Make Disciples
Courageous Faith • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsToday’s message is the beginning of the end for the apostle Paul. We will see his focus has been on making disciples who could make more disciples of Jesus.
Notes
Transcript
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July 30th 2023
Series: Courageous Faith
Sermon Title: Make Disciples
Topic: Journey through the book of Acts.
Key Passages: Acts 20: 1-24
Sermon Blurb: Today’s message is the beginning of the end for the apostle Paul. We will see his focus has been on making disciples who could make more disciples of Jesus.
Sermon:
Hello Family Church!
Family Moment
PAUSE
For those of you who have been here throughout the entire time we have been walking through the book of Acts….
Today is the beginning of an end….
Not the end of the book of Acts….although we are getting close to that.
But this is the beginning of the end for the Apostle Paul.
Paul even knows his life is coming to a close and tells people that today.
Really from here on out in the book of Acts it will be about the end of Paul’s life.
Paul, who first called Saul, we first met in Acts chapter 7 as he was endorsing the public killing of Christians.
Saul who we saw in Acts 8 continue to persecute the early church to try and destroy it.
Saul who met Jesus in a vision in Acts 9 and changed his entire life’s mission.
Saul, then had his named changed by Jesus to Paul.
From Acts 9 onward we saw this incredible transformation in Paul.
Paul went on to become the greatest evangelist and church planter for Jesus probably in the history of the world!
PAUSE
But today…
Today Paul senses from God that things are coming to a close for his life on earth and I want you all to see that in that moment what is most important to Paul.
Because it is what should be most important to all of you right now as well….
And it is just two words.
Two words you all need to write down two words…..
Make Disciples of Jesus.
Repeat
If you get nothing else from this message…
If you get nothing else from Paul’s life…
Please know Jesus’ goal for ALL of those who follow Him is to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples until Jesus calls you home…
PAUSE
Now for those of you who are new, or newer, to Family Church we are SUPER happy you are with us today!
We have been walking through the book of Acts as a church for the better part of the last two years….
Walking through it line by line and verse by verse….
And we LOVE the book of Acts here at Family Church because it is all about how the first churches operated in their communities to reach people for Jesus.
And here at Family Church we LOVE to study the Bible and ask how can we then apply what we learn to our lives today.
And that is simply what we will do today!
PAUSE
Last week we talked about being all in for Jesus and being willing to do ANYTHING we needed to do to grow closer to Jesus and that is a very fitting intro to today’s message.
And how we all need to try our best to lead people to faith in Jesus.
So, if you missed last week’s message let me encourage you to go listen to it on our app or website later today.
PAUSE
So, let’s jump into the Bible today…
Grab your Bibles….
I hope you all brought your Bible to church!
Either paper version or electronic!
Open it up to where we left off….
Acts chapter 20….
Starting at verse 1…it says
Acts 20: 1-24 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.
Now pause there for a second….
What uproar?
This goes back to what I said last week at the start of that message!
This is why it is important to make sure you listen to every message and are at church every week!
Because last week, and this week, they start right off by referencing what happened before.
Last week a literal riot broke out because as they were leading people to faith in Jesus….
People began to realize that the old idols that they created and made into their god’s had to be destroyed and removed from their homes.
So the people destroyed over 4 MILLION dollars worth of idols, and scrolls, and religious stuff…
BUT when the people who made all that stuff found out that the people would NO LONGER be buying what they made…..
Well…..the tradesmen got MAD…
And the tradesmen got the religious leaders of those fake god’s MAD…
And they whipped people into a frenzy and a riot broke out….
PAUSE
So….the Bible says…. When that uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.
Now….let’s hold here again and point something else out….
Paul sent for what church?
Look in your Bibles…what did he send for in verse 1?
Yes…disciples….
He sent for the people whom he had lead to faith….
Who he was training up in the faith…
Who he was going to send out to lead other people to faith in Jesus.
What were those two words you wrote down earlier?
Make Disciples….
Paul’s life was dedicated to making disciples of Jesus,
who would go on and make more disciples of Jesus,
who would go on to make more disciples of Jesus,
until Jesus returned!
And Paul realizes that because they were doing SO GOOD at that….that a riot broke out…
That people got dragged into that mob..
That people probably almost died…
That people feared that their families might have been hurt…
That people feared that their lively hoods could be in jeopardy….
So, Paul does what any good leader does after a hardship happens.
He pulls aside the team to encourage them.
He pulls aside the team to build them.
He pulls aside the team to tell them not to quit.
To keep going!
That the reason this happened is because they are doing SO GOOD!
TO NOT GIVE UP!
To keep making disciples who can make more disciples….
No matter what happens to you or in the community.
That disciple-making is what matters the MOST!
PAUSE
Which church…..
Let’s be SUPER clear.
That is 100% what we believe here at Family Church!
Our goal is to help you all learn how to LOVE God FULLY!
Because that is where faith starts.
After you learn how to LOVE God…..
We want you to learn how to LOVE people how God calls you to!
Because until you learn how to LOVE people like God you will never be able to make disciples like God….
And after you learn how to LOVE people….
We want you all to go make disciples of Jesus who can make disciples of Jesus until Jesus brings you home one day.
PAUSE
Church we have said this before, and I will say it again.
I really believe that if you only do ONE thing every year…
If you invest in someone who is lost to help them become a disciple of Jesus.
And then you help them after they come to know Jesus to do the same…
That if you do that ONE THING…
With just ONE PERSON…
EVERY YEAR of your life….
I think when you get to heaven and meet Jesus…..
Jesus will be VERY happy with you!
PAUSE
So let me ask a question of those of you who are followers of Jesus….
Who are you investing in?
Repeat…..
Who do you know who is not a believer in Jesus…
Or who do you know that has wandered away from Jesus…
A child…
A friend…
A co-worker…
A teammate….
A teacher….
A boss…
An employee…
The guy that checks you out at the gas station every week…
The person who cuts your hair…
The person who mows your lawn…
Who are you investing in building a relationship with for the purpose of LOVING them SO WELL….that they want to learn about Jesus????
If you are here and you would call yourself a Christian….
There needs to be a person that comes to mind….and if there is not….well that needs to change in your life….
PAUSE
Ok….that is a LOT for just a verse…..
So, let’s keep reading….
2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months.
Again note….
Paul was going around encouraging his disciples to keep it up!
Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.
Now check this out…..
He is traveling with a ton of his disciples!
4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
Let’s stop there….
Paul as you can see was traveling now with a BUNCH of disciples!
7 men are traveling with him!
Most of those guys listed we know very little about.
But if you want to go deeper I would encourage all of you to dig into where else these guys show up in the Bible!
Like Air-is-tar-kus…..
He is in Acts 19, 20, and 27…
He is also described as Paul’s “fellow prisoner & laborer” in Colossians 4 and Philemon 1.
Church tradition also teaches us he was considered an apostle and was a Bishop in the early church!
PAUSE
Tick-eh-cus is mentioned in Ephesians 6, Colossians 4, Titus 3, and 2 Timothy 4!
PAUSE
Church….
Let me encourage you…..
When you come across someone in the Bible whom you do not know…
Instead of just passing them buy….
Google them….
Or read a commentary on that passage of scripture…
And find out what you can about who they are and why they matter.
PAUSE
These were all men who Paul was investing in.
Who Paul was helping learn how to live like Jesus.
Who Paul was teaching them the scriptures…
Who are you investing in?
Who are you trying to lead toward Jesus?
Who are your disciples?
Paul had lots of them…..and bear in mind at this point Paul had not even been following Jesus for more than a few years!!!!
There are a lot of us who have been following Jesus for decades….
Who are your disciples???
PAUSE
Let’s keep reading….
Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas 7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
Now some of you think Pastor Adam (Or Pastor Keith)can talk a long time….
Paul preached until midnight!
So, no more complaining when a sermon goes long….
And check out what they say next…
What I love to say to Matt and Andrew who LOVE to turn the lights off in church!
There were MANY lamps in the upstairs room!
Lots of LIGHT!!!!
8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on.
When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.
10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”
11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.
12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
Stop there….
Wow!
Paul just raised someone from the dead!!!
Well Paul didn’t.
God did!
But God did through Paul.
PAUSE
Can you imagine seeing that happen?
Seeing someone die…
Very clearly knowing they are gone.
Then seeing a man of God bring them back to life…
You want to talk about a life-changing moment for everyone there!!!
PAUSE
But then Paul needs to head off to invest in more of his disciples…
Verse 13….
Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot.
14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.
16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.
19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.
20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.
21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
And church listen to what he says next….
23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
Stop there…
Can you imagine if God called you to go preach and teach for him.
But ALSO told you….
That wherever you go there will be hard times.
You will get thrown into prison.
You will have people hurt you.
It will NOT be easy…
PAUSE
Would you go?
Would you live for Jesus if you KNEW it mean life would be harder for you?
Would you talk to people about Jesus if you KNEW it might mean you would get hurt physically?
Would you talk to people about Jesus if you KNEW it might lead you to getting thrown into jail or losing your job?
PAUSE
Paul….
Based on the life he lived…
Demonstrated building Jesus’ kingdom matter more than anything else.
Paul’s life demonstrated he cared MORE about telling others about Jesus than his own life….
Can you imagine being that dedicated to God?
PAUSE
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Stop there and let me ask you a question….
What is the GREATEST goal in your life?
Repeat
What matters MOST to you in life?
What has the MAJORITY of focus in your life?
What is the focus of your life?
Is it on your job?
Is your focus your kids?
Your wealth?
The company you own?
Do your investments command all your time?
Do your travels take up all of your time?
Is your focus on just getting by?
Is your focus on sports or video games or band or theatre?
Is your focus on things of this world….
Or is your focus really on God?
PAUSE
Paul says….
For him….
What matters the MOST….
Look at verse 24…..
Testifying to the GOOD NEWS of God’s Grace….
That his life is about telling people about the Good News of Jesus!
How Jesus was SO gracious with someone as broken as Paul was.
How he wanted to tell everyone how he did HORRIBLE things in his past and God’s grace forgave them and God’s grace can forgive you!!!!
PAUSE
Let me close with this church…
I know some of you think you have messed up so bad God will NEVER forgive you..
I know some of you think you need to turn your life around before you start following God.
I know some of you think still think this whole Jesus being God thing is not real….
And church hear me…..
So did Paul…..
Paul strove to become this perfect follower of God and fail…
Paul did messed up stuff like endorsing the killing of Christians…
Paul struggled with the fact that even after he became a believer in Jesus he kept doing wrong things…
And here me….
NONE of that disqualified Paul from following God OR being in ministry!!!!
God forgave Paul and kept forgiving Paul when he kept failing!
PAUSE
And God will do the same for you if you ask….
The only question today is will you?
Will you admit God knows best and you do not…
Will you admit there are some parts of your life that need to let God?
Will you allow your life to shift from being about you to being about God?
Will you start to shift your life to be about making disciples of Jesus?
PAUSE
It is never too late to change the direction of your life!
PAUSE
Which leads us to our Life Application today.
For those of you who are newer to Family Church we love to give you something to take home each week to ponder…
Talk about with a friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker…
Something to help you continue to connect the Bible with your life this week….
Our Life Application today says….
Life Application: Paul had issues and hard times in life, just like we do. Paul choose to keep the focus on Jesus. How could you change something in your life to keep the focus on Jesus?As a result of today’s message, I will ______________________________.
Let’s Pray…..