Naylor Community Christian Church
Naylor, Georgia
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Acts 20:17-24
Acts
20:17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When
they arrived, he said to them: “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 and in the midst of severe testing by the
plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 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.
22
“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; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the
task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of
God’s grace.
-- I’m sure everyone here is
familiar with the story of the Lord of the Rings – as you remember, four hobbits
have been tasked to leave their home in the Shire to carry the One Ring to be
destroyed in the fires of Mordor in order to destroy the power of the evil Sauron,
who threatens the entire world
-- so, for the first time in
their lives, these four hobbits leave home – they leave their familiar
surroundings – they step out of their comfort zones and into the unknown – and find
themselves in the middle of an amazing journey that they share with wizards,
warriors, dwarves, and elves
– this is so far from what they
have known – this is so different from anything they ever imagined – they find
the world much more vast – much more good – and much more evil – than they ever
imagined
-- as the story progresses
and the four hobbits find themselves in the middle of this great quest -- as
they are yet confronted with more difficulties in their struggle against the
evil of their day -- the hobbit Sam Gamgee turns to his friend Frodo and asks,
"What sort of tale have we fallen into?"
-- that question has been on
my mind from the very first moment that I read these books – “What sort of tale
have we fallen into?”
-- in that question, Tolkien
opened our eyes to the truth that we are here for a reason – our lives are part
of a bigger whole – we find ourselves in the midst of a great story that
started in the Garden of Eden – and that continues to this day and beyond
-- it is the ultimate story
of good versus evil – of redemption and renewal and rescue from the evil of sin
and death that stalks all of us
-- and it is a story that we
are not just reading, but that we are part of
-- the Apostle Paul was certainly
mindful of that – and as we turn now to the end of his third missionary journey,
we see him looking back on the roads that he has traveled and remembering the
people who journeyed with him – the adventures they had – the success and the
hardships they enjoyed as they shared the gospel with so many people -- and we
see him looking ahead towards the end – as the finish line of his part of the
story is almost in sight
-- this morning, we are
finishing up the third major part of our study in the Book of Acts – we began
this study with Part I -- “A New Hope – the Beginning of the Church of Christ
on Earth” – which covered Acts 1 through Acts 8 – it was in this section that
we learned of Christ’s mandate to the church in Acts 1:8 to carry the gospel to
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth – and we saw how the
coming of the Holy Spirit empowered the early Christians with a bold message,
bold prayers, and bold hearts
-- the Second Part was
called, “Unexpected Gospel Growth,” which covered Acts 8 through 12 – in this
second part, we learned that the term unexpected growth did not only apply to
growth in numbers, as we saw the church begin to grow with more and more people
coming to faith in Jesus -- but also that the growth in the early church was
unexpected in terms of who responded to the gospel – it was in this section
that we saw the first Gentiles come to a saving knowledge of Christ, to the
astonishment of Peter and the other leaders of the church, who initially
thought that salvation was only for the Jews
-- in this third section of
our study in the Book of Acts – “The Mission Continues” – which covers Acts 13
through 21 – the focus of the Book of Acts is on Paul and his missionary
journeys throughout the Roman Empire, as he finds himself in the midst of a
sweeping story to share the good news of Jesus to the very ends of the earth
II. Scripture Lesson – Acts 20:17-38
-- as this passage in Acts 20 opens, Paul knows his time on earth is
short – his journey is coming to an end
-- the Spirit has told him he would face prison and hardships on this
journey -- his very death has been prophesied -- but still he is faithful and
turns his face towards the finish line and the end of his part in this story of
salvation and evangelism -- pressing on to finish the race and complete the
task the Lord Jesus Christ had given him
-- last week, we left Paul in Ephesus, as he spent a considerable
amount of time ministering in the local church there – strengthening their
faith and encouraging them as they began their own journey with Christ
-- Paul was forced to leave Ephesus because his teaching incited a riot
among the silversmiths and other tradesmen who made household idols for pagan
worshipers – as the church in Ephesus grew and the people turned to the truth
of the gospel, fewer people were buying these idols – and the idol-makers were
afraid that their livelihood was threatened
-- so, after the uproar ended, Paul left Ephesus and traveled through
Macedonia, finally arriving in Greece, where he stayed three months – he originally
planned to sail from Greece back to Syria, but he heard of a plot against his
life from the Jews – so, he changed his plans and traveled back on foot through
Macedonia until he reached Philippi – he sailed from Philippi to Troas – and then
continued to travel down the coast by ship – ending up in the city of Miletus,
on the western coast of present-day Turkey
-- which brings us to Acts 20:17 – let’s turn there again and look at
this passage together and see what we can learn from Paul as he meets with the
elders from the church of Ephesus and shares with them his thoughts on this amazing
journey of faith that is now coming to an end
-- Acts 20:17-21
Acts
20:17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When
they arrived, he said to them: “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 and in the midst of severe testing by the
plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 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.
-- as his ship stops at the port of
Miletus, Paul calls for his friends, the elders from the church of Ephesus, to
meet with him there on the shore – Paul had intentionally not gone back to Ephesus,
because he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem – and he knew that if he went to
Ephesus, he wouldn’t be able to leave quickly – for his heart was with the
people in that church
-- instead, he called for the elders to come meet him -- and when they
arrive, they gather around him – all of them know the truth of the matter –
they are aware that Paul’s time is short – and they know that this will be the
last time they will see each other on earth
-- their tears begin to flow -- they share remembrances of their life
together -- they talk about the success of the church and Paul's hope for their
future
-- he encourages them to stand firm
in the future -- and he reminds them of the example he has given through his
own life of faith -- from the very beginning, Paul's courage to persevere in
the face of difficulty was evident – and he reminds them that this was not of
himself, but from the very power of God through the Holy Spirit
-- Paul had stood up in the face of
persecution from his fellow Jews -- both from within and from outside the
church of Christ -- he had stood against the heresies of the Judaizers --
Jewish converts who demanded the Gentiles become Jews if they would seek
salvation through Christ -- in the face of their demands of the Gentiles, Paul had
boldly stood up and said, "No, salvation is by grace through faith alone
-- not by works, lest any man should boast" -- Christianity was not Jesus
plus Judaism, but Jesus alone
-- Paul's stand against them is a
reminder that the opposite of courage is not cowardice, but conformance -- and
sometimes courage is simply the ability to lean into your wisdom and do
something different -- to stand against the traditions of religion and what the
world says is the right way in order to uphold the true doctrines of faith
-- Paul had never wavered in his
faith when confronted with the schemes and the plots of the Jews against his
life, but continued to serve God in the face of floggings and imprisonment and
stoning -- through shipwrecks and hardship -- through trials and defeats
-- Paul reminds us here that courage
does not necessarily mean you will be successful in all your endeavors – but that
true courage can be seen when you continue on and press forward in faith –
trusting in the Spirit to empower you to keep on doing what you know to be
right despite what adversities come your way
-- Paul tells the Ephesian elders
that he did not hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful -- but that
he declared to both the Jews and the Greeks the true gospel of Christ – that they
must turn to God in repentance and have faith in the Lord Jesus – Paul’s
example to the elders and to us is that courage can be as simple as being
obedient to God's word in a Christ-rejecting world while we walk with Him on
this amazing journey to which we have been called
-- verse 22-24
Acts
20:22 “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; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the
task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of
God’s grace.
-- throughout his
journey with Christ, Paul displayed faith and trust and courage, because he
knew that God was with him – even now, as he was headed to Jerusalem, he knew
that prison and hardship was ahead – but, he tells the elders, this is nothing
to me – the important thing is to be faithful to the gospel – to finish the
race – and to complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me
-- In John 16:33 Jesus told his
disciples, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart -- have
courage -- I have overcome the world." -- as Bill Gothard wrote, courage
is "acting on the knowledge that He who is in me is greater than he who is
against me."
-- Paul tells us it was the Holy
Spirit Himself who compelled him to go on into the unknown at Jerusalem -- Paul
could face the future unafraid because he knew God was with him and he knew God
was greater than anything and anyone he was going to face – and he knew why God
had called him – he knew his purpose and his mission on earth
-- the whole point that Paul is
trying to get across to the elders and to us is that we are here for a reason –
our existence in this place is not the result of coincidence or chance – but we
have been put into the midst of this great story of faith so that we might
fulfill the purpose for which God calls us
-- Paul says, “I know why I was called
– I was faithful to the end – and you must do the same”
-- verse 25-31
Acts 20:25
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom
will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent
of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the
whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he
bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will
come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number
men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after
them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped
warning each of you night and day with tears.
-- in his books, John
Eldredge points out that our favorite stories all revolve around three eternal
truths – truths that God has written on our hearts – truths that have propelled
people of faith forward since the Garden of Eden
-- the first eternal truth
is that things are not what they seem -- there is more going on than meets the
eye
-- the hero of the story is
always living just an ordinary life -- just caught up in day-to-day living of
life -- totally unaware of anything but simply making it through their day
-- but then, the second
eternal truth comes into play -- the hero is made aware that there is some
great battle or quest or struggle underway
-- and then they are told of
the third eternal truth -- they have a crucial role to play in this battle or
quest
-- that is the truth that
Paul is trying to get across to the elders of Ephesus – that is the truth that
we see written for us in the stories of faith in the Book of Acts
-- if we will just open our
spiritual eyes – if we will look at this world through eyes of faith – then we
will come to realize that things not what they seem – that there is more going
on in this world – that there is more at stake in this world – than what we see
on the surface
-- and that we are not who
we think we are – but that we are something more – that we are the people of
God – washed in the blood of Christ and called to be part of something greater
than ourselves – empowered by the very presence of God through the Holy Spirit
-- and called to go forth on
this amazing adventure of faith to carry the good news of Christ to the ends of
the earth – so that others might know of the grace that brings forgiveness from
sin and eternal life
-- that is the message that
Paul is trying to get the elders to grasp here – that is the message that we
need to take to heart – Sam Gamgee figured it out when he asked Frodo, “What
sort of tale have we fallen into?” – the answer to that question is given to us
here in the Book of Acts
-- we see it in the life of the
Apostle Paul – and as his part in the story comes to an end, he is passing on
the flame of faith to the elders at Ephesus and to us – and we must go forward
in the name of Christ as His church in this place – serving and ministering to
the world around us – as we continue on in the journey that began in the Garden
of Eden
-- Paul says here that he
has fulfilled what the Lord had called him to do – he had not hesitated to
proclaim to them the whole will of God – and now he challenges them to do the
same – to keep watch over themselves and the church that that the Holy Spirit
has given them to oversee
-- he tells them that his
part in the story is over – and now their part is beginning – they are to
shepherd and lead the church – to protect them from those who will try to come
in and harm the sheep – to keep them safe from false teachers and false
teachings – to stand up against persecution from the religious people and from
the Government – to be faithful and to continue on in their own journeys of
faith, just as Paul had been faithful in his to the end
-- verse 32-35
Acts 20:32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which
can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are
sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You
yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the
needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind
of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus
himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
-- for several years, Paul
had stood as the leader and shepherd of the church at Ephesus – he had founded
the church – he had ministered to the people – he had shared the gospel with
them and strengthened them in their faith
-- but now, it is time for
the elders to assume this role in full – so, he commits them to God and to the
word of His grace – in essence, Paul is placing them in God’s hands – and he is
telling them to trust in God and His Spirit – because it is God who will
continue to build them up and strengthen their faith – it is God who will give
them the ability to minister and lead the people – it is God who will lead them
through sanctification to help them become more and more like Jesus every day
-- Paul tells them to rely
on God as he did – reminding them that he never asked for anything from them –
he never took silver or gold or anything else from them – but that he trusted God
to meet all his needs and to supply all his requirements as he poured himself
out for them – and they are to do the same as they step into his shoes to lead
the people in the church at Ephesus
-- verse 36-38
Acts 20:36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of
them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What
grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.
Then they accompanied him to the ship.
-- when Paul was finished
speaking – when he had given his challenge and passed on the mantle of
leadership to these elders and committed them to their journey of faith – he knelt
down and prayed for them
-- it was a moving moment
for the church – and the elders embraced him and poured out their love on him
as they accompanied him to the ship that would take him to his final
destination – knowing that they would never see him again – but trusting that
God would be with Paul, wherever his journey may take him
III. Closing
-- so, what are we to take
from this last moving experience of Paul at the end of his third and final
missionary journey? -- quite simply, it
is this
-- we may think that we are
just living ordinary humdrum lives, but we need to be aware that things are not
what they seem – we are not what we seem – in fact, we are just like the
Apostle Paul and all of the others we read about here in the Book of Acts
-- we are in the middle of a
great quest -- a grand epic battle -- a struggle between good and evil -- that
is being played out around us every single day
-- and God is reminding us
that we are part of this story -- we have a role to play -- we have a purpose –
each and every one of us – we have all been gifted by the Spirit in different
ways, so that we can reach and minister to different people along the way
-- our calling – our purpose
– our mission – is the same one that Paul shares with the Ephesian elders in
this passage – as members of Christ’s church – as His hands and feet and lips
in this world today – we are to go out into the world and to help others see
the truth -- to show them the light -- and to point them to the life that can
come only through Jesus
-- but as we see in Paul’s
life – as we see in the lives of the many heroes of faith who have gone before
us – know that this journey will not be easy -- there will be trials and
struggles along the way -- roadblocks and detours and danger mixed in with the
joy and the happiness
-- “what sort of tale do we
find ourselves in?” – it is a tale of faith and courage and perseverance – and as
we travel along this journey, we will be confronted with conflicts and challenges
– with familiar friends and new characters who come into our lives for a reason
– because they are part of our story, too
-- you know that waitress
who was so busy she couldn't bring you a refill when you asked? -- you know
that cashier who was rude to you the other day in the store? -- you know that
person who cut you off while driving to work? -- you know that student that
looks to you for help and support? -- you know that lady who comes up to you in
the parking lot asking for money to buy gas?
-- they're all part of this
story, too -- they're the reason for the story – they are the whole point of
the story – because the Bible tells us that an evil enemy is after them – he is
trying to steal away their joy -- to destroy their hope -- to kill their
eternal life
-- and he will do whatever
he can to keep you from pointing them to the truth -- from pointing them to
life -- from pointing them to Jesus
-- we don't have any idea
where our story will take us -- we don't have any idea who we will meet along
the way or what adventures we will have
-- but we know our mission
-- we know our calling -- we know why we are running this race – we are
reminded of this in Paul’s farewell address to the elders of the church of Ephesus
-- we are called to love the
Lord our God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind -- we are
called to love our neighbor as ourselves -- and we are called to go and make
disciples of the whole world, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that Jesus taught
us
-- and we know what our
reward is at the end of the race -- eternal life with Jesus in Heaven
-- the Apostle Paul has
given us a model to follow – from the moment of his dramatic conversion to
faith in Jesus on the Road to Damascus through his three missionary journeys,
Paul has been a faithful witness for the Lord
-- he has run his race with
faith, putting his whole trust in the Lord Jesus – who empowered him and
protected him through the Holy Spirit
-- and now we are to follow
his example – to follow his footsteps – to take up our cross – and to follow
Jesus on this great adventure of faith – not knowing where He might lead – but trusting
in Him to help us accomplish our calling and our purpose in Him – as we press
forward to the end – eternal life with Him forever
-- so, with that challenge
before us, let us come together now in prayer to commit ourselves to God – let’s
ask that He would build us up and strengthen our faith – and that He would lead
us on this amazing journey to which He has called us
-- let us pray
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