Farewell to the Ephesians

Introduction

Read Acts 20:17-36

When I was a freshman in college, I was struggling with a call into the ministry. I knew what God wanted me to do, but I did not want to do it.

After wresting with the Lord in prayer, this passage was the passage I read. Acts 20:24 // I do not count my life as any value or as precious to myself.

I won’t ever asked you to make a balanced decision about following Jesus. I will just say that Jesus is better and greater and more wonderful than anything you could ever pursue.

This passage is particularly powerful and influential in my life.

That is why my intention for you to serve this year does not come with a clause that the end of my statement like, “our church is in trouble,” or emotionally charged language. It isn’t with anger or distress.

It is because there is no greater privilege than to serve the Lord Jesus with all that you have.

Paul is sharing his final statements with the elders of the church in Ephesus. He could easily have said, “Thanks for the worse two years of my life. He didn’t.”

CIT: To serve the Lord Jesus is a great joy, a great responsibility, and a great privilege.

*Note: I don’t have a point on service being a great privilege, a great responsibility, and a great joy. But it is woven throughout the text.

Explanation

Acts 20:18-24 “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, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 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.”

An overwhelming portion of the Bible describes people who accomplished incredibly difficult tasks by the power of God. Why?

Joy is the answer.

The motivation for your obedience to Jesus is not guilt, shame, an emotional high, a firm resolve, or a last result. Your motivation comes from the joy of the Lord.

We see this powerful joy even in Jesus. Paul says in Hebrews, “keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before hm, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

For the joy of the Lord, we will endure whatever God calls us.

Joy is the motivation of our calling, and joy is the defense of our calling.

Joy is the serious business of heaven. // C. S. Lewis

Joy brings courage to share the message again to those who won’t listen.

Joy allowed Paul to remember that tears and trials are temporary but the kingdom of the Lord Jesus is forever.

Joy brought resolve at the future imprisonments that awaited Paul.

Joy allowed Paul to speak the truth.

Paul told the truth.

He did not shrink from teaching them everything that God had told them.

May we bear the truth.

Because everyone’s truth is equal in our society, people are losing their ability to understand the truth. The gospel will always be the truth. May we declare it boldly.

You don’t have to apologize for what you believe. You have the message of hope.

Acts 20:25-26 “And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all,”

Will you be innocent of the blood of the people around you?

We are accountable for our words. We are accountable for the words that we spoke, but we are also accountable for the words that we did not speak.

Ezekiel 3 summarized: God tells Ezekiel, “If I tell you to warn someone of their sin and judgement, and you fail to warn them, their blood is on your hands. If you warn them and they do not repent, their blood is upon their own hands.”

Ministry is a great privilege, but ministry is also a great responsibility. Do you know when God entrusted you with that responsibility? The moment you said, “God, I am yours.”

The moment you were saved, you became Christ’s.

The moment you became Christ’s is the moment that He gets to decide what will be done with your life.

Acts 20:27-34 “for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 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. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 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. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.”

Service is bold. “I did not shrink.”

Service is difficult. “wolves will come.”

Service is war. “be alert and remember my labor against those who spoke falsely.”

Service is worth it. “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.”

Service is selfless. “I coveted on one’s silver or gold.”

Acts 20:35 “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.’ ””

We see joy, responsibility, and an understanding of the great privilege of service in Paul’s statement.

Joy in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Responsibility to work hard at what our Father has called us to steward.

Paul is telling his elders in Ephesus, remember that Jesus said and live, “Give.”

We help those who are struggling and hurting. We run to those with pain and sorrow. Donald Whitney wrote a book recently, entitled, “10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spirtual Health.” One of those questions is, “Do you have a growing concern for the spiritual and temporal needs of others?”

Find the hurt in every home.

Find where the gospel and the good of others meet and work there.

Application

Acts 20:24 “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.”

Jesus is worthy of your time. I won’t shame you into serving. But I want you to know that obedience to Jesus is never wasted - by Him or on you.

Can we resolve to live this verse? Joy, Gospel privilege, and responsibility radiate from a heart that takes this verse seriously. 5 people who believe this verse can do more than 5000 who don’t.

I’m nothing and my life is nothing.

My accomplishment is in the work of Jesus.

My life goal is to testify to God’s grace.

Paul was captured by God’s grace, and he knew that the rest of his life would be a testimony of that grace.

Invitation

Before you serve, you must know that you have been served by Jesus. Jesus gave himself for you. The gospel message is that Christ died on the cross, and he offers forgiveness to all who call upon his name.

Serve because you have been served. This is an invitation to joy.

I believe that God is calling someone in this room to gospel ministry. Whether missions, the pastorate, or anything in between, God’s calling will not be lifted because you ignore it. Give yourself to Him today.