Go! And Finish Well - Acts 20:24 Series

Go! And Finish Well

Acts 20:24 (NLT): "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."

Introduction: Living With Eternal Purpose

The world often measures success by how much we gain, how far we climb, and how well we are known. But the Apostle Paul teaches us to measure life by how faithfully we fulfil the mission Christ has given us. In this passage, Paul, speaking to the elders of the Ephesian church, opens his heart. His words echo across centuries, challenging each of us: Will we finish well?

1. A Life Defined by Mission (Acts 20:24)

Paul says: "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus..."

The Greek word for "finishing" is teleiosai (te?e??sa?), meaning to bring to completion, to carry through to the end. Paul is not dabbling in ministry—he is consumed with the mission to completion.

Paul is heading to Jerusalem, knowing that imprisonment and afflictions await him (Acts 20:22-23). Yet, he is unmoved. His priorities are shaped by eternity.

Philippians 1:21 (NLT) - "For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better."

What are you living for? The world says live for comfort, Paul says live for Christ.

John Piper writes, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

Piper captures Paul’s passion. If we live merely for self, we waste the precious gift of life. But if we live for Christ, we find eternal significance.

Imagine a soldier who receives a mission. He doesn’t say, "I’ll get to it after I’ve enjoyed myself." No, he obeys. We are soldiers of Christ. Our lives are not our own.

2. The Message We Must Share (Acts 20:24)

"...the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."

The word translated "Good News" is euangelion (e?a???????), meaning the gospel—the joyous proclamation of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The message Paul proclaims is not moralism or religion, but grace. Grace is unmerited favour. It is God’s riches at Christ’s expense.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) - "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

These verses remind us that salvation is not a transaction—it is a divine gift. We are not saved because we earned it, deserved it, or performed well enough to impress God. No, we are saved by grace—God’s unmerited favour—through faith. It is God’s doing from start to finish. Grace eliminates boasting. Faith excludes pride. This humbles us and glorifies Him. Our response must be gratitude, worship, and a life lived in honour of the One who gave everything to save us. Let us never forget: we are saved not because we are good, but because God is gracious.

Charles Stanley once said, "Grace is not something we deserve; it is something we desperately need."

Stanley reminds us that grace is God’s initiative. We do not earn it; we receive it through faith in Christ.

A man falls into a pit and cannot climb out. Religion throws down a ladder and says, "Climb!" Grace lowers Christ into the pit to lift the man out. That is the gospel we preach!

3. A Saviour Worth Proclaiming

The gospel is the Good News that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. This is not a myth—it is the foundation of our faith!

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NLT) - "Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day..."

The word "raised" is egegertai (e???e?ta?) – perfect tense, showing completed action with ongoing result. Christ’s resurrection is a past event with present power!

This passage is the very heartbeat of the Gospel—the unshakable foundation of our faith. The Apostle Paul declares what is most important, the core truth that transforms lives: Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again, all in fulfilment of Scripture.

Jesus didn’t die as a martyr for a cause—He died as the Saviour for our sin. His burial proves the reality of His death. And His resurrection is the divine proof of victory over death and the grave. This isn’t religious tradition; this is God’s eternal truth.

Friends, the Gospel is not about what we do for God—it’s about what God has done for us in Christ.