1After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia. 2When he had gone through those parts and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece. 3When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia. 4These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas. 6We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days.
7On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day; and continued his speech until midnight. 8There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was taken up dead. 10Paul went down and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.”
11When he had gone up, had broken bread and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed. 12They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted.
13But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and came to Mitylene. 15Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus. 16For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to himself the elders of the assembly. 18When they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time, 19serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews; 20how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus. 22Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there; 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me. 24But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.
25“Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more. 26Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men, 27for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood. 29For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. 32Now, brothers, I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me. 35In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37They all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
A Difficult Journey
Acts 20
A DIFFICULT JOURNEY
22 Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there; 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me. 24 But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.
How many of us would get excited about packing our things to go on a vacation, knowing that a great tragedy awaits us wherever we were going? I know I wouldn’t. This may be a strange example, but Paul was faced with a similar situation. The earlier verses of this chapter tell us that Paul was doing his best to get to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. On his journey, he would stop to visit believers along the way, and each time, someone would prophesy that horrific things awaited him in Jerusalem. Yet Paul says those words of commitment, “I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not really sure of what awaits me, but people keep prophesying that misery awaits me there.” The Lord revealed to Paul that his trip would not end well. But Paul, insistent on being obedient to the Spirit of God, decided to continue to Jerusalem because that’s what the Spirit had told him to do.
Reader, would that we all could be so obedient. We have the false idea that if we do exactly what God wants us to do, or if we’re exactly where He wants us to be, everything will go smoothly and no problems will come our way. That is not good theology. Just because things come easily doesn’t necessarily mean that “God is in it or that God is blessing it.” However, let me add that sometimes we do have confirmation from the Lord that we’re in His will when things line up and fall into place. But that doesn’t mean that it is always that way. Sometimes God calls us to take a journey knowing that it could end in suffering, and all we really know is that we must be obedient. Sometimes, when we receive a difficult diagnosis, it is like taking a trip. God is sovereign in our lives, and that diagnosis might lead to challenging treatment, or it might end in our physical death.
Paul shows us by his attitude that our own life here on earth isn’t the most crucial thing of all; instead, what matters the most is to end well. We are to run the race well, no matter how rocky the road might be on our journey. And as we travel whatever road is set before us, we should focus on things above. We should run well, sharing Jesus as we go through whatever our journey is, and regardless of where it leads. That is submission. That is hard. It can only be done in peace through the strength and power of the Holy Spirit of God. Paul even adds that we can finish our race with joy. When we find ourselves on a perilous journey, that joy can ONLY come through the Lord. Paul eventually arrived in Jerusalem, marking the beginning of his long journey, which would take him to imprisonment and eventually to his death in Rome. And while imprisoned, in his letter to the Philippian church, Paul would quote the Prophet Nehemiah again and again, saying, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” There may be nothing but “bonds and afflictions” awaiting us at our journey’s end, but in faith we can proclaim “The joy of the Lord is my strength”. These are sobering words, but this is the truth. Our current afflictions are temporary. As His sons and daughters, we will eventually receive an “eternal weight of glory”.