MPC 15th January 2006.January 15 - Acts 20:17-38 - "What Matters"
Garnet Swann MPC 15th January 2006.
A few years ago I came across a love letter that was written during the American Civil War. And I want to read some of it to you. The man's name is Major Sullivan Ballou. What a great name - Sullivan Ballou! And Sullivan writes to his wife Sarah, just before he went into battle. If poetic love talk isn't quite your thing - just grit your teeth and bear it. But it goes like this:
Dear Sarah
The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days - perhaps tomorrow. And lest I should not be able to write you again I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I am no more.
Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but omnipotence can break; and yet my love of country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly with all those chains to the battlefield. The memory of all the blissful moments I have enjoyed with you come crowding over me, and I feel most deeply grateful to God and you, that I have enjoyed them for so long. And how hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes and future years when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and see our boys grown up to honorable manhood around us.
If I do not return, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, nor that when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name…
But Sarah, if the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they love, I shall always be with you, in the brightest day and in the darkest night… always, always. Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for me, for we shall meet again…
Sullivan died in battle the very next week.
I really enjoy reading that letter. I just love those words. It's so beautiful - more beautiful than any scribble I could come up with. But here in this letter, this farewell letter - this man wants to communicate, convey what's most important. This was his final goodbye - there's no point talking about - and don't forget to pick up the bread, and water the veggies on Mondays, and…
This was his final goodbye - so he says - "These are the things you need to know. I love you. You're so dear to me. This is what matters."
And so today I want us to look at another farewell message.
This farewell message comes in the form of Paul's last words to the leaders of the Christian church in Ephesus. It's an extraordinary thing when you think about it. Acts chapter 20 - preserved for 2000 years - what the man Paul said to a bunch of Christians as he said goodbye to them.
And as a church - you know - we face another year ahead of us. There are many opportunities to get involved, meet new people, get along to things. It's going to be a great year! But in these farewell words to the Ephesians Paul says "these are the things that matter, this is what you have to focus on." It's the same for us. As we face another year ahead, this passage will be a reminder of what should matter for us as well.
And the things that really matter are:
The first thing that we need to see is that Paul urges upon these leaders - the example of humble suffering. It's there in v18-19. Please read along with me:
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. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews."
Paul wants these men to remember the sort of life that he's lived. It was a life of giving to others. A life of persevering. A life of suffering. Paul says "you know how I lived - with tears and trials". And I take it he reminds them so that they would take up the example themselves. He's saying - "You're going to face every temptation to not live this way, but suffering is the way of Christian ministry".
It's a great word to us because I think in our society we've been totally programmed to avoid any discomfort and any suffering.
I have a friend who went to his local second hand furniture shop to buy a lounge suite. And the shop owner said, "Here's a very nice piece. It's just come in. It comes from a couple who were married 10 months ago but have now split up and have sold all their new furniture". Now I don't know that couple but I know why their marriage didn't last - because they weren't willing to suffer. If you want your marriage to last than you need to suffer to make it work, don't you?! Raising children is another area where you have to persevere and suffer.
All good things come through suffering and trials and tears do they not?
And it is the same in Christian ministry.
Say you wanted to help out in some way here at church. Maybe help with Kidzbiz or help with a growth group. What if questions were asked of you to find out your suitability? Questions like:
We need to pray for people involved in Christian ministry, especially leaders. If you want something to pray about, this would be a very good prayer to pray:
Dear God, I pray that our leaders would go about their task with a willingness to suffer. Give them the grace they need to be humble in hardships. And give them perseverance to keep going. Amen.
I certainly need that prayer.
Now notice at the end of verse 19 Paul speaks of being severely tested by the plots of the Jews. It's worth spending a bit of time thinking about this particular hardship that Paul faced.
Flick back in your bibles to chapter 17v5. Paul's been explaining Christ to the Thessalonians. But what happens? Verse 5:
But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace; formed a mob and started a riot in the city.
Now go to chapter 18 and Paul's now in Corinth testifying about Christ. But read with me v6 of chapter 18:
But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest…
As one last example, go to chapter 19. Paul's now in Ephesus. He lived there for over 2 years, we're told. But see what happens in v8:
Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publically maligned the way.
What's this opposition from the Jews? There's nothing subtle about it - it's hard-hearted, obstinate, close minded rejection.
Now this is important for us to realise. For those who follow Jesus, we're going to suffer. We'll face people who are opposed to the message. But we tend to think people's opposition comes in the form of their quality wit and incisive comments. We get worried because we think people will devastate us with their coolly thought through rational arguments. But as Paul did - we're the ones that reason and persuade with arguments. Most times, when you look at it - people's opposition is nothing more than blind and willful misunderstanding.
Paul faced this opposition and we shouldn't be surprised when we face this reaction ourselves. As Christian people - we need to be prepared for hardship and suffering.
Now this leads us to the second thing of what matters, in the life of our church and that is, the activity of speaking.
Go to verse 20. It says:
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.
And go to verse 27:
For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
See, in the situations that Paul found himself in - he felt every pressure to back off, to tone it down, but he resisted that - he spoke about Jesus.
Now in our society - we're not in danger of being killed like Paul, but we feel the pressure. We feel threatened sometimes. See - in our society - we can do all sorts of "helpful" things like cloth and feed the poor. And we'll be appreciated and thanked. And they are good things. But if we speak and teach and mention things like You need to be in relationship with Jesus. You need to be saved - the reaction can be very different.
And so Paul's word is something we all need to keep hearing. Christian ministry is an activity of speaking, of telling others about Jesus.
The wonderful thing about Paul's farewell word to the Ephesians is that God wants to focus our minds on the things that matter for our church. I think a lot of churches and ministers have lost this focus.
You can go to one church, and the focus is on healing people.
You go to another church, and the focus is on social work.
You can go to another church, and the focus is all about the aesthetic experience of being in that old building.
But God is telling church leaders here - we are to focus on speaking.
You know a great danger for me is to spend time on things that are secondary, not primary. On urgent things not important things. Sometime I need to resist the 'what to do' pile and spend time preparing for teaching the bible.
If you want something to pray, pray this:
Dear God, Help our leaders to focus on the things that matter. Help them to say no to what's urgent and help them to spend time with what is important. Help them to be readers of God's Word, learners of God's word, and to others, teachers of God's Word. Amen.
This is what matters.
Well - in the midst of hardship, Paul tells these leaders to live the example of humble suffering. In the midst of pressure and opposition, in the midst of so many things that distract, Paul reminds them to speak about Jesus. The other thing that matters is their duty to protect.
And this is in v28-31:
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. 29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
This is where things get serious. Because he says that after I'm gone - you're in danger. You're in danger from people who will turn your flock away from the truth. How sad this is. Paul must have said this with such a heavy heart. Notice in v29 he says, I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you… Paul knows it. It's as if he's already experienced it already - he's seen it in other churches and he knows it'll happen again.
But notice what he calls these elders to do. V28. Keep watch over yourselves and keep watch over the flock. These elders have a duty to protect. These elders are shepherds of God's flock. It's not that as shepherds they nicely pat the sheep and casually lie amongst their flock in the paddock. These shepherds stand and watch with a shotgun in their hand.
They are to watch for those who would come from the outside who would lead people away. They are to watch for those who would be on the inside and draw followers of Jesus away from the truth.
I wonder if the language of wolves and sheep is sort of lost on us city dwellers. What Paul is giving us - is a picture of horror. I heard an interview with a farmer who talked about a pack of wild dogs who got into his farm and attacked his sheep. And he said - such a sickening bloody picture confronted him. There were disembowled animals all over the ground. There weren't attacked to be eaten. Those poor sheep were attacked in a wild blood thirsty frenzy.
The horror of this should sink in for us. There are people who want to draw you away from your trust in Jesus and His Word. There are people who want to destroy us. That should send a shiver down our spines. That is why we need to pray for our leaders. This would be another good thing to pray,
Dear God, help our leaders - to be watchful and on guard. Help them to discern error so that we'd be protected from those who want to lead us away from the truth. Amen.
You know, the sad thing is that overseers in some churches have fallen asleep on the watch. They haven't stayed alert. You know it's not as if a wolf will say, Here I am. I'm a wolf, you better stop me!. No, wolves are cunning. They come wearing a minister's robe. Or holding some church office. They come with a PhD in theology. Some overseers have not seen the wolf and disaster strikes.
We need to pray for each other and we need to pray for our leaders, don't we? How are the elders to be alert and protecting? Well, it's there in v31. It says, So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. This takes us full circle in terms of what we've looked at. The elders are to stand on guard as they humbly and in hardship keep teaching God's word - warning us. See the leaders fulfill their duty to protect by teaching God's word and seeing that God's word is taught.
Well, Paul's tearful farewell to the church at Ephesus is powerful stuff. God is teaching us about the things that really matter.
And I think on every front we'll find this hard:
Instead of humble suffering - we want ease and comfort. At least I do!
Instead of speaking - we're so tempted to keep quiet and do other things.
And the duty of protecting is just so difficult.
We might wonder if sustaining this sort of ministry is just impossible - whether we're just going to burn out or cave under pressure.
Well, let me close by reading v32. And I hope it is a word of comfort for you. This is Paul's calming word - it's God who is the one who will sustain us and protect our church. It says in v32:
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.
That's a wonderful promise. Ultimately it's God and his Word which builds us and protects us and keep us firm.