declaration that he is “innocent of the blood of all men” because he had been faithful to warn them of God’s truth (vv. 26-27).

On That Day— Now that phrase prompts me to ask some questions. What about you and me? Have we been faithful to warn people of God’s coming judgment? When we get to heaven, are there going to be people there because we had the courage to speak up? Or is there going to be blood on our hands? Have we been faithful watchmen? When I get to heaven, I want Jesus to say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” I want Him to say, “Cameron, just look at how much fuller heaven is because you were faithful to do the most important thing I told you to do in the world.” I want Jesus to start pulling people from the crowds in heaven; people who will come up to me and say “Hey Cameron, you may not know this, but I am here because of you; because you took the time, because you had the courage, because you valued me enough to (in whatever small way you could) put my hand in the hand of Jesus.” What will be said of you and me? Let that scene so permeate your mind that any fear or hesitation that might come the next time the Holy Spirit prompts you might evaporate and be squelched by your even greater desire to see that your life made not just a long-lasting impact, but an everlasting one; an eternal one. Let’s live under that weight of glory. Amen.

Lechem Panim #215 “Paul Pours Himself Out” (Acts 20:13-16) Pastor Cameron Ury

You know, if you had to pinpoint the number one characteristic of the Christian; the one that would most clearly identify him or her as a follower of Jesus Christ, that one characteristic would (without question) have to be a holy love for God that spills over into a consequent holy love for other people.

John 13:34-35 (ESV)— 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Romans 12:10-13 (ESV)— 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

1 John 4:21 (ESV)— 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Devoted to The Church— Now I say all of this because we see here in Acts 20 Paul’s love spilling over on those he is lovingly nurturing and mentoring. He and his traveling companions have just left the city of Troas. And Luke writes…

Acts 20:13 (LSB)— 13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land.

Investing in People— Now why does Paul choose to walk by land? Well, here we get another window into the heart of Paul. When we read between the lines here, we see just how dedicated Paul was to investing in the lives of other people. Now keep in mind that Paul had recently finished an over two year teaching stint in Ephesus. While he was there, for five hours a day, seven days a week he was teaching there in the school of Tyrannus. Like we said before, he would wake up in the morning (probably early), make tents till 11:00 AM, teach in the school of Tyrannus from 11:00am till 4 PM, then go back to making tents till 8:00 PM, then teach till 1:00 AM or 2:00 AM; then he would go to bed, get up, and repeat. And that doesn’t even take into account the Bible studies that he did in peoples’ homes. He never missed an opportunity to give himself for his greatest love, the people of the church, which was an extension of his love for Christ. His whole life was a living sacrifice for the church, the bride of Christ. And we see the same thing in this chapter. He comes to Troas (no doubt exhausted) and yet still makes the time to pour into the believers from the moment he arrives at that church service until midnight that night, when Eutychus falls asleep at the window and falls down and dies. Then Paul rushes down and raises him from the dead. And even after he raises Eutychus from the dead, what does he do? He goes right back up into that upper room and continues to teach; and they go until dawn. I mean the man is absolutely incredible; just 100% sold out in love for the Church. And it gets even more unbelievable, because look at the very next verse. Remember that Paul is anxious to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost and then wants to begin making his way to Rome. So after this he leaves. And he has a very long journey to take. And so Luke writes…

Acts 20:13 (LSB)— 13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land.

On Foot For The Church— Now your translation may say “on foot”, which is also correct. Paul went by land, on foot. The rest of his ministry team gets on a boat, but he goes for 30 miles on foot. Now you might ask, “Well, why does he want to do that.” Well, saying goodbye was very different in the ancient world than it is in our culture. When you and I have a guest leave we wave at the door and often times we will continue to wave until they’re out of sight. But in the Biblical world it was customary to actually go with your guest part of the way on their journey. You would walk with them quite a ways. It was a very long, drawn-out kind of a thing. And so now we see why Paul walked. He could have easily got on board the ship with the rest of his ministry team and sailed away and been done with the believers in Troas. He could have laid down in the boat after teaching all night and finally gotten some rest. But no, he chooses to walk 30 miles so that the believers in Troas could have the opportunity to walk with him and he could teach them and pour into their lives for as long as they wanted to walk with him and receive that teaching. I mean, imagine it. I often walk with my family on a local trail. We walk about 6 miles; and let me tell you, by the end of it we are tired and ready to rest. And that’s often after having had a good night’s sleep. But Paul walked 30 miles, just to spend time with these believers who were hungry to be discipled. You know he probably only walked alone the last 5 or 10 miles of the trip. Can you begin to see why this chapter might just be on par with 1 Corinthians 13? And guess what he was not doubt doing that last 5 or 10 miles by himself; praying and thinking about what he is going to say to the Ephesian elders, whom we find him ministering to in the very next section. Let me tell you, I almost got kind of emotional in my study on this because I felt like I came to see Paul’s heart in a way I hadn’t before. I mean I always saw him as a powerful, brilliant speaker who was devoted to fighting for truth. But I think I just never really noticed the heart of Paul. And my heart began crying out for Jesus to help me to love and serve my people as this man did.

Gifts Not Our Own— But you know, what we see demonstrated here in this passage (and in his life as a whole) is the reminder that our gifts are not our own. God has given you a gift(s). And whatever that is, whether it’s teaching, preaching, hospitality, encouragement, mercy ministry, even cooking; whatever your spiritual gift is, that gift is meant to be a blessing not just for you, but for the Church; it is to be available through you to all of God’s people. And Paul knew that. His gifts he made available to God’s people in every possible way. You want a picture of what a 1 Corinthians 13 kind love looks like? That’s it. Now from here, Luke says in…

Acts 20:14-15 (LSB)— 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus.

The Miletus Stop— Now I am not going to go into the geography of all of these cities. But one interesting thing to note about these cities is that each [is about 30 miles past the next one, all down the little coast of Asia Minor. And the thing was that the winds only blew from early morning to late afternoon; so, they would just travel from early morning to late afternoon, 30 miles, stay overnight; 30 miles, stay overnight; 30 miles stay overnight; 30 miles, stay overnight. That’s how they journeyed. And so, that’s why it tells us about all those little stops. And it says they came to Miletus. And Miletus was a town, the ancient capital of Ionia. It was not too far from Ephesus. It was originally composed of a colony of Cretans; {it} became extremely powerful and built one of the world’s great, magnificent temples dedicated to the God Apollo. So, it was somewhat famous. But they came to Miletus, not too far from Ephesus. Verse 16 tells us]…

Acts 20:16 (LSB)— 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

Calling For The Ephesian Elders— Now I want to make something clear to you that may not be obvious on a first reading of the text. Paul is not by any means seeking to avoid the Ephesians. He wants to make time for them as well (and we will see that he does). But what is happening here is that the ship going to Ephesus was apparently going to stay too long; it was going to linger longer in Ephesus than he was able to stay, because remember he is trying to make it to Jerusalem for Pentecost. So he chooses not to take the ship to Ephesus, but rather took the one that was going to stop at Miletus. Apparently he had a choice which ship to take. But notice verse 17, which (although it’s a part of next weeks passage, you need to see here. It says…

Acts 20:17 (LSB)— 17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.

Still Pouring Out— Now you might ask why that is important. Well, here’s why. Paul is in the middle of his journey and has stopped here in Miletus. He has a few days before his ship leaves. So what does he do? Get some much needed R and R? No, he sends for all the elders of Ephesus to come and meet him there in Miletus so that he can teach, exhort, and pray over them some more. I mean, he’s unbelievable. What a radical commitment to the people God placed under him. When Jesus had asked Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” and Peter said “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” and Jesus said “Feed my sheep.”, this is exactly what he meant. And what happens next is one of the most beautiful scenes in all of scripture. When the elders get there, they give back to Paul all the love he gave them. And we’ll talk about in the coming weeks. But you know, what are we to take from all of this? You know, sometimes we look at men and women in the early church (like Paul) as spiritual giants. We mythologize them and make them more than what they were. They weren’t superheroes. They didn’t have limitless power and energy. They were just men and women who allowed Jesus to change their hearts; and the rest of their lives was an explosion of that love; not a weighty chore, but a joy-filled outpouring and expression of love for their Savior. And what you and I need to understand is that you and I can have that same kind of love they had. In fact, listen to what Paul writes in…

Philippians 3:17 (ESV)— 17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

Not Arrogance— Now some might say that’s a little arrogant, thinking that people should imitate him as the supreme standard. But that is not what he is saying at all. Note how he says to the Corinthians in…

1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)— 11 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Paul’s Greatest Gift— You see, it was all about modeling what it means to live like Jesus. And perhaps that is Paul’s greatest gift to the Church; not his preaching or his teaching, but the proof that you and I really can walk in the love of Christ. Why? Because Paul did it; a human being just like us. It was his being like Christ and having the love of Christ that drew people to him in such an amazing way. And when we allow Jesus to create that love in our hearts, one of the first expressions of that love for Christ will be (as it was with Paul) our love for the Church. Paul writes to the Philippians again in…

Philippians 4:9 (ESV)— 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Love The Church— Paul loved the Church. You need to; I need to as well. And so let us ask the Holy Spirit to create in us that kind of love, which flows from hearts fully given over to Jesus Christ. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #214 “Paul’s Love For The Church” (Acts 20:13-16) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! So good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Acts together. In our passage today in Acts chapter 20 Paul has been traveling with a group of representatives of some of the gentile churches to bring a financial offering to the church in Jerusalem, which had a tremendous amount of need. And they have come to the city of Troas, where they end up staying for a week. And while there they take part in an evening worship service held in the upper room of a house. And all the believers are very eager to hear Paul and so he teaches them a very long while. And midnight comes and he’s still going strong. And a young man by the name of Eutychus was getting tired, and so he moved by an open window where he was hoping the fresh air would keep him awake. That didn’t work. He fell asleep anyway; and lo and behold he fell out of the window, fell three stories, and died. But Paul immediately runs out, throws himself upon the boy (just as Elijah and Elisha had also done to a couple of young men who had died during their ministries) and God brings Eutychus back to life. And afterwards they go right back into that upper room, have communion together and Paul resumes conversing with them a long while, until daybreak. Now at this point Paul and his party start to leave, first the rest of the party and then Paul. It says in…

Acts 20:13-16 (LSB)— 13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

[The Perfect Pastor— {You know, I read some time ago about how now,} After hundreds of years the perfect pastor's been found. He is the church elder who'll please everyone.

1. He preaches exactly 20 minutes and then sits down.
2. He condemns sin, but never steps on anybody's toes.
3. He works from 8 in the morning to 10 at night, doing everything from preaching sermons to sweeping.
4. He makes $400 per week, gives $100 a week to the church, drives a late model car, buys lots of books, wears fine clothes, and has a nice family.
5. He always stands ready to contribute to every other good cause, too, and to help panhandlers who drop by the church on their way to somewhere.
6. He is 36 years old, and has been preaching 40 years.
7. He is tall on the short side, heavy-set in a thin sort of way, and handsome.
8. He has eyes of blue or brown, (to fit the occasion) and wears his hair parted in the middle - left side, dark and straight, right side, brown and wavy.
9. He has a burning desire to work with the youth, and spends all his time with the senior citizens.
10. He smiles all the time while keeping a straight face, because he has a keen sense of humor that finds him seriously dedicated.
11. He makes 15 calls a day on church members, spends all his time evangelizing non-members, and is always found in his study if he is needed.
Unfortunately he burnt himself out and died at the age of 32.]

Number One Quality— You know, if I was to ask you today what the most important qualities of a minister of God are, what would you say? You might say preaching and teaching, boldness, or godliness. You might say shepherding ability, wise oversight, or the ability to work with people. All of those are critical. But behind all those things (the driving force behind them) ought to be a passionate, burning love for the Lord, for the truth, and for the Church. Now we’re not talking about the building or the organization, but rather the people.

History’s Loving Pastors— One author I was reading said: [There have always been dedicated pastors who sacrificed in life and death for the church. It was love for the church that drove the busy Reformers Luther and Calvin to preach constantly to their flocks—not merely on Sundays, but throughout the week. Many Puritan pastors continued to preach the Word after being forbidden to do so by the authorities. They knew they risked being imprisoned (as was John Bunyan), but love for the church compelled them to take that risk. Love for the church consumed the godly nineteenth-century Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne. Ill health could not deter him from his loving service, and, consequently, he died at a young age. It was his love for the church that motivated Charles Spurgeon to speak out against the modernism that was creeping into the evangelical church of his day. During the resulting “Down-Grade Controversy,” Spurgeon was sharply criticized for his stand. Some of those close to him deserted him. Yet he refused to back down, although the stress the controversy generated hastened his death. Church history is replete with examples of those who sacrificially loved the church.]
Paul’s Love Expressed— But standing over and above them all (without doubt) was the Apostle Paul. You cannot read anything he ever wrote to any church (even his letters of rebuke) and not sense the overwhelming love that he felt for those persons who were under his care. And I mean you read some of the things that he wrote and the language is almost like that between a husband and a wife; or a mother and her nursing child. I mean, [To the Philippians he wrote:

    I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart. (Phil. 1:3–7)

    “You are our letter, “he told the Corinthians, “written in our hearts” (2 Cor. 3:2). He also wrote to them, “You are in our hearts to die together and to live together” (2 Cor. 7:3). In 1 Thessalonians 2:7–8, Paul expressed his intimate love for the Thessalonian church: We proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.]

In Deed & Truth— But Paul [did not merely “love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”]

Laying Down Your Life— Now of course Paul did end up dying for the Church. But you know, I’ve always found Jesus’ choice of wording in that verse very interesting. He doesn’t say, “Greater love has no one than this, that one die for his friends.” Now of course that is part of what He meant, because keep in mind He was preparing His disciples in order that they might understand His atoning work on the cross. But over the years I have come to believe that Jesus meant more than just dying for people (though that alone is a very big deal). But no, He says “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” It’s one thing to die for someone and quite another to live for them and then die for them. I know that I would die for either of my kids (or my wife) in a heartbeat. But I do find it a struggle to live for them; to give of my time, my ears, my heart. But you know I think that is what Jesus (and Paul) did so well. They (in every sense of the word) laid down their lives for their people because they loved them.

Love Demonstrated— You know, when we think of the passages in scripture on love, one of the first ones we think about is that written by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, which has become known as the great love chapter of scripture. And you know (when it comes to the verbal description of what love is) it probably is. But one commentator I read pointed out that this chapter (Acts 20) is just as much a love chapter as 1 Corinthians 13. The word “love” isn’t mentioned once; no, Paul just lives it out in some amazing ways, pouring out all his time and energy into serving and meeting the needs of the Church. So you might say that 1 Corinthians 13 is Pauls description of love. Acts 20 is his demonstration of that love. And you need both.

Love is a verb— I am reminded of that old DC Talk song where they remind us that “love is a verb”; or that song by Michael W. Smith in which he says “love isn’t love until you give it away.” Love is more than emotion; it is making a conscious effort to live sacrificially for those you claim to love.

The Disintegrated Aqueduct— [Unamuno, the Spanish philosopher, tells about the Roman aqueduct at Segovia, in his native Spain. It was built in 109 A.D. For eighteen hundred years, it carried cool water from the mountains to the hot and thirsty city. Nearly sixty generations of men drank from its flow. Then came another generation, a recent one, who said, "This aqueduct is so great a marvel that it ought to be preserved for our children, as a museum piece. We shall relieve it of its centuries-long labor."
They did; they laid modern iron pipes. They gave the ancient bricks and mortar a reverent rest. And the aqueduct began to fall apart. The sun beating on the dry mortar caused it to crumble. The bricks and stone sagged and threatened to fall. What ages of service could not destroy idleness disintegrated.] How sad this is. But it can also be true of the Christian. When we cease to live outwardly in holy, self-giving, sacrificial love, our Christianity (no matter how solid our belief may be) will begin to disintegrate. This is why Paul writes in Galatians 6:10…

Galatians 6:10 (ESV)— 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

“when we have opportunity”— Now notice how it doesn’t say “when we have opportunity”, but “as we have opportunity”. It is now that we have [opportunity. This Gr. word refers to a distinct, fixed time period, rather than occasional moments. Paul’s point is that the believer’s entire life provides the unique privilege by which he can serve others in Christ’s name. especially… the household of faith. Our love for fellow Christians is the primary test of our love for God (see notes on John 13: 34, 35; Rom. 12: 10– 13; 1 John 4: 21).]

Let’s Recognize— And so this week, recognize the opportunities that God has given you to do good in the lives of other people (and especially the Church). Seize those opportunities. And in blessing, may you also be blessed. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #213 “Raising Eutychus” (Acts 20:7-12) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It’s good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Acts together. But before we get into our passage today I’d like to first ask you if maybe at some time in your life you have fallen asleep at time or in a place you shouldn’t have; and then maybe things got a little awkward?

Nudged to Pray— At the Christian college I attended, in chapel on time, one of the students fell asleep during the preacher’s message. And his buddy, noting that he was fast asleep, nudged him and said, “Hey, wake up. The preacher just called on you to pray.” And, startled awake and not yet coming to his full senses, the young man quickly stood up and began praying right there in front of several hundred other college students. Now imagine his embarrassment when he realized what had happened; and what his friend had done to him. I’m not sure they were friends after that. Now something very similar happens in our story today; only this time there are deadly consequences. And yet it gives God an extraordinary means of showing His power through the apostle Paul. Go ahead and look with me at chapter 20 of the book of Acts. You may remember from our episode last week how Paul and a group of pastors from various churches that he had helped plant are making their way towards Jerusalem with an offering for the church there. And they stop at the city of Troas, of which Luke writes in verse 6: and there we stayed seven days. And on Sunday they gather for a local evening worship service in a house likely belonging to one of the believers. They eat, have communion together, and then Paul begins teaching them. It says in…

Acts 20:7 (LSB)— 7 And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began speaking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

A Final Message— Now Paul knew that this would likely be his last meeting with these Christians here in Troas. And so, understandably, he preaches a longer sermon because he wants to make sure that he leaves them with as much as possible that can help them in the days ahead when they will no longer have him. And it is in the context of that prolonged message that something very unexpected happens. It says…

Acts 20:8-9a (LSB)— 8 Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep.

Young Man— Now the word used to describe Eutychus’ age here in verse 9 (manias) [means a man from twenty-four to forty years of age.] However, the word in verse 12 (pais) means [a young child or youth. Dr. Howard Marshall, an eminent Greek scholar, says he was a “young lad of eight to fourteen years.] My son falls within that age range, and so this could have been him! Now [Since the word pais can mean “a servant,” Eutychus may have been a young man who was also a servant.] So he might very well have been weary from working hard that day. That coupled with the fact that it was late in the evening (and the possible stuffiness of the room) caused him to be very tired. Plus all those oil lamps (which is what they were) combined with a lot of people served to make the room nice and warm. It was most likely not because Paul’s sermon was boring, as everyone else (including those who probably should have been watching Eutychus) seemed to be so engrossed, they don’t even notice Eutychus falling asleep next to a window he could potentially fall out of. And poor Eutychus; he’s trying his best to stay awake. [The tense of the Greek verb indicates that he was gradually overcome, not suddenly.] But he just can’t stay awake. Now his name adds to the humor of the story because his name actually means [“lucky, fortunate.” {And so} The "many lamps" (v. 8) and long sermon likely led "Lucky" to seek air in the window {(where there was better ventilation and the cool air might help to keep him awake)}, but he fell asleep anyway]. It says in…

Acts 20:9b (LSB)— And as Paul kept on talking, he sunk into that sleep and fell down from the third floor

Falling Out— And so, no doubt leaning and then tipping out the window, Eutychus fell three stories to the ground below. Now I don’t know if you’ve ever had a dream before where you are falling and you suddenly wake up. But it’s terrifying!!! Well here Eutychus is, awakened by that sensation, and (to his horror) it’s not a dream. He hits the ground and is killed. It says of him that he…

Acts 20:9c (LSB)— fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead.

All Dead, Or Just Mostly Dead— Now some of your translations may say “as dead”. And so the question obviously arises, was he completely dead or just mostly dead? Just recently I watched one of my favorite scenes in one of my family’s favorite movies The Princess Bride. This scene came to my mind when I was reading this passage because in this scene a man who has died recently is being carried by his friends to somebody who they think  might be able to restore him to life; a miracle-worker by the name of Miracle Max. And when Miracle Max looks at him he says, “The good news is that he’s not all-dead, just mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all-dead.” What’s the difference, one of the friends asks. “Well, if mostly dead, he’s slightly alive. But with all-dead, there’s really only one thing you can do.” What’s that, asks the friend. “Go through his pockets and start looking for loose change.”

All Dead— So was he “mostly dead” or “all dead”? Well, there is actually less room for misinterpretation in the Greek; as the Greek word is νεκρός, which in its adjectival form here means “dead/lifeless”. As a noun it would mean “a dead body/corpse”. And so he is picked up νεκρός/dead (not "as dead”). He has actually died.

His life is in him— Now this story has a touch of humor because of the circumstances involved (and plus we know how it ends). But keep in mind what a horror this must have been to the boys mother and father, who were no doubt there; and even to Paul. I mean we don’t know if it was the scream of somebody who say Eutychus fall or if it was the scream of Eutychus himself that alerted everyone. But when Paul realizes what has happened (maybe even seen it himself) he obviously stops teaching and (in horror) quickly runs down the stairs, which keep in mind ran outside the house. And it says…

Acts 20:10 (LSB)— 10 But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.”

Fell Upon— Now as I was reading Paul’s response here “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.”, I was really hearing him say, “Don’t worry, he’s not all-dead; he’s only MOSTLY dead.” And so which is it? Is Paul lying or bending the truth a little? No, because before he says that, it says first that he went down and fell upon him. And that phraseology is key because remember God had also performed resurrections through Elijah and Elisha after they had fallen upon and embraced two young boys who had died. So Paul’s falling upon Eutychus was the means through which God brought him back to life, after which Paul (seeing the boy alive) then cries out “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.”

Acts 20:11-12 (LSB)— 11 And when he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. 12 And they took away the boy alive, and were not a little comforted.

He kept preaching!— By the way, I love how Paul went right back to preaching. And I guarantee you Eutychus was now awake the whole time; partially because of what had happened, but also because when God brings you back to life, you come back refreshed, walking and leaping and praising Him. He had a lot to be thankful for.

Sacred Spots— You know, sometimes you don’t know what you are thankful for until you don’t have it. Now this story has a happy ending because Eutychus lived to die another day (perhaps as an aged man after having live a rich and full life). We don’t know. But can you imagine being his mom or his dad that day? You know, I often worry about my kids. I’m not a put-your-kid-in-a-bubble parent, but I am very protective of my kids. And almost every day I worry about them having a Eutychus moment; losing attention for that split second; that little blip of time that can end or forever change the course of their lives. And that’s compounded by the fact that I know there’s no Apostle Paul to bring them back if anything like that happens to them.
    Our kids and I were in a car accident now about two years ago, right near their school. Another car (not watching) veered into us and hit us very hard; every airbag in the car deployed. Airbags came out of places I didn’t even know airbags could be. The one that deployed just left of my head knocked my hearing out for a little while. And after impact I (ears ringing) turned to see my kids; and I saw the fear written all over their faces. And for months afterwards, often when I would drive through that spot (now extra-cautiously), I had this kind of gut-clenching, physical reaction. Now I know we are not to live in fear; and on the other side of that I have seen so many times how God has protected them, as He did then. But I am also aware of how quickly life can change. And whenever I go through that spot I feel this overwhelming gratitude for my kids’ lives; and for my life too.
    There is another spot that holds similar significance to me; and I know it does to you as well. It is the site of the cross. What a horrible place to be; at the foot of a cross. And yet was there that Jesus (in such a brief window of time) gave us back everything we might have lost; eternal life in fellowship with God. I don’t know what your plans are this week, but I would like to encourage you to make time to give thanks to God for saving you in that sacred place. Like these early Christians did, orient yourself around a remembrance of what God has done for you in and through Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #212 “Sunday Night Church At Troas” (Acts 20:7) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. If you have your Bible, go ahead and turn with me to Acts chapter 20. As you may remember, Paul is traveling with a group of men who each represented churches that Paul had started in Asia. And each of them is [carrying an offering from his home church to be given to the believers in Jerusalem], which remember had a tremendous amount of need. [Having each man deliver the gift {really offered} a personal touch and strengthened the unity of the believers.] The Church was being the Church for one another. You know, this coming Sunday at our Church (Renton Park Church) I am preaching on the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus; and what is remarkable to me about that prayer is how often Jesus prays for the unity of all believers; that they may be one even as He and the Father are one. Now I can’t even begin to unpack that today. But Jesus says in that prayer…

John 17:21 (ESV)— 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:23 (ESV)— 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Testimony to the world— The fundamental purpose of our unity is to bear testimony to the world of the fact that the Father did indeed send His beloved Son Jesus (and that He is their salvation) and that God loves them just as He loves Jesus. That is what our unity points the world to. Jesus had said in…

John 13:35 (ESV)— 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

No Excuse— Now if there is disunity; if there is a lack of love and care for one another; this gives the world an excuse not to take us seriously. But when we are unified and loving and caring for one another, we pave the way for the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to them and often a longing to be a part of that same kind of unified body of believers. And that is part of what this love offering helped to demonstrate. It was a very personal and tender-hearted gesture.

A New Goal— Paul had wanted to arrive in Jerusalem by Passover; but they had been delayed, so that didn’t happen. So now he is trying to get there at least by Pentecost (Acts 20:16). And here we see that they have come to the city of Troas, of which Luke writes in verse 6: and there we stayed seven days.

“We” to “Us”— Now note how in verse 5 and here in verse 6 there is a [pronoun change {from “he”} to “us” and “we,” for Dr. Luke has now joined the party (see Acts 16:17). He had probably been ministering at Philippi where he joined Paul for the last leg of the journey. {And} Paul must have rejoiced to have Luke, Titus, and Timothy at his side again. {But} The men remained at Troas a week so that they might fellowship with the believers there. Perhaps they were also waiting for the departure of the next ship. {But they are waiting there; and as they are waiting there,} Luke gives us a brief report of a local church service in Troas, and from it we learn something of how these early Christians met and worshipped the Lord.] It says in…

Acts 20:7 (LSB)— 7 And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began speaking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

“On the first day of the week”—  Now note the very first phrase: on the first day of the week,. This is actually the first reference in the book of Acts to Christian worship taking place on Sunday rather than on the seventh day (the Sabbath). And this day of course came to be known as “the Lord’s Day” because it was the day on which the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead (Rev. 1:10). So that alone gave the first day of the week an amazing significance. But keep in mind that it was also on the first day of the week that the Holy Spirit had come at Pentecost and birthed the Christian Church. And so the first day of the week became (for multiple reasons) the primary day of worship. Now as the Church was just starting off, they would (during those early years) still [maintain some of the Jewish traditions, such as the hours of prayer (Acts 3:1). But as time went on, they moved away from the Mosaic calendar and developed their own pattern of worship as the Spirit taught them.]

In The Evening— Now the second thing that we see from this verse is that the church met in the evening. And the reason [the church met in the evening {was} because {keep in mind that} Sunday was not a holiday during which people were free from daily employments.] Some of you may remember the days when that was the case here in the states. But sadly, that is not the case now and certainly wasn’t during these times.} And keep in mind that some of these believers were slaves; and so they couldn’t come to church until they had finished their duties. Now these early believers didn’t have any church building in which they could meet, and so they would meet in the private homes of believers. And this room was likely in the private home (or was the home) of one of the believers. And these believers would have been of all different nationalities and social statuses. But none of that mattered anymore. As far as they were concerned, they were “all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

to break bread— Now the fellowship of these early believers was a beautiful thing. They would fellowship around a “potluck” meal that they called a “love feast” (agape). And after they would finish eating, they would observe the Lord’s Supper together (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11:17–34). And that is what we see here in their breaking bread together. Here in Acts 20:7 we have reference to Lord’s Supper and then Acts 20:11 describes the regular meal that would have preceded it. And remember how we talked before about how (in that culture; particularly Jewish culture) to eat with someone was to show commonality with them. That is why if two parties were at enmity with one another and sought restoration, that restoration would never be considered complete until they had shared a meal together. That is part of what made the story of Zacchaeus so powerful. Jesus shared a meal with him that showed they had commonality and peace between each other; and more so, that there was peace between Zacchaeus and God. And of course we also need to understand the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in light of that custom because in that meal is the consummation of our restoration to God. And these “love feasts” were beautiful pictures of the healing that had taken place across social and racial lines in those communities, as men and women of different races and social statuses (think about it, even slaves and their masters) were eating, sharing, and enjoying fellowship with one another as equals under Jesus Christ. That was something never heard of before; and that alone bore such an incredible witness to those communities (and to the world). And I love how that fellowship and unity was built around Thanksgiving; the remembrance of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us.
    Now you and I sometimes worry that taking communion too often will cause it to become simply routine and we will miss (or grow cold to) the blessings involved. And that may be true. But the early Christians had it at least once a week as a group and many of them likely, even when they were by themselves during their regular meals at home, would conclude their own personal meals by taking the bread and wine. Now Scripture doesn’t give us any specific command to do this (“as often”, 1 Cor. 11:26); but what it shows is that they wanted to keep before them always that reminder of what Jesus had done for them. For them, Thanksgiving (Eucharist, which comes from the Greek word for Thanksgiving) wasn’t once a year, it was all the time. And that is a beautiful thing. And it challenges us also to live every day in that spirit of Thanksgiving.

The Lord’s Message— Now another thing we see in this passage is the centrality of the Word of God, which was always preached in these Christian churches. And this involved [the public reading of the Old Testament Scriptures (1 Tim. 4:13) as well as whatever apostolic letters had been received (Col. 4:16).] Now sadly, in many churches nowadays, we find the Word of God being neglected. Many (even Christians) know very little of what the Word of God actually says and therefore are unequipped to defend themselves against those who (by twisting the original meaning of the Word of God) might lead them astray. That is why any strong Church will be a Biblically literate one. Paul himself writes in…

2 Timothy 4:2 (ESV)— 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

The Decadent Periods— And as Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said “the decadent periods and eras in the history of the church have always been those periods when preaching has declined”]

The Power of The Book— An unknown writer said, "This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity."

Bearing Testimony— And so today, let us commit to know and walk in keeping with the Word of God; and in doing so we will (through our unity and holy love for one another) bear testimony to the world of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lechem Panim #211 “Paul Leaves Ephesus” (Acts 20:1-6) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. If you have your Bible, go ahead and turn with me to Acts chapter 20. We will look at verses 1-6 today. And as you are turning there, let me remind you that Paul is preparing at this point to leave the city of Ephesus due to a riot that has taken place, caused by Demetrius (a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis/Diana). He saw how Paul’s message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was pulling people away from worship of Artemis and therefore hurting his business; and so he riles up all the other craftsmen in similar trades and instigates a riot. Now the riot is quelled, but apparently Paul took this riot as a sign that it was time for him to put his plan to go to Jerusalem (and eventually to Rome) into motion. And so it says…

Acts 20:1 (LSB)— 1 Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia.

Visiting His Church— Now the reason the Paul wanted to visit Macedonia first was because he wanted to collect an offering for the much poorer church in Jerusalem; but also he wanted to pay at least one more visit to these various churches that he had helped to found in that region. And that was because he deeply cared for every single one of those churches. We see in 2 Corinthians 11:23–28 that the "The care of all the churches" was his greatest joy and (at the same time) his heaviest burden. He wasn’t just a preacher; he was a pastor; he was a shepherd, one who truly loved each and every person he ministered to. He was the kind of pastor who worried constantly about his spiritual children and would do anything he could to minister to their physical and spiritual needs.

Departing for Macedonia— And so he leaves Ephesus and begins heading towards Macedonia and Achaia (Acts 19:21). He probably went first to Philippi. Now we know that sometime during his final days in Ephesus, after writing 1 Corinthians, Paul had had a considerable amount of conflict with the Corinthian church. He visited them (likely by sea); and what he saw grieved his heart. And upon returning to Ephesus he wrote to them a “tearful” letter, which we see in 2 Corinthians 7:8-9 that he at first regretted having sent. He had sender’s remorse. I don’t know if that has ever happened to you.

The Angry Letter— I remember a number of years ago, when I was just starting off in ministry, I made some typical mistakes that many new pastors make. And one was that I was too willing to absorb elements of ministry I had no business absorbing. I was preaching three times a week, visiting many people in their homes and in the hospitals (most of which were far away) leading prayer meetings, sometimes leading Sunday school, leading a monthly men’s breakfast, leading a monthly Veteran’s home ministry, and then being the chief organizer of most of our church events. Anywhere where there was slack, I thought it was my duty to be a nice pastor and pick it up. And I remember one day in particular when the lady doing the bulletin at that time said that it had become too much for her and she would have to give it up. Well, who do you think volunteered to do it? I did. And while I was at it, I also absorbed all the secretarial duties (us not having a secretary at the time). And all the while I felt I was being a good pastor. It was only later I realized how much this absorbing way of doing ministry can actually damage a church and cripple its ministries (because nothing is getting done as well when one person is doing most of it); and so I learned to take a more biblical approach and started delegating. And I also learned the freeing power of “no”; politely refusing those things that are not part of what God wanted me to do; and which are also opportunities for somebody else to step up and find their place within the body of Christ. But it was in that time and context of absorbing that I had a member of my congregation criticize me in a very harsh and unfair way, implying I wasn’t doing enough. And I went home very angry. And I sat down and wrote an angry letter, which basically laid out everything I was doing and was lashing back at this person. But (thank the Lord) I showed it to my mentor first, a wonderful man of God that I owe so much to, especially in those early years of ministry. He listened as I read aloud my angry letter and said “Cameron, everything you said was true. But you can’t deliver it.” And I was bummed about that. But I listened and instead allowed myself to cool down and addressed the issue in a much calmer and wiser fashion. And you know what, looking back I realize now that virtually no one in my church had any idea how much I had absorbed. Not even my board knew. Stuff was getting done but I never was communicating what it was I was doing. It was a complete failure of communication on my part. And so this person’s criticism (although not based on fact) was actually my fault, not theirs. And if I had delivered my angry letter, I would have wounded that person (and maybe my church) irreparably.

Burning the First Letter— You know it’s interesting, [When Abraham Lincoln had to write a letter to someone who had irritated him, he would often write two letters. The first letter was deliberately insulting. Then, having gotten those feelings out of his system, he would tear it up and write a second letter, this one tactful and discreet.] And that is a very good practice.

Testing The Waters— Now here in this passage, Paul wasn’t worried about the truth of what he wrote as much as whether or not he was too severe. And we will never know exactly what he wrote because that epistle has been lost; and maybe that was a God-thing. But whatever the case, he had sent it. And now that he’s getting ready to leave Ephesus, he wants to visit Corinth again. However, in light of this harsh letter that he sent, he is afraid of how he might be received by the church there. And so what does he do? He sends Titus ahead of him to “test the waters” at Corinth. And in the meantime (after leaving Ephesus (Acts 20:1), he doesn’t head directly to Corinth by sea. Instead he goes north, [visiting the Christian communities along the way and hoping to meet up with Titus returning from Corinth.] And so he goes [to Troas, and then possibly on to other churches in Macedonia (2 Cor. 2:12-13).] And it is in the region of [Macedonia (perhaps at Philippi, Thessalonica, or Berea) {that} Titus finally joined him and brought the good news that the church {in Corinth} had repented of its opposition to Paul's leadership and had become reconciled to him (2 Cor. 7:5-16). {And so no doubt with huge joy and relief} Paul then wrote 2 Corinthians.] So he’s in Macedonia. And it says in…

Acts 20:2-3 (LSB)— 2 And when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece {(the greek word is [“Hellas”, which is simply another name for the province of Achaia, where Corinth was located.])}. 3 And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

Paul’s Stay in Corinth— And so we see that Paul stays in Corinth for three months. He [had originally planned to make two visits to Corinth (2 Cor. 1:15-16), but instead he made one visit that lasted three months (Acts 20:3; 1 Cor. 16:5-6).] These were [likely the winter months (see 1 Cor. 16:6), when sea travel was more dangerous.] And it is during this final trip to Corinth that Paul writes his letter to the Romans (c. A.D. 57). And in that letter he explains why he wants to go to Jerusalem, and that was {not just to encourage and strengthen the Christians in those churches, but also} for the purpose of taking an offering [from his Gentile churches to the needy Christians in Jerusalem]. The Church there was very poor and needed a lot of support. And Paul sought to provide that by any means possible. And that was one of his main reasons for revisiting the churches of Macedonia and Achaia this final time, which took Paul [to the churches of Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi.] He wanted to collect money for that offering. And verses 4-5 tell us…

Acts 20:4  (LSB)— 4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

Church Representation— Now these [men who accompanied him (Acts 20:4) were {official} representatives of the churches, appointed to travel with Paul and help handle the funds (2 Cor. 8:18-24).] [Their presence would give safety from robbery and also would provide a public guarantee of Paul's integrity in handling the funds. The men listed here (Acts 20:4) as accompanying Paul represent all the areas of his missionary work. And it says…

Acts 20:5 (LSB)— 5 But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas.

A Jewish Plot— Now although Paul would have sailed from Corinth, we see that there is a plot by the unbelieving Jews to kill him at sea. And sadly (as was almost always the case) that plot came from Paul’s own fellow countrymen (cf. 2 Cor. 11:26). And remember that [The Jewish community of Corinth {in particular} hated Paul because of its humiliating debacle before Gallio (18:12-17), and the stunning conversions of two of its most prominent leaders, Crispus (18:8) and Sosthenes (18:17; 1 Cor. 1:1).] And so some of that Jewish group there in Corinth are plotting to kill Paul. Now [Luke does not record the details of the Jews’ plot, but it undoubtedly involved murdering Paul during the voyage to Syria. The apostle would have been an easy target on a small ship packed with Jewish pilgrims.] They could very easily have pushed him overboard and made Paul (as a Cicilian might say) “sleep with the fishes.” And so (because of this plot) he has to instead travel north [overland through Achaia and Macedonia, {then cross the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor,} sailing from Philippi to Troas, where his “team” agreed to rendezvous.] And so it says…

Acts 20:6 (LSB)— 6 And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; {(it was no doubt due to unfavorable winds that this crossing took 5 days, because when Paul had crossed earlier from Troas to Neapolis (Philippi’s port) it had only taken two days (16:11). But nevertheless, they arrive there at Troas and Luke writes:)} and there we stayed seven days. And next week we will see what happens to Paul during those seven days. But as we close out time together today, I want to encourage you to be courageous enough to speak the truth in love (as Paul learned to do). Learn to burn the first letter. Secondly, we (like Paul) need to always be seeking to meet the needs of other people. There is always at least one person who needs our compassion and love. And we need to be faithful to help them (as Paul was). And thirdly, let us (as we follow Christ) expect opposition and neither be surprised nor afraid when it surfaces. God will be our shield during those times and (even in persecution) will work out His plans and purposes in an amazing way. And so let us trust in Him. Amen.

Lechem Panim #210 “A Riot In Ephesus” (Acts 19:28-41) Pastor Cameron Ury

In our study of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus here in Acts 19, we have seen some amazing things. Through Paul people are being delivered from sickness and disease, from the demonic forces that were holding sway over their lives, and were even burning all their magic paraphernalia that they had up until this time devoted themselves to. They are also turning from worship of their various false gods (gods made with hands, which of course are not really gods at all) and are instead turning to the Living God and are finding redemption in the name of His Son Jesus Christ. And so Paul is bringing them out of what destroys into what will bring life to them.

Dangerous Things— I’ll never forget when my son William was young and we were in this teeny tiny house during the first couple years of my pastoral ministry. Somehow we had failed to clean off the kitchen counter and he (who had just then barely learned to walk) had gone into the kitchen by himself. And when we came in, he started walking towards us brandishing two steak knives, one in each hand. And you can imagine the fear that suddenly leapt into our hearts. It was kind of like one of those moments were you don’t know exactly what to do. But we slowly and carefully walked towards him and took those steak knives out of his hands. Now that wasn’t because we were mean or obsessed with being “the adults; the rule makers” but because we wanted to remove from him those objects of destruction that could harm or even end his very life.

Paul’s Open Correction— Well the same is true here. Paul is doing what he can to open peoples eyes to the understanding that what they are playing around with in regards to their idols is destructive to their lives. And so, with love and respect (and that is always key), he is speaking against idolatry. And Demetrius (a silversmith who was making idols of the goddess Artemis/Diana) doesn’t take issue with Paul’s teaching except at the point at which it might affect his and the other craftsmen’s money belts. And so the issue is not a doctrinal one. There were plenty of Jews in Ephesus who would have rejected belief in Artemis/Diana. That was nothing new. The center of Demetrius’ concern was how that doctrine might affect their business. 

Selling Salvation— It’s interesting how false religions always want you to "buy into" them. Catholics at one time sold indulgences; actual physical payment for sins. There was even a time when you could pre-pay for the sins you were intending to commit. All of that is false and antithetical to the message of the Gospel, which is why anywhere that the true Gospel is preached, there will always be opposition from those who are preying upon the fears of people; who have turned religion into an industry. The message of salvation by grace through faith alone is a dangerous doctrine for those who seek to sell people salvation. And we see in our passage today a very negative reaction from Demetrius and the craftsmen he began talking to, as it says in…

Acts 19:28 (LSB)— 28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Selfish Motives Masked— Now Demetrius had a brilliant strategy for stirring up this riot. Because while he pointed out the financial loss they would incur, he gets them to mask their greed behind the false front of patriotism and religious loyalty. They had selfish motives, but the way he argued helped them cleverly conceal them (even from themselves), as they no doubt come to see themselves as heroes who are protecting their city and their beliefs. And so they stir up this riot, and it says in…

Acts 19:29 (LSB)— 29 And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

Aristarchus & Gaius— Paul seemed to always have traveling companions with him who her ministering to him and to whom he was himself discipling. In this case, we find these two traveling companions to be Aristarchus (who would accompany Paul on other journeys, which we see in 20:3-4 and 27:1-2) and Gaius (who is probably not the same Gaius mentioned in Romans 16:23 or 1 Corinthians 1:14). This is likely another Gaius. But both of them are seized. And when Paul hears of this, he wants to rush to their aid. It says in…

Acts 19:30 (LSB)— 30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him.

Safety & Wisdom— And this was both because they feared for his safety, but also because they thought Paul's presence there might exacerbate the situation and make the riot even worse, as he was at the very center of this conflict. But it wasn’t just the Christians who were telling him not to go in. It says in…

Acts 19:31 (LSB)— 31 Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.

Asiarchs— And these Asiarchs were actually government officials. It was their responsibility to maintain religious and political order in the region. And interestingly, we see here that they had become friends of Paul, showing that the effectiveness of his ministry had reached every level of society, from the poor to the rich. Christianity was crossing all the social barriers of the day, which gave Paul some friends in high places. Now the mob grew so quickly and emotions were so heated that chaos was ensuing. It says in…

Acts 19:32-33 (LSB)— 32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the meeting was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33 And some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.

Alexander— Now we don't know who this Alexander was. There was a [false teacher later active at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:20)] named Alexander. There was also another Alexander [who opposed Paul at Rome (2 Tim. 4:14)]. This was probably not either of those. Alexander was a very common name during that time. This particular Alexander could have been either a Christian Jew or perhaps a spokesman for the Jewish community of Ephesus. But whether he was a Christian, a Jew, of a Christian Jew, [the motive for putting him forward was the same—to disassociate themselves from the Christians and avoid a massacre of the Jews.] And so he prepares to make a defense (either of Christianity or the Jews). But all of this backfires when the crowd recognizes that he is a Jew, which shows that this [mob had become anti-Jewish as well as anti-Christian.] It says…

Acts 19:34 (LSB)— 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

The Intervention— Can you imagine?! FOR TWO HOURS!!! I mean this is a war-cry. And this goes on until finally the city clerk intervenes. Now in modern terms, the city clerk was the Mayor of Ephesus. It was his responsibility (just like any local city leader) to simply maintain peace and order. But keep in mind that it is the Roman empire that was in ultimate control of Ephesus. And Rome was absolutely devastating in its punishment of any kind of riotous outbreak. And this official knows that if he cannot quickly quell this riot, he could very well be removed from office and the entire town placed under martial law, which would result in the loss of many of their civic freedoms. So he is trying his best to quickly re-establish order. It says in…

Acts 19:35-41 (LSB)— 35 Now after calming the crowd, the city clerk *said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? {[This probably refers to a meteorite, since meteorites were incorporated with the worship of Diana.]} 36 “So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37 “For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 “So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39 “But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful meeting. 40 “For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no cause for which we can give as an account for this disorderly gathering.” 41 After saying this he dismissed the meeting.

Follow The Rule of Law— Now thankfully this city clerk had a head on his shoulders. He also seems to have a had a deep respect for the rule of law. He doesn't give in to the crowd and have Paul punished. In fact, he recognizes that it is not his responsibility at all (nor the crowd’s) to resolve this issue. It is the job of the courts. And so he openly blames the crowd for not following the proper judicial procedure, saying that they should have gone to the courts and proconsuls. This would help to ensure that justice was done and that they would avoid incurring the wrath of Rome. And so he dismisses them. Riot quelled.

A Sign to Move On— Now although the riot was over, Paul apparently took this as a sign that it was time for him to move on from Ephesus. However, it was encouraging to see that the law did still provide some protection for Christians [as they challenged the worship of the goddess Artemis in the most idolatrous region in Asia.]

Faithful To Challenge— Now there is so much that we can glean from this passage; because you and I also live in a day and age where people are in bondage to false beliefs; especially here in the Seattle area, where there are so many different religions. When my family first moved here, we were amazed just how many palm-readers and psychics there are in the area; businesses built to prey upon people’s hopes and fears. And if we are to truly be the Church, we need to connect people with the truth of the Gospel; share the Word with them (even those parts that might offend them) so that the Holy Spirit can convict them and (hopefully) bring them into a knowledge of the truth. But that begins with us being faithful; faithful to lovingly challenge them. Now we might face rejection or persecution for that. But on the other side of that God will (as He always does) bring about fruit. So let’s commit to be God’s voice in the lives of people. Amen.

Lechem Panim #209 “Demetrius Speaks Against Paul” (Acts 19:21-27) Pastor Cameron Ury

Persecution— You know, I don't know if you have ever faced a time of persecution in your life. But if you have, you will know that it can be a very scary and difficult experience. And you can often wonder how God could possibly be at work in such a circumstance. We might even think that that persecution is a sign that we have done something wrong or that God is somehow absent. But nothing could be further from the truth, especially when we are talking about the Church; because when we look back at the broad scope of church history (of which the book of Acts plays a major part) we find that persecution never really slowed down (much less stopped) the growth of Christianity; rather it caused Christianity to thrive and grow in its purest form. Wherever persecution arose, it would end with the Church being stronger and the growth of Christianity more widespread; and I would also add deeply committed.

Why Persecution?— Now why does that persecution come? It isn't because of the positive difference the church might make in a community. Nobody has a problem with any religious group for feeding the hungry or taking care of the needy. In fact, there have been instances where churches have received rewards for doing those kinds of things; and those things are good, and I would even say are signature marks of being true believers because that is what Christ did. And being rewarded or recognized for that may not be bad in and of itself. But often the world loving and rewarding you can be a negative sign; because what it can signify is that a Church has become too much like the world and that it is failing to preach the true message of the Gospel, which is offensive to those who are still lost. Being rewarded by the world system would have never happened in the book of Acts. And the reason for that was because the early Church recognized that they were called not to be the comforters of a community (at least not centrally), but were called to be the conscience of the community. And the reason persecution would often rise against Christianity was because the Church was revealing and challenging by the Word of God what was wrong in the lives of the people of whatever community it resided in. They met people’s physical needs, but they also challenged people’s worldviews and talked about sin and their need for repentance. And that is where things get heated; when Satan rises and begins to stir people to try to silence or dispel the Church. And that is what we will see in our passage today as well. If you have it, go ahead and look with me at Acts 19:21. It says…

Acts 19:21 (LSB)— 21 Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

Macedonia & Achaia— Now Macedonia was [The region located across the Aegean Sea on the mainland of Greece. The cities of Philippi and Thessalonica {and also Berea} were located there.] And it was here that the Gospel had first crossed from Asia into Europe. [Achaia included the church in Corinth]. Now what this verse does is it [provides an outline for the rest of the book of Acts; because after Paul leaves Ephesus, he would return to the churches in “Macedonia” and “Achaia” (or Greece, 20:1-2), then go back to Jerusalem (21:17), and then eventually proceed to Rome (28:14).]

Why Rome?— Now why did Paul want to go to Rome? Well, everywhere that Paul went, he could see the influence of Rome. And so he wanted to take the message of the [to the world center of influence and power.] If he was living in our day and age, he would be setting his sights on Washington D.C., or perhaps Hollywood. But for him, that was Rome. Plus we see in Romans 15:22-24 that he intended to use Rome as a launching point for a ministry in the strategic region of Spain. And so we have a crucial turning point here in the book of Acts as [from this point on, Rome became Paul’s goal. {And we know that} He would ultimately arrive there as a Roman prisoner (Acts 28:16).] Now it says here in…

Acts 19:22 (LSB)— 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

Timothy & Erastus— Now Timothy was of course a dear assistant (and really an adopted son) of Paul, to whom Paul wrote two letters known as first and second Timothy. But Erastus is a little bit less well known. However, he also [was a committed follower of Christ who was not only Paul's helpful assistant but also Corinth’s city treasurer (see Romans 16:23).] And part of Erastus’ and Timothy’s job on this journey to Macedonia is in fact to collect an offering for the church in Jerusalem, which was very poor; there were a lot of needy people in that church. And so [Paul wanted to take a love offering from his churches as a gift to the church at Jerusalem. {And} The reason he wanted to go {back} to Macedonia and Achaia was to collect this offering.] And that just shows how dedicated Paul (and all the Church) was to making sure that the needs of people were being met.

1 Corinthians Being Delivered— Now [Paul apparently wrote 1 Corinthians during the springtime, near the end of his time in Ephesus (cf. v.21; also 1 Cor. 16:5-10). Paul sent the letter to Corinth with Timothy and Erastus (see 1 Cor. 16:10), and then later left Ephesus to go through Macedonia and eventually to Corinth himself as well (see Acts 20:1-2; 1 Cor. 16:5, 8-9).] So Paul sends them into Macedonia while he himself lingers for a time in Asia. Look with me at…

Acts 19:23 (LSB)— 23 Now about that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way.

The Way— Now what is the way? Mandalorian fans, don’t answer that. This trouble was not caused by a group of Mandalorians. No, [“The Way” {was a phrase used to designate}…those who followed the way of Christ—the Christians.] And so the teachings of Christianity (propagated by Paul) are really what is at the center of this conflict. It says in…

Acts 19:24 (LSB)— 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen;

Artemis/Diana— Now Artemis (or Diana, as she was also known) was a fertility goddess, much like the Baals of the Old Testament. And because she represented fertility, she was depicted as a woman with many breasts. And there was a large statue of her that was said to have come from heaven (19:35). And this image was in the great temple at Ephesus, a temple which was so great it was one of the wonders of the ancient world. But there would be festivals held in her honor; and these involved orgies, carousing, and many unspeakable things. And [It is likely that the riot described in this passage took place during the annual {week-long} spring festival held in her honor at Ephesus.] And (like we saw recently) there was a huge industry that was built around her that [had become more significant in the time of Paul since the city was beginning to lose its significance as a center for international trade] and became more dependent on foreigners who would come and deposit money at her temple, buy idols of her, etc. And so people in that industry were very highly interested in keeping the worship of her going, because that had become more of the center of their economy. And one of these men who was involved in that industry became very concerned when he saw people beginning to abandon Artemis in favor of this Jesus whom Paul was preaching about; a man by the name of Demetrius, who is described as a silversmith, who made silver shrines to Artemis,…bringing no little business to the craftsmen {which [suggests Demetrius may have been the head of the silversmiths’ guild—which would explain his taking the lead in opposing the Christian preachers.]}. And of these other fellow silversmiths it says…

Acts 19:25-27 (LSB)— 25 these he gathered together with the workers of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity is from this business. 26 “And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, saying that things made with hands are not gods. 27 “And not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be considered as worthless and that she, whom all of Asia and the world worship, is even about to be brought down from her majesty.”

Profit, Not Doctrine— Now notice that Demetrius raises no particular disagreement with Paul's teachings about Jesus Christ other than the fact that Paul is saying that things made with hands are not gods. And when you think about it, that is a pretty gutsy thing for him to say in that context. And it shows that he is not of the mindset that Christians (like many say Christians need to do) just need to keep to themselves and never tell anybody else they are wrong in what they believe. The early Christians did not have that mindset at all; and Paul certainly didn’t. He wasn’t afraid to tell people what was right and what was wrong.

Being God’s Voice— And you know, that has direct implications for us as individuals, because you and I also are to be the convicting voice of God for those around us. But somehow we modern Christians have gotten into our heads that the chief commandment in Scripture is to just get along with everybody else. Don’t make waves and do not (by any means) ever be judgmental. And we think that that is being loving to other people. However, that is not being loving at all when we consider that many of the things that people are playing around with are destructive to their lives. And if sinful people can be completely comfortable around us, then we aren’t doing our jobs; we are not being the Church. We are not really striking at the heart of what can bring lasting, eternal change to people’s lives. That is one of the things that I so admire about my church, Renton Park Chapel; because while we want to be a church where everyone feels welcome to attend, we also want what they encounter in our lives and in our worship to bring conviction to their souls. That is something that the early Church clearly understood and practiced. They weren’t afraid to call a spade a spade. And that’s not just in the interest of “being right“, but was an expression of love. We want people to come as they are; but we also recognize that God loves them too much to leave them enslaved to the things that are bringing destruction to their lives. He wants to free them from all those things by conforming them into the image of His Son Jesus. And that means making significant changes to their lives. And any church that is more interested in keeping its attendees happy than in helping them to be holy is not being the Church. And so let’s be the Church. Let’s strive to (in love) be the conscience of our community, pointing the way to Christ. Then we will have the gift of seeing God’s light overcome their darkness. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #208 “The Sons of Sceva” (Acts 19:13-20) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So glad you could join us today for a time of Bible Study as we continue to look at the book of Acts together. In recent weeks we have been in chapter 19, taking a look at Paul’s ministry in the city of Ephesus. And really God has been doing some amazing things through the apostle Paul. Paul has been preaching and teaching, but also performing many amazing miracles, healing people of various diseases and also driving out demons. And it that last point that is of central importance in our passage today; because here God is revealing through Paul the authenticity and authority of the person of Jesus Christ; and that Paul is in fact speaking for God. And much of what we encounter in our passage today has to do with that authority; what happens to the sicknesses; how the demons respond to that authority.

“I’m a Lighthouse”— I am reminded of a story shared [In U.S. Navel Institute Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute, {in which} Frank Koch illustrates the importance of obeying… Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. {He says} I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.
Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow."
"Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out.
The lookout replied, "Steady, Captain," which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.
The captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship: 'We are on a collision course, advise you change course twenty degrees.'"
Back came the signal, "Advisable for you to change course twenty degrees."
The captain said, "Send: "I'm a captain, change course twenty degrees.'"
"I'm a seaman second-class," came the reply. "You had better change course twenty degrees."
By that time the captain was furious. He spat out, "Send: 'I'm a battleship. Change course twenty degrees.'"
Back came the flashing light, "I'm a lighthouse."
We changed course.] Well, this is kind of like what was happening with Paul. Mighty battleships that had held sway over the lives of people for years and years (battleships of sickness, fear, and superstition) were now giving way to a much greater power; the Light of Jesus Christ. And Paul was like the keeper of that lighthouse, sharing the Light of Christ.

Authority vs. No Authority— And in a second we are going to see the difference between having the authority of God on your life and not having that authority. Because, within this context of healing and expulsion of demons, we find that some men come to town who are part of the exorcism business; and (seeing all these great works) they try to cast out demons by the same name that Paul was casting them out. And that is because, as [John Polhill explains, Ancient magicians were syncretists and would borrow terms from any religion that sounded sufficiently strange to be deemed effective….Paul’s “spell” (if you want to call it that, though of course it wasn’t) in Jesus’ name seemed effective for him, so they gave it a try.]. It says in…

Acts 19:13 (LSB)— 13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I implore you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

Exorcists— Now here the word exorcist refers to someone who uses a name to bind and cast out a demon. Interestingly, this is the only place in scripture where this word occurs. Demons are often cast out by Jesus and His followers, but those were not true exorcisms because exorcisms always involved formulaic rituals in which you would use a name to drive out a demon. Exorcists during that time would often recite a whole list of names in their incantations in order to be sure they included the right deity, by whose name they hoped to drive the demon out. And they would often do this for money. Now you might ask, “Well, what if they failed to pay the exorcist? Did they get repossessed?” I don’t know. Maybe so.
    But one of the most important things we need to recognize about these so-called exorcists is that they were frauds. No doubt they had some success in their business, or else they wouldn’t be in business; but what we have to understand is that people like this are often used by Satan to further his hold on people. And though demons may leave after one of their ridiculous incantations, this was not because of their authority or the effectiveness of those incantations. Rather, the demons might leave in order to help keep the superstitions and fears of the people alive. [As Ed Murphy points out, this was a case of evil spirits battling each other—that is, the evil spirit in the possessed person battled the demonized exorcists. {Now} How can we harmonize this fact with Christ's statement that Satan will not be divided against Satan? {Well, that’s easy; because there is no division.} Demons can expel and attack other demons {when doing so serves} to enhance the control of demons over people. {Because} Such demon-to-demon attacks only increase Satan's hold over people.] And that also includes the exorcists, who believe they have this power. And here they see that the name of Jesus has great affect over demons, and so a group of Jewish exorcists (and there were a good number of these during this time) began trying to use the name of Jesus as part of their incantations. Now it may surprise you to see Jews dabbling in this kind of thing; and even more so to know that there were Jews during this time who dabbled in magic. But F.F. Bruce points out that “among practitioners of magic in ancient times Jews enjoyed high respect, for they were believed to have exceptionally effective spells at their command.” And in verse 14 we meet seven of these so-called Jewish exorcists. It says…

Acts 19:14 (LSB)— 14 Now seven sons of one named Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

Sons of Sceva— Now there is no record of any Jewish chief priest named Sceva, leading some (like F.F. Bruce) to think that the title “Jewish chief priest” may have in fact been a self-designation taken on by Sceva to lend credibility to himself and his practice. And this may be because (as F.F. Bruce points out) ["the fact that the name of God was not pronounced by vulgar lips was generally known among pagans, and misrepresented by them according to regular magical principles." By contrast, "the Jewish high priest was the one man who was authorized to pronounce the otherwise ineffable name {of God}. {And so} Such a person would therefore enjoy prestige among magicians."] Can you see why that might have motivated Sceva to take on that title? However, despite that, we will see that through his seven sons, their practice will be discredited as the fraud that it was; because they come to a man who is demon-possessed and try to cast out the demon through the practice of exorcism. However, they were in for a surprise, as it says…

Acts 19:15-16 (LSB)— 15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them, subdued all of them, and utterly prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Didn’t Know Jesus— You know, it’s amazing to see how completely and utterly they fail; and the reason they failed was because they tried to use the name of Jesus like an incantation. Now although we recognize that there is power in the name of Jesus, we must also recognize that we ought never to seek to exercise the power of that name apart from a relationship with Jesus. These sons of Sceva were doing just that; calling on the name of Jesus without knowing or even being interested to know Him personally; they were only hoping to use Him. But God was not willing to allow His Son to be manipulated or used. And these sons of Sceva discover this in a very potent way, as the demon (through the man) leaps upon them, subdues them, tears off their clothes, and sends them running for their lives buck naked. And so we have the birth of the practice of streaking.

Demons Profane The Sacred Image— Now at my church (Renton Park Chapel) I preached not long ago on Jesus’ driving out a host of demons out of a man who had been wandering among some tombs. And one thing that leapt out at me (I might say) about that passage (and which I think relates to this one) is that when the demon-possessed man came to Jesus, he was completely naked. And that is because the demonic forces at work in our lives always seek to dehumanize us and humiliate us. They seek to profane and mar the sacredness of the image of God in Whom we are created. And we see this here as well. The demon dehumanizes these Jewish exorcists and sends them running away naked. And it says in…

Acts 19:17-18 (LSB)— 17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. {Now notice the transition. In the beginning of our passage all of the focus was on Paul; but now the focus has shifted to where it belongs, on the name of Jesus. It says:} 18 Also, many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.

Spells Rendered Inoperative— And what this probably means is that the people are [revealing the content of their spells. {And the reason for this is because} “According to magical theory, the potency of a spell is bound up with its secrecy; if it be divulged, it becomes in-effective. So these converted magicians renounced their imagined power by rendering their spells inoperative.”] Furthermore, it says in…

Acts 19:19-20 (LSB)— 19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together {(meaning scrolls of magical spells and formulae; “Magical papyri were rolled up in small cylinders or lockets used as amulets around the neck.” So they brought them together)} and were burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. {And those pieces of silver were what are known as drachmas. One drachma was a day’s wage for an average worker. And so what we have here is fifty thousand days’ worth of wages. What an amazing thing to see these Ephesians breaking with all that opened the door for Satan to move in. And after this Luke highlights the ripple effect even more. He writes:} 20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

3 Lessons— Now we learn a number of things from this passage. First, demons are very real and they are very powerful. So don’t underestimate them (see Jude 1:8-8). Secondly (and this is good news for us), they recognize and always submit to the authority of God. That is why we don’t have to be afraid of them; because (as 1 John 4:4 says) greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. And third, Jesus’ name is not some magic word by which demons can be cast out. No incantation (even ones that use Jesus’ name) can genuinely cast out demons. Because the power is ultimately in Jesus, not in any ritual. The power belongs to Him and to Him alone. And the greatest mistake made by the sons of Sceva was that they failed to realize that it wasn’t Paul who was driving out the demons. It was Jesus who was freeing people through Paul. And he was doing that because Paul had a relationship with Jesus; not one where Paul was using Jesus to do things; but where Jesus was using Paul to work out His plans and His purposes.
    And you know, the same is true with us. If we want to have victory over sin and the powers of darkness, the greatest thing we can do is be in a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is in Him and in Him alone that the forces of evil in our lives are driven out and we become lighthouses who in turn help to drive away the shrouds that lay upon the lives of other people. So let us commit to truly know and walk with and allow ourselves to be used by Jesus. Amen.