Podcasts about Miletus

Daily QuoteTime is the wisest of all things that are; for it brings everything to light. (Thales of Miletus)Poem of the DayEver and Ever I Feel ItHerman HesseBeauty of Words槐花季羡林

Acts 20 records that after the riot Paul calls for and encourages the ecclesia before departing into Macedonia. Six brethren accompany him as the representatives of their ecclesias. These delegates are carrying relief funds for the poor believers in Judea who are suffering the effects of a great famine. The chapter says Paul stops at Miletus and requests that the elders of Ephesus join him for final words of encouraging and warning. The Apostle gives a very long talk, and because of the poor ventilation in the room a young man named Eutychus falls asleep in the window and he falls three storeys to the ground and is pronounced dead. Paul miraculously raises Eutychus and continues preaching until sunrise. Paul's intentions of a quick visit in to Macedonia appear to have been thwarted and he is now hurrying to Jerusalem to arrive before the feast of Pentecost. The Apostle's speech to the Ephesian elders is recorded from verses 18-35. In summary he tells them of their solemn responsibilities, warning them of a decline due to those who would seek leadership for their own advantage. On the positive side, Paul, in verse 32, commends them to God and the Word of His grace – read aloud, pause and ponder. The Apostle also quotes some unrecorded words of our Lord Jesus Christ – “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (v35). The assembled group pray together on the beach and then an old prophet warns Paul of what would come upon him from the time of his arriving in Jerusalem. They greatly sorrow that they will see his face no more, but they respect Paul's resolute courage.

Deuteronomy chapter 25 verses 1-4 tells that for disputes between neighbours in which it becomes apparent that a crime has been committed for which there was no death penalty a judgment is made an the punishment is decided. If a beating was required than the guilty man was to be beaten with stripes from a rod – the number of hits was to be less than 40. Verses 5-11 describe laws for levirate marriages. These were to produce an heir to a family whose father had died without a child. We find several examples of the application of this rule in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Matthew 1, which we believe is Joseph – Jesus' stepfather's – ancestral line there is a levarite marriage. Verses 12-19 contains miscellaneous laws which have their focus on the morality to be evident in the lives of the LORD's holy people. These range from improper sexual practices, to just weights and measures. The nation of Israel is to continually wage war against Amalek and everything that nation stands for. Song of Solomon 5 begins with an invitation by the groom to his spouse to satiate themselves with perfume and edible delicacies. In verse 2 the companions of the bride with a strong affirmation of the benefits of doing this. From verses 2-8 the bride expresses her deep feelings for her husband which means she is sleeping lightly in the hope of his arrival. She speaks passionately of the hope of her husband's company. The bride laments her inability to find her beloved. She spoke of the hinderance, indeed the abuse, to her from Jerusalem's watchmen. This is of course symbolic of the ecclesia's ill treatment by the authorities in the first century AD. The bride weeps and mourns the absence of her Lord. Her companions in verse 9 perhaps suggest to her that she is enduring too much for her groom. From verses 10-16 she tells her companions of the greatness of her incomparable husband. We must share that longing and towering respect for our absent Master. Acts 20 records that after the riot Paul calls for and encourages the ecclesia before departing into Macedonia. Six brethren accompany him as the representatives of their ecclesias. These delegates are carrying relief funds for the poor believers in Judea who are suffering the effects of a great famine. The chapter says Paul stops at Miletus and requests that the elders of Ephesus join him for final words of encouraging and warning. The Apostle gives a very long talk, and because of the poor ventilation in the room a young man named Eutychus falls asleep in the window and he falls three storeys to the ground and is pronounced dead. Paul miraculously raises Eutychus and continues preaching until sunrise. Paul's intentions of a quick visit in to Macedonia appear to have been thwarted and he is now hurrying to Jerusalem to arrive before the feast of Pentecost. The Apostle's speech to the Ephesian elders is recorded from verses 18-35. In summary he tells them of their solemn responsibilities, warning them of a decline due to those who would seek leadership for their own advantage. On the positive side, Paul, in verse 32, commends them to God and the Word of His grace – read aloud, pause and ponder. The Apostle also quotes some unrecorded words of our Lord Jesus Christ – “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (v35). The assembled group pray together on the beach and then an old prophet warns Paul of what would come upon him from the time of his arriving in Jerusalem. They greatly sorrow that they will see his face no more, but they respect Paul's resolute courage.

Title: Qualities of an Elder Text: Acts 20:13-27 FCF: We all struggle when our leaders are ungodly. Prop: Because an Elder must be and continue to be blameless, so all Elders and would be Elders must endure in these same qualities. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 20. In a moment we'll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 13. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week we noted Luke's shift in focus as his book hastens toward its close. Since the remainder of the book is concerning Paul's travels to Jerusalem, his imprisonment, his travel to Rome, and imprisonment there – Luke now shifts his attention to the character, person, and instructions of Paul. He began this last week by focusing on Paul's top priority. To the expense of himself, Paul desired greatly to instruct God's people in His ways. This was his primary objective. Such clarity in purpose reveals to us how all church leaders should prioritize the spiritual instruction of God's people. Today we will lean even more into the discussion of what godly church leaders should be, as Paul summons the Elders of Ephesus to himself to give them parting words of instruction before he goes on to Jerusalem. Let's see what he has to say. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Most Holy God, we come to You as Your children seeking wisdom and instruction from Your Word. We praise You Father for giving through Your Son and empowering through Your Spirit, undershepherds who care for the flock that You have claimed as Your own. We praise You for sending watchmen among us to watch out for wolves and to feed and to guide us. We pray that You would use this text this morning to equip us to understand and pursue all that You have given us regarding godly Elders. And we pray desperately that You would continue to bless us with men who love You and are called to serve. We ask this in Jesus' name amen. Transition: Let's get right to the text this morning. I.) Paul demonstrated the qualities necessary for all church leaders, so all Elders and would be Elders must endure in these same qualities. (13-21) a. [Slide 2] 13 – But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos (AH-sohs), intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. 14 - And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene (my-tell-EEE- knee). 15 - And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios (KEY-ohs); and the next day we crossed over to Samos (SAM-ahs); and the day following we came to Miletus (my-LEE-tuhs). 16 - For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. 17 - Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. i. [Slide 3] On the screen behind me is the travel map of Paul and his 8 companions. ii. Luke records that by the plan of Paul, he desired to go by land from Troas to meet them in Assos. iii. Since this was Paul's plan all along, and we aren't told why, it is likely some unknown-to-us reason that Paul desired to travel by land on the first leg of the journey to Assos (AH-sohs). iv. More than likely, this took a couple days for Paul to catch up. v. Then they all sailed to Mitylene (my-tih-LEE-knee). Then the next day they came to what Luke calls the opposite of Chios (KEY-ohs). By this he probably intends the eastern side of the island of Chios as the map depicts. vi. Then the next day they came over to Samos (SAM-ahs), which is the unnamed island on the bottom. vii. Then the following day they came to Miletus (my-LEE-tuhs). viii. Miletus is about 25 miles south of Ephesus. ix. It has probably been about two years since Paul was in Ephesus at this point. x. Here Paul is faced with a dilemma. He loves the church of Ephesus and the Elders whom he helped to appoint and guide in that city. But he knew that if he stopped in to Asia to meet with them, he would be held up there. Most likely because of the love they had for him and he for them. xi. But, Paul is being led by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem and to make it before Pentecost. xii. Most likely, Pentecost is only a few weeks away when he lands in Miletus. xiii. Nevertheless, Paul cannot ignore the church in Ephesus completely. He had spent 3 years ministering to them. So, what is he to do? xiv. Paul decides to send for the Ephesian Elders to come and meet him. b. [Slide 4] 18 - And when they had come to him, he said to them, i. From verse 18 through verse 35 we have recorded for us one of the fullest expressions in the scriptures of what Elders are to be and what Elders are to do. ii. We will take half of his exhortation this week and next week we will look at the rest. iii. The first half is mostly Paul instructing them from his own example. c. [Slide 5] “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, i. The very first thing Paul exhorts them with is his own example of how he ministered in the city of Ephesus. ii. From their own observation and experience, they know that Paul was with them the whole time. iii. This probably is not referring to Paul staying with someone, or not leaving the city. iv. More likely this is Paul indicating that he lived his life before them. They observed him in the most basic functions of human existence all the way to worship services, and evangelism, and discipleship, and preaching, and prayer, and everything in-between. v. He was not separated from them but was with them. vi. But what did they observe of him while he was with them? d. [Slide 6] 19 - serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; i. They saw Paul under pressure. ii. [Slide 7] And the first pressure they observed Paul endure was his own flesh battling against his pedigree. 1. Paul had every reason to be proud. He began a successful church in the city of Ephesus. He taught for three years avoiding persecution from the Ephesians for almost the entire stay. 2. He was a good speaker. He was wise. He was followed by many. 3. Not only that but he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, a Roman citizen, and well-respected by many powerful people. 4. But in the midst of this the Ephesian Elders observed that Paul served the Lord in all humility. 5. Paul put the needs of others above the needs of himself. 6. He was meek, he was lowly. He was a servant to all. 7. He did not demand that others wait on him, instead he became the servant to them for the sake of Christ, his Lord. 8. He did not expect due compensation for all his work like the traveling philosophers and preachers of his time. Instead, he was content with whatever he had. 9. In this way, Paul served the Lord, as merely a slave to His master's will. iii. [Slide 8] The second pressure they observed Paul endure was the weight of his mission. 1. Paul served the Lord with tears. 2. Paul was passionate about the mission and the message that he was sent by Christ to give. 3. Paul wept with them and plead with them to follow the Lord. 4. Paul cried with tears of joy as they came to Christ and turned from their sin and their idols. 5. Paul no doubt shed many tears when many of them confessed their former dalliances with magic and as they burned their books in rejecting their former ways, never to go back. 6. Paul mourned the tragedy of those who denied Christ, many of whom were his own kinsmen. 7. Paul wept over believers who chose to continue in sin and did not desire to be corrected, like with the Corinthians. 8. Paul sobbed tears of joy when the Corinthians repented and returned. 9. Paul cried over false teachers making shipwreck of believers' faith. 10. Truly Paul's mission was weighty. iv. [Slide 9] The third pressure they observed in Paul was the persecution from the Jews. 1. Paul served the Lord even with his trials. 2. He rejoiced in suffering at the hands of the Jews. For His own Savior had suffered also at the hands of the Jews. 3. He endured the many plots from them all over the empire and even in Ephesus, to destroy him and the message he taught. 4. Through it all, Paul's eyes were on Christ, knowing that he could endure all of it and more through Christ who gives him strength. v. Paul did not bow to the pressures he faced. He had excellent moral character and spiritual strength. He was blameless. vi. But what did he do with such noble character? e. [Slide 10] 20 - how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, i. Against secret societies, hidden knowledge cults, Gnosticism, free masonry, scientology, Mormonism and any other religious group that trickles out secret knowledge to those who are loyal… ii. Paul did not withdraw or shy away from sharing with them everything he knew that was profitable for them. Everything that was expedient to them, he told them. iii. These mystery cults and philosophical and religious gurus ensure that you will continue to support them or their faith by holding back information you need, until you have sufficiently paid for it. iv. Not Paul. v. Paul gave them everything he knew that could help them. vi. He knew a good deal more about the law and about Judaism and about being a Pharisee. But this was not expedient to them. It was not profitable. But the things of Christ? The way of faith? The grace of God? vii. Of these, he told them everything he could. viii. And he didn't do it privately to only a few wealthy people, as if to peddle this gospel for personal gain. ix. Instead, he shared all this publicly, teaching in the hall of Tyrannus. And when those discussions continued, he went to houses and taught too. x. There was no membership fee, no subscription model, no downloadable content. xi. He passionately pursued any who desired to be taught the ways of the Lord. f. [Slide 11] 21 - solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. i. Finally, we see Paul say that they observed the undeniable fact that he, with great seriousness and sincerity, bore witness to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. ii. Paul shared the gospel, even after the church was founded there in Ephesus. iii. And he shared the gospel to every person he came in contact with regardless of their heritage or lineage. iv. We know that the Jews were despised and mocked in Ephesus. We know from the letter to the Ephesians Paul emphasizes the church being one made of both Jews and Gentiles. v. Paul passionately and sincerely bore witnesses to all men about the command of God for all men to repent toward God and receive faith in Jesus. g. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Luke dutifully records Paul's exhortation to the Elders of Ephesus as he commends them to continuing the work there in their city. Paul's opening point is the track record that he exemplified while he was among them. He was a man who selflessly served the Lord by serving them, through tears and trails. He taught them in season and out of season. He reproved, rebuked, corrected and instructed them in all that was helpful to them, and he did the work of an evangelist calling all kinds of men to repentance toward God and faith in Christ. But they knew all this. They observed him for three years being this kind of man. So, what is Paul's message? What is Luke telling us? Quite simply – the church needs this caliber of man to be Elders. In fact, for every Elder or would be Elder, it is safe for us to conclude that this should be our character profile. Transition: [Slide 13 (blank)] Paul leaves the past and now looks to the uncertainty of the future. Will he be the same man? Will he make changes? If the pressure increases, will he break? II.) Paul will continue to demonstrate these qualities despite the cost, so all Elders and would be Elders must endure in these same qualities. (22-27) a. [Slide 14] 22 - And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 - except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me. i. Paul leaves the past and now looks to the future. ii. He knows that he must go to Jerusalem. We saw before how he resolved to go to Jerusalem and now, we see that this was by direct leading of the Holy Spirit. iii. Paul has no idea what to expect when he arrives. It has been about 5 years since he last went to Jerusalem. He went there after his second missionary journey and before heading to Ephesus. iv. In fact, the only thing he does know is what the Holy Spirit continues to remind him of in every city he visits. v. Really it is the prediction that Christ gave to Ananias at Paul's conversion. Jesus said, “I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” vi. The Holy Spirit has revealed that many afflictions and imprisonments await Paul in the near future. vii. So, he doesn't know what will happen in Jerusalem, but he does know that he is going to suffer imprisonments and afflictions for the name of Christ. viii. What is the moral fiber of Paul? What is his outlook here? b. [Slide 15] 24 - But I do not make my life of any account nor dear to myself, i. Paul is holding his life loosely. ii. He is not fighting to stay alive at all costs. He is not striving to avoid all pain and anguish. iii. If the Holy Spirit has revealed that this is God's will for him – it would be foolish to resist and to fight against it. iv. Paul will not flee like Jonah. v. Why? c. [Slide 16] so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. i. Jesus gave Paul a job to do. ii. He is to go and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to Jews, to Gentiles, and to Kings. iii. Well, so far, he has not proclaimed the gospel to kings. iv. He has certainly had audiences with many powerful and wealthy people. Some of them have even come to Christ. v. But, to date, Paul has never stood before any rulers to preach the gospel. vi. So, his mission is not complete. vii. Here we see again his desire to sincerely or solemnly testify to the gospel of the grace of God. viii. There are many perspectives on soteriology. For the last four hundred years the church has been enamored with the discussion of Arminianism vs. Calvinism. ix. I'm not going to talk about either right now. x. But one thing is for sure. If the gospel you believe is not a gospel of God's grace, then it is not the gospel at all. xi. So, what is grace? 1. We have all memorized the quick definition – unmerited favor. 2. And that is a fine definition of the word grace. 3. But if we are talking about God's grace and specifically God's grace in salvation, which is what Paul is talking about here, I do not believe the definition “unmerited favor” is sufficient. 4. So, how would I define God's grace in salvation? 5. It is simply this. God accomplishes 100% of our salvation. 6. There is no step that God has left to us in order to be saved. 7. According to Romans 3:24, we are justified as a gift by His grace through Christ's redemption. 8. [Slide 17] Another way to remember what grace is, is by the acronym for GRACE 9. God's 10. Riches 11. At 12. Christ's 13. Expense 14. God delivers the gift of all his riches, indeed sonship and becoming heirs to His throne, at the expense of Christ. 15. Notice that this still has nothing to do with us. Our response isn't factored in yet, for God has given His riches because of the redemption of His Son. 16. Now this isn't denying that there are necessary responses flowing out of that gift of justification by grace through Christ's work. 17. In fact, in the other instance in this text in which Paul talks about sincerely testifying about the gospel he explains the command and the responsibility of Jews and Greeks to respond in repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. 18. But God uses our repentance and faith, both of which the scriptures teach us are ALSO gifts He gives to us, God by grace uses this gifted repentance and faith as means to unite us to our gifted justification. 19. [Slide 18] To suggest that God has accomplished even 99.9% of our salvation and waits on us to do the other .1% - is to make another gospel… one that is not GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense, but is in fact, God's Riches Awaiting Mankind's Submission. I know that spells GRAMS which isn't great… 20. [Slide 19] but My point is not for you to remember GRAMS but GRACE! 21. Call yourself an Arminian. Call yourself a Calvinist. Refuse to take a title. It matters very little. 22. But if your gospel is not ALL of God – then it isn't the gospel of the Grace of God that Paul preached. And that means… it isn't the gospel at all. d. [Slide 20] 25 - And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. i. Now Paul laments the fact that most likely, he will never see any of the Ephesian Elders again. ii. Is Paul being overly dramatic here? iii. No. Paul knows that his future will be full of all kinds of difficulties. iv. And as far as we know, Paul never did return to Ephesus. Paul will go to Rome as a prisoner. He will be release and then spend time in and around the Adriatic Sea between Italy and Greece, and potentially even going as far as Spain. But eventually he will be imprisoned for the last time and beheaded by Emperor Nero. v. So no, Paul isn't being dramatic. vi. He went among them and preached the Kingdom of Christ- of which they were now a part and working to do the same. vii. But never again will he see them. viii. In light of this, Paul wants to say one more thing about the future… and specifically their future. Then he will move to exhorting them. ix. We won't get to the exhortation this week, but let's look at what Paul says about their future… e. [Slide 21] 26 - Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all. 27 - For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. i. Much like God commanded Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:17 and 18 warning him to be a watchmen for the people and warn them when God tells him to warn them, Paul recuses himself from any guilt that might be placed on him for the spiritual futures of any of these Elders present with him, and for any of the church in Ephesus. ii. Why? iii. Because he did not hesitate to tell them all that God had revealed. iv. If any of these Elders bring a different teaching or slip away from the teaching Paul gave either by adding to it or taking from it – it is not a charge that can be laid on Paul. v. And if they lead any of the Ephesian church members into apostasy or heresy – it cannot be blamed on Paul. vi. Why? vii. Paul did not hesitate to tell them everything God had given him. The whole purpose or counsel of God was available to them through him. viii. Again, this goes back to his statement that he didn't withdraw from telling them everything that was profitable or expedient to them. f. [Slide 22] Summary of the Point: As Paul looks to the future and understands that there is no hope for things to improve. In fact, things will most certainly get worse, for the Holy Spirit has revealed as much to him. But Paul's intention is to continue to exemplify these qualities and these passions. He desires to continue to be used up, to be emptied out, all for the sake of the gospel of God's grace. His desire is to leave no one's blood on his hands, but like a good watchman, he has told everyone all that they must hear to participate in the kingdom of Christ. Despite a bleak future – Paul intends to continue to exemplify these qualities, until he is extinguished. My friends… Elders and those who would be Elders someday… Is this us? It must be. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today and how then shall we live? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 23] All of our truth points come from Paul's example. This may be challenging for us to receive because Paul is merely a man, but when we understand that these qualities in this text are merely a reflection of who Jesus is and what He demonstrated, we then understand that the qualities Paul has demonstrated are simply those he has received from Christ. But if we were to look at the two letters Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus concerning the qualifications for Elders, we would see a remarkable but unsurprisingly similar 1 to 1 connection between those qualifications and the qualities Paul demonstrated to the Ephesians. Paul is blameless, temperate, sensible, respectful, apt to teach, not a brawler but considerate, peaceable, free from the love of money, he had a good reputation with those outside the church, he was not selfish, nor a liar to cheat people of money, he loved what was good, he was righteous, holy, self-controlled, and he held fast the faithful teaching of the gospel, proving to be able to exhort others in sound doctrine, doing the work of an evangelist, and was able to reprove those who contradicted the gospel. In that sense, Paul's life becomes an illustration of what qualities we must look for in men who are or desire to be Elders. And if we are Elders or desire to be Elders, Paul's example becomes a good template to compare ourselves to. But let me seek to apply this text today, primarily to Elders and would be Elders, but also to the congregation as a whole. 1.) [Slide 24] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that blamelessness is the chief qualification of an Elder. a. All the qualities Paul puts forward in this text are summarized in the basic qualification of blamelessness. b. Blamelessness is the quality one possesses in which it is impossible to find fault with someone. c. This does not, of course, speak to perfection. All men continue to battle and kill off their sin in this life. If the standard were perfection and true sinlessness, then only Christ could be given the title of Elder. d. Instead, blamelessness takes on a legal quality. In the law of moses it took two or three witnesses to bring someone to trial and find them guilty. e. Similarly, we see in I Timothy 5, Paul outlines the process for the discipline of an Elder. If two or three witnesses are not available to substantiate an accusation of sin against an Elder, then the accusation is not even to be heard. But if two or three witnesses confirm that an Elder is in sin, the Elder must be rebuked. f. This again instructs us as to the exact nature of the qualification of blamelessness. g. In order for a man, who desires the office, to be qualified for it, it must be impossible to achieve the necessary quorum among the body to accuse the man of living in sin. In fact, being blameless would imply that any such accusation would be hard to fathom considering the character of the man in question. h. Blamelessness does not mean sinlessness, but it does mean that there is no sin that is cherished, nurtured, encouraged, or befriended by this Elder. They desire the death of sin in their hearts and keep their accounts short. i. Looking at the rest of the qualifications we can see how all of them flow out of or into this one quality of blamelessness. j. Why must the man be blameless? k. Think about an Elder's responsibility. He is to guard the souls of the little lambs of God, serving as an undershepherd below the Great Shepherd. l. Such a place, such a responsibility, such a position given to a man who no one really trusts, or who when a rumor floats around people say, “well that does sound like a sin he would be doing.” Such a man cannot possibly watch for the souls of others… for others much watch out for his soul instead. He would be a liability to the children of God and the rest of the leadership. m. How can an Elder teach or lead someone in holy and Christlike lifestyles when he himself is ensnared and overcome by sin? n. So, by way of application for us this morning, we diverge into a few groups of people. i. First, if you are a man in this congregation, you need to consider blamelessness to be your command. 1. Whether you are an Elder or not, as a man in our congregation we still possess the innate headship of our home meaning that we are in essence an Elder of our family. 2. We have the responsibility of watching out for the souls of our wife and children or future wife and/or future children. 3. Such a role requires us to be the spiritual leader of our family. Setting the example in thought, word, and deed. Exemplifying Christlikeness. And pursuing Christ before our family and leading them to Him. ii. Second, if you are a man in this congregation who desires the office of an Elder, you must first be blameless. 1. No amount of biblical knowledge can make up for lacking blamelessness in your character. 2. No amount of teaching prowess can make up for lacking blamelessness. 3. No amount of kindness, gentleness, rule following, leadership, or charisma can make up for lacking blamelessness. 4. If a man is perfect in every way, and gifted as Paul was for ministry but was known for indulging in a specific sin… such a man is still unqualified to be an Elder. 5. And it is not enough to be blameless until you become an Elder… now you must live blamelessly not only before your family and the church, but before the other Elders as well. iii. Third, if you are an Elder in this church, let this be a healthy reminder to us that we must continue to be blameless. 1. We must continue to serve the Lord in humility. We must continue to serve Him and His church with tears and with endurance through persecution. 2. We must continue to declare the whole counsel of God to His people, sparing no teaching that is profitable and expedient to them. 3. We must continue to solemnly testify to all men the gospel of God's grace and implore them to turn from their sin and to God through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. 4. My friends, we must be blameless. And we must make sure we hold each other to that standard. iv. Finally, if you are none of the above, you must pray for and seek out leaders who are blameless. 1. It is the congregation's responsibility to only seek out and receive Elders who are blameless. 2. And if a Prospective Elder is put forward for consideration, who you do not consider to be blameless, you must make your concerns known to the Elder Board. 3. Although we have only been Elder led for a few years now, there may come a time in the future where the Elders put forward another man we have considered to be qualified to be an Elder in our church. 4. You have a solemn responsibility to make your concerns known to us. Perhaps you know the man in a way we do not. o. For the sake of the church and the purity of the gospel message, Elders must be blameless. 2.) [Slide 25] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that Elders can hold others to a standard they do not meet. a. Nothing Paul will charge these men to do next week are things that Paul has not already demonstrated and done himself. b. Paul is not instructing the Elders in Ephesus to do something he would not or could not do. Instead, he is instructing them to be like him and continue doing what he was doing. c. There is a common saying in ministry and it is something like, “the spiritual maturity of the body can never exceed the average spiritual maturity of its leaders.” d. If such a thing could be measured mathematically, we could conclude that if the spiritual maturity of the Elder board was averaged to be 50% conformity to Christ (again, these are very crude numbers – just follow me for the sake of the illustration) – If this were so, then the church body cannot possibly be expected to exceed that maturity. e. Thus, if the Elders are a group of power-hungry little kings vying for their own slice of the church pie – imagine what such a church would be? f. Regardless of whether you are an Elder, a would be Elder, or a member of this body – this is still further incentive to find men who are blameless to lead. g. Because if they are not blameless, the church won't be anywhere close to blameless. h. An Elder can only preach and teach that which he has repented of and submitted to in His own life. i. Elders must practice in example what they intend to preach from the scriptures. 3.) [Slide 26] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must pray for godly leaders. a. This works out in two specific ways. b. First, we must pray for God to give more godly leaders to us. i. Unfortunately, Jerry Gunst isn't going to live forever. Neither is Nick, or CJ, or Justin - and even though I am not even 40 yet, I have already begun praying for and looking for a young man who could potentially replace me as the Primary teaching Elder of the church. ii. Our lives seem so long in some ways – so long that we procrastinate on things that go beyond our lifetime. iii. And yet life is so short in other ways. So short that by the time we do realize we need to plan for the future beyond our lives, it is too late. iv. Even now, we can be in prayer for the future Elders of Columbus Baptist Church. v. We can pray that God would give grace to save and shape and mold young men to rise up to the challenge of blamelessly shepherding God's people. vi. You can start that today. Every week I pray through our membership directory. And when I come to a name of a boy – I pray that God would raise him up to be godly and that he might become a future Elder or Deacon of this church. vii. Be in prayer for the future leaders of our church. Even if you will be long gone before they take office… be in prayer. c. Second, we must pray for the leaders we currently have to be godly. i. Occasionally some of you get a sneak peek into the lives of we Elders. ii. Occasionally you are exposed to the trials, the tears, the pains, the hardship, the difficulties we face in leading this church. And that is all in addition to the normal trials and troubles we face in our families and in our personal lives… And most of your Elders actually have ANOTHER job that they do that has its own set of difficulties. iii. My point is, that we… NEED.. your prayers. iv. I would even say that we are desperate for them. v. And don't just pray that we be healthy, that our kids are healthy, that our bodies are healthy… no… please… pray especially that God would protect us from the schemes of the devil and the principalities and powers that seek to destroy us to get to you all. Pray for that first. vi. I'd rather die of cancer having lived a godly life, than live forever having rejected my Lord's commands. And I can confidently say that that is true for all the Elders. vii. Pray for our physical needs – but not at the expense of praying for our spiritual protection and godly wisdom. 4.) [Slide 27] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” Elders, we must be Watchmen for these people. a. Notice how Paul twice emphasized that he declared the whole plan of God and all that was profitable to the Ephesian Elders when he was with them. He did this to the extent that if any of them walked away from this truth and their faith failed and they were cast into the lake of fire… then he would not be to blame for it. b. We too are watchmen of these people. c. May none here have the luxury of saying in that final day, “But that Elder didn't tell me everything. He never told me the fullness of your plan or the teachings that were of great expediency to me.” d. May we teach with our words and our lives all that is necessary to be known so that in the final day we are innocent of all blood, having watched out for all the souls in our charge. e. Let us not grow weary in our labor. But let us press on brothers. 5.) [Slide 28] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” A plurality of biblically qualified Elders is one of the greatest gifts Christ has given His church. a. Who wouldn't want a bunch of little Paul's looking out for them? b. Who wouldn't want a bunch of little Christ's guarding them? c. God has called and equipped men to lead His church. They are mere men, which means they are not perfect. But they are equipped by God, blameless, so that even when they fail, they humbly seek forgiveness and make appropriate changes. d. Who else would we want leading our church? e. What a great comfort it is to have godly men leading. f. May they remain godly so that we may thrive as the church of Christ. [Slide 29 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Reformer Thomas Becon Lord Jesus Christ, you are the true and everlasting Bishop, the mirror and pattern for all faithful pastors both in life and doctrine. You came down from God your Father not only to be our Redeemer, but also our teacher, to open and declare to us the mysteries of the holy Scriptures. We humbly pray now that in your mercy you would look upon your poor and scattered flock, whom you have purchased with your most precious blood. Send us shepherds who will diligently seek the lost sheep, lovingly carry them on their shoulders, and faithfully bring them home again. Lord, you see how great the harvest is, and how few the workers. You are Lord of the harvest. Send us into the harvest! And take away from us those false prophets who come to us in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Take away those false anointed and false preachers, who by their subtle doctrine would bring us into error. Grant also, O Lord, that these true shepherds may accurately and reverently minister your holy mysteries to us… [that we may have] our faith … established, confirmed, and strengthened. And may we be comforted and made strong against the gates of hell, the devil, the world, the flesh, the curse of the law, sin, death, desperation, and all that is hostile to us. May their shepherds hands not be stretched out to receive, and slow to give. But establish in them a mind that is content, and willing to spend for the relief of the poor, that they may feed the flock both in word and deed. You commanded your apostle Peter three times to feed your flock. And you gave this command not only to Peter, but to all your apostles-even to all pastors who follow. Deal with your flock, most faithful Shepherd, according to your promise. Raise up faithful and diligent shepherds who may feed their flocks with your life-filled word, lead a good life, and maintain hospitality for the comfort of the poor. And in all things may they behave according to your will and commandments. So when you, the most high Bishop and chief Shepherd, appear, may they receive the pure and spotless crown of glory. In Jesus' name we pray this. Amen. Benediction: May the Lord grant you The love that leads the way, The faith that nothing can sway, The hope no disappointments can dismay, And the passion that burns like fire. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Title: A Peculiar People Text: Acts 20:1-6 FCF: We often struggle pursuing what produces unity in and the victory of the church. Prop: Because the true church of Jesus is united and triumphant, we must continue in submission to the Word and the love of one another. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 20. In a moment we will read starting from verse one in the Legacy Standard Version. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Sermon Intro: Well, I did some math this week to discover where we are in our study of the book of Acts. Today, as we begin our study of chapter 20, we are around seventy percent done with the book according to verse count. That means we have a little over three hundred verses to go. Now my average for verse per sermon is a little under 10 verses. That being said, we probably have somewhere around 30 sermons remaining in the book of Acts. Meaning that sometime before the end of the year, Lord willing, we should be finishing the book of Acts. I hope and trust you have enjoyed the study of Acts so far. I know I have. But it seems that we are in the final stretch. That being said, let's come back to chapter 19 and 20. Last week Luke recorded for us the final episode of the Ephesian mission. But unlike similar examples where riots formed against Paul and his associates, no real harm or danger even approached any of them. From this we noted that Luke records this to prove that the Christians were not purposefully trying to cause issues around the Roman Empire. The only thing causing the offense, was the gospel of Jesus Christ. We noted that one of the primary reasons that people so hated the message of the gospel spoken through Paul and his associates, was because of the gospel's intolerance or exclusivity. And the world is the same 2000 years later. Today we will see what largely amounts to the beginning of the end of the third missionary journey of Paul. In it we will see one very important truth about the church and a couple responses that flow into and out of that truth. So please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Most Holy and Loving Father, we approach You today with our hearts held up to You. We come to be exhorted, to be encouraged, to be edified by Your Word. We come to hear from You and to obey. We come to feed our faith on the Bread of Life. We come to drink deeply from the Everlasting Fountain of Living Water. I pray that You would reveal to us today what You have made us to be in this thing called the church. Reveal what graces You have given us to keep us in Your purposes and reveal what responses You require from us as a church. Bind us together as one body in Your truth and for Your glory we pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: Last time we saw the narrowness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The intolerance of the gospel to any other faiths, worship, gods, or practices that it does not teach. Related to that today we will see the church being united around a very narrow set of essentials and that unity producing victory and love for one another. Let's look closer at the text this morning. I.) The true church of Jesus Christ is united and triumphant, so we must submit to continual exhortation from the Word. (1-3) a. [Slide 2] 1 - Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia. i. Luke doesn't often give us chronological markers, and when he does, they are not typically very precise. ii. We might be irritated by this, but this irritation is probably borne from our western culture. We have somewhat of a hypersensitivity to time and chronology that those in the east do not seem to always share. iii. Still, Luke does give us a definite chronological marker here even if it is lacking in specificity. iv. After the uproar had ceased. v. From the context the uproar in question is clearly the riot or almost riot brought on by some tradesmen in Ephesus. vi. We unpacked all of this last week, but as a reminder these tradesmen feared the financial and religious impact that Christianity may have on them and the city of Ephesus. vii. Because of this they were overcome with civic and religious pride and began shouting and dragging certain companions of Paul to the theater where city disputes were often heard. viii. It all came to an end after the chief executive officer of the city warned them that they are in danger of being punished by Rome if they continue this illegal assembly. ix. With this in mind the crowd dispersed. x. We should probably not rigidly infer that the next hour or the next day is when Paul does what he does. xi. More likely we should see this as after the events and when people had moved on with their lives. xii. Now people do tend to move on shockingly fast. They get distracted by other things and what was very important one day tends to become very unimportant in a few days' time. xiii. After the dust settles, Paul says farewell to the church in Ephesus and leaves to go to Macedonia. xiv. In the process of saying farewell though, he summons and exhorts the disciples. xv. Paul does not overtly go to the hall of Tyrannus to bid farewell to the Ephesian Christians. This no doubt indicates that although he isn't leaving the city due to the recent trouble, he is not a fool. He won't flaunt a large gathering of believers right before he leaves. xvi. In this we see the heart of Paul. It is not enough to simply say farewell… he must preach to them. He must instruct and apply to them the scriptures so they can be ready to face what is coming. xvii. Paul will be giving a good number of goodbyes in the next several chapters of Acts. I think it might be good for us to observe how often he accompanies his goodbyes with some sort of exhortation, encouragement or preaching of the Word of God. b. [Slide 3] 2 - And when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. i. Once again, we remind ourselves that Luke is not writing a history of the early Christian church. ii. Or at least we can conclude that if he is writing a history of the early Christian church, he is doing a horrible job. iii. Why do I say that? iv. He summarizes Paul's travels through Macedonia in 10 Greek words. v. What are some of the “districts” that he probably visited? vi. 2 Corinthians chapters 1-7 actually dovetail nicely with the events of these two verses, since it was probably during this time that Paul wrote the letter. vii. Taking what 2 Corinthians says we can be assured that Paul probably visited Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. And potentially spent time in several other cities and even further west into the Latin speaking region of Illyricum, which he speaks about in Romans 15. viii. Luke does not give us the where, but notice he does give us the what. ix. What was Paul doing in these districts? x. He was exhorting. xi. The same thing he did in Ephesus to the disciples there before he left. xii. Paul continues to preach the word and train believers to live in submission to all that Christ had commanded. xiii. So, if Luke is not recording a history of the early church, what is he doing? xiv. Luke describes the purpose of his two books at the beginning of his gospel. He is writing these two books to Theophilus, a wealthy and potentially powerful person involved in the government of Roman Empire, who has professed faith in Christ. xv. He writes to Theophilus to describe both the certainty and the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. xvi. The certainty and the power of the gospel is on display in these 10 Greek words. How? xvii. Even though it has been years since Paul has visited these places in person – he returns not only to find believers still, but also, he returns with the authority to preach to them, encourage them, and commands their respect to listen to him. xviii. If the gospel was false and impotent, we would expect to find few if any believers here, or to find them reject Paul having wandered from his teaching. xix. Instead, he is welcomed and respected and the Word is preached again to them. xx. But how long did Paul spend in Macedonia? It is difficult to say. But some suggest that he spent as much as a year going back through these regions ministering to the local assemblies in these areas. xxi. Then, Paul goes on to Greece. xxii. There are two likely congregations that Paul visited in Greece. xxiii. The city of Athens and the city of Corinth. xxiv. We are not given any indication of how much time he spent in each city or whether he even went to Athens. We do know that he went to Corinth based on the writings of both Romans and the two books to the Corinthians. c. [Slide 4] 3 - And 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, he decided to return through Macedonia. i. So, Paul spends three months in Greece, probably most if not all of it in the city of Corinth. ii. There is a reason for that which we will talk about next. iii. [Slide 5] Now based on our timeline of the New Testament I'd like to take us on a little tangent so we can shuffle in to these events exactly when Paul wrote some of his letters. 1. Because in 1 Corinthians Paul expresses his desire to winter in Corinth before going back to Jerusalem, we can reasonably guess that while Paul was in Ephesus, and probably toward the end of his stay, he had written 1 Corinthians. 2. In 1 Corinthians there was indication that he had sent another letter to them before that. Which could have also been written from Ephesus or even before he began his third missionary journey. This is a letter that the Lord did not preserve for us. 3. In 2 Corinthians we learn of another letter that Paul had sent the Corinthians that is referred to as a harsh letter. This too could have been written from Ephesus. This is also another letter the Lord did not preserve. 4. As we have already said, 2 Corinthians covers some of the events after Paul leaves Ephesus. Paul travels north to Troas where he expects to meet Titus who will bring back word for him on the results of the harsh letter to the church in Corinth. However, Paul did not meet Titus there, so he went on to Macedonia. It was there that Titus met him with word that the Corinthians had received his harsh letter graciously and had repented. Therefore, during his time in Macedonia, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians which prepares them for his arrival in a matter of months. 5. This is why we conclude that Paul spent most of the three months he was in Greece in the city of Corinth, because there was some needed time of reconciliation. 6. Since Paul's mind was already on visiting Rome after he went to Jerusalem, since in the book of Romans he indicates that he has not yet visited them, and since Paul greets the Roman church from individuals we know were from Corinth, we can infer that Paul most likely wrote the book of Romans from Corinth during this three month stay. 7. [Slide 6] This means that by this time, before Paul goes back to Jerusalem, he had written six of his thirteen letters that we have in our New Testament. Galatians, I and II Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Romans – in that chronological order. iv. [Slide 7] Of course, we know that the Jews had always given Paul problems. It seems that in Corinth, again, they will stir up trouble against him. v. Apparently, the plot had something to do with his travel plans from Corinth to Syria. vi. So, Paul alters his travel plans to go back through Macedonia to set sail from somewhere else. d. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Luke presents to us via the travels of Paul as his third missionary journey comes to a close the unity and victory of the true church of Jesus. Although there have been many trials and tests, although there have been betrayals and even outright failures, the church continues to thrive in unity and victory over the forces of darkness and the wicked schemes of men. The church is the kingdom of Christ spreading to the uttermost parts of the earth, waging war against the dark domain of sin. Paul revisits these churches he helped establish with a message of encouragement and exhortation. This is the fuel of the church. The church is built up, energized, and rejuvenated by submitting to continual exhortation from the Word of God. And these churches were no different. They were united and they were victorious, but they still needed and welcomed encouragement and exhortation from the Word. We too must be continually encouraged and exhorted with the Word of God. The moment we neglect the regular preaching and teaching of the Word of God, is the moment we become weak and susceptible to error and compromise which disunifies us and defeats us. You see my friends, the Word of God is the key to unity and victory. That is why it must be continually preached and taught in every church claiming to be Christ's church. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank)] The true church of Jesus Christ is united and triumphant and the Word of God continually preached keeps it that way. But what else must continue since the church is united and triumphant? II.) The true church of Jesus Christ is united and triumphant, so we must continually love and care for one another. (4-6) a. [Slide 10] 4 - And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5 - But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. i. Look at the brotherhood of believers that the Lord has raised up for the cause of Christ. ii. What began in Jerusalem around 20 years earlier had not only gone out to the uttermost parts of the earth, but even now there are missionaries from all over going to many other places helping with the spread of the gospel. iii. What a glorious testament to the power of God's grace and His work. iv. Let me briefly discuss each of these individuals or at least all we can about them and then I'll make some further comments about the significance of this list. 1. Sopater which is potentially a shortened form of the name Sosipater is only mentioned in this text and in Romans 16:21. From both texts we understand that he was a companion of Paul and from this text we see that he was from Berea and was the son of a man named Pyrrhus of whom we know nothing. 2. Aristarchus is no doubt the same one that was dragged to the theater by the Ephesian mob. During the riot we discovered he was a Macedonian and here we see that specifically he was from Thessalonica. We also know that Aristarchus accompanies Paul to Rome for his imprisonment because he is named in the letter to the Colossians and to Philemon, both of which were written during Paul's first imprisonment in Rome which is recorded at the end of the book of Acts. 3. Secundus is not mentioned in any other passage of scripture. He was from Thessalonica too. 4. There are four Gaiuses mentioned in the scriptures and because of what is revealed about them, it is really impossible for them to all be the same person. a. The Gaius that Luke records in Ephesus during the riot was from Macedonia. b. The Gaius mentioned here is from Derbe which is located in what is now south central Turkey. c. The Gaius mentioned in 1 Corinthians and Romans seems to be a member of the church of Corinth whom Paul baptized and whose home the church used for its gatherings. d. Finally, 3 John mentions a Gaius who is thanked personally by John for putting up traveling missionaries. John does not specify much more and this could be the same Gaius who put up the house church in Corinth, but because John is traditionally associated with the church in Ephesus after the fall of Jerusalem, we may wonder if the Gaius mentioned in his 3rd letter is the same Gaius from the riot or another Gaius altogether. e. In short, Gaius seems to be a fairly common name across the empire at this time. 5. Timothy of course is Paul's spiritual son, won to Christ in Lystra on his first missionary journey and accompanying him to various locations throughout Asia and Macedonia on his second missionary journey. Timothy is mentioned quite frequently in the scriptures, even having two books bearing his name as a recipient. We won't go into much more detail today about Timothy, but his role in the church could be the subject of an entire sermon. 6. Tychicus, besides being one of my favorite names to say in the scriptures, is found as a continual companion of Paul's. We find him being sent with the prison epistles of Ephesians and Colossians. In both letters Paul says that Tychicus, a beloved and faithful brother, will come and explain everything to them. He is also with Paul in Nicopolis and is being sent to Titus to relieve him on Crete so that Titus can come to Paul in Nicopolis. And of course, as we see here, he is from Asia, which typically means what is now western Turkey, although a city is not mentioned. 7. Finally, Trophimus. Trophimus is from Asia and has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the primary reasons that Paul is arrested when he goes to Jerusalem. Paul is seen with Trophimus in Acts 21, there noted that he is from the city of Ephesus. Because Paul is seen with this gentile and because Paul went into the temple it is assumed that Paul brought Trophimus in the temple with him. Of course, he didn't. But that didn't matter very much. Trophimus is also mentioned in 2 Timothy during Paul's final imprisonment in Rome. Paul tells Timothy that he left Trophimus in Miletus because he was ill. v. Such is the wide variety of Paul's companions. People from all kinds of origins and backgrounds joining him in the work. vi. They all go ahead of him to Troas where they await his arrival to go on from there to Jerusalem. vii. But I said that I would remark on the significance of this list and their region of origin. And that I will do, but only after the list is complete. Because for now it lacks 1 more name… b. [Slide 11] 6 - And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days. i. In verse 6 another unnamed traveling companion joins Paul as he heads to Troas to meet all those mentioned in verse 4. ii. Did you notice it? iii. That's right. iv. Paul picks up the author of the book Luke, probably from Philippi. v. Luke traditionally has been said to have been from Antioch of Syria, but with familial ties to Macedonia. Here we see him still in Phillipi where Paul left him all the way back on the second missionary journey. Since Paul picked up Luke in Troas and deposited him just across the Aegean Sea at Philippi it is safe to assume that Luke is probably living in this area at this time – even if he was from Antioch of Syria. vi. Paul and Luke wait until after the days of unleavened bread, probably to celebrate with the small group of Jews in Philippi. They make the trip to Troas in 5 days, probably against the headwind, and then stay an additional week there in Troas. vii. That will be the subject of next week's sermon as Paul has a very well-known episode concerning a young boy named Eutychus. We'll get to that next time. viii. So, what is the significance of this list? ix. Remember that during this time after Ephesus and heading to Jerusalem, Paul is gathering a collection for the Jerusalem church. He is gathering aid for them because they are experiencing great financial hardship. x. Not only is it safer to travel with a large group, especially when you have a good sum of money on you, but also, because Luke mentions where all these men are from, we can infer from this that each of these men represent churches all across the empire who are giving this financial aid to the church in Jerusalem. Indeed, from almost every city in which Paul has preached, we find members of that city church coming with Paul to give their gift to the church in Jerusalem. xi. What a wonderful testimony to the unity, compassion, love, and care that is present in the universal church. c. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Once again Luke presents to us a true church of Jesus Christ, from various backgrounds, that is united and victorious. In our last point we noticed that the way the church stays united and victorious is through regular exhortation from the Word of God. But, what we see here is an effect that is caused by the church being united and triumphant. We see that the church is abundant in love and sacrificial help to those who also bear the name of Christ. Even if we do not know them, even if we have never met them, those who bear the name of Christ have more in common with us than our own unbelieving family members. Those who have shared in the death and resurrection of Christ have become members of one body. That is something that family can never be. Although our family is DNA of our DNA they can never be one body with us. The unity and victory we share in the church produces a love for one another that exceeds all other loves possible from one human to another. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC, and how then shall we live? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 13] In the process of Paul closing out his third missionary journey Luke gives us a wonderful picture of the culmination of the work the Lord has done through Paul. Paul's legacy is the same as every other apostle and missionary of the early church. The Lord has produced through His abounding power and grace a church that is united and triumphant over the deception and darkness that permeated the Roman Empire. In less the 20 years after the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, the church has been established and has permeated the Roman Empire leading various cities with long histories of pagan worship to be turned upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ. But the nature of this status of the church and the effect of this status on the church is at the heart of these first six verses of Acts 20. The church is kept unified and victorious by continual exhortation from the Word of God. And one particular expression of church unity and victory is the unconditional and sacrificial love the church has for one another as the body of Christ. These two aspects come together to give us our application today. But let me get a little more concrete with these applications and explain how they might impact us on a daily basis. 1.) [Slide 14] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the true church of Jesus is united and triumphant. a. Once again, every word in this application sentence is very important. If you remove one word here it could miscommunicate a few things. b. But if I had to draw your attention to the most important word in this application it would be the word “true”. c. I would love to use a word that is found in the ancient creeds. The word Catholic. However, today the word Catholic is only associated with the Roman Catholic Church. And it is probably so associated to it that to change it would be nigh unto impossible. Therefore, I use true here. d. By true church I mean the universal church. The invisible church. The church of people who are actually believers in Jesus Christ, the elect of God, called out from all the nations to be His people and do the works for which He has created them. e. The total of the true church of God is not found in one local assembly nor is each local assembly comprised solely of the true church. Every church is a mix of those who are actually believers and those who are not. f. Because of this, there are local assemblies that are not united and they are not triumphant. g. There are even entire regions where the visible church is not united or triumphant. h. So it is important for you to understand what I am saying here. i. We do not need to affirm that every single visible church is united and triumphant. Because that is, simply, not true. j. But we must affirm that the true church is united and triumphant. k. We are united and triumphant because we have been given true faith which unites us to Christ. Upon this true faith we receive the core essentials of the gospel of Jesus Christ which is found both in the early creeds and in the 5 Solas of the Reformation. l. In this the true church is united by doctrine and practice and we are triumphant because we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the work of God and be heralds of His Kingdom. m. The Scriptures tell us that we will not fail in this. If we are the true church, we will be united in what we believe and if we are the true church we will not fail. n. Therefore, we must affirm that the true church is united and triumphant. o. Unity is a much desired and often used buzz word in Churchianity today. Everyone wants unity. But we remain in disunity over how to be unified. p. And there is a reason for that… 2.) [Slide 15] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that in order for the church to be united we must compromise essential doctrine or practice. a. The call of many pastors, priests, bishops, reverends, apostles and whatever other titles there are out there in broad Christendom, is for us to be unified on what we agree on and discard the rest. b. The only problem is that this is NOT how we see the church unite in the scriptures. c. They do not unify over what they hold in common and then discard every thing else. d. Instead, they unify on all the essentials of the Christian faith and practice and show love in the areas that are not essential. e. There are some churches in broader Christendom that if we had to unify with them by discarding everything we don't hold in common, we would have to discard salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. f. There are some churches that we would have to discard the Deity of Jesus Christ. g. There are some churches that we would have to discard the inerrancy of the Scripture and its final authority over us for doctrine and practice. h. There are some churches that we would have to discard definitions of righteousness, holiness, and upright lifestyles, taking what the Scriptures call deeds of the flesh, and even celebrating them. i. You see the problem, I hope. j. If we would unify right now… today… every single church in broader Christendom with the one rule that anything we do not share a common belief on would be discarded… My friends there would be nothing left. k. The folks that are begging for unity pursue unity based on a cause. The cause is to come together to love and serve humanity. l. But the church is not supposed to be united in cause only… but also in identity. Indeed, our cause is only unified when our identity is unified. What happens when we unite over cause but sacrifice identity? m. We would lose unity because we would lose doctrinal clarity. In fact, we would be a unified group of nobodies who believe nothing and do nothing. n. We would lose victory because we would discard godly lifestyles in favor of a vague notion of loving people… which is only the second greatest command and not the first. o. These folks that want unity under these conditions have left their first love in order to pursue their second and in so doing have lost both. p. No, my friends, unity is only established when we demand that the essentials of our faith and practice are held in common… and if they are not – we do not discard the belief or the practice… we discard the church who does not conform. q. In the Athanasian creed it boldly declares that any who do not believe it cannot be not saved. r. Any church that does not hold to the creeds and salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone – also cannot be called the church in any sense of the word. s. There is no unity if we must compromise on doctrine or practice. t. But as the united and triumphant church… what must we do with this text today? 3.) [Slide 16] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must submit to regular exhortation from the Word of God. a. One motto that came from the reformation is Semper Reformanda. b. Always be reforming. c. This is essentially a recognition of what song writers have pointed out. We are individually and generationally prone to wander. d. We often go through spells of ups and downs and we as a race of man go through cycles of reformation and darkness. e. The church is called to continue to reform and purify itself. f. How do we do that? g. By submitting to regular exhortation from the Word of God. h. The Word of God is the foundation of all that we believe. It is the final authority for what we believe and how we live. And the Word of God never changes. i. It is not our only authority – but it is our final authority. j. We need constant reproof, rebuke, correction and instruction from its pages. k. It is only then that we will be complete and thoroughly equipped to do everything God has commanded us to do and be everything God has commanded us to be. l. Paul as he visited these churches… exhorted them. He may have eaten with them, fellowshipped with them, enjoyed the Lord's Supper with them, talked with them for all hours of the night… but the one thing Luke chose to record for us under inspiration of the Holy Spirit… is that Paul preached to them. m. If we are to stay united and triumphant, we need the constant reformation that only the Scripture can bring. 4.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must love the universal church unconditionally and sacrificially. a. This universal church is comprised of all those who are believing on Jesus Christ alone for salvation. b. We are called one body. c. Our friends and our families are close – but compared to any unbelieving family member, our brothers and sisters in Christ are much closer. They are united not by their own blood, but by the blood of Jesus Christ. d. Even our love toward our spouse is amplified because they are believers. e. And those who have spouses that are unbelievers understand the disconnect of that. They desire greatly for their spouses to know the Lord for they know that will truly bind them much closer together with their spouse. f. In our text we see members of churches from everywhere around the Aegean taking money to Jerusalem with Paul. What a glorious testimony to the love they shared with those whom they had probably never met. Those with whom they shared only their faith in Christ. g. We too must be unconditionally and sacrificially loving of the global body of Christ. h. We must weep with those who have been killed in Syria. We must mourn with those persecuted in India. We must help those impoverished in Africa. We must rejoice for those who come to Christ in Asia Pacific. These are our brothers and sisters. And one day we will be united with them in one body – a bride prepared for her groom. And we all will be with Him forever. i. Look around you and mark those whom you know to be a true believer. Now hear me… you will be living with these folks forever. We better start loving each other now. 5.) [Slide 18] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God will not allow the true church of His dear Son to fail. a. God is doing a work through us. b. It doesn't depend on us… it depends on Him. And that is why it will not fail. c. He will uphold us and ensure that the work that He has commissioned for His church to accomplish, is accomplished. d. Knowing the end does not spoil our desire to work hard for His Kingdom. e. In fact, knowing the end means we have no fear of failure. f. We can press on and continue to share the gospel and disciple one another, preparing for that coming Kingdom – knowing that we won't fail. Christ will not lose even one that the Father has given Him. g. And all that the Father has given Him will hear His voice and follow. h. So let us take heart and set out to the work knowing that the Lord is faithful and will ensure that His church is united and triumphant to the very end. [Slide 19 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the English Puritan Ezekiel Hopkins Lead us not into temptation, nor allow us to be assaulted and buffeted by the wicked one. Or if, in your all-wise counsel and purpose, you permit us to be tempted, yet deliver us from the evil to which we are tempted. Let us endure temptations as our affliction, but let us not say yes to them, nor make them our sins. Thy kingdom come, Lord! Raise, Lord; enlarge, Lord; establish your kingdom! For yours is the glory. And unless you want your glory confined only to heaven, or account the praises and eternal hallelujahs of saints and angels enough adoration for your great name, Lord, have regard to this your poor decaying kingdom. For only in it, and in heaven, is your glory celebrated. And if you leave this kingdom to be overrun by the agents and ministers of the devil, or if idolatry and the profane gain ground here so as to push you off the throne, would that not be giving your glory to another-which you have promised not to do? Lord, you are still the same God. Your essence is eternal. Your attributes will never change. Your power, wisdom, and mercy are the same as ever. So in your mercy, grant us the same favor. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: May the Lord, Who longs to be gracious to you, Who waits on high to have compassion on you, Plant you firmly in the faith, established, steadfast and unmovable Through the hope of the Gospel, proclaimed to all the creation under heaven. Until we meet again, go in peace.

This week, we're going all the way back to ancient Greece. We'll examine the story of Aspasia of Miletus, a woman who came to Athens around 450 BC and quickly became the talk of the town. Her name appears over and over again in writing from the time, Socrates wrote about her, Plato, Plutarch, Cicero the orator, Xenophon the historian, Athenaeus the writer, Aristophanes the comic playwright, Pericles the leader of the city-state of Athens. One woman's name was on all of their minds: Aspasia of Miletus. They loved her. They hated her. They called her a great mind, a teacher, a master of rhetoric. They called a prostitute, a cheap whore, a brothel madam. They gave her credit for writing great speeches passed on to men. They gave her credit for starting great wars, the ruin of Athens. But who was Aspasia really and why was everyone talking about her? Join me to find out! Support the show! Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)Buy some merchBuy Me a CoffeeVenmo @Shea-LaFountaineSources: Prisoner of History: Aspasia of Miletus and Her Biographical Tradition by Madeleine M. Henry (affiliate link) National Geographic "Greek City States"Lake Forest College "Everybody's a Little Bit Sexist: A Re-evaluation of Aristotle's and Plato's Philosophies on Women" by Kayla HuberEncyclopedia Britannica "Pericles: Athenian Statesman"World History Encyclopedia "Aspasia of Miletus"World History Encyclopedia "Women in Ancient Greece"PBS "Aspasia"Brooklyn Museum "Aspasia Place Setting"Wikipedia "Aspasia"History of Women Philosophers and Scientists "Aspasia of Miletus"University of Chicago "Aspasia of Miletus"Shoot me a message!

fWotD Episode 2856: Anactoria Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Friday, 28 February 2025 is Anactoria.Anactoria (or Anaktoria; Ancient Greek: Ἀνακτορία) is a woman mentioned in the work of the ancient Greek poet Sappho. Sappho, who wrote in the late seventh and early sixth centuries BCE, names Anactoria as the object of her desire in a poem numbered as fragment 16. Another of her poems, fragment 31, is traditionally called the "Ode to Anactoria", though no name appears in it. As portrayed by Sappho, Anactoria is likely to have been an aristocratic follower of hers, of marriageable age. It is possible that fragment 16 was written in connection with her wedding to an unknown man. The name "Anactoria" has also been argued to have been a pseudonym, perhaps of a woman named Anagora from Miletus, or an archetypal creation of Sappho's imagination.The English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne's "Anactoria" was published in his 1866 collection, Poems and Ballads. "Anactoria" is written from the point of view of Sappho, who addresses the title character in a long monologue written in rhyming couplets of iambic pentameter. The monologue expresses Sappho's lust for her in sexually explicit terms; she first rejects art and the gods for Anactoria's love before reversing her stance and claiming to reject Anactoria in favour of poetry. Swinburne's poem created a sensation by openly approaching then-taboo topics such as lesbianism and dystheism. Anactoria later featured in an 1896 play by H. V. Sutherland and in the 1961 poetic series "Three Letters to Anaktoria" by Robert Lowell, in which an unnamed man loves her before transferring, unrequitedly, his affections to Sappho.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:22 UTC on Friday, 28 February 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Anactoria on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Olivia.

We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.

Welcome back to the podcast! We've previously looked at seven marks of a healthy church in Acts 2:42, and today we'll revisit that topic. We're going to look at five more marks to help you view your own church, or a church you're curious about, through a biblical lens!--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Q. How do I know if a church is healthy? This is a question we get all the time when people are moving to a new areaWhat should you look for in a church? How do you know it's functioning biblically?To be sure: there is no perfect church out thereToday's message is not intended to be overly criticalBut there are healthy churches and there are unhealthy churchesAnd the litmus test is easier than you thinkNote: We answered this the first time back in Acts 2The question for that lesson was: How Do You Grow a Church?The basic idea was that healthy things growThe seven marks of the early church, a healthy, growing church: baptisms, biblical teaching, authentic community, commitment to prayer, financial generosity, friendliness to outsiders, and dependency on Christ. Acts 2:42-47Today we're going to answer the question againThis time almost 30 years laterThe events in Acts 2 take place around 30 AD, the year of the Ascension. The events in Acts 20 take place during Paul's third missionary journey, which occurred around 53–57 AD.Paul is sharing his final thoughts with the elders in Ephesus. We'll extract 5 marks of a healthy church. Acts 20:16-17 (NLT) 16 Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn't want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost. 17 But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.Didn't want to be delayed by the church, but sent for eldersI get it! Hard to get out of church sometimes because of all the relationships!So he sent only for the eldersIn a hurry: Probably because he was bringing offering for the believers in JerusalemPaul wrote Romans from Corinth during the timeframe of Acts 20Romans 15:25-27 (NLT) 25 But before I come [to Rome], I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially.Pentecost marked the birth of the church (Acts 2)But it probably also

Welcome back to the podcast! We've previously looked at seven marks of a healthy church in Acts 2:42, and today we'll revisit that topic. We're going to look at five more marks to help you view your own church, or a church you're curious about, through a biblical lens!--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Q. How do I know if a church is healthy? This is a question we get all the time when people are moving to a new areaWhat should you look for in a church? How do you know it's functioning biblically?To be sure: there is no perfect church out thereToday's message is not intended to be overly criticalBut there are healthy churches and there are unhealthy churchesAnd the litmus test is easier than you thinkNote: We answered this the first time back in Acts 2The question for that lesson was: How Do You Grow a Church?The basic idea was that healthy things growThe seven marks of the early church, a healthy, growing church: baptisms, biblical teaching, authentic community, commitment to prayer, financial generosity, friendliness to outsiders, and dependency on Christ. Acts 2:42-47Today we're going to answer the question againThis time almost 30 years laterThe events in Acts 2 take place around 30 AD, the year of the Ascension. The events in Acts 20 take place during Paul's third missionary journey, which occurred around 53–57 AD.Paul is sharing his final thoughts with the elders in Ephesus. We'll extract 5 marks of a healthy church. Acts 20:16-17 (NLT) 16 Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn't want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost. 17 But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.Didn't want to be delayed by the church, but sent for eldersI get it! Hard to get out of church sometimes because of all the relationships!So he sent only for the eldersIn a hurry: Probably because he was bringing offering for the believers in JerusalemPaul wrote Romans from Corinth during the timeframe of Acts 20Romans 15:25-27 (NLT) 25 But before I come [to Rome], I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially.Pentecost marked the birth of the church (Acts 2)But it probably also

Anaximander of Miletus (c. 610 – c. 546 BCE), a pre-Socratic philosopher and student of Thales, was a pioneer of cosmology, astronomy, and natural philosophy. He introduced the concept of the apeiron (infinite) as the origin of all things, developed early theories on evolution, and created one of the first world maps. His revolutionary ideas laid the groundwork for scientific thinking and inspired generations of philosophers and scientists.

Scripture Reading: Acts 20:1–27 20 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them and saying farewell, he left to go to Macedonia. 2 After he had gone through those regions and spoken many words of encouragement to the believers there, he came to Greece, 3 where he stayed for three months. Because the Jews had made a plot against him as he was intending to sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These had gone on ahead and were waiting for us in Troas. 6 We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and within five days we came to the others in Troas, where we stayed for seven days. 7 On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul began to speak to the people, and because he intended to leave the next day, he extended his message until midnight. 8 (Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.) 9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak for a long time. Fast asleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, put his arms around him, and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!” 11 Then Paul went back upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly comforted. 13 We went on ahead to the ship and put out to sea for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. He himself was intending to go there by land. 14 When he met us in Assos, we took him aboard and went to Mitylene. 15 We set sail from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. The next day we approached Samos, and the day after that we arrived at Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so as not to spend time in the province of Asia, for he was hurrying to arrive in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him. 18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots of the Jews. 20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming to you anything that would be helpful, and from teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem without knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. 24 But I do not consider my life worth anything to myself, so that I may finish my task and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace. 25 “And now I know that none of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom will see me again. 26 Therefore I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of you all. 27 For I did not hold back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God.OutlinePaul's Journey to Jerusalem and RomePaul's final voluntary journey beginsPaul organizes a collection for the Jerusalem church (mostly omitted in Acts)Back to a “we” sectionStill celebrating Jewish festivalsThe Revivification in TroasSomething remarkable happened in TroasSpeaking all nightMeeting on the first day of the weekMeeting in the upper roomEutychus falls from a third-story windowPaul's Time in MiletusMiletus, faster than Ephesus?Paul's Speech: A FarewellPaul's Speech: A CommissioningPaul: A Suffering ServantPaul preached openly and privately, withholding nothingRepentance and faithPaul knows of his upcoming “passion”Paul wishes to finish wellPaul's diligent faithfulness keeps him innocent

“Discover the legacy of Thales of Miletus, the first Greek philosopher and one of the Seven Sages. Known for proposing ‘all is water,' pioneering geometry, and predicting a solar eclipse, he laid the foundation for science and rational inquiry. #Philosophy #Thales”

Did you know that Socrates—yes, that Socrates—had a teacher who was a woman? And not just any woman, but Aspasia of Miletus, the queen of ancient philosophy, rhetoric, and savage comebacks. In this episode, we're diving deep into her life, her legacy, and the absolutely wild smear campaigns she endured (spoiler: haters gonna hate since 450 BCE). Get ready to learn how Aspasia schooled some of the smartest guys in Athens, ran academic salons that gave women a voice, and may have even written some of Pericles' greatest speeches. Buckle up, because we're about to hop in our time machine for a spicy mix of history, scandal, and feminist truth bombs. What's Inside This Episode? How a girl from Miletus ended up teaching Socrates (mind-blown emoji). The drama-filled romance with Pericles (a.k.a. Perry the Platypus). Her legendary intellect, her haters (looking at you, Aristophanes), and her ultimate disappearance from history. The ridiculous sexism that still erases Aspasia from textbooks today. TrovaTrip Alert! Oh hey, history buffs! Want to nerd out with me in person? Join me on a dreamy trip to Japan (hello matcha, temples, and Kyoto sunsets!) from August 24–30, 2025. Spots are limited, and early birds get a discount—don't sleep on it! What's the Tea with the Community Census? Your voice matters! Fill out the For the Love of History 2025 Community Census and tell me what you want more of (or less of!) in upcoming episodes. Plus, you'll get the chance to win a free t-shirt or one of my favorite books. Sweet deal, right? Why You'll Love This Episode: If you're into Greek history, badass women, or just want an excuse to feel smarter than everyone at your next trivia night, this one's for you. It's part historical deep dive, part roast session, and 100% a love letter to one of the most overlooked women in history. Final Thoughts: The haters may have tried to erase Aspasia, but not on my watch. Let's reclaim her legacy and give this queen the credit she deserves. Tune in, sip some wine (or tea), and enjoy the sassiest history lesson of the season!

Acts 20:17-38 – Ephesian Elders at Miletus

How do we know what God's will is? Our Acts story continues: Paul leaves Miletus for Jerusalem and stays at the house of Philip the Evangelist. A couple days after Paul arrives at Philip's home a prophet named Agabus comes to visit Paul. Agabus takes Paul's belt, wraps it around his own hands and feet and says, “The Holy Spirit says, “In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.” The people gathered in Philip's home pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem after they heard this word, but Paul responds, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart. I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Paul makes it clear that he is willing to risk his life to give glory to His Lord, Jesus Christ. In Acts 21:14, we read that when the group could not dissuade him they gave up and said, “The Lord's will be done.” The Holy Spirit had given Paul a warning through Agabus - that he would be captured by the Jewish leaders and then turned over to the Gentiles. So this is the question: Was Paul disobedient when he decided to go on to Jerusalem? Were the words of the Holy Spirit a warning to say do not go to Jerusalem or could they perhaps be words of warning meant to prepare Paul for what was coming? Could these words be asking Paul's obedience in going to Jerusalem but God in His goodness is giving Paul a heads up of what he will suffer for Christ's sake in obeying. Theologians are split on this but here are some reasons to see Paul's decision to go on to Jerusalem as being obedient. We will use Bible texts:         Acts 9:15-16 - from Paul's conversion story we hear God tell Ananias that Paul will be a chosen instrument to proclaim God's name to many and God goes on to say, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Paul as Saul had caused many believers to suffer, but as a transformed believer in Jesus - Paul would come to see that suffering would come into his life over and over again. (Beaten, ship wrecks, jailed, and many more difficulties) these were all part of Paul's life. Paul understood suffering.         Acts 20:22-23 - When Paul had announced to the leaders in the Miletus meeting that it was time for him to move on, he said, “I am COMPELLED by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are ahead.” He already knew that difficulties were ahead. The Holy Spirit had already warned him, nonetheless he says he was compelled. This text speaks nothing from God about NOT going - only that ahead were hardships.         Acts 23:11 - Several chapters after today's text, Jesus speaks to Paul, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome.” These are more warning words - no correction for disobedience, but rather kindness and encouragement for Paul - Take Courage! The Lord says! These words are words of kindness to prepare Paul for what more is to come. What we can learn from Paul:         Comfort is NOT job #1. Comfort is not our primary focus.         Obedience IS job #1. We are not saved by obedience, but by the death and resurrection of Jesus our Savior. Saved by and through Him alone, by grace. However, when we know Him - we desire to follow Him. Salvation leads us to obedience.         God's glory is paramount - What matters MOST is that our glorious God receives glory in each of our lives. In thanks and gratitude for what the Savior bought for us (life forever with God) and so we give Him glory with our lives in response to His gift of salvation to us.         God's plan is incredible - our destiny is to be made new - transformed with glorified bodies with Christ forever. As a result of Paul going to Jerusalem he         WAS ACCUSED FALSELY         WAS ATTACKED         HIS LIFE WAS ALMOST TAKEN         HE WAS PUT IN CHAINS         SOME PLOTTED TO KILL HIM         HE WAS JAILED FOR 2 YEARS         THEN SENT BY SHIP BACK TO ROME AS A PRISONER TO APPEAR BEFORE THE EMPEROR But look at what happened as a result of Paul going to Jerusalem - Paul's Gospel testimony went to:         Huge temple crowds         Sanhedrin         2 governors         King Agrippa         Emperor Nero So to the question: Did Paul disobey by going to Jerusalem? Will we see the Holy Spirit warning as God's way of giving Paul the strength for what was going to happen in Jerusalem, because God wanted to use Paul's difficulties to get the Gospel message to many who otherwise may not have heard.  As Paul walked faithfully before God, God used his faith in remarkable ways.  God uses our faithful walk before Him in remarkable ways as well. Check out the video on our website https://www.awakeusnow.com/living-one Check out the video on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOwUarSm3uJrzLI4thAJNXQj Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Today's readings.. (2 Chronicles 36), (Hosea 4), (Acts 20) We are now reading, in Acts 20,  the climax to Paul's travels.  He is heading towards his destiny in Jerusalem.  He arrives at Miletus and “sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.” [v.17]  Among the things he said to them was his declaration (v.25) that none of them would see his face again, adding the challenging comment, to them and to us, “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all,  for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” [v.26,27] This creates for us food for thought and meditation.  How much have you and I “declared” at least a fundamental message to our neighbours, friends and work associates that there is a God who made everything and who will soon punish the world because it has become so totally godless.   And then, to that message we can add that after this punishment, which is pictured in his word as being very severe, there will be a wonderful transformation far beyond our comprehension. It will greatly exceed the transformation that took place in Judah and Jerusalem in the time of Ezra which we will start reading about tomorrow.  Today, in the last chapter of 2nd Chronicles, we read of the utter desolation of God's nation because “all the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful” [v.14].  It is the same today compared to when the Bible was first available for all to read. Most of us are familiar with Isaiah's prophecy  of what ‘shall come to pass in the latter days” .  Wonderfully “many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house(Temple) of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples” [ch. 2 v.2-4]  And in Zion they will worship at the new glorious temple, which Jesus said would be “a house of prayer for all the nations” [Mark 11 v.17] Let us witness to the wonder of our faith in this hope so that we can say, “I am innocent” of the fate of my workmates, neighbours and others of the world I have contact with because I have not failed to testify to what I believe. Remember the comment Paul made to the Corinthians, “I believed, and so I spoke” [2 Cor. 4 v.13]  Let us do likewise. 

Scripture: Acts 20:32-38 Pastor continues with the story of Paul's talk with the leadership of the church in a gathering in the town of Miletus - it is Paul's farewell speech to this group of believers. Paul finishes his time with these friends and leaders with them all in prayer together. There are tears as the leaders are grieved at knowing they will not see Paul again. Paul knew he had complete his work here and in the surrounding cities and areas. The chapter closes with them walking him to the ship to leave. But let's focus on one of the words from Paul's speech as it draws to an end. He talks about our inheritance in Christ.  What does inheritance mean in the Bible?   The biblical definition of inheritance is speaking of what God gives to us through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us that when we believed in Christ, Christ identified us as His own by giving us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the guarantee that Jesus will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people.  1 Peter 1:3-4 tells us of an inheritance that comes to us through the death and resurrection of Christ and is an inheritance that can never perish or fade away. Jesus' death and resurrection is the heart of our inheritance. BUT there's more! The Essential Fundamentals of the Faith:     1.    Deity - Jesus is true man and true God     2.    Death - Jesus, the Lamb of God, through His death, paid for our sins on the cross     3.    Resurrection - Jesus' resurrection assures we too shall rise. The resurrection is God's declaration that the sacrifice of Jesus is accepted.     4.    Return - Jesus is alive forever more and is coming back. His second coming- He's coming back for us. These fundamentals are pointed to in the Old Testament, and are fulfilled in the New Testament. Jesus' return is the heart of Paul's teaching and Christ's return is what assures us of our inheritance. Are you doubting the Resurrection of Christ? Dr. Gary R. Habermas is a scholar of the resurrection of Christ and has written several books. Here are two we suggest for those wanting to read about the evidence of Jesus resurrection: “On the Resurrection: Evidences” And “On the Resurrection: Refutations” Anthony Flew, a renown atheist debated Gary Habermas. Several years later Antony rejected atheism because the evidence for God is convincing. The evidence for the existence of God and for the resurrection of Jesus is powerful and convincing. Many people have never examined the evidence but instead they have just bought into what they've been told by the world rather than the things they could have discovered. What does it mean for us that Jesus is alive?  What is our destiny? It is NOT as a spirit in heaven. The Bible teaches the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Pastor sites these verses for what the New Testament says about the:  Deceased Believers Luke 23:43 - in paradise Philippians 1:23 - with Christ, better by far 1 Thessalonians 3:13-14 - asleep BUT on our destiny we read in  1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 1 Corinthians 15:22-26, 51-52 Titus 2:13-14 John 5:28-29 that:     1.    Jesus will come down from heaven with a trumpet call and a loud voice of the archangel     2.    The dead will rise     3.    We will be with the Lord forever     4.    A new heaven and a new earth     5.    Death will be destroyed     6.    We will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye - imperishable! Our destiny is to be raised to life forever with God with transformed glorified bodies in a new heaven and a new earth - ALL things new. May the truth that we too shall rise anchor us in our faith in God and give us strength in opposition, joy in the face of loss and assurance in the face of death. https://www.awakeusnow.com Check out the video on our website https://www.awakeusnow.com/living-one Check out the video on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOwUarSm3uJrzLI4thAJNXQj Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

God's word is compelling and so very practical.  It thoroughly equips us and it still speaks to us today. Today's story takes place in the town of Miletus where Paul is speaking to leaders of the church sharing the difficult challenges and testing he experienced in his three years of mission work in Ephesus. He shares how he humbly did the work God gave him even in the most despairing times he humbly hung on tight to God who brought him through it all. What can we learn from Paul's speech?     1.    Humble Service - we are called to humility before our awesome and mighty God, recognizing all we have and are comes from Him and that we are all in the same condition - sinners. We need a Savior and only God can save us. Humility is needed in understanding this.  We are called to serve God in humility and to humbly server others to use our gifts, time, talents, abilities and opportunities that God gives us to serve Him and bless others.  Our lives are to be lives of Humble Service. Paul goes on to summarize what he taught while in Ephesus: that all must turn to God in repentance and have faith in Jesus. He taught the full counsel of God, not just the popular things but also the things that weren't. He did so without camouflaging God's word or avoiding those things that could be heard as upsetting.  He spoke the full truth to all. Repent and believe the good news is the heart of the Gospel message - come back to the living God in the way we live and walk with a change of heart and mind through Christ.     2.    Steadfast Truth - Speaking the truth in love - that we need to repent before God. Martin Luther says, “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said repent, He willed that entire life of a believer be one of repentance.”  Repentance is a calling - a daily calling to turn back to God, to daily recognize the importance of walking with Jesus. We are not called to simple religion, we are called to a relationship with God through faith in Jesus, God's Son, who died, rose and is coming again!  We are to live in this truth and to share that truth with others As the story continues, Paul shares how he will go where God leads even though he does not know what lies ahead. He shares how the Holy Spirit has warned him that prison and hardships are coming but even in the face of this knowledge, Paul follows willingly where the Holy Spirit compelled him to go, regardless of danger and threats ahead.     3.    Spirit Directed - we too have a calling from God - to know Him, to rejoice in Him, to receive hi forgiveness in Christ, to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to allow the Spirit of God to guide and direct our lives.  It's not always easy or comfortable, but it is for our benefit and God's glory. We are called to listen to the Holy Spirit, walk in the Holy Spirit, to follow the Holy Spirit, to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal and show us God's goodness. Paul's story concludes with him stating his life's aim is to complete the task the Lord Jesus had given him - the task of testifying to the Good News of God's grace. Pastor shares a personal story regarding this verse, a conversation with a college professor and the place he had this verse inscribed prior to his wedding day. This verse had a profound effect on Pastor life and he shares the impact of visiting the city of Miletus several years ago and being where Paul had spoken these words of Acts 20:24. Without Jesus we are lost - when Jesus breaks into our lives we are changed!!     4.    Life's Commitment - we are to live our lives committed to Jesus. We are to live our lives for Jesus and “finish the race,” the course of our lifetime as planned by God.  Our life is a “race.”  Towards the end of Paul's life he writes the following in 2 Timothy 4:7 - “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” That is our calling, too! We are to run the race with endurance, to follow Jesus as our Savior and Guide, to honor, worship and praise our Heavenly Father, to listen to the Holy Spirit as He speaks into our hearts, to follow where God leads NO MATTER THE DIRECTION.  NO MATTER THE COST. Scripture: Acts 20:17-24, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 https://www.awakeusnow.com Check out the video on our website https://www.awakeusnow.com/living-one Check out the video on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOwUarSm3uJrzLI4thAJNXQj Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

We are near the end of the third of Paul's three missionary journey, and he has stopped off at the port city of Miletus. From there he called his elder friends from Ephesus to make the 50-mile trip to meet him for this farewell address.1 - Introduction: Who Are Elders? (Review)2 - Elders Are Exemplary (26-27)3 - Elders Are On Guard (28-30)4 - Elders Are Alert (31)5 - Elders Are Biblicists (32)6 - Elders Are Givers (33-35)7 - Elders Are Dedicated (36-38)

We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: ‘You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. ‘And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. (Acts 20:13-22, NIV.)

Micah - Destruction in Israel and Judah. Woe to oppressors. Rulers denounced. Acts - Paul sails from Miletus. Paul at Jerusalem.

We're on the final legs of the third missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. He made a stop at the seaport of Miletus and asked the elders from the nearby Ephesus to meet him there. He had avoided stopping directly at Ephesus because he knew it would be impossible not to be delayed, both by the excess sailing time and the amount of time he would end up spending with the people there, after being with them earlier for three years.--Before we get to what Paul said as a shepherd to the shepherds of the flock, on behalf of the Chief Shepherd, it will be helpful for all of us to pay attention to the things that Paul did. You don't need to be an apostle in order to live for Christ.--1 - Be Seen With The Right People -17-18--2 - Be Serving The Lord -19--3 - Be Steadfast In The Word -20-21--4 - Be Spirit-led -22-23--5 - Be Strong To The End -24-25-

We're on the final legs of the third missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. He made a stop at the seaport of Miletus and asked the elders from the nearby Ephesus to meet him there. He had avoided stopping directly at Ephesus because he knew it would be impossible not to be delayed, both by the excess sailing time and the amount of time he would end up spending with the people there, after being with them earlier for three years.Before we get to what Paul said as a shepherd to the shepherds of the flock, on behalf of the Chief Shepherd, it will be helpful for all of us to pay attention to the things that Paul did. You don't need to be an apostle in order to live for Christ.1 - Be Seen With The Right People (17-18)2 - Be Serving The Lord (19)3 - Be Steadfast In The Word (20-21)4 - Be Spirit-led (22-23)5 - Be Strong To The End (24-25)

So this is sermon four of six in our series entitled: “We Are Cities Church,” the goal of which has been to communicate who we are, especially now that we're in our tenth year, and have gone from being a church planted to becoming a church rooted right here on 1524 Summit Avenue.Back on September 8, Pastor Jonathan began this series with a message on our church's mission, in which he said: “Our mission has always been, and will always be, to make disciples of Jesus” because that is what Jesus tells us to do. And when it comes to what we mean by making disciples, we mean making “joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life.”Now, what do those joyful disciples look like? What are their defining traits? Four things…As joyful disciples of Jesus we are Jesus worshipers, joyful servants, generous disciplers, and welcoming witnesses. And two weeks ago, Pastor David Mathis preached on that first one, Jesus Worshipers. Last week, Pastor Jonathan preached on the second one, Joyful Servants. And this week, if God allows, I'll preach on the third, Generous Disciplers. Let's pray and ask him to do so.So, we — as joyful disciples of Jesus — are Jesus worshipers, joyful servants, and, now, generous disciplers. To which, you might question, what is a generous discipler? Well, I'm glad you asked.Here's my definition: A generous discipler is someone who gladly and purposefully seeks to help other Christians follow Jesus.You like the definition? Good. But, what's with that, “other Christians” part? “A generous discipler is someone who gladly and purposefully seeks to help other Christians follow Jesus.” Why not just “other people?” Why limit it to Christians? I mean, don't we want to help those who are not yet Christians to begin to follow Jesus as well? The answer is yes — emphatically, yes! We most certainly want to help those who are not yet Christians to begin to follow Jesus because that is what Jesus commands us to do in Matthew 28:19 — a passage we recite at our commission each and every Sunday — where he says, “Make disciples of all nations.” That is, make people who, though they previously had not been followers of Jesus, are now followers of Jesus. And that process of — making those who, though previously had not been followers Jesus, are now followers of Jesus, sometimes referred to as “evangelism” or “witnessing” — is what we're going to drill down on in next week's sermon, our final defining trait — welcoming witnesses. But the focus for this morning's sermon is, assuming that we do in fact make disciples, what we should then do with them, once we've made them. That is, after we've shared the gospel with someone, and they've received Christ, and they've been baptized in his name, are we just to then say, “Alright, well, see you in eternity?” I mean, yes, Jesus calls us to make disciples. But is that all he calls us to do?See Jesus has more to say to us in Matthew 28 about this process of discipleship. He says,“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;”Do you see the transition? Make disciples, baptize them; and then teach them.Make disciples, baptize them; and then show them how to live. Make disciples; and then, we might say, gladly and purposefully seek to help them follow Jesus.It is that portion of the equation, that helping of current followers of Jesus to continue to follow Jesus, that we are focused on this morning as generous disciplers.And so, with that, I want to turn your attention to the text, Acts chapter 20. And I've got two things that I want to show you here from this text this morning. Two methods, if you will, for helping other Christians to follow Jesus. First: Christians help other Christians to follow Jesus by speaking the word of God to them.Second: Christians help other Christians to follow Jesus by living the word of God before them.You want to help other Christians to follow Jesus? Then speak the word of God to them and live the word of God before them.We'll focus first on speak.1. Speak the Word Acts chapter 20, beginning in verse 17, for some context,“Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.”The “he” there is Paul. So Paul is in Miletus, and while there, he sends for the elders of the church in Ephesus, saying, “Hey, come join me over here.” For some perspective, this is not like a quick trip out to a friend's house. That's like a 2-4 day journey on foot that he's just called them on. 30 miles as the crow flies, but more like 60 when it comes to all the twists and turns on the path to get there. But despite that distance, these elders in Ephesus hear the request, and they come.Verse 18,“And when they came to him, he [Paul] said to them: You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia…”So he's calling them back to the time they had spent together in Ephesus. And he's summing up his activity while he was there as, verse 19,“…serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house.” Now, Paul had spent nearly three years with those believers back in Ephesus. Three years! And what had he been doing throughout those three years? Among other things, he had been, verse 20: “Declaring” and “Teaching.” Mouth open and speaking to these Ephesian Christians. And what had he been speaking to them about?Well, he had been speaking to them about, “…anything that was profitable...” See it there, in verse 20?“…declaring to you anything that was profitable…”Now, at first glance, that makes it sound like Paul had been casting the net pretty wide in terms of things to speak to these Ephesians, right? I mean, anything that was profitable? Like, really anything?But just compare that somewhat vague statement with another statement of his, down in verse 27. Because while in verse 20, he says, “I did not shrink from declaring to you…anything that was profitable.” Look down with me to verse 27. In verse 27, he says almost the exact same thing. Almost. Verse 27,“…for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” Now, do you think Paul means us to read those two things as separate bodies of content? Like, “I didn't shrink back from declaring to you anything that was profitable, nor did I shrink back from declaring to you the counsel of God?” Are those two things separate? Or, are they synonymous — the one clarifying the other? I think we could paraphrase Paul's words here as, “Elders of Ephesus, verse 20, you remember how ‘I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable' that is, verse 27, how ‘I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.'” See, because the fact of the matter is, if you're in search for the body of words that can most profit a person's soul, in search of the corpus of truth that can most bring true soul-level benefit to a person, then you need not look further than to all the words that God has already spoken.And Paul is telling them, “Remember, I didn't hold back a single word that would've been profitable for you. For, I didn't hold back a single word that God has said.” The whole counsel of God.How do you gladly and purposefully seek to help another Christian follow Jesus? First, you speak the words of God to them. And all the words of God to them. You hold not one of them back.Why the Whole Counsel?Now, at this point, someone may argue: “Time out, that was Paul. Of course, he discipled others that way. He was an apostle. But look, I am not an apostle. I am an average, run of the mill Christian. Isn't it enough for me to simply seek to help other Christians follow Jesus by speaking portions of God's word? Like, can't I just share with them the parts of God's word that are especially comforting? Most encouraging? Or least likely to upset them or convict them about areas of needed change in their life? I mean, this book has some hard sayings — just take the gospels: Jesus talks about Hell, and the fact that some people are going there. Jesus talks about crosses and how we must take up ours to follow him. Jesus talks about sexual sin and how it's better to pluck out our eyes than take part in it. Jesus says we can't serve money. Jesus says we can't live for the praise of others. Jesus says he alone is the way, truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through him. Are we really to speak those words when seeking to help another Christian follow Jesus?”Well, what did Jesus say?Make disciples, baptize them, and “Teach them to observe all that I have commanded.” And he gave that commission not just to Paul. Nor just to the professionals. But to all who would claim to follow him — including you and me.Brother and sister, are you obeying Jesus in this regard? Who in your life right now needs you, needs you, to speak the words of God to them — even those that are both most difficult for them to swallow and most profitable for them to hear?So, Paul had spent three years speaking God's word, all of God's word, to the Ephesians because he knew that that was what Jesus has called his followers to do. And because he knew God's word was not going to be the only word the Ephesians were going to hear.What's at Stake?Look with me down in Acts 20:29-30. See it there with me. He says,“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” See what Paul had were eyes to see the battle going on in the world for words and how each and every one of the Christians around him who he was seeking to help follow Jesus were living in the midst of that battle. And every day, following his departure, there were going to be twisted things like lies, deceptions, and half-truths reigning down upon them from all sides. From within, “among your own selves” and from without, “fierce wolves out there.” Each with the aim to hit and puncture and sink into their souls, so as to draw them away from Christ and toward the wolves instead. Now, just think for a moment — is our world any different than that? I mean, consider someone you know from this church. Someone who is just a bit younger, a bit further behind in their faith than you. Maybe they're in your community group, or your life group. They're likely here this morning, maybe seated near you right now. Now do you have eyes to see the battle for words that that person lives in? Do you have eyes to see that that person, a half-hour-or-so from now, is going to walk out of this place, get in their car, and go home? And tomorrow, they're not going to come here. They're going to go to work, or school, and then maybe the gym, or the store, or to see a movie, or to enjoy a concert, or to visit a friend, or to spend time with a family member, or open a book, or turn on a screen, or pick up a magazine. And as they do, ask yourself: how many words out there are they going to see and hear between now and next Sunday? And how many of them will be twisted — laden with lies, fanged with falsehoods, aimed at leading that person not to Christ, but away from him? A hundred of them? A thousand? Are there any words you might be able to say to that person this week to help them keep following Jesus, rather than turn away from him? Is there any way you might be able to, gladly and purposefully seek to help them follow Jesus by speaking the word of God to them this week?Paul knew what Jesus had called him to. Paul knew the battle his fellow Christians were in. That's why he spoke. And that's why we should to. So, as generous disciplers, we want to gladly and purposefully seek to help other Christians to follow Jesus. And the first way we want to do that is by speaking the word of God to them. The second way, is by living it out before them. 2. Live the Word Go back with me to verse 18,“And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia.”And you know, its interesting — the church at this time was neither rich nor powerful (least not in terms of how the world measures those things). Even still, this was the Apostle Paul. Surely someone in Ephesus has got a nice guest house somewhere outside the city for Paul to stay in, right? I mean, “Paul, get yourself set up somewhere out of the riffraff of commoners and townsfolk. Get somewhere cushy and secluded. You got important stuff to do, to read, to write. You can't afford to be interrupted by all these nobodies.” Right? Wrong.Paul did in Ephesus just the same as he did in every other city he visited — he lived among the people. Rubbed shoulders with commoners. “You yourselves know how I lived among you...”“Okay fine,” we say, “but at least Paul impressed these commoners while he was there, right? Showed them he was a cut above the rest — how strong, how intelligent, how skilled he was right?”Wrong again. Verse 18,“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews.”Humility, tears, and trials. I mean if Paul was trying to impress, then clearly, he failed. Good thing he wasn't. He let his tears fall. His humility show. He bore the marks of trial not because he was trying to impress anybody, but because he was living in response to God's word. TearsHis tears were there because God's word had told him that he should love people and care about their souls. His tears were there because God's word has told him what happens to souls if deceived by twisted things and led away from their Savior. His tears were there because God's word had shown him that the loss of a person's faith deserved them. He was not aiming to impress people, but help people to follow Jesus. And so he let his tears fall in the process.TrialsLikewise, Paul's trials were there because God's word had called him to the front lines of battle. His trials remained there because God's word had assured him that the battle was well worth fighting no matter how heavy or tiresome they got. He was content to have his trials there and to show the marks of them to others because God's word showed him that in times of trial, his weakness showed most, and God's power shined greatest — and that was a good thing. HumilityFinally, his humility was there because of God's word, not his skill. God's word, not his eloquence. God's word, not his work ethic. God's word, not man, was able to guard these followers of Jesus so that they kept on as followers of Jesus even in the midst of the battle. He says, verse 32,“And now [that I'm leaving, and false teachers are coming…] I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give to you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” What enabled three years-worth of humble service to the Ephesians? The fact that he knew the power for his ministry was not in himself, but in God through his word.Brothers and sisters, go back to that young man or young woman who you had in your mind just a bit ago. The one who is just a bit younger, a bit further behind you in their walk with Jesus.What if you were to begin discipling them today? What if you were to begin gladly and purposefully seeking to help them follow Jesus by speaking God's word to them, and living God's word before them, this week? And what if, after you kept at it for three years, they were not impressed by you?Like, what if, as you discipled them, there came moments when you didn't have the answers, but were willing to seek them out alongside that person? And, what if, as you discipled them, it became apparent that even you are not yet totally sanctified, but are hoping to grow in sanctification alongside them? And what if, as you discipled them, there were no fireworks, and no fanfare, and no accolades, but instead, a thousand little moments, filled with the unimpressive and ordinary stuff, of speaking God's word to that person, and living God's word out before them?What if you did that? Well, then you would then be doing exactly what Jesus has commanded you to do. Making disciples, and then helping them to follow Jesus by teaching them to observe (to live out) all that he has commanded them. Cities Church, you can do this. You can help others to follow Jesus. With Bibles open, you can speak the word. With front doors open, you can live the word. With the desire to impress behind you, and humility flowing out from among you, and even with trials raging all round you, and tears welling up within you —You can help others to follow Jesus. And one last, quick word before we close. Cities Church, not only can you do this, but you can do so generously. Do So GenerouslyVerse 35, final word,“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”Do you see it? Jesus said, that it is more not less, but more blessed — more happy, more joy-producing, more delight-inducing — more blessed to give than to receive. To give than to withhold. To give and expend yourself for the good of others, rather than preserve yourself the supposed good of self. We don't want to be begrudging disciplers. We don't want to be exacting disciplers. We don't want to be duty-driven disciplers. Jesus tells us we should want to be generous disciplers because it is not less, but more blessed to give. The TableNow, what brings us to the table this morning is the fact that Jesus did not call his disciples to himself begrudgingly. He did not teach them his word disinterestedly. He did not cover up, but unfolded his life before them. And on the night he was betrayed, seated among his disciples, he invited them generously — take and eat, this is my body given for you. This table is Jesus' table. A fellowship meal for all who profess faith in him.

In Acts 20:13-38, Paul embarks on his final journey to Jerusalem, stopping in Miletus to bid farewell to the Ephesian elders. He shares a heartfelt message, reflecting on his ministry among them, emphasizing his commitment to preaching the Gospel and his impending trials. His farewell is marked by profound emotion, as he reminds them of his example of selfless service and the importance of building up the community in faith. Paul's parting words in this passage highlight the significance of leaving a lasting impact through leadership and dedication. His message serves as a powerful reminder of the responsibilities of church leaders and the need for unwavering commitment to the Gospel. This sermon, "Paul's Goodbye: Lasting Words and a Big Impact," underscores how Paul's final address to the Ephesian elders continues to resonate, inspiring faithfulness and courage in the face of challenges.

2 Chronicles – Idols Are Destroyed, Reforms Continued, Sennacherib Invades Judah, Sennacherib Undermines Hezekiah, Hezekiah's Prayer is Answered Acts – Paul in Macedonia and Greece, Troas to Miletus

Istrouma Baptist Church (BR) Aug 25, 2024 ========== August 25 | Acts Welcome! We're glad you've joined us today for our Sunday morning worship service! For more information about Istrouma, go to istrouma.org or contact us at info@istrouma.org. We glorify God by making disciples of all nations. ========== Connection Card https://istrouma.org/myinfo August 25, 2024 - Tim Keith ‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭17‬-‭27‬‬ Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church. When they came to him, he said to them, “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. You know that I did not hesitate to proclaim anything to you that was profitable and to teach you publicly and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace. “And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again. Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God. ‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭36‬-‭38‬‬ After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship. Are you willing to go anywhere the Lord leads you? ‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬‬ “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, Are you willing to face anything to obey Jesus? ‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭23‬‬ except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. Are you willing to give up everything to serve Jesus? ‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭24‬‬ But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace. ‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭13‬‬ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” – Jim Elliot ‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬‬ Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. In a world full of broken dreams Where the truth is hard to find For every promise that is kept There are many left behind Though it seems that nobody cares It still matters what you do Cause there's a difference you can make But the choice is up to you Will you be the one To answer to His call Will you stand When those around you fall Will you be the one To take His light Into a darkened world Tell me, will you be the one? Want to receive weekly announcements in your inbox each week? https://istrouma.org/email Give Online Text ISTROUMA IBC to 73256 or go to: https://istrouma.org/give Our Website https://istrouma.org

Loving the Ministry The Importance of Finishing Well 2 Timothy 4:9-22 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. 22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. I. Finishing Well Remembers the Past II. Finishing Well Acknowledges the Present III. Finishing Well Embraces the Future

The virtue of prudence is one of the four cardinal virtues, and yet, it is often overlooked. Prudence is the virtue of making wise, reasoned decisions, absorbing the collected wisdom of the Western canon and applying that wisdom to the situation at hand.In this talk from the Conference of Miletus, Matthew Ogle, Head of Classical Education at Thales Academy, examines the virtue of prudence and provides three points of application for teachers: 1) Model the love and joy that should accompany classical education; 2) Encourage curiosity and wonder through study and careful lesson planning; and 3) Continue the conversation from class and into the real world.Mr. Ogle received a B.S. in Marine Biology from Swansea University in Wales and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Mr. Ogle serves as Head of Classical Education for all campuses and is the Assistant Administrator of Thales Academy Rolesville JH/HS. Matt Ogle delivered this conference presentation at the Conference of Miletus on July 8, 2024.The Conference of Miletus is a series of short lectures from members of the Thales Academy leadership team discussing what is true, what is good, and what is beautiful and the importance of these transcendental ideas to classical education. 

Where you begin largely determines where you end. The modern, secular world defines human beings as being basically animals, but often dismisses the conclusions of such an idea. If man is basically an animal, then ideas of human dignity and the value of human life are easily subsumed in the reality of “might makes right.”Such a starting place and ending point are not in the best interests of students. Instead, classical education asserts the proposition that human beings are image bearers, having been created by God with the capacity for reason and contemplation, the drive for creative self-expression, and the capacity to make free, meaningful, moral choices. The idea of the imago dei is unique to the Judeo-Christian tradition and has influenced the course of Western history so that we hold it as a cherished First Principle.In this talk from the Conference of Miletus, Winston Brady, Director of Curriculum, Thales Academy and Director, Thales Press, examines the imago dei and the related concept of natural law and how these two ideas are of inestimable importance to the classical educator. Winston Brady has taught at Thales Academy since 2011 and has served Thales Academy in a variety of ways.Mr. Brady received a B.A. in English from the College of William and Mary, a M.Div. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mr Brady serves as the Director of Curriculum and Thales Press. Winston Brady delivered this conference presentation at the Conference of Miletus on July 8, 2024.The Conference of Miletus was a series of short lectures from members of the Thales Academy leadership team discussing what is true, what is good, and what is beautiful and the importance of these transcendental ideas to classical education. Interested in teaching at Thales Academy? Please check out our website if you are interested in pursuing a career at Thales Academy and learning about needs across our network. Find out more at https://www.thalesacademy.org/contact/careers.

In Acts chapter 20 Paul continues his journey and when he arrives in Miletus, he calls for the elders of the church from Ephesus and reminds them of the choices he modelled for them. He then exhorts them to take heed and care for the flock as he had.

In Acts chapter 20 Paul continues his journey and when he arrives in Miletus, he calls for the elders of the church from Ephesus and reminds them of the choices he modelled for them. He then exhorts them to take heed and care for the flock as he had.

Today, many educators downplay the value of the Western canon. They discount any wisdom or insights one may glean from being steeped in the tradition we have inherited.In this lecture from the Conference of Miletus, Anthony Esolen presents five reasons why teachers ought to teach the great works of the Western tradition and the impact it can have on students at a classical school.Originally from northeastern Pennsylvania and the grandson of southern Italian immigrants, Dr. Anthony Esolen received his A.B. in English Literature from Princeton University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Renaissance English Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Dr. Esolen has been a professor of literature and humanities for 35 years and is the author or translator of more than 30 books, which include a range of English translations, analyses of culture, literary and Biblical criticisms, meditations on modern education, meditations on the Christian life, and original poetry.Dr. Esolen serves as the Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Thales College. Dr. Esolen delivered this conference presentation at the Conference of Miletus on July 8, 2024. The Conference of Miletus was a series of short lectures from members of the Thales Academy leadership team discussing what is true, what is good, and what is beautiful and the importance of these transcendental ideas to classical education. 

Today, many schools disconnect the teaching of science and the scientific process from ideas of design, natural order, and natural law.As a result, students lose sight of the purpose and limits of the scientific process and lack the habits of intellectual curiosity and academic rigor that lie at the heart of science education in grades kindergarten through twelve grade.In this lecture from the Conference of Miletus, Robert Luddy, founder of Thales Academy and Thales College, addresses the unique approach to science education within the classical tradition. Teachers may explain relatively simple concepts but with the right resources and methodology, they can do it in such a way that the students discover this concept for themselves and develop the habits of inquiry needed for future discoveries. Robert "Bob" Luddy is the Founder and Chairman of Thales Academy, Thales College, Franklin Academy, and St. Thomas More Academy, and is the Founder and President of CaptiveAire Systems, North America's leading manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment and a quickly growing manufacturer of commercial and industrial HVAC systems. Bob Luddy delivered this presentation at the Conference of Miletus on July 10, 2023. The Conference of Miletus was a series of short, informative lectures given by members of the Thales Academy leadership team on ideas relating to classical education. Interested in teaching at Thales Academy? Please check out our website if you are interested in pursuing a career at Thales Academy and learning about needs across our network. Find out more at https://www.thalesacademy.org/contact/careers.

“You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now I have done the Lord's work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.” My son works for a well-known food retailer. When he leaves for work, I wish him well and he always responds in exactly the same way: “I'll do my best, Dad.” And I know that he will. That's exactly what we are reading in this passage today. We are meeting Paul as he addressed the leaders of the church in Ephesus and he wanted them to know that he did his best. He didn't hold anything back. He suffered with them and told them everything they needed to know, even if they weren't keen to hear it. He had done his best. Paul had spent three years with the church in Ephesus, which was a very long ministry for him. On this particular occasion, he was eager to get to Jerusalem in time for Pentecost. So he decided not to make the journey to Ephesus, but invited their leaders to make the 30-mile journey to the coast to meet him at Miletus (v17). His speech to them is deeply moving and reveals his deep love for them and his passionate desire that they should be strong in the face of whatever opposition they might encounter. Paul was sure that this was the last time that he would meet with them, and he was right about that, although he had no idea why that was going to be the case. The fact was, when he got to Jerusalem he was going to be arrested and be sent, finally, to Rome to face trial. Paul wasn't perfect and neither are we. We all fail. But God looks to us, frail as we are, to do our best and, amazingly, he will take that and use it to his glory. Question Are you committed to doing your best for God today? Prayer Lord God, I know that I often fail you. Thank you that you are willing to take and use what I give to you today. Amen

Each year, Thales Academy and Thales Press hosts the Conference of Miletus, a series of short lectures on topics related to classical education and practical teaching tips. This year, the theme of the conference was "First Principles for Classical Educators." In this episode, Winston Brady and Matt Ogle discuss each of these four principles.  A first principle is an assumption beyond which one may go no further and provides the foundation for a school to shape its culture and practices.These principles include the principle of natural order, the idea of teaching students to recognize the beauty in the natural world, addressed by Mr. Robert Luddy, founder of Thales Academy, founder of Thales College, and president of CaptiveAire Systems.Second is the principle of our intellectual inheritance, or the literary and historical treasures of the Western canon, presented by Dr. Anthony Esolen, Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Thales College.Third is the principle of moral philosophy, the idea of encouraging students to cultivate practical wisdom (prudence) in line with the Judeo-Christian and Aristotelian traditions, addressed by Mr. Matt Ogle, head of classical education at Thales Academy.And last but not least is the principle of human dignity, the principle of teaching students to preserve the uniqueness of every individual in alignment with the imago dei and the concept of natural law.

Phil Hudson - What is the pattern of Christian ministry which will form, sustain and build the Church? In Paul's speech to the Ephesian elders at Miletus we see that it is servant-hearted and word-centred. Ministers are charged to guard these convictions firmly.

This is message 11 in Labor In the Church Acts 20:13-38 Om Acts 20:13-38, Paul journeys back to Jerusalem from his third missionary trip, aiming to arrive before Pentecost. He meets the Ephesian church leaders in Miletus, likely for the last time, and shares his heartfelt testimony. Despite hardships, Paul remains committed to preaching the gospel and warns them of future challenges, emphasizing the importance of teaching the entire Bible. He encourages the leaders to oversee and protect God's flock, preaching God's word rather than personal opinions. Paul also exemplifies trust in God, diligent labor, and love for the church, praying and weeping with the Ephesian leaders. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

The church at Ephesus was a great church with many great qualities. It was made up of both Jews and Gentiles and stood strong against false teachers. Paul had a great relationship with this church and we can see their love for Paul in Acts 20 as he is on his way to Jerusalem but takes some time to meet with the elders from that church in Miletus. Jesus himself had many great things to say about this awesome church but he also had a major issue with it. Despite all of the encouragement from Paul and Jesus, this loving church was losing their first love—Jesus! They had become so focused on doctrine and fighting against false teachers that they forgot the very one who gave them the doctrine and their salvation to begin with! May we learn a great lesson from this church that is nonexistent today...stay focused on Jesus and keep him the main thing, the focal point of everything we do and say.

Acts Lesson 46 – Chapters 20 and 21 THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 46, Chapters 20 and 21 We have a little more to cover to complete Acts chapter 20 and then we'll move immediately into chapter 21. Paul is in Miletus, a province of Asia, which is a few miles south of Ephesus. He […] The post Acts Lesson 46 – Chapters 20 and 21 appeared first on Torah Class.

As Paul prepares to depart from Miletus, he offers a heartfelt exhortation to the community, revealing his common sense, insight, and love. (Lectionary #299) May 15, 2024 - Cathedral Rectory - Superior, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci - www.studyprayserve.com  

On May 28, in the year 585 BCE, there was a total solar eclipse during a battle between the kingdoms of Media and Lydia. This eclipse had been predicted by Thales of Miletus, and it led to the ends of both the battle and the war. Maybe.  Research: "Thales of Miletus." Math & Mathematicians: The History of Math Discoveries Around the World, edited by Leonard C. Bruno, UXL, 2008. Gale In Context: Science, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1669000047/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=941ff118. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024. "Thales." Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography, vol. 13, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008, pp. 295-298. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2830904273/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=78008eeb. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024. Airy, G. B. “On the Eclipses of Agathocles, Thales, and Xerxes.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, vol. 143, 1853, pp. 179–200. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/108561. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024. Batten, A. H. “The Saros Period and Halley's Comet.” Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Vol.76, NO. 4, P. 258, 1982. https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1982JRASC..76..258B Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Thales of Miletus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Dec. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thales-of-Miletus. Accessed 20 March 2024. Cantor, Lea. “Thales – the ‘first philosopher'? A troubled chapter in the historiography of philosophy.” British Journal of the History of Philosophy. 2022, VOL. 30, NO. 5, 727–750. https://doi.org/10.1080/09608788.2022.2029347 Couprie, Dirk L. “How Thales Was Able to "Predict" a Solar Eclipse without the Help of Alleged Mesopotamian Wisdom.” Early Science and Medicine , 2004, Vol. 9, No. 4 (2004). https://www.jstor.org/stable/4130201 Downey, Ed. “Thales of Miletus.” Great Neck Publishing. 8/1/2017. Via EBSCO. Gershon, Livia. “How Astronomers Write History.” JSTOR Daily. 3/10/2024. https://daily.jstor.org/how-astronomers-write-history/ Leloux, Kevin. “The Battle of the Eclipse (May 28, 585 BC): A Discussion of the Lydo-Median Treaty and the Halys Border.” Polemos 19 (2016). https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/264738 Miguel Querejeta, ‘On the Eclipse of Thales, Cycles and Probabilities', Culture And Cosmos, Vol. 15, no. 1, Spring/Summer 2011, pp. 5–16. www.CultureAndCosmos.org Mosshammer, Alden A. “Thales' Eclipse.” Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-2014). 1981, Vol. 111 (1981). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/284125 O'Grady, Patricia. “Thales of Miletus (c. 620 B.C.E.—c. 546 B.C.E.).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://iep.utm.edu/thales/ Redlin, Lothar et al. “Thales' Shadow.” Mathematics Magazine , Dec., 2000, Vol. 73, No. 5 (Dec., 2000). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2690810 Stanley, Matthew. “Predicting the Past: Ancient Eclipses and Airy, Newcomb, and Huxley on the Authority of Science.” Isis, vol. 103, no. 2, 2012, pp. 254–77. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1086/666355. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024. Worthen, Thomas. “Herodotus' Report on Thales' Eclipse.” Vol. 3, No. 7. May 1997. https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ElAnt/V3N7/worthen.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________LentLet my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.Psalm 141:2 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. O Gracious Light Phos hilaronO gracious Light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of life,and to be glorified through all the worlds. Psalm 145Exaltabo te, Deus1I will exalt you, O God my King, *and bless your Name for ever and ever.2Every day will I bless you *and praise your Name for ever and ever.3Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *there is no end to his greatness.4One generation shall praise your works to another *and shall declare your power.5I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty *and all your marvelous works.6They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, *and I will tell of your greatness.7They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; *they shall sing of your righteous deeds.8The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, *slow to anger and of great kindness.9The Lord is loving to everyone *and his compassion is over all his works.10All your works praise you, O Lord, *and your faithful servants bless you.11They make known the glory of your kingdom *and speak of your power;12That the peoples may know of your power *and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *your dominion endures throughout all ages.14The Lord is faithful in all his words *and merciful in all his deeds.15The Lord upholds all those who fall; *he lifts up those who are bowed down.16The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, *and you give them their food in due season.17You open wide your hand *and satisfy the needs of every living creature.18The Lord is righteous in all his ways *and loving in all his works.19The Lord is near to those who call upon him, *to all who call upon him faithfully.20He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; *he hears their cry and helps them.21The Lord preserves all those who love him, *but he destroys all the wicked.22My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; *let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Lessons1 Samuel 12:1-5English Standard Version12 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.” Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Mary - MagnificatMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant From this day all generations will call me blessed: * the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him * in every generation.He has shown the strength of his arm, * he has scattered the proud in their conceit.He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, * to Abraham and his children for ever.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as It was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Acts 20:17-35English Standard Version17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Simeon - Nunc dimittisLord, you now have set your servant free * to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, * whom you have prepared for all the world to see: A Light to enlighten the nations, * and the glory of your people Israel.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesThat this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, We entreat you, O Lord.That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses, We entreat you, O Lord.That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. St. Matthias (BCP 1979)Almighty God, who in the place of Judas chose your faithful servant Matthias to be numbered among the Twelve: Grant that your Church, being delivered from false apostles, may always be guided and governed by faithful and true pastors; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceMost holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.A Collect for Aid against PerilsBe our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.For MissionKeep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionMay the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. - Romans 15:13

Most people treat water as a necessity for human sustenance, but you'd think that such an important part of our lives would merit much more attention, care and reverence. This week on Living 4D, explore a very different way of looking at water with respect and love with Gary Greenfield in this Living 4D conversation. Learn more about Gary and his work on social media via Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. For Living 4D listeners: Save 10% on any products offered by Greenfield Water Solutions, like the Super-Charged Structured Water Whole Home Vortexer and all Whole Home Structured Water Filters by going to their website and using the code paulchek at checkout. TimestampsThe contaminated information in purified wastewater. (10:47)The story of creation. (17:01)Aether and water. (26:28)Everything is connected in nature. (33:50)Reverse osmosis: The best way to filter water. (42:09)The invisible qualities of energy. (54:58)Placing structured water devices in strategic locations throughout a town can eliminate the need for cleaning chemicals. (1:07:37)A toxic switch from chlorine to chloramine. (1:12:02)Structured water defined. (1:26:03)Centripetal (yin) versus centrifugal (yang). (1:34:18)The innate intelligence of water. (1:40:53)Bringing structured water to the mainstream. (1:51:59)Love, consciousness, prayer and water. (2:01:48)Does humanity need a new water myth? (2:15:30)Try this experiment next time for chlorinated water in a swimming pool. (2:38:49)Zeolite. (2:47:47)ResourcesThe Water Wizard by Viktor Schauberger and Callum CoatsThe work of Thales of Miletus, Marcel Vogel, Fritz-Albert Popp, Royal Rife and Masaru EmotoFind more resources for this episode on our website.Thanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBiOptimizers US and BiOptimizers UK PAUL10Organifi CHEK20CHEK Institute Black FridayWild PasturesNedPique LifeWe may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.