Acts 20:13-38

“Encouragement and Warnings!”

Scripture: Acts 20:13-38

Memory Verse: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

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Lesson Focus: We need to run our race focused on Jesus.

Activities and Craft: Coloring Verse page, Run for the Prize Activity Sheet and Word Search

Introduction: This game will have to be played in the summit room for the 3rd-5th and in the hall for the 1st and 2nd. (1st and 2nd teachers can work out the timing.)

Game:

  1. Form two teams for a relay.
  2. Divide each team into two sides, facing each other.
  3. Tell the kids that they will each receive a phrase from our verse from today’s lesson. They have to run up to the person on the opposite side and whisper the phrase from the verse into their ear. The new person then runs to the opposite side with the verse phrase to whisper into the next child’s ear. Once a team has finished and tell the right phrase they win.
  4. Phrases for each team:
  5. Phrase #1: run with endurance
  6. Phrase #2: Looking unto Jesus

Lesson:

Acts 20:13-16; Paul’s Itinerary: Paul is on a merchant ship and making his way slowly towards Jerusalem. They shipped stops at Miletus for two days and he makes good use of his time by getting word to the elders at Ephesus.

Acts 20:17-21; Paul’ Message:

Paul goes to Miletus and sends for the Elders from Ephesus. He did not stop there because he was set on getting to Jerusalem, but He still had some things to say to them. Here is what Paul wants them to know:

Paul was committed to them:

  1. You know how I lived among you
  2. I served the Lord through many hardships
  3. I served the Lord through the plotting of the Jews
  4. I was not afraid and taught publicly – not hiding
  5. Telling the truth of Jesus

Acts 20:22-23; Hard Things are Ahead

√ Who is leading Paul to Jerusalem? (bound by the Spirit…that means that he is being led by the Spirit. He is following the Spirit’s leading.)

√ Does Paul know what hard things are going to happen to him?

√ What does he know? (That the Spirit keeps telling him that chains and tribulations are ahead for him.)

√ What do “chains” mean for Paul? (Prison)

√ Would it be hard to move ahead with your plans if you knew something bad was going to happen to you?

Acts 20:24; What Motivates Paul

√ Was Paul afraid? Why or why not? He said that he did not hold his life “dear”. In other words he wasn’t afraid of dying. Why or why not?

2 Corinthians 5:8, ’We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

Paul knew where he would be when he dies. To loose his life here on earth means eternal life with Jesus.

√ What does it mean “finish my race?”

Paul is referring to the life that God has for him. His life is a race that he is running for Jesus.

Let’s talk about racing.

√ What do you do when you are in a race?

  1. Train – physically and mentally
  2. Run your best
  3. East Right

√ Do you think that you would run a good race if you filled up on 3 Pizza’s and a gallon of ice cream and three soda’s before the race? (no, that would be the wrong fuel for your body.)

When we run our race for Jesus there are some racing strategies that we need to keep in mind:

1. Preparation: Hebrews 12:1 “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

We run our race by living according to the Word of God. We want to get rid of the sins that will trip us up in our life. We need to be prepared!

2. Focus: Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We don’t run this race blindly. We have to focus on Jesus and realize that He has given us that pattern that we are to follow. He is our guide of a person running well!

3. Endurance; 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

At the end of his life Paul could say that he hung in there. He finished the race that God had for him. He didn’t say; “hey, wait God, I am not ready to go…” He accepted what God had for him and he knew that he had done what God had asked him to do.

Wouldn’t it be great to get to the end of our life and to know that we have done everything that we could do for Jesus? We have finished well. IT’S IMPORTANT HOW YOU START AND IT IS IMPORTANT HOW YOU FINISH!

√ What was Paul’s ministry? (to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.)

√ What is the Gospel?

  1. That Jesus dies for our sins according to the Scriptures

2 Corinthians 15:3

2. That Jesus rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. 2 Corinthians 15:4

  1. That we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus for our salvation. Acts 3:19 and Acts 16:31

Acts 20:25- 27; Paul’s Goodbye:

√ Would Paul see them again? (not on earth)

√ Why did Paul say that he was innocent of the blood of all men? (Do you remember in Acts 18:6, when the Jews did not want to hear the message, Paul shook of his garments and told them that he had done his best to warn them of the need of salvation? He was not responsible for their decision.)

Acts 20:28- 31; Paul’s Warnings:

  1. Warning #1: Pay attention to your own lives. Make sure that you follow Jesus well and run your race that God has given you to run.
  2. Warning #2: Pay attention to your flock that you are over. Be a good leader. Just like a shepherd takes care of his flock to keep them safe and going in the right direction – make sure that you are a good shepherd to the people that God has put under you.
  3. Warning #3: Hard times are coming. People that look like wolves will come for the sheep. They will try to get God’s people to leave the flock and turn from Jesus.
  4. Warning #4: Leaders will rise up and teach un-truth. Many times people say they are speaking God’s truth, but if it does not line up with what the Bible says it is not true and can lead people to go astray.

Acts 20:32-38; Paul’s Goodbye:

√ What does Paul leave them with? (I leave you with God and His Word.)

Your relationship with God and the guidance of the Word of God will build you up and help you run your race for God.

√What does Paul remind them of? (He worked for his provisions and the provisions of those with him. He did not take money from them.) He reminds them that it is more blessed to give than to receive.)

Paul leaves them with prayer!

Conclusion: What do we learn from this passage?

  1. Paul was doing what God told him to do. He was following the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Are we listening to the Holy Spirit? Do we know what God wants us to do?
  2. We are in a race and we need to train and run well for Jesus. Life is short and we don’t want to get off the wrong track. There is only one way to God and it is through Jesus. (John 14:6) There is only one path to follow. (Matthew 7:13-14.)

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