An Instructive Goodbye - Acts 20:17-38

“An Instructive Good-Bye”

Acts 20:17-38

©Copyright 2003 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, November 16, 2003

Few of us like good-byes. Perhaps it is that final hug as you send your child off to Kindergarten, College, off to the military, or before they head off on their honeymoon. Maybe it is the painful good-bye to someone you know is dying and you will not see them again. It may be the good-bye of a teacher or coach who has worked with a student for many years; the good-bye of a beloved employee who has taken another job or has decided to retire; the good-bye of college roommates who have graduated and are now heading in their different directions; or the good bye of a couple who has just broken up. Good-byes often are not much fun.

In Acts 20 we find Paul saying good-bye to his friends from Ephesus. He was on his way to Jerusalem for possibly the feast of Pentecost. Paul and his friends (carrying an offering for the church in Jerusalem) are most likely traveling on a merchant ship. They make several stops along the way and one of those stops is at the town of Miletus. When it appeared that there would be a several day delay, Paul sent for the leaders of the church in nearby Ephesus, so he could say farewell.

The passage is filled with tender-hearted love. But it is also filled with instructive lessons on leading God’s people.

CHARACTERISTICE OF GODLY LEADERSHIP

Paul began his comments with a review of his own ministry. At first, it may sound like Paul is arrogant. I don’t believe Paul has any desire to exalt himself. He is talking to his friends. He’s not trying to impress them, he is trying to help train them for their future ministry by sharing from his own experience.

A Godly Leader Serves with Humility and Tears

“You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. (v. 19)

The first characteristic of a godly leader is humility toward yourself and a tender heart toward those you serve. This is much easier said than done. Often leaders have people stand around them to tell them what a good job, and what a powerful influence they have had on people’s lives. There is something intoxicating about many positions of leadership. It is not difficult to find an arrogant leader.

Paul was different. He never forgot where he came from. He understood that the leadership he exercised, though it was difficult, was still a privilege. He never forget that apart from God’s grace, He would have been lost forever. Paul functioned as a grateful servant and not as a popular celebrity.

Paul said he also served them with tears. I believe his tears came out of his compassion for those who were lost. As a Pastor, I understand this. I picture Paul laboring in prayer for those who were hurting and those who were outside of the faith.

A godly leader, the kind every church longs for, is the person who serves gratefully and out of heart for the people of the church. Leadership among God’s people is not a “job”; it is a calling. It is not an obligation; it is a privilege. There is a difference between being a leader and having authority. One leader describes the difference,

The boss drives his men; the leader coaches them.

The boss depends upon authority; the leader on good will.

The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm.

The boss says “I”; the leader, “we.”

The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the breakdown.

The boss knows how it is done; the leader shows how.

The boss says “Go”; the leader says “Let’s go!”

Oswald Chambers has written these very pointed words,

If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time. [Utmost]

A Godly Leader is Faithful in Proclamation of the Truth

Paul said,

You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. [20,21]

Notice several things. First, Paul preached the whole counsel of God. Paul understood what his purpose was: to impart God’s Word to God’s people. Paul preached on anything and everything that would be helpful to the people. He taught deep theology and addressed practical issues of Christian living. He talked about sin, commitment, obedience and many of the other things that people find unpopular today.

Paul understood that some people are not going to be interested in a church that talks about sacrifice, commitment, and discipline. He knows people would rather hear about blessings than repentance. But Paul was not concerned about getting people into the church. He wanted to lead them to Christ!

Second, he taught in a variety of ways. Paul tells us he taught publicly and from house to house. He taught in formal and informal settings. He used a variety of teaching styles. He debated, he preached, he answered questions, and he discussed. He used every means at his disposal to communicate the message of salvation.

We try to do this as a church through worship, Sunday School, Bible Studies, small group meetings, the Internet, the Radio, sermon tapes, and through the written word. Not everyone responds to the same thing. A variety of methods helps reach a wide variety of people.

Third, he taught a variety of people. Paul declared the gospel to Jews and Gentiles. Paul was an equal opportunity leader. He reached out to the rich, poor, slave, free, men, women, powerful and those who felt powerless. A godly leader knows that lost people matter to God regardless of who they are and where the come from.

Fourth, he had a simple message. Paul told the people that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith. Paul wanted people to know that sin must be abandoned and we must hold firmly to Christ as Lord and Savior. Paul did not water down the requirements of the gospel in order to get a crowd. Paul was not interested in getting people to like Jesus. He called them to trust and follow Him. He called them to a radical commitment. And we would be wise to do the same.

A TRUE SERVANT IS WILLING TO ENDURE HARDSHIP

Paul continued,

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. [22-24]

Here is an attitude you do not see every day. Most of us ask the wrong question when we are asked to serve. We want to know, “What do I have to do?” Instead we should be asking, “How can I contribute?” We focus on the personal cost and want to know “what’s in it for me?”. Paul focused on the eternal gain. Paul was willing to sacrifice his life, if that is what was required to fulfill his purpose.

Some Pastors serve for the money; most do not. If we wanted to make money we could work in a factory or be a speaker in the secular world. To truly serve the Lord we need to look past the material gain to the eternal reward. Paul wanted to lay up for himself treasures in Heaven rather than worry about treasures on earth.

Do you see how this attitude is different from the majority in our contemporary mindset? Rather than serve God passionately and sacrificially, we tend to try to serve God when it’s most convenient. We believe in the Christian message, we understand the importance of the gospel message; we want to serve. Unfortunately, we just don’t the time.

Let me ask a probing question: if you were to make a list of the ten most important things in your life, where would God be in this list? Don’t answer too quickly. You and I both know the “right” answer is to say, “Serving Christ is the most important thing in my life!” That’s the right answer . . . but is it the honest answer? Where does he rate in comparison to

Your children? (If you had to choose between your child’s game and a ministry opportunity, which would you choose?)Your boyfriend or girlfriend? (If your boyfriend or girlfriend wanted to do something at the same time as a youth meeting, which direction would you go?)Your favorite hobby? (If you had to choose between serving the Lord and attending a big game, race, or going hunting or shopping with your friends, which would win?)Your Job? (If you had to choose between worship and work, what wins?)Your need to sleep? (When you are tired in the morning do you hit the snooze or get up to spend time with the Father?)Your favorite television program? (Do you skip a study or ministry opportunity because of your favorite TV show?)

If you had one evening and had to choose between giving it to the Lord or to one of the things above, what would get your time? If you had $500.00 and had to decide between investing it in the Lord’s work or one of the things above, what would get your money? If you met a friend on the street would you talk about the Lord or something else? Paul always chose the Lord . . . we do not.

I’m not trying to make you feel bad, I just want you to see the truth. We like to say we love Jesus with our whole heart, when in reality we don’t. We live in a society that is becoming less and less godly. Our churches and communities are dying for some real leaders. As a church we are looking for people who will stand up for Christ and serve Him faithfully and even sacrificially. We ache for people who are not “too busy” to serve the Lord.

The Lord calls us out of the world. He calls us to follow Him fully and not half-heartedly. He calls us to follow Him as Paul did.

WARNINGS TO THOSE WHO LEAD

Paul warned these leaders, and his friends, “ Keep watch over yourselves”. It is easy to feel we have arrived. And as so as we feel “satisfied” we have a tendency to drift from the Lord.

In the book of Hosea, God says,

I cared for you in the desert, in the burning heat. When I fed them, they were satisfied. When they were satisfied, they became proud. When they became proud, they forgot me. (Hosea 13:6)

That same thing can happen to us. We must constant examine our heart and our lives to make sure we are not drifting from the Lord. We need to ask hard questions,

· Am I getting lackadaisical about spending time with the Lord in Scripture and prayer?

· Am I getting lazy in my spiritual pursuits? Am I just “phoning in” my service opportunities? What new things have I learned about the Lord this week?

· Do I live by the clear teaching of God’s Word or am I finding ways to justify my disobedience? Am I conning myself?

· Am I serving sacrificially or only doing what is convenient?

· Am I compromising the truth of the gospel so no one will ask me any questions?

It is easy to be running so fast trying to find fulfillment in our lives that we don’t have time for the One who alone can provide the fulfillment we long for.

Beware of False Teachers from Outside the Church.

Paul is constantly warning the churches about the influence of false teachers in the world. That warning is especially potent today. We must constantly be aware of the influence of false teachers who attack the truth of Christianity

· School classes that tell us that Christianity is unscientific or anti-intellectual and Christians are empty-headed nitwits.

· Laws that imply Biblical truth is “hate language” and tell us it is narrow-minded, judgmental, and extreme to say some behaviors are right and some are wrong (unless of course you are saying the Christian value system is wrong)

· People who say Christianity is one way among many that all lead to Heaven

· Christian morality and ethics are “backwards” and unrealistic (i.e. abstinence teaching doesn’t work)

· Those who teach other religions to our kids under the guise of education or information.

The assault on Christianity from the outside is very real. Biblical Christianity is watered down or attacked everywhere you turn. We must maintain a firm foundation or the world will gradually erode our faith. We cannot stand our ground by doing nothing! We must get in the battle.

Beware of Those who Corrupt from Inside the Church

Paul is a realist. He knows some of the greatest dangers to the church reside in the church itself. There are,

· Those who emphasize man’s goodness over God’s grace

· Those who want to control rather than follow the Spirit

· Those who criticize rather than serve

· Those who fight with the weapons of the world (power and coercion) rather than the weapons of the Kingdom (love, prayer and grace).

· Those who pursue pleasurable experience over sacrificial service

· Those who focus on the material rather than the spiritual

These things can all come from within the church. It is a sober warning that our eyes must constantly be on the Lord. We must measure things not by what we have done in the past, or by what others are doing, or even by what we’d most like to do. We must always evaluate our decisions and direction by the Word of God and sincere prayer. Tradition is not reliable. What is successful or “what works” is not reliable. Only the Word of God is the anchor that will not drift.

CONCLUSIONS

Let me conclude by being very honest with you. First, I want to be a godly leader, but I need your help. I need you to pray for me. I need you to let me know when you see me drifting toward self-interest and self-promotion. (Don’t be mean as you do so!) I need you to make sure I don’t drift from the teaching of God’s Word. I would love to be able to say good-bye someday and be able to say, “you know the way I ministered among you . . . “ and not be ashamed.

Second, our church has many godly leaders. We are grateful for the many people who serve humbly and faithfully. Many of these people serve in the shadows. They give of their time, energy, and resources, to honor the Lord without any desire for public acclaim. They serve the Lord. I am grateful.

Third, we need godly leaders. We need people who serve in leadership roles. We need teachers; we need youth leaders; we need small group leaders; we need people who will lead the way in addressing our space problems. We need people who are not “too busy”, to serve the Lord in practical ways. We need people who aren’t just “filling a position”. We need people who are willing to “step up to the plate” and say, “here’s what I can do.” We need people who will roll up their sleeves and get involved.

So, the question is this: What does God want you to do as a result of this message? Perhaps he is calling you to re-evaluate your priorities. Maybe you need to examine what really is most important to you. Maybe He is nudging you to give of your time to meet a need in the church. Perhaps he is calling you to change your attitude in the place where you are currently serving.

Whatever it is that God is calling you to do, I encourage you to do what He asks. We need you. Someday you will have to say good-bye to a friend, loved one, or to this world. And if you want to be able to do so without regret, you’ll need to start NOW.

©Copyright 2003 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, November 16, 2003