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Good morning my friends,
May I begin today with a brief explanation?
Our “Walking with Jesus” journey began May 1.
We are attempting to follow the story of the New Testament, chronologically, after Jesus returned to heaven in Acts 1. We did a diversion, to the Old Testament to Exodus, because so much of Paul’s writings and the Gospel, are based on an understanding of the Exodus story.
While we send a daily email, offering you the fresh ‘link’ for that day to the web site, if technology fails and you do not receive that daily email, you can use any past email link to get into the web site, and there you should find ALL the “Walking with Jesus” commentaries, right up to date, on the ‘daily archives’ tab. Of course that same tab helps you find any past ‘Walking with Jesus’ which you may have missed or want to read again.
Now today, in our continuing chronological journey, we return to the book of Acts, chapter 20. We believe Paul’s letter to the Romans was written during the 3 months he spent in the region of Greece, as mentioned in 20:2. That letter was sent off to Rome with Phoebe, from Cenchrea, as we saw yesterday in Romans 16:1.
You’ll remember, Paul had in his younger life, been known as Saul of Tarsus, and was a zealous Pharisee. His salvation on the Damascus road, (Acts 9) and subsequent passion for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as he had received it by the Holy Spirit, made the Jews view him as a traitor, and everywhere Paul went, he faced Jewish opposition, as we see in Acts 20:3.
In verse 4, Luke gives us a very specific list of men, including their hometowns. Why? You may recall in 2 Corinthians 8, Paul discussed a gathering of financial help, from all the churches he had planted throughout the region. That financial help was to be brought to Jerusalem where the Christians were facing a very difficult time of famine and persecution. Thus we believe each of these mentioned in Acts 20:4, is carrying the financial gift from the church in his town. Please notice the “us” in vs. 5 and the “we” in vs. 6. Dr. Luke has rejoined Paul and his traveling group, so is writing now in the first person.
We’ve probably all been present at a graduation ceremony or even a Sunday sermon when the speaker seems to go on endlessly, and perhaps some of us have actually fallen asleep in such situations. But I doubt any of us have fallen out of our chairs and died, when listening to a long-winded speaker, yet that’s what Dr Luke explains in Acts 20:7-12! But look what Paul did, in response to this sudden disaster, and how God turned tragedy into triumph!
The very special reunion between Paul and the elders of the church of Ephesus, which Luke describes for us in Acts 20:17-38, is profound. Paul loved these dear folks. Acts 19 describes some of the reasons why. In his more than two years in Ephesus, God had raised up a dynamic group of Christians, whose lives had been radically changed. They so impacted that city, that several significant things occurred, which changed society there, and the Ephesian church became a leader in the movement of Jesus followers throughout Asia. These elders had walked several miles, anxious for this brief encounter with Paul, out of their love and respect for him.
Let’s read Luke’s account of what Paul said to these Ephesian elders, and while we do, let’s each ask ourselves these 2 questions:
1. How would I summarize my spiritual journey and the affect my life has had on the people in all the places I’ve lived?
2. How would I characterize my spiritual passion, my life priorities, my obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as He has been leading me in following Jesus, as I both become the person God is refining me to be, and accomplish the assignments God has entrusted uniquely to me?
Now I realize you might think those are good questions for missionaries or pastors, but are they really fair for normal folks like all of us? Oh yes my friends, in fact they are ESPECIALLY appropriate for all of us, since God calls all Christians His “Ambassadors of Christ, as though God is making His appeal through us.” (2 Cor. 5:20).
So let’s look closely. Paul says in vs. 19 “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested…” We have all faced challenges, difficulties, great stress in our lives for lots of different reasons. Can we say we have ‘served Jesus with great humility…” even when times got so difficult our tears flowed?
Paul said in vs. 20 that “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you…” Can we say that Ephesians 4:29 is a fair reflection of the reputation we have of how we talk with people? “Let not any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs…”
Paul says in vs. 21 that he has been faithful in sharing the clear Gospel of Jesus Christ to any and all who will listen… have we?
Look at vs. 22-24 my friends, Paul says… “And now I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing with will happen to me there. 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, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus gave me…” How often have you and I stepped out in great faith, confident God was leading us to something, maybe even relocation to another city or a new job, not fully certain what was ahead, but confident we were obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit? And what did you experience? I know for Dawnie and me, that has been many times, and most of you dear friends, have been a part of that journey in one place or another.
That verse 24 is so powerful isn’t it, as Paul declares boldly that his life only has value IF… he is accomplishing the task God has entrusted to him, and in his case that was taking the Gospel to people and places Jesus was unknown. Have you considered my friends, how similar your assignment and mine has been from God, as compared to Paul’s? From the day each of us trusted Jesus to be our Savior, it has been our privilege to grow more and more in our relationship with Him and represent Him to the people we meet each day. Right?
Does this verse remind you of something from the very last chapter Paul wrote in his life? “The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not to me only, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:7,8) That includes you and me, my friends, if you have trusted Jesus to save you and you are certain of heaven as your destiny.
What Paul said next to those Ephesian friends both shocked and saddened them. “Now I know that none of you…will ever see me again.” While Paul did not know the details of his future, he had a driving passion to bring the Gospel to Rome, and if possible beyond to Spain and Europe. He fully anticipated his death would come in that region of the world, far from Ephesus. The Gospel has been established in Ephesus and that whole region. But, the unreached regions of the world beckoned him, despite his awareness that persecution and possible death awaited him.
Do you see the little phrase “I declare to you today, that I am innocent of the blood of all men.” in vs. 26? That does not mean that he has not shed blood. It’s a reference back to the Old Testament and a powerful picture in Ezekiel 33, where God challenges the prophet Ezekiel, that God raises up what he calls “watchmen”, to warn the people when disaster is coming. If they do, and the people respond, they are saved. If the watchmen warn, but the people disregard the warning, their fate is their fault.
If, however, disaster is coming and the watchmen remain silent, so the people are caught off guard, unprepared, then God said to Ezekiel that the blood of the people is the responsibility of the silent watchmen, who failed in their responsibility. Paul here is both declaring his faithfulness in having warned people, of the reality of eternity apart from God in hell, if they refuse the Gospel and Jesus Christ. . . and he’s also challenging these men to keep doing the same in Ephesus. Can we make the application to ourselves my friends? Are we all Ezekiel 33 watchmen, whom God has raised up and to whom God has given the wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ, to share with a dying world?
As you read through the rest of Paul’s powerful commissioning message to these dear friends, every phrase is filled with emotion and significance. May I urge us all to read it very carefully, and personalize it as though each of us is standing with those Ephesian elders, and Paul is speaking to us, about the church you are part of and the people who live in your community. And then I urge you to take some time, to talk with Jesus about what He is saying to you, through Paul here in Acts 20.
And to help you as you contemplate, my friends, I just have to offer you this very powerful YouTube song from the Collingsworth family. . . For What Earthly Reason!
Oh Jesus. . .
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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