Today’s passage: Acts 20:1-16
Helpful thoughts:
- With the events in Ephesus and the plotting of the Jews, there appears to be a growing sense of external circumstances becoming more bleak. However, the ministry continues, the church grows, the people are encouraged.
- The mention of the lamps in verse 8 may have been an explanation to Eutychus’ falling asleep. Meaning, it wasn’t Paul’s preaching right through to midnight and beyond that did it!
- That Lord’s Day (The first day of the week – verse 7), they were together and being taught by Paul until Monday morning.
- “Many words” are only encouraging when they are true and richly biblical. Gathering simply to hear man’s opinion will not be fruitful. People need to hear the Word of God.
- Luke, the writer of Acts was a medical doctor. Eutychus was “taken up dead” and then brought back to life. This was a Lazarus type resurrection.
- That Lord’s Day (The first day of the week – verse 7), they were together and being taught by Paul until Monday morning.
Questions to consider:
- Even as Paul was being “hunted”, why was the church able to grow and be strengthened? What is the strength of the church? What gives it its food and nourishment? Why will it always persevere?
- We focus much on Paul as we read through these chapters in the book of Acts. But, was he alone? Who was with him? Will any church flourish with the work of only one man? How can you begin or continue to contribute to the work?
- Hearing many words that were good words was an encouragement to these believers! How can you ensure that you are hearing many good words to remain encouraged in your faith? Even in an age where words are available to us from every direction, who are the people you are to be blessed by on an ongoing basis? (Think…who were the people with all day and all night in Troas?)