Series — Paul’s Third Missionary Journey — Sermon 4 — One Man - One Message - One Mission — Paul’s Final Farewell to the Elder’s in Ephesus

Introduction

Good morning Church!

I pray each of you had a great week and want to say it’s good to see each of you who could make it out this morning.

If you have your Bible’s with you, I’d ask you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to the Book of Acts Chapter 20.

We will be finishing up Chapter 20 this morning by looking a message I’ve entitled One Man; One Message; One Mission — Paul’s Final Farewell to the Elder’s in Ephesus.

I’ve never really thought about the different ways we say goodbye or leave people before until I began thinking about this message.

And there’s a big difference in the different send offs we have.

Often times we say, “see ya later” or “have a good one” as we see people off or they depart but a farewell is something altogether different.

A farewell is sending someone away with good wishes on their departing.

It’s right opposite of a good riddance where we’re glad when the person has left.

I’m sure we’ve all had some visitors at times where we were happy to see them come but even more happy to see them leave but good riddance is a negative goodbye with the idea that we’re actually glad to be done dealing with that person.

It’s right the opposite of a farewell.

A farewell is a sad, solemn time where we hate to see the person go.

I’m sure we’ve all at different times experienced the feeling of being sad to see someone leave.

Farewells are never easy and final farewells are even harder and that’s what we’re going to see in the scripture before us this morning.

We’re going to see our beloved Paul and his group of disciples traveling with him, set sail on a course for home but before their final trek they will make a pit stop and Paul will see the beloved Elders of Ephesus one more time before saying farewell for the last time.

Now there’s something you need to know this morning about final farewells before we get into the message.

Final farewells for those of us who have been born again aren’t really final.

They may be final on this side of eternity, but if you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, farewell for the believer is simply a farewell for now.

For when we leave this side of eternity, we enter into the presence of the Lord and of loved ones who have gone on before and forever there we will be for all of eternity.

Never to say farewell again!

As we will see in the scripture this morning, Paul will have to say farewell to these men he had formed such a wonderful relationship with but it would only be a final farewell for a few brief moments in time.

Even still, it wouldn’t be easy for the bond they had formed over the last 3 years while Paul was in Ephesus was very strong.

Now, let me say this in closing of my introduction…although final farewells for the believer are only temporary, final farewells for the unbeliever, the lost, those who have never trusted in Jesus, are final forever.

If you are here and lost this morning, if you die lost and undone without ever trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your farewell will be a final one forever.

Instead of passing from death unto life like the believer, you will pass from death unto death.

You will be cast into a place called the lake of fire and brimstone, to suffer for all eternity.

There will be no glad reunion day for you. There will be no joyous gathering for you in heaven. No, you will be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for all eternity.

Final farewells for the unbeliever will be final indeed.

My prayer this morning is simply this…if you are here and lost, that God will speak to your heart and help you to understand your need for His Son Jesus, the Savior of the World and that you will come to know Him today.

Final farewells were never meant to be forever.

The Bible says in,

2 Peter 3:9 KJV 1900

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God never intended on man to be separated from Him forever. He doesn’t want to see anyone die and go to hell.

The Bible says in,

Matthew 25:41 KJV 1900

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Do you see that?

Do you see who hell was prepared for?

It wasn’t prepared for you or me! It was prepared for the devil and his angels.

Now, what did the devil and his angels do?

They rebelled against God, right? So why do people end up in hell?

Because they also rebel against God. They scoff at God. They mock and blaspheme God as if He does not exist.

And because they don’t believe in Him and because they don’t trust in His one and only Son who gave His life so that we might have life, they too will end up in this awful place never meant for mankind to be.

Each and every person here this morning has a choice as to where you will spend eternity. In heaven with the Father and the Son or separated from them for all eternity in a place called hell where the fire is never quenched and the worm dieth not.

Now, I may not have the best understanding of what hell will be like but in my feeble little human mind I see it this way.

Hell will be right opposite of Heaven.

In heaven, there will be light and life.

In hell, there will be darkness and death.

In heaven, there will be joy, happiness, and peace.

In hell, there will be sadness, strife, pain, and suffering.

In heaven, we will live forevermore!

In hell, you will experience death for all eternity.

Everything that heaven is, hell will not be.

Joshua said it best when he said these words… “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”

Everyone has a choice to make on where they will spend eternity. Choose wisely this morning because the choice you make will be an eternal one!

Acts 20:13 if you have it would you say, Amen.

Alright, before we get into the Word, if you would, bow with me in a word of prayer.

The Expedition Homeward — (Vs. 13-17)

The Foregoing of the Disciples — (Vs. 13-14)

The distance between Troas and Assos was about twenty miles.

***Just preach***

The Future Endeavor — (Vs. 15-16)

Vs. 15

John Phillips — The coasting vessel he boarded at Assos tacked along the inner sea lanes. Paul was a veteran traveler, but the peace and beauty of the voyage must have been balm to his soul. We can see him sitting on the deck in the shade of the bulwarks or the great mainsail, enjoying the breeze and the sun, drinking in the scenery, listening to the constant hail of the lookout warning of an island on the west or a promontory on the east.

His disciples would be gathered around him. There would be times of prayer, times of Bible study, times of reminiscence when stories of past experiences would be exchanged, times when Paul would review his plans; “First, Jerusalem, brethren, with this magnificent financial gift we are carrying; then Rome, then Spain, then, who knows? Perhaps Britannia or a visit to the Rhine and the Germanic tribes.”

Vs. 16

The goal was to get to Jerusalem for Pentecost but…he couldn’t pass by Ephesus without saying one last goodbye at least to the Elders there.

Paul had grown to love these people. He had spent the last 3 years with them and taught them, been an example to them, loved them through the evil that surrounded them and planted a Church that was now undoubtedly thriving!

The Church at Syrian Antioch was Paul’s home Church but I personally believe Paul’s heart was in the Church at Ephesus.

He had dedicated so much time there and come to know and love the people in such a mighty way.

He knew he couldn’t go to the city itself because he’d never be able to leave, or may not even want to leave but if he could just at the very least speak to the Elders one last time before sailing for home at least he could leave them with an encouraging word!

And so he sent for them from Miletus. In verse 17 we see....

The Fetching of the Elders — (Vs. 17)

Miletus was only about 30 miles from Ephesus and Paul knew that it would only take a couple days for the Elders to come to him but he also knew if he went to them it would be a two way trip and possibly lead to an even longer delay. So he sends for the Elders at Ephesus and while in waiting probably replayed in his mind what all he wanted to cover with them.

If this were indeed going to be his final farewell, I’m sure he wanted to make sure not to leave anything out!

The Encouraging of the Ephesus Elders — (Vs. 18-35)

The Fellowshipping & Follow Up — (Vs. 18-21)

Vs. 18-19

Paul’s mentality was the mentality every Christian should have...

Philippians 2:5 KJV 1900

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

What was the mind of Christ?

Matthew 20:28 KJV 1900

28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

This was Paul’s mentality and it ought to be ours today as well.

Vs. 20

Acts 20:20 KJV 1900

20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,

John Phillips — The expression “kept back” comes from Luke’s medical vocabulary. It is hupostellō, the word used of withholding food from patients. Paul had never done that. He had always spread a full table, set before them the whole counsel of God. He had never hesitated to set before them food they might not like if those things were good for them. How often we are 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. (2 Tim. 3:16.)

The Foreshadowing of Things to Come — (Vs. 22-25)

Vs. 24

Matthew 10:39 KJV 1900

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

The Forgiveness Paul had Experienced — (Vs. 26-27)

The Forewarning of the Elders — (Vs. 28-31)

The Faithfulness of God and the Faithful Example of Paul — (Vs. 32-35)

The Emotional Goodbye — (Vs. 36-38)

Paul’s Farewell Prayer — (Vs. 36)

The Ephesus Elder’s Final Farewell — (Vs. 37-38)