Apr 19, 2015
Acts 20:1-12


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http://zachadams.org/acts/acts20_1-12.mp3

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Outline:


I think most of us would agree the Apostle Paul was a man of great accomplishment. He was driven. He was ambitious. Almost immediately following his life-changing encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus Paul wanted his life to impact the Kingdom of God. He wanted his life to matter - to make a difference. And to his credit he was successful.


Q: What was it about Paul that helped him translate desire into accomplishment?


In order to uncover the answer as we transition into Acts 20 we should begin by taking a look back at Acts 19:21-22 for context… “When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.” 

Acts 20:1, “After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.”



First… Paul was faithful to finish the task before him! Luke mentions Paul sensed a move away from Ephesus was in order only “when these things were accomplished…”


Knowing a healthy church in such an influential city would impact the entire region of Asia Minor it would appear Paul’s extended time in Ephesus had been very intentional. Paul (influenced by the Holy Spirit) had established goals he wanted to accomplish during his time in Ephesus. Certain bench-marks needed to be reached before he would leave.


Paul’s mission was large. The desire to take the Gospel into uncharted territories was a lofty ambition. And yet, the key for his success was that (while dreaming big) Paul always kept his focus on being faithful to fulfill the one task God had set before him. 


Whether it be in your career, ministry, or spiritual life are there things God wants you to accomplish in your current situation before you look for new opportunities? Never forget a race is not won all at once. Success requires you faithfully reach each checkpoint before embarking on the next leg of your journey!


Secondly… Paul looked to the Holy Spirit to set his destination! While there were things he felt called to accomplish in Ephesus, once “these things were accomplished… Paul purposed in the Spirit” that when “he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia” and gone up “to Jerusalem” he “must also see Rome.”


Before leaving Ephesus the Holy Spirit impressed on Paul’s heart a series of short-term, medium-range, and long-term goals. He would begin by revisiting the churches he had planted in “Macedonia” (Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica) and “Achaia” (Corinth) before sailing “to Jerusalem” where he’d then focus on traveling to “Rome.”


Note: This word “purposed” is the Greek word “tithêmi” from which we get our word “tithe.” The idea communicates a “setting aside” or an “establishing.” The phrase “Paul purposed in the Spirit” indicates his plans formed because they were ordained by the Spirit. 


Has the Spirit given you a destination to work towards? Has He given you a vision and mission for your life? As we’ve seen time and again in the life of Paul allowing the Lord to impress a future destination always enabled him to keep progressing forward. Sadly, many wander through life because they haven’t allowed the Lord to set a particular destination. It’s true you’ll go nowhere until you have somewhere to go!


Finally… Paul relied on God to ordain his steps! 

Acts 20:2-3, “Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.” 



Motion of the Text: As was his plan even before the riot, Paul says goodbye to his Ephesian brothers before “departing to” catch up with Timothy and Erastus in “Macedonia” - Philippi.  From there they work their way south “going over that region encouraging” the churches “with many words” before arriving in “Greece” (likely Corinth).


And while it had been his plan all long to then sail from Corinth on to Jerusalem something interesting occurs… We’re told “as he was about to sail to Syria” Paul, becoming aware of an assassination plot, “decided to return back through Macedonia” instead.


Though Paul will stubbornly refuse to deviated from his destination (Jerusalem), he was willing to remain flexible to change and adapted to the situation on the ground. 


Paul was courageous, but he wasn’t a fool. He knew getting on that boat would have likely ended with him being tossed overboard. To this point William Arnot remarked, “A man who has courage without prudence is apt to throw away his life.” Paul had a plan to reach the destination God had given him, but he was also flexible to adapt knowing the Lord always has a purpose in these types of deviations. 


Proverbs 16:9, “A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.”


Understand… It’s hard to turn a car that isn’t moving. While the Spirit had impressed upon Paul’s heart a destination, the Spirit hadn’t exactly mapped out the course for him. Paul had to walk by faith, trust in God’s providence, and remain flexible to divine deviations. 


Genesis 12:1, “Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.”


I have discovered that when making this journey of faith “road blocks” to my plans aren’t things I’m supposed to stubbornly drive over or push through (typically ends poorly), but are instead God’s way of getting me to deviate from my plan so that I can walk in His will.



Acts 20:4-6, “And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia - also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.”



Motion of the Text: As Paul now begins to work his way from Corinth back to Philippi he sends word to have seven men meet him in Troas: “Sopater of Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia” (likely Ephesus). It would seem these men would accompany Paul in order to bring relief funds from their perspective churches to the church in Jerusalem. 


Note: This was a development that would not have materialize apart from Paul’s openness to have God change his plan. Because he was willing to ebb and flow, a wonderful token of support would now be delivered to the church suffering in Jerusalem.


In regards to these men, David Guzik makes an interesting observation about the two from Thessalonica… “Aristarchus” was a typical name given to someone in the ruling class, a member of nobility. (From the Greek root we get our English word “Aristocrat.”) “Secundus” can be translates as “number two” and was a common name for a Roman slave.


It seems that what’s being described here was the co-mingling of two different social and economic classes (nobility with slaves) which was taboo in Roman society, if not downright offensive. As the church in Thessalonica evaluated which two men they’d entrust with their offering, Aristarchus and Secundus were chosen making them equals. 


Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”


As Paul sails from Philippi across the Aegean Sea to Troas notice the pronoun “we” reemerges. In addition to these seven men, Luke also joins Paul bringing the total to nine!



Acts 20:7, “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” 



While Paul’s time in Troas is short we are given an interesting snapshot of an early church. 


“The disciples came together” on the first day of the week… Sunday! Why? It was the day of Jesus’ resurrection and the day of Pentecost. Note: Sunday was not recognized by Rome or even Jewish communities as a religious day meaning it was a day of work. It is likely the church gathered in the evening as opposed to the morning. 


“The disciples came together to break bread…” While this phrase “to break bread” may indicate these believers gathered to share a meal, it is more likely a reference to believers recognizing Jesus’ work on the cross through the partaking of communion. (Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:24). 


In this formal gathering on Sunday (in addition to prayer and the signing of songs) the church gave the greatest attention to the teaching of the Word of God… “Paul spoke to them and continue his message until midnight.” Sensing this would be his final opportunity to share with these believers as his plan was to “depart the next day” Paul uniquely shared a message that lasted in upwards of six hours.


While this is likely to be an exception and not the norm a question does arise from the text that’s important we address as our series through Acts is principally designed to establish a blueprint for the church… How long should a Sunday sermon be? 


In an attempt to come to a general understand as to what the overarching thoughts are concerning the length of a sermon, for three years Thom Rainer examined trends using anecdotal information and social media polls. He discovered that roughly… 



What’s interesting about Rainer’s research is that while “plenty of folks may complain if a sermon is too long it is unlikely anyone will grumble about a sermon being too short.” He concludes that “if you wish your sermons could be longer, you're probably the only one.”


Shane Raynor from MinistryMatters.com notes that “preachers who speak for 20 to 30 minutes are fairly common” for two reasons: (1) “Really good speakers will find that a 20 or 25 minute sermon leaves the audience wanting more,” and (2) “Not so good speakers will realize that they probably couldn’t keep the congregation awake longer than 20 or 25 minutes anyway, so they don’t dare venture into second half hour territory.” Based on his research Shane concludes that “since we’re in a short attention span world” the vast majority of pastors should “keep their sermons to 15 minutes or less.” 


David Murrow, author of the book “Why Men Hate Going to Church,” would agree writing, “Men have attention spans of six to eight minutes, yet the average Protestant sermon is more than thirty minutes in length. It has three main points and sometimes more. No wonder men can’t remember what’s being taught.” He concludes, “If you really want to attract unchurched men, paint this on your sign: Home of the 10-minute Sermon.”


Now don’t get me wrong I completely agree with Damian Kyle’s assessment that “the mind cannot retain what the seat cannot endure;” however, I do disagree with the notion that today’s shortened attention span demands we decrease the length of a sermon. 


Consider the fact that people have no problems sitting through an hour long TV show or three hour movie… People have no problems sitting through a comedy hour or listening to a 50 minute podcast as long as the content is both engaging and captivating. 


The problem with many sermons is not some flaw within the audience listening, but a flaw in the person preaching! Sadly, you can cut a 45 min Bible study down to 15 min and it’ll still be lame if the person delivering the content is boring, uninspiring, and unprepared. 


When determining the ideal length of a sermon we believe two factors should be considered: (1) Does the sermon grab the attention of the audience, and (2) What is the maximum length of time the attention of the audience can be maintained? 


To this second point it’s been said the “maximum attention endurance” of an audience can actually be calculated by averaging the age of the audience and multiplying it by two. For Example: If the audience is 2, 3, and 4 year olds you have a maximum attention endurance of 6 minutes. If it’s a youth class of 12 to 15 year olds you should craft a message no longer than 26 minutes. If it’s a congregation ranging 16 and older (with the average age being around 30) you should stay under an hour.


Understand… The key to a successful sermon really boils down to the content and delivery. If a sermon grabs and holds the attention of the audience there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to teach to the maximum endurance level of your audience. In our situation, as long as I’m on my A-game, there is no reason our Bible study can’t be 45 to 50 minutes long.


When people are constantly complaining about the length of a sermon it’s often an indicator the pastor lacks personality, is unenthusiastic, has not invested the time and energy to be creative, goes longer than his allotted time, or ends up rambling - repeating the same point over and over - or telling unrelated stories because he’s not prepared. 


Furthermore, it’s short-sighted and disingenuous when the pastor attributes complaints of the sermon length to the sagging attention span of the audience when he should instead take a hard look in the mirror. The truth is that if a pastor is unable to grab the audiences attention, 15 minutes is just as boring as 45! The problem isn’t the length. It’s the pastor!


John MacArthur remarked, “As long as it takes to cover the passage adequately! I do not think the length of the sermon is as important as its content. At times I have preached fifty minutes and it has been ten minutes too long. Other times, I have preached an hour and twenty-five minutes and it has been just right. The important thing is to cover the main point so that people are convinced of its truth and comprehend its requirements. If you have nothing worthwhile to say, even twenty minutes will seem like an eternity to your people. If you are interesting, they will stay with you… The purpose of a sermon is not to get it over, but rather to explain the Word of God. My goal is not accomplished because I am brief. My goal is accomplished when I am clear and I have exposited the Word of God.”  



Acts 20:8-10, “There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” 



Set the scene: Keep in mind the congregation has worked a full day before they gathered to hear Paul speak. Beyond his six hour marathon Luke includes the detail that “there were many lamps in the upper room” indicating the infusion of heat and the removal of oxygen.


To his credit this “young man Eutychus” had positioned himself “in a window” in an attempt to stay awake (coolness of the evening with the infusion of fresh air); and yet, despite his best efforts to fight the gravitational pull of his eyelids, we’re told Eutychus “was overcome by sleep” and “fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.”


Paul, no doubt feeling a sense of responsibility for what had just occurred, stopped preaching, “went down, fell on him (“to lie upon”), and embracing him (“grabbing hold of him”) said, “Do not trouble yourselves (“stop with the noise and commotion”), for his life is in him.” 


Note: The miracle of revivification is similar to Elisha’s raising of the Shunammite’s son. 



Acts 20:11-12, “Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.”



After raising Eutychus from the dead Paul caught a snack before “talking a long while, even till daybreak.” You would have thought that after killing a man Paul would have called it a night, but the text is clear following his halftime snack he teaches for another six hours!


In conclusion, I can’t help but use the opportunity to point out that while sleeping in church is not preferable, it’s not the worst kind of sleep that can occur in the life of a believer. In 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 Paul would write to the believers issuing them a stern caution… “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”


On November 15, 1857 Charles Spurgeon taught a sermon on this passage titled, “Awake, Awake.” Let me read for you an exert… “Sleep signifies inactivity. The farmer can not plow his field in his sleep, neither can he cast the grain into the furrows, nor watch the clouds, nor reap his harvest. The sailor can not reef his sail, nor direct his ship across the ocean, whilst he slumbereth. It is not possible that in the house of business, men should transact their affairs with their eyes fast closed in slumber. It would be a singular thing to see a nation of sleepers; for they would be a nation of idle men… 


Behold ye, how many professing Christians there are that are asleep in this sense! They are inactive. Sinners are dying in the street by hundreds; men are sinking into the flames of eternal wrath, but they fold their arms, they pity the poor perishing sinner, but they do nothing to show that their pity is real. They go to their places of worship; they occupy their well-cushioned easy pew; they wish the minister to feed them every Sabbath; but there is never a child taught in the Sunday-school by them; there is never a tract distributed at the poor man's house; there is never a deed done which might be the means of saving souls… 


Oh, what a vast amount of sleeping we have in all our churches; for truly if our churches were once awake, so far as material is concerned, there are enough converted men and women, and there is enough talent with them, and enough money with them, and enough time with them (God granting the abundance of His Holy Spirit, which he would be sure to do if they were all zealous) to preach the gospel in every corner of the earth. The church does not need to stop for want of instruments, or for want of agencies; we hare everything now except the will; we have all that we may expect to give for the conversion of the world, except just a heart for the work, and the Spirit of God poured out into our midst… Oh! sleep not, soldiers of the cross! To sleep in war-time is utterly inconsistent. Great Spirit of God forbid that we should slumber… Awake! Awake! O Holy Spirit arouse us all, and keep us awake.”

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