Tuesday, July 24,
2018
But when we
landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus,
asking them to come and meet him. When they arrived he declared,
“You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now I have
done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from
the plots of the Jews. I
never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or
in your homes. I
have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from
sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to
Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except
that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie
ahead. But my
life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me
by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful
grace of God. “And now I know that none
of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. I declare today that I
have been faithful. If anyone suffers
eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that
God wants you to know. “So guard
yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church,
purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as
leaders. I know
that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave,
not sparing the flock. Even
some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to
draw a following. Watch
out! Remember the three years I was with
you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for
you. “And now I entrust you to God and
the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an
inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.
Acts 20:17-32(NLT)
Final, or parting words are
memorable only when the life and words match-up. Nathan Hale was a patriot who declared: I only regret that I have but one life to lose
for my country. The first deacon
of the church, Stephen’s last words were of forgiveness for those who were
stoning him: As they stoned
him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees,
shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. Acts 7:59-60(NLT)
While this passage does not record
the final words of Paul’s life, they are his parting words to the Christians at
Miletus, and all the Asian continent before heading off to Jerusalem. This was the pathway that would ultimately lead
to Paul’s execution – but also his greatest impact for the Kingdom of God.
In this address are:
·
Paul recalling his work in that area to bring the Gospel, overcoming hardship
and opposition
·
The call of God’s Spirit to endure even worse as he presses on to
Jerusalem
·
An assurance that this was a one-way-ticket; the Apostle would never
see them again, and…
·
Paul’s clear heart; his legacy included telling them everything he knew
about God and Christ, along with a warning to guard against any enemy that
would steal that teaching, or their faith.
All the way to the end –
finishing the course – that is what this apostle, a man sent by God to do the
work of God, did. And, in this beginning
of the earthly end for Paul, his concern is that whatever
legacy he left, it would include first and foremost, the souls of those God entrusted
to his pastoral care.
Frankly, a preacher who does
not feel this burning inside for those to whom she or he preaches, and those to
whom God has sent him or her, is no preacher of the Gospel of Jesus. To be called of God is to despise one’s own
life for the sake of another’s. It is
what Jesus did on the cross; it is that to which Jesus calls his disciples:
Then Jesus
said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up
your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24(NLT)
For You Today
Daily, piece by piece, you are
stitching-together the legacy you will leave some day. Whatever “words” you say at the end will not
change what you do today.
For a genuine disciple of Jesus
Christ, the marching order today is as unchanging as the course of the sun,
moon, and stars; pick up the cross and follow.
Go to VIDEO
[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com
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