More Blessed to Give
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Intro
Intro
Key West Cemetery
There's one that says, "If You're Reading This, You Desperately Need A Hobby."
Another says, "I Always Dreamed Of Owning A Small Place In Key West."
"Pearl" Roberts. It's a simple stone with a famous inscription: "I Told You I Was Sick."
Me
Me
Of course, these are people with a sense of humor and that is what they wanted to be remembered by, or I suppose it could be one last jab at a family member, friend, or doctor. I think it’s doubtful that these where anybodies last words before they passed on, but it is a fact that for years people have been interested in the last words that people speak before they die.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is hanged at Flossenburg, only days before the American liberation of the POW camp. The last words of the brilliant and courageous 39-year-old opponent of Nazism were “This is the end–for me, the beginning of life.”
When I read about men like that who said such memorable things before they died, I wonder what I would say to those that I love if I knew that I was never going to see them again.
We
We
Now perhaps you’ve never thought about that before, and if you haven’t I’d like for you to consider it for a minute.
If you knew you’d never see someone you dearly loved again, what information would you want to leave them with?
I would imagine that what you are currently thinking about is some really, really, important stuff.
I can’t imagine that you are going to leave someone you love and care knowing that you will never see them again with some meaningless statements. These are going to be carefully selected words, perhaps even instructions that you want them to remember and to do in order to live life by.
We are going to be looking this morning at an event in the life of the apostle Paul where he too had to consider what he was going to tell a group of brothers for the last time, and now that we understand how carefully we would choose our words in such a situation, I think we might just be intrigued by one of the things that Paul chose to talk about when he was put in such a situation.
God
God
You see, in the 20th chapter of Acts
In Miletus - sends to ephesus - calls the elders
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 20:17
In Acts chapter 20
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.
Acts 20:17-
Paul has some things that he would like to get off his chest before he departs for Jerusalem because he knows through the Holy Spirit, that he will never see them again, and knowing this he has some things he wants to relay to them.
Specifically Paul wants the elders of Ephesus, these spiritual leaders to know 3 things:
Acts 20:26-
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.
That he is innocent of the blood of all because he had declared to them the whole council of God
- That’s a great bit of knowledge for the Ephesus leadership to know right? You have to remember that there was not a NT yet, so the church was very reliant on the teaching of the HS, and Paul here is telling them, I’ve given you everything, I haven’t held anything back, you know what you need to know to live faithful and pleasing lives to the Lord, so it’s alright that you won’t see me again.
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.
Acts 20:28-
Carefully care for the flock and be on the lookout for the fierce wolves who will be false teachers
Also great information, An encouragement to be what they were called to be, and it even came with a prophecy that false teachers were on the way. Again I can see why this was something Paul said to these leaders in this moment.
But neither one of these things are what I want to look at this morning. But instead...
Acts 20:33
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.
He says “When I lived among you, I coveted no ones physical goods, but instead I worked hard with these two hands and provided for my own needs and the needs of those who were with me.”
Now I don’t know about you, but I find this last statement of Paul to the elders at Ephesus intriguing. Of all the things he could have said in addition to the other two, why did he say this?
Well while we might not mention such a thing to our loved ones if we were never going to see them again. Paul obviously considered what he said here to be extremely important for the elders of Ephesus to hear.
So the question must be asked, why did Paul feel as though he needed to make this statement?
He obviously was not against receiving help, After all, he praises the church in Philippi for their generous gift to him.
and he wrote to Timothy telling him that a laborer is worth his wages, don’t muzzle the ox
v. 35
You
You
We
We
1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.