Walking through a supermarket, a young man noticed an old lady following him around. He ignored her for a while, but when he got to the checkout line, she got in front of him.
"Pardon me," she said. "I'm sorry if I've been staring, but you look just like me son who died recently.
"I'm sorry for your loss," the young man replied. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Well, as I'm leaving, could you just say 'Goodbye, mother!?' It would make me feel so much better." She gave him a sweet smile.
"Of course I can," the young man promised.
As she gathered her bags and left, he called out "Goodbye, mother!" just as she had requested, feeling good about her smile.
Stepping up to the counter, he saw that his total was about $100 higher than it should be. "That amount is wrong," he said. "I only have a few items!"
"Oh, your mother said that you would pay for her," explained the clerk.
It’s hard to say goodbye, that is especially true when talking to people who have been trough memorable times with you, both the good and especially the bad. That is the case with today’s passage Acts 20:17-38, “From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: ‘You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”
This passage records Paul’s farewell to the leaders of the church at Ephesus after ministering to them for over three years. These were probably some of the most impressive years of Paul’s ministry. You’ll remember that the miracles that God worked through him were so impressive that Luke records that they were extraordinary miracles being worked, as if there were any other kind. But with Paul the miracles were so powerful and so many in this place that people literally wanted his head bands. That is called making and impression. But what was even better in this place is that Paul wasn’t the only one preaching, he was just the best known person. The Christians in this city told others about Jesus, that is how the church grows.
But now the time has come for Paul to leave the city. God is sending him first to Jerusalem and ultimately to Rome. But before Paul leaves he wants to see the elders in the church at Ephesus one more time, and we read that they wanted to see him too. You see he asked them to come and meet him at Miletus before he left. This would have been a days journey, so they had to travel one day just to say good bye, spend the night then travel one day back. They’re willingness to do this shows the care and respect that they had for Paul.
The scene is the passage is a beautiful picture of what Christian love and friendship should look like. As we look at Paul’s farewell speech we see what the character of the Christian leader looks like. It begin in verse 19, “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.” As we’ve read through the book of Acts all of the men who were used of God to lead the beginning of the early church were put through trials, most of them were external, some of them were internal. Leadership in any organization and on any level is never easy. There will be times of testing. But when those trials come you have to take comfort in the fact that you are in good company. In fact if you’re not being tested and there are not problems then you better check what you’re doing because you might not be doing something right because either God’s not trying to build you or Satan isn’t threatened enough by you to try and stop you.
Serving the Lord comes with a cost. In Paul’s case what was he doing that gained this attention. Well, Paul was willing to preach the entire gospel and not just the parts that might make him popular. Look at verse 20, “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you.” So many people think that as Christians we should only preach those nice parts of the Gospel. God loves you. When you die you can go to Heaven. God wants the best for your life. All of these things are true but there is so much more to the gospel than that, unfortunately when we speak about such things so many people think that we are being judgmental. Paul says it’s not judgmental it’s helpful. Yes God does love you that is why He is willing to tell you things that you shouldn’t do because they are harmful to you. We saw this Wednesday night in Paul’s letter back to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 5:3 he writes, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” Even when he was imprisoned far away Paul was willing to tell them whatever was necessary to help them to grow. That included warning them about Hell. Look at Ephesians 5:5, “for of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-such a man is an idolater-has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” How serious is that? Well you’re remember that there are only two alternatives when you die, it’s either Heaven or Hell, pass/fail, there are no C’s. When Paul tells them that if they continue to sin they will not have a place in the Kingdom of God, then he is also telling them to straighten up or they will go to Hell. That was an unpopular teaching then and it’s still unpopular today. The problem is that it is still true. It is a dire consequence, one that we want everyone to avoid. So if we are going to be leaders we have to be willing to teach everything that is in the Gospel, not just the nice parts.
The result was different then what most people might think. This commitment to teaching all of the gospel of Christ resulted in open doors rather than just shut doors. Look at the rest of verse 20, “taught you publicly and from house to house.” Putting this statement in the context of the day the term publicly referred to large gathering in well known places. From house to house would have referred to smaller gatherings in smaller places. The theater where they went during the riot in the passage from last week would have been publicly, a place where a few dozen to a couple of hundred would have been house to house. In other words, this commitment allow him to share Christ to large prominent groups and also to smaller groups. It gave him access and credibility to preach Christ in all sorts of venues and he was willing to do it. You’ll remember a few weeks ago when Paul was on trial on Mars Hill, he taught the gospel as best as he could and they said they would like to hear more. Paul taught all of the gospel and whether people agreed with him or not they wanted to hear more about what he had to say because they knew that he believed what he said.
No matter the place, no matter the setting he was willing to share his testimony of Christ. In verse 21 he writes, “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” At the end of verse 24 he writes about the task of “testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” That talks about giving witness about what someone has done and is doing. Paul was able to tell them about everything that Christ had done, not just on Calvary but in his life. He could tell them about the sick being heal, and earthquakes in the night. He was able to tell them about what God had done.
Let me ask you this very important question, “What’s your testimony?” What story or stories to have to tell about what God has done in your life, because if you are walking with Him you have stories to tell. When you are sharing with people in the normal traffic pattern of life sometimes those stories are far more important than what you have to say about things that happened 2,000 years ago. It can be a longer story, or a short one. It can be as simple as saying that it’s been a long and difficult year financially, but when I put my head on my pillow at night, God tells me it’s going to be alright and so I can sleep in peace because he’s carried me through so far and I know that He will continue. We have to be looking for those opportunities that come about during our everyday lives if we are going to be used of God to have an impact for Him in our community. We can not change our world if we’re just simply waiting for Him to do something on Sunday morning. God is God 24/7 and we need to be looking for Him to move and available for His use the same way.
But that will come with a cost at times. Paul’s was a life of great impact but look at what he was willing to go through for Christ, not just when it was in front of his face, but when it required planning. Paul is in Macedonia, he is around people who love him, who want him to stay. But look at what he says in verse 22, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” How would you like to book a trip with that on the itinerary? I’m going to Disney Land, where are you going, prison. It’s kind of a conversation stopper. But Paul knew what was ahead, of him, he knew the price that he would have to pay and he went any. It’s why I say that he was the unstoppable apostle. Sometimes I don’t think God tells us too much of the road ahead so we won’t be afraid, Paul knew what the road was and still went.
The Spirit is leading Paul to Jerusalem with the warning that he will be persecuted. Where most of us would back down from this, look at what Paul writes, verse 24, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Paul saw the hardship he knew they were coming but, the commitment and faith of Paul are so great that he only sees the finish line. I love the word “however” in this verse. It’s a transition statement, it’s saying I know that what comes before this statement would lead you to one logical conclusion, however the result is going to be different than you think. I know that if most people knew that they’re path was leading to prison and hardships they would run, however, I’m going to Jerusalem.
I also love that he says he is “testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Testifying, remember this is telling about what someone has done or is doing. A testimony is a powerful thing. Paul is saying that God is sending him into prison and hardships and yet what is he testifying about, God’s grace. This is not just a willingness to endure but to endure with dignity and grace. Why? Because Paul was focused on the finish line. He was only able to see that people needed to hear the gospel and that if he wasn’t willing to carry it to them then they were sentenced to Hell.
But it’s not only that when he says that he was wanting to finish the race and complete the task, he’s talking about the next world. Paul is focused on Heaven. Think about it. If you know Jesus and have asked Him to be Lord of you live then when you die you get to go to Heaven. No pain, no sorrow, no economic downturns or upturns. None of the stuff that holds us back. There we are with God where He reigns and we will be in His service forever. Isn’t it good to know that God never has to file chapter 11? Paul was focused on eternity and he knew that it wouldn’t just be the absence of bad things but the presence of the greatest thing. There we will be with God in His home. The one who created the universe with a word, has been working for 2,000 years on that one. It must be spectacular and Paul wanted to go. Don’t you want to go and take someone with you?
You see that idea of the church leading people into the kingdom is what Paul had in mind. He didn’t think that he was the only one who could preach the gospel he expected all of them to do it. Look at verse 25, “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.” He wasn’t planning on coming back, we don’t know that he knew his execution was coming, but he knew enough of the road ahead to know that this would be his last trip here. Then verse 26, “Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.” He’s telling them that he is leaving with a clear conscience. Why is it clear, verse 27, “For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” That is the task that we owe to the people around us to tell them about God. Maybe it is a one shot deal, maybe it is over the course of months weeks or years. But we have to tell the whole gospel to the people around us, as the Spirit leads. You understand that he is talking to the people that he preached to, not the entire city.
This is a process we must be willing to go through a patient enough to go through as the Spirit leads. A lady was sharing with a group of us this week about sharing with someone at work and how to bring up not just testimonies of God, because she was already doing that, but some things that were a little more sensitive, and the advice we gave her was to continue to build the relationship that she had and then share when the Spirit lead. Paul’s conscience towards them was clear because he had done that.
Because his conscience was clear he also had an expectation of them. Paul expects them to continue the work that God as started through him. Verse 28, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has mad you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Who’s he tell them to keep watch over first, themselves. See the first person who is responsible for our walk and growth with God is us. We are the ones who are responsible to walk with Him daily, we are the ones who are responsible to study His word, to pray, not just daily but all the time. We are the ones who are responsible to find the places of service that He is calling us to and begin to serve. The Christian life is supposed to be one of action and the person who receives the charge for ourselves, first, is you.
Paul likened his life to a race. An athlete can have the best coach in the world, they can get the best training advice, and have the best equipment in the world, but if they won’t train, if they cut corners whenever possible they will never achieve what they should and it’s not the coaches fault, Paul says his conscience is clear, it’s the runner. So first he charges them to keep watch over themselves, and then over the flock. The Christian life is one of service, we don’t grow for the sake of feeling better then the people around us, we are supposed to grow so that we can then go serve the people around us and help them to know God and to grow in Him. Paul is expecting the church to follow through on what he has started. That is the way that the church works.
We talked about motives last week. Paul is able to say that his motives were pure, His motive was the gospel of Christ and not money. He’s not saying that it’s wrong to be paid, he’s saying that’s not why he did it. Verse 33, “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.” He’s saying that he didn’t covet money and that wasn’t his motive. We also saw that in Philippi for a while Paul had to work as a tent maker until Silas and Timothy arrived with funds that had been donated so that he could preach full time again. His motive wasn’t the money he received it was preaching the gospel of Christ.
But he also lead them in taking what was given and giving to others. He even did this himself and because he did that he knew first had the joy of helping others. Here we see Paul not just being a preacher but a follower of Jesus. Why did he help others? Paul quotes Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Paul is saying, Jesus said it, I did it, and it is good. His lasting legacy with them would be one of teaching the gospel from a pure motive and not from any unselfish desire.
And with that said he is ready to leave them. He has told them of his hardships and faithfulness to teaching all of the gospel of Christ. He has charged them to carry on the work that God has started through him. Warning them to watch for themselves and then the people around them. He notes that when he leaves people will come and try and deceive people, it is there charge to keep the gospel pure and keep teaching it to the people around them. Then with this commitment he notes that his motives were pure and in saying so asks them to follow his example and be pure in their motives, and then he is prepares to leave them.
But there is one final scene in this passage. Rather then him just praying and leaving look at what Luke writes happened. Verse 36, “When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.” They prayed together and then they wept together, they hugged and they kissed. They were not afraid to show affection for each other. It’s one of the things that I love about us as a church, we are willing to shake hands and to hug one another, may we never get to the place that we can’t show one another the love that we feel. The church is supposed to be a family, for good and bad, for the disagreements and the times that we lift each other up and support each other. The one thing that we are not supposed to lose is the love of each other and we are supposed to show it.
It’s important because ultimately that is what the kingdom of God comes down to, love. We are forgiven because God loves us. We are to forgive each other out of love for God and one another. If you’re here and you’ve never asked Christ into your life I’m going to invite you to do that today, not because we want another church member but because that is the most important thing that you can do in your life. God loves you and we want you to know what life with Him is like. Not that it will always be easy because it won’t but because it will be worth it and because when you accept Him you enter into a family that wants to love you and help you on the journey.
