Living Your Life For Maximum Impact (Part 1) Series

Living Your Life for Maximum Impact (Part 1)

Acts 20:17-35

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Introduction:

1. How many of you have a DVR on your television? People are acting, or players are running around in a game, and you can simply hit “pause” and everything stops. You can also push “rewind,” go back, and play it over again.

2. Have you noticed that real life isn’t this way? There is no “pause” or “rewind.” Life just keeps moving forward hour by hour, and day by day. Unfortunately, we don’t get any “do-overs” or replays, do we? Once a day is gone, there is no way to get it back.

3. Because of this truth, we must live our lives in a way that will result in having a maximum spiritual impact on those around us. We only get one life to live on earth.

4. The apostle Paul had spent almost three years of his life in the city of Ephesus. There, he established a local church and won many people to Christ. These people were dear to his heart.

5. So, on his way to Jerusalem, Paul stopped at Miletus and sent a message for the Ephesian elders (pastors) to meet him there. vs. 17

6. Paul knew that this probably would be the last time he would ever see these men (vs. 25, 37-38). What would be Paul’s last words? What would they consist of? This text is an absolute gem because it reveals Paul’s final words of instruction to a group of people he loved dearly.

7. Paul had lived among these people for three years. His life was an open book

(vs. 18). He was able to look back and review the godly pattern that he had set. Paul had lived his life for maximum impact (with no regrets), and this text shows us how he did it.

8. How can you live your life for maximum spiritual impact?

First, serve the Lord with humility. vs. 19

1. Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ – THE apostle of the Gentiles. He had a very important position in God’s plan and God’s work. Yet Paul was not an insolent dictator who tried to lead by bullying and intimidating people. cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 11

• Paul didn’t allow his position to go to his head. He had a servant’s heart.

2. Do you want to impact lives? Here’s the biblical secret: you impact others by serving others. Matthew 26:26-28

3. Serving the Lord is essentially serving others. This is how we serve the Lord. But it takes a mindset of humility. Philippians 2:3-4

4. Do you know what mindset Christ possessed that led Him to go to the cross and die for our sins? Philippians 2:7-8

• Without humility of mind Christ would not have gone to the cross, and we would all be doomed to die in our sins.

5. Fathers, do you want to impact your children for the Lord? Possess humility of mind and have a servant’s heart at home.

6. Married couples, do you want to have maximum impact on your children? Let them see you serving one another and giving of yourself to serve others. Serve as a family!

7. When we serve others, we are demonstrating in a very real and powerful way that life is not just about us. It is about Jesus Christ, and it is about others and their needs.

8. Let me warn you - when you serve the Lord it will not always be smooth sailing. vs. 19

9. When Paul served the Lord in Ephesus, he did so with many tears and temptations (adversities). There were Christ-rejecting Jews who didn’t appreciate Paul’s stand and message of Jesus Christ. cf. Acts 19:8-9

10. The other believers in Ephesus saw Paul’s tears. They observed as Paul faithfully continued to serve the Lord despite the tears and despite great adversity.

• Marriages have adversity, but when you continue to serve the Lord and each other through the adversity, it has a powerful impact on others.

• You will encounter adversity at work, at home, at church, in your health, etc. But will you continue to serve the Lord with humility?

11. Our life is not a DVR. You can’t go back. Do you want your life to have maximum impact? Serve the Lord with humility, even through adversity.

Second, show what you know about the Lord. vs. 20-21

1. As you grow in your relationship and knowledge of Christ, what is the purpose? There is really a two-fold purpose:

• You grow in your knowledge of Christ so that you can personally grow and change.

• You grow in your knowledge of Christ so that you can share Christ with others.

2. Paul did not hesitate to share his knowledge of Christ with others. vs. 20