Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19980705.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part XLVII: The Wise Use Of "Time-Out" Events To Refresh God's Hardworking Servants
(Acts 20:2-14)
  1. Introduction
    1. As we have often seen in our Church Vacation Bible School ministry, it is possible to feel overtaxed and experience some "burn-out" even while doing God's work!
    2. However, God cannot use believers who are totally exhausted, so something has to give.
    3. Just where it gives, and how is explained for us by way of example in Paul's ministry in Acts 20:2-14:
  2. The Wise Use Of "Time-Out" Events To Refresh God's Hardworking Servants, Acts 20:2-14.
    1. The Apostle Paul experienced a mounting crescendo of taxing events in his ministry as he prepared to sail from Troas in his missionary journey, Acts 20:2-12.
      1. After leaving the uproar event in Ephesus, Paul made a tour of Macedonia and Greece, spending much time exhorting the believers in the cities he had evangelized to stand firm in the faith, Acts 20:1-2.
      2. While staying in Greece, preparing to set sail from there to Syria in northern Palestine, a plot to kill Paul was discovered, so he changed plans about going to the docks and went north to travel through Macedonia, the long way of gett ing a ship somewhere else to go toward Jerusalem, Acts 20:3-4. The plan was to set sail from Troas across the Aegean Sea from Greece, and thus make it to Syria, 20:5.
      3. However, on top of lots of traveling ministries and having to dodge mortal enemies, Paul experienced a really taxing ministry at Troas as he waited to board his boat, Acts 20:6-12:
        1. Planning to sail from Troas with his companions, Paul sent them on ahead and came later from Philippi in Macedonia, Acts 20:6.
        2. While waiting there for 7 days, Paul got into a preaching ministry the night before he was scheduled to set sail from Troas, Acts 20:7a,b.
        3. Since there were many lights in the upper room where the ministry occurred, Paul took the opportunity they provided to preach until midnight, Acts 20:7c-8.
        4. In the process, a young man named Eutychus who was sitting in the window, fell asleep, and thereby fell out of the window to his death three stories below, Acts 20:9.
        5. Paul descended the stairs, fell on the corpse, embracing it as perhaps Elijah and Elisha of old had done in raising people from the dead, and caused Eutychus to be raised from the dead, Acts 20:10.
        6. This amazing event led to much more conversation so that Paul didn't get any sleep, for the gathering ended at daybreak the next morning, Acts 20:11-12.
    2. Accordingly, Paul took advantage of the opportunity to take a brief but meaningful break from people so he could get himself emotionally, mentally and spiritually refreshed, Acts 20:13-14:
      1. The ship that was to sail from Troas that morning was scheduled to round a peninsula from Troas en route to the town of Assos just south of Troas before going toward further destinations, 20:6b, 13a. This was a journey of around 30 miles by way of the sea.
      2. Paul chose to walk on foot across the peninsula from Troas down to Assos, there intending to meet up with his traveling companions who went around the peninsula by boat, Acts 20:13. This journey for Paul was about 12 miles by way of l and.
      3. The reason he chose this route is somewhat apparent:
        1. With his being so tired, Paul could stay to catch some sleep in Troas before making his way on foot.
        2. The journey on foot without companions would have afforded Paul some opportunity to get away from crowds of believers. All who minister to people for the Lord come to recognize this need!
        3. Also, walking is a great relaxer: the nerve endings of the body are allegedly found in the feet, so walking relaxed Paul's body and mind, and enabled him to spend time in fellowship with the Lord.
Lesson: (1) Like Paul, we believers who serve God today must recognize the need to take breaks from serving the needs of people, for we are of limited emotional, mental and spiritual resources. (2) Like Paul, we do well to recognize opportunities for taking such breaks that involve refreshing walks and new and separate environments as vacationers often take. (3) Like Paul, we do well to TAKE those breaks without feeling guilty about it as well!