The Faithful

Acts 20:17–38 ESV

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 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 are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Acts

[Overview of Fully Devoted series]

(ESV)

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:

“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 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 are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

(ESV) — 17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 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 are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

(ESV) — 17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 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 are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.

18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,

19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;

20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,

23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all,

27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

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 are sanctified.

33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.

34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.

35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,

38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,

19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;

20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,

23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all,

27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

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 are sanctified.

33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.

34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.

35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,

38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Introduction

Same sad story again . . . [Josh Harris]

Fully Devoted and Faithful

To be fully devoted without being faithful is hypocritical. To be faithful without being fully devoted is heretical.

ILLUST - marriage - I committed at a time to be fully devoted. If I am not faithful to that commitment than I am hypocritical. If I remain faithful to the ‘marriage’ but I am not fully devoted to my wife, then it’s heretical - it’s not a marriage.

What does it look like to be both fully devoted and faithful?

Look around you. There are some Fully Devoted followers of Jesus who have been faithful to him for many years.

How might Paul answer this question?

[Many/All of these statements work with your marriage as well] (put at the end?)

Truth # 0.5 - Faithfulness is authenticated within a community (18)

Means two things:

You can’t be faithful to God and NOT be faithful to the people of God.

Most of the practices which demonstrate our faithfulness to the character of Jesus can only be done in relationship with other people:

forgiveness

confession

service

The Faithful Follower serves the Lord. (19)

Key word is ‘serves’

Verb form of the word ‘slave’

ILLUST - Ezekiel - God called him to be a slave to the people.

You can’t follow the One who served you by expecting to be served.

Not talking about Nursery duty

Notice how Paul describes his service in three ways:

all humility

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

with tears

Paul served with passion not duty

with trials

Paul’s service was serious. It cost him.

He didn’t serve the Lord so he could gain.

also translated as ‘temptations’

Ex. ?

**When you pull those closest to you, can you point to a life that is spent on serving the Lord?**

Humbly serving

Serving with passion not as religious duty

Serving even when it hurts.

If you can’t - you’ll have little to say to those coming behind you.

If you can’t point back to a life of faithfulness, you will have a harder time passing on the faith.

parents to children

wives to husbands, vice versa

coworkers, friends, etc.

The Faithful Follower speaks about the faith. (20-21)

20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“did not shrink”

Cut Paul and he bleeds Jesus.

Spend anytime speaking with Paul and you’ll hear the gospel.

“Declaring”

“Teaching”

“Testifying”

You speak about that of which you are full.

Being faithful means speaking about the faith.

44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.

45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

If you are not talking about Jesus, why?

The Faithful Follower is Spirit-led. (22-23)

Paul looked back in 17-21 now he is looking forward in 22-23

22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,

23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

I guarantee if you find a person whose life is characterized by faithfulness, you will find a person whose life has been marked by clear direction and sometimes redirection of the Holy Spirit.

Paul is so Spirit-led that he is not even sure where the Spirit is leading.

And that’s ok because for Paul, it has less to do with the destination and more to do with his Guide.

Paul is content to NOT know the specifics and details

ILLUST - Needing to drive through a live tank range. I would not have done it if it weren’t for the Army pilot guiding me through.

Paul is willing to face uncertainty as long as the Spirit was with him.

He had seen the Holy Spirit in action.

The Holy Spirit had filled him and used him.

Paul was completely given over to the Holy Spirit.

** Some of you don’t know where you are headed. Some of you - the only thing you know is where you are headed won’t be easy. **

Faithful is NOT fretful when your life is Spirit-led.

Paul does not know what is next, but he knows he is next to the Spirit.

To be Spirit-led 2 things need to happen:

You have the Holy Spirit.

Happens when you trust in Jesus

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

(Quote from Chan - Forgotten God?) “I want to live my life in such a way that. . .

2. You are walking with the Spirit.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. . .

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

You can’t expect the Spirit to lead you through the difficult areas of your life if you are not walking with him any other time in your life.

The Holy Spirit is not an Uber you call to get you out of a bad date. He is your date.

** You can’t be led by the Spirit if you are you are not willing or waiting to listen to the Spirit. **

>> It’s time to let the Spirit lead.

Word of God is central to Paul’s faithfulness:

declaring the whole counsel of God, teaching, testifying, commending. . . the word of his grace.

24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

The Faithful Follower spends their life on Jesus. (24)

ILLUST - Trying to teach kids the value of a dollar - they have a little money and the spend it on the dumbest items. They spend it on things that won’t last- instant gratification rather than lasting enjoyment.

Risk you life for Jesus, don’t waste you life on yourself.

Be wrung out for Jesus

What about Jesus’ life or what he called his followers to looked safe? When do we see the early church driven by ‘good financial sense?’ or by ‘strategic initiatives focused on mitigating constituent loss or promoting congregant growth?’

Instead, the early church

When did we become so safe?

Paul does NOT say you are not valuable. You are worth the very blood of Jesus!

Test: you are more worried about what a decision in life might cost than you are what that decision might do for the name of Christ.

Sometimes, a step of faith looks risky to a third party because they don’t fully understand the object of the faith.

ILLUST - went rock climbing with my cousin (Greg was always accident prone) and had him belaying me - that looks risky. But because of my relationship with Greg I knew that he had recently completed his Marine training for a mountain unit - that’s faith.

The Faithful Follower shares the whole gospel. (25-27)

25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all,

27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Paul will not see these people whom he loves again.

Paul is confident that, though he will not see his loved ones again, because he has been faithful, they have everything they need not just to be saved but to live out their faith.

1 The word of the Lord came to me:

2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman,

3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people,

4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life.

6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

Paul recognized the urgency - his limited time with those he loved. He needed to not only show the gospel but share the gospel and all of its implications.

‘Whole counsel of God.’

The Faithful Follower safeguards the people of God. (28-31)

The people of God around you are only on loan from God.

It is God’s church - bought with his blood

Watch over yourselves

Watch out for wolves

C.S. Lewis is right: “There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” (EGT, 191).

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

Revelation 2:1–6 ESV

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

The Faithful Follower sees the value of God’s Word. (32)

Commend you TO the word of grace. We sit under the Word not over it.

Growth

build you up

Guarantees

inheritance

The Faithful Follower spends more on others. (33-35)

Paul thought of a successful, blessed life as one in which you gave more than you took. Why? Because that’s what Jesus had said and done.

o On the night before he died, Jesus had washed the disciples feet. If I knew I was about to die, for you, the night before I would have been like, “Look, this is me time.” But, even then, “The Son of man comes not to be served, but to serve.”

Jesus always gave more than he took. That’s a good question to ask in any relationship you are in: do you give more than you take?

In your marriage— Do you serve your spouse more than you expect them to serve you? Guys: Whose preferences do you think more about? Ladies: Whose comfort and happiness are you more devoted to?

In what you do with your career and your moneymaking potential: Who is it for? Is it about taking all that you can? Or are you asking how can I leverage my career and my money to give to the mission of God?

In what you do with your career and your moneymaking potential: Who is it for? Is it about taking all that you can? Or are you asking how can I leverage my career and my money to give to the mission of God?

them to serve you? Guys: Whose preferences do you think more about? Ladies: Whose comfort and happiness are you more devoted to?

We encourage this with you a lot—God gave you your career as a platform to bless others and extend his mission! It’s not just that God called a few of us into “vocational” ministry and the rest of you are to go make money, serve yourselves, and tithe. Every job is to be leveraged for the Great commission.

§ We encourage this with you a lot—God gave you your career as a platform to bless others and extend his mission! It’s not just that God called a few of us into “vocational” ministry and the rest of you are to go make money, serve yourselves, and tithe. Every job is to be leveraged for the Great commission.

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,

38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Conclusion

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

The Parable of the Talents ()

21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’