back in Acts chapter 20. As we mentioned in the reading,
Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. He stops at Miletus, and while
he's there, he sends for the elders of the church at Ephesus.
Paul had labored at Ephesus longer than he had any place else. He
stayed there longer, for three years. There were probably several
congregations throughout the city. It was a large city. God
had been pleased to do a great work of his grace. Many people
were saved, so there were probably several congregations of believers. Look back, if you will, in chapter
19, just briefly here, during Paul's time there at verse
18. Now, remember, When Paul came
there, they were given over to the worship of the false goddess
Diana. But in verse 18 we're told, and
many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used
curious arts, witchcraft and so forth, brought their books
together and burned them before all men. And they counted the
price of them and found it 50,000 pieces of silver. Verse 20, so mightily grew the
word of God and prevailed. Paul knew firsthand, didn't he? He knew from personal experience
that the gospel of God was the power of God unto salvation. He knew that. He wrote that to
the church at Rome, but he saw that wherever he went. He went
preaching the gospel of God's grace and God was pleased to
do with that what he promised he would, open the hearts of
men that they might believe. Paul experienced that, that it
pleased God through the foolishness of preaching and still does,
brother Lowell, doesn't it? God doesn't have a different
in our day other than the gospel. It is still the power of God
unto salvation. It still pleases God through
that means, to save those that believe, nothing else. When Paul
went to Ephesus, that's all he had was the gospel. That's all
the weapon he had. He didn't have the endorsements
of any great celebrities. There were no movie stars or
politicians or athletes on the platform. He used no gimmicks. He didn't offer any rewards.
He preached simply the gospel of God's free grace, and that's
what God used to open the hearts of a multitude of these poor
people that were worshiping a false god, and they proved their repentance
was genuine. That's what we read of in verse
19 when they brought many of their books of curious arts and
burned them publicly before all men. In chapter 20, Paul's farewell,
there is such a mixture, did you notice that, of joy and sadness
mixed together, isn't there? Joy over the certainty of God's
purpose, of God's purpose in grace, knowing that what God
promised he would be able to fulfill. knowing that Paul was
not sent up on an errand that wouldn't be successful, but God
had been pleased to bless his word and proved that he would.
But there was also a mixture of sorrow, wasn't there? Because
Paul was parting from these brethren, and he told them, you won't see
me again. You won't see my face again.
This is the last time in this life that you and I will see
one another. We sometimes sing the old hymn,
Blessed be the tie that binds. And the tie that binds us to
one another is our Lord Jesus Christ. We're bound together
because we're one in him. One Redeemer, one salvation,
one gospel. Blessed be that tie. I often
turn for encouragement to Paul's words here, especially at verse
24. Look at them again just for a
moment with me. Paul has told them, I'm going
to Jerusalem. I feel bound to do so. And I
can't go into particulars as to what might await me there,
but I do know this. I do know this and don't expect
that it'll be any different than anywhere else I've been. Because
I've been told, the Holy Spirit has witnessed to me that no matter
where I go, that bonds and afflictions abide me. But, but, what an example
of the sufficiency of God's grace it is in the Apostle Paul, is
it not? He was just a man. He was just
a man like you and I. He was flesh and blood like you
and I. But even in the light of these many afflictions, imprisonment,
possible death, from the day Paul was saved on the Damascus
Road until the day he laid down his life under the Emperor Nero,
there was always a plot against his life. You read through the
book of Acts and always there was someone, usually the Jews,
the self-righteous Jews, plotting against Paul's life. In the face
of that, Paul in verse 24 says, but none of these things move
me. None of these things move me. I'm going to Jerusalem. They hate me there. I don't know
what may befall me there, but I'm not deterred. It doesn't
cross my mind for a moment to change my course. None of these
things move me. Neither count I my life dear
unto myself. Why? Why, Paul? What was it that
so drove you? This is it, so that I might finish
my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the
Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Paul says,
to finish the ministry, to testify the glorious gospel of the grace
of God, Paul said, I'm determined to stay the course. to cross
the finish line and the ministry. Oh, what a joy it was to the
apostle to preach the glorious gospel of the blessed God. He said, this one thing I do. One message that he preached,
one gospel. the message of salvation by grace
alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. It could never
have been proven by using the Apostle Paul as proof that anyone
who believed in the sovereignty of God, anyone who believed in
election and those glorious doctrines of grace would be a deterrent
Aggressive evangelists, not so. Paul believed those things firmly. He preached them everywhere he
went, but can you find anyone? Anyone that was more burdened
for the souls of men than the apostle Paul. These things didn't
dampen his zeal, did they? No, it was the very opposite.
Those were the very things that so inspired Paul to preach the
Gospel. He knew that God had ordained
the salvation of a people. He knew that Jesus Christ did
not die for a maybe. He knew when Christ died upon
the cross, he obtained eternal redemption for a multitude of
people, and he knew that the sovereign God over all had ordained
through the foolishness of preaching to call out all of those he chose,
all of those that the Son died for. No wonder Paul said, none
of these things move me. And he did stay his course, didn't
he? Turn, if you will, over to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter
4. Here we see the faithful apostle,
the old soldier of Jesus Christ at the end of the race, at the
end of the course. That course he said he was determined
to stay when he spoke to the Ephesian elders. In writing to
his beloved Timothy in 2 Timothy 4, verse 6, Paul says, For I
am ready to be offered. That time has come. That time
that he spoke of to the Ephesian elders, the time is at hand.
For I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure,
my exodus. I'm leaving this world. It is
at hand. I have fought a good fight. I
have finished my course. I've kept the faith. Henceforth,
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me
only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." He
reminds these elders of the church at Ephesus to be faithful shepherds
under shepherds to God's flock. He reminds them in verse 28 of
their responsibility. Look there again, if you will.
He says, take heed. Be aware. Don't let your guard
down. Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves
and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased
with his own blood." That's your responsibility, feed the flock
of God. Preach the word, as he told Timothy. In season, out of season, all
the time. And then in verse 29, he warns
them of a very real danger. For I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock." Grievous wolves, false teachers, false prophets,
they'll slip in among you. Our Lord warned of that again
and again, didn't he? In Matthew chapter 7, listen
to these words of our Lord. Matthew 7 and 15, beware of false
prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ravening wolves. In chapter 10, he repeats the
same thing. In Matthew chapter 10, verse
16, behold, I send you as sheep in the midst
of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents
and harmless as doves." Paul likewise warns the elders of
the church at Ephesus, and he says, not only shall they come
in from without, they'll rise up in your very midst from among
you. Look what he says in verse 30
of Acts chapter 20. and also of your own self shall
men arise, speaking perverse things for this reason, to draw
away disciples after them, for themselves, not for God, not
for his glory, but for themselves." Verse 31, therefore, watch. Paul
gives them this charge. He gives them a warning. He reminds
them of their responsibility. Then he gives them this charge.
Therefore, watch and remember that by the space of three years
I cease not to warn you every one night and day with tears. Watch over God's flock. Protect
the flock. Guard the flock. Feed God's sheep. And Paul told them prior to that,
that he wouldn't be there with them. This is what so broke their
heart. He said in verse 25, Behold,
I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom
of God. Paul was that instrument that God was pleased to bring
the gospel to them by. He was that one by whom they
heard the glorious gospel of the blessed God, that one that
preached that message that God used to open their hearts and
to show them Christ. They loved the apostle Paul,
and he tells them, I'll never see you again. not in this life. In verse 38, as they kneeled
down and prayed, sorry most of all for these words which he
spake that they should see his face no more. No more. I have a few times been with
a believer, a dying believer, who was leaving this world and
leaving children behind. and they've expressed their concern
about what might become of their children. They were concerned
about that. I said, well, leave them to God. They've really been in God's
hands all along anyway. And this is what the apostle
Paul did, doesn't he? Look at verse 32, and this will
be our text. What a comfort it must have been
to Paul to be able to tell them this. What a comfort it must
have been to these elders to hear it. And now, brethren, I
commend you to God. I commend you to God, the God
of all grace. I commend you to God that does
all his pleasure. I commend you to God that loves
you with an everlasting love. I commend you to the triune God
and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up."
I won't be with you anymore, but God will never leave you
in the forsaken. You won't see my face again, but God, I commend
you to him and to the word of his grace which is able to build
you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I'm sure you've seen this commercial
on television. an auto insurance commercial,
Allstate. Their slogan is, you're in good
hands with Allstate. Paul tells these elders of the
church at Ephesus, he tells them, I'm leaving you in good hands.
You're in good hands. You're in the hands of God. I
commend you to God. Because after all, Paul well
knew they belonged to God. not to him. As he told the church
at Corinth, it was true of all believers. Turn, if you will,
to 1 Corinthians 3. What Paul says here concerning
God's church is true in every age. 1 Corinthians 3, the church
is God's building, God's work. 1 Corinthians 3, verse 9. We are laborers together with
God. Cephas, Paul, Apollos. We're
laborers together with God, but ye are God's husbandry. You're
not ours. You're God's building. According
to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master
builder, I have laid a foundation, one foundation. and another buildeth
thereon. But let every man take heed how
he buildeth thereon. For other foundation can no man
lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Turn
over, if you will, to Ephesians chapter 2. Paul says the very
same thing here. He left these elders in good
hands, did he not, in Ephesians chapter 2? verses 19 and 20. Now, therefore, ye are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints
and the household of God, and are built upon the foundation,
singular, just as he said to the church at Corinth, and are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself. How sure is that? How secure
is that? Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone. Paul said, I commend you to God. A believer is God's work. Look what he says in verse 10
of Ephesians 2. For we are his workmanship. We are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works which God had before ordained
that we should walk in them. And God will not forsake the
work of his hands. It'll never happen. In writing
to the church at Philippi, Paul said, He that hath begun a good
work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. What he started, he'll finish. He called you out of darkness,
he'll keep you. And he'll bring you all the way
to glory where the Lord of glory, Christ himself, the faithful
shepherd of the sheep, will present you before the Father's throne.
without a spot, blemish, or any such thing. In 2 Timothy 1, he
wrote, I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've
committed unto him against that day. I commend you to God. Augustus Toplady wrote an old
hymn that says this, expresses this very well, I think. He wrote,
the work which God's goodness began, the arm of his strength
will complete. His promise is yea and amen and
never was forfeited yet. Things future nor things that
are now, not all things below nor above. can make him his purpose
forgo or sever my soul from his love. My name from the palms
of his hands eternity will not erase. Impressed on his heart
it remains in marks of indelible grace. Yes, I to the end shall
endure as sure as the earnest is given, more happy but not
more secure, the glorified spirits in heaven." That's true, and
Paul says, I commend you to God. Are you still in Ephesians? Look
what he says in chapter 1 of Ephesians, verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he has
chosen us in him. before the foundation of the
world that we should behold him without blame before him, in
love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he had made
us accepted in to be loved, in whom we have redemption." We
have redemption. Through his blood we've been
redeemed. We've been redeemed. It's already
done. The ransom has already been paid.
In whom we have redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of
sins. What a sweet note that is. The forgiveness of sins according
to the riches of his blood. Grace. Oh, loved by God, chosen
by God, redeemed by God the Son, and called and kept by God the
Spirit. Paul said, I commend you to them.
The triune God. We're in the heart of God and
we're in the hand of God. In God's heart, as we read just
a moment ago in Ephesians 1 and 3, love with an everlasting love. Having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end and were in the hand
of God, in his heart, loved everlastingly, and in his hand as well. Turn,
if you will, to John's Gospel chapter 10. Let's look again
at these words of our Redeemer in John chapter 10. He speaks
to his disciples, but what he says is true of all of his sheep. John chapter 10, verse 25. Jesus answered them, I have told
you and you believed not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness to me, but you believe not because you
are not of my sheep as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice. My sheep hear my voice and I
know them. I know them. He knows all about
them. He knows their weakness. He knows
their fears, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand." In the hands of God the Father. Remember in
his Sermon on the Mount, he said, don't be fretful. Don't be anxious
about what you'll eat or wherewithal you'll be clothed. And he said,
your heavenly Father knoweth. Your heavenly Father knoweth. Isn't that a sweet word? Your
heavenly Father knoweth you have need of all these things. My
heavenly Father knows. He knows our frame. He remembers
that we're dust. He knoweth the way that I take. My Father knows and He cares. He cares. Look, if you will,
are you still in John? Look in chapter 17 of John. in
our Lord's high priestly prayer. What he says in this prayer at
verse 9, I pray for them, his sheep, those the Father gave
him, those that were entrusted into his care, those that he
promised in the fullness of time to go and to be made like unto
his brethren, to live for them, to die for them, Verse 9, I pray
for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou gavest me, for they are thine. And all mine
are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. And
now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and
I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine
own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one
as we and we are in his hands, our
heavenly Father, and we're in the hands of our Redeemer as
well, are we not? The great shepherd of the sheep. He said, I give them eternal
life and no man shall pluck them out. They shall never perish. Paul, in his address to the Ephesian
elders, said, he hath purchased you, purchased the church with
his own blood. Will he lose what he paid for
at such a great cost? Never, never. In John chapter
20, look at these words. John chapter 20, our Lord is
risen from the dead, and his disciples are hiding out in the
upper room, fearful, afraid, wondering what's going to happen
next. and our Lord appears to them just like he said he would.
Verse 19 of John 20, then the same day at evening, being the
first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples
were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in
the mist and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Peace. And when he had so said,
he showed under them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples
glad when they saw the Lord. He showed them the marks that
were still on him, the marks he still bears, the proof of
eternal redemption obtained for them. The other night I was looking
over this passage in Acts 20, These words, I commend you to
God. I was thinking about the price
of our redemption, his own precious blood. I thought about being
in the heart of God, in the hand of God, and I heard outside thundering. I can't hardly stay in when it's
thundering. I always think of that song,
How Great Thou Art. So I stepped outside to see it,
or rather to see it because it began the lightning as well.
The hymn writer wrote this. You're familiar with it. Oh Lord,
my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands
have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power
throughout the universe displayed." That is a manifestation of God's
power. But the songwriter went higher
than that, didn't he? And when I think that God, his
Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in. that on the cross, my burden
gladly bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin. How great thou art. Oh, my soul,
how great thou art. I commend you to God, the apostle
said, in the hands of omnipotence, and our Lord Jesus said, none
can pluck them out. they shall never perish, not
one. Those words from the great shepherd
covers all of his sheep, all of his sheep, all of the time,
in all of their circumstances. What if they're tempted severely?
Our Lord says they'll never perish. What if they're severely tried?
He says they'll never perish. What if they sin? And they will.
Our Lord says they'll never perish. What if they sin again? They'll
never perish. They'll never perish. What if
they grow old and weak and forgetful? They'll never perish. We're in
good hands, are we not? In the hands of universal dominion. In the hands of absolute power. Father, you've given me power. Our Lord said, over all flesh,
that I should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given
me. All power is at his disposal. He possesses it all, and he says,
no man, no man shall pluck you out. Look again, if you will,
in Acts 20, the other part of the verse. Paul says, I commend
you to God, and the word of his grace, the word of his grace,
His gracious promise, his gracious purpose, his gracious gospel,
his gracious word to all of his own. It also may refer to Christ
himself, the word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. He said, the word of his grace
which is able to build you up, build you up. We read in the
book of Acts, the Lord added to the church daily such as should
be said. That's his work. He told Peter,
upon this rock, himself, the Lord Jesus, the great I Am, the
great and faithful shepherd of the sheep, the chief cornerstone,
the church's one foundation, upon this rock, I'll build my
church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
It won't happen, brother-in-law. It won't happen. It would be
to his dishonor. It would be the robbering of
his glory if he should lose one sheep that his father entrusted
into his hands. It'll never happen. And Paul
went on to say, "...and give you an inheritance among all
them which are sanctified." An inheritance. Turn, if you will,
back to Ephesians chapter 1. Paul here speaks of that inheritance
that we have in Christ Jesus. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 10. "...But in the despensation,
of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on
earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance.
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should
be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. We have an inheritance. Peter
said it's undefiled, fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us. Turn to Hebrews chapter 9. How
short is an inheritance of God's saints? Well, our testator liveth. He still lives. How sure does
that make it? How sure does it make his will
and testament to his people that he lives to see that it's carried
out? In Hebrews chapter 9, look at
verse 15. And for this cause he is, that
is, Christ. He is the mediator of the New
Testament. that by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament,
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there
must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a
testament is a force after men are dead, otherwise it is of
no strength at all while the testator liveth." He lived. and died, and as he told John
on the Isle of Patmos, he's alive forevermore. He died to ratify
with his own blood that testament, his covenant, his will, and now
he's alive forevermore to enforce it. Does that not assure us that
we shall inherit all that he's willed for us? Everything. Turn, if you will, to Hebrews
chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13. Verse 20, now the God of peace
that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd
of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
according to the blood of the everlasting covenant, because
of the blood of the covenant, make you perfect in every good
work to do his will. working in you that which is
well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory
forever and ever. Amen. Let me just read you a
line or two of another old hymn before we close. This hymn writer wrote, firm
as his throne his gospel stands, my Lord, my hope, my trust. If
I am found in Jesus' hands, my soul can never be lost. His honor
is engaged to keep the weakest of his sheep. All that his Heavenly
Father gave, his hands securely keep. Nor death nor hell shall
ever remove his people from his breast. In the dear bosom of
his love, they shall forever rest." 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 them which are sanctified.