Title Sermon Evangelist/Acts 20:22-38
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Text: Acts 20:22-38 Title: Farewell Sermon 2 Haeng Kang Hae 57
Date:19970709 Location: Jugok Church
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Last week we looked at the first part of Paul's farewell sermon to the church in Ephesus. Paul recalls the past here and speaks of his activities and attitudes in the last church in Ephesus.
1. His future sufferings (22-27)
① Follow the Holy Spirit
Being bound by the soul (22)
The word ‘in the spirit’ is divided into two views: ‘in the spirit’ and ‘by the spirit’. Many people interpret this to be “bound by the Holy Spirit.” However, given the context and the content of the whole, it is more appropriate to interpret 'in the heart' as saying that one feels a great responsibility to bear in obedience to God's will.
Therefore, the phrase “bound in the spirit” refers to the inner responsibility felt in a situation where Paul had foreseen the sufferings to come, but had to go because it was directed by the Holy Spirit according to the will of God. Paul is on his way to Jerusalem under the bondage of this spirit.
The saints have this ‘history of being bound by their hearts’.
There is a bond with the responsibility of evangelism. There are people who are bound by the responsibility to evangelize someone in the hearts of believers. Some are family members (husbands, wives, parents, children, etc.), some are friends, and some are neighbors.
There are some members who are attached to the responsibility of church planting or construction. In the mind of such a person, I will plant several churches in my lifetime. The heart that the church should be one is what governs and guides him. David's heart to build the temple dominated him.
I hope that you will become obedient saints according to the bondage of our hearts today.
According to the witness of the Holy Spirit (23)
“All I know is that the Holy Spirit raises me up, and imprisonment and tribulation await me in every city.”
The phrase “the Holy Spirit testified to me in every city” means that Paul himself could have been instructed by the Holy Spirit, but in each city, the Holy Spirit told the prophets what would happen to Paul in every city he passed . Acts 21:10-14 shows this situation directly. When the Holy Spirit told Paul what things he had to go through in Jerusalem, he was telling Paul to prepare to face suffering, and we will see them suffer in obedience to the instructions of the Holy Spirit.
The direction of the Holy Spirit is to follow the Word.
I hope that you will become obedient saints according to the Holy Spirit.
② To fulfill the mission
Acts 20:24 “But if I run my course and complete the mission I received from the Lord Jesus, that is, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace, my life is not worth it at all.”
Where do you put your purpose in life? Paul is saying that even if the end of his life comes, as long as he fulfills the mission the Lord has given him, it will be enough. Because the goal of his life is to fulfill the mission the Lord has given him. It is his mission to witness the gospel. The salvation of souls is his mission. This is the goal of life.
What is the purpose of our life today? Success, wealth, fame? This is not forever. The only goal is to save souls. Believe that there is an eternal reward.
Making money is also for the salvation of souls.
Raising children is also for the salvation of souls.
For the salvation of souls no matter who you meet.
The purpose of dialogue is also to save souls.
Paul was thus faithful to death for the Lord. Nevertheless, bondage and tribulation await him. In this situation, Paul did not regard his life as precious and obeyed the Lord, willing to die. He obeyed, knowing he would never see the Ephesians again.
Paul wanted to preach the gospel of the Lord, and for the gospel of the Lord, no job, no job, no life, no youth, no marriage, no wealth, all that matter, I did my best for the gospel I'll do my best to live i will die This is the heart. Why was Paul able to give the most moving influence in 2,000 years of Christian history? Such martyrdom faith, eschatological resolution, and love for the Lord are what change people in this way. Why are our lives and beliefs not having a great impact on the world? It is a topic for each person to think about.
③ clean life
Clean from the blood of all men. Paul was zealous for the salvation of every soul. Therefore, they are clean of their blood.
Ezekiel 3:17-21 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel; listen to my mouth and warn them on my behalf. Unless you tell him to turn from his evil way and save his life, the wicked will die in his iniquity, but I will find the price of his blood at your hand, and you will enlighten the wicked, unless he turns from his evil heart and evil deeds, he You will die in iniquity, but you will preserve your life. And when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will not remember the righteousness he has already done; but if I put a stumbling block before him, he will die, because you do not understand him, and he will die in his sins. The price of the blood I will find at your hand.”
Sin is said to be his problem. Of course, sin is your problem. You are also responsible for not believing in Jesus. However, if you preach Jesus and do not believe, you are responsible for yourself, but if you do not believe because you did not preach Jesus, the person who did not believe is not only responsible, but also the person who did not preach Jesus is responsible for the price of blood.
Isn't it worth the blood I have to bear today?
May you become a saint who is clean from the blood of all people.
3. Warnings for the Elders (28-35)
Paul's message of judgment and request to the leaders of the church in Ephesus
① Don't
The word “abstention” is used to mean “concentrate your attention,” “make every effort,” and “pay attention,” and it means that you can properly handle your stewardship only if you conduct yourself properly. This is the attitude that leaders of the church should have today.
Concerned about the soul, the office of the church is not honor, but service and service. A merely ruling office is a wrong office. Therefore, the leader of the church must care for the soul above all else. Because this is the reason we have established church leaders. The higher the office of the church, the more you need to pay attention to all souls, pray for them, and dedicate yourself to them.
We must do our best in spiritual matters. Church officers should do their best in spiritual work. It is basic to come to a public service. Do not think that you have done your spiritual work with this. It is a basic task that any saint should of course do. The life of the Word, the life of prayer, the life of holiness, the life of obedience, the life of humility, etc., should be given the highest priority and attention should be paid to.
Paul gives three reasons for doing so.
The first is for yourself. The leader of the church is a person who has been established as a spiritual being. First, your own spirit must live. Those whose spirit is dead are useless to the kingdom of God. Whatever position you have, what will you use it for? What will those who do not hear the voice of God do? How can a person who does not obey him lay down his life for the kingdom of God?
No matter how hard you attend church, serve many people, and work hard, what good is it if you die and go to hell? Therefore, I must refrain from it because I have to live first.
Second, it must be abstained for the sake of the flock. The church grows as much as the leader of the church, and the members grow. It must be clearly realized that the church lives only when the leaders of the church are alive. Because if the blind lead the blind, they will all die together. It goes without saying that the dead cannot lead the living.
A flock can only grow well if the shepherd takes good care of it and gives it a good goal. A baby who sucks on a mother who doesn't eat properly can't grow up properly. Therefore, the leader of the church should be abstained for the sake of the flock.
Ex) Church air conditioner
Third, we must refrain from building it for the church he bought with his own blood. The church was purchased with the blood of the Lord. Jesus died on the cross and the church was built on it. To pay the price of blood is so precious, valuable, and precious. It is precious because he gave the only begotten Son of God and established the church. You have a responsibility to nurture and govern this, so you should refrain from doing so.
② Beware of heresy
Beware of the vicious wolves. The evil wolf refers to the pagan ideology prevailing at the time.
It refers to the group of ‘Satan’, and the leader of the church must always be awake to prevent the intrusion of evil spirits. They do not spare the flock and speak sloppy words. The leader of the church is one who truly loves the flock and lives for the soul of the flock. But the wolves, with their twisted words, lead their flocks to death.
Therefore, the leaders of the church must always be spiritually awake. We should not be quick to the knowledge of the world, the reason of the world, the news of the world, or the calculation of the world, but we should be quick to the spiritual knowledge, the spiritual reason, the spiritual news, and the spiritual calculation.
③ Remember the beginning of the church in Ephesus (31)
Paul suggests that the leaders of the church should take this attitude by presenting their past behaviors. Remember the days and nights you rested and admonished with tears. With concern for and love for souls, he prayed with tears day and night, and did not stop groaning for them. It means to serve with tears.
④ Ask the Word (32)
Even though Paul was leaving, God and the Word of God they had received, the word of grace that redeems and sanctifies us, is with us, so he asked the Lord and the Word. What does this mean? It means to stand on the word.
Believers must stand firm on the word of God.
⑤ Set an example. (33-35)
He exemplified the material life.
4. Break up (36-38)
Parting of tears and prayer