Acts 20:13-38
How do you say goodbye to people you love? Quick and painless? Long or drawn out? Weeping and wailing? Like it's no big deal? Other?
#God #People #Time #Place #Obedient faith #Sin #Key Idea
Acts 20:13-38
13But going ahead to the ship, we
set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul
aboard there, for so he
had arranged, intending himself to
go by land. 14And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to
Mitylene. 15And sailing from there we
came the following day opposite Chios; the
next day we touched
at Samos; andb the day after that we
went to Miletus. 16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be
at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders
17Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the
elders of the church to come
to him. 18And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole
time from the first day that I
set foot in Asia, 19serving
the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you
anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to
house, 21testifying
both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance
toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.c 22And now, behold, I am going to
Jerusalem, constrained byd the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await
me. 24But I do not account my life of any value nor
as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I
received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25And now, behold, I know that none
of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26Therefore I testify to you this
day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27for I
did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28Pay
careful attention to yourselves and to all
the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God,e which he obtained with his own blood.f 29I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the
flock; 30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the
disciples after them. 31Therefore
be alert, remembering that for three years
I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32And 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. 33I coveted no one’s silver or gold or
apparel. 34You yourselves know that these hands
ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35In
all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must
help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them
all. 37And there was much weeping on the part of
all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38being sorrowful most of all because of the word
he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they
accompanied him to the ship.
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- Why "sail past" Ephesus to reach Jerusalem for Pentecost (see 2:1)?
- What has characterized Paul's ministry so far? Why does he emphasize how he lived among them?
- What kinds of hardships has Paul already encountered? How would you explain what motivates Paul to keep on (compare 20:24 with Philippians 3:7-8)?
- What does it mean to “keep watch" (v. 28; see 1 Timothy 4:11-16)? How and why is their appointment as elders divine, humbling and dangerous (vv. 28-31)?
- Are you under the protection of someone (or some body of leaders) who is older, wiser, and more discerning? Do you resist their protection? Are you looking out for those whom God has placed in your care? Are you praying for them?
- How does the message of grace (v. 32) and the example of Paul (vv. 33-35) protect them from these dangers? Some people viewed the office of elder as a way of gaining power and wealth (see 1 Timothy 6:6-10; 1 Peter 5:3). How does Paul oppose that idea here?
- Why do you teach, serve, or give? What are your real motives?
- What do you suppose the Ephesians will miss about Paul?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- Suddenly, Paul is more the loving friend than a hard-driving missionary. Has your preoccupation with the task of ministry ever caused you to miss out on loving people?
- Who makes up the "flock" for whom you are responsible? In what specific way can you shepherd them?
- How would you complete this sentence: "The one thing I must accomplish at any cost is ________ ?" How does it relate to Paul's goal in verse 24?
- Are you fulfilling your God-given responsibility to declare God’s truth to those he has sovereignly placed in your life—a spouse, a neighbor, a child? Or are you hesitating and shrinking back from such a task?
- In the race of doing God's will, are you in the front of the pack, one of the stragglers, or an onlooker?
- Do you serve only those people who benefit you? Are your volunteer activities limited to people who give a lot in return?
- Is there some special word of encouragement you need to speak or write to one of your elders?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
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#more blessed to give than to receive
THE GREATEST GIFT
I heard recently about a 90-year-old lady who one Christmas found buying presents a bit much, so she wrote out checks for all of her family and friends, and decided she would put them in with her Christmas cards. She wrote out her Christmas cards and put "Buy your own present" after her name, then sent them off.
But after the Christmas festivities were over, she found the checks in her desk! Everyone had got a Christmas card from her with "Buy your own present" written inside but without the checks!
We all like gifts. We like to receive them from those that we love. And we also enjoy giving them. What Jesus said is certainly true: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35). I used to think that the greatest joy of Christmas belonged to children because they get to experience the excitement of opening their presents. But I've learned that the real excitement of Christmas comes in being able to give to those who mean so much to you.
Unfortunately, our gift list is always so limited. If you're like me at this time of the year, you always have a lot of people you would like to get something special for, but you just don't have the money. We can't give to everyone. But God can, and God has, and there's no one who's been left off of his gift list.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
This Christmas, enjoy giving gifts and enjoy receiving them. But be especially thankful for the greatest gift of all that came to this earth in the form of a baby in a stable in the little town of Bethlehem, and be sure that you respond by receiving that gift through obedient faith.
Have a great day!
Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee
www.TFTD-online.com
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“In
this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.” –
Henry Beecher
Devotional: 3 Ways God Blesses The Giver
The Giver is Blessed
Paul wrote to “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). Where did Paul hear this? Was he listening
to some of Jesus’ teachings before he was converted? Did he receive this
teaching directly from Christ? I couldn’t find it in the gospels, but
apparently Jesus said it. The point is, the one who gives is more blessed than
the one who receives, and since all blessings flow from God, it must be God Who
blesses the giver. I don’t know exactly how this works, but it must because
Scripture teaches it, and I believe Scripture!
The Giver is Rewarded
We don’t
live for rewards today when we help others. Jesus said that on the day of His
visitation, we will receive our rewards from Him for all that we do for others
for His sake. Jesus stressed giving “so that your giving may be in
secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt 6:4) and “whoever gives one of these
little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to
you, he will by no means lose his reward”
(Matt 10:42). Your rewards do not all come today, although I believe God will
bless the generous person, but they are to be given in the kingdom, and none of
us will “lose his (or her) reward.” God promises a reward for the one who is
generous, as Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is kind to the poor
lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
The Giver Receives
If you think giving is a one-way track to
losing what you have, you couldn’t
be more wrong. The Bible says that “the liberal soul shall be
made fat: and he that waters shall be watered also himself” (Prov 11:15). Think about that. I water my tomato plants,
but these will later make me fat. God is not talking about someone becoming
overweight. When the Bible speaks about being made fat, it means they will have
plenty and want for nothing. Just like giving a drink to my plants,
it will be like being watered myself when it’s time to harvest the
tomatoes. Jesus showed that giving has a cause and effect relationship when He
said, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure
you use it will be measured back to you”
(Luke 6:38). Notice you give and it’s given back to you, not only by the same measure,
but in “good measure,” and then to get even more in, it’s “pressed down” and
finally “shaken together” so that more yet can be received. After all that,
then it’s running over into your lap. Truly the giver receives more than he or
she gives.
Conclusion
Just like Henry Beecher said, “In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give
up, that makes us rich,” and that is God’s principle, too, because the giver is
blessed, the giver is rewarded, and the giver receives more back from God than
what they gave in the first place. That is truly a win-win if ever there was
one!
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Giving Generously
"We were Born to Give"
In Run with the Horses, Eugene Peterson tells how he saw a family of birds teaching their young to fly. Three young swallows were perched on a dead branch that stretched out over a lake. "One adult swallow got alongside the chicks and started shoving them out toward the end of the branch--pushing, pushing, pushing. The end one fell off. Somewhere between the branch and the water four feet below, the wings started working, and the fledgling was off on his own. Then the second one.
"The third was not to be bullied. At the last possible moment his grip on the branch loosened just enough so that he swung downward, then tightened again, bulldog tenacious. The parent was without sentiment. He pecked at the desperately clinging talons until it was more painful for the poor chick to hang on than risk the insecurities of flying. The grip was released, and the inexperienced wings began pumping. The mature swallow knew what the chick did not--that it would fly--that there was no danger in making it do what it was perfectly designed to do.
"Birds have feet and can walk. Birds have talons and can grasp a branch securely. They can walk; they can cling. But flying is their characteristic action, and not until they fly are they living at their best, gracefully and beautifully.
"Giving is what we do best. It is the air into which we were born. It is the action that was designed into us before our birth. ... Some of us try desperately to hold on to ourselves, to live for ourselves. We look so bedraggled and pathetic doing it, hanging on to the dead branch of a bank account for dear life, afraid to risk ourselves on the untried wings of giving. We don't think we can live generously because we have never tried. But the sooner we start, the better, for we are going to have to give up our lives finally, and the longer we wait, the less time we have for the soaring and swooping life of grace."
-- David B. Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 2.
See: Pr 11:25; 2:9; 25:21; Isa 58:10; Lk 21:1-4; Ac 20:35.
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Giving To God
Some interesting information about the giving habits of Americans came to light as a result of a study by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (U.S. News & World Report, April 28).
Did you know:
* Americans contribute an average of $650 a year to charities?
* That 38 percent of the respondents thought they should be giving more than they now do to nonprofit institutions or causes. Asked why they didn't, 23 percent said they "simply didn't get around to it" and 14 percent claimed they were "never asked"?
* That 81 percent of all Americans believe it is the responsibility of people to give what they can to charities?
What are the most effective fund-raising tactics?
According to the report, "being asked to give by someone the donor knows well works 54 percent of the time, while being asked to give at work is successful 28 percent of cases. Door-to-door campaigns and letters also are fairly successful. Less likely to bring in contributions: telethons and radiothons, phone calls, TV commercials and print ads.
Which groups give the most? According to the survey "religious groups were undisputed winners in charitable contributions. They received 72 percent of all money donated, and nearly 3 out of 4 persons interviewed said they had donated to a church, synagogue or other religious charity during the previous year."
There is no doubt that God's people have the most reason to give -- they have received so much from God. Jesus taught us that "it is more blessed to give than to receive."
See: Acts 20:35
================
Subject: Kindness
Heart Response
Larry Ward, in his book And There Will Be Famines, tells of wondering whether anybody still cared, after the multitude of appeals for aid in so many disasters. He had just surveyed the earthquake damage in Managua, Nicaragua, and was about to issue yet another call for help.
A few days later he got his answer. In response to his talk about the stricken city to an elementary school assembly, the youngsters donated packaged food they had brought from home for the occasion. But as he loaded the food into his station wagon, Ward noticed a brown paper sack. Inside were an apple, a peanut butter sandwich, and a cookie. On the outside, carefully printed in "little girl script," were: "Christi" and "Room 104."
Christi hadn't brought any canned goods, but her heart had been touched and she wanted to help. So she gave her lunch!
Cracker Barrel Journal
Subject: Kindness
Do You Like To Share?
A physician was vacationing in the Cumberland mountains and while hiking stopped at a mountain home for a drink of water. A little girl gave him a glass of milk instead. The physician drank it and offered to pay her for it. "Oh no," said the little girl, "we like to share."
A year or so later the girl was taken to Johns Hopkins to have serious surgery. The parents, very poor, worried over the bill. When the recovery was completed and the family was given the bill, it was marked, "Paid in full by a glass of cold milk—we like to share too."
We realize that every case of sharing does not bring such a connected or obvious blessing, but each case of giving has its blessing. It is with the belief that God blesses those who give, that we offer the opportunity on such a regular basis. It is, indeed, more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35).
Let us learn to be a people who like to share, because we certainly have a Father of that nature.
C. Bruce White
from Bulletin Digest
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===============
Rubel Shelly's -- FAX of Life
Subject: Contagious Generosity
Date: For the Week of September 29, 1997
Ted Turner, sometimes called the Mouth of the South, has been making headlines again - with his mouth *and his wallet.* He announced a gift of $1 billion from his personal fortune to create a new United Nations foundation. It will aid refugees, fight global warming, and vaccinate children in the poorest parts of the world.
Don't particularly care for Turner and his anti-religious statements? Offended by his arrogance in updating the Ten Commandments a few years back? Have trouble with some of his charities and causes? Even so, don't miss a very positive point here.
Citing the fictional Ebenezer Scrooge, Turner said that he too had learned the "joy of giving" and urged others to try it. "There is no greater joy in life than giving to worthwhile causes," he said. "I just hope it gets contagious."
Americans are generous with their money. In constant dollars, charitable giving rose from $110 billion in 1964 to $144 billion in 1995. Both numbers translate to about two percent of our gross domestic product for those years. Names like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Rockefeller are famous as much for giving money away as for making it.
Sure these big givers get tax credits. But so do I for the much smaller donations I make to my church and the American Cancer Society. Let's not be quite so cynical. Why can't we assume that Ted Turner, Bill Gates, and George Soros - the world's biggest living philanthropist - really want to do good? Help people? Give something back?
And I'd like to challenge *you* to catch the contagious spirit of joyous giving . . .
* Put a $10-dollar bill (or $20-, $50-, or $100-dollar bill) in a card or envelope today. Mail it to someone in your church, workplace, or neighborhood who is struggling because of a job loss or other crisis. Don't sign your name. Or . . .
* Make a donation to the Heart Fund, Crisis Pregnancy Center, or your church in memory of someone who died recently who influenced your life positively. The recipient will notify that person's family of your kindness. Or . . .
* Talk with your family about doing Christmas differently this year. Buy gifts only for the smaller children. Take the money you would have spent on other gifts to provide Christmas food and toys for a needy family or to fund Angel Tree items that you purchase on a family outing.
The joy of giving isn't directly related to the amount involved. You can get as much delight from smaller gifts as Turner did from his huge one. Long before the Atlanta billionaire discovered it, Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Maybe Turner's example will encourage others to find out it is true.
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