God-Honoring Ministry Part 5

for several weeks, don’t be misled,
though it says part five, we’re really only on point four, because
we laid some groundwork in those, in that first week. We are looking at the marks of
God-honoring ministry, the marks of a God-honoring ministry, and
we’re specifically looking at Paul’s example, which he sets
forth in detail here in this chapter. Paul had stopped at
a tiny little port city named Miletus, and he had called to
himself the elders from the church in Ephesus, and he is having,
essentially, an impromptu shepherds’ conference here, He is not only
exhorting these men, but he’s giving them one after the other
examples to be followed in the course of Christian ministry.
Paul had a very unique relationship with the Ephesians, as we have
seen. Even this testimony comes off as almost businesslike. There’s
no beating around the bush. Paul gets right to his point.
And if you would, we would do likewise again, beginning in
verse 17 of Acts chapter 20. Where Paul wrote from Miletus,
he sent to Ephesus and called to himself the elders of the
church. And when they had come to him,
He said to them, you yourselves know from the first day that
I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time serving
the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials, which
came upon me through the plots of the Jews. how I did not shrink
from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching
you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to
both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ. And now, behold, bound in spirit,
I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen
to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies
to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life
of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course
in the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify
solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. And now I behold,
I know that all of you among whom I went about preaching the
kingdom will no longer see my face. Therefore, I testify to
you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for
I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock among which
the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. to shepherd the church
of God, which he purchased with his own blood. I know that after
my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing
the flock. And from among your own selves,
men will arise speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples
after them. Therefore, be on the alert, remembering
that night and day for a period of three years, I did not cease
to admonish each one with tears. And now I commend you to God
and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up
and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver
or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these
hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with
me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this
manner, you must help the weak and remember the words of the
Lord Jesus that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than
to receive. When he had said these things,
he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep
aloud and embraced Paul and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially
over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face
again. And they were accompanying him to the ship. As we have seen,
Paul called the elders to himself. That is the leadership of the
church. And then Paul begins on this course of making these
numerous, 20 in all, 20 I statements. And we’ve acknowledged that either
Paul was an egotist and Paul was only wanting to draw attention
to himself. which cannot possibly be the
case, or Paul was being bold enough to set himself as an example
before these other godly leaders, leaders of the church, and Paul
did exactly that. Paul even calls to mind how he
had lived among them. He calls to their memory the
way that he had conducted himself. And we’ve already begun to identify
some of these marks of a God-honoring ministry. We find ourselves just
about halfway today. In looking at Paul’s personal
testimony of his life and ministry, we saw first of all that this
ministry that honors God or a ministry that honors God is characterized
first of all by undaunted service. It is service, but it is a service
that will not quit. It is a service that in the face
of trials, in the face of difficulties, in the face of challenges, in the face of opposition, It
continues on in service. It’s undaunted service. The second
feature that we saw of this God honoring ministry is that it’s,
it bears a commitment to proclaiming the gospel, not just ministry
in general, not just some kind of service to humanity, to mankind,
but a commitment, an all out commitment to proclaiming the
gospel. and we looked at that passage, the word gospel isn’t
woven into that passage, that as we backed away and looked
at the data, that’s the only thing that Paul could be talking
about, that which is profitable, that which was spoken as hope
to both the Jews and the Greeks, that which involves repentance
from sin and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. He’s talking about
the gospel. Last week, we dealt with the
third mark A third mark of a God-honoring ministry was the faith in God
to proceed into the unknown. We found that in verses 22 and
23, where Paul said, now behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way
to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. Now
he knew that it couldn’t be good. He had enough reports. He said
that every city, there were testimonies toward that end. He knew that
it couldn’t be good, But Paul was willing to go regardless.
And I take that to mean from the numerous biblical passages
which urge that upon us, that we too need to be trusting in
our relationship with God, even when there is no clarity. We
need to move forward when God has told us to move, even when
we don’t see the end. Even when we don’t see even the
logical reason for it. We need to move, we need to be
faithful, we need to trust God. We come to the fourth mark of
a God-honoring ministry this morning. From Paul’s personal
testimony of his own life and ministry, a ministry that honors
God is characterized not only by undaunted service and a commitment
to proclaiming the gospel, the faith in God to proceed into
the unknown, but number four, a selfless dedication to the
work of God. a selfless dedication to the
work of God and you find that point in verse 24. Where Paul says, but I do not
consider my life of any account as dear to myself so that I may
finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord
Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul knew the tone that was in Jerusalem, Paul knew the accusations
that had been leveled about him and really had dogged his steps
on all of his missionary journeys. He knew that the Jews were not
only trying to taint the gospel, but they were trying to undermine
the gospel and that he had become a very real enemy to them. And so Paul knew to some degree
what lie ahead in Jerusalem, but that didn’t matter. Paul
said, I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself. Now that little sentence or phrase,
that needs to be understood. We need to be careful how we
go about this. Because life is precious, life
is beautiful. If there’s anything that characterizes
our own day and age is a low view of life. Between abortion
and murder and all that we see in life and in our society, there’s
a very low view of life. Kind of a laissez-faire, who
cares, we’re just as the trees anyway and when we die, we die.
It doesn’t say that Paul didn’t care about life. I believe Paul
was very thankful to God for the life that he’d been given.
And he, like any child of God, was thankful for the blessing
for the days that we have on earth. They are a blessing. And
we ought to rejoice in each one of them. We ought to number our
days as the Psalms say. We ought to consider each one
a special gift from God and treat them accordingly. What Paul was
saying here instead was that comparatively speaking, Paul’s
life and even his ministry paled in comparison to the greater
plan of redemption that God had mapped out. We know that Paul
valued life. We know that Paul valued his
time on earth. It was Paul, after all, that
said in the midst of all of those idols in Acts 17, the God who
made the world and all things in it, since he is Lord of heaven
and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor
is he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since
he gives to all people. Life and breath in all things. Those are things essentially
that Paul says ought to be the very groundwork of our worship.
We ought to come in and worship God if for nothing else for those
things. Life and breath and all things. Paul was thankful. Paul was a
thankful man. But when it’s stacked up against
the ministry, the gospel ministry and the greater cause of the
plan of redemption, Paul couldn’t put his life in the way of that. Paul couldn’t put his life in
the way of interfering with God’s plan of redemption. Consider
for a moment, why would Paul say this partial sentence? I do not consider my life of
any account as dear to myself. Why would Paul say such a thing? He says it. Because for the most
part, people do value their lives above anything else and everything
else. By and large, we cultivate a
self-preservation that would even interfere with the gospel
ministry. Most people love, rather because
of their love for themselves, exercise a greater fear of man
that wants to kind of take the smooth course and not ruffle
any feathers, not create a stir, not to get into any conflict
with mankind, even Christians. Even Christians so often stoop
to that place where, rather than create discomfort, even for the
cause of the gospel, because we love our life, we love our
comfort. Most, not only because of the
love of a fear of man, a love of themselves and a fear of man,
the fear of the devil. We don’t want to provoke the
devil. We don’t want to stir him up. We don’t want him as
an avowed enemy, and so we lie low. We figure the safe course
is the mild course, the non-radical course. Why would Paul say this? Because
I think it’s the majority report of even believers. that we do
consider our lives so precious that it would be better to recoil
in fear and to take the easy route in life than to stir the
pot and to have our life taken from us. In baseball, there’s a play called
The Sacrifice Play. It doesn’t cost anybody their
life, but it’s an interesting relationship here to what Paul’s
talking about. Where one player literally, either
by bunt or by fly ball, sacrifices himself as an out to get the
runner, usually at third base, in across the plate. It’s an
interesting image that Paul, in essence, is willing to exercise
a sacrifice play on his own behalf. Paul’s willing to sacrifice himself
if it means the greater cause of the gospel. There are other parallels. You
think of those in military and in law enforcement. Risking their
lives as being less important than the mission assigned to
them. That was Paul. Paul was literally
willing to charge the hill alone. And to risk his life even to
give his life. If he had known by going to Jerusalem
that he was going to be killed there, I believe Paul still would
have gone. Paul was willing to risk his
life as the greatest soldier of any army. To risk it for the
greater cause, for the greater mission of the gospel. You think
of missionaries who are told repeatedly that the difficult
place in which they purpose to go is laid out before them as
being an impossible field. and who nonetheless go, they
go willingly. I think of one of my heroes of
the faith, Jim Elliott, who went knowing full well that his life
was in jeopardy. And he ultimately paid with two
of his friends the great cause or the great cost of serving
Christ. God’s work and the kingdom And
Paul’s part in it was more important than life itself to Paul. It
was comparative. It’s not that Paul was reckless.
It’s not that Paul was careless. It’s not that Paul was foolish.
It’s not that Paul didn’t have faith. He had great faith. But
it was a faith that was willing to be spent for the kingdom.
Let me take you, if I could, to almost a rolling example that
he gives to the Philippian church. Please turn to the book of Philippians. Over and over again to the Philippians,
Paul lays forth this principle that his life was less important
than the mission of the gospel itself. When I studied and preached
the book of Philippians, I titled this section Pawned. Taking that
image of the chess match where you have those players that are
expendable. You use them for that purpose.
You use them knowing that they’re going to be wiped out, wiped
off the board. They’re merely pawns. And that’s how Paul seems
to consider himself. Certainly he knew his giftedness.
He knew his usefulness to God. He knew that he was one of several
that was really carrying forth the gospel in its initial phases
to the entire world. But Paul kept it in perspective
and he knew that God could complete this work with or without him. In Philippians chapter one, look
at verse 12. Now I want you to know, brethren,
that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress
of the gospel. Now his circumstances, mind you,
included having been arrested in Jerusalem, carted up to Rome,
imprisoned under house arrest, and it’s there that he writes
these series of prison epistles, of which Philippians is one. My circumstances have turned
out for the greater progress of the gospel so that my imprisonment
in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole
praetorian guard and to everyone else. Now that in itself is a
selfless dedication to the work of God. He said, who cares that
I’m imprisoned as long as the gospel is flourishing because
of it. But he goes on. Look at verse 14. and that most
of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment,
there’s that enlarging again, they were literally seeing Paul,
seeing his testimony in the prison, knowing that it was for unjust
charges that he was being held, knowing that it was for the cause
of the gospel, and watching him deal with it so joyfully that
others were coming to Christ. That is a selfless dedication
to the work of God. But he goes on, most of the brethren
trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment have far more
courage to speak the word of God without fear. In other words,
Paul says, it’s almost better that I’m in prison because now
that’s unleashed everybody. Amazing. And he puts it in perspective,
verse 15, some to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy
and strife. But some also from goodwill.
The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for
the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out
of selfish ambition. In other words, they were trying
to create their own little thing. They were trying to create their
own little following. Forget Paul, he’s in prison anyway.
instead of from pure motives, and they thought that in doing
so they would cause Paul some kind of distress, verse 17. But
Paul, and listen to this, I mean, selfless dedication to the work
of God. Look at verse 17. What then? It’s almost as if he says, who
cares? Who cares what their motives are? Only that in every way,
whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. And in
this, I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice. Paul doesn’t talk about
himself. Paul doesn’t dwell on his pitiful
condition. Paul doesn’t dwell on the fact
that he was in chains. Paul doesn’t dwell on his loss
of freedom. What Paul dwells on is the fact
that the gospel was flourishing. It’s almost as if God had designed
this arrest, and he had. Paul doesn’t Ever, if you think
of all the pages of scripture, Paul doesn’t dwell or kind of focus in on his miserable
condition. He speaks of it usually in passing. He doesn’t focus on the chains
that bound him. He doesn’t focus on his lack
of freedom. He doesn’t focus on his mistreatment
at the hands of these heathen guards. What he always goes to
is the benefit to the gospel. One commentator put it this way,
nowhere does Paul dwell on the hardships of his lot, but always
has set before his readers its hopeful features. Paul had intended
to visit Rome after his work in Asia and Greece, but he had
not expected to be carried there as a prisoner. Yet this very
circumstance was undoubtedly a help to his work. His acquaintance
with the soldiers obtained for him an opening at Rome, even
in Caesar’s household, which he never would have been afforded
otherwise. Remember at the close of the
book of Romans, all those names and how many names we saw were
very likely names from Caesar’s own household. That would have
never happened. Never would have happened had Paul not been carded
against his will to Rome. Paul speaks of all of this as
momentary light affliction. When he wrote to the Corinthians
he said, momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal
weight of glory far beyond all comparison. Let me have you turn to another
verse in Philippians. Philippians 121, you know the verse. You
probably have it memorized. For me to live is Christ and
to die is gain. It is a selfless dedication to
the work of God that Paul is manifesting. Paul knew of sin. Paul knew that the consequence
of sin is death as he detailed in the book of Romans. Death,
Paul knew, was the great enemy of mankind. But for Paul, the sooner that God might take
him, the sooner that Paul might embrace death itself, was actually
a profit to him personally, a gain. Because that meant that Paul
would be in heaven with Christ for eternity. Death, said one, is no enemy
to whom Christ is all. And that was Paul. Paul had a
selfless dedication. Paul was eager to go and be with
Christ, but he wasn’t reckless. Turn, if you would, to chapter
two, where you have another remarkable statement by Paul that really
characterizes or is characterized by this selfless dedication to
the work of God. Look at verse 17 of chapter two. Where Paul says, but even if
I am being poured out as a drink offering, upon the sacrifice
and service of your faith, I rejoice, I rejoice rather, and I share
my joy with you all. After all, Paul says, I am in
prison. And this very likely could mean
my martyrdom. It could lead to my death. And even though I’ve said death
is my profit, I would profit if I were to be put to death,
death is a real possibility for me. And if so, he uses that Old
Testament imagery of being poured out as a drink offering before
the Lord, a sacrifice. It’s not that his life didn’t
mean anything. It’s that he kept it in perspective.
One pastor writing about that statements that it might be the
will of God. Circumstances seem to render
it not improbable that soon, in his providence, it might be
shown to be his will, that to complete the sacrifice, the apostle’s
blood should be shed in martyrdom. And when he says that, it should
be so, that he would make this drink offering with joy, entrusted
that his Christian friends, through grace, would be enabled to rejoice
with him. It was the greater cause of the
gospel. It’s the work of God, that if Paul were to be taken
as a martyr, so be it. Paul was ready to go. Paul was ready, even in his current
circumstances, that if he remained locked up for the remainder of
his days and the gospel continue to flourish, so be it. If the
Lord were to allow him to be taken at human hands under unjust
punishment, so be it. The greater cause of the gospel.
You wonder, where did Paul get this remarkable understanding?
It came from Christ. It came from Christ, it’s Christ’s
perspective after all. Look back just a few verses to
verse five. Have this attitude in yourselves,
which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the
form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.
But he emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant and
being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance
as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point
of death, even death on a cross. See, Paul is setting himself
as an example, but Paul was looking to the example of the Lord Jesus
Christ for all of this. And he said, if Jesus Christ
didn’t withhold his standing with God, his place in heaven,
then how could I be justified in packing it up and going home,
in refusing to go and be used by God, even in the course of
such grave reports, Philippians chapter 3 verse 8,
if you would look at that one last verse. We’re just picking
up that theme, that theme in the book of the Philippians where
Paul is just articulating his selfless dedication to the work
of God. Look at verse 8 of chapter 3.
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing
value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things and count them but rubbish so that I may
gain Christ. Paul wasn’t looking at incidental
things. He was looking at the very choicest
elements of his religious life up to this point. His standing
before God as a Jew, his training, all of that was nothing to him
if for Christ. I love the way one pastor characterized
that. He said, it’s not easy. It’s
very hard for the soul to come to this point. Selflessness. where the gospel and the flourishing
of the gospel means more than our own selfish needs. To part
with many worldly possessions or pleasures would be comparatively
an easy thing. But in renouncing any thought
of merit in connection with the surrender of things for Christ
lies great difficulty. Do you hear what he’s saying?
Paul had even relinquished any merit that would come his way
because of this, selfless. Demeanor that he had taken on
He said if men felt that by giving up all things that they earned
salvation so that they might possess Christ and also with
him a pride of their heart and their own surrender having Deserved
him that sacrifice would be light in other words you you have your
return in full But Paul said look I’m not earning
my salvation by this I willfully and willingly lay these things
aside, I want to be as selfless as any man alive in these things. And that doesn’t gain me one
bit of God’s mercy. To cast away all, and yet to
know that Christ is to us simply and absolutely the gift of God. This is felt by the pride of
the natural heart. to be very hard. We don’t find
it easy to become selfless. We want something for our selflessness,
which is not selfless at all. For Paul, it was all about the
gospel, and if it cost him his life and he gained nothing, Paul
was willing. Paul was willing to be pawned,
willing to suffer, willing to risk his life, willing to die
if need be. For what? Look back at the verse. I do not consider my life of
any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course
and the ministry. And may I just stop and point
that when Paul talks about his course and the ministry, he’s
not talking about two different things. That I’ve got this path,
this course, this avenue to walk, and oh by the way, there’s over
here this ministry, they’re one and the same. Paul’s talking
about his course of life, which was the ministry. And it’s very important to note
that when Paul talks about this course, he’s talking about literally
the race, which is an image that he uses over and over again,
the Christian life. It’s the Christian life, which
was for him, nothing but the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul used that metaphor also
in 1 Corinthians 9 where also he’s dealing with self-sacrifice.
Just listen this time. 1 Corinthians 9 24. Do you not
know that those who run in a race all run but only one wins the
prize? I mean it’s just a simple illustration. He’s talking about
a race course. He’s talking about either a track
or about a long distance race where only one wins the race. And then the challenge is run
in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the
games exercises self-control in all things. There must be
a self-sacrifice. There must be a selflessness
in ministry. They do it to receive a perishable
wreath, but we an imperishable. You talk about motivation. Motivation
to be what God has called us to be. He says that if you go
and enter in and sign up for a race, you might, if you run
and you train and you win the race, you might win a prize.
In this case, a crown. But it’s the Christian life that
he’s talking about. It’s the Christian ministry. It’s serving
Christ. And if you run in this race and you train and you’re
used by God and you win here, an imperishable wreath. No wonder Paul says, therefore
I run in such a way as not without aim. I’m just not out running
here and there, running about. But I’m purposed. I’m focused.
I box in such a way as not beating the air. I discipline my body.
I make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I
myself will not be disqualified. See, the Christian life, the
race will last as long as life endures. You can’t just go out
of the gates and run so hard and so fast and so furiously
that you burn out. But Paul says that there’s cause
here to run in such a way as to win. To run in such a way
that you’re focused. Paul is nowhere near the end
of his course, nowhere near the end of his ministry here when
he writes these things. And in a very real sense, every
believer is on a course, every believer is in a race marked
out for him. I’ve been cultivating a friendship
with another brother here in town. He’s not a runner, but
his daughter was a runner. And his challenge to her at a
moment where it was easy to quit was just simple. He said, kick
it in. Reach down and grab that extra
something that you need to persevere. Quitting is always done too early.
And that’s what we need to do in the Christian life, isn’t
it? That’s what we need to do in the course of our own Christian
ministries is kick it in. In our mind, it’s always time
to quit, but for the cause of the gospel ministry, we need
to kick it in. We need to persevere in what
Christ has called us to. We need to finish our course.
We need to finish the race. And he gives us great motivation.
Why? Because we receive it from the
Lord Jesus himself. Look at the verse. I do not consider
my life as of any account as dear to myself so that I may
finish my course and the ministry which I receive from the Lord
Jesus.” Now if we just took that phrase right there and reminded
us every day who gave us these gifts, who gave us this opportunity,
who gave us these challenges, we’d never quit. We couldn’t
quit on the Savior who refused to quit on us. If we remembered for a moment
that every gift that we have is a grace gift, an undeserved
gift from God himself, all ministries are. Every opportunity that we
have to serve Christ or serve the people of Christ is a grace
gift from God. Paul’s talking here about his
own commissioning and it’s a fascinating story. Turn if you would to Book
of Acts. Acts chapter nine specifically. I’ll tell you a little story
as we’re turning. My ministry training or my start of my ministry
started not in college or not with college age people, certainly
not in a church as a pastor or an elder. It started in a little
Sunday school class with fifth grade boys. And I signed up for
this and I went in and I said, where’s the material? They said,
we don’t have any materials, just the Bible. I said, which
book are we studying? They said, that’s up to you.
So I picked the book of Acts. It sounded like a reasonable
place to start. We came to this passage, fascinating
thing. When I read this verse, I knew
exactly how the Lord would structure the remainder of our Sunday school
class. Pick up with me, if you would, in verse one. Saul, still
breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the
Lord, went to the high priest and asked for letters from him
to the synagogues at Damascus so that if he found any belonging
to the way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to
Jerusalem. As he was traveling, it happened,
that as he was approaching Damascus and suddenly a light from heaven
flashed around him and he fell to the ground and heard a loud
voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And
he said, who are you Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom
you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city and it
will be told what you must do. The men who were traveling with
him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one.
Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open,
he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, they
brought him to Damascus, and he was three days without sight,
and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus
named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias,
and he said, here I am, Lord. And the Lord said to him, get
up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the
house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is
praying. And he has seen in a vision a
man named Ananias. Come and lay his hands on him
so that he might receive or regain his sight. But Ananias answered,
Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm
he did to your saints at Jerusalem, and here he has authority from
the chief priest to bind all who call on your name. But the
Lord said to him, go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine
to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel,
for I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s
sake. Ananias did exactly that. The
part that really seized me about this was that little word instrument. It’s the word that would be used
in that day and age for a tool and implement a weapon. And so
what we did was we drew, sketched out all kinds of different tools.
Hammers and chisels and pliers and screwdrivers and every different
kind of tool that we could think of. And then we decided every
time we come across some way that God used Paul, we’re gonna
put that verse up with a tool on our little bulletin board.
And God used it in these young men’s life to show them, just
like God was showing Paul how many different ways that he would
be used by God. God had put him in service, that’s
the point. God had called him into service,
God had put him in service, and over and over again through the
New Testament passages, Paul cites this. Three times he says
to Timothy, I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has strengthened
me because he considered me faithful, putting me into service. 1 Timothy 2.7, I was appointed
a preacher and an apostle. 2 Timothy 1.11, I was appointed
a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. In his letter to the
Corinthians, Paul spoke of the appointment of ministry as an
act of God’s mercy. It’s always an act of God’s mercy. There wouldn’t be anybody in
ministry. Second Corinthians 4.1, since we have received this,
since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy. What a humble view. What a humble
view of being used by God. And only a few verses later,
Paul reiterates that truth. and the grand purpose for which
he’s called. 2 Corinthians 5.18, all these
things are from God who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Same word that he uses here. Paul was in God’s service. Paul
was in God’s service because God had called and put him there. Paul stood before King Agrippa. The fascinating thing, he recounts
detail from Acts chapter nine that Luke didn’t record. Paul tells Agrippa in the course
of his testimony that God had told him, get up, stand on your
feet. That part is recorded in the
book of Acts, but what follows isn’t. Get up, stand on your
feet, for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you
a minister, a servant, and a witness, not only to the things which
you have seen, but also to the things which I will appear to
you. The things that I’m gonna show
you over the next course of years, you are going to be the witness. You’re gonna have a testimony. No wonder Paul had a selfless
dedication to the work of God because he remembers something
that we too often forget. That our ministries, our callings,
that little gift that we don’t think of much, that we think
is unimportant or less important than others. Paul
remembered that his gift was given to him by none other than
the Lord Jesus Christ. If we would remember just that,
it would revolutionize the way that we serve. Paul was selflessly
dedicated to God’s work precisely because he remembered from whom
he had received his commissioning. God had asked him to do this. Perhaps you have at home, a special
gift. Is the gift a special gift because
of the nature of the thing itself? Or is it special because of the
one from whom it was given? That was the case with Paul’s
ministry. Specifically, what was that ministry? Paul closes with that. I do not
consider my life of any account as dear to myself so that I may
finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord
Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. Particularly for the Apostle
Paul, it was the ministry and the proclamation of the gospel. In essence, what this phrase
does is define what ministry consisted of. And we’ve already
observed that Paul has already made this point. It was our point
number two, commitment to proclaiming the gospel. Paul had that. But
it’s here that he says that, look, he’s selfless, that his
life is nothing in comparison with the gospel ministry itself. No wonder he was able to endure
So much hardship, so much difficulty. Hungry and thirsty, as he said
in the book of 1 Corinthians. Homeless, persecuted, afflicted. 2 Corinthians 4, perplexed, persecuted,
struck down. 2 Corinthians 6, afflictions, hardships,
distresses, beatings, imprisonments. No wonder he was able to endure
all those things. Because his task was the great
cause of the gospel ministry. Paul did finish his race. He looked for the finish line
with great eagerness. And he wanted to get there whole.
He wanted to get there having done what God called him to do. Perhaps some of the last words
that Paul ever wrote, 2nd Timothy 4, I’m already being poured out
as a drink offering that image again, sacrifice for the sake
of the gospel. The time of my departure has
come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. In the
future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day.
And you say, oh, What a neat ministry the Apostle Paul had.
It was not just for him. In the future there is laid up
for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous
judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but
to all who have loved his appearing. Not only the prospect of the
Judaizers and their attempt to thwart his efforts, not only
the brutal hostilities of the Gentile merchants who literally
ran him out of town, not even the threat of heathen rulers
and what they might threaten him, nothing was more important
to Paul than pleasing God in the course of his calling. Nothing should be more important
to us. Let’s go before our king. O merciful God, we thank you
for allowing us this privilege of pondering Acts chapter 20
in Paul’s testimony and examining our own life and our own ministries
in light of Paul’s great testimony. Lord, there is much, much baggage,
much encumbrance that we, by your grace, would lay aside.
We desire to be faithful like Paul was faithful. We desire
to finish our course. We desire to be faithful to the
end. We desire to please you in our
various callings, in the exercise of our own gifts. We desire to
glorify you in the course of our Christian life and in the
conduct of our own ministry of the gospel. Father, thank You
for allowing us this time to ponder Acts 20 and Paul’s great
example for us. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray.
Amen. As we close, if you would take
your hymnal and turn to 585, take my life and let it be consecrated.