The Book of Acts tells how the early Church grew after Jesus’ ascension. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, giving believers power to preach boldly. Peter and Paul were key leaders in spreading the gospel, which moved from Jerusalem to the Gentile world. Even through persecution, the Church grew strong through prayer, unity, and generosity. God used ordinary people, including former enemies like Paul, to carry out His mission. Christians today are called to be Spirit-filled, faithful, and bold as they continue the work that began in Acts.
[Music] My good friends, it is good to see you
this morning. How are you? I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. Acts of the Apostles, chapter
20 is where we are today. But before we continue, I want to share this thing with you. In Psalm
126:1, it says, “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that
dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among
the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.” I pray this day that the LORD will turn
that trial, that challenge, that opposition around for His own glory and for your own good.
That you will come out of it better and stronger, having the consciousness that if God allow them to
come to you, He will also give you that shoulder and the strength to come out victorious. If you
believe that the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall perform this today in your life, say Amen in the
name of Jesus Christ. And everybody said, Amen. My good friends, uh let me give you a summary of
what we covered last week in Acts of the Apostles chapter 19. Paul already in the middle of his
um third missionary journey. Remember he started uh from Syria and then he went to the region of
Galatia and uh there he visited the churches that he planted. He encouraged them and strengthened
them. From there he went to Ephesus. This will be his second time going to Ephesus. There he
met some disciples and uh he asked them, Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?
And they said, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. So Paul asked
them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. So Paul explained to
them the difference between the baptism of John and the believer’s baptism. And he laid hands on
them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost. And uh he went to the synagogue in Ephesus. There
he was reasoning with the people for three months. But when opposition came up, Paul took his
disciples and went to the school of Tyrannus. He was there for two years. And uh Ephesus
became the base for the spreading of the gospel in Asia. Now God also did extraordinary
miracles through Paul, so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs and
aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Some of the
Jewish itinerant exorcists went around trying to use the name of Jesus Christ as a magical formula
to cast out demons, especially the seven sons of Sceva. But it backfired, because the evil spirit
answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil
spirit was leaped on them, overcame them, and prevailed against them. They fled out of
that house naked and wounded. It was a very big lesson that for you to use the name of Jesus
Christ, you must have a relationship with Him. As a result of this, so many people came to
faith in Christ Jesus in Ephesus. And those who believed brought their magical
books and burned them publicly. So last week we covered um about a silversmith
named Demetrius, who also engaged his fellow craftsmen. He told them about what Paul was doing,
that soon they would be out of business, because Paul was going around telling people that things
made with hands are not gods. As a result of this, they started a riot and gathered in a theatre.
Many people were there, even those who did not know the reason why people gathered were there
also, shouting, Great is Diana of the Ephesians! Paul wanted to go in there to address them, but
his friends stopped him, which was wisdom. But then the city clerk finally calmed the crowd
down and told them there is a legal channel to go about things like that. If Demetrius and
his craftsmen wanted to bring something against Paul and his companions, they should go to court.
The proconsuls are there to listen to them. And uh the city clerk was able to calm down the
uproar. That’s what we covered last week. So with that, let’s have a word of prayer and
then we’ll dive into today’s teaching. Holy God, immortal God, how grateful are we to always
come in Your presence with expectation to receive from Your Holy Spirit. David said, “I
was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” In Your presence,
O LORD, is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore. We call
to remembrance what You told us about Your Word: For ever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in heaven;
that You will watch over Your Word to perform it; and heaven and earth shall pass away, but My
words shall not pass away. Father, having the confidence of these promises, we want to know more
and more of Your Word. So we say, teach us today by Your Holy Spirit. Please give us revelation,
knowledge, and understanding, guidance, direction, and light. We purpose to be doers of the Word, and
not hearers only. So help us today, Spirit of God. Father, we want to thank You for Your
goodness toward us, for the precious blood of Jesus Christ that washed away all
our sins, for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, for the promises of a glorified body and
eternity. We don’t take these things for granted. So with the joy in our heart and Your people in
one accord today we lift up our voice saying, All the glory, honor, power, majesty, and
dominion belong to You for ever and ever, in the matchless name of Jesus
Christ. And everybody said, Amen. It is a pleasant thing, a joyful thing to
study the Word of God. The Word of God is the light we have. The Word of God is our
guide. The Word of God is our encouragement. The Word of God is our strength. Especially
in the time we live, so many things going on. So many distractions, so many false teachers,
so many abominations in the world. So we need a daily load of the Word of God to keep
standing, to keep being that victor which Jesus Christ has called every one of us to be.
So I encourage you every day to spend time in the Word of God. It is a good thing to do, so
that you’ll be strengthened every single day. Let’s go ahead and start Acts of the Apostles
chapter 20. I read from verse 1: And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the
disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. And when he had gone over
those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, and there abode three
months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed
to return through Macedonia. And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the
Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of
Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. These going before tarried for us at Troas. And we sailed away
from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five
days; where we abode seven days. So after the uproar in Ephesus, remember the
one that Demetrius and his craftsmen started, Paul encouraged the brethren in Ephesus with the
Word of God and then he departed for Macedonia. So when he got to Macedonia, an area where he already
planted churches — we’re talking about Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea — there he strengthened
the brethren as well. And then he went south to Greece, a beautiful place. We’re
talking about areas of Athens and Corinth. There he stayed for three months. His original
plan was to sail from Greece to Syria. But a plot by the Jews against him caused him to change his
traveling plans. Probably they wanted to kill him, and he came to know about it. So he went back
again north to Macedonia so that he could go from that area back to Syria. Several companions
accompanied Paul from different regions — from Macedonia and from Galatia — and they
accompanied Paul all the way to Troas. What do we learn from this section here?
Number one, if you’re writing notes, encouragement is central to ministry. So Paul when he left Ephesus did not go to a new
region rather he went back to Macedonia region area where he already planted churches. So he went
back there to strengthen the brethren to encourage them. We must do the same. When we lead people
to Jesus Christ, we don’t just leave them to, you know, be on their own. Now, and think that
we have accomplished the greatest goal. Remember, Jesus Christ called us to do two things. To
preach the gospel and also to make disciples. So in order to make them disciples,
we have to disciple them. We have to follow up with them. We have to
make sure that they don’t stumble. You know, baby Christians are very vulnerable. Just like a
mother who gives birth to a child in the hospital does not wake up the next day and she leaves the
child there and then write her address and put on top of the desk and tell the baby when you grow
up this is where you’re going to find us. No, a mother doesn’t do that. Rather, she helps the
baby. She will start by breastfeeding the baby and now the baby will move on to soft food. From soft
food the baby will move on to hard food. It is the same way when we bring people to Jesus Christ. We
want to encourage them. We want to follow up with them. We want to teach them the word of God. We
want to make sure that they don’t stumble because the enemy’s modus operandi would be to get them
back to where they came from. So they are just new believers, you know, they are so excited to
be born again and they are so excited that when they die they’re going to go to heaven, but they
don’t know that the same in the same package you have trials and tribulations. So if we don’t
warn them ahead of time and encourage them on how to deal with trials and tribulations,
maybe the first one that will come to them, it will cause them to stumble. So that is
why we continue to follow up with them. Now the second thing we learn from this
section is teamwork is very important in the ministry. You see ministry is not a one man
show. There are some who want to do it one man show you know and they are so excited to do
it you know as a one man show. It says here Paul traveled with companions. Everywhere
he went every region he had companions. We too must also partner with others in prayer, in
service and encouragement to advance the kingdom of God. It’s very very important. I want to give
you some benefits of teamwork in the ministry. You know when you go to your workplace, they
talk about teamwork. Teamwork. Teamwork. Some say that’s the way. Teamwork. Teamwork.
You see how they praise teamwork at work. That is true because no one is an island. So
number one benefit of having teamwork in the ministry or in your business in your personal life
is that ministry is stronger when it is shared. Every one of us is gifted by God
with different gifts, talents. You bring your own and I bring my
own and the ministry is stronger. There are those who are called to be apostles,
some prophets, some ministers, some teachers, some pastors, evangelists, some are called
to the ministry of helps, some worship, some giving, some encouraging others,
some with the ministry of compassion. We have the ushers in the church, those
who clean the places after service. So you bring your gift and I bring my gift and
together the ministry is stronger. Number two benefit of teamwork in the ministry is that the
ministry is multiplied. You know Jesus Christ sent his disciples two by two. He knew the importance
of teamwork in the ministry. It’s just like a relay race. One person cannot win a relay race.
Have you seen that before happening? No. It takes teamwork. You know, one person takes the baton,
he passes on the baton to the next one, the next one to another one, and another one to another
one, and then that’s how they can win the race. Number three is we encourage one another
when we are participating in teamwork. If you are by yourself and maybe you get
discouraged or disillusioned then it is easy for you to backslide. Oh yes. But if
we have teamwork, one person is discouraged, another is there to build him up, to encourage
him to keep on going. And if we have teamwork, there is also accountability. We
can hold each other responsible. God never designed us to serve in isolation.
That wasn’t God’s original plan even though some people are doing it. Every role matters.
So we must find ways to combine our gifts. Now the question you’re going to ask yourself is
this. Am I trying to do ministry all alone? Am I closing doors that are opening for me
to have teamwork with others? Even when I’m in a team, am I encouraging other people or am I
discouraging them? That’s the question we have to ask ourselves. We continue in verse seven. Now on
the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul ready to depart the
next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper
room where they were gathered together. And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus who
was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep and as Paul continued speaking he fell down
from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him and embracing him
said, Do not trouble yourselves for his life is in him. Now when he had come up, had broken
bread and eaten, he talked a long while even till daybreak. He departed and brought the young
man in alive and they were not a little comforted. So what is going on here in this section is
Paul and his companions are now in Troas. So while they are in Troas on the
first day of the week, Sunday, they gathered together. So this is
one of the earliest references to Christians meeting on Sunday for worship
to break bread to study the word of God. This is completely different from Sabbath.
Remember Sabbath in Judaism is still going on. It is Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.
But we’re talking about Christianity here. Now, Christians started gathering on
Sunday because this is the day Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. So
they acknowledge the day of resurrection. You remember resurrection is the
fundamental stone of our belief. Without resurrection, there will be no hope for
Christians. We would have remained in our sins. We would have been pitied more than anyone else.
So Christianity remember is not a religion but simply means Christ in you. The forgotten
life of Jesus Christ in a man. That’s what Christianity is all about. So the Christians
decided to start gathering on Sunday because it was the day Jesus Christ was raised
from the dead. So on this day Paul knew that he would depart very soon. The next day he was
traveling. So he wanted to give them all the message possible you know. So he spoke until
midnight. You know there are some people who complain that the one hour and maybe one hour
fifteen minutes Bible study we do is a little long. You see what happened here? Also remember
Ezra when Ezra read the word of God to the people he started from the morning till noon. Here Paul
spoke from morning till midnight, a long time. He didn’t even stop at midnight, he continued
till daybreak. So we must cultivate this habit of patience when it comes to the study of the
word of God because the word of God is our life. It’s our strength. It’s our hope. It’s everything
we’ve got. So we must give it long time. We must spend long time to study the word of God. You know
sometimes we can chill out with a popcorn and then watch movies you know sometimes two hours, four
hours, some will do more than that you know and we are okay with that. So think about it, the movie
did not profit you much but the word of God will profit you more. So that happened here. So while
Paul was preaching a young man named Eutychus, he was sitting by the window. You know, we
are told here that there were so many lamps, which means that place probably was hot. So
Eutychus maybe went to the window and said, “Let me get some fresh air,” like some
of us would do when it’s hot, you know, and then he falls asleep there and then he falls
from the third story and he was taken up dead. But Paul calmed them down. He said, hey don’t
worry about it. His life is still in him. So he went over there and he stretched himself over
his body. He embraced him. We’ve seen this before. You remember in First Kings that Elijah raised up
the widow’s son. In the same manner he stretched himself over the body and the life of God came
back to the widow’s son. And also in Second Kings remember Elisha did the same thing with the
woman’s son who also died, the one Elisha told the woman that she would conceive but the boy died. So
Elisha did the same thing by stretching over the boy. So that’s what Paul did and the life came to
Eutychus. So God used Paul to do so many things, miraculous works. We see the raising of the dead
here. So when it comes to raising someone from the dead, it requires at least three spiritual gifts
to do that. You need the gift of miracles, because you don’t just raise anyone, you know, you don’t
go about raising people from the dead. It’s not something that happens every day. It is a miracle.
And a miracle is the suspension of natural order by a divine order, by a higher order. So you need
that number one, you need the gift of healing. If you raise someone from the dead and
the reason why they died in the first place was because they were sick or injured
like Eutychus who fell down, was injured, and died. If you don’t have the gift of healing
in manifestation, they will die again. You see what I’m saying? And then you need the gift
of faith. We’re talking about special faith, not saving faith. Now this special faith is
faith that is imparted to someone by God. It’s God’s faith imparted on someone. When it
is in operation, you already know what God is about to do. You will declare that thing
with boldness and you will see it come to pass. So what do we learn from this section here?
Number one, God’s power brings life out of death. So here God used Paul to
raise Eutychus back to life. It reminds us that we are human and someday we
will die. You know the statistics on death is very, very amazing. One out of one dies. Have you
noticed that? Regardless of your status, your age, your popularity, it doesn’t matter. Death is
not a respecter of persons. He doesn’t say, “Oh, this one is a billionaire. I’m not going to
take him.” No. He doesn’t say, “This one is too old or too young.” No, for it is appointed unto
men once to die and after this the judgment. It is an appointment every one of us must keep. Unless
Jesus comes, you know the rapture of the church happens. But if Jesus Christ tarries, every one of
us someday will keep this appointment. You cannot avoid it. So what we learn from this section
is no matter how dark or tragic a situation is, God is able to bring life out of it. Whether
it be spiritual darkness like someone who’s not yet born again—because the Bible tells us there
are those who are alive but they are dead. He’s talking about those who are not born again.
They are spiritually dead. So even those who are spiritually dead, God’s power through Jesus
Christ, trust in Jesus Christ is able to bring them out of spiritual darkness and bring them
into the kingdom of God. What about relational brokenness? What about emotional distress? God
is able through his word to give us that joy that comes from relationship with Jesus Christ, the
joy that passes understanding even in the midst of turmoil. What about physical troubles, financial
situations? God is able to deliver, to restore, to revive, to bring life out of our darkness.
Blessed be his holy name forevermore. So I want us to compare right now the resurrection
of Eutychus to our future resurrection. So Eutychus was raised from the dead by
the power of the Holy Spirit through Paul. But remember, even though the
church was comforted, you know, because he came back to life, but Eutychus
someday would grow old and would die again. Remember Lazarus, Jesus Christ raised him from
the dead, but he died again. Jairus’ daughter, Jesus raised her from the dead, she died again.
So by contrast, the Bible promises us a better resurrection, a resurrection unto eternal
life, a resurrection that will happen when the trumpet of God sounds. When mortality will put
on immortality, when we will receive a glorified body, a better resurrection. Blessed be the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ, where there will be no more weeping. We will not be able to die again or
be sick. A better resurrection. So I want to give you three verses, biblical references that talk
about the superiority of our future resurrection. Don’t take this for granted. Do not look at it
lightly or diminish it. It’s very important to know this because once we know these things
from the Bible, oh you can be so bold, you won’t be afraid of death because death has lost
its sting on every believer. But we need to be aware of these promises that these things belong
to us and we take advantage of them. You know, you can have millions of dollars in your name in
a bank, but until you go into that bank and sign your signature, you’re not going to receive
a dime. You may be living in poverty while having millions in the bank. So, let me give
you three scriptures here. And the first one is 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 16 and 17: For
the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with
the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we
shall always be with the Lord. Did you hear what he says? He’s telling us there is a day when a
trumpet will sound. And when that trumpet sounds, he says the dead in Christ will rise. He’s
telling us those who are buried, they will rise up first. From heaven their spirits will come
down to earth and pick up their glorified bodies. And anyone who is alive at that time will not
die but automatically they will be transformed from mortal bodies to immortal bodies. It is a
comforting scripture. Oh blessed be his holy name. The second one is in 1 Corinthians chapter 15
from verse 51 all the way to 53: Behold, I tell you a mystery, Paul speaking. We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when
this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” O death, where
is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? Did you hear that? There in the twinkling of an
eye, we all shall be changed. It will happen very fast. You see this body now that decays,
that goes back to dust, all of a sudden, in the twinkling of an eye, it will be
glorified to a perfect body just like Jesus Christ. And you will never die again. Is this
not comforting to your spirit? It is to mine. Now the third one I want to give you is
Philippians 3:20–21: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly
wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that
it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able
even to subdue all things to Himself. Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. So he’s
telling you now what your glorified body will be like. You know there are those who are asking
questions: What is my glorified body going to be like? It is going to be like the body of Jesus
Christ right now. His glorified body right now. That’s what he’s telling us here. You know these
things are not the things that we make up. These things are found in the word of God. But there
are so many Christians who don’t believe these things. You tell them about the rapture of
the church. They say, “Huh? Where do you see that?” I give you one more. I give you one more.
1 John 3:2: Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it does not yet appear what we shall
be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He
is. Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will be like Jesus Christ when he appears.
Hallelujah. These things are comforting to us. Now, because we have this information, because
we have this knowledge, you know what it does to us? It encourages us. It tells us, do not fear
the grave. Do not fear death. That’s what he’s telling us as Christians. You know, death is now
only but a vehicle that transports you from earth to heaven. There are some of us who want to go
to heaven, right? But we don’t want to die. How are you going to do that? Unless Jesus Christ
comes. But that now is just something that will accomplish the scripture that says, Absent from
the body is to be present with the Lord. Oh yes. So remember that the Bible uses sleep as a
synonym for death. That’s what a believer does when they are in the grave. They are there waiting
for the trumpet of God to sound and they will be glorified regardless of how long they’ve been
there. The power of God will put them together and their body will be glorified. Blessed be the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the next thing we get from this information is hope. So now
we do not grieve as those who do not have hope. When a Christian dies, yes there are family
members, there are relatives, there are friends, we will miss them. It’s okay to grieve, to
weep. But we do not weep like those who do not have hope. Those who do not have hope are
those who died a Christless life. They died without being born again. So people whenever
they remember them, they can weep as long as they want to weep because you know what? They
are in hell and they’re going to be there for eternity. But a Christian who dies, all he
did was to change address. He’s gone to be in our future and someday we’ll be reunited
with them. So, we don’t weep, we don’t cry, we don’t cry like we don’t have any hope. We
know where they are and someday we’re going to see them again. And someone will ask, are we
able to recognize our loved ones in heaven? Oh yes. Didn’t the Bible tell us that now we know
in part, but we shall know as we are known? Someday do you think we will be more ignorant in
heaven than on this earth? Oh no, you’ll be able to identify them. You’ll know just like you are
known by God. Blessed be his holy name forever and ever. And finally, because of this information,
this knowledge that we have, it motivates us every day to live faithfully, to go in the pursuit
of holiness as we await the trumpet sound from our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ. We are now in verse 13. Are we in 13? I believe. Um, did we miss anything? I just want to make sure. I
think we are in 13. Okay. From verse 13, it says, Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to
Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself
to go on foot. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. We sailed
from there, and the next day came opposite Chios. The following day we arrived at Samos and stayed
at Trogyllium. The next day we came to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so
that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem,
if possible, on the Day of Pentecost. So here after the event at Troas you know
when Paul raised Eutychus from the dead, Paul and his companions continued their
journey. Remember Paul’s final destination will be Jerusalem. That’s where he is headed
to. Now as they continue their journey, Paul chooses to go on foot to Assos while his
companions sailed to Assos. So Paul rejoined them at Assos and together from Assos now
they sailed through several coastal towns. They gave us the names here—Mitylene, Chios,
Samos—and then finally they got to Miletus. So notice here that Paul bypassed Ephesus
because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost and though maybe
to deliver offerings from Gentile churches to believers in Jerusalem. So he was in a hurry.
So he bypassed Ephesus. He didn’t stop by there. What do we learn from this section we just
covered? We learn that planning is important in ministry and also in our personal lives.
Planning is very, very important. Paul did not waste time endlessly. You see, every decision
Paul made was made with God’s mission in mind. So he walked by foot to Assos. Maybe the
reason he did that was to have a personal time with the Lord, to fellowship with
the Lord, to have a devotion time, but he bypassed Ephesus. Does it mean that he doesn’t
care about the people of Ephesus? No, he does. But he had a plan. A plan to
attend to a higher calling, to attend to a higher mission. So we must steward our time wisely. That’s what
he is telling us here because every day we have so many things going on both in the ministry and our
personal life but we must steward our time wisely. It is biblical. Don’t let things happen whenever
they want to happen and all that. You know, the Bible says, Teach us to number
our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. It is a wise thing to be a
steward, a good steward of your time. So now I want to talk to you about the
difference between planning and being anxious because they’re not the same
thing. Now when we talk about anxiety, anxiety is a sinful worry
because the Bible condemns it. It is a restless, fearful preoccupation with the
future that doubts God’s care and his sovereignty. So anxiety places the trust in our
hands. That’s what it is. It places the circumstance in your hand. It focuses on
the worst case scenario. “What if, what if, what if,” instead of saying, “Even if
that happens, the Lord is in control.” And the Bible tells us about anxiety. Jesus
Christ said, Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, what you will drink. And
Paul echoes the same in Philippians 4:6: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known
to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. So if you want to know if you have
stepped from planning to worrying, I’m going to tell you now. You know you
are worrying when after you have prayed about a situation and you put it in the
hand of God and then you turn around, you get up from your prayer place, and you
pick it up again by getting back to worrying. So now you place your trust in that circumstance in your own hand instead of trusting
God who is in control of everything. You know that you’re worrying when you are in
a rush to make a decision without first praying about it and asking God about that situation.
You know that you are anxious when you are trying to make a decision even though you know
it contradicts the word of God. That tells you you are now anxious about that situation. Now
by contrast, planning is a wise worship. It is a prayerful preparation and a responsible foresight
rooted in the trust that God controls the outcome. So in planning we trust the uncontrollable
to God while acting responsibly today. So you remember Jesus Christ saying, Which of
you, desiring to build a tower, does not first calculate the cost? That’s planning. So we
plan. Oh yes, we pray before we plan and then after that we leave the outcome to God knowing
that even if it does not go the way we plan, God has the capacity and the ability and the power to
change that situation and turn it around for our own good. So the outcome now is placed in God’s
hand, not in ourselves. James says, Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into
such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what
tomorrow will bring. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or
that.” So we do not make the plan and then ask God to bless it—that’s what we do most of the
time. But the way to go about it is you pray before the plan and then after that you trust
the outcome in the hand of the one who said, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of
all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? Blessed be the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ forever and evermore. So now in verse 17, From Miletus he sent to
Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them:
“You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving
the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the
Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly
and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the
things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying
that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear
to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord
Jesus Christ, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And indeed, now I know that you all,
among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify
to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you
the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to 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. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away
the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease
to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word
of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are
sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that
these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you
in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the
Lord Jesus, that He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And when he had said
these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s
neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face
no more. And they accompanied him to the ship. In this section from Miletus, Paul calls for
the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet him. So in his deeply personal farewell speech,
Paul reminds them of his ministry among them, his humility, his trials, challenges from
the Jews, his faithfulness in preaching the whole counsel of God to them without holding
back anything that was profitable to them. Paul also shared his determination
to go to Jerusalem, even though the Spirit testified that imprisonment awaits him. Even at that Paul tells them that his life he does not compare his life to finishing
his race which God has called him. Now he warns them about several dangers, future
dangers. He warns them about false teachers, about devouring wolves from outside and from
within, those who will come in with heresies. Then he reminds them about his
selfless service in their midst, how with his hands he cared for himself
and those who were his companions, telling them not to be covetous but generous,
reminding them the words of our Lord Jesus Christ who said, “It is more blessed to give than to
receive. For give, it shall be given unto you.” So what do we learn from this section here?
Number one, if you’re writing the note, the importance of teaching
the whole counsel of God. So here Paul reminds the elders that he did
not shrink from declaring unto them the whole counsel of God. Could mean everything
that Paul knew he passed on to them. He gave them everything that was
profitable to them. So what are we talking about here? We are talking
about expository teaching in the church, the importance of reading the Bible from
Genesis to Revelation, the whole counsel of God. Faithful ministry is to give
the whole truth of God to the flock. That’s what faithful ministry is all about. In expository teaching, we give the flock the
whole thing. We tell them about the grace of God and about repentance to receive that grace.
We tell them about the comfort of God and his warnings. We tell them about the promises of God
and also the consequences of disobeying God. We tell them about the eternal damnation that will
come to anyone who refuses to make Jesus Christ their Lord and their Savior. We give them the
whole package. We do not speak only that which is popular or that which is convenient.
We give them the whole counsel of God. So if you are going to a church where they are
not in this part, I know it takes a long time to go from Genesis to Revelation, but there has to be
a plan. There must be going in that direction. If you belong to a church that does not have any
of this in their agenda, my question is this: What are you doing there? Don’t you want to grow?
Don’t you want to know the whole counsel of God? So to withhold parts of God’s word is equivalent
to leaving the flock unprotected. You cannot hold anything back. So let me give you Paul’s key
points on the elders. Remember this message, this section we just read now was his
farewell speech to the elders of Ephesus. So the key points are this: Number one, Paul
tells them to keep watch over themselves and the flock. What is he saying here? He
is telling the elders, the teachers, the ministers that it is important that
they feed on the word of God first. You feed on the word of God first. You
have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ because ministry should flow as
an overflow of what is in you and your walk with Jesus Christ. You cannot give what
you don’t have. No, it doesn’t work that way. You cannot spend your time in reading
about politics and economics and all things that don’t matter in the kingdom of God
and then you try to feed the people of God with spiritual truth. No. So you watch over yourself
first before then you can watch over the flock. And then number two is to be a shepherd.
That’s what he told them to do. Now a shepherd is the one who feeds the flock
with the right food. Even natural shepherds, you know what they feed the sheep? They
take them to where they’re going to eat green and then take them where they’re
going to drink water — the right food. So, a shepherd must also feed God’s
children with the word of God, not with empty biblical exercises,
not with rituals and traditions of men. For Jesus Christ tells us that these
things make the word of God of no effect. A shepherd must be the one who knows the word of
God and the one who feeds the flock with the word of God so that they can grow spiritually. You do
not want to keep spiritual babes in your church. Number three, he tells them to be
on guard, to be on alert against threats from outside. We have so many threats now
to the kingdom of God. Do you know that? Oh yes, a lot. Social media threats, people
who are everywhere teaching whatever they want to teach and they are
gathering themselves followers, heretics all over the place, television, radio,
teaching whatever they want to teach. And they have followers, those who have developed itching
ears, who do not want to hear the truth of the word of God. So Paul warns them about these ones
and he also warns them about those that will come from within, from the church. So what do you
want to do with this? If you’re a minister, someone who is in charge, it is very imperative
that before somebody teaches — if you have Bible studies, home Bible studies — make
sure that the teachers of these home Bible studies are taught themselves.
They know what the word of God says, so that Satan is not using people from
within to teach heresies in the church. So you make sure. And then if you’re a member of a church,
it’s very important that you do not try to divide the church of Christ. You do
not want to pull members to yourself. Maybe you’ve been going there for a while and now
you think you’ve known so many things so you can even start your own church. Now you’re looking for
innuendos to divide the church of Christ. Remember what the Lord says: six things the Lord hates,
and the seventh is an abomination to him — that one that sows seeds of discord among brethren.
The Lord hates that one. He hates that man. And then finally he warns them about fleecing the
church. The church is not a marketplace. It’s not a place of profit. It’s not a place of gain. It’s
not a place to fleece the flock. It is a place where the children of God gather together to be
taught the word of God, to encourage one another, to grow in their faith. Do not be a hireling. A
hireling is someone who is paid to do something. If God has called you to teach
his word, to be in the ministry, then God has a way to provide for you. If the
church at that point cannot provide for you, get a regular job until they’re able to supply
your needs full time. The Lord knows how to supply the needs of his children. Do not use the
church of God as a place for profit to line your pocket. It is wrong. And remember, the Lord sees
it all. Regardless of how you do it, regardless of the name you give to that action, the Lord
sees it all. He knows all the motives behind it. Now before I close today, I want to give you
the benefits, the importance of teaching the whole counsel of God, of knowing the word
of God. The importance of knowing the word of God. So number one, it helps us to grow
spiritually. The knowledge of the word of God helps us to grow spiritually. Just like you need
physical food to sustain your life physically. If you don’t eat for a while, you know what’s
going to happen? You’re going to check out of this place. The same way you need the word of God
as your spiritual food. So you take it every day, and when you are taking it, you are so
excited. You expect to get revelation, knowledge, and understanding from it. It’s
not something you visit once in a while. The word of God is not a vacation ground. It’s
something you take in every day. Every day, and you take more, and you take more, and then you
do what he says. You take more, and you take more, and then you do what he says so that we can grow
spiritually. Remember 1 Peter 2:2 — Peter says, that the word of God he says will keep you: “desire the sincere milk of the word
of God, that you may grow thereby.” Number two, it guides us and directs us. The
word of God, the word of God is like a light in Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp unto my
feet and a light unto my path.” The entrance of your word gives light. It gives understanding to
the simple. So it means the word of God is the light we see now and the light we see in the
future. So you want to have that smooth walk, to see where you’re going, so that
you don’t go into holes and potholes. Study the word of God. He will show
you how to do it. He will guide you. And number three, it protects
us from sin and from deception. First of all, from sin: through the knowledge
of the word of God, we know the things that are displeasing to God. “Your word I have hidden in
my heart that I might not sin against you.” So we know things that are pleasing to God. We know
how to walk in obedience. We know how not to break fellowship with God through the knowledge of the
word of God. And when it talks about deception, it helps you to fish out those false teachers and
their heresies. Because of the knowledge of the word of God, you can hear something and know, huh,
huh, this doesn’t sound right. That’s not what the word of God says. Just like the Bereans, they went
home, they searched the Scriptures just to make sure that what Paul told them was so. That’s
what the word of God will do for you, so that you are not misled by so many false teachers
going around now. Even some are in pulpits. If somebody is teaching you that your way
or your ticket to heaven is by what you do, by doing good things, you ought to know that
is not true. The Bible tells us that it is by grace through faith that you are saved, not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. If someone
is telling you about do, do — that’s how you get to heaven — then you ought to
identify them as false teachers because that’s not what the word of God says.
So the second thing we learn from this section is the importance of finishing well.
We are almost to the end of today’s teaching. This is the last thing I’m going to talk
about. The importance of finishing well. My good friends, Paul here said that his life is
not important to him compared to finishing well, compared to doing what God has called him to do. He’s talking about it is not a matter of
survival but a matter of faithfulness. The Christian life we live is a life of
marathon. It’s not a sprint. You know the sprint. In sprint you give it all you got and
100 meters or whatever you’re done. Oh you just take that fresh breath and say it’s done. But a
marathon requires endurance. It requires focus. It requires attention. It requires strength.
It requires perseverance to keep on going. That’s the Christian life we are called to live. So it does not matter how you started, my good friend. What matters
the most is how well you finish. And as Christians, we have rewards
waiting for us for finishing well. You see, that’s why Paul speaking to
Timothy tells him that a man who wars, he says, does not entangle himself with the
affairs of this life so that he may please the one who has called him to be a soldier.
If you are in a war, do not allow yourself to be entangled. You are the one who’s not going
to allow yourself to be entangled because so many things will come to distract you, but
you are not going to give in. In Hebrews, we are told to lay aside every weight
and the sin which so easily besets us, and run our race that is set before us with
endurance, looking unto Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith. There is a reason
why he tells us that. Now a weight is things that are in your way — distractions, social
media, television, movies, you name them. They are not necessarily sin, but they are there
to distract you, to draw your attention away from focusing on Jesus Christ. Now sin is the big one
that will cut your fellowship from the Father, that will set you back, that will even cause you
to stumble and to backslide. So he wants us to pay attention to those things. Don’t let them come
in your way. Do not let them distract you. Finish well. There is a day when Jesus Christ will say,
“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you
ruler over many.” That is the day when we’re going to stand at the judgment seat of Christ to receive
the rewards of the things we did on the earth in the body. That day some will gain rewards while
some will lose rewards. And finally, in closing, you remember what Paul says in
Philippians. He says, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended;
but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Do not let those things in the past — they are
now in the past. Anyone who is in Christ Jesus is a new creation. You make mistakes while
in Christ Jesus, you ask him for forgiveness. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all
unrighteousness. And you continue looking forward. You have a goal. That is a mark that you want
to cross. You want to attain that prize — that prize that is in Christ Jesus. It is your focus.
Do not let the enemy distract you, for there are so many voices in the world, and none of them
is without signification. They are here and there just to distract you. But my good friends,
focus. The time is very short. Jesus Christ is coming back very soon. And having this knowledge,
we must purify ourselves, even as he is pure. Do not be that one who loses focus. The
Holy Spirit of God now lives in you. And every day ask him for the strength to focus,
to run your race so that you can finish. And someday you can boldly say, just like Paul the
Apostle declared, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
Blessed be his holy name forever. Good friends, I have come to the end of today’s teaching.
Now is the time to give you an invitation. If you are not a Christian, if you’re not yet born
again, now is the time to do something about your eternity. You know in Proverbs 14:12 it says,
“There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” There are
so many religions today in the world, and if you study every one of them apart from Christianity,
what every one of them has in common is this: do, do — you do something to receive something, to
have access to God. But Christianity is different. Christianity says, “It is done.” Now receive by
faith what God has done for you in Christ Jesus. So my question is this: Are you in that category
of do, do so that you can have access to God? I want to inform you today that is the wrong way
to go. Even though it may sound right to you, that’s not what the Bible says. Jesus Christ
himself made it very clear to us in John 14:6 where he said, “I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” And he spoke to Nicodemus, and he said, “Except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” How do you get born again? Paul tells
us in Romans 10:9, “If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your
heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That’s how we get born again. It is not dependent upon the
good things you do or on your self-righteousness. Your being born again is hinged on your trust
in what Jesus Christ did on the cross for us. You receive it by faith. You make him your
Lord and your Savior, and you are born again. If you have not done that, the time is
ticking. “Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Today is the day of
salvation. You want to accept the good news today. Do not put it off. Procrastination is a
thief of time. So many people die today. Maybe they were procrastinating about getting saved, and
now it’s too late. Every decision — the decision, I put it this way, of where you are going to
spend eternity — is made right now while you are still alive. Those who die Christless will spend
eternity in hell. But everyone who has made Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior will spend eternity in
heaven. It’s very simple. I’m going to leave you now in a very short prayer. Pray this prayer and
mean it with all your heart, and right now you become a child of God. You’ll be born again,
and you will spend your eternity in heaven. Pray after me:
“Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ your Son. I
believe he died for my sins. You raised him from the dead on the third day. Dear Lord Jesus
Christ, now I invite you to come into my life to be my Lord and my Savior. By faith now I believe
I am born again. My sins are washed away, and I turn away from them. Holy God, I thank you for the
precious gift of Jesus Christ to the world. Amen.” Congratulations. I’m so excited. If you
prayed that prayer, now you are a child of God. Please look for a Bible-based
church where they teach the word of God. Become a member so that you can be taught
the things of God. That’s the only way you can grow spiritually — through the word of God.
Remember, only those who hear the good news, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and put that
in practice, they are the ones who will reap the full benefits of the word of God. So, what am
I saying? Be a doer always of the word of God. Let me pray for you before I end today’s teaching:
“May the good Lord be with you, bless you, keep you. May he lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace that passes all understanding, and wisdom from above — wisdom not to make
unnecessary mistakes. May the Lord today open financial opportunities for you. May the
Lord heal every disease in your body. I pray that he will set your feet upon a rock, establish
your goings, and put a new song in your mouth. I pray that his angels will always watch over
you to deliver you from every destruction, and that God will bless the rest of
your week, in the name of Jesus Christ.” And the people of God said, “Amen.” Good
friends, we do not walk by sight. We walk by faith. Do not be moved by what you hear or
what you see. Remember, “Surely there is an end; and your expectation shall not be cut off.”
Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. My good friends, I want to introduce to you my
new book titled Spiritual Retirement. You see, we live in a world where so many people
are concerned about retiring physically, and they have done nothing about
their spiritual retirement. They have done nothing about that preparation
that must be made now in order to secure eternal retirement. So this book helps us
to understand that preparation. It helps us also to identify the devices of the enemy
to hinder us from reaching our ultimate goal, which is eternity in the kingdom of God. It is
a very good resource for you and for your family and for your friends. It is a very good gift
that you can give to believers and unbelievers. It is now available on our website www.kuim.org
, and you can also find it on Amazon.com. Remain blessed in the name of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. I am glad to tell you about my new
book, Holy Spirit, the Helper in Us. This book is loaded with information about things
that you need to know about the Holy Spirit of God. It covers topics like how to be led by the
Spirit of God, hearing the voice of God, gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, and much
more. It will be a very good resource for you, your family, and friends. It is now available on
Amazon, or you can get a copy through our website www.kuim.org
. Always remain blessed in the name of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. My good friends, I am glad to tell you about my
new book titled Receive Healing Today, and the subtitle is Jesus Is Still the Same. This book
is loaded with topics on Bible divine healing. It tells you how to receive healing from God and
how to keep that healing. It’s going to be a very good resource for you, your family, and even your
friends. This book is now available on Amazon, and you can also find it on our website www.kuim.org
. Remain blessed in the Lord. My good friends, I want to introduce to you
my new book titled Understanding Galatians and Philippians. It is an insight and commentary on
these two epistles. The book of Galatians teaches us that it is only by grace that we are saved,
not by works. And in Philippians we learn that God is always with us, encouraging us as we go
through our trials and through our tribulations, giving us the strength, the joy, and the peace
that we need to be more than conquerors. This book covers these topics in detail. It is
going to be a very good resource for you and for your own family and friends. It is now
available on Amazon as well as on our website www.kuim.org
. Always remain blessed in the name of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. [Music]