Odyssey: "A long and adventurous journey or experience."
In 2023 & 2024 we spent the summer months on the life of the Apostle Paul and covered his first two missionary journeys as presented in the book of Acts. This summer we're looking at his 3rd missionary journey.

Last week we saw the Apostle Paul in the great mega city of Ephesus. Today we leave Ephesus with Paul and head North and West. His purpose is to reconnect with the churches he had started on his previous (2nd) journey and to help those believers grow in their faith.
Just because you've been on a road before, doesn't mean that your journey will be the same.

Often when we set out adventuring, we encounter people, events, and places that leave lasting impressions; and sometimes having a lasting impact on us and those who we've met. When our journey is over, we have what is called "traveling tales...stories that enlighten and educate others as to our experiences.
Share about a person, event, or place you have encountered while traveling that has really impacted your life.

Our text this morning is found in Acts 20:1-16.
But first, let's look at something from last week's message in Acts 19:21-22.
Paul had spent nearly 3 years in Ephesus. While there Paul intensified his writing of the 13 letters attributed to him in the New Testament and this continued throughout the rest of the book of Acts.

The Lord began to move within and guide Paul in several areas:
1. to collect an offering from the gentile churches and deliver it to the drought-stricken Jerusalem church.
2. to begin preparations for a future missionary journey to Rome.
3. to send his co-workers ahead to lay the groundwork for his return to Greece.
4. to encourage the Ephesian believers before leaving them.

Toward the end of the 3rd year, Demetrius, an Ephesian businessman rallied a mob against Paul and his fellow Christians. But God used a calm, rational government official to save the Apostle and his companions from the riot.

When we look at today's passage, Acts 20:1-16, we get a really good look into the heart of Paul. We see the pastor-shepherd, the selfless servant, and the relentless soldier of the Lord.
This passage wasn't just about geography, but about urgency.
- It demonstrates what it means to love God and love people.
- It illustrates what real Christian commitment looks like.
- It indicates that ministry opportunities are abundant.
- It motivates us, knowing that God can work in and through us if we will trust Him, live a life of obedience, and put one foot in front of the other.

As Paul left Ephesus, he understood that his time was running out. His opportunities to impress and impact people for Jesus were dwindling and that he needed to reproduce his life in others.
This text shows how Paul leveraged the people, events, and places that he encountered for the glory of God and the good of men.
We should be challenged when we read the traveling tales of Paul. This text shows how each and every one of us can make an eternal difference in this world.
Today we'll look at four ways we can make a difference as we travel through life.

1. LOOK for opportunities to encourage others.
Acts 20:1-3

Encourage comes from the word Parakaleo which means to strengthen, comfort, and exhort. It implies coming alongside someone to offer support, confidence, and hope. It's the same word that Jesus used four times in John to describe the Holy Spirit, who He referred to as The Comforter.

2. OPEN our lives to include others.
Acts 20:4-6

Paul was living the same kind of life that Jesus did...a rabbi with his disciples. The purpose was to have spiritual replicas, not just social friends.

3. INVEST in the well-being of others.
Acts 20:7-12

Paul was well-meaning. We see him joining with other believers, worshipping, teaching, and helping. He wanted to invest in the lives of people to help grow their faith and to reach their potential.

4. MODEL strategic living to others.
Acts 20:13-16

We see that Paul walked 20 miles alone while the ship and all his co-workers sailed some 40 miles. There could be many reasons for this but it seems he was modeling how to strategically live a spiritual life in a secular world. We have to spend time with God to know our marching orders in order to accomplish the goals He has for our life.

These four insights show us how we can make a difference in someone's life. Choose one and get busy!