In Acts chapter 20, I'm going
to use verse 20, Acts 20, 20, for a title to the message, where
Paul says, as he calls those elders from the church at Ephesus
and preaches to them the last sermon that they will hear from
the lips of the Apostle Paul, he reminds them that he kept
back nothing. He kept back nothing. He withheld
nothing that was profitable unto them, but have showed you and
have taught you publicly the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."
He wasn't ashamed of it. He owned it, and then he declared
it. We preach not ourselves, but
the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing less, nothing more. Nothing else but Christ. I've kept back nothing profitable
unto you. I can honestly before God say
that unto this congregation. I've tried as God has taught
me and given me the spirit of humility and preaching to preach
unto you. all the counsel of God concerning
the gospel of the Lord Jesus. As Paul said in verse 27 of Acts
20, For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel
of God. In the matter of salvation, all
the counsel of God is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Paul was determined
to preach all the counsel of God, concerning the gospel of
God, how that God saves sinners through the grace of God. Notice,
if you will, the last part of verse 24, talking about this
ministry that he received of the Lord Jesus to testify the
gospel of the grace of God, to testify of the gospel of the
grace of God. And then he says in verse 25,
Behold, I know that you all among whom I've gone preaching the
kingdom of God, the gospel is all about the kingdom of God,
about the grace of God, shall see my face no more. And then he says in verse 28,
that he bought this church with his own blood. Take heed therefore unto yourselves
and all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers. You feed the church of God. Now make sure you keep
back nothing profitable unto the people. Make sure you keep
back nothing and make sure that you declare all the counsel of
God in the salvation of sinners. You feed the church of God. It's
the church of God that he bought. with his own blood." Remember
he said, you no more your own, you're bought with a price. And
that price is a high price. It's the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He redeemed us with his own blood. Now as Paul travels toward his
final destination ending his third journey. He sailed past
Ephesus and came to Miletus and he sent back word to the church
there at Ephesus to come and meet with him for the last time
and to get his departing words from them. If you look at what
he says in this chapter, he does four things and we'll look at
these in the weeks to come. He reminds them of his ministry.
Secondly, he warns them of dangers to come. And then fourthly, he
encourages them to continue in the grace of God. Look what he
says in verse 32. And now brethren, I commend you
to God and the word of his grace. which is able to build you up
and to give you inheritance among all them that are sanctified.
So he encourages them to continue in the grace of God. And then
I love what he does in the last part when he departs from them,
verse 36. And when he had thus spoken,
he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they hugged each
other, and they wept sore, fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him.
What a scene. What a touching scene. He loved
them, and they loved him. And they all believed and loved
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 17 and 18, from
Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called, The elders of the church,
verse 18, when they were come to him, he said unto them, You
know, from the first day when I came into Asia and came to
the city of Ephesus, which is in Asia, after what manner I
have been with you in all seasons at all times, serving the Lord
with all humility of mind, with many tears, with many temptations,
much trouble, which befell me by these religious Jews who wanted
to put an end to his life and an end to his ministry." Now,
the Apostle Paul lived with these people and preached the gospel
to them for at least three years. If you notice in verse 31 of
Acts 20, therefore watch and remember that by the space of
three years, I cease not to warn everyone night and day with tears."
Paul was a, like Jeremiah, a weeping, weeping preacher. They had many
good times together, and they had some troubles, sad times
together. But all times are in his hands. All times. When we're up, when
we're down. At all times. were in his hands. All these
times and all different seasons, the Apostle Paul was faithful
to preach the gospel of Christ. You remember he said from prison
when he writes back to Timothy, 2 Timothy chapter 4, he said,
I charge you before God, preach the word, be it in season or
out of season. When is it season to preach the
gospel? When is it reasonable to preach the gospel? All the
time. He said, I've been with you in all seasons, in seasons
of distress, in seasons of good times, sad times, troublesome
times, he said, I preached unto you the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. If you look back in chapter 19,
verse 18, 19 verse 18, when he came to Ephesus, Acts 19, 18, and many that believed
came and confessed and showed their deeds, down to verse 20,
Acts 19, 20, so mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. God blessed the preaching of
the gospel there at Ephesus. He called out a large number
of sinners there, and the word of God, which is the power of
God and the salvation, is quick and powerful, sharper than any
two-edged sword. The word of God prevailed. Prevailed. The line of the tribe of Judah
hath prevailed over all things. And then he reminds him in verse
19 of Acts 20, serving the Lord with humility. Paul called himself
often the servant of the Lord, didn't he? That is a privilege
to serve the Lord with humility of mind, not with pride and arrogance,
but with humility of mind and with many tears. And with many
temptations which befell me, which came to me, not by accident,
remember we read in Ephesians 1, all things are working according
to God's will and purpose, which befell me by the lying and weight
of the Jews. When Paul writes to the Philippians,
he said, all things that happened unto me happened unto me to the
furtherance of the gospel, not the hindrance of the gospel.
These Jews wanting to end his ministry and the persecution
that came his way didn't come by luck or chance, did it? It
came by God's purpose. He worketh all things by his
purpose, serving the Lord with humility of mind, not with pride,
not with arrogance, not with a self-serving spirit, but rather
with a humble and broken heart. He knew, the Apostle Paul knew
how God saved him. God saved him by the grace of
God. He said, I am what I am by the grace of God. And because
of that, he had humility and humbleness of mind, preaching
the gospel with a broken heart, with many tears. and with many
temptations. Humility is brokenness of heart
before God by reason of our sin and gratitude for his love and
his mercy toward us. That's true humility. Humility
before God, and that's the gift of God. He's neither of a broken
heart. Save us such as be of a contrite
spirit. We can say with David, we have
all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We serve him
with humility of mind and honor him with humility of mind, knowing
everything we have, he gave it to us. Everything we know, he
taught us. Everything whatever will be,
I am what I am by the grace of God. True humility, that's the
gift of God, ascribed the whole of our salvation to the Lord
Jesus Christ, with humility of mind. True humility is a willingness
to serve the Lord out of love and gratitude and thanksgiving.
I remember reading a story years ago where one preacher was trying
to describe the humility that God gives to his people, how
they're willing to serve in whatever capacity God has choosed to give
them. And he said in this illustration,
if the Lord sent two angels to this earth from heaven's glory,
and one, he said, you're going to be a ruler over a country,
and to the other, you're going to be a pagan. living in a pagan
country and serving the pagans, for my purpose, it would not
matter to the angels whether he was ruling over a country
or living in a pagan country serving others. It wouldn't matter.
You see, our service is unto the Lord. And we do so with humility
of mind. You remember in our study in
the book of Acts chapter 9 when the Lord confronted Saul of Tarsus,
that proud, arrogant, self-righteous man who was going on his white
horse and persecuting those who loved the Lord Jesus Christ,
and God unhorsed him, put him in the dust, and made him cry
out, Lord, what would you have me to do? That's humility of
mine. And that's the way the God of
the Bible works upon his people. You remember the story of Isaiah
when he saw the Lord high and lifted up? Remember what he said,
woe is me, I'm a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people
of unclean lips. And then he says this, Lord,
here am I, send me. Send me with humility of mind,
here am I, send me, when Job. saw the Lord all the way to the
end of the book of Job in chapter 42. He says, I've heard of thee
by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye I see thee, wherefore
I abhor myself, I hate myself, I repent in dust and ashes. That's
humility of mine. That is the gift of God. And
that's what Paul is saying here. I've served the Lord and I've
served the Lord's people with humility. Brokenheartedness. And then he says in verse 20,
I didn't keep back. He spent everything he had, all
of his energy, all of his time, all of his thinking, everything
was about preaching Christ. He said, we preach not ourselves,
but Jesus Christ, the Lord, and ourselves, your servant for Christ's
sake. How I kept back nothing. that
was profitable unto you, and I've showed you and I've taught
you in the synagogue and in the school and in house to house,
publicly and privately, I've kept back nothing but rather
I declare unto you all the counsel of God And that is Christ. Paul reminded them of the plain
and bold preaching of the gospel. You remember from our study in
2 Corinthians 3, where Paul says, seeing then we have such hope,
we use great plainness of speech. I've kept back nothing profitable
unto you. And then he says in another place,
woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. The ministry that
we have received is to testify of the grace of God, the gospel
of the grace of God. And Paul said in another place,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of the grace of God, for it's
the power of God and the salvation to everyone that is called by
him, speaking the truth in love, keeping back or holding back
Nothing useful or beneficial for us to know the true and living
God. Holding back nothing from the
word of truth, the word of God. You shall know the truth and
the truth shall set you free. Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the word of God. Truth. I've kept back nothing. What Paul preached in private,
he was not ashamed to declare publicly, was he? From house
to house. In the temple. Remember, turn
back over here to Acts chapter 5 for just a minute. Remember
when the apostles were beaten and told and commanded in Acts
chapter 5 verse 41? And they departed from the presence
of the council. Remember, they had beaten them
and called them and commanded them, verse 40, Acts chapter
5, that they should not speak in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. And they let him go. And they departed from the presence
of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for his name, and daily in the temple and in every house
they ceased not to teach and preach the Lord Jesus Christ."
The Apostle Paul did exactly the same thing. Whenever God
opens a door to preach the gospel, we should do so keeping back
nothing. Not hedging on the sovereignty
of God, not hedging on God electing a people unto salvation, not
hedging on the Lord Jesus Christ effectually putting away the
sin of God's people, but declaring it openly and plainly. That's
what needs to be said, and that's what sets sinners free. Free in Christ. Free from the law. Oh happy condition,
Jesus had bled and there is remission. Now look at verse 21. Testifying or preaching at all
seasons, publicly, privately, testifying, preaching, both to
the religious Jew and to the pagan Gentile, this twofold message. Repentance, which is toward God. What does the word repentance
mean? It means a change. A change. Repentance toward God
and faith toward or in our Lord Jesus Christ. Now those two things. Let's take a look at this. Testifying
both to the Jews and also to the Gentiles. This is the message
every sinner needs to hear and it's a two-fold message. Repent
and believe the gospel. Repent and believe the gospel. Both are commands of God. If
you look back at Acts chapter 17, verse 31, and notice repentance
and faith are both the sovereign gifts of God. A person doesn't
truly repent or truly believe without God giving that, which
he commands. Look at Acts 17 verse 31. The times of ignorance God winked
at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because
he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world by that
man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto
all men that he raised him from the dead. So repentance and faith
are both commands of God. I don't turn and read this, let
me just read it to you. You're familiar with this verse,
found in 1st Peter, excuse me, 1st John, chapter 3, verse 23. This is His commandment that
we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and
love one another as He gave a commandment. So repentance is a command of
God. Faith is the command of God. You're commanded to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, as I said, both of these
are the gifts of God. If you look back at Acts chapter
5, I believe it's Acts chapter 5, Yes, Acts chapter 5, verse 29. Acts 5, 29. Peter and the other
apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than
men. The God of our fathers raised
up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted
with his right hand to be Prince and Savior, for to give repentance
to Israel and the forgiveness of sin and we are witnesses of
these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God has given
to them that obey Him. So it is a gift of God. One other scripture turned to
Acts chapter 11 Acts chapter 11 verse 42. Remember this is Paul preaching
there at the house of Cornelius, in Acts
chapter 10. Let's read this first, and then
we'll look at chapter 11. Acts 10, 42. And he commanded
us to preach unto the people, to testify that he was ordained
of God, to be judge of the living and the dead. To him give all
the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth
in him shall receive the remission of sin. Now, Acts chapter 11,
verse 18. I'm trying to show you that faith
and repentance are commands of God. Faith and repentance are
both gifts of God. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not even yourself, it's a gift of God. Now look
at Acts 11, 18. When they heard these things,
they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also
to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. So we can safely say,
according to the Word of God, that repentance and faith are
both the sovereign gifts of the Sovereign Lord. He gives those
gifts to whom He will. Both faith and repentance go
hand in hand. Someone described it, faith and
repentance, this way. It's like a piece of paper. A
piece of paper has two sides, doesn't it? Where you find faith,
you find repentance. Where you find repentance, you
find faith. Both faith and repentance go
hand in hand. Where you find one, you find
the other. Both are necessary and vital. Both acknowledge that
salvation is of the Lord. Both are the sovereign gifts
of God. It's the goodness of God that
leads a man to repentance. It's not the wrath of God. It's the goodness of God that
leads us to repentance. It's the gift of God. Where you
find God-given faith, you find God-given repentance. You also
find sinners who have been granted salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith and repentance both love
and acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ. They love and acknowledge
that God is God. They love and acknowledge that
salvation is of the Lord. TRUE FAITH BELIEVES GOD IS GOD. TRUE REPENTANCE ACKNOWLEDGES
THAT GOD IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER ALL THINGS. Now let me show you
that. This is important. Now I want
you to turn with me and let's see if we can find this in the
Word of God. Turn over here to the book of Titus first of all.
1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Book of Titus. I'm saying that true
evangelical repentance and true evangelical faith both acknowledge
that salvation is of the Lord. In Titus chapter 1 verse 1, Paul,
a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to
the faith of God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth
which is after godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God
that cannot lie promised before the world began, but hath in
due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed
unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior." So, faith
of God's elect acknowledges and loves the truth. Now, turn back
one page, find 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 25, in meekness, let's
read verse, let's go back to verse 23, 2nd Timothy chapter
2 verse 23, but foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that
they do gender strife, and the servant of the Lord must not
strive, but be gentle unto all men, able to teach patience and
in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if God,
peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging
of the truth." So what is the faith of God's elect? What does
it believe? The truth of God. What does true
repentance acknowledge? The truth that they may recover
themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captivity
by him at his will. How is that going to be broken?
Only by repentance that's given of God. Faith and repentance,
furthermore, toward God, faith in Christ, and repentance toward
God are not isolated acts that come and go based upon how we
feel. True repentance is taking God's
side against ourselves. When God says we're guilty, a
true repentant heart that believes God said, you're right. I've
sinned. I've sinned and come short of
the glory of God. True faith and true repentance
agrees with God against yourself and acknowledges that salvation
is all of the Lord. When God says we're guilty, we
say amen. When God says we're ungodly,
we say amen. When God says that we're lost,
dead in sin, we say amen, save me Lord. Thank God he came to
save sinners. Faith and repentance toward God
are not isolated acts that come and go based upon feeling, but
rather a continual, ongoing state of being. It's not I have repented,
it's I am repenting. We live in a state of repenting
unto God. And it's not that I looked to
the Lord Jesus Christ. We are looking. It's a state
of being. It's a state of mind. A continual
process that's ongoing in our heart. Always repenting. Always looking. Always believing. Always coming to. the Lord Jesus
Christ. Always being mindful that we
are totally dependent upon God, our Savior, totally committed
to the way of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. All the counsel
of God is repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. To the believer, the Lord Jesus
Christ is not something, He's everything. Christ is all and
in all. To the believer of the Lord Jesus
Christ, he is our wisdom, he's our righteousness, he's our sanctification,
and he's our redemption. That, as it is written, he that
with glory let him glory only in our blessed Savior. Now, since
we are guilty, right? Since we are guilty, right? What
is our hope of pardon? the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
our hope of pardon. Let the wicked forsake his way,
the unrighteous man his thought, let him return to the Lord and
he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly
pardon. Seeing that we are guilty, we've
sinned and come short of the glory of God. Our only hope of
pardon is the Lord Jesus Christ, who put away our sin by the sacrifice
of himself. Secondly, since it is true that
we are sinful, ungodly, wretched, Christ is our only hope of righteousness
before God. Now, how righteous must you be
to stand before God accepted? As righteous as God. Is he going
to lower his standard to accept your morality as righteousness?
God forbid! Now listen to this, you can turn
with me if you want to Philippians chapter 3. That's why we count
all of our righteousness as filthy rags. That's why we count all
but lost and dumb. This is what a true repentant
heart does. This is what a true believing heart does. Look at
Philippians 3 verse 7. What things were gained to me,
those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless I count all things
but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things, and count
all things dumb, that I may win Christ and be found in Him."
That's repentance. We turn to God from our idols
to serve a true and living God and be found in Him. Verse 9,
now this is This verse, I remember the first time the Lord opened
this verse to me, I've never forgotten it. And be found in
him, count everything else lost, that we may win Christ, be found
in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law. Saul of
Tarsus, that was his hope. He said, according to the law,
I was blameless. But when he met the Lord Jesus
Christ, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness
which is of God by faith. by faith in Him, looking unto
the Lord. He is the Lord, our righteousness. We have righteousness through
His faithfulness. True, saving faith looks to Christ,
who is our righteousness. He's called the Lord, our righteousness. Blessed is the man to whom God
would impute righteousness with our works. Since we are guilty,
He's our pardon. Since we are sinful, He is our
righteousness. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Thirdly, since
we are empty, He is our fullness. He is our portion. Of His fullness
have we all received grace for grace. In Him dwells all the
fullness of a Godhead bodily, and in Him we stand complete. We've been made heirs of God
and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our portion. That is, He is our salvation.
He is our Savior, our Redeemer, our God, and our Savior. You see, Christ is all and in
all. This is what true repentance
and faith acknowledge. that salvation is all of God.
Since we are nothing, He is our all and in all. Since we are nothing, let's see
if we can find that. Find 1 Peter, 1 Peter chapter
1, I believe it is, 1 Peter chapter 1, all flesh is grass, Verse 23, 1 Peter 1, 23, being
born again, not of a corruptible seed, but of an incorruptible
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, all flesh
is grass, all the glory of man is a flower of the grass, the
grass withereth, the flower thereof falleth away, but the word of
the Lord endures forever, and this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you. Since we are nothing, Christ
is our all and in all. Since we are fallen sinners in
Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, He is our resurrection and He
is our life. Turn to John chapter 11. You see, faith and repentance
is totally reliant upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith and repentance
doesn't look to faith and repentance. Faith and repentance looks to
the Lord Jesus Christ alone. He is our resurrection. John 11 verse 25, the Lord said
unto her, Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die. He said, I'm come that they
might have life, and have it more abundantly. Turn back to
John chapter 5. Verily, verily, verse 24. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, got it, hath everlasting life, and shall
not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Repentance toward God and faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ are both the commands of God. They
both freely and fully acknowledge that salvation is of the Lord. That we're totally dependent
upon Him for all things. Now, may we, by the grace of
God, continue in faith and continue in repentance. That is the true
character of faith and repentance. They persevere. They persevere. These all died in faith. And where you find faith, you
find repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.