Lesson 10: “The Third Missionary Journey” - 3ABN Sabbath School Panel - Q3 2018

the Bible tells us in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God it says to receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls and to be diligent to present yourself approved to God rightly dividing the word of truth join us now for the 3abn Sabbath School panel our study today is the book of Acts hello and welcome to another 3abn Sabbath School panel we are so glad that you have joined us for our study of the Word of God we're on lesson number 10 as we studied make our journey through Acts we are on Paul's third missionary journey which is really his last journey his last evangelistic campaign as a free man he will make one more journey his fourth journey but that will be in Chains and that's for another day I'm Jill Morricone and I want to introduce to you our panel at this time each students of the Word of God in their own right to my left is pastor C a Marie Shelly Quinn Yvonne Louis Shelton and John densey and it's a privilege to be with here with each one of you and to hear what you have studied and I'm looking forward to what God is going to do here today I want to encourage you to download your own copy of the study guide so you can follow along with us that website is a B s G dot Adventist dot o-r-g that stands for adult Bible study guide adventist orj or we always encourage you to visit your local seventh-day adventist church and they would welcome you they would give you they would call it a quarterly but they would give you a quarterly and welcome you to study the Word of God with brothers and sisters before we open up the word of god and go any farther we want to go to the Lord in prayer anyone would you pray for us sure love to father God we just praise your name this day we thank you Lord that you brought us together to study your word and we pray for your Holy Spirit's presence to enlighten us to illuminate this word Lord God and help us to be able to communicate it to of the viewers thank you Lord for all that you do for us and all that you've done in Jesus name Amen as I mentioned previously this is Paul's third missionary journey his first missionary journey was from AD 45 to 47 then we had the Jerusalem Council that took place in Acts chapter 15 the second missionary journey is from AD 49 to 52 and now we begin the third missionary journey which is probably from AD 53 to 58 I know there's a little discrepancy on those dates but that's pretty close I'm the first journey he took Barnabas with him and John Mark and then John mark departed and returned to Jerusalem on the second journey he took Silas with him and when they got to Lystra a Timothy joined the group and they went there together on this journey the third journey from the scripture it just says he departed but we know that Timothy joins him in Ephesus and we also know that Aquila and Priscilla are with him during that time we have Luke joining him at least by troe adds because it says we at that point and then we know many of the believers from fessed Malaika and Faria and some of those other places they journeyed with him on the way back as well if you look at the mileage the first journey was about 1200 miles the second missionary journey over 2,700 miles the third missionary journey it's between 2,500 and 3,000 miles so he traveled far to spread the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ the last lesson when we did the second missionary journey I did a map faster CA with my hands here hopefully we can do this again for you at home if you look here and you would think this is Palestine okay Jerusalem's about here and if you travel 300 miles north you get to Antioch now Antioch is where all three of the missionary journeys began from if you had West the first missionary journey they went by sea to the island of Cyprus then they went north through what we would call modern de Turkey and they went to Iconium and lystra and derbe and all those cities preaching the gospel and then they returned back to Antioch on the second journey they did the land route they started Antioch instead of going by sea to Turkey they went around the land here and they visited all those cities then they received a call come over to Macedonia and help us and they went over by sea from troas they went over here and this is modern-day Greece and there they went to Athens they went to Corinth and they went to Berea Phillipi all of those places on this journey the third missionary journey they go by land again so they're gonna take the journey from Antioch up over bile and strengthening the churches in here then Paul makes kind of a long stop at Ephesus spends quite a while at Ephesus they go over the sea from trow ass over to Athens and Corinth and some of those cities there in Greece then they come back through my lettuce and then they go back to Caesarea and Jerusalem so that's kind of an overview of the three missionary journeys and on this missionary journey the third missionary journey of Paul he wrote the books of first and second Corinthians as well as the book of Romans let's look at our memory texts and then we'll jump into Sunday our memory text is acts 20 verse 24 it's from the New Revised Standard Version and one encourage you at home to read along with us I do not count my life of any value to myself if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the good news of God's grace amen so Paul is beginning his journey here we're in Acts chapter 18 verse 23 let's actually begin in the end of verse 22 because it shows you he begins this third missionary journey from Antioch at the end of 22 it says he went down to Antioch verse 23 after he had spent some time there he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order strengthening all the disciples this was that land route he went up and he's strengthening all those churches that he had been to before now we kind of take a little digression and what Luke is doing here is saying while Paul is strengthening those believers in Galatians forgive a gentleman by the name of Apollo's is actually in Ephesus we see this in verse 24 now a certain Jew named Apollo's born in Alexandria an eloquent man and mighty and the Scriptures came to Ephesus this man had been instructed in the way of the Lord and being fervent in spirit he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord though he knew only the baptism of John now this gentleman Apollo's was well educated he knew the Scriptures well and he believed in Jesus Christ but he only knew the baptism of John he was not fully educated he didn't know all of the truth yet he was obviously a Hellenistic Jew having come from Alexandria he was not born in Palestine and he was a Greek speaking Jew who became a Christian Alexandria is the second-largest city of the Roman Empire the first being Rome Alexandria being the second and so Aquila and Priscilla we met them last week they were great friends of the Apostle Paul he had left them in Ephesus and they take it upon themselves to instruct him a little more fully pastor ca in the way here so we see in verse 26 Apollo's began to speak boldly in the synagogue when Aquila and Priscilla heard him they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately and when he desired to go to aquella the Brethren wrote exhorting the disciples to receive him this is over to Greece this is where Corinth is and when he arrived he greatly helped those who had believed through grace for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly showing from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ so he was an able defender you could say of the the Christian belief of the the Apostolic Church in fact he became so well and influential we get down to first Corinthians 1 verses 11 through 13 where Paul writes there are contentions among you now I say that each of you says I am of Paul or I am of Apollo's or I am of Cephas which would be Peter or I am of Christ then he says it's Christ divided was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized in the name of Paul so people almost felt like they're a follower of either Apollo's or Paul there created some almost division in the early church because of this almost as if today we would say I am of Rafferty or I am of bachelor or I am of Marie instead of saying we are all disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and God uses different teachers but we are all students of the word and we're to be students of the word as the Bereans were Paul says this in 1st Corinthians 3 5 and 6 who then is Paul and who is Apollo's but ministers through whom you believed as the Lord gave to each one I planted Apollo's watered but who gives the increase God gives the increase now we turn over to Paul he arrives in Ephesus we are in acts 18 verse at 19 I'm sorry next chapter acts 19 verse 1 and it happened while Apollo's was at Corinth that Paul having passed through the upper regions came to Ephesus and he finds some disciples in Ephesus who are they believe something similar to what Apollo's had believed and finding some disciples he said to them did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed and they said we have not so much as even heard whether there be a Holy Spirit and he said to them into what then were you baptized and they said into John's baptism that was all the light that they had at that time in Paul said John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance saying to the people that they should believe on him who would come after him that is on christ jesus when they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and what Paul had laid on them the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied now the men there were 12 in all now in my remaining time I want to do four takeaways before I pass it over to pastor C a and Ephesus before takeaways from Apollo's and Paul that I get from this number one leaders can unknowingly or unintentionally cause pride and discord among their followers Paul or Apollo's almost became a sort of flashpoint for people and they became puffed up in favor of I'm of Paul or I am of Apollo's these two belief leaders almost became the occasion for causing a little bit of division even though they were not intending that to take place so if that is happening if you're a leader Rhea if you're a follower readjust how you look at leaders 1st Corinthians 3 verse 5 Paul says who then is Paul and who was Apollo's but ministers through whom you believed now the word ministers there is interesting it's diagnosed in the Greek and it means a servant literally a table waiter hmm so when I read this I see Paul saying I'm not the head of the table I'm not the owner of the house I didn't even make the food all I'm doing is waiting at the table I am a leader yes but I am a servant so readjust how you look at leaders and understand that they are to be servant leaders and if you are a leader readjust how you look at yourself mark chapter 10 verse 45 Jesus speaking for the Son of man came not to be served but to serve others number to acknowledge that God assigns the response in the heart what do I mean by that 1st Corinthians 3 again verses 5 and 6 who then is Paul who is Apollo's but ministers through whom you believed as the Lord gave to each one I planted apollos water but God gave the increase if you detect a difference in who responds in faith to Paul and Apollo's the Lord is the one who made that difference what I mean by that is I could be saying Shelly preaches and that really ministers to me and someone else preaches and that doesn't minister to me as much as it worked now what could I be thinking in my human mind well Shelly's a better minister the difference is not the speaker it's not this speaker or that speaker the difference is in God he is the one who gives the faith he is the one who gives the response in the believers heart to respond to the message number three understand your proper relation perspective in relationship to God 1st Corinthians 3 7 again so then neither he who plants as anything nor he who waters but God who gives the increase God is the one who works he's the one who gives any increase he's the one who dispenses faith who affects change and conversion we are just instruments in his hands and finally recognize that all workers whether leaders or followers everybody we are all one first Corinthians 3:8 now he who plants and he who waters are one and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor pastor see a beautifully done beautifully done we are centering again our focus on Ephesus and Paul's methodology there I want to go to Acts chapter 19 and I'll read just a couple verses 8 through 10 I suspect acts 19 beginning at verse 8 verse 8 and he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God but when some were hardened and did not believe but spoke evil of the way and this is the the terminology that they using at this point in time before the multitude he departed from them and withdrew the disciples reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus we see a couple of things here Paul is returning to his time-worn methodology it was his well established practice to go to the synagogue begin there and and then send sort of branch out from there but we were also seeing parallel to this that when there is a pushback or rejection of the synagogue Paul quickly pivots and then moves into the heart of his mission I think he is realizing now of course the Spirit is prompting him the the Gospels got to go it has to go out so if you are getting pushback resistance even death threats and murder plots among the Jewish people then go to the wider wider group and and begin to do your work of the Lord but he did reason in a synagogue for three months so he spent a good amount of time there he didn't just come and preach and leave but he spent a good amount of time there in Acts chapter 19 verses beginning at verse 11 let's just take a look at that eleven and twelve now God worked unusual miracles at the hands of Paul so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out from them this is interesting because God is working some things here at Ephesus that we don't really see any place else in the New Testament this idea of physical objects being used to bless and and of course the Lord through the Holy Spirit is directing Paul to do these things but this is the kind of thing that is kind of dangerous sometimes it can be dangerous because those objects themselves can become objects of worship but but Luke is saying here these are unusual miracles this is something special for this time for this place this idea of using physical objects to be eight channel of blessing as it were in the ministry of paul evidently the Ephesians were highly impressed by these kinds of miracles and and we said this in response to Acts chapter 1 verse 8 when when the disciples the apostles were invested with power Dunamis power miracle power physical ability to get the job done we see in the different cities and in the different places God is using his people in such a way as to impress the people that they are trying to win to the Lord and whatever way they have to nuance the gospel to meet those conditions that is what they're doing so we see something being done here in Ephesus that I don't recall ladies and gentlemen being repeated anyplace else in the New Testament this was something for Ephesus and one of the things that we don't want to do is take something that is done in one place and try to make that man a a my mind is leaving me here a pattern a pattern for everywhere the things that happened in Corinth that's not a pattern for everywhere the things that happened in Rome not a pattern for everywhere in some of the other places but God nuances the gospel to meet the needs of those that he is trying to win to the gospel so some extraordinary things are being done the corollary corollary the lesson says is the woman with the issue of blood when she touched Christ the hem of His garment a singular event not to be repeated anywhere else in the New Testament a singular event what I like about this jelly and Yvonne and Johnny ng is that God will give you what you need if you're a sincere seeker God will give you the gospel in such a way that it will resonate with your particular heart different things impress different people and that's why I was saying some weeks ago that there is a science Shelley to to evangelism yes it's not one size fits all but it has to be tweaked dare I say to meet the needs of those these people in Ephesus were a particular group of people and we're gonna see in just a moment kind of excitable also but God so got a tweaked the gospel he put the wine in a different wine scheme in an attempt to win these people to the Lord and that's one of the things that's so exciting about studying the the works in the book of Acts this divergence of gifts that God employed including tongues - to get the people to hear the gospel I don't want to lose my place here so we come now to the Demetrius controversy the mistress is a silversmith who made silver shrines these are little idols that he's making for the people to pray to he brought some of his other entrepreneurs together and one of the things that that got Paul into hot water was the straight preaching of the gospel because it cut across the financial you know stability a lot of people if you're if you're making idols you're gonna be in trouble if you're you know if you're doing other kinds of things if you're a butcher shop selling pork you know these kinds of things so now we've got this this Demetrius he's a seller of shrines dedicated to Diana Paul's preaching is cutting into his profit margin plain and simple this is a financial thing his bottom line is being affected Paul is persuading people that God's made with hands cannot be gods you know you put something in the furnace and come out then you can sit and pray to that thing to help you you made that helped you and and that's that's the reason Paul is saying this these are not God you made that thing how can that be your God so Demetrius is saying here's our problem if he's going to disparage our little gods and shrines pretty soon this big beautiful temple that we have of Diana is going to be in real life we're gonna lose our money it's going to be disrespected and it's going to be destroyed so basically a riot broke out this is Ephesus a riot broke out Gaius and Aristarchus Paul's companions were seized and they the people began to shout at them and to shove them so for two hours there's this shouting match going back and forth you know Alexander gets manhandled greatest Diana of the Ephesians there is a feat a theater where they met and we've all been to to Palestine we see these big theaters this one holds twenty four thousand people this big theater then there's the shouting and shoving going on and Paul wants to go in there and address them and their brother is saying we don't think this is not the time I'm gonna go trotting in there and trying to do it one of the things we can say about Paul Paul was an intrepid stalwart soldier for the Lord don't fear much and he had the stripes to prove it he had the pedigree to prove it and that's that's you know you when you go for the Lord I'm looking at my time you don't have to fear because we serve a God who can do anything but that's one thing you cannot do is fail and so Paul was persuaded not to go and the clerk of the town came out and sort of quieted the group and finally the Assembly was dismissed but the work in Ephesus continued to grow Paul did a wonderful work for the Lord I'm resisting the predilection to leap in this jelly's area so I think I will stop here stop here and that you pick it up that sounds from glad you did okay I have Tuesday's lesson and this is in acts 20 we'll be talking about tro s and as after the riot Paul resolves to leave Ephesus and Lee takes a detour through Macedonia knacait instead going straight to Jerusalem but he brings some representatives of the Gentile churches with him and they had four tro s in acts 20 and verse 6 says we sailed away from philip and in five days it later on says that he joined them at Troas where we stayed for seven days so how long are they intro s seven days I'm going we will be looking at acts twenty verses seven through twelve but before we read that I want to just set something up because this little passage is what some people use to try to prove that the Sabbath of the Lord was changed to Sunday first of all the seventh-day Sabbath is mentioned in the New Testament 59 times in the New Testament the phrase the first day of the week I mean it doesn't even it's not even given a name other than the first day of the week that's Sunday it is only used eight times the phrase the first day of the week five of those times is in reference to added very same event and that is when the women were coming to the tomb after Christ's death listen and what happened was I mean they were anxious to anoint him on Friday but they went home and rested Luke says in obedience to the commandment on Sabbath and then they come back so five of those phrases are there now there's only three more and I want to read them I'll give you the references John 20 and verse 19 this is when the trembling disciples of Christ on Resurrection Sunday are behind closed doors they're barred for fear of the Jews I mean Dave it says that the doors are barred shut for Fears and the Jews they didn't understand that Jesus has resurrected all they're thinking of is mercy they could come get us right so this gathering started is a very solemn event there was no evidence that this was a worship service not to Christ showed first corinthians 16:2 is the other first day of the week phrase and here paul is telling people to lay-bys by them something in store you for a particular mission that he has he's instructing them to set-aside and offering in their home now listen the offerings these weren't necessarily money this was grain this was all kinds of different things he was going to take him to the famine-stricken believers in jerusalem right give us that reference that's 1st Corinthians 16 16 - and so he wanted these contributions ready when he arrived all right so that's 2 we've only got one more first day of the week phrase and that is X 20 verses 7 through 12 now here we go he says X 27 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 he's got a lot to say the commentators are divided whether this was Saturday evening or Sunday evening depend on it would be Saturday if you use the Jewish reckoning of time it would have been Sunday evening if they were using the Roman reckoning of time some people try to make this that it's a worship service like a Sunday worship service and this is communion it's possible when it's talking about breaking bread it's communion but I want to read something acts 2 44 through 46 says now all who believed were together and had all things in common and Soviet possessions and goods divided them among all as anyone had need so continuing daily with one Accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house this is talking about regular meals they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart have you heard of Augustus meander he was an eminent German Bible historian he lived 1789 to 1850 on this particular passage you know when people try to make this passage of Acts 27 through 12 that it's a worship service here's what he says this passage is not entirely convincing because of the impending departure of the Apostle may have United the little church in a brotherly parting me on occasion of which the Apostle delivered his last address although there was no particular celebration of a Sunday in this case so Paul had been intro s how many days 7 he had met with the disciples no doubt the believers pretty often in those 7 days but what's happening the disciples are having this farewell meeting Pulse got a lot he wants to tell him before he takes off and Luke records it's the first day of the week so that would be I believe this is my personal belief I cannot prove it but since Paul was a Jew I believe that that he was reckoning according to the Jewish time because Paul referred to that as the first day of the week would begin on Saturday after I mean Saturday evening as soon as the Sun went down because the Sabbath was from Friday evening to Saturday evening so the first day of the week actually when the Sun went down on Sabbath Saturday then the first day of the week began so what's happening here is let's get into this because it's exciting birthday there were many lamps in this upper room where they were gathered together they're meeting in a private house on the uppermost floor it's the third floor and they've got all these lamps to illuminate it's smoky it's hazy the airs getting thick and stuffy and in verse 9 says in a window sat a certain young man named eutychus I'm sure he probably got over on that window edge because he's probably feeling a little he wants some fresh air so he's sitting on the window edge he was sinking into a deep sleep he was overcome by sleep and his Paul continued speaking he fell down this is Utica spelled down from the third floor and was taken up dead no if ands or buts about it this guy was dead so poor Eutychus had had nodded off falling three floors and died but Paul went down verse 10 says fell on him who does this remind you of Eli Eli through the Humanite woman right Humanite woman's son second Kings chapter boy so he's embracing him and he'd been he gets up and he says do not trouble yourselves for his life is in him this parallels the what Peter did with Dorcas going in st. Sabbath I say to you get up it it para kind of paralyzes what paralyzes parallels what Jesus did with the widow of nain son and Lazarus and gyruss etc so many people believe that the only reason the only reason that Luke recorded this incident is because God performed a miracle he threw Paul he brought this young man back to life so after he brings him back to life verse 11 says now when he had come up had broken bread and eaten and talked a long while even till daybreak he talked he departed now either if the first reference was talking about having communion we know for sure this is beyond the Lord's Supper it definitely would be a farewell meal and this is rejuvenating Paul for his journey rejuvenating his disciples and then he preaches all until early Sunday morning they like and they brought the young man in alive and they were not just a little comforted they were quite happy so other than references to Christ's day of resurrection those five references that call it the first day of the week these are the only other three do you see any any inkling that God transferred the Sabbath to the seventh day you know I mean to the first day here's what I want to say God created the Sabbath at the end of the creation week it's the only reason we've got a seven-day week cycle he blessed the seventh he sanctified the Sabbath that means he made it holy and only God can make something holy we can't make only what God hasn't made holy right that's right God the Bible commands us to keep the seventh they said but it is called the Sabbath of the Lord our God his holy day you know what if God would intended to change it I mean here we are what 70 years at least beyond our 40 years beyond the christ's death paul's always keeping the sabbath the disciples are the keeping the sabbath if god intended to change if christ wanted to change this he would have shouted it from the rooftop this is part of his Ten Commandment law that is inseparable and James says if you break one ya break them all whoa praise the Lord that was good that was rich I have Wednesday's lesson and that is my leaders and it's interesting because Paul went on a ship decided to sail past Ephesus and go to my leaders Ephesus had been where Paul had established contacts and connections and relationships and he was trying to get to Jerusalem to get to the day of Pentecost so instead of stopping at Ephesus he went on to my Letus and there from there decided to invite the elders from Ephesus to come and meet with him there so he wouldn't get hung up you know in Ephesus with all the folks he knew and yeah and travelling issues and all he decided you know I'll have them come to me so Ephesus was about 38 miles south of my Letus and so he being almost he was headed toward Jerusalem so he decided I'm just gonna have them come to me so the elders were summoned to come and meet with Paul there and I think the highlight of his trip to my leaders was his meeting with the elders and that meeting can be characterized by five words that all start with the letter A the first one is accountability so he's there and he tells the elders I served the Lord and this is Acts 2019 from the first date let's go to 18 from the first day that I came to Asia he tells him in what manner I've always lived among you serving the Lord with all humility with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews how I kept back nothing that was helpful but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly and from house to house and then all the way down to verse 26 and 27 he said therefore I testify to you this day that I'm innocent of the blood of all men for I'm not shun to declare to you the whole counsel of God so he told when he was in Ephesus he didn't hold back anything he shared everything everything that God told him to say he said and he's letting them know this is how I lived when I was among you so that was accountability then in verse 28 it starts with admonition so he says 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 for I know this that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock so first he tells them you need to know that you are shepherds of the flock and Shepherd's of course were always threatened by wolves right because their sheep were always being eaten by wolves he's saying be just be careful because there are some wolves that are going to come in and try to tear up this flock so now we look at forces from the outside coming in but there were also internal forces that were going to try to tear up the church and he said in verse 30 also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves and we know that this happened because in first Timothy in first Timothy the 1st chapter chapter 1 verse 3 when Paul wrote to Timothy he said as I urged you when I went into Macedonia remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith but down to verse 7 desiring to be teachers of the law understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm so Paul was prophesying letting the Ephesus the Ephesians elders know there there's going to be trouble yeah so first it was accountable then he admonished them and then he affirmed them like these are things that as as Christian leaders every one is a Christian leader if you're a Christian you should be a Christian leader these are things that we should do with people that we're dealing with we should show them how we're trying to live be accountable we should admonish them let them know that they're going to run into difficulties they're going to have problems but we should also affirm them and so he says in verse 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 I have coveted no one silver or gold or apparel so he's letting them know he edifies them he lets them know that he's commending them to God and to the word of His grace and God's able to build them up he's able to sustain them and that's what he does for us when we're going through our hardest times we can know that God sustains us and we can edify those around us and affirm them and then the next a is activism Paul was a tentmaker yes and he when he was in these different towns he didn't just sit back and wait for people to take care of him he used his hands and built tents and not only did he take care of himself but he took care of others he says here in verse 34 yes you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities and for those who were with me I've 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 and so Paul didn't just you know notice that there were others in his midst that were in need he used his abilities to help those who were in need to help the weak and so this is a way that Paul was an activist and then finally affection verses 36 to 38 and when he had said these things he knelt down and prayed with them all then they all wept freely and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke that they would see his face no more Paul they knew that they weren't going to see and Paul told them this is the last time we're going to see you I'm going to see you this is the last time we're going to be together and you can imagine the grief that they felt this was their spiritual mentor this was their their spiritual father much like pastor Marie is a spiritual mentor to me and and you can imagine how they felt as he was going first recounting to them what his ministry had been and then letting them know even though I'm not with you I'm not going to be with you there be prepared watch pray be diligent be vigilant because there are savage wolves that are getting ready to come into your midst and also there are people from within your ranks we're going to try to pull folks away so be vigilant and then he he had to build them up he wanted to make sure that he didn't leave them feeling all sad and and and aggrieved about him not seeing them anymore so he edified them he built them up he affirmed them and then he reminded them basically to take care of the weak among you don't just care for yourself and your needs but be concerned about others and what they're dealing with and how they're dealing and then affection they all hugged and were just I'm sure overwhelmed with just you know missing him already and so we have in second Corinthians 4:8 we have I'll just read a few of these Paul said we're hard pressed on every side yet not crushed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed always carrying about in the body the died of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body we have whenever we're going through something we have the Lord Jesus Christ we are never crushed to the point of not being able to make it God is our sustainable well dad praise the Lord faceball marvelous oh I've been blessed so far I get to listen to everybody now we get to listen oh praise the Lord this Paul's journey you look at you read the book of Acts and you read the other the writings of Paul he was a true missionary a man I mean he sacrificed he starved he was whipped he was beaten and you can practically say that Satan did his best to deter him and discourage him and some interesting things happened to Paul that I guess some people say man if this is what it is to be a Christian I'd rather be something else but Paul had been changed he had been transformed he knew that as he says there lays for me a crown of life and so whatever temporal goodness he could have accomplished because Saul was in line to be a great man in Israel had he continued doing what he was doing but the Lord had a greater and better mission for his life and so we praise the Lord for what God did through Paul and Saul Saul converted to Paul I have Thursday's lesson where we talk about tire and Caesarea now in Acts chapter 19 it says that Paul purposed in his heart purposed in the spirit to go to Jerusalem and that's why he's passing through tire and Caesarea so I would like to read to you from Acts chapter 21 Acts chapter 21 and we're gonna go and read verses 1 through 6 and this is what we find now it came to pass that when we had departed from them and set sail running a straight course we came to cause the following day to roads and from there to Patara and finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia we went aboard and set sail when we had sighted Cyprus we passed it on and left sail to Syria and landed attire for their the ship was to unload her cargo and finding disciples we stayed there seven days they told Paul through the spirit not to go to Jerusalem when we had come to the end of those days we departed and went on our way and they all accompanied us with wives and children till we were all out of the city and we knelt down on the shore and prayed when we had taken our leave of one another we boarded the ship and they returned home so what happens here is that he arrives at tyre and they they they understood there was danger for him to go to Jerusalem what was in Jerusalem wonderful people there wonderful people there but among them were Christians and among them were those the hierarchy of the church basically and Paul was a wanted man you know if there if it was hierarchy the synagogue the synagogue and and so I mean if they if they had those days where you could put want it you know Paul's name would have been wanted dead or alive probably dead and with a reward because what was Paul doing he was God was using him to convert many people he was a learned man but he had to unlearn some things and God used him mightily to to talk to Greeks and and and Jews and Gentiles mainly but people were coming to Christ and they were not happy about that was some of the people in Jerusalem so anyway so they tried to discourage him from going to Jerusalem but Paul felt he had a mission to go to Jerusalem so on he went and now we go to another place that is outlined here in Thursday and that is that he goes to a place called Caesarea when he arises accesory I want to set the background here because a Caesarea he finds a gentleman by the name of a goddess who was a prophet and some time ago I would like to read this part to you some time ago he had made a prophecy and this is found Acts chapter 11 verses 27 to 30 I would like to ask faster CEA if you would help me out Acts chapter 11 verses 27 through 30 and there we find something that a goddess who God had used a goddess to to do Acts chapter 11 verses 27 to 30 could you read that for us please and in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch then one of them named Agabus stood up and showed by the spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar then the disciples each according to his ability determined to send relief to the Brethren dwelling in Judea this they also did and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul thank you so much so we see that this is the background of Agathis he had said there's gonna be a famine and there was a famine now when a gibbous meets Paul something interesting happens and this is now we go to see what what what happened there and this is a gibbous talking in Acts chapter 21 and I'm going to read verses 10 and onward 10 and onward and so this is what the Bible tells us and as we stayed many days a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea and when he had come to us he took Paul's belts bound his own hands and feet and said thus saith the Holy Spirit so show the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles well I don't know to some people that would send chills up as fine wine I better make some new reservation somewhere else now if Jonah had heard that what do you think he would do no I'll go somewhere else I'm going somewhere else but Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem he felt he understood the Lord had a mission for him that's what he decided to do so in Acts chapter 20 I'm gonna read verse 22 and onward and see now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem not knowing that things that will happen to me there except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city saying that the chains and tribulations await me 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 receive from the Lord Jesus to testify testify to the gospel of the grace of God Wow now this is the man that before was persecuting Christians and he was willing to go bound he was willing to face whatever came his way for Jesus Christ he was ready to die for Jesus this is the guy that was killing Christians before now he's ready to die for Jesus this is the change that God has made in his life he wasn't interested in temporal riches and in a life of ease like Moses Moses was going to be a great man in Egypt but he rather suffer affliction with the people of God and when you find that there's a greater joy greater treasure in heaven you're willing to go through anything for the sake of the gospel and bringing people to the Lord Jesus Christ now when the people heard all this I'm here I read to you now from Acts chapter 21 verse 14 so when he would not be persuaded we ceased saying the will of the Lord be done and so this is what this is what they were willing to do I would like to read one more scripture this is act Acts chapter 21 verses 10 through 14 actually verse 14 then verse 12 I think I may have forgotten a little read some other verses ahead ahead of that now when we heard these things both we and those that place pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem then Paul answered what do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart for you I'm not I am ready not only to be bombed but also to die Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ what was waiting for him at Jerusalem well some of the Christians there did not understand Paul's mission and he was not gonna be warmly received he was gonna have a cold reception from some other brother huh not as not as it was in some of these places where they embraced him and wept and said Paul don't go to Jerusalem please and so we must understand that someday we may encounter some difficulty and I would like to read to you from Ellen White's writings because sometimes we may have to face difficulties and face them trusting in Jesus says from testimony to the church vol 5 136 when the religion of Christ is most held in contempt when his law is most despised then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching to stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few this will be our test at this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others courage from the cowardice and law and loyalty from their treason and so we must find keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and find strength in the Lord Jesus Christ I have been learned I have learned and have been edified by each one of you and what you have shared as I think about the Apostle Paul I see a man who is obedient to God a man who is a passion for souls and who considers his conference not his there from the Lord Jesus Christ but those that he has won to the Lord Jesus Christ as his children he loves them with an undying love we have just a few moments left and I want to give each person on the panel an opportunity to share something about your day or about someone others someone else's day if you would like Petra CA I am so impressed with the Spirit of God that was in Paul what I what I am given courage is the fact that God will take care of his own and I think one of the great fears of so many people today it's a step out in faith and serve the Lord and to witness for the Lord we need not fear you've got your personal testimony and you've got the promise that God's Word will not return to employ amen amen I think just the takeaway that I would like to re-emphasize on my day is there are only eight of eight references in the entire New Testament to the first day of the week five are about the same event telling about the women going on resurrection morning to the tomb the other three one is about having the disciples who were barred behind the doors for fear of the Jews one was about a special collection was taking up being taken up and then this farewell meeting of Paul and and my point is please understand that the Sabbath is special to the Lord and he made it for you amen God is with us through every situation through all adversity we know that we can trust him we know that even when we're cast down we're just we're not crushed we can we can be in despair but we don't have to be despondent because we know that God's got us well I would like to say that you know when Paul was a tire in Caesarea and they tried to discourage him from going to Jerusalem the things that Paul said was firmness of faith and that helped him but it also helped the people there perhaps they were going to face trials and tribulations and as they saw Paul willing to lay down his life that gave them courage to go forward and we need to hear that from time thank you so much Johnnie Yvonne Shelly and pastor CA for sharing from your heart and from the Word of God I want to close with this quote from review and Herald May 29 1900 all was a living example of what every true Christian should be he lived for God's glory his heart burned with a love for Souls and he gave all of his energy for the conversion of men there never lived a more self-denying worker 1 encourage you to accept the Lord Jesus Christ give your life in service for him we will see you next time [Music] [Music] you you

Channel: Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN)

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Length: 58min 0sec (3480 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 02 2018