Say What Needs to be Heard

Sunday, August 18, 2024

Start with Application Testimony

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

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

INTRO

Paul is on his third missionary journey through the northern Mediterranean

As part of it, he spent between 2-3 years in Ephesus growing a thriving church community, before continuing on

Now Paul has circled back near Ephesus, and is giving a final speech to the leaders of the Ephesian church, because he knows the Lord will never bring him this way again

We are spending three lessons looking at three points Paul teaches them in this passage

Last week we looked at the first point: We must live a life that blesses others and advances the Gospel

This week we are going to look at a second point: We must say what people need to hear

READ

Question to consider as we read:

What does God want us to say?

Acts 20:17–38 CSB

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 | We must say what needs to be heard, even if it isn’t pleasant

Paul’s message was an important one, but not a popular or pleasant one

Acts 20:20–21 “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.”

Repentance means a complete change of direction - therefore Paul was constantly teaching people they were wrong and needed to change - this is not a fun thing to say to people!

Paul spoke what was “profitable” not what was popular

Paul knew the people’s lives depended on them knowing the truth of the Gospel

This was clearly what enabled him to push through any discomfort in saying what needed to be said

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”

#2 | We must remember the consequences of not speaking the truth

Paul understood that he was not only responsible for what he did say, but also for what he didn’t say

Acts 20:26–27 “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.”

Anything that would make us afraid or reluctant to speak the truth, must be weighed against the consequences people will suffer if we don’t

When we hold back from speaking the truth of God, we share responsibility for what happens next

James 4:17 “So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.” (see also Hebrews 13:17)

#3 | We must trust the Lord to work through the Truth

Paul pointed people back to what God had given him to say

Acts 20:32 “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.”

If people would receive God’s message and put it into practice, then they would grow and mature - therefore, Paul knew he had done his part by speaking the truth

Philippians 4:9 “Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Paul knew that convincing people and bringing change in their life was the Holy Spirit’s job

Speaking the truth gives the Holy Spirit something to work with

Consider the passages below

1 Corinthians 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

Ephesians 1:13 “...you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13 “...when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also works effectively in you who believe.”

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 most in today’s lesson? Did anything make you feel uncomfortable?

What are some lies we believe that hold us back from speaking the truth?

How can we learn the difference between what we want to say and what God wants us to say?

Where we want to “land the plane”

Learning the truth of God, comes with the responsibility to speak it. It’s not our job to convince anyone of God’s truth, but it is our job to speak it, even to the point of being confrontational. When we embrace this responsibility with humility, we can safe guard others from harm and open pathways to health and healing.

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 will you stretch yourself this week, in speaking the truth of God?

REFLECT

Prayer Points for Today

Ask the Lord to teach us the truth and give us the words to speak, so that people hear what they need to hear, and not what we want them to hear.