Life Lessons From The Chief of Sinners
Love Your Faith Family
Acts 20:17-38
Introduction
The amazing transformation of Saul the Persecutor to Paul the Apostle has so much to teach us about following Jesus. The Chief of Sinners teaches us:
-Discern the hope found in Jesus
-Accept the Truth when you hear it
-Partner up to find encouragement
-Open your Heart to Jesus
-Decide Now to follow Jesus
-Love Your Faith Family
If Paul was obsessive about teaching the gospel of Christ, he was just as devoted to encouraging the church to love one another. He promoted unity, strength, relationships in the church. There were many pressures against this hope: Family loyalties could get in the way. Empire pressures of loyalty and threats. Personal questions about the new faith they had. Periods of persecution against the Jesus people. Prejudices between Jews and Gentiles. Everything that could drive them apart was present in this age. Paul was determined to draw them all together as one body. That was what the church was supposed to be. He desired this love to exist because he loved the church. He was rescued from his own destructive path into the arms of Jesus - and the Jesus people. It was never lost on Paul how vital relationships were with the Christian people he encountered. He had a tender heart for the people of God and through his loving conversation with the elders of the Ephesian church, he teaches
us today 5 Ways To Love Your Faith Family.
1. Stand Together!
Acts 20:18-19 And when they came to him, he said to them:“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews...
Paul relates his presence among them with descriptive terms: Serving the Lord with Humility; With Tears and With Trials; When it was hard to do, he stood together with them. Humility, Tears, Trials - a description of the Christian journey. Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." There are challenges that we will all face - from within and from without - but Paul calls us by his example to stand together as the people of God. We love our Faith Family by Standing Together!
2. Share Together!
Acts 20:20-21how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul taught them what they needed to know to live Jesus Life. Taught them what was profitable; in public and in houses. Subject: Repentance and Faith. Christians work together to bring the light of the gospel to a dark world by proclaiming Repentance and Faith. Repentance is turning away from sin - sin that has caused so much misery and pain in our lives. Faith in the Lord Jesus is trusting God to save us and help us grow. All of our efforts should point people in this direction.
3. Stay Together!
Acts 20:22-24 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul was facing an uncertain future, but he knew that imprisonment and afflictions await. If we ever expect our commitment to Christ to be easy, we are not reading the Word. Finish the race; Testify to grace! (24) Every saved person has a testimony of the good news of God’s grace. It is our mission to share that with our world in every way that we can.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
4. Serve Together!
Acts 20:25-31And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.
Paul’s appeal was to shepherds of the Ephesian church. The Ephesian Elders and Paul had a deep relationship. His concerns for them are a great example of how we can love and pray for our elders.
Elders are overseers, shepherds of the church (25-28). We pray for them in their work, that they would
-Guard Themselves (28)
-Guard God’s People (28)
The Holy Spirit made them overseers. They are to care for the church of God. There are wolves that can come in to destroy. There are dividers that can come in to destroy. The value of their work is found in the truth that the
church is bought with Blood of Christ (28)\
When we serve together under the leadership of our shepherds, praying for them, encouraging them, we are
creating an atmosphere of love for our church family.
5. Find Strength Together!
Acts 20:31-35 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Strong Love (31)
Where are the tears? Is the church in our heart’s concerns? Tears came easily to Paul because he loved the church so deeply. He loved Jesus and the Jesus people.
Strong Grace (32)
Able to build you up. Able to give you an inheritance. Able to work within all who are sanctified. These are the things that help build a strong Christian - and therefore a strong faith family.
Strong Generosity (33-35).
Strong Prayer Together (36-38).
When a faith family is built on love, grace, generosity, and prayer - it is a family of great strength!
Conclusion
I want to love the church as much as Paul did. I hope we all do. We learn from him to love our Faith Family:
-Stand together
-Share together
-Stay together
-Serve together
-Find Strength together.
Vision Statement: Forsythe is a church committed to Grow Together, Serve Together, and Love Together.
The Chief of Sinners teaches us:
-Discern the true hope found in Jesus
-Accept the Truth when you hear it
-Partner up to find encouragement
-Open your Heart to Jesus
-Decide Now to follow Jesus.
-Love Your Faith Family
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Video of this message can be found by searching here:
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForsytheChurchofChrist
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Discussion Questions for Acts 20:18-38
1. What are some of the element’s of Paul’s life story that may have led him to love the church as much as he did?
2. Verse 23 contains the disturbing news that there are some rocky roads ahead for Paul. What perspectives offered in verse 24 give him the strength to continue anyway? How can that help us in times when we feel discouraged?
3. Paul specifically speaks to the elders of the church at Ephesus, and his love for them is obvious.
- What are some areas of concern he has in which they should be watchful (vs 28-30)?
- In what ways can this instruct us on how to pray for our shepherds?
4. At least three times in this text Paul mentions tears, indicating a deep love for the Ephesian church in this farewell speech. What can help us develop a deep love for our church?
5. One of Paul’s perspectives about work is that it enables us to care for those who need help. How does that differ from today’s work ethic? Jesus is quoted as saying that ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ How would you explain that saying? In what ways have you experienced that truth?
6. Prayer was a part of the experience of life in the church. In this emotional farewell, they prayed on their knees together. When has prayer been an important part of your experience in your life in the church?
7. Which of the five ways to love your faith family do you think is strongly present in Forsythe Church? Which area needs more attention? Which area are you most comfortable with in this life together as a family?
(Stand, Share, Stay, Serve, find Strength)
8. Anything else you wanted to talk about today?
