The Power of a Testimony

MAIN POINT: Our Daily Lives are a Loud testimony of our faith!

· INTRO: Good morning GPC! Would you turn with me to Acts 20? Today we are resuming our study through the book of Acts. As you turn there, let me go over some announcements. (Announcements- app, online giving- secure, etc)

o Would you stand with me as we read from God’s Holy Word? (Read Acts 20:28-32)

Last week we started off our time together examining the letter to the Church in Ephesus in Revelation. Let me reread part of it to us very quickly. “‘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. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

As you may recall, we talked about how our faith needed to be an active faith and about how the LORD OUR GOD must be our first love at all times! Not money, not power, not control, GOD!

This week, we see Paul’s farewell to the leaders of the church in Ephesus. Paul makes clear some concerns in Acts 20 that he wants the elders to address. Unfortunately as we see in Revelation, the church does not listen to them.

Our response to this should not be a passive response, thinking, “well, that’s unfortunate.” Instead, our response to both Paul’s instructions in Acts 20 and to this letter in Revelation SHOULD BE to look internally! We must look in the mirror at ourselves and say, “AM I OBEYING PAUL’S COMMANDS? OR, AM I IN DANGER OF LOSING MY FIRST LOVE?”

See, the thrust of this message in Acts 20 is one that should shape our lives as believers. If you want one passage that sums up Paul’s ministry throughout the book of Acts, I think there’s a strong argument that it is this one! Alex Strauch in his book Acts 20: Fierce Wolves are coming- Guard the Flock, says it like this, “There is really nothing else in the New Testament comparable to this passage.”

Throughout this passage, we will see 3 different times that Paul appeals to the Ephesian elders, asking them to IMITATE HIM! Paul’s address is to these elders, but let me be clear; this passage is for everyone!

This passage should shape our walks with the Lord and should challenge each and every one of us! Let me challenge you to look introspectively this morning as we study this passage. Take Paul’s commands to heart and consider, “What does my life say? Could I say, ‘Imitate me as I imitate Christ?”

This morning our Main Point is: Our Daily Lives are a Loud testimony of our faith!

· BODY: Acts 20 is an absolutely loaded chapter and what we are looking at today is one of the most emotional parts of Acts I believe. If you recall, in the spring, we left off as Paul was on his third missions trip. Specifically, Paul had been going around visiting the churches that he had planted and had walked with!

o By Acts 20, Paul had made it to Troas on his way back to Jerusalem. While at Troas, Paul preached and taught, using every possible moment for discipleship! Paul’s example is clear and powerful.

o On his last night in Troas, Paul was preaching and Eutychus fell from a window and died! God raised him from the dead though through Paul, showing OUR GOD’S GREAT POWER!

§ Paul then left Troas and Paul and his traveling party arrived in Miletus which is where we pick up as we enter this fourth and final section of Acts!

· Luke begins this account saying, “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:”

o Now, I know that’s a strange place to stop, but just for a brief moment, bear with me. Paul is going to be giving a farewell address to these men. Remember, the biblical word for elder is the same as the one we have derived to be pastor. These are the pastors of the church in Ephesus! This is his last opportunity to teach them and he knows it as we’ll see later on.

I love how Strauch says this. He says, “Ultimately, Paul’s final charge to the Ephesian elders is Christ’s charge, not only to the Ephesian elders, but to all undershepherds of his church in all future generations.”

To be clear, this is addressed to the elders in Ephesus, but these men should return to Ephesus and teach these very things! So really, this is a sermon to each and every one of us!

§ What would you say to your church if it was your last chance? What would your last words to dear friends who labored for the kingdom with you be?

§ As we walk through verses 18-35 we are going to hone in on 3 statements that Paul makes that are appeals to the EXAMPLE HE SET! Three times Paul appeals to his DAILY LIVES!

· Could you make that appeal?

· Let’s pick back up reading verse 18-21. Paul says, “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.”- Acts 20:18-21

o Paul gives the first of his three appeals to his life! Paul appeals to these elders saying, “YOU KNOW HOW I LIVED! YOU KNOW HOW I SERVED! YOU KNOW MY ATTITUDE, YOU KNOW THE TRIALS AND THE TEARS I CRIED! YOU KNOW THE DANGER I FACED!”

§ He appeals to this because he wants t to then emphasize his actions in verses 20-21! Paul then REMINDS the elders how he continued to labor on, teaching, preaching, evangelizing, discipling and living his life as a witness!

§ But notice what he really emphasizes! He emphasizes his teaching and his discipleship!

· Dear friends, this is the call of an elder! This is the call of a pastor-elder! It isn’t a call to be popular, it isn’t a call to please people, it isn’t a call to simply take up the task because no one else can, it isn’t a call to have more meetings, it is a call to TEACH, DISCIPLE AND LEAD!

· Paul reminds the Ephesian elders, his dear brothers, of the way that he sought to live out his faith on a daily basis! He wasn’t perfect, but he set a good example!

o Hear me, for ALL OF US HERE TODAY, THIS MATTERS! The way that we live our lives matters deeply! Our lives are an example!

§ What Paul is talking about here is not merely discipleship over coffee; what Paul is talking about is doing life together! Paul is talking about sacrificing time, energy, and capacity to LIVE TOGETHER; TO GROW TOGETHER IN OUR WALK WITH THE LORD!

· Paul is talking about truly LIVING WITH PEOPLE, TRULY KNOWING ONE ANOTHER!

· Paul is saying, “You know me! You saw this! LIVE LIKE THAT! DISCIPLE LIKE THAT!”

o Let me give a challenge to us. Our culture does not promote that. Discipleship is something that honestly, many American Christians LEAVE behind! It is something that many American Christians abandon altogether!

§ According to BARNA research, just 28% of Americans are being actively discipled and are discipling someone! Further, only an additional 5% of Christians in America are DISCIPLING SOMEONE! So that means that only 33% of American Christians are really getting this!

§ Now, we can take heart in the fact that many more are discipled and that some are discipling others! Yet, there is still a large percentage; roughly 40% of Americans that does not engage in this biblical command at all!

· And here is the tragic part. Barna asked people whether they strongly disagreed, disagreed, were neutral, agreed or strongly disagreed with these following statements.

o The statements were:

§ My relationship with Jesus brings me deep joy and satisfaction.

§ My relationship with Jesus impacts the way I live my life every day.

§ I am reenergized when I spend time with Jesus.

· Do you know what the results were? The results showed that people disicpling and being discipled, or, as Barna labeled it, “people engaged in a discipleship community” were 33-35% more likely to strongly agree with those statements than those who had not been discipled nor were discipling!

o In other words, there is a STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN DISCIPLESHIP AND YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD! Do you see how our lives are a powerful testimony? Our lives speak loudly to the glory of God and when we SHARE THAT, IT HELPS OTHERS!

o THAT MAKES SENSE! After all, Jesus, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, TELLS US TO GO MAKE DISCIPLES!

o My point is, Paul’s final teaching to these elders isn’t about events, or about budget items, it is about DISCIPLESHIP!

§ And that should catch our attention!

§ Paul pleads with the elders, reminding them “YOU KNOW HOW I LIVED! YOU KNOW how I taught you anywhere I could and how I PLED WITH EVERYONE FOR THE GOSPEL!”

· Paul’s life showed the gospel and his words showed it too! Do ours?

In fact, I. Howard Marshall, a commentator, said, “Teaching was a mark of Pauline churches.”

As we read the Pauline epistles and Acts, we see that this is true! THE PREACHING AND TEACHING OF GOD’S WORD IS A CORNERSTONE THAT EVERYTHING ELSE IS BUILT OFF OF! THE SAME MUST BE TRUE FOR US! PREACHING AND DISCIPLESHIP MUST TAKE CENTER STAGE AS PAUL IS REMINDING THE ELDERS HERE!

o Verses 22 and 23 say, “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.”- Acts 20:22-23

§ Verse 22 is a fascinating sentence in Greek. Paul uses a unique verbal voice here. He uses the middle voice which is how he communicated that although he WENT to Jerusalem it was something that was out of his control!

· In other words, he is going to Jerusalem out of obedience! Literally, he says, “NOW BEHOLD, (STOP AND SEE), I AM BOUND BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE TAKEN TO JERUSALEM!”

o Paul doesn’t know what awaits him, although the Holy spirit tells him that imprisonment and afflictions await him! Yet, Paul goes!

o That’s a step of faith! That’s like Abraham following the Lord in Genesis!

§ Have you ever taken a step of faith like that? Has God ever called you to take a step of faith and to trust him? Maybe it’s moving somewhere, maybe it’s taking a step of faith to begin discipling someone, or maybe it’s telling your friend about God!

· Paul takes his step of faith here! He has no promise that it will be easy; instead, he has the opposite! The Holy Spirit has told him that it will be hard!

o As hard as Paul knows that his will be, look at what he continues to say in verse 24! He says, “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.”- Acts 20:24

§ Look at Paul’s statement about his life! He fears not what he may face in Jerusalem because he does not count his life as anything!

· I think sometimes we hear that and we immediately look to qualify it. We want to find the loophole. But, the word used here “οὐδενὸς” is quite clear. It’s meaning is nothing, no one, none! PAUL DOES NOT CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO HIS LIFE!

o To Paul, his entire value comes from his walk with God and obeying God!

o Think about the freedom that gives him and think about the humility that shows! Paul is completely trusting God in this!

§ Honestly, it’s a challenge for us. DO WE HAVE THAT SAME MINDSET! Where do you pull your identity from?

· See, when Paul tells these elders to live like he did, he’s telling them to, “Pick up your cross! FOLLOW THE LORD LIKE ME! JUST LIKE ME, YOUR LIFE IS UNIMPORTANT, BUT THE GOSPEL AND SERVING THE LORD IS WHA COUNTS!

o Look at the value that he finds for himself! He finds his value in finishing the course that God has given him! That’s what Paul considers important!

o He doesn’t care about anything else, he cares about his ministry! What a powerful example!

Consider likewise the example of CT Studd, the gifted athlete and scholar who rejected fame to instead serve the Lord in missions. He once said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” His value was also built not on man’s approval, but was built around God!

§ Can you honestly say that you pull your value and meaning in life from your faith and from serving the Lord?

§ This isn’t a hyperbole that Paul is saying here! This is the truth! This is real!

· Think of 2 Timothy 4! Paul is writing his final words to Timothy; in fact, they are the last words of Paul that we have!

· And look at what they say! “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.”

o Paul has been poured out and he is finished! He’s ready to rest and rejoice in the Lord because he’s longed to see his savior!

o Verses 25-27 finish the first appeal Paul gives to the elders. He says, “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.”- Acts 20:25-27

§ Paul knows that hardship awaits him and he knows that he will never see these men again. This is what he tells his brothers! He reminds them of his single minded focus! He testifies again as to what Jesus has done and he encourages these men one more time; LIVE LIKE ME!

· He challenges them to declare the whole counsel of God just as he did! Do not shrink back from the opportunity that you have to PREACH THE GOSEPL!

o Really, that’s the theme of these first verses; see how I lived and do the same! How did Paul live? He lived with single minded focus on evangelism, discipleship and preaching!

o To put this another way, Paul lived with the Great Commission in clear view! THE GREAT COMMISSION WAS HIS MISSION! Paul is showing the elders the IMPORTANCE OF THAT SAME THING

o AND FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HERE THIS MORNING, this should be our calling! Not all of us will preach on a Sunday morning, but our LIVES SHOULD PREACH WHAT WE BELIEVE CLEARLY!

· In verse 28, we see Paul shift into another phase. From verses 28-33, Paul continues to challenge the elders.

o He says, “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.”- Acts 20:28-33

§ Verse 28 is one of the most important verses in this entire passage! Paul challenges the elders to pay careful attention to themselves and to the flock!

· Paul uses an imperative here to fire them up! YOU THERE! ELDERS OF THE CHURCH! PAY ATTENTION! THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS GIVEN YOU THIS POSITION! PAY ATTENTION!

· Paul then delivers this warning of false teachers who will come in and will try to rip the church apart. Brothers and sisters, make no mistake, the life that we live is a life of war!

o This life, being a follower of Christ is not a life of comfort or ease! Our lives are a battleground! There is a constant battle spiritually going on all around this!

o If you do not see this, then just like Paul said to the elders, WAKE UP! DON’T SLEEP WALK THROUGH LIFE! THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS!

§ THIS PASSAGE REALLY MATTERS! YOU HAVE TO BE VIGILANT IN YOUR FAITH! THIS ISN’T JUST A CALL FOR SOME ELDERS 2000 years ago, THIS IS A CALL FOR YOU AND ME! BE VIGILANT! Paul’s words came true! We see that in 2 Timothy!

§ Or, as Paul says in verse 31, BE ALERT! Verse 31 is the second of his appeals to live like he did! He challenges them to, remember, “that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”

§ For parts of 3 years, Paul LABORED AMONGST THE FLOCK in Ephesus! He preached, he taught and he discipled! He did it with passion and tears! This is the work of a pastor! It is committed and it is based on PREACHING, TEACHING AND DISCIPLESHIP!

Paul’s leadership is marked by his preaching, teaching and discipleship that occurred every single day! His EXAMPLE, HIS TESTIMONY, WAS POWERFUL! Matt Perman says, “Leadership is like gas in your car. It provides fuel for action, which takes the form of passion and motivation. And it provides direction so that you know where to go and aren’t just wandering aimlessly.”

· HEAR ME THIS MORNING, this matters! I’m begging you, SEE HOW IMPORTANT YOUR FAITH IS EVERY SINGLE DAY! DON’T LIMIT IT JUST TO SUNDAY MORNINGS!

§ In verse 32, Paul commends the church to God and the word of God’s grace; choosing to trust the Lord with the church.

· One of the most important lessons in ministry is that we cannot control everything! We serve a big God though! (RONALD IN TRINIDAD! I HAD TO LET GO AND LET GOD DO! WE SERVE A HUGE GOD! GOD IS GOOD AND GOD IS BIG!)

· Paul lets go and gives the church in Ephesus to God! Strauch sums this up by reminding us that we MUST KNOW GOD! He says this, “Paul wanted nothing more than for the elders to have a strong, biblical theology of God, to know his attributes and to love and obey him. He wanted them to know God and to trust not in themselves, nor even in their church’s missionary founder and apostle, but in God.”

When we look at verse 33, we must consider it in the context of Paul’s ministry and of his repeated charges to elders. Paul speaks of paying elders, but he also warns in his letter to Timothy that no elder and really NO CHRISTIAN should BE A LOVER OF MONEY! Paul is reminding the elders that he does not love money! He did not sacrifice his ministry for selfish gain!

o Now, as we come down to verses 34-35, we see the last of Paul’s appeals to live as he lived. Paul says, “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.”- Acts 20:34-35

§ Paul closes out his message by reminding the elders of how he was cared for! He’s saying thank you!

· Why could he minister so effectively? Because he was cared for! Eldership in a biblical sense, when functioning rightly is a truly beautiful thing! Plurality is important and it should be marked by oneness in spirit and close, trusting relationships that can lead the flock forward!

§ Paul also challenges the elders one more time to see what he’s done! To bless everyone that is in your flock, to POUR YOURSELF OUT!

· Think of 2 Timothy 4! Paul says that he is being poured out as a drink offering! He’s given all that he can to the Lord! Brothers and sisters, this is really not a command just for elders, this is a command for ALL BELIEVERS!

o HEAR ME! WE SHOULD BE POURING OUT ON A DAILY BASIS! CHURCH IS WHERE YOU COME TO BE REFILLED! YOU MUST BE POURING OUT!

· After Paul finishes this impassioned message, we see the conclusion of his time with these men in verses 36-38. We read, “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.”- Acts 20:36-38

o Look at how this ends! Paul says farewell kneeling with these men, praying together and weeping together! This is an emotional goodbye!

o Don’t miss this! The emotionality of this shows us the deep bonds of fellowship and the deep bonds of love that these men have for one another. These men have labored together and they have served alongside each other!

§ This is a powerful example! They truly love one another and they will miss one another!

· That’s what causes sorrow! They are not upset about the responsibility they have; they are saddened because they love one another!

o The elders then accompany Paul to the ship, sending him off in love and in care, trusting the LORD to take care of Paul, just as Paul is trusting the LORD TO CARE FOR THEM AND TO PROTECT THEM!

CONCLUSION:

· Acts 20 contains a deeply emotional plea from Paul to the elders of the church in Ephesus. Paul deeply pleads with them to continue on following the Lord and serving God, while guarding the flock, teaching, preaching and discipling!

o Truthfully, the emotionality of this passage hits hard. But, we should never just leave on Sunday morning with simply emotions stirred! So, let’s talk about how to LIVE THIS OUT!

· Paul challenged us clearly, just as he challenged the elders from Ephesus; live as he lived! Now what does that mean? IT MEANS TO LIVE ON A SINGLE MINDED MISSION, FULLY FOCUSED ON THE GREAT COMMISSION! IT MEANS TO LIVE A LIFE MARKED BY EVANGELISM, DISCIPLESHIP, GROWING IN OUR FAITH, TEACHING OTHERS AND LOVING OTHERS AS JESUS DID!

o Now practically, the ways that we will do this are different. Not everyone will preach on a Sunday morning. For those who currently serve, or will serve as elders though, the challenge is clear! Our teaching should be direct, it should be clear; it should be centered on JESUS; on his life, his death and his resurrection! Our teaching should call people to repentance and it should be done well! (GOSPEL)

o If you are teaching Sunday School, the same is true! Teach well! Whether it is a 2 year old, or a 102 year old, TEACH THEM WELL! SHOW THEM THE GOSPEL WHEREVER YOU ARE!

§ Whether you are teaching from Matthew or from Obadiah, show them JESUS! WALK WITH THEM AND TEACH TRUTH! That’s what Discipleship is! It’s walking with people! It’s saying, “Here’s my life, COME WITH ME!”

§ And here’s the beautiful thing about discipleship; it isn’t reserved for some special class of Christians, it is something that ALL CHRISTIANS are called to do!

· Every believer should be active in this! You don’t need an advanced degree, you don’t need to be an expert on biblical languages to disciple someone, you just need to love the LORD!

· The Barna study that I cited earlier shows that 37% of American Christians who do not disciple someone avoid it because they do not think that they are qualified. Let me be clear; Paul’s charge is direct! OUR LIVES SHOULD BE A HUGE EXAMPLE IN DISCIPLESHIP!

ARE YOU WALKING WITH THE LORD? CAN YOU READ THE BIBLE? GREAT! YOU CAN DISCIPLE!

Discouragingly, 46% of Americans who do not disciple someone say it is because “No one has suggested it” or because they, “Haven’t thought about it.”

Brothers and Sisters, dear church family; if that is you, I’m suggesting it! Find someone and pour yourself out! The issue if we are honest with discipleship is not that it is too hard; the issue is that it is not convenient.

But, scripture is clear, we are to do this and so are the lives of those who have gone before us! Remember, as CT Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”

There really are no good excuses. If you are looking for someone to pour into, if your hesitation is that you just don’t know anyone, then let me encourage you, talk to me and look around!

We can and SHOULD pour into one another, intentionally walking together, saying, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Even with non-believers, we should have this same attitude because our daily lives are a powerful testimony of our faith!

Let me pray for us as we close.

hebrews 13:20-21 benediction after praying for brig