Paul' Lessons On Ministry (Part 3)
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[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to Acts 20:18-38.
I was once asked by some friend this question, “If you could preach a last sermon at your church, which text would it be?”
Without skipping a heartbeat, Acts 20:17-38 would be that passage.
Don’t worry, this is not my farewell sermon to you.
Anyways, this will be the final part of Paul’s Lessons On Ministry, where we have been learning and examining Paul’s farewell message to the Ephesian elders.
18 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, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 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. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 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. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 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. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 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.’ ” 36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 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.
Illustration
Biblical Theology
Context
Since we have spent three Sundays unfolding Paul’s message to the Ephesians, I think it’s good for me to begin by reminding you of the context of this story in case you forgot or you’re new to this church.
This is Paul’s 3rd missionary journey.
His 1st missionary journey began from Acts 13-14.
His 2nd missionary journey began from at the end of Acts 15 until near the end of Acts 18.
His 3rd missionary journey started in Acts 19. So, we’re in the middle of his 3rd missionary journey.
His 3rd missionary journey was primarily situated in Ephesus where he spent 3 years ministering in that city.
After his ministry in Ephesus, Paul traveled around the regions, visiting the churches that he planted on his 2nd missionary journey at the beginning of Acts 20.
Not only did he go there to encourage and build up the churches in the faith, he was also collecting financial funds that would be given to the Jerusalem church that was suffering from poverty and persecution.
So, Paul’s destination is Jerusalem. That would be the end of his 3rd missionary journey.
After much travelling, he wanted to meet with the Ephesian elders in Miletus to give his farewell message because he would not see them again.
I just learned recently that this was the only recorded sermon that Paul gave to Christians, particularly to the church elders.
All the other recorded sermons from Paul were given to non-believers. They were more evangelistic and focused on telling non-believers to repent and trust Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Here, Paul has a different message for the elders.
Paul’s farewell message can be summarized in three ways:
First, Paul knew that when he arrives in Jerusalem, suffering awaits him because the Holy Spirit made it known to him. So, he tells them about that news.
Second, Paul has a lot of gold nuggets of truth when it comes to church ministry and leadership based on his example. So, he reminds the elders of what he did when he was in their midst.
Third, Paul gives a charge to the elders/pastors/overseers. And we learned about this last Sunday.
Their responsibility is to beware of their spiritual wellbeing, and shepherd/care for the flock. He also warns them of the future danger of false teachers when he’s gone from the church of Ephesus.
[SLIDE 2] Before we get into the exposition of God’s word, let me review to you all of Paul’s lessons on ministry that we have learned thus far.
1. The Lesson Of Selfless Servanthood (vv.18-19)
2. The Lesson Of Tenacious Teaching (v.20)
3. The Lesson Of Evangelistic Endeavour (vv.21)
4. The Lesson Of Sacrificial Steadfastness (v.22-24)
5. The Lesson Of Clear Conscience (vv.25-27)
6. The Lesson of Spiritual Sensitivity (vv.28)
7. The Lesson of Watchful Warning (vv.29-31)
From this message, I want to offer you three more lessons, making it 10 lessons in Paul’s Lessons On Ministry.
Certainly, by the end of the sermon, I should be ready to write a book or commentary on this passage.
Exposition
[SLIDE 3] The Lesson of Exemplary Entrustment (vv.32)
After Paul gave an exhortation to the elders about their duties and the future warning, we can imagine that it must be a daunting task for the church leaders to keep the church healthy and pure.
And Paul’s warning and concern weren’t unreasonable.
At the end of the day, Paul wasn’t experiencing anxiety and paranoid over what the church may go through in the future.
While he may be concerned about the Ephesian church, he does not lose hope and faith in God.
In verse 32, Paul commends the elders to God and to the word of his grace.
To commend means to entrust or set before. It carries a sense of putting someone into the care or protection of someone.
Knowing that the elders’ task is difficult, Paul entrusts them into the care of God and the word of His grace.
In ministry, we cannot be in complete control over everything that happens in church and in the lives of the people whom we serve.
There is only so much time we have with people.
Ultimately, we have to entrust them to God.
At the very end of the service, I pronounce the benediction. We may often view the benediction as a prayer to somehow wrap up the service, but it’s way more than that.
The benediction can be expressed in different ways in the Bible.
I invoke God’s blessings upon you.
I am sending you out into the world because you’ll be in the mission field carrying the light of the gospel to your neighbours.
Also, I am entrusting you to God. Why?
As Jude 24 expresses…God is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless.
While we may not see each other all the time throughout the week, He is able to give you peace and be gracious to you.
So, it’s more than just uttering these words repeatedly on Sunday.
I am speaking the word of Christ into your soul.
Paul did the same thing when he planted the churches in his 1st missionary journey.
[SLIDE 4] Luke tells us in Acts 14:21-23:
21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Ultimately, the care for the church in not in the hands of the ministers and leaders - even though we have that responsibility to care for you - but the ultimate care is in the hands of God and in the grace of the Word of God.
[SLIDE 5] Let’s talk about Paul commending the elders into the word of His grace.
Earlier in verse 24, Paul talked about testifying to the gospel of the grace of God.
Let me briefly expound on that for a bit.
Grace is often defined as God’s unmerited favour upon a sinner.
And it is a good definition because it is used in the context of the gospel of salvation. How a sinner can be saved and have eternal life.
What is the gospel? Well, the gospel is the good news. It is the God’s plan of redemption in rescuing sinners.
But to understand the gospel, you need to understand the bad news.
No sinners deserve to be saved because we have transgressed against a holy and righteous God.
And God is just and right to punish sinners and condemn them to eternal hell.
And there is nothing sinners can do to save themselves and have their sins forgiven by a holy God. It’s not by good works or merits or being religious.
So, there is a sense of hopelessness.
However, here’s what makes the gospel such good news.
God in His grace sent His Son to save unworthy sinners by dying on the cross - paying the penalty of sin for sinners - and being raised again, to display His great glory before the world.
So, when you look back at the cross of Christ, you see God’s glory, manifesting His love, holiness, justice, grace, and mercy in saving His people.
That’s why Paul also calls the message of salvation the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
Apart from God’s grace, no sinners can be saved.
And those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus can be saved. And if you’re not a Christian, then you can receive it today. You can confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Forgiveness of sins is made available to you as a free gift if you only you would receive it.
Paul says Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
What you need to know is that salvation is nothing but God’s amazing grace.
And when you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, He will transform you from the inside out.
He will perform a spiritual heart surgery whereby He removes the heart of stone that’s stubborn towards Him, and He will replace that heart with a heart of flesh that is responsive to Him, and a heart that loves and desires Him.
There is also, however, another meaning to grace, not just in the context of salvation.
What you also need to know is that the whole of the Christian life is nothing but God’s amazing grace found in His word.
That’s why Paul commends the elders to the word of His grace.
This grace is used in the context of receiving God’s power and strengthen for living our the Christian faith.
And in this context, this grace is given to the elders so that they can fulfill their God-given responsibility in the church in the face of impending danger of false teachers.
And this grace is found in His word. This grace can strengthen and edify the spiritually weak.
The word of God’s grace does two things for our lives:
First, it will build us up.
[SLIDE 6] This is the same word spoken by Jesus in Matthew 16:18
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
God’s word will build you up as long as you take the responsibility and action to be in His word and walking with Him.
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Second, it will give us the inheritance among all those who are sanctified (in other words, the holy ones of God).
In other words, this inheritance is promised given by the LORD upon a sinner’s conversion.
I don’t know what the inheritance may be. It certainly has something to do with the kingdom of God.
The Bible tells us that it will be a glorious inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us as believers.
However, we haven’t obtained it yet because that’ll be in the future when we’re in the presence of the LORD.
[SLIDE 7] In the meantime, we have the assurance that we will share in this inheritance in the future. And that assurance is given to us by the Holy Spirit.
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
As long as the church is committed to the teaching and preaching of the Word of God, faithful fidelity to God’s truth, and sound doctrine, the church will be taken care of by God because God blesses the church that is faithful to Him.
[SLIDE 8] The Lesson of Contented Character (vv.33-35)
Paul suddenly returns to his personal testimony and appeals to them one last time to follow his example in ministry.
Paul reminds the elders in verse 33 that he didn’t covet silver, gold, or apparel.
These threefold items communicate wealth and riches and abundance.
In the past, you can sometimes tell if someone was wealthy based on the way he or she dresses.
Why does he bring up silver, gold, or apprarel?
I suspect that this is probably in contrast to the inheritance that God is going to give to Paul. This inheritance is way better than silver, gold, or apparel.
More likely though, what Paul may have meant is that he did not desire or seek after money from his ministry
(even though he had the right to be paid for proclaiming the gospel;
however, he preached the gospel for free so not to be a burden to the church).
In fact, he has learned and developed contentment in whatever situation that he’s in because he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him.
Paul explains to the elders and reminds them in verse 34, “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.”
You see, Paul worked with his own hands to make a living for himself. And also helping and supplying the needs of those who were with Paul, most likely in reference to his ministry partners and companions like Timothy and Erastus, and perhaps Silas.
When he was in Ephesus, it seems like he wasn’t paid for his ministry, but was financially supported by the previous churches.
When he went to Ephesus, it is possible that he may have been given further financial support when he returned to the church in Antioch at the end of Acts 18.
But, Paul worked hard to provide for and support himself financially so that he wouldn’t be a burden to the church (1 Thess 2:9; 1 Cor 4:12).
So, he preached the gospel free of charge (2 Corinthians 11:7-9).
Paul concludes his message to the Ephesian elders by continuing to remind them of his example.
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak.
Who were the weak that Paul was talking about?
I think the weak is speaking specifically about Christians.
Sometimes, the weak could mean “the sick.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
It could also mean those who are weak in the faith (Romans 14:1-2).
What Paul might have had in mind is helping the Christians in the church of Jerusalem through financial means.
Furthermore, Paul reminds the elders the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
We do not have this part of Jesus’ word explicitly recorded in the gospels.
It is also not surprising that Jesus could have said it in his earthly ministry because the Apostle John - at the end of the gospel of John - said that there are many things that Jesus said that weren’t recorded.
But, what does this phrase mean and not mean?
It doesn’t mean that those who are recipient is less blessed than those who give.
However, what this means is that it is better for a person who can do so to give to help others rather than amass further wealth for himself.
This is a principle for the Ephesian elders and ministry leaders. The minister is to be a servant, a giver, and not a taker.
As elders/pastors, they are to lead the flock and focus on their needs and be more concerned about giving to them than receiving.
[SLIDE 9] The Lesson of Abundant Affection (vv.36-38)
Well, we come to a rather emotional scene. This is an affectionate and emotional farewell between the Apostle Paul and the Ephesian elders.
Continuing to display his pastoral heart, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
I’m sure Paul prayed for them.
I’m also sure that the elders prayed for him and his companions as Paul is journeying to Jerusalem.
They’re all weeping and crying. They embraced Paul and kissed him, which may have been a sign of affection and love for Paul as a brother in Christ.
Furthermore, they were being sorrowful most of all. They were in mental and spiritual anguish.
Why? It’s because of the word he had spoken...not everything...but the fact that they would not see his face again.
They couldn’t bear to be torn from him, so the elders accompanied him to the ship, on his way to Jerusalem.
Can you imagine these elders loving the Apostle Paul and how Paul loved them?
And it makes me wonder if there’s that kind of affection and love for each other in ministry.
And it makes me wonder if we treat ministry as a business and people are our projects.
Are we so caught up with serving, doing the work in ministry, to the point that we forget that we’re supposed to love the people whom we serve and also love the people whom we serve WITH?
As I pastor, I want to be able to love you to the best of my ability.
I want to be able to love you the same way Paul loved the people whom he discipled.
I mean...I guess I can’t force you to love me back.
But these elders did love Paul.
And you may know that not everyone loved Paul.
Some wanted to kill him for preaching Jesus.
Some accused him.
If the LORD calls me somewhere, I wonder if you will be weeping or if you will just throw a party and celebrate that I’m gone.
but this is different because Paul won’t be able to see them again. They will be far away from each other.
Know that as Christians, farewell isn’t the end. It’s simply, “See You Later.” If Paul and the elders don’t see each other again, they can do so when they’re in heaven.
I’m reminded of the passing of our dear brother in Christ, Horst Loeschmann.
He’s a faithful member of OBC. Love the LORD. Trusted the LORD. Promoted to glory at the age of 95.
Survivor of the prisoner of war.
And I remember just before Horst passed away, his son, Michael, said to him, “See you later, dad.”
[SLIDE 10] Application / Conclusion
There you have it, brothers and sisters. 10 lessons on ministry from the life of the Apostle Paul.
When you think about ministry, the word, “ministry,” means service. Paul's way of serving reflects the message of the cross, where he follows Jesus' path of suffering for the sake of others.
The hardships he faces in this life are insignificant compared to his mission to proclaim the good news.
When we read about Paul's desire to "finish my course," it becomes even more profound when we consider his farewell words in 2 Timothy, which would be his final letter before he get executed for his Christian faith.
At that point, all the events Paul speaks of to the Ephesian elders have already happened.
[SLIDE 11] His ministry and calling have reached their intended conclusion, and Paul expresses this:
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
[SLIDE 12] Since Paul finished his race and course, will you finish the spiritual race that Christ has set before you?
Certainly, you cannot do it by your own strength.
You can only do it by the grace of God to the glory of God.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
This grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home