Pauls Charge to the Elders at Aphesus Acts 20:13-38

Introduction

If you knew that you were seeing someone for the last time face to face what would you tell them?

Here we find Pauls final face to face address to the Elders at the church at Ephesus. Here we will find admonishment, encouragement, and a challenge to keep going forward for the sake of the Gospel.

Paul’s travels to Ephesus vs. 13-16

As Paul leaves Troas he is headed to Jerusalem

Paul goes on foot to Assos, while Luke and the others go by ship.

This was a 20 mile walk for Paul

Paul arrives in Assos, likely a port city and gets in the ship with the others and they sail to Mitylene, then to Chios, then Samos, then Trogyllium and then to Miletus.

Paul was headed to Jerusalem to be there for Pentecost, so he would not be able to make it to Ephesus so while he was in Miletus, The Ephesian Elders would come to him.

Pauls Resume in Ephesus vs. 17-23

With Paul’s determination to make it to Jerusalem for Pentecost he called the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet him in Miletus.

What took the Ephesian Elders 3-4 days would have taken Paul 6-8 days in just travel.

Paul reminds the elders of his service in Ephesus.

Remember Paul had served in Ephesus for around 2.5 years and his life was an open book and here he is asking the elders to examine it.

Paul had been there in all seasons

Paul was there in the ups and downs and throughout all of the seasons, his mission remained the same.

Paul served the Lord everywhere he went

Paul referred to himself as a servant of the Lord many times.

Romans 1:1 “1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,”

Look what Paul wrote the church at Galatia

Galatians 1:10 “10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

If you are serving God to please anybody besides God you are doing it for the wrong reason.

We should serve the Lord in humility

1 Corinthians 15:9 “9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”

Ephesians 3:6–8“6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;”

If we are serving God for self we are doing it for the wrong reason as well

We should have Godly sorrow

We should weep over the lost

Paul had wept over their sins and wept with them in their sorrows

We should continue to serve the lord even in temptations or trials.

When we think about all the trials that Paul had gone through on his missionary journeys, we see his steadfastness to continue despite the trials he went through.

Paul didn’t just write Romans 8:28-29, he lived it

Romans 8:28–29 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

No matter how many times the Jews tried to stop him or kill him he continued to share the good news of the Gospel

Paul didn’t hold anything back from those in Ephesus

The greek word translated “kept back” gives the idea of withholding food from a patient

Paul never showed up empty handed

One commentator wrote it this way “He never hesitated to set before them food they might not like if those things were good for them. How often are we tempted to avoid unpleasant truths if we think people might find them unpalatable. Not Paul. He kept back nothing that was profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

He didn’t just tell them what was profitable to them, he showed them.

His life matched his words!

Paul showed them the Christian life in his witness

He proclaimed the Gospel publically

He proclaimed the Gospel house to house.

Paul Proclaimed the gospel to every person, it didn’t matter their gender, race, religion, or socioeconomic status, Paul proclaimed the gospel to every creature and so should we.

He preached the Gospel

Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ

We must turn from our sins and put our faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Paul didn’t care if the message was popular or not, he preached the Gospel and we should as well

He then tells them he is headed to Jerusalem and doesn’t know his fate, but he is bound by the spirit and must go

Pauls purpose vs. 24-27

Paul’s purpose should be our purpose as well, finish our course with joy

Jim Elliot was an American missionary who, along with four others, traveled to Ecuador to reach the Huaorani people, a remote and unreached tribe known for their violence. Despite the dangers, Elliot and his team were determined to share the love of Christ with them. Tragically, in 1956, Elliot and his fellow missionaries were speared to death by members of the tribe they were trying to reach. However, their sacrifice was not in vain. Their story inspired many others to take up the call to missions, and later, some of the very people who killed them became Christians through the continued efforts of missionaries, including Elliot's widow, Elisabeth.

Paul did finish well

2 Timothy 4:7 “7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

One commentator said this “It should be the goal of all Christians to complete successfully the ministry God has given to them. To do so requires they maintain a proper perspective of their ministry as it relates to God, unbelievers, believers and themselves. To do less is unworthy of the Lord who graciously called them into his service.

Are we going to finish well?

In verse 25-27 Paul tells them this is the last time they will see him, but he has done his best in Ephesus and there wasn’t anyone there who hadn’t heard him preach the Gospel, not everyone accepted Christ, but all of them heard about Him!

His hands were clean, he had declared the Gospel and now it was up to the people to decide whether or not they would follow Christ

As believers we have opportunities to share the Gospel on a daily basis, but how often do we hush the holy spirit leading us to share the Gospel?

Can we like Paul say, that we are pure from the blood of all men?

Paul tells them he hasn’t shunned or avoided to declare unto them the counsel of God.

Pauls warning vs. 28-31

Take heed (caution)

to yourselves

to all the flock

As a pastor I need to take heed to myself and the church

God has made me an overseer with the purpose of feeding the flock

If you are in any leadership role in the church you must take heed as well.

The church is important to Christ, so important that he died for it

Grievous wolves, not sparing the flock

Grievous - Hurtful; destructive; causing mischief

There are wolves that will come into the church for the sole purpose of destroying the church; Take heed.

False church leaders trying to draw people away from the true church

Someone once said the most dangerous lie is the one closest to the truth.

There are false church leaders all over the world today pointing people to themselves rather than to Jesus, none of those men or women paid the penalty for our sin, none of them deserve the worship that we give to the Lord.

Anyone who preaches another gospel should be marked and avoided, there is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ!

Watch and remember

Paul reminds them that there wasn't a day that went by over the three years he was there that he didn't warn them with tears

Pauls goodbye vs. 32-38

Paul reminds them that God has them and his word will strengthen them

While he wasn’t going to be there anymore, they were not alone!

Paul reminds them to not be selfish through his own life

He didn’t covet money

He didn’t alway have financial support, but God gave him the ability to provide his necessities

He supported others and lived by the principle given by Jesus “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

He kneeled down and prayed with them

They were sad to see him go but more sad that they would never see him again on this side of heaven

They accompanied him to the ship

Conclusion

As Christians we should serve the Lord in the ministry he has called us to and we should finish our course with joy.