Title of this morning's message is a tear filled farewell.
Have you ever had a meeting with someone, some of you from
overseas, many of you from different countries overseas?
And and maybe you had a farewell where you said never going to
see you again. Yeah, you're you're migrating.
Chances of you going back or perhaps those you're meeting
with, elderly or frail? And you knew it would be the.
Last time you would ever see them.
Well, this is the book of Acts, chapter 20.
That's the narrative that runs through the book of Acts.
Paul is going to visit people, they're going to see him, and
he's going to see them for the last time.
We begin Doctor Luke's final section, third section of this
amazing book, and we'll see Paul visiting the churches one last
time, through Greece and through Turkey before he heads to
Jerusalem where he will be arrested, and then his eventual
voyage to Rome as a prisoner of Christ, where he will be
executed. Paul was determined to finish
his course with joy, to do his father's will.
I think that is the reason that our heart keeps beating.
Our lungs keep. Operating and we keep breathing
and God gives us the breath of life until we finish what God
has called us to live for to do his Father's will.
In the book of Isaiah, the prophet chapter 50 says verse 7,
because the sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.
In other words, as I try to serve the Lord, he'll help me.
I therefore I have set my face, the prophet says like a stone,
steadfast, determined to do his will.
And I know that I will not be put to shame.
I'll I'll achieve, I will do what God has asked me to do, no
matter for Paul the personal cost in Romans chapter 12 verse
one and you know many of you know this passage very well.
It says Paul says I beseech you, I beg you brethren, that's to
all believers by the mercies of God that you present your
bodies. You're living now how you live a
living sacrifice. In other words, you used to live
for yourself. Now that you save, stop living
for yourself. Now live for God.
That means sacrificing what was yourself interests and your
yourself goals. And these are your plans.
This is what I'm going to do. This is what?
I'm going to achieve, and now it's changed and you go, Lord,
what is it that you want me to do?
Then you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy.
That means you live for God, acceptable under God.
And then he says the rest of the verse says unto God, which is
your reasonable service. And that's not the word
reasonable. It's lost its grip from this
translation. It means which is your logical,
which is what you should do. This is what you should do not
like, think about it, it's what you should do.
In Acts chapter 20, we have 3 farewell gatherings of Paul.
And those whom he had so lovingly ministered to with the
gospel in Macedonia, Greece, Archaea, that's the southern
part of Greece and then Asia, which is modern day Turkey.
Verse one. After the uproar had ceased back
in Ephesus, remember the riot? Paul called the disciples to
himself, embraced them, hugged them, and he parted to go to
Macedonia. He's heading to Greece, and when
he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words,
he came to Greece. Remember, Corinth is there,
Thessalonica and stayed three months.
And when the Jews plotted? Against him.
So here's this wandering band again plotted against What do
they want to do with Paul? They just want to kill him.
I just want to kill him. Paul has a posse, a lynch mob
that no matter where he went, was out to kill him.
Imagine you move no matter where you move in Australia, you move
overseas somewhere there's a bunch of people who said about
to kill you no matter where you go.
This is what Paul had and so Paul and they were going to plot
to kill him as he was about to sail to Syria.
So Paul decided to return. Instead of sailing, he would
walk. Through Macedonia and Sopatara,
Berea accompanied him to Asia. That's Turkey.
Also Aristarchus Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of.
Derby and Timothy Tai Chikus Trophemus of Asia these.
Men going ahead waited for us at Troas.
Troas remembers Turkey. But we sailed away from
Philippi. That's in Greece after the days
of of Macedonia of unleavened bread and in five days join them
at Troas, Turkey where we stayed seven days.
Very particular notice. It says it started off with Paul
then it ends up but we sailed and where we stayed.
This is Doctor. Luke now has joined up again
with Paul We. So Luke is writing this.
He's saying now this is what we did and I'm travelling with Paul
so you know who's writing. This.
Paul had. Laboured in ministry for them he
had. A shepherd's heart for each of
these. Churches scattered throughout
these. Regions.
And he prayed for them every day.
Can you imagine how many people he prayed for?
How many people he prayed for? Constantly I want to ask.
You who are you praying for every day?
I hope and I pray at least. For your family, I hope and
pray, if you're married, at least for your husband, for your
wife, because prayer works. When you pray, God listens and
God answers prayer. We live in a prayerless church
society these days, the smallest gatherings in any church, no
matter whether it's in the USA, wherever, except for third world
nations where it's against the law to be a believer.
And you'll be. Killed.
If you're a Christian, the prayer services, the very power
of the church is the least attended.
Pray at least for your children because out those doors is the
most dangerous, violent, sinful world and it's waiting to grab
them. We're going to cover that more
so on Wednesday. Remember, this man was a true
pastor. The care he had for each of
these churches was his greatest joy.
Yes, isn't parenting your greatest joy?
But also. It can be the greatest heartache
all second tears, tears from dad, tears from mum over you,
you over them. Paul said how hard it had been
back in letter to the Corinthians, his 2nd letter of
verse 23 of Chapter 11 he's and people were saying Paul's known
minister of Christ. He said these people.
Let me tell you what a real. Minister is let me let.
Me tell you what I've experienced, I speak as a fool,
he says. I'm having to say this, but I'm
going to tell you I am more in Labour's more abundant.
I've worked hard in stripes above measure in prisons, more
frequently in. Deaths.
Often people just want to kill me from the Jews.
Five times I received 40 stripes -1 three times I was beaten with
rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked.
A night and a day. I've been in the ocean in
journeys, often in perils and waters and perils of robbers,
perils of my own countrymen who want to kill me, and perils of
the Gentiles who want to kill me.
Perils in the city and perils in the wilderness, perils in the
sea, and perils among false brethren in weariness and toil.
It's got to the place where I'm just so tired in sleeplessness.
Often in hunger and thirst, in fast things, often in cold and
nakedness, beside the other things which come upon me daily,
my deep concern for all the. Churches.
That's a pastor's heart. That, my friends, is a parent's
heart. It's a parent's heart.
After the Ephesus riot, Paul headed to Macedonia and Archaea.
Paul visited the churches for three reasons.
Why didn't he go there 1. I'll give you the three reasons.
One, and This is why Church fellowship is so important, to
encourage and strengthen the Saints so that they might stand
true to the Lord and be an effective witness.
You don't realise, but when you come to church and when you miss
church, you're missed because your gift is not here.
Each and 1:00 every. One of us.
Has a gift? You're saying hello, you're,
you're catching up with that person that relates to you
because of where you work or or where you come from or your
nationality. You can't be a Christian by by
one of these. There's too many people now who
who sit at home and just watch the box.
That's church. No, that's not church.
This is church. Church is where you've got to
rub shoulders, where the book of Proverbs says we're iron
sharpens iron. We're men to get get together on
Friday. We're where we where we we.
Help and exhort. Because you know what?
We all need help. We all need exhortation to
encourage and. Strengthen one another.
To be effective witness, that is to continue to live for Christ,
not to be a fake. Secondly, to also finish
gathering. Paul was taking a collection
from the Gentile churches, and he was gathering this collection
and he was going to take it to the starving, struggling church
in Jerusalem. Because in Jerusalem, because
the Jews had become followers of Christ, they were cut off,
couldn't work in the unions, couldn't get a job no one wanted
to live near, and they all kicked out of their family.
They were isolated, treated as lepers.
It says in Romans 15 of this collection, verse 25 But now I
go to Jerusalem to minister unto the Saints there, for it has
pleased them of Macedonia and Archaea, where he was visiting
to make a certain contribution to the poor Saints.
Who are at Jerusalem? It has pleased them verily, and
they're dead as they are. The Gentile churches owe
Jerusalem. You go how?
How do they owe them what they borrow money.
No, listen to what Paul says. For if the Gentiles have been
made partakers of their spiritual things because of the
Jews, we have the word of God. Jesus came through the the line
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob where the unnatural branch
grafted in. He says Paul says they've been
made. Partakers of their spiritual
things. And now Paul says this to the
Gentile churches, their duty, it's the right thing to do.
This is what they need to do is also.
To minister unto them in carnal things, in other words, provide
for them. Note that.
But thirdly, the reason he was visiting because there was a
plot to kill Paul at sea and so he went the different route and
visited all the churches by foot to Macedonia.
So it was a farewell service. Verse 7.
Now on the first day of the week, why does the church meet
on Sunday? Jesus rose from the dead on
Sunday. We're not all the Sabbath, you
know. You know, we, we got to do it on
Saturday. No, no, no.
The church met after the resurrection of Jesus, which was
on Sunday, and then the church met on Sunday.
Now, on the first day of the week, when the disciples came
together to break bread, Paul ready to depart.
The next day spoke to them and continued his message until
midnight. Some of you look at your watch
and go. He's already gone 10 minutes.
My gosh, how long is he going to be?
I got. Things to do.
I got to get out of here. There were many lamps in the
upper room where they were gathered together.
So the lamps are burning, the smell.
And so it's taking all the oxygen, Right.
And in a window sat a certain young man named Uticus.
Now he's by the window. And they met at night.
Why? Because remember, slaves
couldn't go. Couldn't just go.
Oh, hey, man, I'm just heading to church Sunday morning, back a
couple of hours. You ain't going anywhere until
you finish your job. And so there were slaves and
masters, but the slaves couldn't get to church until they'd
worked all their work that they had to.
There was no holiday on the Sunday they worked.
And then they went to church at night.
Here fellow called Eauticus who was sinking into a deep sleep.
He's probably worked his tail off since dawn.
Now he's gone because he wants to catch up with Paul.
And the place is packed because they know this is Paul.
Probably Paul's last message. He was overcome by sleep, and as
Paul continued speaking, Eauticus fell down from the
third story and was taken up deadly die crash.
But Paul went down, fell on him, embraced him, said do not
trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.
Back in the book of First Kings chapter 17, Elijah visits a
widow, the widow of Serapheth. Remember her son dies, her only
son, and Elijah praises, oh God, don't bring me in like this
woman's who's looked after me. She cooked the the the.
First meal and gave it to him. She was about to die and through
starvation son dies. And so Elijah lays over the
child and God brings the son back to life.
Very. Similar to this.
And now when he had come up so they get back together, had
broken bread and eaten, and it says notice what Luke says and
talk for a long while now he he's been going to midnight.
Now he's going on even till. Daybreak till dawn.
He departed and they brought the young man in alive and they were
not a little comforted. Now if people fall asleep, I see
him up here. So what?
I've talked to the elders about this.
We're going to buy a little a little plastic.
Thing that goes over your head, it's got to have uticus on it
with a little blue light. And when I see you falling
asleep, I'll just point. They'll come prop that on your
head with a little blue light going on.
That'll be uticus. So if you see any little blue
lights flashing up there, the people are asleep.
They got the uticus hat. So that's something that we're
going to bring in. God's Word was always taught.
In the gathering of the assembly, you know there are
always these people. And let's just.
We don't need the Bible. We've had too much teaching.
Let's just gather. No, I'd rather go surfing.
When we gather, we need the Word of God.
That's what makes us a Christian gathering, which included the
public reading of the Old Testament.
So the Bible was read out loud, and every time the Christians
gathered, that's why we read. The Psalm to start the service.
Paul knew this to be likely the last time with these two
believers. And so he preached a long.
Sermon And you know what? No one complained.
Someone died, but no one complained.
Preach the Word is still God's admonition to his church today
when people say Cambridge Chapel, I'm thinking coming
here, I'll go look if you don't. Like the Bible?
You don't like going teaching? Through the Bible, this is not
the church for you. Because this is not a pretend
place. This is the most serious
gathering. Because we're talking about
eternal life, we're talking about heaven and hell.
We're talking about the word of God to to save a marriage, to
bring a son, a son or a daughter out of drugs.
To be forgiven for doing something that you wish I'd
never done and and finding out the grace of God is available to
you, then you haven't committed the unforgivable sin.
The unforgivable sin is. What is the rejection of Jesus
Christ? Nothing can be done.
So Eutechus, his name means fortunate.
Falls three stories to his death, Paul.
Raised him back from the dead, as did Elijah.
People say you just come on, you should've just stayed home.
No, no, Listen up. This was Paul's last message.
This was the last chance for Uticus to see Paul.
At least he was in the service. He was deadbeat, worn out,
probably worked really hard, but he wanted to be there.
That's why he sat near the window.
He's trying to keep awake. He's just trying.
He's just overwhelmed. By his labours.
I love to have a Eutechus in church.
If you'd labour and you're here and you, I'd rather have you
here asleep. And so the Ephesian elders are
exhorted by Paul, verse 17, from my leaders.
Paul sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church
there at Ephesus. And when they'd come to him, he
said to them, you know. From the last.
From the first day that I came to Asia, Turkey, in what manner,
I always lived among you. You know me, you've seen me.
You know who I am. And then he explains verse 19.
Serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and
trials, hasn't been easy, which happened to me by the plotting
of the Jews, how I kept back nothing.
Notice that that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you and
taught you publicly in the public gathering.
And from house to house, Paul was just teaching Bible study in
the church, Bible study in the church, testifying to Jews and
also to Greeks. What did he preach?
Repentance toward God, faith toward our Lord Jesus.
Christ, let me tell you again if you ever get bored with hearing
repentance. Towards God and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that you never do because
that's the message that the church has told, been told, and
has preached since John the Baptist preached.
We're going to hear about that tonight.
So 4 points. I'm going to give you 1 Paul
visits. The elders and he.
Speaks of the past. Paul visits the past Paul here
spoke of the faithfulness of the Lord to his church where Paul
administered laboured diligently for three years.
And it wasn't just I'll meet your own for an hour on Sunday.
No, no, no, no. Remember he he we discovered on
Wednesday he went to the the hall that was next to next to
the library and Taichikus there Tyrannis the hall of Tyrannis
and he used it. He preached there everyday,
teaching for hours everyday in emphasis, which you can still
see standing today. From day one Paul had given
himself unsparingly to the work of the Lord in emphasis.
Paul was an ambassador, not a diplomat.
Paul had got his hands dirty. It rolled up his sleeves.
It laboured how teaching and preaching the gospel of grace
verse 19 serving the. Lord, with all humility, with
many tears and trials, listen up.
Christianity isn't easy. Ministry isn't easy.
Parenting isn't easy. Keeping your marriage together
right and solid takes work. People think that everything,
everything's got to be easy. And if it's not easy while I'm
out of here, it's not working. I'm not happy with the way
things are going. We have irreconcilable
differences. Of course you will, because
you're two different people. Not everyone in this church
you're going to get on with. But I tell you what, God puts
them here because He wants you to learn to get on with them.
He wants you to change how He wants you to be like Him.
Jesus never turned anyone away. I had someone talk to me as they
were coming into church 1 morning.
He's oh man, it's been been hard and I bit my tongue.
It's been hard. It's hard.
It is hard when you get old, it's even harder, people.
Want. Easy Gospel, dying on the cross.
Jesus, oh, this is easy. That's a breeze.
Oh, the the whipping, there was nothing.
It was easy. Go to Nigeria, ask how hard it
is to be a Christian in Nigeria, how hard it is to being a
Christian in Iran. The world is pathetic in the way
that everything has to be easy. Oh, man, the kids are just, oh,
they're driving me crazy and so, well, get rid of them.
Got this kid, Get ready. There you go.
And. That's what people do, you see.
When things get. Hard they go.
We're not doing this. They spiral, we kind of laugh,
but sadly it's true. And they do it with God.
I'm just too hard. Or what?
You get what's hard Not going to hell and going to heaven.
You see the reality, the world tells you a lie, and the lie is
everything's got to be easy. All the doors are going to open.
Ministry is not easy. Parenting is not easy.
One needs to work on being a godly husband.
Mean you need to be there Friday, or a wife, or an
obedient son or daughter. By the way, remember.
Kids, you know, those who are young, It's the first
commandment with a promise. Only your father and mother.
Why, you'll live long. My dad would tell me or I'll
kill you, he added. Just his own translation there
and. So we have.
Kids growing up and. All this is.
Too hard. I can't do this.
Why? Because.
Dad is too pathetic in doing anything instead of leading the
home, being the spiritual head of the home.
He's just some spineless Jellyback thing that's just,
well, whatever your mother says. And it's shameful.
When I was a kid and I went to church, I couldn't.
I wanted to know, where's all the men?
How come the church is only filled with women?
I think against them the women would do all the ministry.
Why, Where's all the men? Then we wondered why our nation
went away from God, because there was no one steering the
ship, no captain on the boat, no one in the front protecting the
family and guiding and leading and saying, what are we doing
today? We're going to church.
What do you think we're doing today?
Going the first out the door? Where's your Bible?
You you can't go to church without your Bible.
Where's your Bible? Are you reading?
Are you leading? Australia is in its condition
because Australian men are weak and spineless and they're all
brave and all this other way and they're not loving the children,
they're abusing them by letting them go about their own
business. That's child abuse.
The second point Paul's motive of ministry.
What was his motive? Paul was not in the ministry for
financial gain. Verse 33 drop down.
Look at verse 33. He says I have coveted no one
silver or gold or apparel. Listen up.
If you ever plan to go on into the ministry, you'll be
ministry. You're going to do doe, you'll
survive, could God's looked after you, but you're going to
drop thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and
thousands of dollars in salary ministry.
It's not about money, Paul said. I didn't cover this.
Paul's mission statement. Term they use today still around
if you'd like. His motive for ministry is found
in verse 19. Notice it says serving the Lord
with all humility. So many people today seek
ministry. Why?
For personal gain, if I'm up here, everyone will see me.
If I'm doing this, I can wear a badge.
I can, I can tell people what to do.
You pick that up, put that over there.
Oh, I'm the so and so they're looking for personal gain to be
seen to display their talents. While I have all these talents
and I just think I need to be in the ministry.
You know when anyone signed up for ministry at Calvary Chapel
Costa Mesa under Pastor Chuck? You know where they started?
Good. Mop, bucket toilets.
Clean them after each service. Mop, bucket, toilets, rubbish,
janitor, work. You know, cleaning.
I tell you what pastors do here. Cleaning, picking up rubbish,
emptying bins, emptying the nappy bin, washing.
Floors. Wiping taps, toilets cleaned.
That's what we offer here if you want to go in the ministry.
Oh, I'd rather just kind of run a Bible study.
Yeah, think about that first. Start off with the toilet.
And by the way, we're getting some new toilets.
That'll give me some. More to work on Jesus showed up.
On the night of his betrayal and he showed us how to serve to
minister the night of his arrest.
The night of his betrayal, a special Passover meal he's
heading. What's he do?
They're all arguing and chatting with one another.
Jesus gets up, wraps an apron around himself, gets a bowl of
water, a towel, and he goes around and let me tell you, you
ever seen feet in sandals? Gross.
Dirt, sweat, sandals are off. These are gnarly fishermen.
These are people that have walked and walked and Jesus
bends down. He bows down, pours the water
in. Puts their feet in.
And he washes every one of their feet.
Where is that going? That's ministry.
You want to be a minister? That's ministry.
That's true ministry.
In ministry for the Lord, most of the time your only witness of
what you're doing is Christ. As you scrub, you clean, you
tidy up, you labour in some other capacity away from most
people's eyes. Paul.
Was not interested in living the easy life and that's the other.
Danger that we have in our society today and it seeped into
the truth. Easy.
We want an easy life. That's why when the war in Iran
and COVID broke out, we fell apart, didn't we?
People abused one other over toilet paper.
Now we have people abusing one another over fuel and and and
and and and on all this sort of carrying on, oh, what?
What's going to happen? What's going to happen?
Paul was not interested in the easy life.
Which so many people are striving for today.
Don't strive for an easy life, strive for God's power for you
to be able to live. And and be an overcomer of the
difficult things that come your way in verse. 34 Yes, you
yourselves know that these hands are provided for my necessities.
This is I work myself. For those who were with me, I
have shown you in every way by labouring like this that you
must support the weak and. Remember the words of the Lord
Jesus that he said it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Verse 3435. It is more blessed to give than
to receive. You know, tight people, stingy
people become known. You know, you mentioned someone,
that bloke man wouldn't give you anything.
You get known you don't know it, but everyone else.
Knows how stingy. You are because they don't want
to have they don't want to part with they, they when they go and
have a coffee with it. You never pay.
You never give, you know, group of guys go off in a car and they
travel somewhere on a surf crew. You never put petrol money in.
You never. Buy for somebody else.
Paul, remember, gave himself the title.
Of bondservant. So what do you?
Do for a living. I'm slave.
I'm the lowest of all slaves. Romans 11.
Paul I Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, says that first,
Then he says secondly, an apostle.
Here you go, I'm. An apostle Jesus Christ I says I
Paul Bonser separate to the Gospel of God, verse 20.
Acts 20 How I kept nothing back that was helpful but proclaimed
to you and taught you publicly and from.
House to house testifying the Jews and also the Greeks,
Repentance toward God. That's the message.
Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And see, now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem.
I'm being driven by the Holy Spirit, not knowing the things
that will happen to me there. Except everywhere I go that the
Holy Spirit testifies in every city, every church, people are
saying that chains and tribulations await me.
Paul. It's not looking good, but.
None of these things moved me. It doesn't matter.
Nor do I count my life dear to myself.
Here's the deal. If you count your life dear to
yourself, Jesus said you lose it.
You count your life dear to yourself, you lose it.
That's where people get this. They come to church and they're
between 2 worlds. So that why why I don't count my
life so that I may finish my race.
With joy and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus
to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul's motive of ministry was his overwhelming thankfulness.
If you struggle in worship, if you struggle to read and to pray
and to come to church, I doubt whether you really know just how
much. God has saved you from He who
loves much, gives much, worships.
You see? We don't have someone coming to.
You are you excited? This morning, let's worship the
Lord. Come on, get excited.
Let's worship. No, no, no, there's no false
getting it up here. If you haven't got it, we can't
give it to you. But for you to get it.
Look at the cross. Remember Easter?
Agony, Pain, suffering for you, a Sinner.
And you don't have a problem worshipping.
Actually, you're too moved, you're too overwhelmed, you
struggle. Words aren't enough because you
know how bad you. Were.
You've done and what Christ went through to give you grace.
To forgive you, to cleanse you, and he still loves you each and
every day. Paul said one Corinthians 9
verse 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast
of, for necessity is laid upon me.
He says I have to yes, well as me, if I do not preach the
gospel. Third, the manner of Paul's
ministry. Paul said, follow my example
verse 18. And when they'd come to him, he
said to him, said to them, you know from the first day that I
came to Asia in what manner I always lived among you, You saw
me serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and
trials. In one Corinthians 11, Paul
says, imitate me just as I also imitate Christ.
Dads, wouldn't that be lovely? For you to say to your children,
as I read the Word and I love the Word, as I love going to
church, as I worship, follow my example, kids follow me.
Paul lived. What is lacking, so lacking?
Today, what is that? A constant walk with God, not
fluctuating here. One day I'm missing him but
persistent faithful like Daniel, even though he lived in Babylon,
thousands of kilometres away from Jerusalem.
Daniel chapter 6 pray out Lord now Daniel verse 10 when Daniel
knew that he was what what was written about sign he went home
about. About the against praying, and
in his upper room with his windows open toward Jerusalem,
he knelt down on his knees three times that day, even though it's
against the law, and prayed and gave thanks before his God.
Why? As was.
His custom since. Early days, he did it all the
time. Dad and mum.
Here's the danger. Oh, I don't know why my kids are
not interested. You know, they just, you'll most
likely see your kids walk away from the church, from Christ and
living for him if you are not constant and persistent in your
relationship, in your walk with God because they'll just mirror
you. Remember the song Cats in the
cradle? Dad, will you come?
My dad. Dad, I'll grow up to be like
you. Oh, son, can you come?
Well, I'm kind of busy today. Today they watch you and they
watch you go home. They go.
It's not real. Why should I bother?
Pretend to Timothy 22. The things that you've heard
from me among many witnesses, Paul said.
Commit these two faithful men. You know what faithfulness is,
85% of faithfulness is just turning up.
Just be in there. Dad'll be here.
Dad'll pick me up. Dad'll know what to do.
Who will be able to teach others?
Also a faithful man. A church filled with faithful
men. That's a blessed church.
The. Importance of this cannot be
overstated. Why?
Because we are Speaking of eternal life here for your
children. You want them being part of the
first resurrection. Just because you come to church
doesn't automatically mean they're going to go to heaven.
Think about that. That should drive you to prayer.
You want them in the first resurrection, not the second,
because the second resurrection, when all the dead are raised up
before God, the great White Throne judgement, they stand
there and they're sentenced. It's not.
Oh well, whether you're going in heaven or hell or not, no.
It's the sentence, you see, we're talking reality.
That's what church is so important and the teaching of
the word of God. Because we're all going to die.
We're all terminal. We just don't know how long.
He's in every one of us, including our children and our
grandchildren. Man, we have a mission Paul had.
Nothing to hide. Paul served always in humility
like Christ, not as a religious celebrity.
Oh man, I get it. I can't demanding others.
To serve him, Jesus. He did it.
He chipped in, but this humility was not weakness.
And that's where. We get it wrong.
Men being humble is not being weak.
Godly men are powerful men, men who exhibit strength and
kindness. We're not doing that, son.
We're going to. Church, this is what.
The Bible says, son, This is why we're doing this.
I can't do that. I'm missing out a promotion.
Why? Because they want me to do this,
son. That's why I'm not doing it.
It's important. Never wavering, never not
leading their family Spiritually, you're in control.
You're. The one who is to give them
this? It's not your wife's job.
They're having to do it. If you're not doing it, it's
your job. God will hold you and me
responsible, the Bible says. If I don't treat my wife
correctly, then my prayers are hindered.
They're hindered. Paul was a courageous man who
faced massive trials and mistreatment.
But Paul also opened his heart, the most intimate side of his
himself at times. Are you such a man like that?
Do the kids really know? You, you walk with God, you talk
with them about you, how you're praying with God and how God
spoke to you the other day. Or do they know nothing about
that? I know what sporting team you
follow. They know you know how you run
fast or do something like that. Well, great.
It had not been easy and being that godly.
Father won't be easy. Acts 20, verse 31.
Therefore, watch and remember that for three years I did not
cease to warn everyone night and day.
With tears it was hard. 4th Paul's motive.
His manner and now Paul's message what was it that the
great apostle Paul taught and preached all this time over
these difficult. Years.
Did he have a? New exciting thing each Sunday
Paul's got something new. Whoa, can't wait to hear this.
I'm. Shaken Acts 19 he preached back
in the previous chapter and verse 8.
For three months he preached reasoning and persuading
concerning the things of the Kingdom of God.
In verse 10 And he continued for two years to all that dwelt in
Asia, who heard the word of the Lord, the Lord Jesus, both Jews
and Greeks. Paul taught what?
What did the great Paul teach? He taught sinners to repent of
their sins and believe in Jesus. Christ, that's what you need to
hear. You don't need to hear all the
other stuff because, have you? If you haven't done that, the
other stuff, it doesn't count anyway.
It was the gospel of grace, the grace of God, Paul said.
So that I may finish my race with joy.
And the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to
testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul reminded them that this is the only message that can save
the Sinner. People want counselling about
this and that. First thing we always ask, are
you saved? Do you know Christ?
Because now you're talking about marriage counselling or raising
kids or planning on doing this unless we find out.
First of all, do you? Do you know God?
Paul told them. He held nothing back.
That was the past, and now Paul speaks of the present for the
elders of Ephesus as we come into the home straight, verse 22
And see, now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing
the things that will happen to me down to verse 25.
And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I've gone
preaching the Kingdom of God, will see my face no more.
This is the last guys. Might see me again, you know
what I mean by that. Therefore I testify to you this
day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
What's he saying? For I have not shunned to
declare to you the whole counsel of God.
Paul was open to his friends, that he was bound by his spirit.
Even though danger awaited him, Jerusalem, he says.
I'm still going. It was God's.
Calling on Paul's life that drove him on.
Now Paul will finish on these gives us 6 pictures to explain
why he would not quit but continue on to Jerusalem to die
for Christ. If necessary, it's interesting
that many people think men to go to church and women to go to
church, particularly men, young men as well.
Why? Why?
Are you a bit weak or something? You're going to church.
Guess what the Bible says? Courageous people are
Christians. You know why?
Because it says in Revelation 21, verse 8.
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable murderers, sexually
immoral sorcerers, idolaters, liars, shall have their part in
the lake, which burns with fire and brimstone.
Which is the second death. So you here today, men, I want
to tell you you're courageous, you're different, you're unique,
you're strong. God makes you strong.
Six things now that Paul had. First of all, Paul said by
example, Paul considered himself.
An accountant as. Soon as I mentioned that
everyone thinks God with a balding head, glasses and
advisor and earth. What do you want?
No verse 24, nor do I count my life.
Dear to myself. Paul had examined his assets and
his liabilities. Paul decided to put Jesus before
everything else. What are your assets?
What are you proud of? What are your liabilities?
Because that's what an accountant does.
He goes through cheques all the. Books, This is what you have.
This is what you don't have. This is what you owe.
And Paul said. All that I have.
I put behind to finish my race to count my life.
Secondly, Paul saw himself as a runner, as an athlete who wanted
to finish his race victorious, he says.
So that I may finish my race with joy.
Paul knew his life was a gift do.
You know that that you're very living now and the talents that
you have, they're all a gift from God.
You have nothing of yourself. God gave it to you.
Eric Little, the Scottish rugby player and Olympian Chariots of
Fire movie, he says. When I run and in the reason
that he run, he says I feel the pleasure of God and he used he's
gold medal and he's running to be a missionary in China where
he died of a brain aneurysm in China.
He used the gift that he had for the glory of God.
You see if you have a gift. I want to ask you, there's only
one way that that gift can be used that will last for the
glory of God. Paul saw himself.
As a steward thirdly, and the ministry which I received from
the Lord Jesus, His gifting, his calling, his ministry, Paul had
received all of it from the Lord Jesus himself on the road to
Damascus when? Paul was struck by the light.
Paul said. What would you have me do, Lord?
Now here's a steward. You know what a steward is?
A steward owns nothing. They manage their masters stuff
everything that you have. You know, when you give your
offering, it's not well, here's a lot on here's a couple of you.
Guess what, it's all the Lords. He allows you to keep some.
Think of that when you give. And if you aren't giving, read
the book of Malachi, read the Bible and go to the foot of the
cross and find out what he gave a steward.
Earns nothing but everything that he has he realised.
Is his master's. Everything, even the very breath
he breathes. And Paul would have to give an
account to Jesus, as will you and I.
We will all not stand before Jesus to be judged on heaven and
hell, but each one of us will stand before God.
It's called what's called the Bema seat on the reward.
What the This is the gift I gave you.
This is the talent I gave you. This is the finances, the
resources that I gave you. This is the time I gave you.
What did you do with them? I just buried them.
I just use them for myself. The. 4th Paul was a witness
verse 26 Therefore I testify to you this day.
Paul was testifying of the gospel of the grace of God
literally means. The witness to give a solemn
witness, because it is a matter of life and death.
To those we. Share it to When you witness,
it's a matter of life and death. Your life, your story, what God
has done to you. When you witness, it's a matter
of life and death to the hero. Paul was a.
Herald for his king verse 25 I have gone preaching the Kingdom
of God. The word preaching there Paul
uses is the message that a herald sent out from the king
speaks. The message that the king has
told him to speak. Noah nothing else.
A witness tells what happened to him, but a herald of the king.
That's the word Paul uses here for preaching.
Gives the message of the king. It.
Cannot alter or change the King's message or word.
And lastly, Paul was a watchman. What's that?
Verse 26? Therefore, I testify to you this
day. Then I am innocent of the blood
of all men, for I have not shunned to.
Declare to you the whole counsel of God.
You see, the watchman stood on guard at the gate and on the
walls of the city, ready to. Sound the alarm.
He had to stay awake, couldn't sleep, never think of his own
safety. Ezekiel 317 Son of man, I've
made your watchman. God said to Ezekiel from the
House of Israel. Therefore hear a word from my
mouth, Give them warning from me.
When I say to the wicked, you shall surely die.
And you give him no warning nor speak to warn the wicked from
his wicked way to save his life. That same wicked man shall die
in in his iniquity. But listen to this.
But his blood, the responsibility.
I will require at your hand. And so just recently we've had
two deaths in our family. We've heard eulogies at the
funerals of the passing of my brother and and our nephew.
If you could write your own eulogy, what would you say?
This is What? This is who I am.
What would you say? Would it be dominated by you?
Oh, I had a great boat, great surfboard, good set of golf
clubs, man. Yeah, really good.
He's good at cricket, good at football and had a great car.
Nice house. His lawn was beautiful.
Wow, got me right here. Would it be dominated by your
walk with God? He was an accountant.
He counted everything he had, but he put God first.
He was a runner. He run his race.
He did all that God wanted to do.
He was a Stuart man. He the things that God gave him
and the way he managed. He was a witness.
He told everyone at work, every time he went surfing, every time
he played cricket, every time he was at the football club.
He was sharing the gospel, praying with someone.
It was a Herald man. He would just tell people the.
Gospel. He would just give them the
gospel. He was a watchman.
He warned people who were. Going down the wrong path, he
say this is not the way to live. It's dangerous or he was stingy.
This guy, man, he was so stingy. Oh.
Still have his first pay packet or I've never had such a
generous person. He helped us through when our
family was struggling. He was there.
He provided this, he paid for that.
He set that aside. He was a humble servant.
He held nothing back. He did everything for his for
for the Lord and for his wife and for his kids.
Because right now you are riding your eulogy.
Right now how you live. It's being prepared.
Time is short. The door is.
Open now, It's going to close soon.
The world is in chaos. I love to see what's happening
with the world. You know why Jesus is coming?
He has to governments around the world, situation in Iran, the
fuel crisis, our own government, our nation is in disarray.
People, people seriously don't know what to do, where to turn.
Ben Robert Smith, our Victoria Cross person now, he, they,
they, they openly arrest him and have it all shown and and set
up. When we as police were arresting
one of our own, you know what we.
Did we did it? No one around.
We did it without any of his mates seeing it.
We did it in the best, best possible way.
This I don't know. But I tell you, it's hitting our
nation because we're coming up to Anzac Day.
Our country, our country is being destroyed.
Our character is being torn apart.
You know why? It's getting ready for the
Antichrist. But you and I better be ready
for Jesus Christ. Today, will you repent and turn
your life to Christ? If you've not done that as a
follower of Christ already, maybe you're a believer already.
Will you dedicate your life to Him?
You've been holding back. You've been stingy.
You kept. That all yourself, the hymn says
all to Jesus. I surrender all to him.
I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him.
Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your
word. We thank you that you're
preparing our hearts for the return of your Son.
I pray for any here today that don't know you.
I pray that the Holy Spirit, your Holy Spirit, has spoken to
them and that's God has spoken to you today.
Today is the day you need to repent and come to Christ if
you're already a believer but you've followed from a distance.
You've kept hold of things close to yourself.
You're robbing God and God May He free you today.
May you run your race with joy. These things we ask and pray now
in Jesus name, Amen. Let's stand, shall we?
Worship teams not coming forward.
And for the blessing, if you'd like prayer, the passes will be
available to pray with you at the front.
The Lord bless you, the Lord keep you, the Lord make.
His face to shine upon you, the. Lord give you his peace.
We live in amazing times. When you pray, God hears you,
God answers you. Wonderful to have to study the
Word of God today. Are you looking forward to
catching up with Paul? I am just to know you, my
sweetest friend, my friend.