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That's connectwithskip.com. Now let's get into today's teaching from Pastor Skip Heitzig. Now, you see in verse 31, officials of Asia. These were called Asiarchs. You've heard of patriarchs, oligarchs. These are Asiarchs. And they were called Asiarchs because they were elected officials of prominence, notoriety, influence, and wealth, yearly elected to these ancient cities.
And they were given the term Asiarchs because of Asia Minor, that the area was called. Now, it's interesting to me that these men have influenced these secular governmental rulers in this city are friends of Paul. And Paul decided, you know, to get out and about. He's not like cloistered. He's going to make friends in the community. He's high profile.
He'll meet these guys and be friends with them. And what this shows, and it's important to make a note of this, is that at first, when Christianity made its debut, the secular world had no qualms with it. The religious world did. The Jewish world certainly did. Paul was on the hit list ever since he was converted. And there's great persecution in Jerusalem from the beginning. But when it comes to the secular world, the governments never saw Christianity as a threat, even in Rome. It wasn't until Caesar Nero came on the scene and subsequent rulers of the Roman government decided to focus their attention. And Nero did it because history says he burned Rome, or a part of it, and he needed a scapegoat, so he turned to Paul and the early Christians in Rome.
But at first, no problems. Paul's our buddy. Hey, don't let Paul go into the theater. So it's just interesting that Paul made friends with these government Asiarchs.
Verse 32, some, this is in the theater, therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused and most of them didn't know why they came together. Come on, that's funny. I don't even have to say anything about it.
That is in and of itself is hilarious. This is mob mentality. What are we mad at? What are we protesting? I think a lot of protests that hit the streets are like this. Hey, we're going to protest.
Okay, man, I got nothing to do. They'll whip it up, they'll do the march, they'll get their selfies, they'll get their pictures, but they don't really know why. They don't certainly have a breast of the depth of the knowledge of the issue, necessarily. But it's like a bar fight. You have one and then another and then a group and you don't know who's on which team, but hey, everybody's fighting.
It's sort of like an ancient bar fight in the Ephesus Theater. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward, and Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted to make his defense to the people. Alexander was obviously a leading Jewish citizen of that city. Jews, ancient Jews in ancient cities like this, did have a problem and they had problems with Jews.
Why? Because Jews didn't believe in depictions of any sort of anything, animal or human. You never have any statue or any painting or anything, especially in worship.
It was forbidden in Judaism, second commandment. So in a town like Ephesus where there's lots of idolatry, the Jews would be opposed to it and this leading spokesman, Alexander, is drawn out of the crowd to speak. Now, we don't know for sure if this is the same Alexander, but he definitely is against Paul. He's against the idols, but he's against the Christian movement.
The Jewish synagogue has become thus in that city at the time. But in 1 Timothy 1, Paul mentions a guy named Alexander the coppersmith, and it could be since he's writing that letter to Timothy who pastored in Ephesus, it's a letter written to Ephesus. It could be this Alexander, this Jewish citizen could have been a coppersmith, but it's interesting Paul says, Alexander the coppersmith has done me much harm.
You know, let his reward be according to his deeds. We don't know if it's the same Alexander, it could be, it may not be, it was a common name, but it could be that's who he's referring to. But most certainly, the riot that breaks out in Ephesus during the latter days of Paul's ministry there is what Paul referred to in 1 Corinthians 15. He said, I fought with the beasts at Ephesus. That doesn't mean he was in a coliseum fighting wild animals.
It was metaphoric for the riot probably that broke out in that theater. I fought with the beasts at Ephesus, he writes to the Corinthians. So they're crying out, they're in a fervor, Alexander motions with his hands to give a defense to the people. Verse 34, and when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice, cried out for about two hours, great is Diana of the Ephesians, great is Diana of the Ephesians, great is Diana. That's the only thing on their music sheet. That's the only verse and there's not a second verse.
It's just the refrain over and over, two hours, they're just kind of shouting like hoorah, hoorah. And when the city clerk quieted the crowd, he said, Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great goddess Diana and of the image which fell down from Zeus? Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly.
For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemies of your goddess. Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open. And there are proconsuls, we have judges for this. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly, as if to say this is an unlawful assembly, this is a riot. For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.
And when he had said this or when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. If you ever do make it to Ephesus, and I do hope it reopens for tourists on cruise lines, though you don't have to take a cruise ship, you can drive there if you have a lot of time, you will see that Diana of the Ephesians is gone. Her temple, gone. The temples to Zeus and the many other temples that dotted that landscape, they're gone. Demetrius is gone. The silversmith union, gone. It's all ancient history. It's now just an archaeological dig and a place for tourists to come.
It's magnificent, but that's all that's left. However, what we do have remaining from Ephesus are four letters in your New Testament. The book of Ephesians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the book of Revelation chapter 2, that little first section, a postcard I would call it, of Jesus writing to the Ephesian church. And that is noteworthy because something great happened in Ephesus. There was a generation where people turned to the Lord, got excited about the word of God, had Paul teaching them in their midst, uncovering the meaning of the text, going through the scriptures. And then Timothy took over for him.
But just about 40 years later, already there were problems. For Jesus in that letter to the Ephesians, Revelation 2, I'll just read it to you, it's so short, to the angel of the church at Ephesus' right. These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars. And you have persevered and have patience and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary. Straight A's so far.
You've done great. I know that. I know your labor. I know your discernment.
I know your heart. Nevertheless, nevertheless, but I have this against you. You have left your first love. You have left your love, the first one. You have left your love, the first one. You have left your priorities of loving Jesus first, loving God first. And eventually, as the years went on, today the Christian testimony in that city is absolutely vacant. Quite a lesson.
Quite a lesson from history. Jesus didn't say you have lost your first love because you don't lose it. You've left it.
You've left it. I know your works. I know your busyness, but you've left your first love. Remember what our Lord said to Martha? Martha, Martha, you're so busy and distracted with so many things.
Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken from her. She's sitting at my feet. Martha, you're not. You're busy. You're working. Good.
That's good. Good meal, Martha. But you do need to balance the work with the worship.
You need to sit at my feet before you get on your feet to go work for me. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we get back to Skip's teaching, we want to help you understand what real peace looks like so you can experience it in your own life. That's why we want to send you a copy of Unleashing Peace, Experiencing God's Shalom in Your Pursuit of Happiness by Jeremiah J. Johnston. This resource is our thanks for your gift of at least $50 today to help share solid biblical teaching with more people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig. Go to connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your copy when you give at least $50 today to reach people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig.
Let's continue with today's teaching with Pastor Skip. So, leaving your first love is seldom a blowout. It's usually a slow leak, like that front left tire on your car. You pump it up in a couple weeks later, you got to pump it up again.
Eventually, it'll get a fix, but it's just that slow leak. It's not a, bam, blowout. And so it is in our priorities with the Lord that we can leave slowly, get distracted slowly to where we leave that love, the first one. Well, that's the church at Ephesus. Now, as we continue in chapter 20, after the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embrace them, and departed to go to Macedonia.
Now, stop right there. Didn't Paul just say in this chapter, and didn't we read it last week, that Paul said, I want to go to Rome, but first I have to go to Jerusalem? That's right. He wanted to go to Rome, but he goes, first I got to go to Jerusalem. He had been to Jerusalem. He's taking his third trip, but he says, I got to go to Jerusalem. So, Jerusalem from Ephesus is east. He says that he departs from Macedonia, he's going west. So, question, why does he go backwards to go forward? Why does he go all the way across the seas back to Macedonia first?
Come on, we gave you the answer last week. He is taking up a financial offering of the Macedonian churches to support the mother church in Jerusalem that had fallen under hard times. So, instead of going to Jerusalem, he has to go back to Macedonia. He has sent people in advance to collect it.
He didn't want an offering. He said, he wants the money ready that he can pick it up and take it to Jerusalem. So, he's going to Macedonia before he goes. And then, the rest of this book is going to chronicle Paul moving toward Jerusalem.
Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to draw a parallel that I think Luke himself draws. Jesus went to Jerusalem. He had his heart set on it. His gate, his face was set toward Jerusalem. He announced he was going to Jerusalem. He had been a few times, but he had one special final trip to make to Jerusalem. Paul also has to go to Jerusalem, and I believe Luke parallels or draws the parallel between Jesus going to Jerusalem, which Luke wrote about in Luke Volume 1, called the Gospel of Luke, and Paul going to Jerusalem, which Luke writes about in Luke Volume 2, or the Book of Acts.
What are those parallels? First of all, Jesus went with disciples. Disciples went with him. Disciples also went with Paul the Apostle. Number two, Jesus was opposed by hostile Jews on his way to Jerusalem throughout his ministry, but especially those last few months. Paul the Apostle is also opposed by hostile Jews, especially on this trip and once he gets to Jerusalem. Number three, Jesus and Paul both made predictions that when they get to Jerusalem, they're going to face suffering.
In fact, it gets even more interesting. Jesus made three predictions that that would happen when he gets to Jerusalem. Guess how many Luke wrote that Paul records?
Three, it's saying. Fourth, both Jesus and Paul were determined to go to Jerusalem. Jesus had his face set toward Jerusalem. The Samaritans even noticed that he said, I'm going to Jerusalem, can't spend much time here.
They took umbrage to that. Paul's going to Jerusalem everywhere he goes. People are warning him not to go. Both chains and tribulation await this man who owns this belt, et cetera, et cetera.
Paul's determined to go. Finally, both Jesus and Paul are ready and willing to die if need be for the cause of Christ in Jerusalem. It's just interesting that the author who writes both Luke and Acts includes those facts about it. I think it's important because what is the main theme of the book of Acts?
You remember? It's how the gospel goes from Jerusalem to Rome, from Jerusalem to Rome. It's showing how the gospel message penetrates the very center, the very heart of the Roman world into Rome itself. That's the theme of the book of Acts.
Naturally, Luke would probably follow that outline. Verse two, now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece. How did Paul encourage them? With words, not just with words, with many words. He believed in teaching. Obviously, you're going to see that in a few verses.
This boy, give him a chance to talk and he'll talk. He'll give you the more words, the better. He wants really to encourage people, so he encouraged them with many words. And there's nothing like being encouraged over the word of God.
It encourages us. And he stayed, verse three, three months. And when the Jews plotted against him now, he stayed three months. Why? Well, probably, I'm guessing, it's wintertime. Not a good time to travel on the sea, even the Mediterranean. It can be quite treacherous, especially going west.
It would take you so long. So he's waiting, probably, till the three months of winter subsides and it gets into fairer sailing weather. He stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him, there's the hostility, as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia, also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe and Timothy and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. Now, those verses don't mean much to us because most of us have no idea who these people are. But probably, these are the representatives of the various churches that Paul had taken an offering from. So they get to represent their congregation.
They're accompanying Paul to Jerusalem to offer this great financial encouragement to the church. So they came, part of the team. And you know, Paul rarely traveled alone, you know that. He always had a team. Sometimes he traveled alone, but he didn't like it and he often got discouraged when he was alone. He got encouraged when people were around him. And if he was absent too long from fellowship, he would even say, you know, due diligence to come to me shortly.
And so he has this gang, this group, these representatives of those generous churches going to Jerusalem. But they go to Troas first. And I've been to Troas. I always wanted to go there. And every guide, I told you this before, said, don't go there.
There's nothing there. I go, I know, but I just have to see it. Because to me, it was such a pivotal point for Paul, as we discussed earlier. But we sailed, verse six, we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, which takes place after Passover, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days. Now, on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, just make a note of that.
It was the first day of the week, a Sunday, that the disciples gathered together to break bread. Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them. He's teaching them. Now watch this.
He spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. Now you see where I get it. It's Paul's fault. This is where I take my scriptural authority for many words to encourage you. I believe in expositional teaching and biblical preaching. And I believe that you have to lay a foundation and give background and give context and talk about the words and talk about the history to get someone to really understand the biblical text.
Now I know some people don't like that. They think that I preach too long, and they don't want sermons. They want sermonettes. Paul didn't do sermonettes.
He's going till midnight. And, likewise, I don't like sermonettes. Sermonettes are for Christianettes.
You're Christians. You can take a sermon. You can take an hour of Bible study. Heck, our kids go to school, and they have to take integrated zoology or applied biology or English for an hour.
They can do it. You can do the Bible. You don't need a sermonette. So Paul spoke until midnight.
But notice when they met and what they did. First day of the week, it's Sunday. They gather together to break bread. That is to have the Lord's Supper communion preceded by a love feast. A love feast was an ancient meal like a potluck. People brought food, ate together, then shared the elements of communion, the Lord's Supper, afterwards. That was called the agape feast, the love feast. In fact, for many poor slaves who were believers at that time, it was the only real meal like it that they got all week. People brought sumptuous food and shared it together, and it was a way to help bear the burden, bear the load for the needs in the early church.
So that's what it means. They got together, they broke bread, and they did it on the first day of the week. A question I have gotten asked a lot over the years is, when did the Sabbath day change?
And my answer is always the same. It never did change. The Sabbath is still the Sabbath. It's Saturday. It is the Sabbath that has always been the Sabbath. It will always be the Sabbath. Well, why don't Christians worship on Saturday? Why Sunday? It's mentioned here.
It was the first day of the week. Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We hope you've been strengthened in your walk with Jesus by today's program. Before we let you go, we want to remind you about this month's resource that will help you experience God's shalom in life's busiest seasons.
Unleashing Peace by Jeremiah Johnston is our thanks for your support of Connect with Skip Heitzig today. Request your copy when you give $50 or more. Call 800-922-1888.
That's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. And did you know that you can find full message series and libraries of content from Skip Heitzig on YouTube? Simply visit the Connect with Skip Heitzig channel on YouTube and be sure to subscribe to the channel so you never miss any new content. Come back next time for more verse-by-verse teaching of God's word here on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Make a connection, make a connection at the foot of the cross and cast your burdens on His word. Make a connection, connection. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever-changing times.
