What would you say to people you love who you are never going to see again? For many of us that brings to memory an emotionally powerful moment in our life. May be it was tender words of affection and admiration or it may have been tearful words of confession and forgiveness. I’ve been at this place with family, friends, and church members. That’s why the scene of Paul’s departure in Acts 20 is so powerful and, frankly, shocking to me.
Luke, the author of Acts, is describing Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem with the offering for the impoverished Christians. The first half emphasizes Paul’s farewell address to the church in the port city of Troas. He speaks all evening. The meeting is held on the third floor of a building, and a man named Eutychus is sitting in the window. At midnight, Eutychus falls asleep while Paul is preaching. He falls out of the window to his death. Paul is used by God to perform a miracle to bring this man back to life. Luke’s focus is not on the miracle, but on Paul’s message. The miracle underscores that Paul’s message was from God, but Luke doesn’t tell us what was Paul’s message. One explanation is the substance of Paul’s message can be found in what he said to the Ephesian leaders in the last half of chapter 20. This is where the surprise came for me.
Paul wants to arrive in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. This is why he boards a ship that bypasses Ephesus and docks at Miletus, which is 30 miles from Ephesus. He sends for them to meet him before the ship sets sails. When they arrive Paul recounts his conduct while in their midst. Paul focuses on the nature of his ministry. He describes how his ministry of three years was characterized.
I want to walk through the passage and point out the characteristics of Paul’s ministry. But these characteristics of his ministry are like a funnel that results in a summary statement that describes the nature of Paul’s ministry. His whole ministry to the Ephesians can be described by this statement in v. 35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Where did Paul learn that the essence of his ministry, the description of how he was to live his life, was fundamentally a life of generosity? He learned it from what Jesus taught. Like Jesus, Christians are to build their lives around the principle of generosity. What surprises me is Paul’s last word to people he loves that he will never see again. He says, “Be a generous person.”
Look at the description of how his ministry demonstrated that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
(17) Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. (18) And when they came to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time— (19) serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews— (20) and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. (21) I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.
Paul lived with and among the people. They had the time and opportunity to observe his true heart and motives. They observed that he served them with humility. Humility is putting the interests of others above your own. A humble person is willing to sacrifice self-interest for the good of others. It was this mindset that led the Lord Jesus to the cross of Calvary for undeserving sinners.
He served with “tears.” What do tears have to do with Paul’s ministry? They reveal how much he thought about them and the depth of his love and compassion for the Ephesian’s. The explanation of Paul’s sacrificial service for people was his love for them. He cared. You can’t truly love and be stingy.
Trials did not stop him in serving the people. If it meant he had to suffer so they could hear the whole truth; then he suffered. There was no teaching which he avoided. Paul was willing to pay the price so they could know and receive the Good News of salvation found in Jesus Christ.
He did this publicly and privately. He did this on stage, and he did this in small groups. The gospel wasn’t restricted to just Jews. The gospel was shared with the despised Gentiles too. Everyone received the truth from Paul. Do you see how Paul lived out of a heart filled with generosity?
(22) "And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, (23) except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. (24) But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace.
Verses 17-21 were a look back. Verses 22-24 are a look forward to the future. Paul is determined to go back to Jerusalem. Along the way in city after city, the Holy Spirit has informed Paul that prison and persecution await him in Jerusalem. No wonder people are willing to spend all night with him or walk 30 miles to meet him. They won’t see him again.
I wonder if that had been me if I would have stopped and turned the delivery of this offering to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem over to someone else. But self-preservation is not the driving principle of Paul’s life. He must give others the gospel. The Jewish Christians in Jerusalem must see that the power of the gospel has saved the Gentiles and made them brothers in Christ. At the end of Paul’s life he will say, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith! Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). All his life he selflessly gave the gospel to others.
What I want you to notice in the next verses is the contrast between the false shepherds and Paul the true shepherd. The trials that are coming are because of leaders who are not generous. The false teachers pervert the gospel and take advantage of the people because they are fundamentally self-centered. They are takers, not givers.
(25) "And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see my face again. (26) Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of everyone's blood, (27) for I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God. (28) Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. (29) I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) And men from among yourselves will rise up with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them. (31) Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.
When you get on a commercial airline, there is always the instruction on how to use the oxygen mask. Adults are told to place the oxygen mask on themselves first and then put the mask on any accompanying small child. The reason is the person who does not first put the mask on themselves will not be able to help little children who cannot help themselves. Paul tells the Ephesian pastors they must first tend to their own relationship with Jesus Christ—then they will be able to care for the flock of God. That’s where the boldness comes to declare the whole counsel of God. That’s where discernment is found to distinguish between truth and error. That’s where the love is born for the people that Jesus loved so much He gave His blood to have them. People who spend time with Jesus will have hearts of generosity.
As Paul closes his message he reminds the Ephesians that he never sought any personal gain from his ministry to the church at Ephesus. He went so far as to provide his own income to support himself and his co-workers. The guiding principle for his work among them was the words of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
(32) "And now I commit you to God and to the message of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. (33) I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. (34) You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs, and for those who were with me. (35) In every way I've shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
This is the only saying of Jesus found in the Bible outside of the four Gospels. It is in the form of a beatitude, which means it contains the word “blessed.” The Bible is a book of beatitudes. Some form of the word “bless” occurs over 600 times in the Bible, and there are well over 100 beatitudes, verses that begin with the word “blessed.” The Book of Psalms begins with a beatitude, and the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, opens with a beatitude. The greatest
sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount, begins with eight beatitudes. There are seven beatitudes in the last book of the Bible, and two in the last chapter. “Blessed” basically means “happy.” God wants you to be happy or blessed.
Of all the beatitudes this is the supreme beatitude. This beatitude speaks to the core of the Bible. If I asked you to name the central verse of the Bible, most of us would name John 3:16. But the truth of that verse rests on the truth of this verse. The reason for John 3:16 is because it is more blessed to give than to receive. Jesus’ life demonstrates this.
You can be happy if you become a generous person. You cannot be happy if you are not generous person. I can name people who are generous and who are happy. I can’t name one selfish, tightwad who is a happy person. It is that fundamental to how you experience life.
Why did Paul give such importance to these words of Jesus? Here are two reasons:
1. Legacy.
Paul learned from Jesus that giving enables us to leave a legacy to those we leave behind.
Paul had given his all to his friends in Ephesus. The cupboard was bare. He withheld nothing from them. He preached, taught, prayed, visited, cried, laughed, and even earned his own keep so as not to be a burden. His generosity blessed him with the joy of knowing that even though he’d never see them again, he was leaving a legacy that would continue to have an impact on the church in spite of his absence.
One reason it is more blessed to give than to receive is when we give to others we leave a mark on them, an imprint, and a legacy that goes on when we’ve gone on.
Leland Stanford was a man who lived to make money and he amassed a fortune in railroading. He built a multi-million dollar home in California and became a U.S. Senator. He thought he had bought into the good life. Then he lost his only child. His dollars meant nothing then. “I have nothing to live for. I have no children,” he thought.
One night he had a dream. In this dream his son appeared to him and said: “Father, never say again that you have nothing to live for—live for humanity, live for other people’s children.”
There soon arose at Palo Alto the Leland Stanford University at a cost of $20 million. He and his wife became the devoted servants of the poor, the orphaned, and the suffering. Though their son’s death was a great loss, they expanded and enriched their lives through their generosity. The Stanford’s left a legacy that continues to impact thousands and thousands of students.
Takers never catch on to this truth. They make the mistake they can expand the enrichment of their life by getting more and more and doing less and less. But the generous have learned that giving expands the impact of their life. Paul’s generosity to the Ephesians was passed on to the next generation of believers and it has continued to this very Sunday.
Economists estimate that our oldest generation passes on about $2 billion of wealth each year, through wills and trusts. Unfortunately, Christians are dying and leaving nothing in their wills for continued funding for the work of Christ. But there are Christians who have included the work of God in their will and over time contributed more to Christian causes than they did in their lifetime!
There was a fellow who came to town one day looking for a job. He had heard that Henry, a friend of his who had been a clerk at a store, was no longer working there. He asked the store if Henry was there. “Henry don’t work here no more,” said the storekeeper. “Well, then,” said the hopeful inquirer, “that means you have a vacancy.” “No, it don’t,” said the owner. “Henry didn’t leave no vacancy.”
What about you? What kind of legacy will you leave behind when it’s your time to take leave of this world? Your legacy will be determined by your generosity. Of course, I’m speaking about a spirit of generosity which is seen in our love, time, care, and service to others.
I was thinking of some of the members of this church who have been promoted to heaven. Many were generous with their tithe, time, and talents. Because of what they did on their watch we pick up children in a van every Wednesday night and introduce them to the Bible. Their generosity resulted in young people being challenged to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. People are loved, cared for, and supported in Christian fellowship. Those children, youth, and adults don’t even know they ever existed, but their life is impacted because of former members who lived a life of generosity. Their generosity has left a spiritual legacy. If they could give a testimony this morning, they would tell you it is more blessed to give than to receive. But they have testified by their life of generosity.
The first reason why it is more blessed to give than it is to receive is because it leaves a legacy. A second reason is because a life of generosity is rewarded.
2. Reward.
Let’s be clear. I’m not saying that living a generous life will earn your salvation. Salvation is not by works. But the Bible speaks of heavenly rewards. These rewards reflect our stewardship of life that God has given us.
Paul told Timothy:
(17) Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. (18) Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, (19) storing up for themselves a good foundation for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real.
In this world we have experienced being generous and not being rewarded. We love people but are rejected. We stand for morality and are ridiculed. We serve people and are ill-treated or not thanked. We share the gospel of Christ and our witness is rejected.
Don’t be discouraged. God sees what the world ignores or belittles. One day God will reward every act of faith you took, every demonstration of love you made, and every effort you made in faith and hope. One day He will spread out the tapestry of eternity and you will see how He took your unappreciated, unacknowledged act of generosity and wove it into the fabric of redemption for a host of others. When that happens your spirit will be filled with joy and you may whisper from your lips, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
To top that off, Jesus says this treasure in heaven is secure and will last. It will be more valuable than gold, silver, or precious stones. Imagine that! What must this reward be like? God rewards the generous.
CONCLUSION
Ben Gill of Resource Services Inc. tells the story of working with Dr. Jasper Williams, pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
Salem Baptist Church is one of the largest African-American congregations in the United States. Resource Services was asked to come to the church and help them raise the money they needed to accomplish their ministry. They needed youth programs, but had no money to implement them. They also needed to renovate the buildings and upgrade the facilities.
A stewardship program was designed and implemented. It reached its culmination at a large banquet held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Atlanta. At the end of the banquet Dr. Jaspers challenged his people to make financial commitments to the ministry of their church. He said:
Some say that this program is only for the rich. Some people say that it is for the pastor. Some say it won’t work, and others say it’s just a way to hustle money. But I say to them: “This program is a chance for us to show who we are and what is important to us.”
You know, someday I’m going to die. Whether I am rich or poor makes no difference. Someday, I am going to die. After I die, my wife is going to order a stone to put on my grave.
She is going to say to the stonecutter, “This stone is for my husband, Jasper Williams, so I want you to chisel on the stone: ‘Here lies Jasper Williams. August 12, 1941, dash, and then the date of my death.’
Oh, my people, my children. Don’t you know that the only thing that makes any difference is what I’ve done with the dash.
What are you doing with the dash? I want us individually and corporately to leave a legacy. I want us individually and corporately to be rewarded when we get to heaven. Then how? Like Paul, like Jesus, like past members, become a person of generosity. This is what Jesus meant when He taught that it is more blessed to give than receive.
1. Robert Deffinbaugh, “Studies in the Gospel of Acts, Lesson 27: Paul’s Parting Words.
2. Sermon “The Lost Beatitude”
3. Tony Nester, “It is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive”
4. Nester.
