Acts 20

Acts 20:1

The apostle Paul is on his third missionary journey and headed toward Jerusalem, where it is his desire and intention to celebrate Passover. Realizing it was time to get moving, Paul embraced his Ephesian brothers and headed north to Macedonia in northern Greece, where he would gather money from the Macedonian believers to share with the famine-stricken church in Jerusalem.

Acts 20:2

During these three months in Corinth, Paul penned the Epistle to the Romans. Corinth was a very sinful city, and Paul found himself inspired by the Spirit to talk about the depraved, sinful nature inherent in man. As he was ready to board the ship to cross the Mediterranean Sea, Paul caught wind of the plot of certain unbelieving Jews who intended to toss him into the ocean once his ship set sail. Consequently, he returned to Macedonia, to eventually go south to Jerusalem.

Acts 20:4

As Paul returned to Macedonia, he gathered an entourage to accompany him. Very likely, each one of these men was carrying money raised from his own fellowship. Thus, for the purpose of safety as well as of accountability and unanimity, they made the journey together.

Acts 20:6

As the entourage headed for Jerusalem, they sailed from Philippi to Troas in five days. This intrigues me, because in Act_16:11 we read they made the same journey going the other direction in only one day. So, too, sometimes, in our journeying, we experience seasons of smooth sailing. Other times, it’s tough going. Some of you may be in rough waters right now. Take heart: It doesn’t mean you’re out of the Lord’s will. Be like Paul, and keep sailing.

Acts 20:7

The early church met many times during the week, but the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, seemed to be a special time of Communion and fellowship. I point this out because there are those who say we shouldn’t worship on “Sun-day” because we’re worshiping the sun. I respond, “Well, if you worship on “Satur-day,” you’re worshiping Saturn.” Others say, “Sunday was not when the early church met because it was not until Constantine came into power in A.D. 313 that the Lord’s Day was paganized.” “Wrong,” I protest. “Tertullian, the early church father who preceded Constantine argued that Sunday, the first day of the week, was the only day in which Christians should celebrate Communion.” Such arguments aside, I believe Paul gave the best answer when he said we are not to be those who judge the personal convictions of others, since each of us will give an account to our Master individually (Rom_14:4-5). The story of Eutychus, whose name means “fortunate,” is one that contains practical application for each of us who desires a keen spirit and focused attention. The Danger of Drowsiness A Topical Study of Act_20:7-12 After reading this text, I wonder if it would be wise to print this label on the bottom of our bulletin: “Warning! The Supreme Surgeon General has declared sleeping in church to be hazardous to your health.” I think our brother, Eutychus, would wholeheartedly agree! I really feel for Eutychus. His story in the original Greek indicates that, although he fought sleep, sleep wonwhich is understandable, considering that Sunday being a workday like any other, Eutychus had very likely put in a full day of work before coming to church. A precious brother who works unbelievably long hours once told me that, because he came during his breaks or at the end of a shift, sometimes, like Eutychus, he found himself nodding off during Bible study at Applegate Christian Fellowship. “What you do is amazing,” I said. “Not many men would make the effort you do. Therefore, know that even though sometimes you might doze a bit, the Lord sees your heart. Remember Samuel? He fell asleep in the temple and the Lord spoke to him three timeseven as he slept!” (see 1 Samuel 3). And I believe the Lord can speak to each of us as wellwhether we’re wide-awake, or dozing offthrough the story of Eutychus. Following are three lessons we can learn from him, as his situation relates to the very real danger of our own spiritual drowsiness. The Reason for Drowsiness And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.Act_20:7-8 The reason there were many lights in the room where Paul was preaching was because of the rumors circulating throughout the community concerning the early church. Christians were accused of sexual promiscuity because they always talked about agape love. They were accused of cannibalism because they talked about eating the body of Jesus and drinking His blood in Communion. Consequently, when the early church met together, they lit their meeting halls very brightly in order that anyone walking by could clearly see what was going on. Inherent within people is the tendency to think the worst… The hostess of a party called the liquor store. “My name is Susie Smith,” she said. “Please send me a case of vodka as soon as possible.” Unbeknownst to her, however, she had mistakenly dialed not the liquor store, but her minister. “This is Reverend Jones,” said the voice on the other end. “Reverend Jones!” she said incredulously. “What are you doing at the liquor store?” So often we impose whatever sin or temptation we struggle with upon others. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the depraved, suspicion and rumors abound (Tit_1:15). So the Christians lit lamps. And because Eutychus was in this room with warm lights and a bunch of bodiesthis room wherein the oxygen supply decreased as the temperature roseit is no wonder his eyelids began to feel heavy. So, too, if the only time we’re letting our light shine, if the only time we’re singing forth praise or speaking out testimony, is in a place where there’s lots of light and a whole bunch of Christians, we will become spiritually drowsy. If church is the only place you vocally express your belief in Jesus Christ, the only place wherein you seriously think about the Word, you will begin to doze in your pew. On the other hand, if you really believe you will be called upon to practice what you hear preached, you will remain wide-eyed and on the edge of your seat. If you knew today you would be expected tomorrow to share this passage with some guys at work, your family, some kids on your campus, or some cultists at your dooryou would have pencil and paper in hand, an alert mind, and an eager heart. You would say, “If I’m going to give this out, I better get it down.” But so often, we say instead, “Ho, hum. There are lots of Christians here. I’ll just sit on this ledge here in the back row…ZZZ.” It’s no wonder we feel lethargic at that point, because spiritual drowsiness is exactly proportionate to our failure to give out what we take in. In Israel, there are two major bodies of water, both fed by the Jordan River: the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. While the Sea of Galilee teems with life, not even single-celled beings can survive in the Dead Sea. Why? Because, although the Jordan River flows into both, it only flows out of the Sea of Galilee. Thus, the Dead Sea is devoid of life because there’s input but no outflow. You and I will either be like the Sea of Galilee, giving out the Word, and teeming with life as a resultor we will be like the Dead Sea, taking in but, because we don’t give out, dozing in the back row. The Result of Drowsiness And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.Act_20:9 Now, while it is possible that a drowsy Eutychus may have moved to the back row and sat near the window in order to stay awake, over the years, I’ve seen many people who, although at one time, were in the front row and excited about Bible study, start moving toward the back and gradually lose all interest in the things of the Lord. Believers are like automobiles, folks. When we start to miss, we eventually stop running altogether. When people start pulling away from Bible study, from prayer, from Communion, from corporate expression, they weaken their walk without exception. “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together,” said the writer to the Hebrews (see Heb_10:25). Those who do so are in danger of experiencing what happened to Eutychus: moving toward the back, then falling out altogether. The Recovery from Drowsiness And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.Act_20:10-12 Perhaps you are working with someone like Eutychus who is spiritually drowsy, or even dead. It might be your husband or your brother, your high-school son or your next-door neighbor. This person, who was once on fire, is now like Eutychus. He moved to the back, fell off the ledge, and now he’s dead. How are you to minister to him? Our text gives the answer. We read that Paul didn’t come down on Eutychus, but went down to Eutychus. I believe the account in 2 Kings chapter 4 sheds light on the reason Paul did this… Because Elisha the prophet had been lovingly tended by a Shunammite woman who had prepared a room in her house for him to stay whenever he passed through the area, Elisha promised her that, although she was barren and her husband was old, she would bear a son. Sure enough, she conceived and gave birth to a son. A few years later, while working with his dad in the field, the child fell down, crying, “My head, my head.” The father ordered servants to take the boy to his mother, but, although she put his head on her lap and comforted him, he died. The Shunammite woman then took her son’s body into a room to prepare him not for burial, but for a miracle. “Saddle up the donkey,” she ordered her servants. “We’re going to get Elisha.” Finding the prophet at Mount Carmel, she grabbed him by the feet and said, “You deceived me, Elisha. You allowed this son to come into our family, and now he’s dead.” Elisha responded by ordering his servant, Gehazi, to take his staff and lay it upon the boy. But that wasn’t enough for the wise and wonderful Shunammite woman. “I’m not going back, Elisha,” she said, “until you come with me.” So while Gehazi took the staff and went quickly, Elisha and the Shunammite woman followed a little more slowly. When Gehazi reached the woman’s home, he laid the staff on the boy, but nothing happened. When Elisha arrived, however, he himself lay on the boymouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. And as he did so, Elisha felt warmth in the boy’s body. Mom, Dad, fellow brother, minister, sisterwhen someone has fallen off the third story because of his own spiritual lethargy or apathy, the tendency is for you and me to say, “Let’s call the church and get the staff on the job,” or, “Let’s send the rod of rigidity. Let’s preach at him.” But, as Gehazi found, neither will bring life. The key is for us to be like Elishato go hand to hand, mouth to mouth, eye to eyeto do what Paul did: to embrace the person and say, “I love you unconditionally. I care about you. I’m here for you. I will stand by you.” It’s love, gang, not delegation or doctrine, that will bring about resurrection. We need to go hand to hand, mouth to mouth, eye to eye with folks who have fallen. And what will happen? Like Elisha, we’ll feel some warmth, sense a stirring, hear some sneezing (a clearing of the system), see an opening of the eyeand finally they will sit up. You might be saying, “That sounds great, but you don’t understand my situation. No one has ever even sent his staff to me, much less pressed in to me personally. How can I do for someone else that which has never been done for me?” “Oh, but there is One,” I answer, “who came and pressed in to you in a way we cannot even begin to understand. God Himself came down not on you, but came down to you in the Person of Jesus Christ. His hands were pressed to the Cross for you and me. His mouth cried, “Father forgive them.” His blood, sweat, and tear-filled eyes said, “I love you.” Therefore, it is His love that motivates us to love others (2Co_5:14). In His love may you find the Eutychusesthose who were once doing well, but who moved to the back and fell off the ledgeand come down not on them, but to them. May God grant us the grace to be ministers of resurrection. May He give us opportunity to touch lives this week. May He use us greatly.

Acts 20:13

Paul let the team sail while he made the twenty-five-mile journey on foot. Headed toward Jerusalem where he knew he would encounter great difficulty, Paul had many things to think through, sort out, and pray about. Perhaps that’s why he said, “Boys, you sail. I’m walking. Pick me up on the other side.” I can’t tell you how wonderful it is, and how important for me it has become, to walk. Oftentimes, when I kneel and pray, I find myself “resting in the Lord” a little too literally. Jesus told us to watch and pray (Mar_13:33)and I find praying while walking brings that about in a very practical way.

Acts 20:14

Although Paul had planned to be in Jerusalem for Passover, when it didn’t work out that way, rather than getting upset or uptight, he simply said, “I’ll try to make it for Pentecost.” Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not break! That was Paul’s mentality. You don’t sense a tension in his personality. Rather, he seemed to be wonderfully flexible as he trusted the Lord to work all things out perfectly.

Acts 20:17

In His grace, the Lord has allowed me to be involved in ministering to pastors. Many are the times I’ve heard people say, “Jon, can I go with you to a pastors’ conference? I’d love to hear from the various brothers who will be teaching and speaking.” To them I say, “Here’s your chance!” I want to invite you all to what I think is the richest pastors’ conference ever convenedwhen here on the island of Miletus, Paul called for the pastors and elders from Ephesus. Knowing he was headed for imprisonment, and, ultimately, eternity, Paul called the elders together to give them final instruction and exhortation about ministry and service. Thus, besides the teachings of our Lord Jesus in the Upper Room the night before His crucifixion, this is perhaps the richest text dealing with ministry in the entire New Testament. When you’re reading through the New Testament, keep in mind that “elder,” “pastor,” and “bishop” are all interchangeable terms describing the same position. The Greek word translated “elder” doesn’t speak of chronological years, but of spiritual maturity. Thus, “elder” describes the man. The Greek word translated “bishop” means “overseer.” Thus “bishop” describes the ministry. The Greek word translated “pastor” means “feeder” or “shepherd.” Thus, “pastor” describes the method. Although certain denominations teach that elders are subordinate to pastors, who are subordinate to bishops, in New Testament terminology, there’s no hint of such a hierarchy.

Acts 20:18

It has been rightly said that one of the greatest abilities in the kingdom of God is availability. The elders had jobs. They had family obligations. They had responsibilities. But when Paul called, they came. And by making the journey from Ephesus to Miletus, these elders demonstrated that the kingdom of God had priority in their lives. Deuteronomy 20 gives a powerful illustration of the importance and necessity of being available if you’re going to be used in service to any degree. In this chapter concerning warfare, the priest was instructed to say to the people of Israel, “When you see the enemy more numerous than youwith horses and chariots and armorbe not afraid because the Lord is with you and He will bring you victory.” Right after that word was spoken, however, the captains were instructed to go to the same group of people and say, “Whoever among you has a new house and has not yet dedicated it, a vineyard and has not yet eaten of it, a new wife, or fear in your heartgo home lest you die in battle.” In other words, if you say, “What if I get wounded and can’t hold a hammer or power saw any longer? How will I finish my house?” or, “I’d like to teach Sunday school or go overseas, but I’m climbing the corporate ladder and my job won’t allow for it,” or, “I’d like to serve more, but my wife really needs me, and she doesn’t like me to be away at night or on Saturdays,” or simply, “I’m afraid,” you won’t make it on the front line. These areas of concern referred to in Deuteronomy 20 are actually concentric circles. For most of us, our material possessions don’t have priority. Our jobs? That’s a little closer to home. Our wives? That’s getting real close. Our own hearts? Bull’s-eye. If you want to be used in ministry, these four areas must be committed to the Lord. When you can say, “My material possessions, my vocation, my family, and even my own fears and insecurities do not have priority and will not dominate me,” you will see the Lord minister through you powerfully. Please understand, this is not a word of condemnationit’s a word of honest evaluation. Many men and women have entered positions of ministry only to find once they’re in, they’re not ready for them. The key to ministry is availability. The elders came. It wasn’t easy. There was no workmens’ comp, no paid vacations. To come when Paul called required sacrifice, and it was difficult indeed. But when Paul said, “Brothers, we need to get together. We need to be instructed, exhorted, and encouraged"they showed up. Paul said, “From the day I arrived in your city, you knew what kind of man I was.” In talking to a couple moving to a different part of the country, I said, “You’re going fifteen hundred miles away from here. No one will know you. You don’t have to live down, worry about, or explain any mistakes and misunderstandings of the past. So from day one, identify yourself as a radical Jesus person. If you carry your Bible to your new job or school the first day, people are not going to say to you, “Hey, want to party?” because they’ll know from the very beginning that you’re a follower of the Lord. Parents, help your kids: When they graduate from elementary school and go to junior high, say, “You have a new start. Be radical for the Lord.” And when they get through junior high, say, “You’re going off to high school. Here’s another chance for a first impression. Be extreme for Jesus.” At each stage of life, encourage your kids or your grandkids to go for it from the first day. I don’t know where we get this idea that we should “fit in” and “relate,” because if people don’t know where we stand, there will be temptations coming our direction that wouldn’t have been there had we taken a stand the first day. In ministry and in service, you will inevitably go through various seasons. There is the excitement of spring when you get new understandings from the Word and fresh insights into the Lord. Things blossom and bud; new growth abounds. Spring leads to the fruitfulness of summer, when you start to see ministry opportunities open. The Lord uses your life and you say, “Wow! Fruit!” Then comes fall when the Lord says, “There are some dead leaves that need to be knocked off.” The winds blow, trials come, and you wonder what’s going on. Fall is followed by winterlong periods where you feel nothing and hear very little. Early in my walk, not understanding the necessity of seasons, I used to get discouraged when winter came. Oh, my, I thought, I must be backsliding. I must be doing something terrible because I don’t feel the Lord’s presence. In reality, however, it was in the wintertime that the Lord was giving me the opportunity to walk by faith and not by feeling. What are we to do during the winter times in our lives? Worship. Praise. Sing. Why? Because in the wintertime, we have unique opportunities to worship the Lord without immediately receiving more than we give. As I sat in the sanctuary at Applegate Christian Fellowship in early morning worship, I saw a brother in the winter season of his life come toward the Communion table and go to his knees in prayer while lifting his hands in praise. A few hours earlier this man’s wife had been taken home to heaven, yet he didn’t call for counseling. He didn’t ask for pity. He came to worship. How contemporary Christianity needs this kind of maturity.

Acts 20:19

How was Paul able to continue in ministry even when people threw rocks at him? By serving the Lord rather than serving people. If you’re in ministry to serve people, you might last for a year, or ten, or fifteenbut you’ll burn out eventually because oftentimes, like Paul, all you’ll receive from those you serve will be stones and beatings. If, however, you are in ministry not to serve people or to satisfy some innate need within you, but to serve the Lord because of what He did for youyou will endure through good times and bad times, through the spring, summer, fall, and winter seasons of your life. Paul’s gifts were great. His abilities were mind-boggling. Intellectually, theologically, oratorically, the guy was incredible. Yet he said, “I served you with humility of mind,” because he knew each of his abilities was a gift from God. Humility of mind means truly esteeming others better than oneself (Php_2:3). Humility of mind means not finding fault with a brother or sister, but finding fruitapproving those things that are excellent within them. Humility of mind means realizing it’s the grace of God, not our own merit, that allows us to know Him and walk with Him. I recall driving Highway 42 from San Bernardino, California, to Twin Peaks Conference Center, where I was to address a group of spiritual leaders. As I wound my way up the road, I found myself praying, “Lord, I want to be like You when I talk to my brothers at the conference.” I thought it was a pretty good prayeruntil the Lord spoke to my heart so clearly that I literally had to pull of the road. “You want to be like Me?” He asked. “Yes,” I answered. “Why do you want to be like Me, Jon?” “Well, Lord, because You’re so awesome.” “Did you ask to be like Me when you were with your kids two mornings ago?” “No.” “But you’re asking to be like Me nowwhen you’re about to talk to a group of pastors?” I was busted. I had prayed that prayer hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. It was a noble request. But my motivation was amiss. I didn’t necessarily want to be like Him so I could serve my kids humbly. No, I wanted to be like Him so I could minister powerfully. Be like Paul. Serve the Lord with humility of mind, and watch out for those times when you think you are being spiritual lest an entirely different form of pride surfaces. Those who were out to get Paul were on a righteous crusade, sure that they were keeping Judaism free from heresy. Paul himself was absolutely convinced he was doing the right thing when he went from house to house dragging Christians out to have them imprisoned and executed (Act_9:2). This sobers me greatly and causes me to say, “Lord, before I crusade against this person, or come down on that person, am I, like Paul, thinking I am sincerely right, but in reality imprisoning people and hurting them unjustly? Will I see the light a year or five from now and realize what I did was unfair, unnecessary, or unkind?”

Acts 20:20

“I gave you everything I had,” Paul declared. “I shared with you everything I knew; I held back nothing that would be profitable for you.” Milk trucks used to come through neighborhoods and deliver milk house to house. Paul was like that. He delivered the milk of the Word one house at a time to the newborn believers. Jesus did the same thing. He talked to Nicodemus on the rooftop (John 3), to a woman at a well (John 4), to a demoniac in a cemetery (Mark 5), and to a woman in the middle of a crowd (Luke 8). I appreciate Jesus so much for His individual nurturing.

Acts 20:21

What was Paul’s message? “Turn toward God and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” The city of Ephesus was filled with idolatry and brimming with immorality. The culture was decayed. The problems were great. Yet Paul didn’t preach against sinhe preached repentance toward God. So often, we try to get people to turn from sin. But that was not the methodology of Paul nor of Jesus, for they knew that when people turn toward the Lord and see His goodness, they will automatically turn from sin. TN-reference When Billy Graham was in Portland, Oregon, for a Crusade, reporters tried to get him to comment on Proposition 9, the Oregon anti-homosexual bill. I think Billy hit a home run when he responded, “I didn’t come to Oregon to talk about politics. I came to talk about Jesus Christ.” Never forget, precious people and fellow servants, it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance (Rom_2:4).

Acts 20:22

In every city Paul visited, the Holy Spirit warned him he would face tremendous difficulty in Jerusalem. Paul responded by saying, “I don’t care.” Why could Paul say this? Because he didn’t count his life dear. “Deny yourself,” Jesus said, “and take up the Cross” (see Mat_16:24). And what Jesus taught, Paul caught. Such is the great need of the baby-boomers, self-centered generation that we are, miserable lot that we have become. In the fifties, one of the most popular magazines was LIFE. In the sixties, it was PEOPLE. In the seventies, it was US. In the eighties, it was SELF. If you want to make millions in the new millennium, publish a magazine called ME. Shame on our generation! We’re so caught up in ourselves. Paul genuinely didn’t care about himself in light of the gospel. That is why the danger awaiting him had no hold over him. The word “joy” means “exceedingly happy.” The way to happiness is to testify of the grace of God. Many people grew up in an atmosphere or in a church that said, “It’s your responsibility to pray, to study, to serve.” And they became burdened by a weight of responsibilities they could never fulfill. Then, at some point in their walk, they understood that, on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ, they didn’t have to study, pray, or worship. “You mean, Lord, my sin is forgiven?” they said. “I’m robed in Your righteousness? I don’t have to work to try to attain Your favor or merit Your blessing?” “Yes,” answered God. “It’s all grace.” “You mean You love me as much when I’m not doing so well as when I’m studying Leviticus and Deuteronomy?” “Yes.” “Wouldn’t You love me more if I was studying Leviticus and Deuteronomy?” “No, I can’t love you any more than I love you right now.” And what does that do? “Wow,” we say, “I wonder what Leviticus says. Where is Deuteronomy, anyway?” We find ourselves wanting to study. We find ourselves enjoying worship. We find ourselves freely talking to the Lord. Our Christian walk changes from responsibility to responseand that’s when it becomes a whole lot of fun. If you want an explosion of joy in your heart tomorrow, go to the person you work with and say, “Every sin you committed last weekend is forgiven. Every sin you’re thinking about today is paid for. You’re free because when Jesus died on the Cross, He died for every sin every man has ever done. There’s only one unpardonable sin, and that is refusing to receive His forgiveness.” I guarantee if you’re grumpy, critical, or weary in your walk, it’s because you have not been “testifying the gospel of the grace of God.” A funny thing happens to a person who’s sharing his faith: He becomes a channel through which the joy and power of the Lord flow. For just as electricity will not enter an object unless there’s an outflow from that object, the power of the Lord will not enter a church or an individual in whom there is no conduit for evangelism. When people say, “The electricity is gone from our church corporately or from my life personally,” invariably it’s because there’s no outflow. Paul was one who was charged-up and red-hot because he was one who continually testified of the gospel. He never stopped sharing his faith in Christ Jesuswith Jews and Gentiles, “publicly and from house to house.”

Acts 20:25

“Boys,” said Paul, “this is it. I know this is the last time we will share together on this earth. You won’t see my face anymore.” And indeed, they wouldn’t.

Acts 20:26

“I’m free from the blood of all men,” said Paul. This refers to Eze_3:18, wherein the Lord said, “Ezekiel, I’ve given you the message to tell My people to believe in Me and walk with Me. If you don’t tell them, Ezekiel, their blood will be upon you.” Paul echoed this principle when he said, “I have not shunned any part of the counsel of God. I have delivered His entire message to you.” The temptation for teachers, parents, and Christian workers is to share only certain topics or subjects. I understand that. Certainly, there are parts of the Bible I would rather not teach and issues with which I would rather not deal. But we need to have the full counsel of God. That is why I believe it is necessary for Christians to know the Bible from cover to cover, and for churches to go through the Bible from Genesis to Revelationnot skipping over any part, but dealing with every book, studying every chapter. I don’t want to leave anything out. Like Paul, I want to be able to say, “To the best of my ability, by Your grace, Lord, I’ve declared Your full counseleven those things I would rather not have preached or talked about. If it was in Your Word, Lordwe dealt with it.” Because the Bible is written in such a way that it contains the perfect proportion of encouragement and exhortation, I encourage you to get involved in a church or a Bible study that studies the entire Word systematically. I’m convinced the way to spiritual maturity and health is to study the Bible book by book, chapter by chapter.

Acts 20:28

Notice the order. Take heed to yourself first. Make sure you’re cultivating a personal devotional lifethat you’re a man or a woman of prayer. Make sure you’re one who is engaged in consistent communion with the Lord personally. Take heed to yourself. Here is a great danger: When you get involved in Christian service, you can find yourself serving the Lord and doing the work of the Lord at the expense of your own personal walk with the Lord. True ministry is the overflow of what is taking place in your life personally, secretly, intimately. So take heed to yourself. Make sure you are personally cultivating a walk with the Lord. Abraham was a lover of God. On his way to the Promised Land, wherever he went, he built an altar. As he traveled, because the Lord prospered him more and more, his flocks began to increase. So he dug wells to ensure that his flocks were sufficiently watered. When Abraham’s son, Isaac, came on the scene, seeing his father’s expansive flocks, he decided the key to his father’s success was digging wells. So Isaac dug many wellsbut he built only one altar. Consequently, his wells were named Sitnah and Esek, or “Strife” and “Contention.” When Isaac’s son, Jacobthe third generation from Abrahamappeared, he built no altars and dug no wells. Instead, he said, “The key to seeing the flock grow is ingenuity, creativity, and genetic engineering” (see Genesis 30). That’s what often happens. A man or woman loves God, and from that love, there’s an overflow whereby the flock grows. Then the second generation says, “I, too, want to be in ministry and see a flock grow"so they copy the outward activity of the generation before thembut it only produces tension, strife, and agony. Why? Because they’re not altar-builders. Finally, the third generation comes along and says, “Programsthat’s the key. We’ll have excellent entertainment. We’ll have relevant, current messages that, although they aren’t necessarily biblical, speak to the needs of the people.” And it’s exciting for a while, but it’s not sustaining. They have to try harder and harder in their Jacob mentality to keep everything going with creativity and ingenuity. Folks, true ministry starts with an altar-building man or woman loving God and enjoying the Lord. All too often, however, the lover of God is followed by a well-diggerone who wants to see the flock watered, but who has lost the understanding of the altar and a personal, private passion for the Lord. The third generation, the program people, the Jacobs, then come on the scene and say, “We’re going to really wow the world with our creativity.” I see this happening not only in churches, but in my own life as well. Quite frankly, I can go through all three generations in one day. I can begin the day as an altar-builder, a lover of God. Then, sometime around noon, I can become a well-digger, saying, “Lord, I don’t have time to talk to You. I’ve got to water these sheep.” As a result, in the evening, I find myself thinking, Oh no. My ministry’s slipping. I better do something creative and ingenious. What happened to Jacob? Finally, this clever heel-snatcher came to the end of his rope when he heard his estranged brother, Esau, was coming with four hundred men to meet him. After Jacob crossed a little creek called Jabok, he wrestled the angel of the Lord and said, “I’m not going to let You go until You bless me” (see Gen_32:26). Talk about close contact and a restoration of intimacy! Jacob was no longer striping stakes. He was wrestling with God all night long. In the morning, the Lord said, “Jacob you have prevailed. No longer will you be called Jacob, or, ‘Clever One.’ You’ll now be called Israel, which means ‘Governed by God,’ because at last you understand it’s staying close to Me; it’s wrestling with Me; it’s depending on Me that matters.” I’ve seen churches finally get to the place of being exhausted from “Jacob-ing” it. They get back to the altar, back to saying, “Lord, we just want to know You.” Churches like that are used by the Lord time after time because they touch people from the overflow of an “altar-ed” life. Take heed to yourself first and then to the flock because if you’re in right relationship with the Lord, blessings will flow through you to the flock of your family, to the Sunday-school kids you teach, to the people to whom you witness. Toward the end of his life, David was surrounded by a group of men who are recorded as being men who killed giants (2Sa_21:15-22). Saul, on the other hand, who had been afraid of Goliath, was surrounded by men who never engaged in battle against a giant. Therein lies an extremely important principle as it relates to ministry: If I want those around me to be giant-killers, I must kill giants myself. I often tell pastors that if they’re not worshiping or witnessing, chances are, their congregations won’t worship or witness, because, as seen in the lives of David and Saul, what we are is what those around us will become. I cannot stress too heavily the importance of a secret, personal devotional life. “Take heed to yourself and to the flock,” wrote Paulnot because the priority is to be on self, but because a preparation of self will allow you to see those around you kill giants. People often ask, “How does one become an elder?” In the Scriptures, it is very clear that elders were never elected. In America we’re into democracy, but since (and this may be news for some) God is not an American, the church is not a democracy. Nor is the church a dictatorship. It’s an oligarchya small group of men ruling together, who overseenot overbear, or overlordbut oversee the work. How, then, does one become part of this oligarchy? I see in New Testament teaching four ways in which a man is appointed to eldership: First, a man points to himself. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “If any man desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good work” (see 1Ti_3:1). Second, the Holy Ghost points to him. I believe the Holy Spirit points to a man through the fruit of the Spirit, which is love (Gal_5:22). To be effective in ministry, a man must be a lover of God and a lover of people. I talked to a pastor a number of years ago who, with great anguish, told me, “I love the ministry. I just don’t like people.” “The fact is, you’re not called to ministry if you love ministry but not people,” I replied. “What was Moses doing when he was called to pastor his congregation of three million? He was on the backside of the desert watching his father-in-law’s sheep (Exo_3:1). Where was David when Samuel was looking for the next king of Israel? He was watching his father’s flock (1 Samuel 16: 1Sa_16:11). You’ll always find a true shepherd amongst the sheep.” Third, the sheep point to him. Jesus said the sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd (Joh_10:27). A man will know he’s being raised up by the Lord for the office of elder when his peers respond to and receive from him. Finally, the present leadership points to him. Paul told Timothy and Titus to ordain elders in every city (Tit_1:5). When these four areas point to any one personwhen he wants to serve in ministry; when the Spirit points to him with the overflow of love; when the sheep receive from him; when the present leadership recognizes God’s anointing upon himyou can be sure he is being raised up to serve in the office of elder. The only way the flock will grow, the only way the church will expand, is if we, as sheep, are being fed consistently and faithfullyfor when sheep are fed properly, they will reproduce very naturally. Thus, the great need today is for people to be fed. In many places, believers gather together, but are never really taught the Word. Consequently, the flock is anemic and not reproducing numerically. The pastors or boards of such churches will often implement programs or techniques to bring about growthdoor-to-door evangelism, contests, and all sorts of tricky activities to try to motivate people to share their faith. But they don’t work.

So then the pastor does something oh, so dumb: Instead of feeding the flock, he begins to beat the flock, saying, “Why aren’t you evangelizing more? Why aren’t you working harder? Why aren’t you engaged in this ministry, or joining that committee, or involved in the other activity?” After shepherding sheep on the backside of the desert, the Lord called Moses to shepherd three million people through the wilderness. On their way to the Promised Land, Moses’ authority was questioned repeatedly. In Numbers 16, we read that Dathan, Abiram, and Korah brought two hundred fifty leaders of the nation of Israel to Moses, saying, “Who gave you your authority? Who do you think you are?” In response to their question, the Lord instructed Aaron to have one leader from each tribe place a rod in the tabernacle along with his. They did so, and the next morning, the rods looked just as they had left themall except for Aaron’s, which had blossomed. From whence comes authority in ministry or in your family? From the blossom of fruitfulness. What is fruit? Gal_5:22 defines it as lovelove that is joy, love that is peace, love that is longsuffering, love that is gentle, good, faithful, meek, and temperate. If we truly love people, we will have authority to give direction to them because they will see the fruitfulness of the Lord’s love blossoming in us. The story of Moses continues. The years passed and the people began complaining once again saying, “We’re out of water, Moses. You’ve brought us out here to die.” In response to their complaint, the Lord instructed Moses to speak to the rock from which water would flow (see Num_20:8). Instead of speaking to the rock, however, Moses struck it with the rod, while saying to the people, “You rebels. Must we fetch water for you?” What happened to the rod as he smote the rock? No doubt, the blossoms fell off. Most likely, the fragrance was diminished. Surely, the fruitfulness was lost. Whenever I beat one of God’s people verbally or in my heart, I’m smiting Christ, the Rock of my salvation, and destroying the fruit of His Spirit in the process. Therefore it is not my job to beat the flockto analyze, scrutinize, or criticize. It is my job to feed the flockto encourage, nourish, and love. Certainly feeding includes warning and exhorting. But it does not include beating, bruising, or wounding. “Feed the flock,” said Paul. He didn’t say, “Beat the flock,” because there has already been One who was bloodied, bruised, and beaten on our behalf. They beat His face. They beat a crown of thorns into His scalp. They beat Him with rods. They beat Him with fists. They beat Him with words. Therefore, because He was beaten in our place, I must not beat myself or beat others. Use this verse with your Jehovah’s Witness friends who doubt the divinity of Jesus Christ. It is irrefutable that if God purchased the church with His own blood, then Jesusthe One who gave His bloodmust be God. Shed Blood…Shared Blood A Topical Study of Act_20:28 We who teach the Bible are often accused of preaching a bloody religion. To such a charge, I proudly plead guilty. Heb_4:12 declares that the Word of God is living. Therefore, we should not be surprised that blood pulsates through its pages and courses through its chapters. Truly, there is a scarlet thread connecting every verse, every chapter, every book in the Bible. That thread is the blood of the Lamb. Five times more often than he talked about the death of Christ, Paul talked about the blood of Christ. Three times more often than he spoke of the Cross of Christ, he spoke of the blood of Christ. There are those who say the emphasis Paul placed on the blood is a throwback to ancient mythology or to present-day superstition. They cite Homer, the Greek poet, who wrote of ghosts drinking the blood of men in order to regain their lives. They point to the practice that took place in the days of the Roman gladiators wherein those who were diseasedparticularly with epilepsywould be brought down to the floor of the Coliseum to lap up the blood that was shed because it was believed to have healing powers. They refer to the tribes in Africa who established peace treaties through the drinking of the blood of cows or goats. Those who criticize you and me as Bible-believers say, “The emphasis on the blood is nothing more than a throwback to mythology or superstition. It has no more validity than the antiquated belief that the fourth finger of the left hand is the apex of the circulatory systemwhich is why we wear our wedding ring on that finger to this day.” “No way,” I reply. “The emphasis on the blood is not a remnant of ancient mythology. It is relevant in light of modern biology.” Four thousand years ago, God said that the life is in the blood (Lev_17:11). And what Moses declared under inspiration four millennia ago, science confirms today, for truly the life is in the blood. If you’re an average person, five quarts of blood are presently coursing through your body. For what reason? There are three reasonsall of which apply to you not only physiologically, but also spiritually and eternally. Your blood provides nourishment to sustain you. The five quarts of blood within you nourish every one of the one hundred trillion cells in your body. How? In every microliter of blood, there are five million red blood cells that function as tiny supply rafts. They load up oxygen, potassium, calcium, and amino acids before beginning a journey in which they travel sixty thousand miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries every twenty-three seconds. Your blood produces cleansing that invigorates you. Not only do the red blood cells deliver nourishment, but they also pick up waste material. As they give out the goodies, they also pick up the garbagenever confusing the two. Surely the psalmist was right when he said we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psa_139:14). What would happen if the red blood cells shut downif there was a garbage strike in your body? To find out, put a tourniquet around your arm, and watch what happens when the toxins begin to build up: First, your arm will get a tingly feeling. Then it will turn blue. Remove the tourniquet. Blood will rush in; the toxins will be carried out. And you will have use of your arm againall because of the cleansing power of your blood. Your blood prevents infection from destroying you. In every micro-liter of blood not only are there five million red blood cellsthere are also three hundred thousand platelets. What do the platelets do? When your body gets cut, the platelets rush into the injured area and melt into a weblike substance called fibrinogen. When the red blood cells come cruising by, they crash into the fibrinogen, causing a traffic jam, which we call coagulation. The amazing thing is that the platelets must act with perfect precision because if too many gathered together and caused too major a traffic jam, your arteries would become completely clogged, and you would die immediately. Not only are there three hundred thousand platelets in every micro-liter of blood, but there are seven thousand white blood cells. What do the white blood cells do? The white blood cells make up an army numbering twenty-five billionwith twenty-five billion reserveswhich gathers around any virus, germ, or invader that threatens you. White blood cells actually die in battlewhich is what constitutes pus. The white blood cell cannot do battle, however, against a virus or germ until the spikes, the strange protrusions that are on every virus, are first covered and softened. What does this? Antibodies. Before the white cells begin their attack, an antibody specifically designed to fit the spikes of the invading virus covers the virus and blunts its spikes, thereby allowing the white blood cells to do their work. Consequently, you are vulnerable to whatever disease for which you don’t have antibodieswhich is the problem with the AIDS virus. The AIDS virus actually mutateschanges it spikesmaking it very difficult if not impossible for scientists to come up with an antibody. As you study history, you realize that the greatest devastation to mankind has come not through famine or even warbut through disease. Because it takes the human body at least eight hours to diagnose infection and manufacture antibodies, before the discovery of vaccines, a single disease had the potential to destroy entire civilizations. Edward Jenner and Louis Pasteur did work of great significance when they injected the antibody-laden pus of an infected personor, in the case of smallpox, a cowinto a person who was not yet infected. In 1802, smallpox threatened to virtually wipe out the entire population of Columbia. With Jenner’s work fairly accepted throughout Europe, it was decided that smallpox vaccine should be sent from Spain to Columbia. However, there was a problem: Because the vaccine lasted only a few days, it would die during the journey across the Atlantic. The solution? The Spaniards chose twenty boys who would sail to Columbia and who would be infected one at a time with smallpox, thereby keeping the vaccine alive with their own bodies.

The plan worked. The ship carrying the boys arrived in Columbia just as the twentieth boy was showing symptoms of the dreaded disease. King Carlos called the boys “Overcomers” because they were the means by which the entire civilization of Columbia was spared the deadly scourge of smallpox. “That’s great,” you say. “But what does any of this have to do with me?” If you’re a believer, it has everything to do with you. God told us that the life is in the blood. Following are three things His blood will do in your life. His blood provides nourishment to sustain you. Jesus said, “He who does not eat My flesh and drink My blood has no part with me, no life from Me” (see Joh_6:53). It is no wonder that Scripture goes on to say that, because of this, many were offended in Him and followed Him no more (Joh_6:66). After all, although the Jews were accustomed to eating the meat of the sacrifices they brought to the temple, they were forbidden to eat the blood (Leviticus 17: Lev_17:10). Thus, it must have been highly offensive to hear this Rabbi from Galilee say, “Drink My blood.” Yet, although it remains offensive to many people today, partaking of His blood in Communion is powerful and essential. For even as the blood in my body consistently circulates to nourish each part of my body, so, too, at His table, the blood that He shed for me can be shared by me to provide nourishment to me. You see, whenever I want, I can say, “I need to be nourished by You right now, Lord. I’m tired. I’m weary. I’m weak. Infuse Your life in me through Your blood.” And in so doing, I am, in a sense, born againagain. Cut yourself off from the life flow of His blood, and you will become weak and sick and dead spiritually just as surely as you would if you were to cut off your blood supply physiologically. I’m not talking about death as it relates to your eternal state. I’m talking about the death of your present joy. On the other hand, when you eat of His body and drink of His blood, when you say, “Lord, infuse me again with Your life,” you will be nourished greatly and revived continually. His blood produces cleansing that invigorates you. I’m so thankful for the cleansing work of His blood because it only takes about twenty-three seconds for me to get full of sin and carnality. Even as my blood continually cleanses me physically, so, too, the blood of Jesus cleanses me spiritually. The error that many people have concerning Communion is thinking they need to repent and to be cleansed before they can partake. Not true. Repentance is not doing something so you can come to the Lord. Repentance is coming to the Lord just as you are! The table is available to anyone who has been polluted, wiped-out, infected by sin and carnality. That’s why it’s more than a table of commemorationit’s a table of celebration, where we can say, “Oh, Lord, thank You that You invited me to come and dine. Thank You that I can come right now just as I am to not only be sustained in my spiritual life, but also to receive cleansing through Your blood.” His blood prevents infections from destroying you. In life there are temptations that number in the millions. These temptations bombard us constantly, just as germs and viruses do physiologically. How are we protected from so vast a number of temptations? How are we to overcome the attacks planned in hell that threaten to destroy us? Through the spiritual antibodies contained in the blood of the Lamb (Rev_12:11). There is only One Man who has been tempted in every point of sin possible and was an overcomer: Jesus Christ. That’s what is so great about His blood. He was tempted in every single sinnot just pride or lying or gossipbut the grossest kind of sin you can imagine, the kind of sin that turns your stomach, the kind of sin you could never even fathom. He was tempted in every possible sin known to humanity or to the demons in helland He overcame (Heb_4:15). Therefore, His blood is overcoming blood. The smallpox-infected boys who sailed from Spain to Columbia produced antibodies that sustained an entire culture. So, too, the blood of Jesus Christ is laden with antibodies capable of overcoming every infection Satan throws my way and every sin to which I am so vulnerablepast, present, and future. Now, when those early scientists and physicians began to understand that truly life was in the blood, they decided to infuse healthy blood into people who were sick and weak and dying. Sometimes, as a result of such a transfusion, their patients would spring back to life. Other times, however, their patients would die. This puzzled physicians for many yearsuntil the discovery of blood types. It is now known that we can only take blood from those whose blood type is the same as ours. Otherwise, the nourishing, cleansing, and protection hoped for in a blood transfusion would instead be detrimental and deadly. The Bible says that we are all of one blood (Act_17:26). It’s true. We all have one blood: polluted blood, Adam’s blood. When he fell in the Garden of Eden, we all fell with him (1Co_15:22). And the fallout from Adam’s bomb infects our blood to this day. So what must happen? Pure, healthy, untainted blood must be transfused into us. Who can give us untainted, uninfected, pure blood that will match our individual blood types? One who has blood untainted by Adam. Although a fetus gets its nutrients from, and grows in the placenta of its mother, it never takes a single drop of the mother’s blood because at the moment of conception it begins the process of producing its own blood supply, which is genetically influenced by the blood of the father. Therefore, only One born of a virgin would have blood untainted by humanity. There is only One Man who has been born of a virgin: Jesus Christ. And His Blood can be transfused into you today. Four-year-old Billy was informed that his three-year-old sister had a very serious disease that required a draining of her infected blood and a transfusion of healthy blood. “Billy, would you be willing to share your blood with your little sister?” asked the doctor. Billy looked at the doctor. His chin began to quiver. A tear rolled down his chubby little cheek, and he said, “Okay, Doctor.” The nurse came in, stuck a needle in Billy’s arm, and began to draw blood from him. After a few minutes, she removed the needle from his vein and said, “Okay, Billy. You’re all done,” to which Billy replied, “Well, when do I die?” You see, Billy thought when the doctor asked him to give his blood, it meant he would give his life for his little sister. Seeker, skeptic, non-believerthere is One who did, indeed, give His life by giving His blood. Jesus Christ so loved you that He poured out His blood in order that it might be transfused into you. He drained Himself that He might give you life. You who have never believed, you who have never opened up your heart to Himyou are dying. The toxins of your past and the sin of your present struggle are making you sicker and weaker by the day. Jesus said, “Unless you drink of My blood, open your heart and receive My life, you’ll die in your sin.” God loved you so much, precious friend, that He became a Man in Christ Jesus, born of a virgin, so that His bloodpure and untaintedcould cleanse, nourish, and strengthen you today. And you who know the Lordwhat if we were really convinced His blood would provide nutrition that would sustain us eternally? What if we knew beyond any doubt that the blood of Jesus Christ would produce in us cleansing that would invigorate us completely? What if we truly believed that by taking in His blood, we would be protected from infections that would otherwise destroy us spiritually? I hope you will place a high priority on the Lord’s table, for in so doing, you will begin to experience the wonder-working power of His blood in your life. May you be renewed by and committed to His shed blood, His shared blood in a fresh way today.

Acts 20:29

“After I leave,” said Paul, “wolves will move in.” You can always recognize wolves because, rather than feed the flock, they’ll fleece the flock. A wolf in sheep’s clothing looks like a sheep, smells like a sheep, and may even bleat like a sheep. The only difference between a sheep and a wolf in sheep’s clothing is their diet. Wolves eat sheep. And you can always identify a wolf because inevitably there will be sheep carcasses in his wake.

Acts 20:30

“Not only will wolves from the outside sneak in,” warned Paul, “but perverse men will stir things up from within.”

Acts 20:31

Paul not only fed the flockhe warned them night and day. So, too, in our own families or ministries: If we feed but don’t warn, we’re just fattening up the flock for the kill. Years ago, an eight-and-a-half-foot Burmese python escaped in Medford, Oregon. When hungry, he was capable of eating small animals or even babies. Now, suppose I said, “Folks, there’s an eight-and-a-half-foot python slithering around and I know where he is. But I don’t want to offend or frighten anyone unnecessarily, so I won’t be too specific in telling you his location.” You’d think I was crazy! Why, then, is the tendency in ministry to say, “There are some general things we should watch out for, but I don’t want to name names or be too specific lest people say I’m not very loving”? Folks, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Paul named those who were poisoning the people of God (1Ti_1:20). So, too, although we must not be judgmental for condemnation, we must be analytical for the purpose of protection and correction in order that those new in the faith won’t get swallowed by the Enemy.

Acts 20:32

Knowing he would never again see these men this side of heaven, Paul said, “I commend you to God.” The same is true of our kids and the people we serve. We feed, warn, and love them. But ultimately, we must say, “God, they’re Yours.” Grace is what will build you up. So often in ministry or service, parenting or discipling, we tend to emphasize what man should do rather than what God has done. In Ephesians 4-6, Paul stressed the behavior of the believerbut not until after he had spent chapters 1-3 telling us we’re blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, that we’re in Christ, that we have been adopted and sanctified. Paul spoke of what God had done before he spoke of what man should do. I can say to my kids or to the people to whom I’m ministering, “Read your Bible. Worship. Pray. And they’ll do it out of obligation for a day or two. But once they begin to understand that they are loved unconditionally, that they are in Christ, that their sin, past, present, and future, is washed awaythey will worship and pray, witness and serve not because they have to but because they get to. The inheritance waiting for you is incredibly wonderful. Don’t allow anything to obscure that fact. Paul said to these men whom he knew would go through difficulties, troubles, and challenges, “Remember the inheritance that is yours. Keep focused. Keep centered on the eternal.”

Acts 20:33

At one point, Paul did covet (Rom_7:7). At this point, however, he says, “I have coveted after no man’s gold, silver, or apparel.” It has been rightly said that the happiest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least. The young bride flashed her diamond ring at the party. It was the biggest rock anyone in attendance had seen. “Wow,” they said. “Where did you get that diamond?” “This is the famous Rabinowitz diamond, the second largest diamond in the world,” she said. “But it comes with a curse.” “A curse?” asked her friends. “Yes,” she answered. “It comes with Mr. Rabinowitz.” Aren’t we discovering that things that are flashy and shiny come with a curse? Once you get them, you’ve got to maintain them, worry about them, and keep track of them. Paul was free from the curse that accompanies material possessions because they were no longer important to him.

Acts 20:34

Paul didn’t want gifts for himself. He wanted fruit for the believers. You see, whenever you give to a ministrywhether in service, finances, or prayerwhatever the Lord does through that ministry goes to your account eternally. That’s why giving is such a good deal!

Acts 20:35

I have heard preachers use this text to say, “Since it is more blessed to give than to receive, give to my ministry and you’ll be blessed.” But, folks, keep the context of this verse in mind. Paul was giving of himself, not asking for himself. To the rich young ruler, Jesus said, “You’re in bondage to material things. Go sell all your goods and give to the poor.” He didn’t say, “Give to Me.” He said, “Give to the poor” (see Mat_19:21). Does that mean you should give your tithe to the poor? No, because the tithe is not yours to giveit’s God’s. When people say, “I’m not going to bring my tithe to church. I have a Jesus Fund and I’ll just give wherever I want,” I say, “Hold on. The tithe isn’t something for you to figure out what to do with or how to spendit’s God’s. Now, if you want to give to the poor above and beyond your tithe, terrific! You’ll be blessed indeed. Just make sure it’s your money, howevernot God’s.” Studies have shown that if Christians would tithe, within two years, every church facility in the world would be paid for, every ministry would be functional and out of debt, every Christian University, Bible school, and training center would be funded, and every hungry person would be fed. People wonder why ministries struggle or why people starvebut if Christians would be obedient to God’s principle of the tithe, incredible power would be released through the church. In verse Act_20:33, Paul said, “I have not coveted.” In verse Act_20:35, he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I believe the proximity of these two statements is more than coincidental because the divine prescription for the disease of coveting is giving. Look at Abraham. After he rescued Lot and Lot’s servants, the king of Sodom offered him anything he wanted. Abraham looked him in the eye and said, “I won’t take even a shoelace from you” (Gen_14:23). Why was Abraham not enticed by the offer of the king of Sodom? Because he had met the King of Salem. You see, before the king of Sodom came to Abraham, another King appeared to himMelchizedek, the King of Salem, whose name means “King of Righteousness.” Melchizedek was a Christophanyan Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ. And Abraham fell before Him and paid tithes to Him (Gen_14:20). The principle is practical and powerful. That is, because Abraham paid his tithes to the Lord, he could look the world in the eye and say, “I’m not interested in what you have to offer.” How do you defeat greediness in your own life? Give to the Lord, and, like Abraham and Paul, you will covet no more.

Acts 20:36

Paul finished his message, and with tears and prayer, he went on his way.