For The Church - Acts 20:1-6

After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the

disciples. And when he had exhorted them and

taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia.

When he had gone through those districts and

had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece.

And there he spent three months. And when a plot

was formed against him by the Jews as he was

about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return

through Macedonia. And he was accompanied by

Sophater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by

Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians,

and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, Antiochus and

Trophimus of Asia. But these had gone on ahead

and were waiting for us at Troas. We sailed from

Philippi after the days of unleavened bread and

came to them at Troas within five days, and there

we stayed seven days. There are several common

sentiments among evangelical Christians that

are fairly prevalent throughout the world. And

I would say especially in rural parts of the

U .S. as well. Some of those sentiments might

come like this. I don't need the church, corporately

or organizationally. I have my Bible. I know

how to read it. And I have the Holy Spirit. I

don't need the church. And a modern rendition

of that is I don't need to go to church when

I can just watch church or view church through

the internet or through a live stream. I can

benefit that way. That is my church. There's

all kinds of sentiments. that are related and

interrelated to those. Today in our text we'll

find that the text addresses these very clearly,

and that the church is integral and primary to

the Apostle Paul's plans in the book of Acts.

The church is integral and primary to the book

of Acts itself. That's what the book of Acts

is all about. We have been outside of the book

of Acts for some time. So if we just think back

and remember what the book is about, you'll recall

that the disciples were waiting in the upper

room. And they were waiting for the promise of

the Holy Spirit so that they could bear witness

to the truth about who Christ is. And we find

in the book of Acts that the ascended, the risen

and ascended Lord Jesus sends his spirit to dwell

within his church. And then from that period

on, we see that the Lord Jesus is building his

church mightily and powerfully. We see that the

Lord Jesus Christ is bringing saints in. He's

gathering them in. He's growing and building

and blessing. And it is gradually and progressively

expanding outward into the world. Because the

gospel is going from the Jewish nation out to

the Gentile nation. And so we see this work its

way out throughout the book of Acts. We see Pentecost

in Acts chapter 2. And then we see the same thing

Acts 2 · chapter mention

when... Philip is preaching in Samaria to the

half -Jews, half -Gentiles essentially, where

Christ pours out His Spirit on those in the preaching

of the Word. And then what happens in Acts 10

with the household of Cornelius? The same thing.

This time the Spirit is being given and men are

being saved who are Romans. So it's going further.

It's expanding further. And then in Acts chapter

Acts 19 · chapter mention

19, we see the same thing again. We see the gospel

crossing these boundaries that it's never done

so before when it saves full -blown idol -worshipping

pagans in Ephesus. In Acts chapter 19 is just

Acts 19 · chapter mention

a whole narrative about Paul's blessed and powerful

ministry in the city. Of Ephesus. This is really

what the book of Acts is all about. The establishment.

And the expansion. Of the church in the world.

And the preaching of the gospel. That builds

the church. And calls in the church. In the power

and strength. Of the Holy Spirit. Today we find

a summary. Of Paul's missionary endeavors. If

you remember Paul. Has three missionary journeys

essentially. The first and the second. And our

narrative today falls into his third missionary

journey. So today we have to consider really

two things. We have to consider the apostles

travels. And then we have to consider the apostles

ministry. in those travels to the churches. So

first, the apostles' travels. In verse 20, in

verse 1 of chapter 20, we read this. After the

uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples,

and when he exhorted them and taken his leave

of them, he left to go to Macedonia. So remember

the big riot, the big uproar in Ephesus that

was stirred up by Demetrius, the silversmith,

and many other individuals? It's after that.

It almost seems as though Paul's ministry in

Ephesus is no longer as effective and productive

because of that. And so he realizes it's time.

to move along and to go more and to continue

in his apostolic function and checking on the

churches and building and establishing the churches.

And so we find that he leaves Ephesus following

this uproar. And where does he go? Macedonia,

which is where we find the book of the church

of Philippi. If you recall in Acts chapter 16,

Acts 16 · chapter mention

I believe, Paul has a vision of a man from Macedonia

that's calling for him, appealing to him, come

help us, evangelize us, preach the gospel here.

So Paul had planted churches there. So he leaves

Ephesus to go to Macedonia. He arrives and stays

in Greece. Most likely this is referring to Achaia.

or the area of Corinth. He's there for three

months, most likely during the winter, when sailing

and travel would have been much more difficult.

And it's during this time that he writes the

book of Romans. Now that's significant for us,

brothers and sisters. It's on this journey, while

he's in Greece, while he is... ministering to

the churches that he writes the glorious in the

great book of Romans. We can see that throughout

several sections of Romans where he's referencing

Ephesus and his third missionary journey. Now

Paul originally intends to go back to Syria and

Antioch. which is his sending church, the one

that sponsors his missionary journeys, the one

that approves him and has ordained him as a minister

to go and do such things. Syria and Antioch,

if you recall, it's the ethnically diverse church

with Jew and Gentile, but it's primarily a Gentile

church. And so Paul intends to go back to Syria

and Antioch, but he doesn't. Why not, according

to the text? Why doesn't Paul sell to Syria and

Antioch? Because he discovers a plot to kill

him. Most think that there was a group of zealous

Jews that would get on the ship with him and

take his life prior to his return to Syria and

Antioch. Somehow, in God's providence, in God's

grace, This is brought to the apostles' attention.

So he reorients, he shifts, and he changes his

plans last minute. And what's he do? He just

goes back the same way that he came, over land

travel, and he returns through Macedonia to Troas,

which is where we'll pick up next week, starting

in verse 7, when it says, on the first day of

the week, when we were gathered together to break

bread, Paul began talking to them. He's in Troas

here, and it's his return from this last ditch

or this last trip that he's taken. Now, when

we think about these travels, we forget oftentimes

how much common grace we have in... traveling

and in trips. We think about the progression

of travel and journeys throughout the history

of the world. Things have progressed and changed

quite a bit. We think about how difficult it

would have been for the apostle. This would have

taken great effort and diligence thinking about

these trips and these travels and these journeys

and these... these missionary endeavors to check

in on the churches. It was dangerous. It was

hard. We can think a little bit later in the

book of Acts. Do you remember when he's being

transported on the ship? And what takes place

on the ship? It crashes. It runs aground. They

have to go on to the island of Malta. That's

what it was like, brothers and sisters. We can

read about many of the... events and circumstances

in the Old Testament where men were traveling

from this part of the tribe to this part of the

tribe, especially in the book of Judges, when

Israel is chaotic, and how dangerous it was for

traveling. That's very similar to how it was

in Paul's day. He didn't hop in a car and drive

to his destination in comfort and safety for

the most part. No, they had to deal with the

threat of weather, the threat of robbers, theft,

death, sickness, disease, and typically they

traveled by foot, which required a great deal

of determination and energy for the person that's

traveling. So we think about this. Why in the

world is the Apostle Paul pressing on in these

endeavors? Why in the world is the Apostle Paul

continuing to press himself in the ministry and

the service of the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, it

demonstrates and shows us his continued willingness

to serve the living God that has saved him. It

demonstrates and shows us his ongoing willingness

to sacrifice. for the kingdom of God. It demonstrates

and shows us his zeal for the gospel and the

church and lost and dying souls. In a sense,

we really see the continued results and fruit

of his dramatic conversion and change in Acts

Acts 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9 on the road to Damascus. If we go ahead

and turn there, we'll read some of this. We read

in Acts chapter 9. Now Saul, still breathing

Acts 9 · chapter mention

threats and murder against the disciples of the

Lord, went to the high priest and asked for letters

from him to the synagogues at Damascus so that

if he found any belonging to the way, both men

and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

As he was traveling, it happened that he was

approaching Damascus and suddenly a light from

heaven flashed around him. And he fell to the

ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul,

Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said,

Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom

you are persecuting. But get up. and enter the

city, and it will be told what you must do. This

is the conversion and call of the great apostle.

And he was never the same after this, brothers

and sisters. After this day, all the zeal, all

the focus, all the obsession, all the attention

that he had previously given to the persecution.

And slaughtering of the way or the church. He

now reorients because of the power of God apprehending

him. And it is directed into ministry and service

of Christ and his church. And that work of grace

in Paul's life never ever ceases. It never stops.

The reason he perseveres in his ministry, the

reason he perseveres in his calling as an apostle,

the reason he perseveres in his travels, in his

labors, the reason he is diligent, is because

of this work of grace in his soul that sustains

him and drives him forward. It's the grace of

God working in him to compel him and preserve

him and sustain him in his salvation and in his

calling in his life. We read the same thing in

1 Corinthians chapter 15, where Paul says this,

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

After that he appeared to more than 500 brethren

at one time. Most of him remained until now,

but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared

to James. Then to all the apostles. And last

of all. As to one untimely born. He appeared

to me also. This is the apostle speaking. For

I am the least of all the apostles. I am the

least of the apostles. And not fit to be called

an apostle. Because I persecuted the church of

God. But by the grace of God. I am what I am.

And his grace toward me did not. prove vain.

But I labored even more than all of them. Yet

not I, but the grace of God with me. What is

it that's compelling the apostle forward in his

missionary endeavors, brothers and sisters? It

is the powerful and the effective grace of God

working in him. God's work in his saints is always

powerful and is always effective. His zeal is

manifest and evident, brothers and sisters, in

this text. Every single person who is genuinely

and truly converted will have a desire and longing

to serve Christ and to bring glory to His name

in some way, shape, or form. Every single one.

That does not mean that every believer will get

in a pulpit and preach. That does not mean that

every believer will be a deacon. That does not

mean that every believer will serve in the same

capacity, in the same way. But listen, brothers

and sisters. When you have experienced the grace

of God in your heart, When you've experienced

the power of God in your very own soul, and He

has changed you and transformed you, and He has

forgiven your sins, there will be a longing and

a desire in you to bear fruit for His kingdom

and for His glory, to do good for His namesake.

That is what it means to serve Christ as a believer,

to work and labor and minister with an eye to

His glory and His name. Every believer will have

that. His grace will not prevail in any believer.

His grace is always effective in the life of

his people. So we see this in the apostles' travels.

But what of his ministry? on his travels and

in and through his travels. Paul wasn't simply

traveling, he wasn't just gallivanting around

nonchalantly trying to figure out what he would

do. There was purpose in his travels. There is

a reason he went to the places that he went.

And what was that reason? It was the church.

It was the church local and the church abroad

in that area in that day. Paul's ministry was

for the church. It was toward the saints. This

is why we read in Acts 20, after the uproar had

ceased, Paul sent for the disciples. Then we

see, when he had gone through those districts

and had given them much exhortation, he came

to Greece. Why did he go to Greece? Because there

was churches there. Why did he write Romans while

he was on that three -month stay? Because he

cared about the church at Rome. Why did he want

to go back to Syria and Antioch, brothers and

sisters? Because the church at Antioch was there.

He wanted to encourage them and report back the

works and the wonders that God had been doing

and through the ministry that he had been entrusted

with. Why did he call the disciples to himself?

Because he wanted to minister to the disciples

before he left. and before he went to Macedonia.

Why did he go through Macedonia? Because there

was Philippi. He traveled the way that he did

and he went to the places that he did because

there were churches in those places. His ministry

as an apostle was two and four. The church of

Jesus Christ. But he also longed. To reach those

who had not heard the gospel. So when he writes

Romans. On that three month stay. During this

time. He mentions his desire. And his plans.

And his intention. To go to Spain. Where people

had not been evangelized. So Paul. His ministry

is directed toward the church for the saints,

but he's always got an eye on unbelievers as

well. Ultimately, Paul's aim and the object of

his ministry is the glory of God and Christ Jesus.

But in this world, do you know where that object

rests? Do you know where that zeal, Finds its

sweet spot. The church of Jesus Christ. We love

Christ. And we honor Christ. By loving the church

in this world. If we want the aim and object

of our lives. And our work and our service. To

ultimately be for the glory of God in Christ.

Then brothers and sisters. We must. have as our

object in this life, in this world, the church

of Jesus Christ, those whom Christ died for.

Now there's a unique aspect of this because Paul

is an apostle. His heart is bound not just to

a single local church, but it's bound to the

church universal. Because he had authority over

every known and established church in the world

at that time as an apostle of Jesus Christ. So

there's a unique aspect of this with the apostle.

But nonetheless, the principle still applies,

and we see that clearly in Scripture. Christians'

hearts ought to be bound. and intertwined with

the people of God in this world. His ministry

was for the church, but his heart was also bound

to the church. This is clear and obvious from

the text, isn't it, brothers and sisters? Paul

has a heartfelt longing and desire. He has an

affection for the people of God. He has a burden

for them. He cares for them. And he has a concern

for them. We see this in places like 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11. Paul literally says this same thing.

In verses 28 and 29 we read these words. And

he's been listing all the physical trials and

hardships. Of his ministry. And here's what he

says. Apart from such external things. There

is the daily pressure on me of concern for all

the churches. He was weak without my being weak.

He was led into sin without my intense concern.

If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains

to my weakness. If we turn to the book of Philippians.

We read this. I thank my God in my remembrances

of you, always offering prayer with joy in my

every prayer for you all, in view of your participation

in the gospel from the first day until now. For

I am confident of this very thing, that he who

began a good work in you will perfect it until

the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right

for me to feel this way about you all. And listen

to what he says. Because I have you in my heart.

Paul is saying that he has the Philippian church

in his heart. Since both in my imprisonment and

in the defense and confirmation of the gospel,

you all are partakers of grace with me. For God

is my witness how I long for you all with the

affection of Christ Jesus. Paul had a heartfelt

desire and longing for the people of God. His

heart's affections were intertwined with the

names and faces of the people that made up the

churches that he ministered. This motivated and

drove him in ministry and this pulled him and

compelled him and pushed him in his service.

It's out of this affection, it's out of this

love, it's out of this concern and this burden

that he has for the people of God that he definitively

marks his ministry by exhortation. We notice

this in Acts 20, clearly. He says in chapter

20, verse 1, when he had exhorted them, and then

we read in verse 2, when he had gone through

those districts and had given them much exhortation.

Now, Luke is summarizing the entirety of his

ministry work in that trip. As exhortation. So

what is this exhortation that Paul thinks is

so valuable, so significant, so important that

he has to facilitate it and administer it and

provide it to the people of God? This word exhortation

means to urge or appeal or comfort. Strengthen

or persuade. There's many examples of this throughout

scripture. Peter exhorts his hearers to be saved

in Acts chapter 2, verse 40. The Ethiopian exhorts

Acts 2:40

Philip to sit down and teach him what the scriptures

say. There's a heartfelt imploring. Almost a

pleading. Listen. Have your ears open. There's

a heartfelt desire that is almost sensed in the

words that are conveyed and communicated. Barnabas

was an exhorter. He was an encourager. He was

a strengthener. We read in Acts 14 .22. That

exhortation is what was strengthening disciples

to remain strong in the faith. Do you remember

in Acts 16, the Macedonian vision of the man

from Macedonia pleading with Paul to come? He

was exhorting Paul. He was imploring, urging

Paul to come to Macedonia. And what is it that

exhortation is in? It's in the Word of God, the

Scriptures. So Paul, out of his affection and

his love, defines his ministry by exhortation

in the Word of the living God. And this is coupled

with prayer. When he wrote Romans 1, He talks

about how he longs to come and impart a spiritual

gift to them through the preaching of the gospel.

But we also find in Romans 1 that he says, God

is my witness how I pray for you all. So Paul's

exhortation in the word is coupled with Paul's

prayer and intercession for the people of God.

It's because he was so concerned for them and

because he cared for them that he gave himself

to exhortation in their lives. He knew this was

their greatest need in their lives. If you had

one thing that you could say to a group of disciples

prior to leaving, whether you would see them

ever again, what is it that you would say? Would

you give them worldly wisdom? Sentimental stories

from your childhood or your life or your situation

or your relationship? Or would you choose to

exhort them, encourage them, and strengthen them

in the Word of God? What does Paul do whenever

he calls the disciples to himself as he's leaving

Ephesus to go to Macedonia? He exhorts them in

the truth of the scriptures. Why? Because he

knows the greatest need of their soul is not

food. The greatest need of their life is not

worldly wisdom or fairy tales or fun ideas. But

they need the word of God and they need to be

encouraged and strengthened in the word of God.

It's the need of the soul, brothers and sisters.

God has ordained that exhortation in the Word

coupled with prayer be a means of grace by which

Christians and churches are established and strengthened

in their faith, in their sanctification, in their

holiness. In their pursuit of Christ and who

He is. He knew this was what they needed more

than anything else. The greatest need of the

church today is not what many churches think

the greatest need of the church today is. The

greatest need of the church today Is exhortation

in the word of God coupled with prayer that it

might be effective and powerful? It is in person

exhortation in the truth of the Holy Scriptures

in the form of teaching and preaching. This is

one of the reasons. That Grace Fellowship Church

is fairly simple in its structure, its format,

and its programs and ministries. While there's

all kinds of things that the church can do to

pretty itself up, to try and reach the carnal

man, there's only a few things that the church

needs to do, that it must do, in order to be

honored by God. And what is that? preaching the

Word, teaching the Word, and have it blessed

by the Spirit of God because men have sought

to pray for the Word. That's the reality of it,

brothers and sisters. If churches will give themselves

to this, I genuinely and truly believe that the

living God will bless that place. We don't need

all the fluff. We don't need all the distinct,

targeted programming. We need the Word of God,

brothers and sisters. That is what your soul

needs as a disciple in Christ. That is what this

church needs as a body in Christ. The Word of

God, whether it be preaching from the pulpit

or teaching in Sunday school. What God has to

say. And that is the most significant, the most

important thing that we can give ourselves to

as believers. Do you want to be established in

your faith? As an individual believer? Do you

want to be strengthened? and your holiness and

your godliness in your life? I want you to be

strengthened in your holiness and godliness.

Do you want your joy to be increased and bolstered

in life? Do you want to know further depths of

sanctification and holiness in your life? Do

you want to know the depths of grace in your

soul? Then hear me well, brothers and sisters.

Open up your ears and open up your hearts to

receive the Word of God and you will be strengthened.

You will be built up. You will be edified. Because

that is what God has ordained exhortation and

prayer to do in the life of his people. Reject

it. Close your ears. Shut off your heart. And

you will stagnate. Your joy, it will be turned

off like a water faucet. You will be dry and

you will be cold. But give yourselves to the

means that the sovereign God of the world has

ordained and you will be built up and you will

be grown and you will be shaped and you will

be further molded into the image and the likeness

of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and all His

glory and all His righteousness and all His holiness.

We need the Word of God. You need the Word of

God. I need the Word of God in my life. We must

keep the primary things primary. The Word and

prayer. And we must be blessed by the Spirit

of the living God. When we think about this text

overall and we think about what the heartbeat

of this text is, what is it? It's the local church

brothers and sisters. That's what's motivating,

driving. That's what the cause. It's the underlying

current of all that is going on in this section

of Acts. And the local church is what is driving

Paul in his ministry. And listen, Paul has prioritized

the church. And it's because he has prioritized

the church that he, and it's out of an affection

for the church, that he prioritizes the ministry

of the Word and prayer for the church. Think

about how much the Lord Jesus himself values

his people. Every single person that knows Jesus

Christ, wherever they're at on the scale of sanctification,

wherever they're at on the growth in holiness

and godliness, However much of God's grace they

know, whether they're a newborn baby or they're

a mature saint that's grown up into godliness.

Do you know how much Jesus Christ values that

individual? Do you know where the church is at

on the priority scale of Christ's heart? Will

we ever prioritize the church as much as Christ

prioritizes the church? Will we ever have such

a concern and a burden and a love for the people

of God like Christ has for his people? Brothers

and sisters, why did Christ die? For the church.

Why did Christ raise from the dead? For the church.

What is Christ doing mediating now? He is working.

And he is mediating for the church. Why will

Christ return brothers and sisters? To save his

people. The church. If we want. To prioritize.

And love the church. as Christ does, as much

as we are able to do so, then that means prioritizing

the Word of God and the people of God. The apostles'

travels clearly demonstrate and show that Paul's

life and orientation is built Around the church.

And the glory of God in Christ. The apostles

ministry. And the defining characteristic. Of

his ministry. Exhortation out of concern. And

burden. Demonstrates and shows. The priority

and the importance. Of the church. May God grant

us. The ability to know. A little bit. of that

concern, of that desire, of that love, of that

prioritization that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself

has for the people of God.