An Example & Exhortation- Acts 20

Father, this morning I come to you with a heavy heart in light of the senseless and evil violence at the Covenant School in Nashville, resulting in the loss of 3 adults and 3 precious children. Oh God we are grieved. Confused. Frustrated. And far from attempting to explain it away, instead we as a church come this morning just yearning for your return.

2 Peter 3:4 “They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.””

James 5:7 “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.

Revelation 1:7 “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

Revelation 21:5 “And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

God, we yearn for the day that you return and bring your recompense with you, and make all things new.

We pray for those in the Nashville community, the families of the victims, and the unquestioning trauma for their classmates. May you be the God of All Comfort as we know you are…

Now as we turn to the reading and preaching of your word I am once again thankful for the example we have in the Apostle Paul.

Someone who was radically changed by your grace and mercy, and spent the rest of his life serving, and sharing, and suffering on mission for you, for your glory. May we continue to be stirred by his life and ministry to join you in the reconciliation of the world, as we serve and share and suffer as witnesses here in RH. Amen.

Introduction

Marraige Retreat

It is so great to be back with you this weekend.

Sunday was the first Sunday in 9 months where we stepped away as a family on a Sunday.

And we really missed you. It was so encouraging to be reminded of how much we love you all, and love being your Pastor.

But on the retreat, We talked. We read. We retreated. But we also learned.

The Retreat was entitled “Thriving Marriage, Thriving Family.”

We are in that season of life, where job and baseball, and homework, and kids routines nearly choke out any real connection and intentionality of our marriage.

And it was so refreshing and encouraging to be reminded of the primacy of marraige, and how we have to be intentional in every season, but especially this one to stay close and connected.

Because as we learned…as a marriage thrives, the family thrives.

There was a lot of good in our retreat, but our biggest takeaways came from an Example and an Exhortation.

Example and Exhortation

First, the example. While there we got to catch up with a couple that has served as a godly example for our marriage and ministry over the last 12 years.

They have been married for nearly 40 years, and in ministry over the entireity of that time.

They are Christian Counselors, and we first met them in North Africa when we were totally beaten down and burned out, and I believe we are still in ministry in large part due to them.

We hadn’t seen them in 4 years, and it was refreshing to sit with them for a few hours and just be built up by their example.

Then the Exhortation.

We had 4 sessions of content on the topic of Thriving Marriage and Thriving Family, where we heard from somebody about the importance of maintaining connection with your spouse, and the stability that routines and structure bring your kids.

We learned a lot through the sessions, and have had great conversations on the back end about changes we may want to make in our home.

And through these Examples and Exhortations we walked away built up in our role as husband and wife, and roles as father and mother.

And as I came home and jumped back into Acts 20, what I see in our text is exactly what I got from our retreat.

What we have in Acts 20 is an example and an exhortation, and for us to be built up in our faith and our roles as witnesses where we live and where we work we need to learn from examples and exhortations.

Context

In Acts 20, Paul’s 3rd missionary journey is coming to a close, and in fact, his missionary endeavors as a whole are concluding.

In 34 A.D. Saul of Tarsus saw a vision of Jesus Christ and received not only his conversion but his comission.

And ya’ll, for 22 years Paul has been faithful to this calling. He has faithfully preached to Jews and Gentiles, and Acts 20 is a real transition in the book of Acts because the remainder of Acts will be focused on his arrest, imprisonment, and defense before the Jews and Kings.

His church planting days are over, and he won’t see the leaders of his churches again… so what does he do?

He calls the Elders to him in Acts 20 and gives them an Example and an Exhortation.

So if you have your Bible let’s begin by reading Acts 20:1-6

Acts 20:1–6 ESV

After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

MAP

After the uproar… the uproar in Ephesus, led by the silversmith idol maker Demetrius started, Paul encouraged the disciples there in Ephesus and departed for Macedonia.

Ephesus---Macedonia (Philippi),

Madedonia—Greece (Athens and Corinth), where he stayed for 3 months.

He wanted to to sail straight from Corinth to Jerusalem, but learned of an assination plot, so he traveled back up north to Macedonia

There he picked up Luke (our author) in Philippi and you’ll notice the narraitve begins using “we and us.”

From Philippi he went to Troas (7 days)

So he’s in Troas for 7 days, and in typical Paul fashion he gathers with the believers and starts preaching.

Acts 20:7–12 ESV

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

Alright… I got to say something about this!

Eutychus

First, I find it interesting that in verse 7 we see the first real scriptural witness to the church gathering on Sunday’s.

They weren’t meeting on the Sabbath, but on the first day of the week, which would have been Sunday!

And they gathered for communion and a sermon.

Secondly, I have to address poor Eutychus.

Man, I feel for this guy! I have a lot of sympathy for little Eutychus!

What if you were only recorded and remembered for the fact that you fell asleep during the Apostle Paul’s SERMON!??

Poor buddy. Probably 8-14 years old, and falls out the window!

I bet some of ya’ll are glad we aren’t on a 3rd story… you know who you are!

And don’t worry! I don’t take it personally… I mean people fell asleep with the Apostle Paul, so I’m in good company!

And Luke being the medical man he is records that he died!

But Paul, in similar fashion of Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, and Peter raises little Eutychus from the dead. and keeps on preaching til daybreak.

So pick back up with me at Acts 20:13-16

Acts 20:13–16 ESV

But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

MAP

Troas---Assos---Mitylene----chios----Samos---Miletus

And he was hastening to get to Jerusalem!

Pentecost is 50 days after Passover, and Paul wanted to celebrate it in Jerusalem, but he was also in a hurry because he wanted to safely deliver the financial collection the churches had provided for the Mother Church in Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 16:3 “And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.”

But there in Miletus they had a several day stopover, and here is where we get to the Example and Exortation!

Example & Exhortation

Acts 20:17–27 ESV

Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 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; how 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. 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. And 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.

Example

Paul begins his farewell address by reminding the church leaders of his Example, specifically the example of his life.

A Life of Service

Acts 20:18-19 ““You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord...

Paul spent his life serving the Lord.

The word serving is the greek word “duluuoo” the root word for “Doolos”

Doolos is how Paul referred to himself in every one of his letters.

He would start by introducing himself, “Paul a servant (doolos) of Christ.”

Doulos is a slave, but not a slave because of forced subjection instead one of willful submission.

An intentional disregard of self-interest, in the interest of serving the interests of another.

Paul, at his very core, was a servant. A servant of the Lord.

And he spent his life serving, “with all humility and with tears”. (vs. 19).

1 Thessalonians 2:8 reads, “We cared for you. And because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well.”

Paul loved these churches.

To the church in Galatia he wrote, Galatians 4:19 “my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!”

And his love was demonstrated in his sustained and selfless service with all humility.

Paul was an Example with his Life of Service, but he was also an example with his life of suffering.

A Life of Suffering

Acts 20:19 “serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;”

2 Corinthians 11:24-29 “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

We’ve looked at his sufferings over the last several months, and he didn’t just endure them, but through them he gave the churches an example.

He showed that God’s grace truly is sufficient and Gods power is made perfect in weakness.

He showed that suffering just produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character hope!

Paul was an example through his life of suffering.

In his serving, and in his suffering Paul’s example consitently built up the churches around him.

He also reminded them of the example from his lips.

vs. 20, he didn’t shrink from declaring anything that was profitable.

His sharing was Profitable

In his 2nd missionary journey he spent 18 months in the city of Corinth alone declaring all that was profitable for training in righteoueness.

IN his 3rd missionary journey he spent more than 2 years doing the same in Ephesus.

Paul gave them an example from his lips.

His sharing was Public and Private

“teaching you in public and from house to house.” vs. 20

And he shared everywhere. Publicly and Privately.

His sharing was for all People

“both to Jews and Greeks” (vs 21)

For Jew and for Gentile. Because the gospel is the power of God for ALL WHO BELIEVE, the Jew and the Gentile!

His sharing was the Person of Christ!

Acts 20:21 “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

His sharing was centered on the good news of JESUS CHRIST.

Paul gave them an example with his life and his lips, and if mimicked His example would build them up.

But there is one more thing that we have to see about the Example of Paul… we have to understand what drove it. What it was rooted in. His Why?

Why serve, suffer, and share like he did!?

Acts 20:24 “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.”

He is literally saying, “I value nothing. Neither liberty nor ease or comfort.”

He is saying, “Whatever gain I have, I count it as loss for the sake of Christ! Indeed, I am ready to suffer the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him!”

For Paul the only thing that was truly valuable, was faithulness and obedience to the race and ministry Christ had called him too…

“To testify to the gospel of the grace of God!”

That is an example worth following.

An example of life, of lips, and of true value. And Paul was building up the church, by reminding them of His Example.

Application

We all need this. We all need people in our lives that serve as examples for us to follow.

Jesus did this with his followers. Right before his betrayal he took a towel, tied it around his waist and began to wash his disciple’s feet and to wipe them with the towel.

Afterward he asked them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? I have given you an example, that you should do just as I have done.”

It’s what Paul did with his followers. He told them 1 Cor 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

It’s why people like Nathan and Jane (the counseling couple I referenced are so important to us), not only do they love us but they have given us example. Nathan did it again this weekend.

He was making fun of his age to me by telling me a recent story.

He went into see his accountant, and the accoutant told him they needed to discuss retirement.

It shocked him so much, he said he just sat there in silence for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes with tears in his eyes he told the accountant… “Sir, I’m not retiring, I plan to die with my boots on...”

To which the accountant said, “I’m talking about a financial goal, not your career plans.”

He was joking about his age, but in his words he left me an example. That even in his mid-60s after 40 years of full-time minsitry he had never considered retiring. Just wants to die with his boots on.

We need examples.

We all do. But, we also need to become EXAMPLES. We need to become people that others desire to mimick.

So many of you have walked through the trials of life and come out with a more assured and strengthened faith… don’t waste it. Pour it out. Give it away.

Many of you look at your lives, your health, or your age and think… well I guess I’ll just coast on in.

No! You can be an example for others. Don’t count your life of any value nor as precious to yourself… finish your race! Testify to the gospel of Grace. Die with your boots on.

Conclusion

So here’s a tangible take away: Who are your examples?

If you don’t know, don’t wait… Everywhere I’ve been, every context I’ve lived in I have had to be intentional in seeking older, or more mature men in my life to speak into my life.

Find an example.

Someone who is an example in their lives, with their lips, and driven by the value they place on Christ.

Another tangible take away: Who are you an exmample for?

Who are you intentionally inviting into the story of your life? Who are you encouraging, and building up?

If you don’t know, I want you to start praying, praying for discernment, that God would place somebody on your mind or heart that you can serve as an example for.

Once he does, don’t wait. Call that person, send that email. Invite them to lunch or to coffee and start asking questions about their lives, and begin sharing your example with them.

This was Paul’s farewell… and he left them with His example.

But he also left them with an exhortation!

Exhortation

Acts 20:28–35 (ESV)

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. 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.’ ”

Paul’s exhortation is 3 fold

Exhorted them to Pay Careful Attention to SELF

Spiritual vitality and growth is never neutral. If you just feel like your spiritual growth is kind of like a parked car right now, let me tell you… it’s not. It’s actually moving backward.

It is so easy to slip into apathy and just go through the motions.

Come to church. Grow Group. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and Repeat. Rince and Repeat. All your Christian activity becomes robotic.

It happens ALL THE TIME!

Isaiah 29:13 “And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me,”

Your walk with God is a relationship, and a relationship takes intentional investment to thrive, just as Annie and I heard this past weekend.

So Paul says, “Pay careful attention to SELF”

When was the last time you did an honest assesment of your spiritual life?

If you find yourself in neutral, let me exhort you… PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION, and maybe even go get AN EXAMPLE!

Exhorted them to Pay Careful Attention to OTHERS

Specifically he said, “to all the flock!” These were the elders of the church. Those responsible for shepherding and governing, and I’ve taught this before but as go the leaders so goes the church.

But his exhortation applies to each of us. We are all members one of another, and

1 Cor 12:26 “If one member suffers, all suffer together;

We need to look out for another. We are all prone to apathy and backsliding in our walk with God, and in my experience the thing that pulls me out neutral faster than anything is somebody sitting me down and telling me what they perceive in my life and exhorting me to press in.

Hebrews 3:12-13 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

James 5:19-20 “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

Are you aware of somebody in your life that seems to be falling away?

I encourge you to go to that person not out of arrogance nor out of judgement. In fact, you need to check the log in your own eye first before you go to the speck in your brother’s or sisters.

But like Paul, as a servant in humility and tears go and exhort your brother or sister in Christ.

But this exhortation to the Elders to pay careful attention to the church would prove to be more prophetic than Paul could have known.

He said, Acts 20:29-31 “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.”

From without, and from within false teachers (wolves in sheep clothing) will come to speak twisted things to draw others away!

And you know what… these elders heard the exhortation, because many years later the Lord would tell them

Revelation 2:2-4 ““ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

They took Paul’s exhortation seriously! They obeyed it.… they paid attention to the danger of false teachers that aims to draw the church away.

May God look at the Elders of CBC RH one day and say, “I know… I know how you paid careful attention!”

Exhorted them by ENTRUSTING them.

Acts 20:32 “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.”

On February 19th I preached from Acts 14th, about the Grace of God that Strengthens.

I encourage you to go back and listen to that message, but in summary Paul knew examples are great, exhortations are too, but ultimately growth for the disciple comes from grace.

In that sermon if you remember I said,

Grace is not only the inclination of the character of God (His Throne is Grace), but it is also A FORCE that works in us to change our capacities for work, suffering, obedience, and simply put to FOLLOW JESUS.

Grace is THE FORCE, and a disciples strength comes from GRACE. The GRACE that saves sinners yes, but also the grace that strengthens saints.

And here Paul, knowing he won’t see them again “commends them to God and the word of God’s grace that is able to build them up.”

Church the goal of the Christian faith is growth. That you may not only know the saving work of Christ on the cross, but the sustaining and strengthening work of Christ in discipleship.

Both of these works are a result of His grace.

Author Jen Pollock writes, “Grace is not only needed for the occasion of conversion, Grace is also required for the long season of cultivated growth that follows. By grace we set out. By grace we are also sustained. Grace has as much to say about endings as it has to say about beginnings.

Someone recently asked me what I do with the burden and love I carry for our church? How do I manage the weight of it…

The answer is far more complicated than I will make it seem here, but in short… I commend you to the grace of God.

I know I can’t fix or heal or change or cure or mend, but I can entrust and commend you to grace and you konw what…

Grace can fix, and heal, and change, and cure, and mend.

Grace can raise the dead to life.

Grace can make old things new.

Grace can mend what is broken.

Grace can make you an example, and empower you to folllow the exhortation!

Conclusion

Acts 20:36–38 ESV

And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

So Paul is leaving.

His missionary work in the book of Acts is coming to a close. What awaits him, and us over the next 8 chapters are his trials and defenses… but as he bids farewell he leaves the disciples with

an example and an exhortation, and ultimately entrusts them to the Grace of God.

Let’s Pray