Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Paul's Legacy

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.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day. 

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[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com

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