Faith Bible Fellowship Church of York

Paul is dragged out of the temple and beaten. He gives an answer for his faith and recounts how God opened his eyes to see the gospel. We can learn to be ready to give an answer, to share our testimony, and to testify to Jesus' death and resurrection.

When Paul returns to Jerusalem, some of the Christians has misunderstood Paul's message. In order to show his love for them and minimize potential conflict, Paul enters a purification ritual. Sometimes when a brother in Christ has a weak conscience, we need to 'go the extra mile' in love for them.

When we become a believer in Jesus Christ, he also calls us to be ready and willing to suffer for him. In this passage of Acts, Paul is willing to go to Jerusalem and if necessary die in the name of Jesus. We too need to be ready to follow Jesus wherever he wants us to go.

Paul instructs the elders at Ephesus to watch over the flock. The people entrusted to the elders are the Lord's people because he died for them. He in turn puts elders over them to guard them and be on the look out for wolves who want to see us wreck in our Christian faith.

Paul's desire is to finish the race of his ministry and keep the faith. We too are called to persevere in the faith even through trials and hardships. God is faithful and gives us grace to persevere.

God has brought us from our death under sin into new life. In this new life he has gifted us for good works that we do in response. We do not earn our salvation, it is all from grace. But having now experienced grace we are gifted and called to do good works.

Demetrius is a silversmith who is threatened by Paul's preaching the gospel. He works up the crowd against Paul and the early Christians. We see the threat that the gospel is to those who worship idols. Those who come to faith in Christ turn from worshipping idols to the worship the living God.

The sons of Sceva try to cast out a demon in the name of Jesus "whom Paul preaches". They do not have a personal faith in Jesus Christ. So too, today, there are preachers who use the name of Jesus and claim to do things in Jesus name but they do not preach the true gospel.

Paul continues his ministry. He both evangelizes the lost and strengthens the churches. There are saints that need to grow in their understanding of the Word and there are individuals who need to hear the gospel. A church ministry must focus on both.

Paul goes into Corinth and continues to evangelize. While he is there God tells Paul "I have many in this city who are my people." The sovereignty of God is a motivator for election and sharing the gospel with the lost.