Live to Bless

Sunday, August 11, 2024

Start with Application Testimony

[Give people an opportunity to share how they applied what we learned last week]

Last week’s question: Which one of these common traits that we talked about (greed, ignorance, arrogance, selfishness) will you work to shed this week (Heb 12:1), and how will you begin?

INTRO

Paul is on his third missionary journey through the northern Mediterranean

He has just spent between 2-3 years in Ephesus growing a thriving church community, where so many people had been coming to Christ, that it was threatening* the idol-making and religious tourism industry of Ephesus (1)

*This threat had caused a riot that had just settled down - this is the “uproar” referred to in verse 1 from today’s reading

Early in this passage we will see Paul leave Ephesus and continue on his journey, eventually circling back near Ephesus, where he will give some final instructions to the leaders of the Ephesian church

We will be spending the next three lessons looking at three key things that Paul is teaching here, and the first one is about living in a way that blesses others

READ

Question to consider as we read:

What value does our life have?

Acts 20:1–38 (CSB)

1 After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying farewell, departed to go to Macedonia. 2 And when he had passed through those areas and offered them many words of encouragement, he came to Greece 3 and stayed three months. The Jews plotted against him when he was about to set sail for Syria, and so he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread. In five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days. 7 On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread. Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, 9 and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down, bent over him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, because he’s alive.” 11 After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul talked a long time until dawn. Then he left. 12 They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted. 13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul on board, because these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went on to Mitylene. 15 Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and the day after, we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost. 17 Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church. 18 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 during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. 20 You know that I did not hesitate to proclaim anything to you that was profitable and to teach you publicly and from house to house. 21 I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, 23 except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. 24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace. 25 “And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again. 26 Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27 because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God. 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which 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 Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears. 32 “And now I commit you to God and to the word 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 I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me. 35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 36 After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. 37 There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

EXAMINE

What are the key points in this passage?

#1 | The purpose of life is to bring blessing, not to receive it

Paul didn’t say his life had no value, he said it had no value to him

Acts 20:22–24 “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, 23 except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. 24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”

Paul wanted his life to have value to others, enriching their lives and blessing them

Paul wanted his life to have value in God’s Kingdom, advancing the cause of freedom, healing, and reconciliation between God and humanity

Paul spent his time and energy to provide for the community, not just for himself

Acts 20:33–35 “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me. 35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Whatever abilities or opportunities God gives us, He gives us for the benefit of everyone, not just ourselves.

Philippians 2:4 “Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.”

God calls us to be active and hard-working, so that our lives can bless others.

1 Timothy 6:17–18 “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 what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share,” (see also 2 Thess 3:6-15)

#2 | To bless others, we must sacrifice our own comfort

Paul’s ministry wasn’t fun or pleasant for him

Acts 20:18–19 “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 during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.”

Living so that your life becomes a blessing to others, will often mean that there will be seasons that are unpleasant for you

Following Jesus means following His example of sacrifice

Romans 15:2–3 “Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself...”

2 Corinthians 13:9 “We rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray that you become fully mature.”

NOW... A WARNING: There is a false version “sacrificing our comfort” where we “burn the candle at both ends”

Sacrificing comfort, and prioritizing others, must happen within the boundaries and capacities that God has placed in each of us

God has given us each a capacity for sacrifice

Ephesians 4:7 “Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

If we exceed that capacity, we are not loving others - we are loving ourselves

Want proof? These are what drive us to exceed our capacity:

The desire to be admired, successful, or accepted

The need to be active, feel useful, or keep occupied

The desire for control, security, or power

If we truly desire to serve God and people, then we must present our best self - one that is rested, focused, and healthy

This may mean doing less, not doing more

APPLY

Explore and apply the passage with these questions:

[Allow the conversation to go where people take it - we want people to feel the liberty to explore the topics of the passage that stand out to them. Select the questions from below that you think are right for the conversation, or add your own. Questions should be focused, yet open-ended. Wherever the conversation goes, help your group “land the plane” on the core idea of the lesson when you wrap up.]

What challenged you the most in today’s lesson?

What are some forms of selfishness that we don’t always recognize?

How does our desire for comfort, negatively effect other people?

Where we want to “land the plane”

In Christ we are called to live for a greater purpose than our own dreams, desires, or comfort. When we serve and sacrifice from the capacity God has given each of us, we live a more satisfying and rewarding life that blesses and grows the community.

Application question for the Week

[Encourage people to provide an answer now, if they are able - to provide an opportunity for accountability and praise reports the following week.]

How is comfort getting in the way of you blessing others? What are you going to do about it this week?

REFLECT

Prayer Points for Today

Ask the Lord to help us identify an answer to this week’s application question.

FOOTNOTES

Ephesus. Some of the major public buildings discovered at the site of ancient Ephesus include the famous temple of Artemis, public squares, stadiums, gymnasiums, and theaters. One significant theater built into the side of Mount Pion accommodated about 24,000 people. The city was home to various artisans. The artisans were considered of lower social status, in part because they worked with their hands (Plutarch, Pericles 2.1–2). The only basis for their social identity was the wealth they might secure from their craft (Witherington, The Acts of the Apostles, 593). The Artemis shrine in Ephesus provided the area with a lucrative tourist business from pilgrims traveling to the temple. In addition, the temple served as a financial institution and lent out money from the wealth deposited at the shrine (Stark, Cities of God, 42). The temple was perceived to be a safe place to store resources because no one dared to violate its sacred space (Dio Chrysostom, Rhod. 31:54). However, this did not prevent corruption and inappropriate use of the funds by temple officials (Trebilco, “Asia,” 343–344). David Seal, “Ephesus,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).