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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We move on into Acts 20, where Paul is preparing to leave Ephesus. Look closely at him as he is with these disciples of Jesus. He calls for them to come around him. He wants to encourage them and strengthen them, after what they had witnessed and been through - that riot - that civil disorder in cultured and well-read Ephesus. They loved Paul and Paul loved them.
Throughout these past two years they had been through a lot together. This happens - doesn't it? When we are thrown together in Christ Jesus we go through a lot together.
They had come to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and Baptiser in the Holy Spirit. Many had been healed of sicknesses and diseases. People had been set free from demons. For two years Paul had taught them the Word of God, daily.
These elders - these disciples - had been so blessed - so enriched under the preaching and teaching of Paul - but it is now time for him to move on.
Note his ministry as he moves around. When he is with believers he is always exhorting them and encouraging them - putting courage into them - building them up in the faith - and teaching them how to build themselves up in the faith.
But still there are Jews who are planning and plotting to kill this servant of the Living God, and we have seen how God is protecting him - preserving him - guiding him.
Paul was led to change his intended route, and there in verse 4 we read of the friends who accompanied him - those colleagues in Christ who had started to travel around with him.
In verse 6, he arrives in Troas, and we are given a glimpse of the church in Troas when they are at worship.
On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread. When they came together in fellowship for Praise and Worship and Prayer and to hear the Word of God, they shared the bread and the wine.
What we are reading of here is probably taking place on what we call Saturday evening. They begin on the Saturday evening to worship and sing praises to God, and the preacher is Paul. We mentioned this previously in a different context - how you spend your Saturday night determines how fit you are for Sunday.
As Paul was leaving the next day, and as he was never to pass this way again, he just preached and preached and preached - right on 'til midnight.
This is nearing the end of the third missionary journey. He has been through a lot. Humanly speaking, he must have been worn out and exhausted, and yet he is so willing to preach and teach and minister - as long as there was a word from God to speak. Hungry sheep sat and listened and took in all they could and were fed and nourished. Imagine them looking into his face in the light of the oil lamps.
These disciples desired to grow in grace, and Paul realised that what they needed for this to happen was The Word of God. They wanted to learn - and - with learning from The Word of God comes satisfaction and peace and grace.
Tell me - be very honest now - how hungry are you for the Word of God? One of the greatest lessons I learned quite a number of years ago was simply this - "Don't preach sermons - teach The Word of God".
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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