Title Farewell Sermon
Contents
2009.12.6. Sunday noon Acts 20:17-24 < Farewell Sermon > Chan 399
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1. How did Paul serve the Lord? (Acts 20: 18-19)
It was all humility and tears. He served the Lord by enduring the tests he had been subjected to because of the wiles of the Jews.
To serve the Lord, we must serve with humility. The Lord humbly carried the cross. We must humbly obey the Word and serve God. When Paul preached the gospel to the Jews, he always suffered because of the Jews. We too are always attacked by Satan and the devil in our religious life. Shaking our faith shakes through people. Shake through the material. Shakes through the environment.
The Exodus saints entered the wilderness and were tested through eating, drinking, and food, clothing, and shelter.
Jesus also said that food, clothing, and food are what the Gentiles seek, and if you seek his kingdom and righteousness first, all these will be added to you.
Luke 9:22 He said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."
Luke 9:23 And he said to the crowds, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Jesus was obedient to the word of God even to the point of death and was crucified.
The saints must also bear the cross of obedience to the word of God even to death.
To take up the cross, you must deny Me. I must take up the cross that denies me every day. We must take up our cross daily in obedience to the word of the Lord. That is serving the Lord.
Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.
Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will surely die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 8:14 All those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.
Romans 8:15 Because you received no more the spirit of bondage to fear, but the spirit of adoption, we cry, Abba, Father.
You shouldn't live according to your comfortable body. If you kill the deeds of the body, you live. To kill it is to carry the cross. Only then can you serve the Lord well. To be led by the Holy Spirit is to serve the Lord. I bless you to become such a saint.
2. How did Paul preach and teach the word of God? (verse 20)
He taught both Jews and Greeks to repent of God.
John the Baptist Matthew 3:7-12 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
Jesus Matthew 4:17 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
Disciples Matthew 10:7, Mark 6:12 “As they went, they preached, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Apostle Paul Acts 20:21 “Repentance toward God”
Acts 26:20 “Do what is worthy of repentance, because it is propaganda”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient with you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”
Repentance is “metanoia”, which means to forsake your will and turn to God into the Word. It means that the Lord's people realize and confess their sins, keep God's way, and serve God according to the purpose of creation.
Paul taught this.
I hope you all change like this.
3. They testified of their faith in Jesus Christ.
It testified that Christ died on the cross and was resurrected. It gives forgiveness of sins to those who believe in it and promises eternal life. Belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
John 20:30 Jesus performed many other signs in front of the disciples that are not written in this book.
John 20:31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
Paul established the church on his third missionary journey. In the process, I suffered tremendous hardship. Through these sufferings, the gospel was preached in Korea today. So I was saved.
And through these hardships, my faith matures. To enter the kingdom of God, you must go through many tribulations. Every day, we must take up our cross and go through the sufferings of obeying the word of God.
Acts 20:22 Behold, now I am bound by my spirit to go to Jerusalem, and I do not know what will happen there.
Acts 20:23 But the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.
Acts 20:24 I do not regard my life as of any value in any way so that I may finish my course and the mission I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
It should be a confession that you will not spare your life for the mission the Lord has given you.
Even if you don't have money, you are poor, or it is difficult, I pray that preaching the gospel while praying will become the priority for you and me.(*)