Let's turn in our scriptures
to Acts chapter 20. As I go through books of the
Bible I have my favorite passage and I get excited as I get towards
my favorite passage and then I get more excited as I get to
it. It's like walking into a room and you know those buffos you
walk into the room and you look from a distance and think wow.
And then you go and look close and think, that's it. Then you
have to choose. So we have a difficult choice
today. But I thought what I'd do is to not take away from the
beauty of the bounty. We'd actually just look at the
whole passage. And I want to look at it in light of a couple
of things. I would like to look at it in
light of the sovereignty of God and the love of God. So where
God is sovereign, God operates sovereignly. There is love. And where God chooses to bring
his love and to bring his gospel, he does it in a way where we
see his sovereign hand. And that's how it is for each
and every one of God's children. We will see the hand of God upon
the activities of our lives and those around us, and we'll be
caused to rejoice. And the reason I wanted to talk
about the love is that in verse one, you might remember there
was a riot we looked at last week, that riot where there was
just confusion in that great city of Ephesus. But after the
uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples and embraced
them. and departed for to go into Macedonia. And down in verse 37 of this
same chapter, Paul told them, told them he's not gonna see
them, he's not gonna see them anymore. This is the last time
they'll ever get to see him. They all kneeled down, verse
36, and prayed with them all, and they all wept sore and fell
on Paul's neck and kissed him. See, where the gospel comes in
power, and Paul had been with these people for three years,
and the three years, the three years of ministry amongst them
there in Ephesus had just caused them to be more and more attached
to him. And that's how real love works,
isn't it? Real love grows. Real love causes there to be
a deepening fellowship and a deepening attraction of one with the other.
And it's not just for those that he ministered to. In verse 10,
you'll see that Paul, when young Eutychus fell out of the third
floor window and fell to the ground dead, Paul went down,
stopped his preaching. He went down and he fell on him
and he embraced him. And this young man was brought
back, as it were, from the dead. there is amongst the people of
God, there is amongst the church of God, there is a love that
comes from God. And it's a love that operates
in such a way that we see the sovereign hand of God in us.
This chapter is in the scriptures, brothers and sisters, because
of one act. You read about it there in verse
3. Let's just read down to verse 3. Paul called unto him the disciples,
and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. And
when he had gone over those parts, and given them much exhortation,
he came into Greece. So he went across to Philippi
and Thessalonica and down to Berea, and then he went down
to Corinth, which is where this is. And he abode there three
months. And he was about, it says, he was about to sail into
Syria and the Jews laid wait for him. So he was on his way,
he was on his way from southern Greece across the ocean past
Cyprus, if you know his geography, straight to Syria, maybe to Antioch,
but straight to Syria he was going to bypass all of the rest
of chapter 20 is because The Jews laid wait for him. How long
had they been plotting against Paul? Five, six, seven, eight
years, these same Jews had heard the gospel of free and sovereign
grace, and they had found it offensive, and they found the
messenger offensive. And they laid in wait for him.
Whether they were waiting there at the ship and they were going
to throw him overboard or do him in in some way, their purpose
was to destroy him. Their plotting was to destroy
him, just like the Jews in Jerusalem plotted for three years in various
ways so that they could destroy the Lord Jesus Christ, is the
word that's used. And so here we have a chapter
of Scripture, a glorious chapter of Scripture, with this remarkable
meeting of Paul with the Ephesian elders on that beach at Miletus.
And all of this under a sovereign hand of God. He said, you're
planning to go straight across the ocean to Syria. You're not
going across there. You're going to go on this journey.
So let's read this journey. This journey. And there accompanied
him into Asia, Sopotara of Berea, and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus
and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus of Asia, and Tychicus
and Trophimus. Now what Paul has done is he's
gathered these seven. Seven is a significant number
in the scripture. He gathered these seven witnesses. He was
gathering these witnesses and he was gathering a collection
to the starving people in Jerusalem. And his plan was to go back to
Jerusalem and say, these are the trophies of the grace of
God in the ministry that I've had in these past. Because now
he was planning to go to Rome. He wasn't planning to come back
to these places at all. He'd done all that he felt he
needed to do there. He was taking the gifts from
all of these churches that he'd gathered from all those areas,
and then he was taking these people back into Jerusalem and
saying, this is the work that God is doing among the Gentiles. These going before us. These
going before, tarried for us at Troas. Now Paul, I mean Luke,
now, starts to use personal pronouns, we have us and we. Luke has now
rejoined Paul and so we have the words of an eyewitness, but
we have the words better than eyewitness, we have the words
of the Holy Spirit who has recorded all these things for us. Troas is in western Turkey. And then we sailed from Philippi
after the days of unleavened bread and came under them in
Troas five days, where we abode seven days. and upon the first
day of the week. First day of the week is the
day that we call Sunday now. It is the first day of the week
in Revelation chapter one. You might remember when John
was in the spirit on the Lord's day. It's called the Lord's day.
It's the day of his resurrection. And Paul was anxious to go back
to Jerusalem for Pentecost for several reasons. One is that
Pentecost is a day when the Lord Jesus Christ revealed himself
by the Holy Spirit's work amongst those people and that glorious
outpouring of the Spirit upon the people in Jerusalem. And
that witness that then went out from Jerusalem to all the ends
of the world, that witness that Paul was carrying, that witness
that is being carried here now, that witness that's being carried.
in Grace Church in Apopka in Florida and throughout this world.
It's that same witness. It's exactly the same witness
carried in exactly the same way by the same God-empowered people. But on the first day of the week,
so these people that want to make Sabbath and Sabbath-keeping
fundamentally important have a very serious problem with a
lot of what's going on in the Scriptures. Because the first
day, when the disciples came together to break bread, That's
when they came together for fellowship, when they came together to enjoy
the Lord's Supper. Paul preached unto them, ready
to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. You've got to remember that Paul
now is on his way, and you'll never see these people again.
He knows that he will not be back to these parts again. And
so he is anxious to spend as much time as he can with them.
And there were many lights in the upper chamber where they
were gathered together. And there sat in the window a
certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep. You obviously didn't intend to
fall asleep. You don't sit in the window if you're going to
fall asleep. But poor Eutychus, for whatever reason, the Puritans
give him a very, very hard time for not being awake in the house
of God. I wonder whether we might show a little more kindness to
Eutychus nevertheless. Falling into a deep sleep, and
as Paul was long preaching, He sunk down asleep and fell down
from the third loft and was taken up dead. And Paul went down and
fell on him and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves
for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up
again and had broken bread, he brought him back up, and they
had the Lord's Supper. What a celebration that must
have been to have young Eutychus back with them, alive and well. Broken bread and eaten, they
then talked. This wasn't preaching. Paul was
just there with them even until the break of day. Such was his
affection. And Troas was one of the places
where Paul visited. It wasn't one of the places where
he lived. He lived in Ephesus and he went
on a circuit around there. And you can read about those
churches. They're the ones that are written to in the letters
to the churches from the Lord Jesus in the book of Revelation. And so he departed and they brought
the young man alive and what were not a little comforted.
And we, this is Luke included with these others that are mentioned
there, so the party was seven in number but also extras. And
we went before to ship and sailed to Assos there intending to take
in Paul for so he had appointed, minding himself to go afoot."
So it's just across the peninsula if you have a look on the maps.
You went across the peninsula. Paul obviously had people he
wanted to see there or maybe he just wanted some time on his
own. And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in and
came to Militene. And we sailed thence and came
the next day over against Chios, and the next day we arrived at
Samos, and tarried at Trogillium, and the next day we came to Miletus. For Paul had determined to sail
by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia, for
he hasted, if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem the
day of Pentecost." That day of Pentecost was obviously that
big feast and there would be a gathering of the Jews and other
proselytes from all over the world. So it was a great opportunity
to meet with a lot of people. It was a great opportunity to
celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. which
the Lord's people do all the time. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus,
and called the elders of the church. And when they were come
to him, he said unto them, and we want to look at this in their
second time together today, you know from the first first time
I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you, at all
seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with
many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait
of the Jews. The lying in wait of the Jews,
of course, it happened that lying in wait of the Jews was something
that Paul had lived with throughout his ministry. And how I kept
back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you
and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying
both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward
God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold,
I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things
that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesses
in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. So in all of that journey, from
Philippia to Thessalonica, to Berea, to Athens, to Corinth,
all the way back again, and then to Troas, and everywhere he went,
Paul was told, bonds and afflictions. He's going to be bound, and he's
going to be an afflicted man. It is remarkable, isn't it? Not
only had all of his life been characterized by those things
in one way or another, But knowing about what's coming before you,
does it make it easier or does it make it harder? Sometimes it'd be better not
to know the bonds and afflictions that come before you. But our
God is faithful and so it is given to us in so many ways to
show the faithfulness of our God and to show the fact that
in the midst of the trials and afflictions the Lord Jesus Christ
promises to be with his people. You might remember and recall
from 2 Timothy chapter 4 at the very end of his life when he
was about to lose his life and everyone had deserted him. It
was remarkable isn't it, this man who had engendered so much
love and affection throughout all of his ministry. He said, but they've all left
me. There he was in a Roman prison. And then he says a remarkable
but. He says, but the Lord stood by my side. Brothers and sisters
in Christ, that is all. you in this world is the presence
of the Lord. No matter what the storm is like,
no matter what others are saying around you, if the Lord's in
the boat and you're in the boat with the Lord, you'll get to
the other side and He will turn all of those things into opportunities
for Him to reveal His grace and His glory. Verse 24, but none
of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself,
so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which
I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify of the grace of God. I love what that word ministry
means. You know it just means to be a servant. But initially,
originally, the root word means it's one who runs errands. Go and deliver this message for
me. It's one who runs errands. It also means one who prepares
and presents food. This notion that somehow in ministry
there is this division between clergy and laity and some are
above others because of some position that they hold or some
qualifications that they've got from some institution is just
nonsensical. in the scriptures. Paul was a
servant. That doesn't mean that there's not order in God's way
of dealing with things and growing his church but nevertheless this
notion that somehow one who runs errands is above someone who
receives the message is just unbiblical and it's dishonouring
to our Lord who has given these gifts not only to his apostles
and prophets and and pastors and evangelists, but if you're
a member of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, if you belong to
him, you have gifts from on high. You have blood-bought gifts from
the Lord Jesus Christ. And I don't want to miss out
anything that's been given. I don't want to miss out on anything
that's being given free. I don't want to miss out on anything
that's going to cause me to see something of the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ. I'm greedy. I'm greedy for gifts. So all of us, brothers and sisters
in Christ, have been gifts, and I need the gifts that the Lord
Jesus Christ has given you, and we all need each other. And that's
exactly what we see pictured here, isn't it, in this embracing
of Paul with these people. And now behold, verse 25, I know
that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of
God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record
this day that I am pure, I'm clean from the blood of all men,
for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves
and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers,
and feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own
blood." What a great description. What a great description of the
church. What a great privilege it is for the church to be bought
with his own blood. You can't help but read that
word about feed the church of God and think of what happened
to Peter on that shore when they were out fishing and they met
the Lord Jesus Christ for that last time before he was taken
up before them outside of Jerusalem. And what was the question? What
was the question they asked of Peter? He didn't ask Peter, are you
really sorry for being such a weakly coward in front of a little servant
girl? Are you really, really sorry?
Are you sorry enough? Are you gonna promise me you'll
never do it again? Are you gonna live a good life
from here on in? The Lord has one question, doesn't
he? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Peter was recommissioned, wasn't
he? And the lover of the Lord said, he says, you feed my lambs.
They're just lambs. You feed my lambs. The lambs are his. He bought
them with his own blood. He bought them and he owns them.
He said, feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. Feed my sheep,
he says. They're mine. They're my sheep. He's feed the church of God.
Verse 29, for I know this, this is why they need feeding, this
is why they need reminding of the purchase of the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. For I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. Wolves in sheep's clothing, and
also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things. And people who speak perverse
things always do it to draw away disciples after them. Grievous
Wolves. What an extraordinary statement
for Paul to make in his parting with these people. That out of
their own number, when you go back to Ephesus, you will find
in due course there'll be false teachers and they'll come out
of your churches. They'll come from among yourselves.
And they want a place of preeminence and they will want a following.
Now draw away disciples. Therefore watch, verse 31, and
remember that by the space of three years I cease not to warn
everyone night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend
you to God. and the word and to the word
of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an
inheritance among all them which are sanctified. What a glorious
description of the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace.
It comes with an ability to build you up and it comes with a gift,
an inheritance. Who'd like to receive an inheritance?
Only beggars, only beggars, mercy beggars, like to receive a gift. Everyone else wants to earn something.
And I love that description of the finished work of the Lord
Jesus Christ. You can read about it in Hebrews 10 and so many
other places, isn't it? This is one of the grand issues
of the gospel, isn't it? It's one of the grand issues
of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Did he really do
everything that he said he was going to do? Did he really achieve
what he said he was going to achieve in Isaiah that we just
read? Those glorious verses where he
rejoices over you. Or is there something for you
to do? Look what it says, the end of verse 32. Among all them
which are sanctified, If you ask the religious people, are
you sanctified? No, I'm in a process of being sanctified. And I'm
working in cooperation with God to get me sanctified. Brothers
and sisters, that's not what the scriptures ever say. It's
not what Paul was commending these people to. He commends
them to God. Commends them to God and the
word of His grace. Verse 33, I've coveted no man's
silver, gold, or apparel. He wanted nothing from people. He says, Yea, you yourselves
know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them
that were with me. And I have showed you all things,
knowing that so labouring you ought to support the weak and
remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more
blessed to give than to receive. It's more blessed to give. Would you rather have the opportunity
to give $1,000 or would you prefer to receive $1,000? It's a good
question, isn't it? It's more blessed to give. It's
more blessed to give than to receive. And when he had thus
spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all, and they all wept
sore and fell on Paul's neck. and kissed him, sorrowing most
of all for the words which he spoke, that they should see his
face no more. And they accompanied him to the
ship." It's a glorious picture, isn't it? It's a glorious picture
of the finish of a ministry in those parts. He was going to
write to them and write to these other churches. But in terms
of his personal ministry, this is the end of Paul's ministry
in all of that part of the world, in all of Asia, in all of modern-day
Turkey, in all of modern-day Greece, and throughout there.
Other than a brief stay in Jerusalem and a couple of years in jail
in Caesarea, the rest of his life he spent away from all of
these people. God sovereignly has given this
chapter because of some wicked Jews who didn't want a gift but
wanted to earn something so that they could maintain their own
righteousness. Some wicked Jews have given us
this glorious picture of the love that a Sovereign God brings
to His people and amongst His people, and how a Sovereign God,
as He's promised, says, I'll give
you past, as He said. after my own heart, Jeremiah
3.15, and they'll feed you with knowledge and wisdom. They'll
feed you with the knowledge of my sovereignty and they'll feed
you with the knowledge of my love and they'll feed you with
the knowledge of my salvation. They'll feed you with the knowledge
of who I am and where I am these things flow. They embraced him,
verse one. They all wept sore and fell on
Paul's neck and kissed him. There's joy, there's joy and
delight in the company and the fellowship of God's people as
they gather together by him and to him. Let's have a break, brothers
and sisters.