Sermon On the Net

 

 

 

BEYOND COMMITMENT

 

 

ACTS 20: After the uproar had ended in the previous chapter Paul sent for his friends to tell them   he was going to Macedonia. While he was on his journey he met and preached too many people. He stayed in Greece for about 3 months but left when he discovered another plot against him.

 

In Troas Paul was preaching through the night because he intended to leave the next day. A young man named Eutychus was sitting on the windowsill and fell into a deep sleep as Paul was speaking and fell from the third story to the ground and died. Paul rushed to his aid and told the people to calm down because he was not dead. Paul put his arms around him and he became alive.

 

Paul went to the ship and eventually landed in Miletus where he sent for the elders from Ephesus. Paul gathered them together and began to reminisce about the past times of his ministry, and the trials and tribulations he endured, but that was his conviction; his purpose on this earth. He told them he was going to Jerusalem, not knowing what to expect because the Holy Spirit told him that he would be facing hardship and tribulation. Paul’s conviction was that he felt his life was worth nothing to him, except he knew he was dedicated to proclaim the Gospel. He told them that he knew that they would not see him again and he urged them to be careful and make sure that they oversee the church as their commitment to God.

 

Paul, in his final words dedicated them to the word of God and His grace which would build them up and take care of them. He also reminded them how he personally provided for himself and his workers with his own hands. He wanted them to remember that this work was to help the weak. Paul quoted the words of Jesus; “it is more blessed to give then to receive.” After this they all knelt down and prayed and many eyes were wet because they knew they would never see him aga

 

The words,’ beyond commitment,’ do little to describe the life of Paul. Certainly here is a man so totally dedicated to a task that he once did and now was committed to do just the opposite. This is a good example of the power of faith and God. He labored for himself and his companions to provide their needs, he suffered beatings, prison, and humiliation and he never gave up. He wrote and preached until he went home to the Lord. This is dedication beyond commitment. This is a fine example for anyone to follow. He fought the fight; he persisted and will be rewarded. And remember how much we have to thank him for all his writings that we so much enjoy today. Let’s just praise the Lord for all the Greats of the past and even today for the laborers of His that continue to bring us in simple and practical terms, His Word. Praise Jesus.

 

 

 

 

Sermon On the Mount

 

 

BE READY

 

ACTS 19: Paul’s continuing journey took him to Ephesus where he found some Disciples who had received John’s baptism and he asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit, and they replied that they didn’t even know about the Holy Spirit. Paul baptized them and they received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages and prophesied. Paul went into the synagogue to preach but they didn’t want to listen so he left and went into the lecture hall of Tyrannus and he preached there for about 2 years. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so powerful that if anyone even touched a cloth of his they would get well.

 

There were some Jews who were going around driving out evil spirits and they tried, unsuccessfully, to invoke the name of the Lord. There were 7 sons of a Jewish high priest who tried this and when they did the evil spirit in the man overpowered them and beat them very badly. This put quite a scare in the Jews in the area. Many of them began confessing their evil deeds and some burned their scrolls they had used practicing sorcery. After this happened Paul decided to go to Jerusalem.

 

About that time a man named Demetrius who made silver shrines of the local’s god, Artemis, became very disturbed, and gathered together some men in related trades. He told them of his concern that what Paul was doing would be very bad for their business. When they heard this they became furious and began to shout praises to their god, Artemis. Soon the whole city was in an uproar and they seized some of the Disciples and brought them into the theater. The crowd was very agitated and began to chant once again to their god, Artemis. The city clerk got involved and eventually got the crowd to quiet down. He explained their meeting was unlawful and the fact that the Disciples did nothing wrong. He said if anyone had a problem with them they should take go to court.

 

What we see in this chapter is a continuation of the trials the Disciples had everywhere they tried to preach the Word. But the Word of God is more powerful and will always prevail. As Christians today, we must stand ready to deliver His Word to anyone who will listen. Each one of us has a very distinct witness capability, whether it is direct one on one discussion or the example we can be according to how we live, act and react to life and what confronts us each day. Remember, we know that God is watching and so is everybody else.