Participants: Tony Moore
Series Code: IFP
Program Code: IFP000017
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01:37 While at Corinth, Paul learned of a plot on his life.
01:41 He changed plans, instead of taking the ship, he walked 01:45 in land up through Macedonia. 01:47 He visited the churches he had planted one final time. 01:51 He came to see the believers in Berea and Salonika and 01:56 Philippi, encouraging them and sharing with them. 01:59 Encouraging them to walk faithfully in the footsteps 02:03 of Jesus, then he went down to Neopolis, caught a ship 02:07 and sailed across the Aegean. 02:09 Luke notes that at this time it took him five days 02:12 to make the passage. 02:14 He came here to the great port city of Alexandria and Troas. 02:19 They came here to the great city and met the other 02:21 disciples who had come ahead of them. 02:23 And here Paul stayed teaching for seven days. 02:26 Luke records a fascinating meeting, it was the last 02:31 meeting of Paul's time here, the last time he would visit 02:34 this great city of Alexandria and Troas. 02:37 Luke notes a very interesting story that took place. 02:52 Luke describes how Paul intended to leave the next day. 02:55 Later in the passage Paul leaves the great city of Alexandria 03:01 and Troas and walks 30 miles down the coast to 03:04 Assos, he sends the disciples by ship to that great harbor 03:09 30 miles south of this great city. 03:12 Paul was intending to walk that 30 miles, but he meets 03:17 with the disciples and has a farewell meeting. 03:19 It is noted that it is on the first day of the week. 03:22 So I read again. 03:33 Paul knew that this would be the last time he would see the 03:35 believers here at Troas. 03:38 He would leave here and go to Assos, catch the ship, go 03:42 past Ephesus and land at Miletus. 03:46 There he would call for the Ephesian elders to come down 03:49 to meet him, he would share his heart concern with them 03:52 and tell them that I will never again see your face. 03:55 They wept, they cried, they kissed and he sailed 03:59 on to Jerusalem where he was arrested and 04:01 ultimately taken to Rome. 04:03 Paul shares his heart burden's with the leaders 04:08 of the church here at Troas. 04:11 Luke said they were meeting on the first day of the week, 04:13 they had come together to break bread because Paul 04:16 intended to leave early the next morning at daybreak. 04:19 Paul went on talking and sharing and 04:23 teaching until midnight. 04:37 Now I have to tell you that right now I'm perched quite 04:40 high on what seems to be about a three-story window. 04:44 Eutychus us was sitting in a three-story window listening 04:47 in an upstairs meeting room, there were many lamps there 04:51 and Paul had went on and on. 04:53 He was sharing his heart concern because he knew he would 04:56 not see these people again. 04:58 Luke tells us Eutychus went to sleep. 05:09 What an incredible story, Eutychus goes to sleep, he's in 05:12 the third story and falls back. 05:13 The people catch their breath as they hear him hit the 05:17 ground, they run outside and see that he is dead. 05:21 Verse 10. 05:40 What an intriguing story! 05:42 Luke tells us that it happened on the first day of the 05:47 week, now many have taken this passage to mean that Paul 05:51 was having a meeting on Sunday because he had transferred 05:55 the solemnity of the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh 05:59 day, to Sunday the first day. 06:01 Now that would be very curious wouldn't it? 06:04 Paul has tarried for the feast of unleavened bread. 06:08 He still, apparently, is celebrating the feast, he is 06:12 hoping to make Pentecost in Jerusalem at the temple. 06:16 It would be very curious if Paul had adopted 06:20 another day of worship. 06:22 As we have traveled through this great land in the 06:25 footsteps of Paul, we noted how in Pisidian Antioch that 06:28 nearly the whole city, both Jew and Gentile, came 06:31 together on the Sabbath and then were invited to come 06:35 together on the next Sabbath. 06:37 We seen that when Paul was in Philippi that he was 06:41 accused of being a Jew and proselytizing Romans. 06:46 Wouldn't that be curious if while in the city of Philippi 06:50 he adopted the first day of the week, and he was being 06:53 accused of being a Jew? 06:55 It makes no sense at all, as a matter of fact Paul could 06:59 say with a straight face and a sincere heart, that he had 07:03 done nothing against the fathers. 07:05 No he had not given up worshipping on the Sabbath. 07:10 This was a farewell meeting, Paul had spent a week here, 07:14 he knew he would never see these disciples again. 07:18 He was sharing his heart concern because he planned to 07:21 leave the next morning at daybreak. 07:24 He intended to walk the 30 miles down to the port of 07:30 Assos, the question is why does Luke include the story? 07:34 Does he include the story to tell us that the church 07:37 here in Troas adopted the first day of the week? 07:40 Of course not, he includes the story to tell us about 07:44 Eutychus, and how Eutychus had fallen out of a window 07:47 and how that he had been taken up for dead and yet 07:51 was raised to life. 07:53 It was a miracle that brought great encouragement to the 07:57 believers of God's power. 07:59 But the question is this, 08:01 just when did this meeting happened? 08:04 They had gathered together on the first day of the week, 08:08 but what time were they breaking bread? 08:11 Did they break bread before midnight, or after midnight? 08:16 A careful reading of the text tells us that Paul kept on 08:21 talking until midnight, and that Eutychus fell out the 08:26 window after midnight and then Paul went upstairs and 08:32 broke bread with the disciples. 08:34 Then at daylight he left for Assos. 08:38 So the question is this, at what time of the day would 08:43 Luke consider this meeting to be taking place? 08:46 The breaking of bread clearly happens after midnight. 08:51 The question would be, was Luke reckoning time as a 08:56 Gentile, or as a Jew? 08:59 You see Jewish people celebrate the day from sunset 09:04 to sunset, after the sun would set on a Sabbath, that is 09:08 what we would call Saturday night, that would be the 09:12 beginning of the first day of the week. 09:15 Not at midnight, but at sunset. 09:17 Paul met with the disciples on the Sabbath, and after 09:21 the Sabbath closed they had a farewell meeting where 09:24 he was sharing his heart concern, much like he would do 09:27 with the Ephesian elders when he calls them down to 09:30 Miletus, because this is the last time he will see them. 09:33 He meets with them sharing and goes on and on and goes 09:37 past midnight, and then Eutychus falls out of the window. 09:41 The miracle happens. 09:43 Paul comes upstairs, they share a meal together. 09:48 They share the Lord's supper together and then at daylight 09:51 Paul walks 30 miles, a day's journey, 09:54 up to Assos and so again we ask the question. 09:59 Was the meeting happening on Saturday night, was this 10:02 simply a farewell meeting after Sabbath services? 10:05 Certainly this is the position of the new English Bible 10:09 takes, because it says on Saturday night we came into 10:12 the upper room and they had many lamps in the house. 10:16 Then he relates the story of Eutychus. 10:18 Some would say however that it could not be on Saturday 10:22 night, then Luke was a Gentile. 10:24 Well if you take that position it would be a curious one 10:28 to take, then Paul has come together on the first day of 10:31 the week, but they break bread, that is they celebrate 10:35 the Lord's supper after midnight on Monday morning. 10:40 Then Paul walks for 30 miles to Assos. 10:43 Either way we see that Paul was not having a special 10:47 religious meeting on the first day of the week. 10:51 It was a farewell meeting, most likely happening on 10:55 Saturday night with Paul on Sunday morning walking the 10:59 30 miles up to Assos to meet the disciples who had gone 11:03 by ship ahead of him. 11:06 So we see that this text is in complete harmony with all 11:09 that we have seen of Paul through our journeys in his 11:13 footsteps, whether it was in Pisidian Antioch or Philippi 11:17 or in Corinth, indeed he was thought of as a Jew because 11:22 he was celebration Shabbat. 11:24 We have noted that Paul indeed was taking Christianity to 11:30 a new level, recognizing that Judaism had its limits. 11:35 Recognizing that you did not have to be circumcised, 11:39 that is you did not have to become a Jew to be saved. 11:44 No Christianity was far beyond Judaism and yet the 11:48 Sabbath was an integral part of Paul's experience and 11:53 also the experience of the early church. 11:55 In Ephesus we saw the great temple of Hadrian. 11:59 Hadrian played a very important part in the change of 12:03 the day of worship from the seventh day Sabbath to the 12:07 first day of the week. 12:08 In the beginning part of the second century, a Jewish 12:12 leader named Simon bar Kosiba led a rebellion. 12:16 His real name was Simon bar Kosiba, or Sun of a star. 12:22 Simon bar Kokhba led a rebellion against Rome. 12:26 It was a tremendous rebellion and it went on for 12:28 three years, they struck new coins saying the 12:31 freedom of Israel. 12:33 He was called the sun of a star, he was considered by many 12:39 to be the Messiah. 12:41 He led this uprising and Rome came down with a terrible 12:45 vengeance, Hadrian came in and destroyed the city. 12:50 Today as we walk on the streets of Jerusalem there 12:53 are very few places that we can actually walk that 12:56 Jesus walked because the city was rebuilt 13:00 in the second century. 13:02 It was rebuilt in Roman splendor, and it was named the 13:06 Aelia Capitolina, the new capital of Palestine. 13:11 Jews were forbidden to come within 50 miles of Jerusalem. 13:15 It is very interesting that this edict also applied to 13:19 Christians, because from the Roman mind, Jews and 13:23 Christians were celebrating the same day so they 13:26 must be the same people. 13:28 As a matter of fact there was a great controversy that 13:30 was taking place in the early church. 13:33 It was called? Quattro Decemens? 13:36 Most of the early churches celebrated the crucifixion 13:40 of Jesus on the 14th day of the first Jewish month. 13:43 That is on Passover. 13:45 Jesus died on Passover which was tied to a day of the 13:49 month, not a day of the week. 13:51 He rested in the tomb on the ceremonial Sabbath, and on 13:55 the first day of the week He came back to life. 13:59 That was the 16th day of the first Jewish month. 14:02 The fascinating thing is, that the 14th day was Passover. 14:06 The Lamb would be killed at three in the afternoon. 14:09 Then there was a ceremonial Sabbath, there were seven 14:11 annual ceremonial Sabbath's that were not tied to a day 14:14 of the week, but tied to days of the month. 14:17 The year that Jesus died, the ceremonial Sabbath happened 14:22 to coincide with the weekly Sabbath. 14:24 Thus John said it was a high Sabbath. 14:27 But on the 16th day, in which that year happened to be 14:30 the first day of the week, was the offering of the first 14:34 fruits, the first fruit offering was incredible. 14:38 The first ripening grains of barley were coming to 14:41 fruition in Palestine. 14:43 The priest would go and take some of those first ripening 14:46 grains and bring them in the temple and dedicate the 14:50 barley harvest to God. 14:52 This was taking place on the 16th day of the first Jewish 14:56 month, think of what happened that day. 14:59 Jesus came back to life. 15:03 Paul said that Jesus was the first fruits of them that 15:06 should be raised from the dead. 15:08 Jesus was indeed the first fruit of the resurrection. 15:13 While the Jews were down waving their sheaves of barley 15:18 in the temple, Jesus was ascending before 15:20 the Father in highest heaven. 15:22 You recall that when Jesus died on the cross, the veil 15:25 was torn from the top to the bottom. 15:27 The Angels said there was no longer any need 15:30 for earthly sacrifices because the Lamb of God 15:32 has been offered for us. 15:34 Paul says in 1 Corinthians that Jesus was our Passover 15:38 Lamb, and now He fulfills the other part of the feast. 15:43 The wave sheath offering ascending as the first fruits 15:47 to be raised from the dead, well as I mentioned, this 15:51 took place on the 14th, 15th, and 16th day of 15:55 the first Jewish month. 15:56 The early Christians did not celebrate on Friday, 16:00 Saturday, Sunday, that is good Friday, Easter Sunday. 16:04 They celebrated it with Passover. 16:06 But when the bar Kokhba rebellion brought down the wrath 16:10 of Roman on Jews, Christians in Rome and Alexandria, 16:14 the two greatest cities of the Roman Empire tried to 16:18 distance themselves from Jews. 16:20 It was really anti-cynicism, they try to distinguish 16:24 themselves by saying we are not Jews and so in Rome 16:28 they chose to honor the resurrection of Jesus on the 16:32 festival of Ishtar, can you hear it? 16:35 Ishtar - Easter. 16:37 The festival of Ishtar was celebrated through 16:40 the ancient near East. 16:42 It took place on the first Sunday after the full moon, 16:45 after the spring equinox. 16:47 It was a time of celebrating harvest. 16:50 It was a time of celebrating life. 16:53 Have you ever wondered why there are Easter eggs? 16:57 Really they are Ishtar eggs and we see them all through 17:00 the temples we visited. 17:01 All through the ruins where Paul preached we see those 17:04 eggs decorating the temples. 17:06 Symbols of fertility, symbols of life. 17:09 Jesus indeed was resurrected from the dead on the first 17:15 day of the week, but it was in fulfillment of the 17:18 offering of the wave sheath, the first fruits of them 17:21 that would be raised from the dead. 17:23 No, Paul was not teaching that we should worship on the 17:28 first day of the week instead of the Sabbath. 17:30 He was the Sabbath keeper through and through. 17:32 We seen that he even did a vow of cutting his hair. 17:36 Sailing from Cenchraea to Caesarea, and going up and 17:40 burning his hair in the temple. 17:42 He wanted to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost. 17:45 Paul was Jewish through and through, but he recognized 17:49 the limitations of Judaism. 17:51 He recognize that Christianity must not be shackled to 17:54 circumcision, that you did not have to be a Jew to be 17:59 saved, and so as we visited in Colossae, we saw that Paul 18:03 wrote to that city. 18:05 He wrote on this very point, Paul said you have been so 18:08 completely forgiven by Jesus Christ at Calvary's cross, 18:13 the very list of the sins you had committed has been 18:17 blotted out, it has been nailed to the cross, 18:20 the devil has been exposed and made a public spectacle 18:23 because he is a defeated foe. 18:27 Therefore in light of your complete forgiveness, 18:29 Paul says, don't let anybody judge you, whether you 18:32 keep the festivals, or you don't keep the festivals. 18:34 Don't let anybody judge you when you offer the drink 18:37 offerings or the grain offerings because you have 18:40 been forgiven through Jesus. 18:43 You have been made whole and complete. 18:45 As a Jew, Paul continued to keep the festivals. 18:49 As a Jew, Paul continued by even offering a vow. 18:54 He was arrested in the temple while performing a vow 18:58 with several other men. 19:00 But Paul says that if you are a Gentile, 19:03 you don't have to keep the festivals, 19:06 you don't have to keep Passover because Jesus is our 19:10 Passover and He has been offered for us, He is the first 19:14 fruit of the resurrection from the dead. 19:16 So Paul says don't let anyone judge you in these matters, 19:21 because your forgiveness was achieved by the death of 19:26 Jesus on Calvary's cross. 19:28 And to that we say praise and honor and glory to our God. 19:33 For Jesus has made us complete, one in Him. 19:37 Paul recognized that if this division continued between 19:43 Jew and Gentile, it would destroy the church. 19:46 So he bridges it with this wonderful teaching from 19:49 Colossians chapter 2, showing the unity we have in Jesus. 19:54 It's an option to keep the feasts. 19:56 The question would be is that an option about the 19:59 Sabbath? Well let me answer it this way. 20:02 Our salvation does not rest upon observing the Sabbath, 20:08 or not observing the Sabbath. 20:10 Just as our salvation does not rest upon keeping any of 20:14 God's commandments, our salvation rests upon what 20:18 Jesus did at Calvary's cross. 20:21 We are saved by grace through faith, that is what he 20:24 wrote to the church of Ephesus. 20:27 That was his message over and over again, but he also 20:30 wrote to the church of Ephesus, that because we are saved 20:34 by grace through faith, that we were also created in 20:38 God to do good works to the glory and honor of God. 20:42 So as he said to the church of Ephesus, we always want 20:46 to do those things that are pleasing to the Lord. 20:50 I know that that is my desire, and I hope it's yours too. 20:56 Paul leaves the great city of Alexandria and Troas and 21:00 walks 30 miles down the coast to Assos. 21:04 He sends the disciples by ship to the great harbor 30 21:08 miles south of this great city. 21:15 I am walking among the ruins of the ancient Temple of 21:18 Athena, built in the sixth century BC. 21:22 This Temple dominated the Acropolis of Assos. 21:27 You can see the sparkling blue waters 21:30 of the Aegean behind me. 21:32 The Acropolis and Temple can be seen for miles away, 21:38 a must of been a tremendous beacon to Mariners 21:41 sailing down the coast. 21:43 Paul would have walked down this road to the harbor 21:47 to meet his friends before catching the boat and sailing 21:50 to Miletus south of Ephesus. 21:54 We are here at the Port of Assos, a picturesque harbor 21:59 Village, a fishing village as you can see. 22:03 A working fishing village just under the leeward 22:06 side of the Lesbos island. 22:08 This is the port to which Paul walked from Alexandria 22:13 and Troas and here he rendezvoused with Silas and Luke 22:18 and the others who have taken a ship down from 22:20 Alexandria and Troas to this port. 22:22 Together they sailed down the coast past Ephesus, to Melitus, 22:27 where Paul called for the elders of the church to come 22:30 and meet with them and gave him that farewell parting, 22:33 farewell instructions. 22:36 We are going down to Miletus, this spot where Paul called 22:41 for the elders of the church and shared his heart 22:44 concern, telling them that he would never 22:47 see their face again. 22:52 He gave a moving appeal, reminding them how he had not 22:55 laid a charge to them, but worked with his own hands 22:59 while he had been at Ephesus for three years. 23:02 He reminded them how he had taught them publicly at the 23:06 Hall of Tyrannus and house to house. 23:09 Paul continues his heartfelt appeal to 23:12 the elders of Ephesus. 23:29 And then he gives a stirring appeal, 23:32 a deep heartfelt appeal. 24:07 Paul shares one of his deepest warnings ever with the 24:11 overseers, the elders of the church of Ephesus. 24:14 He reminds them of how for three years he had taught 24:17 them publicly about this. 24:19 He says I know after I leave that grievous wolves will 24:23 come in and not spare the flock. 24:25 I know that after I leave that some of you listening to 24:30 me right now, will rise up and distort the true and 24:34 draw away disciples after yourselves. 24:36 Paul had given a similar teaching when he wrote back to 24:41 the church at Thessaloniki. 24:44 He told them that before Jesus would, come there would be 24:47 a falling away first, a perversion of the truth. 24:51 An apostasia, a walking away from the gospel. 24:54 Paul had warned the church at Thessaloniki that this 24:59 would take place before Jesus would come. 25:02 Now he warns the elders at Ephesus, that the same would 25:05 happen, men of your own selves will arise and distort 25:09 the truth, drawing away disciples after themselves. 25:13 To the Thessalonians he had written that the mystery of 25:17 iniquity is already at work. 25:21 The mystery of Anomia, a spirit of lawlessness. 25:26 Paul senses this is going to happen in Ephesus as well. 25:30 When Jesus writes His letter to the church of Ephesus, 25:35 penned by John on Patmos Island he said, watch out for 25:39 those who have the doctrine of the Nicolaitians. 25:43 The Nicolaitians taught a doctrine of anti-nomism. 25:46 They were teaching that in the freedom they have 25:49 in Jesus, that they did not have to be obedient. 25:52 Paul warns that this will come and affect the 25:55 church of Ephesus as well. 26:27 Paul reminds them that he was not a charge to them, 26:30 that he worked at his trade of tent making with 26:33 his own hands, he supported his companions. 26:35 He reminded them of the words of Jesus, it is more 26:39 blessed to give than to receive. 26:42 Then there was this final appeal. 27:07 Paul shares with the elders of Ephesus that he will 27:11 never see their face again, they're heartbroken, 27:14 they kneeled together there by the beach, they embrace, 27:19 they cry, they hugged, they kiss, 27:24 and Paul boards the ship. 27:27 But he first prays with them that they will be faithful 27:31 to the charge that they have received. 27:33 That they will run the race faithfully as he has run 27:37 the race, that they will complete the course that God 27:41 has set for them, just as he must complete the 27:44 course God has set for him. 27:46 They kneel here at Melitus, and they pray 27:51 a prayer commitment, join me as we pray together. 27:54 Father as we think of that time when Paul came 27:58 to this port, this great harbor city and called for the elders 28:02 of the church to come down and meet him here. 28:04 How they shared, they hugged, they kissed, because Paul 28:08 had said he would never see their face again. 28:10 Father help us to run the race as Paul did. 28:13 Help us to follow wherever You lead. 28:16 May our footsteps follow Your footsteps just as Paul's 28:20 has before us I pray, in Jesus name Amen! 28:24 Please join us for our next chapter in this exciting 28:29 series, Paul goes to Jerusalem for Passover. 28:33 There, there is a tremendous turn in of events when 28:36 Paul must appeal to go before Caesar. |
Revised 2014-12-17