Text: Acts 20:32-38, Title: So You Call Yourself a Pastor 4, Date/Place: NRBC, 2/22/09, AM
A. Opening illustration: Karl Marx, died in 1883 with these last words… “Go on, get out - last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.” Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, d.1170 “I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace.” The very last words of Buddha to his disciples were, “Strive without ceasing.” How different these are to the last words of Jesus who said, “It is finished”
B. Background to passage: After Paul tells these Ephesian elders exactly what to do as pastors, there is this moving scene where he gives them his final words and prays for them, and leaves. It is just a great picture of his hopes as their mentor in the Lord and of the relationship between them.
C. Main thought: In the text we will look at three aspects of this scene.
A. Commendation to sources of strength (v. 32)
1. Paul closes his talk with them with two reminders, the first of which is a commending them to the two sources of strength that will aid them in being faithful to the charges that he has given them. This word commend means to set before or entrust. This was Paul’s practice among his churches; especially in the letters we see his constant intercession for those under his care. But note the two things that he entrusts them to—God and his Word (or message) of grace. He commends them to God and His gospel. The two sources of strength for all believers. He wants them to know that they are not alone! God will never leave them nor fail them. And the word of his grace, the gospel, is the power of salvation to all those who believe. Then he reminds them of the provisions of God and his word of grace—edification (strength and growth) and an inheritance that fades not away! Note the corporate nature of this inheritance. Also note the face that the saint are spoken of as already being sanctified (perfect passive participle).
2. 1 Pet 1:4, Rom 1:16, Gen 28:15; Deut 31:6, 31:8; Josh 1:5; 1 Sam 12:22; 1 Chron 28:20; Ps 37:25, 28; Isa 41:10, 17
3. Illustration: “We have no sufficient strength of our own… All our sufficiency is of God… We should stir up ourselves to resist temptations in a reliance upon God’s all-sufficiency and the omnipotence of his might.” (Matthew Henry) EVERY POSSIBLE PREDICAMENT For every possible predicament of man, there is a corresponding grace of God. In other words: For every particular human need there is a particular supernatural resource. For every definite problem there is a definite answer. For every hurt there is a cure. For every weakness, there is a strength. For every confusion, there is guidance. SOURCE: John C. Maxwell “where God guides, He provides,” ST. PATRICK I arise today Through God’s strength to pilot me; God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s hosts to save me From snares of the devil, From temptations of vices, From everyone who desires me ill, Afar and near, Alone or in a multitude.
4. It is good and helpful to constantly be reminding those you are praying for that you are lifting them up before the throne of the Almighty God. This was constant in Paul’s letters, and a good practice for us. It is always encouraging to me to have someone come and say, “I’ve been praying for you.” Also remember that it is good that we entrust and commend people to the actual source of strength—God and his Word. We have been discussing in SS that God is the crutch that never fails. He is the absolute reality, the greatest reservoir of unlimited resources for every situation and need. And He has given us the Word as our only offensive weapon. Use the word when you speak to others. And remember that the same strength that helped these pastors to shepherd the church in Ephesus to faithfulness, is available for you. God and His gospel is an unlimited reservoir of strength through the power of the Spirit in the life of every believer. Whatever you are going through right now, you have access to the power of God for your life. We serve an awesome God who is mighty to save and mighty to deliver and mighty to sustain and guide and provide and uphold and demonstrate his faithful covenant love and power in you! Let you mind meditate on God’s ability to strengthen, build you up, and grow you. Remember these are linked to “the word.” Let your mind dwell upon the ever-increasing joy that will accompany the myriads of people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation in the presence of Christ—for He is the inheritance!
B. Warning against pride and greed (v. 33-35)
1. Next Paul gives a final warning against the dual sins of pride and greed that maybe with the exception of lust take down more believers than anything. He notes that they all knew that he never exhibited a covetous spirit desiring either money or status. The underlying emphasis of this warning is the social status or authority in the community because of position. He was reminding them that they were simply vessels chosen for the Master’s use and saved by His grace, therefore they were not to desire the applause of men, but to direct all praise to the rightful recipient. He notes again his own work ethic to provide for himself. It is clear from other passages of scripture that Paul thought that he had the right and authority to receive money from churches, but in this instance he chose not to. Then Paul gives us a quotation of Jesus that is not found in the gospels.
2. Pro 16:18, Col 3:22-25, Mal 2:1-2
3. Illustration: THE DISEASE OF PRIDE “Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the one who has it” Recently in an exam, seventy percent of the students rated themselves as above average in leadership, and only two percent as below average. Sixty percent rated themselves as above average in athletics while only six percent said below. When they rated themselves as to how easy they were to get along with, 25 percent said they were in the top one percent, sixty percent said they were in the top ten percent, and absolutely no one said he was below average in being easy to get along with. The greatest danger inherent in pride is the effectiveness with which our own brilliance can blind our vision.
4. Maybe with the exception of sexual immorality, these are probably the most common and most devastating sins in the ministry. And I do believe that pastors and leaders are held to a higher standard, but I know that most of the qualifications required of pastors are mentioned of other believers as well. So I wish we could all say what Paul said. I think the safest application point for us on that statement is to acknowledge that we all have coveted things that we didn’t have, and repent for treasuring stuff more than Christ. I think that all of us have areas in our lives where our desires get the better of us, and all of us have areas in which we could trim back. Almost every aspect of our culture screams to us to buy more, spend more, need more, want more, charge more, finance more, have more, and it is easy to get catch up in it. We must repent for treasuring the looks of respect and praise from other people because of our status. We must repent from not working as unto the Lord OR working too much at the expense of our family and church. We would all do well to remember that if the Lord had not broken into our lives, we would not be who we are today. All that we are, every skill that we have, any position that we hold, any blessings that we enjoy are all from Him. We are nothing without him and have no room for boasting or pride. Theologically speaking it IS better to give than receive, but is that in reality the case for you? What is it that is missing from most of us or that has infected most of us so that this is generally not true? Self-centeredness and desire infect, and a lack of evaluation of Christ as most valuable causes us not to be satisfied with Him, and the view of our possessions and finances as ours instead of our stewardship of His resources.
C. Transparent departure (v. 36-38)
1. What we see here is a moving meaningful moment between these men and the Apostle who have obviously grown to love one another dearly and also realize the gravity of the occasion. Paul kneels down to pray with them and over them. Then they all wept as they knew that Paul would be facing persecution, imprisonment, torture, and eventually death, but moreso because their beloved father in the Lord was leaving them. The word used here for “sorrowing” was a word that was that was used of Mary and Joseph when they lost Jesus and of the rich man’s “torment” when he was in hell. It was a very graphic word that demonstrates the depth of commitment and love that they all had for one another. And they were emotionally attached and knew that a part of their life would be gone when he left. Sometimes the will of God is painful, and these men understood it experientially.
2. 2 Tim 1:4, Acts 21:13, 1 Thess 2:7, 11, Gal 4:19,
3. Illustration: tell about the time that the student prayed for me right in the hall while we were looking at seminaries, tell about the blanket that was prayed over by all the preachers at a conference, tell about my sitting with Justin last two Wed nights ago and what an awesome talk we had…
4. What an encouraging, comforting, moving experience when a spiritual leader or mentor calls on the God of Heaven over you in a crisis! Wouldn’t you like to have been there to hear what Paul prayed for these men? We should make a habit of not only praying for but praying with those around us. It knits our hearts together as we hear the petitions that people make on our behalf. In general people are scared to death to get close to people in church, especially the pastor. The gossip legacy of our churches is a hindrance to vulnerability. The change of pastors frequently over the long term can be a factor. Lack of concern and/or lack of understanding for biblical relationships could be another. Whatever the reason, we must strive for this kind of intimacy, connection, and bond. Like I mentioned last week this is going to require a concerted intentional effort on your part. You will need to decide to sit with different people on Wed night suppers. You may have to spend time with other people besides those in your SS class. You may need to get to know some of the people that have been around a long time, or just a short time. Ask God to create a desire in you to bond with others in a Christ-like fashion. The world is longing to see a church that acts like a church.
A. Closing illustration: As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: "It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy, which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them." The Bohemian reformer John Hus was a man who believed the Scriptures to be the infallible and supreme authority in all matters. He died at the stake for that belief in Constance, Germany, on his forty-second birthday. As he refused a final plea to renounce his faith, Hus’s last words were, “What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood.”
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
• Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
