Acts 20: 17 – 25
We all know the story of Paul. How his conversion and after his conversion how God used him
as n instruments to reach both the Jews and Gentiles. His life has been a blessing and
encouragement to many missionaries in the past, so also today Paul’s life continue to teaches us
what and how we should serve the Lord and the people.
According to Acts, Paul began his third missionary journey by travelling all around the region of
Galatia and Phrygia to strengthen, teach and rebuke the believers. Paul then traveled to Ephesus,
an important center of early Christianity, and stayed there for almost three years, probably
working there as a tentmaker Acts 20:34 as he had done when he stayed in Corinth. He is
claimed to have performed numerous miracles, healing people and casting out demons, and he
apparently organized missionary activity in other regions Paul went through Macedonia into
Achaea Acts 20:1-2 and stayed in Greece, probably Corinth, for three months during 56–57 AD.
He then made ready to continue on to Syria, but he changed his plans and traveled back through
Macedonia because of some Jews who had made a plot against him. as paul and his companion
left Troas, they sailed south Aegean coast until they finally reached Mletus. This would be his
last stop in the province of Asia before making the long journey across the sea toward Jerusalem.
He knew this would be the last time he would ever see the Christians of Asia face to face so he
called for the elders of the Ephesian Church which wasn’t far to meet him in Miletus.
Here Paul gives his farewell address to these church lleaders before he says his last goodbye. He
he reflects on his ministry during his three years in Ephesus and then addresses the uncertaintites
of the of the future. Among Paul’s ministry in Ephesus there ere many triumphs as well as
tragedies but he didn’t regret any of it.
THE MAN WITH NO REGRETS
Paul’s saying his final goodbye to the elders. He’s spent three hard and wonderful years with
them. But now he’s heading to Jerusalem and he wants to exhort them one last time. So he calls
them to him at Miletus about a day’s journey away.
1. DETERMINATION OF PAUL (19 – 21) The quality of being determined firmness of
purpose. People who express determination continue to work to achieve their goals.
What made Paul determined (firm) was the preaching of the gospel, SERVING THE Lord. Here
Paul begins his speech in verse 18 and he used how he lived with them as the example of how
too minister. Paul reviewed his past three year ministry among these elders. He’s not boasting
rather he is explaining. And verse 19 – 21 he explains what he means. Ministering means serving
the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trails boldly teaching everyone publicly and
privately of repentance and faith.
How we preach the gospel matters. What we believe matters and what we do with what we
believe matters because it’s possible to unsay with our actions what we preach with our mouths.
Paul fought hard not to do that. Paul preached with actions, life and by word too. His
determination of the gospel made him so.
The qualities that shows Paul was determined were -
HUMILITY OF PAUL – Paul, before his conversion was not a humble man. Paul served the
Lord as Pharisee. He was very proud and hostile man. He was self righteous person, he believed
himself righteous for keeping the law. But when Paul meet the resurrected Christ, his post
conversion, when he understood the gospel, the humility of Christ, the love of Christ. He came to
the realization what his life is about, he came to realization his life was not about himself. When
he realize it made him humble. It made him humble enough to consider himself as a slave. He
left everything he had. He writes to Corinth in 1: 19 – 23, For the sake of gospel – to the slave I
became slave, to the Jews I became Jews, to the gentile I became gentile, to the weak I became
weak. Paul was so determined for the gospel he consider himself nothing. Paul had known what
does the gospel mean and its need of salvation for the people. Paul shared his life with Ephesus
and they saw his humility in the way he served the Lord. Paul did not act like religious celebrity
and expected people to serve and honor him;; he just wanted to be serving the Lord with all
humility. Today are we determined for the sake of gospel that we can live our inheritance, our
background, our fame, our land, our richness. Can we go and have a meal with the begger in the
NJP train station. We hesitate to do so. Paul wasn’t
Illustration – We were in Bangalore for 3 months bible training, I met sir Sashi there. There was
one sir name Peter. He was sharing his testimony. They were also students, they were said that
next week they are going to have meal with Jesus Christ, so they were asked to buy their favorite
meals. So they bought their own own meals and they were taken to the train station and were
asked to eat that meal. Now it surprising to see what was about to happen. And this sir he went to
one begger, he has not taken bath for 6 years, he is smelly and his hair is long dreadlocked of
dirt, he opened his meal and feed him that begger was in tears and hugged him. That’s how God
has loved us and humbled himself to come down and meet us and hug us. Paul realized this
which humbled himself to serve the Ephesians.
TEARS AND TRIALS OF PAUL – When there are trials there are tears. Paul had faced enough
– plenty of trials which led him into tears. Pauls says in 1 corinthians 15:32 – the Ephesians were
like beasts to him. There was riots over paul’s message and the Jews opposed him as he preached
the gospel. But he endured. He embraced it for the sake of Christ because everything good and
worthwhile is also hard and trying. Paul embraced the trials and tears for the sake of the Lord.
After the conflicts in Phillipi and Ephesus Paul receives threats of imprisonment and death, these
threats are not idle, for indeed two attempts are actually made on his life. Paul was once
persecutor but after conversion now he doesn’t regret the tears rather speaks them of his
ministry. How many trials and tears we have shed down for the sake of the souls or for the sake
of ministry? Illustration - Hudson Taylor
EFFORTS AND COURAGE – In spite of all the trials and plots. Paul says he never hesitated to
preach the gospel. He never hesitated to convey that message, the truth that is helpful to men for
salvation. He says he preached publicly and door to door. He preached to the jews and to the
gentiles and what he preached is the repentance and faith. Paul could solemnly say before these
elders of the ephesian church that he kept back nothing that was helpful. He didn’t only teach the
topics that pleased him. he proclaimed it all. Paul didn’t limit his message, he didn’t limit his
audience either. He wanted to preach all the word of God to all people. It shows the courage of
Paul. A man with epilseply or thorns going out from place to place and teaching is not an easy
task. It takes effort and courage.
Repentance and faith are two pillars of Christian belief. To repent means to change our mind, to
turn from sin to God. Faith is looking to Christ for righteousness. We can’t separate these two.
We cant repent without faith and faith reveals itself in the fruit of repentance. He did not distort
or change the gospel but he declared plainly that repentance to God and faith in Jesus Christ are
necessary to receive salvation from sin and hell. Today our gospel has changed from repentance
and faith to abundance in faith. We are afraid to tell people that they are going to hell. We don’t
talk about hell. We compromised with the gospel. Now days more than faith the number of
believers of matters. The long list of changed name from Ram to Peter matters than the changed
heart and changed person. We preach forgiveness but we don’t preach judgement. Let this be our
content of gospel in our evangelism.
William Carrey –
2. MOTIVATION (22 – 24) - A reason for acting or behaving in a particular way take action in
order to achieve a goal.
What motivated Paul – His call. His task of testifying the good news.
Paul comes to full revelation of his life that his life is nothing more than to complete his race of
testifying the good news. Paul had a good life, a Pharisee, a life of fame and quality, good
earning, a good career. No trials and tears, no need to humble himself, no need to concern for
others life. it was good life. But now Paul has different life, a different view, a eternal, a godly
and purposeful life. And nothing matters to him apart from that goal or purpose of his life. No
matter what happens in life, he has to finish what he was called for. Therefore Paul always
compares his life journey in an athletic term. Like, I have fought the good fight (2 Timothy), I
press on toward the goal to win the prize” (Phill 3: 14) in Gal 2:2 b I wanted to be sure I was not
running and had not been running my race in vain”.
Paul was so faithful towards the call he received from God despite of different circumstances. He
tells to Ephesian elders that he was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem in spite of
not knowing what would happen to him when he got there. He had a sense that he would
eventually be put in prison and suffer greatly, but that was not going to stop him from finishing
the race. He would be faithful even if it cost him his life. In Phillipians 1:21 For to me to live is
in Christ and to die is gain. Yesterdday we heard a preaching – Paul said woe to me if don’t
preach the gospel. In Matthew 13:44 – 45 there is a parable – The Kingdom of heaven is like
treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again and then in his joy he went and
sold all he had and bought that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for
fine pearls when found on of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Paul is this man who has found the treasure in a hidden field, a pearl and he sells everything to
buy it. Paul has understood and realized the value of Christ and His sacrifice on the cross and the
message that has to be found by every man in the world. He gave up everything even His own
life.
Are we willing to give up everything of our life. No we think of our future, we think of our
family, we think of our career, we think of so many things, we thinks just for us – just for me.
inspite of all the achievement and the plans we have if we throw ourselves giving up like Paul he
will use us in ways we could never imagine.
Come out of the comfort Zone
3. DECLARATION AND EXHORATION (25 – 35)
Paul did a lot in Ephesus. In that city God used him to work some amazing miracles. Acts 19:11,
12, 15. Paul was always focused on the life transforming power of the word God, preaching
about the Kingdom of God. Paul says now with sadness and compassion that this would
probably be the last time they saw him and he saw them. Paul had great bond with these
Ephesian leaders. He was in Ephesus for two years and the ministry was so effective that Acts
19:10 says all who dwelt I Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. Then
he gives declaration that his heart was clear. This does not refer to moral innocence but the he
means innoncence form any responsibility should the Ephesian Church fail. He had told them
everything they needed to know to walk well with God, for he declared to them the entire
counsel of God. Whtat Paul says here is that he is clean with respect to any guilt regarding
people’s lives. If they didn’t follow God, it wasn’t his fault. He did everything he could to help
them.
Are we helping others around us know and do everything to walk well with God. Can we invest
our time this much that in the end we can say now I am incocent of anything that happens.
Verse 28 marks a change in the mood of Paul’s farewell address. He leaves the indicative mood
of reflecting on his own ministry and now moves to the imperative mood of challenging the
Ephesian elders to be the leaders that God has called them to be. He begins by challenging them
to be good shepherds. In verse 28 he gives them three commands. First, watch over his your life.
Just as a literal shepherd cannot take care of his sheep unless he takes care of himself—eats,
sleeps, keeps himself safe, etc., there is no way they can take care of their church unless they
take care of themselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally. The second command is to keep
watch over all the flock. Just as a shepherd provides for and protects his sheep, Paul commands
these elders to provide for the spiritual needs and spiritually protect the church. The third
command is simply to “be shepherds of the church of God”. Paul reminds them that it is God’s
church, not theirs; and that Jesus bought it with his own precious blood.
Then in verses 29-31 he warns the elders that savage wolves will come in and attack the flock.
These wolves (people who seek to destroy the church) will come from outside and inside the
church. They will distort the truth and manipulate people away from the faith. It is the shepherd’s
job to watch out for these wolves and protect the sheep.
Church leaders, how carefully are we watching over our lives? Are we making sure that the
physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of our own lives and families are being met? Are we
providing for and protecting the church that God has entrusted to us? If we want to look back on
our lives with no regrets, let us be good shepherds.
Even if you are not a church leader, we have all been called to be shepherds at some level. If you
are married, you are called to shepherd your spouse. If you are a parent, you are called to
shepherd your children. Most of us are pretty good at providing for their physical needs, but are
we providing for their spiritual and emotional needs? Are we protecting them from spiritual
harm? If we want to live with no regrets, let’s be good shepherds!
Word-Centered (32)
As Paul concludes his farewell address, he commits the Ephesian elders to God and specifically
to the “word of his grace.” God’s word has the power and grace to build them up in the faith and
sanctify their souls. Paul knew that for their own benefit and the benefit of the whole church,
they needed to be committed to God’s Word.
Are our lives centered on God’s Word? How well do we know the content of the Bible? How
often do we really read it and think about it? Are we obedient to it? You will never regret the
time you spend reading the Bible!
10.) Hard Work (33-35a)
Throughout Paul’s ministry he was never jealous of anyone else’s money or possessions. He was
not lazy nor did he take advantage of anyone financially. He worked hard as a missionary:
preaching, teaching, counseling, writing, etc. He also labored with his hands making tents and
other leather products to provide his own physical needs and he contributed to the needs of his
companions. His hard work was an example to everyone that benefited from his ministry. If you
read Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, you will discover that Paul had no tolerance for laziness.
Are we people who work hard to provide our needs and the needs of others, or are we the type of
people who just expect other people to take care of us? Proverbs 10:26 says, “As vinegar to the
teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.” No one can stand a lazy
person! Laziness always leads to regret, but hard work brings satisfaction!
11.) Generosity (35b)
Paul’s hard work allowed him to be generous towards others. He reminds the elders of Jesus’
famous words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Paul was always generous and
wanted the Ephesians to live lives of generosity, for this is a characteristic of a life with no
regrets!
Isn’t this the way it is with generosity? I can think of numerous times when I felt compelled to
give, but for one reason or another I didn’t, ant then I regretted it afterwards. On the other hand, I
can’t think of a single time that I have acted in generosity to someone else and regretted it later.
It hurt to give at the time, but I didn’t regret it in the long run. How generous are we?
