Thursday, June 23, 2016

Acts 20:1

Acts 20:1 says, And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.  The next few verses are about where Paul traveled at this time.  After the uproar ceased, he called the disciples, embraced them, and left for Macedonia.  There may come a time in our Christian life where we have to leave where we are and head to another place that God is calling us to.  Verse two adds, And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,  As Paul travelled, he brought people a lot of excitement in many places by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We should stir up excitement as we share the gospel today as well.  Verse three adds, And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. Paul was in Greece for three months and was about to sail to Syria, when he learned that the Jews laid in wait for him, so he went back to Macedonia instead.  I believe Paul was still following the leadership of the Holy Spirit though.  Sometimes, the Holy Spirit may prevent us from going to a place where we would be in danger, but not always.  Paul sometimes went to places even though he knew he would be in danger there.  Verse four states, And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.  Paul was not travelling alone but was accompanied by at least six others.  Sometimes, God may send us alone to a particular place, but other times He may send others with us.  Verse five adds, These going before tarried for us at Troas.  Then we are told that the others went ahead and tarried at Troas. Sometimes, others will go before us to lay the groundwork for sharing the gospel with others, and at other times we may go before them.  Verse six continues, And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.  After the days of unleavened bread, Paul sailed to Troas after five days of travel, and was at Traos for seven days.  Verse seven says, And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.  Paul was planning to leave the next day, and to prepare, he was preaching to the disciples.  If we were planning to leave the next day, we might figure we had done all we could do and be packing or sleeping. Paul, knowing his time was limited, was still witnessing, and edifying the Christians there. Verse eight adds, And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.  Though it was dark, there were many lights in the upper room where they were gathered.  As Christians, we will never be left in the dark spiritually. Verse nine continues, And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.  He was still preaching at midnight.  We sometimes call a preacher long winded if he preaches for over thirty minutes.  Our mind tends to drift away to what we are going to eat or anything other than what is being said.  The upper chamber where they were gathered was lit with many lights. They weren't trying to hide their worship service.  We are called to be a light to the world, and we cannot do this by hiding from the world.  There was a certain young man named Eutychus sitting in a window who did what many of us might have done.  He fell asleep.  It says that this was because Paul's preaching was long.  Like the disciples in the Garden, Eutychus couldn't stay awake.  I don't know what this says of Paul's preaching.  Maybe he wasn't entertaining or enthusiastic enough. Eutychus fell from the third loft and was taken up dead. Verse ten states, And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.  Paul went down and fell on him, embracing him, and told the people not to be troubled for his life was in him.  Verse eleven adds, When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.  Then, Paul went back up to where he had been preaching and broke bread and ate and continued in discussion with the disciples until dawn.  We might have broken up the meeting after this accident, but Paul continued to make the most of the time he had left with them. Then, Paul departed.  Verse twelve continues, And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.  They brought the young man alive to the disciples and they were greatly comforted.  We might hang around a little longer to hear everybody praise us for what we did.  Paul had departed because the glory belonged to God Who had raised the boy up.  Verse thirteen says, And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.  They departed by ship for Assos, planning to pick up Paul who went by foot.  Paul certainly didn’t act as someone who was afraid of what might happen to him, and neither should we be afraid to go wherever God sends us.  Verse fourteen adds, And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.  Verse fifteen continues, And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus. They picked up Paul at Assos and sailed to Mytilene, then the next day to Chios, the next to Samos.  They tarried at Trogillium, then the next day went to Miletus.  Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. 


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