Easter at Troas

All in the same fashion as Elijah the Old Testament prophet of power and signs and wonders this apostle now representing this new dispensation to a new church went down in the embrace this why this young man they had already begun the Middle Eastern Way all over the dad. Paul said stop is a lot. What a demonstration of the life-giving power of the gospel of Jesus Christ who represents our over death.

God, but healings can also be staged by false teachers.

God can perform miracles and signs and wonders can also be counterfeit. In fact, you've probably seen videos of false teachers performing false miracles in our day.

So what's the definitive proof that Jesus is the son of God. Well it's the resurrection and asked 20 that reality was dramatically illustrated. As Paul was preaching in the city of Tropez keep listening to learn how this is wisdom for the heart Stephen Dave.

He is taking us to ask 20 verses one through 16 in this message. Called Eastern Petrobras nearly 2000 years ago a man stepped onto the scene of Jewish history and proclaimed in elf to be the Messiah. Jerusalem, for a moment saying his praises and they believe that he was the one in 135 A.D. this Messiah want to be mounted an insurrection against Rome and actually one Jerusalem for brief period of time. But then in another battle. This man named Simon, son of Koh Siva was beaten on the battlefield executed and buried a thousand years later another man stepped onto the scene and declared that he was the Messiah, and many believed they saying his praises in the year 1666 of all years is that the was his name was captured and imprisoned by the Sultan of modern-day Turkey which is just northwest of Israel today. But while he was imprisoned.

He did the unthinkable.

He changed sides and became a Muslim 300 years after that another man, this time in our generation stepped onto the scene and declared he was the Messiah's name was Rabbi Manasseh him. Schneerson and he was followed the friends of Israel organization calculated by more than 300,000 Jews. He lived in Brooklyn but had a house built in Israel by his followers, they were convinced he was the Messiah. They had long waited for even as he lay in a hospital in New York, dying, paralyzed by a series of strokes, unable to speak. One of the leaders within his movement interviewed with reporters and said we believe that he will recover. Lead us back to Israel and rebuild the temple, this one died and was buried. These men were not the long-awaited Messiah. They either abandoned their mission or they failed to defeat the one enemy that King David said the true Messiah would defeat the enemy called death. They all failed. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the defining, authenticating demonstration that he himself is the Messiah. Healings could be staged supernatural phenomena could be faked. Genealogies could be forged, but coming back from the dead would be the thing that would undeniably irrefutably marked him as the Messiah. What's more, according to Ephesians chapter 2, the church, the Jesus Christ founded would be a church made up of people who like Christ were dead in sin and trespasses, but who were made alive in Christ. Now Jesus Christ, as you know, stands alone.

He is the only one who ever declared in that long line of messiahs and messiahs yet to have come to have ever boldly stated I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. That's quite a claim he backed it up by living beyond the grave. He validated that claim and he will validated again at the second trumpet when the graves will empty the remains of those have already died in Christ to be reunited with her spirits that have already been enjoying heaven with Christ.

But between that first resurrection of our Lord in this coming resurrection of the rapture.

Did you know the Jesus Christ illustrated his power over death. Again he chose to illustrated in a little town named Truax as I invite your attention to the book of acts into the place where we left off in our study through this book of action now in chapter 20 verse one acts chapter 20 verse one. If you were with us in our last discussion. There was a riot in Ephesus. This picks up by saying after the riot had ceased Paulson for the disciples and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he departed to go to Macedonia when he had gone through those districts in a given the much exhortation again degrees in there. He spent three months and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria fidelity plan to assassinate him on that book, he determined the return through Macedonia numbers for and he was accompanied by so painter of Berea, the son of Paris and by Aristarchus and Secunda's of the Thessalonians and Gaius of Derby, and Timothy and ticket piston Truax for most of Asia but these are gone ahead and were waiting for us at trial is not stop for a moment sometimes. Luke shows you the videotape in slow motion where you can see every possible detail.

At other times it's like he puts the tape and pushes play and then pushes fast forward and you sit there and you watch the events. Why by sometimes so fast is your reading Luke that you want to say knowing a second look.

They are well below, we want some more information. We don't have much here for reasons known only to the inspiring spirit of God. Lou just raced through some very fruitful months of Paul in Greece so fruitful that by the time he left he had penned his masterpiece. We know has the book of Romans and also a second letter to the Corinthian church, but for whatever reason will discover why in a moment. Luke is sort of racing toward an event because that's where he's focused he wants us to be this and is like he can barely wait to we get there.

Verse six and we sailed from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came to them at Truax as within five days and there we stayed seven days and on the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day in April, prolonged his message until midnight enough. Your reading. If you circled every time. Luke referred to some chronological call you that circle were days five times in two verses notice for six. The days of unleavened bread, five days seven days the first day of the week that a part of her seven the next day.

What a look at a new day timer here.

He's he's keeping everything carefully is why the almost obsession with timing when there are a couple of reasons.

These reasons would be entirely lost upon the Bible student who didn't stop to ask some critical questions we easily pick up our Bible and unfortunately in an undisciplined way we open and we say okay now what is this mean to me without first asking the question what it means, then, when did it take place. Where did it take place.

Sometimes, by asking the questions where and when great significance can be gained.

The student the word.

For instance, when Jesus Christ stood, and he said I am the light of the world.

That's an incredible statement and yet it explodes with even deeper meanings.

You recognize the context is the festival of Ruth's disappearing in Israel's history where they celebrated in the beginning of the celebration at the beginning there was a ceremony called the illumination of the temple and inside the treasury. There were four gigantic candelabra and they would be lit in the ceremony. Josephus says that the light from those candelabra was so brilliant that every courtyard in Jerusalem was bathed with light. Jesus said I am the light of the world. John tells us he said that in the treasury.

Interestingly enough, he said it the day after the festival ended which means now as his backdrop. He has these large candelabra that have been snuffed out in the temple was once darkened he with these in the background, said to his audience. I am the light of the world you will follow me will never walk in darkness, as if to say, the light of Judaism would last only days, but his light was eternal. Well, when you come to acts chapter 20 if you asked the question that Luke evidently wants us to ask.

Okay, Luke say again when did this happen before we get to what happened.

Notice verse six again after the days of unleavened bread. What was this period of time known as the Passover a time when Israel remembered it since Kate from from Egypt, a time when God commanded through Moses for every Israelite family to take a little lamb and kill it roast and eat it but take some of the blood of that lamb and put on the doorpost of their little slave shacks because a death Angel was coming into the land and those who had blood on their doorpost would be saved. The angel would pass over them. That's where they got the word Passover from those that didn't have the blood on the doorpost the death Angel would take the firstborn of every family and death so they obey as far as we can tell and the death Angel came sweeping under the land and just as God promised he passed over the homes where the blood was applied. It was during this particular time when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God was crucified while the Israelites were eating their lambs that they had killed and rusted the Lamb of God hung on the cross could come to rescue people from eternal death.

Now this text tells us it was after that that is after the crucifixion. After the time when the Lamb was slain. So what are we waiting for next what comes next Easter, the time when we remember as it were, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That was the time when this was going to occur in notice again. Verse seven on the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread is another important piece to understand this is the very first time in the New Testament we read that the church met collectively on Sunday. It would become known by the time you get to Revelation chapter 1 verse 10 as the Lord's day. It was a day in which Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and he became a significant day that the church selected to worship the resurrected Lord. So by the time you get to Revelation chapter 20 they are celebrating they are breaking the bread definite article indicating communion there. Remembering his death, his burial and his resurrection on the Lord's day because that was the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Now without his introduction let's find what happened now that we know when it happened. Verse eight and there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together in a notice Luke uses the word we he's an eyewitness to this account but with of what's about to happen. Verse nine and there was a certain young man then Utica's sitting on the windowsill sinking into a deep sleep and as Paul kept on talking.

He was overcome by sleep stop here. I find it incredibly encouraging the somebody fell asleep. Even when Paul was preaching.

I just want to see you back to sleep now. By the way, here. Better to fall asleep in church than come to church and never be awake. It says here that Utica's was overcome by sleep the tense of the verb indicates he was fighting his eyes were just gonna drink then and his head was going down in Lebanon say too much because you might start doing what I'm doing, but he was fighting while Paul just preached on and on and on and on until midnight and finally he was overcome by sleep now it isn't funny. He fell down from the third floor were literally the third loft and was picked up dead.

Was he really did here will Luke the physician says that he was picked up not cross.

That is, he was picked up a corpse. In fact, Luke, the doctor may have been the one who pronounced him dead but verse 10.

But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him said do not be troubled for life is in him. Paul, in the same fashion as Elijah the Old Testament prophet of power and signs and wonders this apostle now representing this new dispensation to a new church went down and he embraced this why this young man wrapped his arms around and put his body on top of his. And then you can just sort of imagine them getting up and brushing himself often saying stop the commotion in the tense of the verb indicates that the rioting or the confusion and Artie begun to practice the same word translated riot you read earlier when the Ephesians rioted, they had already begun the Middle Eastern Way all over the dad and Paul said stop is alive and when he had gone back up verse 11 and it broken the bread and eaten. He talked with him a long while until daybreak and so departed and they took away the boy alive and were greatly comforted an illustration of resurrection power when a demonstration of the life-giving power of the gospel of Jesus Christ who represents power over death, nor all these things coincidental to the text of these things just kind of happen in a happenstance way or are they significant to the event that occurred they are significant Passover has just ended. The Lamb has been slain Christ had been crucified now. Easter is in the air. This event occurred on the first day of the week, the day when Jesus Christ came back to life the day here in acts chapter 20 we find the church. Perhaps for the first time, or at least recorded in the first time as having met together corporately to worship the resurrected Lord and you remember the primary theme of Paul's preaching was what the resurrection and his long sermon. No doubt he's somewhere in there. Talked about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Can you imagine this for a sermon illustration.

Imagine following the preaching of the resurrection we will have a live demonstration.

That's exactly what happened there even more analogies that can be drawn here, for instance, all mankind is in a fallen state for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Paul writes we were all dead in sin and trespasses, but by means of God's rich mercy he made us alive and I thought about the fact that Utica's could do nothing, absolutely nothing for Paul in order to live. You know that he could give any money to Paul. He couldn't promise to be a more obedient young man he can turn over a new leaf. He couldn't promise to never sleep in church again. You can get baptized. He could only be the recipient of this gift of grace the gift of life. Utica's could never go around trouble as saying you believe it would. Paul and I did. Paul wrote in Colossians chapter 2 when you were dead in your transgressions and the on circumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven all of your transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. In other words, the work of salvation is the work belonging to Christ alone and none of us will ever take the credit for sewing one stitch into our garments of righteousness that we will one day where another interesting thing to me here is that Utica's. His name means fortunate. You're right that in the margin of your Bible. Fortunate. So is every person here is alive in Jesus Christ. Paul said you've been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians chapter 1 verse three you could you could rename all of us have come to faith in Christ fortunate fortunate well one more thing and I'm finished.

How old was Utica's while in verse nine, were told that he was a young man.

The Greek word is Oneonta's linguists tell us that that would mean a man from the age of 24 took 40 and yet in verse 12. It's a different word.

The word Haida, which is usually rendered as it is in my text young boy or little boy is there some seemingly trivial contradiction. Perhaps unless you translate the word in verse 12.

Haida differently you see the word pie.can be translated slave servant here's a man and worked all day and was overcome by exhaustion. If there was ever a wonderful picture of humanity.

It was Utica's enslaved Jesus said, truly, truly, I say to you, the one who sins is enslaved to sin. But if the sun shall set you free, you shall be free indeed. John eight verse 32 says you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. Utica's represents all of us in here one point in time, enslaved, fallen, debt.

But then we are embraced by grace, and death turns in the life and all of this happened around Easter time.

The anniversary of the resurrection of Christ and the birth of the church, a church built upon the truth of this true Messiah who declared that he was the one and only true one who said and then validated and then demonstrated the truth of that claim. When he said I the resurrection and the life, the one who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Father, we thank you for the truth of your word and this incredible statement by your son that was proven in this little town prove to us that life is indeed found in the saving Gospel of Christ, Lord, if there are any here today who have been working hard have been attempting to find their way into your family. May they become truly fortunate today by realizing they can do nothing.

Your grace has done it all and simply receive what has been done in their stand. We prayed in Jesus so glad you were able to be with us for this time in God's word, thanks for joining us this is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Devi here at wisdom for the heart. We bring you a message from God's word.

Each weekday. Stephen's passion is to teach the Bible faithfully and accurately. His desire is that you will grow in your relationship with God by spending time in the word each day in a couple moments I want to share with you some ways that you can connect with us, but let me first share with you what some other listeners wrote to say here's one. Thanks for taking care of getting your resource to me. I wanted you and your team to know that I've used your materials for years in my own personal Bible study and in my group studies I host in my neighborhood three years ago I invited my entire building, which consisted of 10 total apartments to our study and seven of the 10 showed up in every case, none of them had ever opened up a Bible. It was their first study. My next-door neighbor accepted the Lord last year as a result of the study the material that I used focused on the Gospel of John, and I used your materials from John to teach the lessons.

Thanks again for what you and the ministry does to spread the word that came from vents in Williamsburg, Virginia, and then one more your reminder in a past issue of heart-to-heart magazine gave me additional confirmation that God was in control when he called my baby brother into his presence. Thank you for your timely message of love, hope and faith.

You are a blessing to me and countless millions around the world and that's from Shirley in San Antonio, Texas, and if you friend would like to send Stephen a note as well. Here's the three best ways to do it. You can write to us at wisdom for the hearts. PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627 if you want to email us the address to use is info@wisdomonline.org and finally we have a form on our website that you can use to communicate with us.

Visit us online@wisdomonline.org and there's a form there the magazine that Shirley mentioned is something we'd like to show you if you haven't seen it before. You can call us at 86 648 Bible and will sign you up to receive the next three issues as our gift that monthly resource includes articles written by Stephen that explore various topics related to the Christian life. For example, some of the past themes have included the Christian's relationship with politics. The rapture in the tribulation. A biblical perspective on suffering and more.

The magazine also has a daily devotional guide we call the magazine heart-to-heart. We automatically send heart-to-heart magazine to all of our wisdom partners. It's our way of saying thank you to those who make this ministry possible. You can sign up for it on our website. Wisdom online.or you can call us today our number is 86 648 Bible. That's 866-482-4253. We'd love to talk with you and introduce you to this resource heart-to-heart magazine. Thanks for joining us today. Be with us next time. For more