A Tearful Farewell (En-Garde!)

Acts  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Introduction

Today, lord willing, we’ll be wrapping up chapter 20 of Acts, in which Paul has been making his way back towards Jerusalem, traveling by land rather than directly across the sea, he goes around the sea, through Macedonia, taking the long way back.
[MAP]
He stayed for a week in Troas, and that’s where he preached so late one night that Eutychus fell asleep, fell out a window, and Paul had to go resurrect him so they could all eat dinner.
Then, Paul and his companions hurried on, hoping to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost. They didn’t stop in Ephesus this time, but Paul does send for some of the leaders of the church there to come to him so he can talk with them before he moves on. (verse 17)
This was a great opportunity that Mike took last week to contemplate this concept of leadership, and “elders” in the church, and what that meant for them, and what it means for us.
In verse 20, he tells them:
Acts 20:20 LSB
20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
In other words, he did not hesitate, he didn’t shy away from sharing everything he knew with them (as long as it was profitable), being fully aware of the potential consequences.
Now, I say everything, the point being he didn’t hold anything back, but he wasn’t actually live-streaming every thought he had was he?
NOT everything is what anyone needs to hear at any given time, right?
So, more specifically, what exactly was he declaring and teaching?
In verse 21, which is where we left off last week, we have a heavy-laden statement as to what he was teaching:
Acts 20:21 LSB
21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, as Mike alluded to last week, Paul’s teaching in this context was focused on the most important things. We know he had other skills, but he wasn’t there to teach people how to make tents, was he? No, he was there to:
Reach both the Jews and Greeks (gentiles) - which itself is quite a statement!
That BOTH “sides,” or types of people, need to practice repentance toward God, and
That ALL who seek repentance will find their redemption by placing their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Adonai Yeshua the Messiah.

Solemnly Testifying

I appreciate the LSB’s consistent use of the phrase “solemnly testify” here, to indicate the use of that word diamartyromai which Mike pointed out last week). It’s a testimony which bears not just a proclamation of good news (evangelism), but also a warning, and we’ll see this phrase pop up a couple more times in this passage.
But, Paul’s time in this place is coming to a close, and he’s getting ready to move on, to continue towards Jerusalem.

Moving On

As we read on, we’ll see Paul preparing himself, as well as the church leaders he’s with, for his departure. This is not entirely unlike the manner in which Jesus departed his disciples…essentially saying “I’ve taught you everything you need to know, it’s time for me to move on,” despite those with him desperately wanting to cling to his presence.

22-23 Spirit-bound

Acts 20:22 LSB
22 “And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
Alright, this is par for the course, right? He’s following the leading of the Spirit, having faith in the big picture of his mission, he’s willing to keep going even without knowing how things will turn out exactly.
In fact, he says that all he does know is that it won’t all go well for him!
Acts 20:23 LSB
23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me.
The Spirit is solemnly testifying to Paul! It’s a
Now, to some this may sound like courage, and to others it may sound like foolishness! Later on, he will be strongly urged by some friends not to continue, to avoid such a fate as this.
If I were trying to dissuade him at this juncture, I may have appealed to Proverbs 27. I was meditating on it yesterday, the 27th of July, this verse jumped out and I chuckled, as I couldn’t help but think of Paul:
Proverbs 27:12 LSB
12 A prudent man sees evil and hides, The simple pass on and are punished.
This is, of course, excellent wisdom to live by, but only when balanced by the rest of God’s teaching which also calls people to live by faith like Abraham, who followed God’s calling to leave his home without knowing anything about where he was going, and the examples continue almost endlessly where God requires courage and boldness, sometimes even from the most reluctant to do so, almost as if to make that point! Which Paul puts so concisely to Timothy, in one of the top quotable verses of the new testament:
2 Timothy 1:7 LSB
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-discipline.
I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves yet because we will revisit this tension again in the next chapter when he’s confronted by Agabus.

24 What’s the point of life?

I don’t think anyone ever accused Paul of being timid. If we keep reading to verse 24, he basically shuts down any argument against his going to Jerusalem, by preemptively giving this statement:
Acts 20:24 LSB
24 “But I do not make my life of any account nor dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:24 NLT
But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
Paul says his life is worth nothing to him, unless he is able to serve his purpose. It’s not that he has no sense of self-preservation, we’ve already seen that in the path he’s taken to avoid being murdered outright. But he recognizes what is ultimately true for all of us, that none of us will survive this world. To make our lives worth living in the meantime, requires a sense of purpose. Of knowing the work to which we have been called. And of being able to discern the holy spirit’s leading in our lives.
There is a balance Paul has demonstrated, of not being careless with his life, while not being so overly cautious that he’s crippled from doing his work. I think no matter our walk of life and no matter the work been called to, we can relate to this tension of weighing the risks and wanting to be courageous, but not stupid.
Finding that balance, again comes down to being steeped in scripture, and in close fellowship with the spirit, and in consultation with trusted peers.
Remember, Paul is still with a select group of church elders at this time. And you may take note that this group, while in anguish over his departure, it does not say they try to prevent him from going. These guys don’t argue what the Spirit is leading Paul to do.
Which is, of course to solemnly testify the good news. Again, not just “Good News” here, but solemn witness.

25 You’ll never see me again.

It’s probably what he says in this next verse that really gut-punches them though, when they hear this:
Acts 20:25 LSB
25 “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face.
In other words...
Acts 20:25 NLT
“And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again.

26-27 Innocence.

Having said this, Paul wants to leave them with some final words, and he begins with a statement to clear and preserve his name from defamation regardless of what accusations may arise against him.
Acts 20:26–27 LSB
“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 purpose of God.
Once again, he appeals to his own faithfulness to the mission Christ called him to, to plead innocence. He said this once before about people who didn’t head his message, that their blood was on their own heads. (Acts 18:6), but he is testifying total innocence before God. This coming from someone who was complicit in murdering Christians, and is now claiming redemption by Christ’s blood. This is a powerful statement!
He doesn’t dwell on it for long though, after these two verses, he spends the next eight verses in final exhortation for his brothers.

28-35 Exhortation.

Continuing the theme of solemn testimony, (that word diamartyromai which Mike pointed out last week). It’s a testimony which bears not just good news (evangelism), but also warning, he opens with a call to an alert, defensive watchfulness:

EN-GARDE! (28-31)

Acts 20:28–31 LSB
“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. “Therefore be watchful, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
En-garde! He says, get ready, assume a posture ready for attack, and his choice of imagery echoes the warnings Jesus gave to his followers in Matthew 7:15.
Now, to his listeners this must have been kind of disturbing, especially piling on to the news that Paul is leaving! He’s also promising difficult, treacherous challenges ahead!

Paul’s prophecy did in fact happen, prompting him to write to Timothy in Ephesus some five years later (see 1 Tim 1:3–7, 19–20; 4:1–5

1 Timothy 1:3–7 LSB
3 As I exhorted you when going to Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may command certain ones not to teach a different doctrine, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the stewardship from God which is by faith. 5 But the goal of our command is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and an unhypocritical faith. 6 For some, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
But, again, he’s not saying this to make them timid or afraid, rather to encourage them to be aware, awake, ready to meet those challenges with grace.
Ultimately though, Paul, like a father sending his kids off to college, acknowledges God’s sovereignty as the only and ultimate saving grace we can always rely on, no matter how well prepared we think we might be.

Commended to God (32)

Acts 20:32 LSB
32 “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 have been sanctified.
GOD is the one who sets us apart and promises eternal life, and GOD is the one who secures that promise for us, no matter how well we serve him in this life or not.
In the next verse his attention turns to himself again, but more as a way to set forth certain behaviors as a model for them to follow.

Modeling Modesty (33-35)

Acts 20:33–35 LSB
“I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to those who were with me. “In everything I showed you that by laboring in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
It may seem like a strange way of putting it, but I think the point he’s making here is essentially:
“Don’t be greedy, and take good care of yourselves and each other, each as he is able. Focus more on what you can provide or contribute than what you can get out of a situation.”
And he is able to say that he lived as a good example of that while he was with them. That’s pretty cool! May we all be able to look back on different seasons of our lives and, of course we will always find things to critique, but let us also recognize those times where we can say “hey, you know what? By God’s grace, I did that well!” And let us honor each other by recognizing those good fruits of God’s spirit in each other, and commending them, encouraging such examples to flourish among us.

36-38 All Aboard!

In verse 36, he concludes his exhortation in a prayer, which is not recorded, it just says “he prayed with them all.” I assume it was very personal and specific to their relationships and situations.
Acts 20:36 LSB
And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
What is recorded is their response. It’s a very emotional response.
Acts 20:37–38 LSB
And they began to weep aloud and falling on Paul’s neck, they were kissing him, being in agony especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.
It’s their last few steps, alongside this man they love so dearly, on the way to the ship that will take him away. And it seems like this is just as tearful of a farewell as it gets. They are “in agony” over his leaving!

Conclusion

I think the emotion of this scene should be pretty easy for us to understand. It’s not always easy to say goodbye. One thing we can glean from this passage is just how normal, and human, this experience is.

Grief

The elders from Ephesus are really sad to see Paul go! And neither party is being condemned for this, it’s just the way it is sometimes.
I kind of hope that if I told you all you’d never see me again you’d be at least a little bit sad about it. I certainly pray that’s NOT the case, but you get my point!
It’s normal and acceptable to be sad sometimes. In fact, being a part of God’s family means grieving and mourning together, on behalf of one another, in all kinds of circumstances, including farewells. Not that we should pursue grief for grief’s sake, not all grief is inherently good or helpful. Paul would later write to the Corinthians about the complexities of sorrow, how it can be either godly or ungodly.
In this case, I would say it’s godly sorrow. It’s normal and acceptable to have a difficult time saying goodbye to someone you love. To shed some tears and weep, even when we know it’s not goodbye forever necessarily, but maybe for a long time.
Pain and sorrow are consequences of having love and compassion in the midst of an imperfect world. In fact, I was just reading how some view seasons of depression as a feature of their faith rather than as a challenge to it. Now, that’s a statement that takes more unpacking than I have time for today, but if that resonates with you I’d be happy to discuss it further with you.
No matter the context, scale, or relative intensity, it’s important to accept grief, and to process it, to allow it to move through us, but not to dwell in it, and to not allow it to prevent us from moving forward in life. This is something we teach our kids from an early age, and something we have to continue learning all throughout life, I think.
As the psalmist writes,
Psalm 34:18 LSB
Yahweh is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
We know there is hope to come in the future, where:
Revelation 21:4 LSB
4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things passed away.”
But in the meantime, we are called to:
Romans 12:15 LSB
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep,
The highs and lows are all a part of life, and going through them together is better than trying to make it alone.
Sadness isn’t all we can learn from this passage, though! I want to go back and bring out a few key points from Paul’s final words to them, those things they would surely focus on once the cloud of their sorrow has lifted some.

Exhortation

Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesian elders offers advice for their spiritual lives, as well as their material lives, and sandwiched between is a cornerstone of hope and stability in the midst of uncertainty.
Spiritually, he paints the church, God’s People, as God’s flock, who have been placed under the care of shepherds, and Paul’s primary concern was for them to be watchful, in this context. To help be aware of dangerous predators, and to protect each other accordingly. To not allow God’s people to be led astray by distorted teaching.
This goes for the church at large, all of God’s people, but also points to the practical need of having these smaller clusters of people, with corresponding elders and deacons, and so forth, who can actually keep track of each other to some extent, praying for each other, providing for each other, and building lasting relationships based on our mutual faith in Christ.
Note: if you’re not sure whether or not you belong in that category of “God’s people” or “the church,” that’s OK! Some of you may still be wrestling through what that means for you, I only encourage you to reach out to one of us who claim it as good, and worth it, to follow Jesus, and find out why. Whether you currently see yourself as part of “the church” or not, God loves you, and wants you to be a part of his crazy, beautiful, incredibly diverse family.

the elders’ duty to protect God’s church is shown by the infinite price He paid to purchase it for Himself

We, the church, that is, the people of God, are infinitely precious to Him, and we ought to acknowledge that in ourselves and each other, regardless of what position or roles we may have at any given time. This is cause for great JOY and AWE, but also great caution, as one who is wise does not deal frivolously with precious treasure.
He anchors this teaching, which otherwise might be rather anxiety-inducing, in the steadfastness of God’s faithfulness and infinite mercy he lavishes on us…grace, upon grace, upon grace to cover our failures, whether as leaders or as followers in any season of life. We all participate on both ends, whether simultaneously or in different seasons, and we all need God’s grace, and each other’s grace on both sides of leadership.
And finally, he reminds them not to be motivated by money or fame. This really goes for anyone, but is especially something anyone in a position of leadership must be exceptionally cautious to avoid. Christians in leadership, whether it’s within the church or elsewhere, ought to be marked by hard work, integrity, and generosity.

1 Peter 5

I want to close by reading a passage from 1 Peter, so we get the perspective on this topic from someone very different from Paul, but who was led by the same Spirit to write these words:
1 Peter 5:1–11 LSB
1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion, but willingly, according to God; and not for dishonest gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished among your brethren who are in the world. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, strengthen, confirm, and ground you. 11 To Him be might forever and ever. Amen.
En-Garde!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py94LTCIQM8
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