A Heart-Felt Farewell

I will say this too by way of bias. I think baptisms and communion are not to be missed. Kids are, by the way, going in droves right now to a great gathering next door and there’s always something special in store for them. I’m starting to yelp. That’s a good thing.

So I definitely believe that. What I just said this week, I’ve heard from many of you and how impactful last Sunday was. And you know what? My common response is because I believe it. I believe it’s because we were all focused on Jesus.

I think that’s still true. We can get, not intentionally, but a little off point. And when we’re focused on Jesus and how can baptisms be anything but about Jesus? Who would do that unless they said there’s something there? That’s real.

These people are all in. So if, can I ask you to do me a favor if the Lord said the same thing, the Holy Spirit saying to you, you know, simple and pure, those are not really the words to describe you and me right now. If that’s true of you and you feel comfortable, feel free to read and reach out to me and let’s talk about that. Steve at GracePointFamily.com.

It’s easy to do. And we can talk about what’s not pure, what’s not simple and see if the Holy Spirit can lead us in that direction. Amen? That’s good. So my Bible is open to Acts chapter 20 and previously in our study of Acts 20, there was a, there was an amazing thing that we tried to get our heads around.

A night in Troas. This night was Paul preaching. It was his last time to be there. And so he was, he had a lot on his mind and he had lengthy notes. I assure you that’s not me this morning, okay?

But he truly did have a ton to say and it turns out he spoke all night. He preached through the night if he was. And in that gathering upstairs room were told, it’s all in chapter 20. There was a teenage boy sitting in a window seal, sill, sill. Not a smart idea right on the third floor.

No screens and bars in the window. That means that things could go bad if they go bad. And sure enough, he gets drowsy and doses off and he falls to his death below. Amazing development verse 10 is just worse. He could read it every day and never over read it.

But imagine being there as I have every time I turn to it. Paul went down quickly down the stairs outside and threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. Don’t be alarmed, he said. I sometimes read that and go, really? If you’ve ever been at the scene of something like this, it’s almost impossible.

Not to be alarmed. But when you read what’s stated next, you start to see why. He’s alive, Paul said. And sure enough, they took him upstairs and ate, had a great preaching, great food here. And after talking till daylight, Paul left.

The people then take this boy home. And of course, understandably, the folks are greatly relieved. So there’s great teaching. What a great way to start. Started a sermon.

That’s what I hope to do. But there’s also then this great food together, this gathering. And I’m not sure there’s too many more impressive miracles than something where this child is dead and now they’re alive. So all that’s going on here. And then moments later, we’re told that Paul left.

He takes off and he travels with his missions that has now grown in size and they leave Troas. I’ll just say in passing very quickly, Troas is kind of a special place. If you go back to chapter 16 and you could read it in verses six to eight, you read that not once but twice Paul wanted to go to Asia, we’re told. And the Holy Spirit said not now, not yet. And instead sent him to Troas where that night upon his arrival, he gets up in the middle of the night and has something of a vision where it was real and animated.

And in the vision, there’s a guy in it that’s across the sea, if you will, across some waters, waving, come here, come here. Like, you know, the plane, the plane. You know, well, it’s a ship, the ship. And Paul concludes that we’re supposed to go there. And of course, he was inviting Paul and the gospel to Europe.

And sure enough, the rest is, shall we say, history. So they’re back here and this is kind of a special place I’m gonna say for Paul. And here he is wrapping up his final visit and stop to Troas. He would not venture this way again and had no further contact with these people. He wasn’t mad, he just had other people that had not heard yet.

And that’s where he was gonna go next. So now it was time for Paul. We talked about this before to turn east. So Troas took him west and even further west when they end up in Thessalonica and Berea and all those places on down to Athens and Corinth. But now it’s time to go east.

And the plan is to go all the way east to Jerusalem. You may recall that in chapter 20 verse three, there was a little in the way hiccup on his plan. He wanted to go to Jerusalem for Passover. The hiccup came in the form of a plot to kill Paul. And so we had to divert his plan and we talked about that in depth in a recent message.

And then finally comes up over the horn and back down and now he gets, it’s time to move and get to Jerusalem. Hopefully in time for the celebration of Pentecost and we’ll learn more about that now. But look at verse 13 of chapter 20 and let’s pick up and read on. So we went on ahead to the ship. This is now a plural pronoun.

Luke is describing himself and the others that go on ahead to the ship and sail for Asos. And when where we were gonna go and take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. No one knows why. I suspect I know why.

I think the rest of the guys get on a boat and sure enough, they navigate down to Asos. But not Paul because he had some things that he had to work out with God. And I think that’ll make sense when we get to that in this story and in the rest of Acts. That’s right on the horizon. So Paul had some things much like like think of Jesus when big things were going on, when he was about to be baptized, when he was tempted in the wilderness, when he was about to go to the cross.

And many of these moments you can find in the gospels kind of a stepping back and finding a serene place, a quiet place to contemplate, do what I would do in such a moment. And I think Paul gets that. And that’s perhaps, we’re not told for sure, but why he went on foot and they went by a vessel. When we met up at Asos, we took him aboard and went to Mitalin. Okay, so you’re gonna weave in sort of Bob and weave here a little bit.

Verse 15, the next day we set sail from there and arrived in Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos. And on the following day, they arrived at Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia. For he was in a hurry, here it is, to reach Jerusalem, hoping to get there for Pentecost.

So he had missed Passover because of that plot against him. And he’s hoping maybe because it’s a 50 day stretch between Passover and Pentecost. Maybe we can get home and that gives us nothing more than an important time stamp on this voyage. By the way, speaking of voyages, he’s on the third of four missions trips. Okay, that’s where we are in the whole narrative of Paul.

All right, so we got that. So they begin their journey, Paul by land and all of that. And they come to Miletus and Paul joins in there. It’s a 20 mile stretch from Miletus to Ephesus. And that’s important for what we’re about to see because when they arrive, Paul dispatches messengers and says go get the elders in Ephesus.

Go quickly, 20 miles quickly, get them and bring them down because I want to talk to them. I want to visit with them before we continue our voyage straight for Jerusalem. All right, so that’s kind of the setting here and how it goes. And the elders come and they meet up for this parting visit, verse 17. Paul sends two Ephesus, this messenger, to invite the elders of the church and they came back and met.

Okay, so here’s the deal. What we’re about to read is what my title says. It’s this fond farewell. It’s a heartfelt time with elders in a church that was a baby church and he had spent a ton of time there, three years growing them, building into them, teaching them, challenging, correcting them, nurturing them, all those good things that go on over a span of time. And here he is about to say farewell to them.

It’s what we might and it’s been described this way as a one day pastor’s conference. These elders gather quickly because there’s a chance to see Paul before he sails east. And that’s what’s about to happen. A one day pastor’s conference can’t go on without telling you this. My father for 30 years was the general director of the conservative Baptist Northwest.

That’s a region of four states. It’s the largest conservative Baptist region in the country. 300 churches and as many as 75,000 folks that fill churches like ours all across the region. He would travel every year to every pastor, if possible, to see those 300 pastors in one day help seminars. And they were crowded and they were full of energized, hungry pastors, elders.

Think elders, think pastors. And they would come there. I mean, it feels, it would be like this invitation. If you got an invitation from Moses to spend a day with him, right? Okay, I go too far.

He’s not Moses, but they were roommates, okay? Just for clarity here, all right? So dad, I love you. And I went to some of those seminars and he bought me lunch afterwards, that helped. But it was really good and it was that experience of sitting at the feet of somebody that’s smart and wise and humble.

And I never had a situation come up and I don’t think most of the pastors there ever had where he went, ah, man, I have no idea what to do. He was just that kind of depth, okay? So what we got here, we’ve got a similar situation. Paul saying, mostly to young believer leaders, generation leaders, come and spend and it turns out it’s a one day deal. So it made me think of my dad and for other reasons as well.

Now for Paul’s pastoral help seminar. I’ve said it’s a heart to heart farewell. He begins by reflecting as you would expect on his ministry there. So verse 18 picks up. When they arrived, he said to them, you know how I lived the whole time I was with you.

To great state. From the first day I came into the province of Asia, I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 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. So it’s big gatherings and then I spend time personally. I’ve declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

So he begins by this very personal, this is sort of retracing my steps and this is what I did. And it’s not a surprise that he would say my primary thing, my shtick, I was devoted daily to actually proclaiming the gospel and building you up. That’s what ministry involves. Paul, we’re not surprised at all, had that as his approach. And he had the right stuff.

Would you look again at verse 19 and just, this is just so much, every verse here. I served the Lord with great humility and with heart, tears and in the midst, I did it in the midst of severe testing, humility with tears. It’s the stuff of a true servant. And then to be able to do that, the prepositions important, I was in the midst, I was in the middle of the blowback, if you will. In other words, not everybody went, yay Paul, we’re so happy you’re here.

Boy, oh boy, golly, we’re so happy. So you’re a good guy. There was some guys over here plotting another approach to get rid of him. That’s what it means to do these things, as he says in verse 19, with the kind of humility and tears, it’s truly in the midst of a hurricane like resistance and opposition. How do you stay steady in that?

If you face things, things like that, plots. Maybe not to kill you, but to harm you, to oppose you. You know from your own experience the temptation to run and hide or to duck and cover. That’s human instinct. They’re gunning for me.

Don’t show your face. Stay out of view. All of those kinds of things are tempting, but Paul makes a makes a point of saying, I didn’t hold a thing back in spite of the intimidation of my opponents. I was just all on all the time. He would not blink and he would not back down.

Can I just say it, if you’re not taking that home with you, neither should we. Neither should we. We do stand for not just a a principle, but a savior. We stand with somebody and we stand in a storm. Read Matthew chapter 10 and you will find that there is quite a prediction by Jesus about the stuff we’re going to encounter.

When we encounter it, I think Paul has given us good guidance at this one day seminar that we’re supposed to be humble and strong and courageous as we stay on point. Amen. I want to encourage you at jobs that are hostile. I won’t name companies. I won’t name school districts.

I won’t name, but you know it’s almost ubiquitous. It’s everywhere we go today. There’s resistance to the way. And there’s a temptation with that to say then, fine, I’m out of here. I’m done with that kind of stuff.

I was in a back and forth dialogue just yesterday about a godly public leader that’s been dismissed after 30 years in his location for holding to a conviction that his love of Jesus said, I can’t go there. I won’t go there. I won’t go there. And of course, he’s been branded all kinds of this and that and it’s not far from John three. Jesus came into the world as light and what did the people do?

Not all of them, but what did many do? They chose darkness instead of light. Well, Jesus said, if it happened to me that way, don’t be surprised. If that comes your way as well. He said that in a lot of other places.

So from these early personal reflections of his three years there in Ephesus, he turns now to lay before the people stuff that they’re going to face. And he tells about that and he wants to also make it clear that he’s not naive. About the future that awaits him. Look at verse 22 and let’s read on. Now compelled by the spirit, that’s what New International says, driven by the spirit.

I’m going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I don’t take too many trips without a good sense of what I’m getting into. He has no idea. There’s a little hint coming though. I only know that in every city, the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only aim is that simplifying and clarifying things. My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task that the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom for three years will see me again. Therefore I declare to you today I’m innocent of the blood of any of you.

I’ve not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. I want to talk a moment about something that’s important and it’s happening in my heart and many of you have told me it’s true in you too. This fire in my belly is a passion. How do you sustain that? Where does it come from?

Paul is introducing that in verse 22. I am compelled by the spirit and it goes on. He was driven, he was driven to do what he did. This isn’t Paul type A, he was, but this isn’t just a function of his personality or temperament. This is Paul with some kind of power or force behind him.

May I go a step further within him. I get more of a hit if we were to turn from here. Let me just quote it from 1 Corinthians chapter 9. He says this in verse 16. When I preach the gospel I cannot boast since I am compelled to preach.

He’s the guy that would be here right now and he wouldn’t speak out of turn but he’d say give me the mic when I get a chance. Because it’s in him to do it. There’s something that says I’ve got something to say and I’m not even sure all that is going to come out of my mouth but I know the Holy Spirit is driving the bus here. That’s powerful. He says I’m compelled to preach and then he adds whoa to me if I do not preach the gospel.

I would illustrate it right now. You know what woe to me is? It’s a guy banging his head against the wall. I know I was designed for this Paul would say. This is what I’m called to do.

Now I’m going to say something that I hope grabs you out of your chair and you make this personal. No matter where you are. That’s true of every one of us. May not be preaching. In fact it’s likely not but it’s something where the Holy Spirit says I’m talking to you right now.

He’s telling about himself a little bit but he’s mostly telling about Paul and this is true of every one of us. The Bible emphatically says every one of us has a gift and it was given unlike other gifts of I gave you my watch it’s yours to keep. Now this kind of gift comes from God and he says I’ve given it to you for two purposes. One is for my glory and the second is for the good of others. Of others.

If you’ve got a gift you’re almost 12. 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Peter 4. Ephesians 4. All says what I just said.

It’s been given to you to serve others and bring glory to God. Can I get a name out? That’s the deal. And some of you are doing that so beautifully. It’s so cool in places.

This parking lot is starting to feel full every day of the week. What a good thing. And I hope it keeps going like that. Because there’s Bible studies and outreaches and cool stuff happening. So Paul then admits that the road ahead is going to be difficult and even dangerous.

Verse 23 tells us. But despite the headwinds I love verse 24 he says I am I’m going to my goal my only purpose is to finish and fulfill the assignment given to me. Can I ask you do you have that kind of fight? You’ll be a freak at times. I forget who somebody in history and you can shout it out if you remember but somebody said our goal in this Christian life is to be lit on fire by the Holy Spirit and watch and people will come to watch you burn.

Not burn burn but passion burn. You are resolute. You are determined. You’re confident. You have conviction.

That kind of burn. That’s not my personality. Not talking personality. Talking about the Holy Spirit. He’s got a room full of mouths.

Everybody open wide. I’m not your dentist but yours is one of them. We’ve got something to say. Don’t we? Are you willing to face resistance?

Even rejection? Because that’s very clear here. It’s not theoretical. It’s not hypothetical. If you get hurt along the way especially that’s not true anymore because of the way our world is going.

So relevant question are you am I ready to face huge resistance and say it again. Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 12. You don’t have to raise your hand high. Indeed all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus. That’s you.

Will be persecuted. There’s a way not to. Right? That’s not the Jesus way. I’ve already told you check out Matthew 10 and you’ll see it’s not.

So Paul certainly was willing to face whatever for the glory of Jesus. We’re going to see that more in the weeks to come of course. Paul’s final focus I mentioned it earlier. He shifts it from what lay ahead here to what lay ahead for the Ephesians after he gets on that boat and heads east. Three quick themes here.

Okay. So let’s just mention them as we pass and we’ll be done. The first in verse 28. Keep watch. Notice the direct counsel he gives.

So elders, leaders. The one day seminars over. So 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.

Keep a close watch over. Notice the sequence because it’s important in that verse. Close watch over yourself and others. It starts with self. That’s what Proverbs 4 verse 23 says.

Watch over your heart with all diligence for from your heart flows every issue of life. Right? So that’s the epicenter of how this program is supposed to go. I got to start with me. Can’t go do good deeds and hope it works well.

I got to start with the heart. And he’s saying that. Keep a close watch over your heart. And then from there he says what Peter said in 1 Peter 5 is so cool. Here’s the guy that was defeated.

Right? And he becomes this former fisherman now pastor. And in 1 Peter 5 he says shepherd the flock of God among you. Do it. Find people that need your influence and they’re all around.

All right. Next quickly. Watch out for wolves. This gets graphic. I know that after I leave verse 29, savage wolves will come in among you and not spare the flock.

Even from your own number, men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. I would have you circle that if you want to. Because there is an end game. Their goal is to draw disciples away. Committed Christians.

If you’re sitting in this room or you’re dialed in someplace and it still matters to you, you have a target on you. Savage wolves were told are going to do this. Even from your own number, men will arise distort the truth in order to drag away disciples after them. So be on your guard. Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

Bad people. Would you hear me say this? Watch out for wolves among the sheep. Please don’t get this wrong. When you start to get suspicious.

And look, are they with us here again? And don’t do that. Don’t do that. But know that this is true. What Paul is saying.

Not just true then. Bad people are present and on the prowl. You say, really? Yeah, really. First Peter chapter five, verse eight says, be of sober spirit beyond the alert.

You see alert on my face? For your adversary, the devil’s doing the same thing Paul just said is prowling about as a roaring lion seeking to have somebody throw the tennis ball so you can retrieve it. No, seeking someone to devour, malevolent. It’s not nice here at all. Those people that he’s talking about in verse 29 and 30, they’re among us.

They will come in among you and not spare the flock just like the devil. I’ll just say the takeaway that jumped all over me. There’s strength in numbers, people. If you are being separated, I’m not gonna just talk to live stream right now, but whoever you are. And if for whatever reason you’ve come up with that you don’t need to get dressed and come to church and find a parking space, you just found another way.

And if you’re finding that way and you’re all alone in that way, there’s trouble. There’s trouble. I’m not scolding you. I’m really glad. If you’re brand new with us, I’m really super glad you’re here.

I’ll hold very soon wherever you’re watching, you will go to that local Jesus loving Bible teaching church and you’ll find a seat in the front row. And you’ll be around Christians. Why? I’m not my six. There’s a guy in our church that says that all the time to me.

I had to ask him, anybody know what that means? You’re smarter than me. He just raised his hand at me. He’s blowing kisses at me right now. I’m not looking in his direction.

So here’s the deal. Glenn calls me and says, I got your six, man. I’m like, I wasn’t in military, wasn’t it? ‘Cause I got your back. I’m sitting near you.

I’m, I care. They’re gonna have to go through me to get to you. Have you thought that way? It’s a good thing to think. Because there’s strength in numbers.

Don’t let anyone or anything separate you from the flock. Don’t. The Bible is emphatically on my side in this. Read those verses at the bottom. There’s so much more that could be said.

Said, but Satan seeks to do just the opposite I’m pleading with. He seeks to separate you and then destroy. Have you heard the statement? Seeing is believing and if you need to see, look at me. Have you ever heard that?

It’s how he finishes here. It’s cool saying and it’s true. Verse 32. Listen to his humble admission here. Remember the words of Jesus.

It’s more blessed to give than to receive. What a beautiful, tender, honest thing. What’s he saying here? Remember my example. If you, if you’re faint on the words, just hold on to what you saw in me.

There’s all kinds of takeaways here. I lived among you with tender care and tears too. And now I give you to the grace of God. I’ve stayed pure. Great statement.

He’s making verse 33. That world was as tempting as our world to abscom with money. And he says, no, I was pure in my handling of money and I maintained the highest integrity the entire way. What a great statement for Paul to be able to make. Any pastor, any person to me.

It’s a cool thing. And I’ve worked hard and given generously. He actually quotes Jesus, though it’s not from the gospel, we’re not sure where it came from, except the Holy Spirit, right? Better to give than receive. And his visit concludes with a beautiful, beautiful, tender scene.

When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. And they all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement they would not see him face to face. Again. And then they accompanied him to the ship.

Special farewell. Heart felt farewell. Tears, prayers, kisses, the stuff of tender love. The grief because it’s going to be hard to say goodbye. And it, it was.

But God had made his mark on those people. He wants to do the same in our lives and through our lives every single day. I’d like you to join me. I’m going to lead us in prayer and ask the worship team to step into something here at the end. There’s a great song called, I will follow you.

And Paul was famous. Famous for saying, follow me as I follow Christ. I’ve thought of that a lot over the years. 1 Corinthians 11.1. He also said to the Philippian church, the things you’ve heard and seen and observed in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you.

What a great statement. He’s just following Jesus’ words when he, disciple after disciple said, you follow me. Follow me. Your example is in play. They say that imitations is a serious form of flattery.

Paul was saying, the imitators of me as I am of Jesus. I can’t think of better words to go out on mission as we leave every Sunday than those words. Reminded by the song, I will follow you. And everywhere I go, even if the verses don’t come to mind, you’re not sure what to say. Say, I’m in love with Jesus.

Want to find out more? Let’s go together. It works. Lord, I love you and I thank you today for a Sunday that is traditionally difficult to preach because it’s the Sunday after Easter. And football this season’s over at the Super Bowl, but this is different.

And today, this is a beautiful reminder that you’re still at work. You were in that day and you still are now. I pray that in everything we take from here today, we would be people that follow you in all that we say and do and invite others with humility. Follow me as I follow Jesus. For your glory, we pray.

Amen. Amen. Let’s do it. Let’s stand together.

Transcript machine-generated from the sermon audio, so it may contain errors. 5,228 words.