ACTS 20. RENEWAL, REVIVAL, RESPONSIBILITY When there is deep concern for the welfare of the Lord’s people, it is hard for a servant of the Lord to find relief until some news comes to his ears telling how things are among the saints. Paul had written to the Corinthians from Ephesus and received no reply on how the church at Corinth had responded to his corrective ministry. He had the heart of a shepherd when it came to caring for the Lord’s people and the heart of a lion when preaching the Gospel.
The account of approximately six months of his time among the churches of Macedonia and Greece is very brief. Wherever he was, when Titus came from Corinth and told him of the believers' response to his letter, everything changed for him. His anxiety had even affected his health, so it was a great relief to his spirit, soul, and body when he “was comforted by the coming of Titus.” “I am exceeding joyful” and “I rejoice” are words that he used himself to describe the lifting of his spirit when he learned the state of the believers at Corinth.
Following his itinerant ministry to Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and other places where companies of believers gathered in the Lord’s name, he then went to Corinth. The three winter months he spent there, where he was with believers who still had difficulties among themselves, would have been very important in building up the Lord’s people. He would have instructed them in the ways and word of the Lord and encouraged, counseled, and corrected them. No accounts of any particular events during that time are recorded by the Holy Spirit in the scriptures. Instead, we are given a view and preview of how the work of God should be done and how to seek to perpetuate the work of God when a leader will no longer return to them.
Spiritual leadership calls for mentoring those who have the interests of the people of God in their hearts. Various men from various assemblies were with Paul during his third missionary journey, who would have been learning daily from him verbally and visually. The passion of a man concerned for the eternal welfare of lost souls is easy to observe by those who spend time with him. There will also be evidence of his faith in his Lord as he seeks to confirm the faith of the saints of God who have been called and saved by the Gospel. Every believer has a place in the heart of one who knows the sheep of the Master need a faithful shepherd to guide and feed them.
One of the important things to learn from this passage of scripture is the value of others in any work we are engaged in. A new believer needs the example of a mature believer to lead him or her forward in the things of God and to point out areas of responsibility in which they can fill in the Lord’s work. Also, in this journey of Paul and the others traveling with him after he left Corinth, there are practical lessons for us. When one way is blocked because of opposition, as was planned against Paul at Cenchrea, there needs to be a willingness to change our plans.
If Paul had been able to go on that boat straight to Syria, we would have missed some of the most important leadership teachings in the Book of Acts. Not only were the elders of Ephesus instructed, but the brothers from other assemblies who were with Paul would have learned a lot by being there and hearing what he taught. In their travels of hundreds of miles together with Paul, from Corinth, back through Macedonia to Troas, they would have been learning invaluable lessons of preaching, teaching, and leading that would stick with them for their lifetime.
What joy that unplanned journey would have brought to the Lord’s people, as they saw again the one who had brought them the Gospel, and they heard again Paul teach and preach. The assembly believers would also have learned the importance of accountability as they saw the group of men accompanying Paul as they took funds from various churches to the needy saints in Jerusalem. Three of those men were from Macedonia and two from Asia. Luke joined them and went with them from Philippi, where he had been since Paul’s earlier journey there. When they were all together, there would have been nine or more, all in fellowship, though they were from different places and had different personalities. They were focused on the one major responsibility at that time, which was to get the funds to the believers in Jerusalem who needed their help.
One event during that journey is an important point to focus our attention on. After a brief time at Philippi, during which seven men had been sent on to Troas a week before, Paul and Luke went by boat to Troas. The voyage only took two days from Troas to Philippi, but it took five days to cover the same distance going in the opposite direction. So, there they stayed for another week, even though Paul was hurrying to Jerusalem.
Paul was a man driven by passion and a commission from the Lord, but he was also a man mastered by his Master. His Master controlled the circumstances of his life, and he was willing to do that. He was always pressured by adversity or prosperity and could handle being put down, abased, exalted, and honored without being turned aside from his objective. Even though, at times, he was restless, his spirit was resting in his Lord. To be at the Lord’s Supper was not merely a casual choice he made if it was convenient. He had received a command of the Lord to “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
The Lord’s Day is a special day, blessed by great privileges granted to God’s people. What wonderful and blessed memories we have of being with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s Day at the Lord’s Supper! In many parts of the world, we have been able to worship and remember our Lord Jesus Christ in the way He chose for us. When we remember the Lord and proclaim His death for us, we are often moved to tears as we recall the facts of our redemption. The glorious resurrection of our Lord from among the dead takes us beyond His suffering as the “Just for the unjust that He might bring us to God” to the triumphs of a finished and victorious work that satisfies God and brings new life to us.
On the first day of the week, the disciples in Troas came together to break bread. There was only one company of the Lord’s people. Everyone was together doing the same thing as they remembered the Lord together. They were not doing “their own thing, in their own way, at their own convenience.” Those people were disciples who were followers of the Lord and learners of Him. They were not a mixed multitude of saved and unsaved people, and their objective was not to come together to hear a great man preach. It was to “Do this in remembrance of Me!”
This revelation the apostle Paul had received from the Lord personally was what he passed on to the churches established by the Holy Spirit, composed of redeemed people. They learned they were to do this “until He comes.” Service and sacrifice for the Lord cannot be compared to the request of the Lord to remember and worship Him. When we review and remember Him, we think of His coming, life, death, burial, and resurrection. We remember what He accomplished and what we received from Him when we move into the place where we worship and remember Him. The worship of our Lord moves us to love Him deeply, and it motivates us to be engaged with gladness in all that He desires of us.
Even though there is no specific command about the frequency of this observance of the Lord’s Supper, there is evidence in this passage that it was done weekly. It may have been daily at the very beginning of the church in Jerusalem, although that is not clear. The impression from this passage is that it was the custom of the disciples to remember the Lord on the first day of the week. The Lord’s Day and the Lord’s Supper belong together. Those are two ways the Lord’s people can visibly and publicly testify to others of their commitment to the Lord as a “called out” company of saints in a specific location.
Paul and those with him joined the believers who lived at Troas on the Lord’s Day for praise and worship. After thanks and worship, some disciples would have given thanks for the bread like our Lord Jesus did when He instituted the feast of remembrance. A second prayer of thanksgiving for the cup would have followed the divine example. It was after that Paul preached as a “discourse” the message the Holy Spirit had given him for those who had gathered there. A sleepy lad fell from the third-story window and was “picked up dead,” but when Paul fell on him and put his arms around him, he lived.
The functions of the soul and body were reestablished in that young person, and his restored life became a lesson to all. “Our God lives!” and He gives life to those who are dead in their sins. Believers may also fall asleep spiritually and need something serious to happen to them to wake them up to what is important. An assembly of believers may seem asleep, but God can stir it to life to revive what was once vital and vigorous.
The fact that our Lord is not done with us despite our sleepy condition can comfort us personally when we stop to face ourselves before Him. Others can be comforted when there is evidence of revival among the people of God. In times of lethargy and apathy, there may be something that happens to wake us up for which we can be thankful. Whether it be a sad or happy event is not what is important. This matter is important because we understand that God is still willing to use us.
The midnight meeting had the purpose of establishing believers in the faith. One who cares for the saints is glad to be with them and help them to be strong in the Lord and live and witness for Him. We are saved to serve, and a life given to the Lord is a blessed and saved life.
The Speaker, v.7. “Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow.” The seven days Paul spent with the believers at Troas would be remembered for the rest of their lifetime as they remembered all he taught them. His message from God would have been bread from heaven for them. A warm message from a warm-hearted messenger is one people gladly receive. There was no dry recitation of facts but living truth from a living flame of God.
The Time, v.7. “The first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread.” The memorial of our Lord Jesus Christ and the testimony of His death is a good opportunity to impart spiritual truth to people fresh from God's throne room. The sanctity of the gathering of the Lord’s people should move us to be there as worshippers, whether we are participating silently or audibly.
The Place, v.8. “The upper chamber, where there were many lights.” “Upper rooms” are very special places in the hearts of God’s people. They meet together, and all bring their “light” to provide illumination for the benefit of others and themselves. There is abundant “light” when the Lord’s people are together. That light also provides the warmth of the soul needed when we are apart.
The Speech, v.7. “Paul continued his speech until midnight.” Midnight meetings are very uncommon today. Even in assemblies, people want to “keep it short.” That attitude will almost guarantee that those who attend will leave the meeting with a few crumbs rather than a real filling taste of bread from heaven. A five-minute sermon from an unprepared heart may seem long, while an hour-long message from one who has a word from the Lord and who speaks for God seems short. The man and his message should both come from the Spirit of God.
The Interruption, v.9. “Eutychus sunk down with sleep and fell from the third loft.” The young person nearly lost his whole life, like many today who are running the risk of losing their soul for less reasons than the lack of sleep. Those who have fallen in sin may be restored to life by a caring Christian who loves them and embraces them with the arms of holy concern. We need to take those who have fallen into the affections of our hearts and seek to restore such one to the blessing of fellowship with the Lord and His people.
Acts 20:13-16. Time alone with God Paul’s companions went on a boat to Assos, but for a private reason, Paul wanted to walk alone from Troas to Assos. What that reason might have been is not said in the passage of scripture, but it is often in such private times that one’s soul is greatly revived. The private fellowship with God in a “half-day walk” can be of great importance to the extent it changes our whole attitude toward the work to which we have been called and toward fellow laborers. It also gives us time to review in the presence of our Lord the whole work in which we have been involved in the past and allows us to consider how best to proceed in the work ahead. The Lord’s people need the nurturing and the effect of a person who knows God well enough to spend a “half-day” alone in meditation, conversation, communion, and responsive listening to the One we serve, without realizing how fast such time passes. We long for that breath of heavenly air! When we take the time to listen and learn from our God, we are not concerned with studying the scripture passages from which we will pass on truth to the Lord’s people at the next meeting. Instead, our whole spirit and soul are lifted to where we begin to see things around us from God’s eyes. Even our body is blessed because of such holy seasons.
There are times in the life of a child of God, and perhaps in a special way when one who daily teaches and preaches the word of God needs to be alone with his God. Sitting alone in one spot may cause a tendency for one to be introspective and review what we have learned, which can be a negative experience. To walk “twenty miles” alone, with the deliberate purpose of communing with our gracious Father, is a unique fellowship of a different kind. As we observe all of His glories around us, it is a time of special fellowship, open and audible communion, and a special awareness of who He is and the greatness of the work He has in which He has allowed us to be a participant.
Kingdom work and all it entails is important beyond our conception. Eternal matters are dealt with every day and in many aspects. A “twenty-mile walk” with the Lord gives a person time to unburden his heart to his Master and do all the crying he needs to without embarrassment. He can register his complaints about himself and maybe others, to the highest possible authority. Barriers between us and God, and perhaps between us and others, are removed when, in a deliberate way, we openly express them to our Lord in words. The uplifted heart that feels cleansed by open confession is restored as the words of scripture pour from our minds through our hearts to our Master and God. It is then we become so thankful, extremely grateful, and worshipful that we can become renewed in our spirit and be more useful in His blessed service.
To be alone with God is not to be alone. We are apart from people, distractions, and attractions that limit or interfere with our communion. It is then we think of Him, especially enjoy Him, and also think of ourselves and the work He has given us the privilege to be involved in with Him and do for Him. When we are alone with the Lord, our responsibility toward Him is all of our occupation. Our activity, the next meeting, or the next message becomes of far less importance to us than the focus of our minds as we take the time to “walk twenty miles” with our Lord in communion with Him alone. As His servant, we are humbled even to be able to walk with Him. The confidence the intimacy of heart, mind, and soul lift us above the changing view around us to catch a glimpse of the heavenly heights.
We become filled to overflowing as we experience the goodness and grace of God that is limitless yet focused on such an unworthy person. If we let our minds run, we might think we are walking on gold pavement. We long for such times. When we make time for the “twenty-mile walk” with God, our service, obligations, and fellowship with the Lord and others with whom we labor take on a heavenly glow.
I expect Paul’s spirit was lifted high enough that he could leave the welfare of the Corinthian believers in the hands of the One who bought them. The “care of all the churches” could be left deliberately in the capable hands of the One who paid for them with His own blood. He likely knew what was going to happen in Jerusalem to him and that he would spend the rest of his life mainly as a captive of men. On that walk, he would have been able to express the confidence that he had in Him openly to the Lord Jesus, whom he loved dearly. The joy and delight such fellowship with the Lord brought to him would have left him with a grateful heart as he saw his brothers in Christ waving to him from the boat at Assos. He could say with a full heart then, as he wrote later, “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me!”
Acts 20:17-38. Take heed to yourselves and all the flock. Paul made two major speeches in the book of Acts up to this point. The first one was addressed to the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia. The second one was to the Gentiles in Athens. In the last part of this chapter, he addresses the church of God represented by the Ephesian elders who came to Miletus. The theme of the message is very plain: “Take heed to yourselves and all the flock.” The apostle's heart is that of a shepherd who knows how important it is to guard himself because he knows his strengths and weaknesses. Then, because of that personal awareness of himself and his need for God, he can tend to and nurture God’s people whom the Holy Spirit has raised him up to care for.
The importance of leadership, particularly the leadership of elders, is prevalent throughout Paul’s ministry in spoken words in Acts and written words in the epistles he wrote. Financial gifts for needy saints were to be given to the elders who knew the people locally and how best to distribute those funds to those who needed them in appropriate amounts. With Paul’s apostolic authority, he designated elders in Iconium, Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, and every church. He addressed his letter to the Philippians to the leaders of that assembly. In this chapter, he calls the elders of the Ephesus assembly to travel the thirty miles to Miletus so that he can personally instruct them. In two letters to fellow workers, Timothy and Titus, he wrote down the qualifications of those who could lead God’s people.
Leading a church of God is no small thing or insignificant task. It is a work designated by the Holy Spirit, who raises up those who have a heart and mind for the welfare of fellow believers. Paul’s instructions begin with him rehearsing the need for integrity and faithfulness in serving the Lord and the necessity of that being true of all leaders. He used himself as an illustration as he recounted some things that had happened to him. Many places in the Book of Acts tell of what he endured and what he did in his ministry. By listing some of the things he went through, what he did, and how he served the saints, and then writing them in letters, we have the guidelines for leadership we need. In reading places like 1st Thessalonians 1:5,9 or Romans 12:11, then 1st Corinthians 10:23, and many other scriptures, we conclude that serving the Lord’s people is very important to God.
Overseers are not overlords. Humility of mind, tears, temptations, and dangers are all to be expected by those who shepherd the sheep of the Chief Shepherd. They go through the same things as those they care for have to endure. They serve as those who love the Lord and His people, with a humble mind, and are not seeking great things or great recognition from the people. Like Paul, the faithful, Christ-like elders keep nothing back that is profitable to those under their care. Public ministry is important, but so are those “house-to-house” meetings in which ministry is given in a more personal way. That kind of ministry is not confined to a certain class of people or certain families of the people in the assembly.
In Paul’s message, he announces that he knows suffering is ahead of him. There is usually a measure of dread associated with anticipated pain in our body, soul, and spirit. He didn’t know exactly what would happen, but he knew “bonds and afflictions” were awaiting him. He was ready to be offered. To preserve his life to old age wasn’t his goal. He wanted to finish what he had been commissioned to do. The Lord had given him the task of seriously testifying God's grace to kings, and he intended to press ahead with that objective before him. He had preached the Gospel and how people could enter the kingdom of God. He had given those elders the “whole counsel of God.” He believed he was responsible before God to move on to the next phase of his work and believed it would begin at Jerusalem.
At this point in his message, Paul delivered a solemn charge and warning to those brethren, to which all wise elders and leaders among God’s people need to take earnest heed. Our first responsibility is to take care of our own souls. The challenges, heresies, and counterfeit teachers as wolves in sheep’s clothing must be faced. Our spirits and souls have to be nourished with the truth of God, and we have to be in the right frame of mind and spiritual condition to deal with such things appropriately.
Perverse things have a strange attraction to those weak in the faith or who want to be like the worldly people around us. Those who have been purchased with “His own blood,” “the blood of God,” are of very high value to God. The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed at the cross, was “precious blood.” He is God Himself because “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” Those who have been redeemed by “the blood of the Lamb” and are saved by God’s grace are God’s people. That should energize us and give us deep concern about how His people are doing and what needs to be done to help them continue in the faith.
God’s word and grace strengthen, build up spiritually, and sanctify those who belong to Him. The word of God is what ministers to the saints, and it is the role and responsibility of leaders to ensure those under their care in the house of God get all the spiritual nourishment and support they need. In dark days of spiritual departure and failure on the part of many who profess to be believers, an eldership with the light of God held high shines as a beacon and a guiding light to those looking around and down instead of ahead and up.
Hold the light of truth high, and even though we may not see the results of our labor or know all that has been accomplished in our lifetime, the Chief Shepherd does. When He shall appear, then every faithful overseer of the flock, every elder who imparts his wisdom, and every bishop who leads God’s people will be glad they had the privilege of serving the Lord by serving His blood-bought people.
This address of Paul to the Ephesian elders is the last one recorded that he gave when he was still in his freedom to serve the Lord. His example, his interactions, his instructions, and his exhortations were given from his warm heart to those he cared for and for those he cared for. His whole-hearted love for the Lord produced whole-hearted love for the Lord’s people – those he loved in the Lord. Let us watch and feed the flock of God. The Lord’s people need you even if they never thank you.
A Personal Testimony Paul was not “tooting his own horn” when he told his testimony to the elders of the Ephesian assembly. He knew a personal testimony could be a great teaching method if it were not egocentric. He illustrated the importance of spiritual character in a leader of God’s people in the way the Holy Spirit directed. This method gives us a picture of what a servant of Christ should be.
He was humble, v.19. “Serving the Lord with all humility.” These were not words of pride, nor is there room for pride and boasting when one has the “meek and lowly” heart of our Lord Jesus. The Lord is only truly served when there is humility of mind. Any other kind is self-service. “A broken and contrite heart” is not despised by our Lord and is essential for fellowship with Him. To supply our own needs and help meet the needs of others is a work of grace. Paul considered himself to be the least of the apostles, but he also knew God's grace made him what he was.
He was compassionate, v.19. “Ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” A hard-hearted leader will soon find no one is following. Christian love and a tender spirit like our Lord Jesus had, which is moved to careful concern, is hard to ignore. Those who are careless and indifferent cannot see the tears of an earnest soul winner without understanding how important they are to the one who cares. Words of wisdom without grace and love are no better than stones thrown at a person. Truth spoken in love and obvious concern is quite easily discerned and accepted. We weep at our own losses, sorrows, and personal concerns. It is of great value and positively impacts others if we can have the same concern for them.
He was faithful, v.20-21. “I kept back, nothing that was profitable.” Paul went from gathering with one group of believers for a meeting to doing the same thing for others. He did not show partiality to either the Jews or the Gentiles. To both Jews and Greeks, he preached repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Those fundamentals must still be preached, even though they are not preached in many religious groups. Popularity and the praise of men can be a stumbling block to the souls of both saved and unsaved people. Our allegiance to the Lord Jesus makes it incumbent upon us to be faithful to our Lord, not a traitor to the truth.
He was submissive, v.22-24. “I go bound in spirit unto Jerusalem… but none of these things move me.” Paul knew from the Holy Spirit witnessing him that there would be bonds and afflictions waiting for him wherever he went. There are high costs to being submissive to the will of God. We will be maligned, misunderstood, and misquoted. There will be those who will try to find some way to accuse and diminish the work in which you labor for the Lord. There is no reason to despair or for thinking we are defeated when setbacks come. Sometimes, those conditions are necessary for our learning and the discipline of our minds and souls. In that way, we can remain focused on what God wants, not what we or others might want. Enduring suffering is one of the ways in which character is built.
He was devoted, v.24. “Neither count I my life dear unto myself, that I might finish the ministry of the Gospel of the grace of God.” Some things are more important than life itself. To do the will of God and “live Christ” is of greater value in life than to be successful and well-thought-of. To follow Christ means to deny myself, take up the cross daily, and go where He leads me. To declare and defend God’s truth is of greater importance than living a long time or even living well.
He was courageous, v.27. “I have not shunned to declare unto you the full counsel of God.” The fear of man has the potential of silencing our voice when we are not conscious of God being with us. The counsel of God is the fullness of the truth of God in the Gospel, as well as the practice of the holy things of God. Such practices should never come from the minds of men to please people or make them feel good about themselves. Believers in Christ know who we are in God’s sight, which is far more important than what others perceive to be or what we think of ourselves.
When we love the Lord Jesus, we will love the souls of men and give them the full counsel of God. Holding back what needs to be said and what people need to hear is unfair to people, unfaithful to God, and unprofitable to us. True love for the eternal well-being of others will ensure we tell them all that needs to be said and say it in the right way. God can use His word to bless others despite how they may take it from us.
No wonder tears were shed as the whole company knelt down on their knees to pray. When we are humbled and tender of heart before God, we are in a position where God can use us and lift us higher than before. When one’s heart is openly poured out to our brethren, we are conscious of the presence of God with us. A powerful spiritual impact will affect and remain with all who are in that place.
MATURITY