Paul's Farewell Message

I'm speaking to you today on
the subject, Paul's farewell message. Now some of you have
written saying that you like to follow in your Bibles while
I'm bringing the message. I wish you'd do that for the
program today especially. I want you to turn to the 20th
chapter of the book of Acts. We're going to take our message
from verses 17 through 35. Now that's Acts 20, 17 through
35. And the subject will be Paul's
farewell message. Now the Apostle Paul was leaving
his friends at Ephesus. They would see him no more. This
was his farewell message. These were the last words that
they heard him speak on this earth. And Paul did not spend
this time with these men bragging about the converts that he had
won to the Lord while he was in their city. And Paul did not
spend this time with these men boasting of the books he had
written, or the sermons he had preached, or the churches he
had organized. And he did not spend this time
seeking their praise and their gratitude or a testimonial to
his service for God in the city of Ephesus. I want us to look
at the Apostle's farewell. I want us to listen to this chosen,
anointed, God-sent man. Listen to what he says to these
people as he's preaching his farewell message, his last sermon. Four things that he brings out.
First of all, in verse 19 of Acts chapter 20, look at it in
your Bible. Paul says, I have served the
Lord with humility. I have served the Lord with humility. I'm leaving you now, I've been
with you for three years. But you will remember one thing. During that three years that
I preached to you, I have served the Lord with humility. Listen
to him throughout all of his epistles. Listen to Paul speak.
I am what I am by the grace of God. Again he said, I'm not worthy
to be called an apostle. Again he said, I am less than
the least of all the Saints. And again, this is a faithful
saying and worthy of all that Jesus Christ came into this world
to save sinners of whom I am the chief. Now we need to learn
from this. Here's one of the greatest preachers
who ever lived. Here's a man who wrote the majority
of the books of the New Testament, led of course by the Holy Spirit.
Here's a man who suffered for Christ. Here's a man who preached
all over the country. who was a missionary, one of
the first missionaries. He was a man sent out by God
himself, a chosen vessel to the Gentiles. And yet, as he speaks,
he says, I am nothing, I am less than the least of all the saints.
He said, I have served the Lord with humility. Let all who name
the name of Christ be conscious of our imperfections. We don't
take titles of holiness, we don't wear religious uniforms, for
we are nothing. We preach as dying men to dying
men. The scripture says in 2 Corinthians
12 verse 11, Paul speaking here, he says, I am not behind the
chiefest apostle. I am not behind the chief, pick
out the chief apostle, I'm not behind him, and yet he says,
I am nothing. In Philippians 3, verse 12, he
says, I count not myself to have apprehended, that is, I haven't
arrived, I don't have the answers for every subject, I have not
arrived, and I am not perfect. Let all who name the name of
Christ recognize with the Apostle Paul our own imperfections, and
learn to preach and witness and teach as dying men to dying men. And then let all who name the
name of Christ remember that our gifts, whatever gifts we
have, are borrowed gifts. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4
verse 7, who maketh thee to differ? What do you have that you have
not received? Now if you have received it,
why do you boast as if you have not received it, as if it came
from you? Our minds are enlightened by
the grace of God. Our hearts are made to love by
the grace of God. Our lips are touched by the grace
of God, and he who gave these gifts can just as easily take
them away. Our gifts are borrowed gifts,
and our total dependence, whether we're preaching or teaching,
witnessing or living, our total dependence is on the Holy Spirit.
It is the Holy Spirit who convinces me in a sin, not me, nor my words,
nor my message. It is the Holy Spirit who reveals
Christ. Christ must be revealed to the
heart. The sinner must be given eyes
to behold the beauty of Christ, and ears to hear the voice of
Christ, and a heart to understand the work of Christ. The substitutionary
work of Christ to the unbeliever, to the natural man, is foolishness.
But to the believer, to the man whose eyes have been opened,
and whose ears have been unstopped, and whose heart has been illuminated,
The gospel of Jesus Christ, the substitutionary work of Christ,
is the wisdom of God, it is the power of God. He sees in that
death of Christ God's wisdom and God's justice satisfied and
God's law honored. So it's not unto us, O Lord,
not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. It shouldn't be difficult
for us to serve the Lord with humility. It shouldn't be difficult
at all for us to do whatever we're doing, whether we're giving
or praying or preaching or singing. It shouldn't be difficult for
us to conduct ourselves in a humble fashion. Actually, we ought to
be amazed that God Almighty would even condense sin to fellowship
with us. We ought to be amazed in our
hearts and in our souls that a holy God would condense in
to walk with us, and the only way he can commune with us and
fellowship with us and walk with us is because of Jesus Christ,
not because of ourselves. So that's the first thing Paul
says as he's bringing this farewell message. He stands before these
elders at Ephesus after three years of preaching and teaching,
and he says, I want you to remember this, I have served the Lord
with humility. I know what I am and I know whose
I am. I know my need, I know my sins,
I know my insufficiency. I know that I'm a man just like
you, and what I preach to you, I preach to myself. The second
thing, look at verse 20. I believe the second point in
Paul's farewell message. He says, I have kept back nothing
profitable unto you. I have kept back nothing profitable
unto you. And then in verse 21 he declares
the two essential things that are profitable unto you. He said,
I have declared unto you repentance toward God and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ. That's been my two-fold message.
Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, there was an old pastor by the name of God, old Philip
Dodd. And he used to preach so much
from Acts 20, verse 21, on repentance toward God and faith in Jesus
Christ, that they called him Old Repentance and Faith. That's
what folks called him. They nicknamed him Old Pastor
Dodd. Well, here comes Old Repentance and Faith. Who's going to preach
Sunday, Old Repentance and Faith? But he explained it this way.
He declared, if I die in the pulpit, I desire to die preaching
repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And if I die out of the pulpit, I desire to die practicing repentance
toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. What is repentance
toward God? David said, O Lord, against thee
and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight.
Repentance, my friend, if it's saving repentance, if it's true
repentance, now get is toward God. It's not being sorry you
got caught. It's not being sorry that you
lost something in the process. It's not being sorry that you've
made a mess of your life. It's not being sorry that you've
committed sin against an individual. Repentance, if it's true repentance,
if it's saving repentance, always is toward God. Paul said there's
an earthly sorrow that bringeth death. There's a godly sorrow
that worketh repentance. And that's the kind of sorrow
that bringeth true repentance. It's when I realize that my sins
are against God. Against God I've sinned. Against
thee and thee only have I sinned. My sin is against God. I have
violated his law, I have transgressed his commandment, I have come
short of his glory, and the problem is not between me and men, the
problem is between me and God. That's where I'm in trouble.
It's what happened in the Garden of Eden. It's what happened on
the Cross of Calvary. It's what happened when God is
supposed to be enthroned in my heart and his scepter reigning
over me, and I'm supposed to be in my heart, mind, and soul
subject to my King, and I've committed treason against my
King. That's my problem right there.
These little troubles that we have every day in life. That's
not the problem. The problem between me and God
is not that I stole a watermelon or played hooky from school or
went to a picture show. That's not the problem. The problem
between me and God is a hatred in my heart for his holy reign
and his holy rule and his holy law. It's because I tried to
throw God off his throne. It's because I crucified his
son. It's because there's a natural
rebellion inborn and inbred in me against God Almighty and his
law. And repentance is not only over one particular sin or two
particular sins. Repentance is over the nature
of sins. You hadn't got a hold of repentance
yet until you repent not only for what you've done, but for
what you are. That's where repentance is. That's
the foundation of repentance. It's not what I've done, it's
what I am. It's what causes me to do what
I did. That's where I repent. And repentance is a continual
state. Repentance is not an isolated
act that takes place in the dim past. Somebody says, well, I
repented 20 years ago. No, you didn't either, not unless
you're still repenting. I have repented, I am repenting,
I shall repent. Paul said, I have kept back nothing
profitable unto you, and this is the most profitable thing
of all, first, repentance toward God. You've got to find out what
sin is and who sin is against. What sin is, it's an inward principle,
it's a nature, and it's against God. And the only solution, the
only remedy is faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, watch
these words, toward. Paul said, I have kept back nothing
profitable unto you, I have preached repentance toward God, and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is not toward the Church,
not toward the Bible, toward our Lord Jesus Christ. He is
the object of faith. Saving faith has one object.
It is a person. It is that person's deity, that
person's surety ship, that person's substitution, that person's mediatorial
work, and that person's crowning glory. That's what faith is.
It's in a person. I believe Jesus Christ came into
this world as my Redeemer, as my surety, as my Savior, as my
substitute. Then he took upon himself human
flesh and lived as a human being on this earth, God in the flesh,
the God-man. And he met the law and obeyed
it, and he went to the cross and took my sins and paid for
them. Faith has one object, Christ. And I'll tell you this, faith
has one source, and that's Christ. He's the author of our faith.
He's the author and finisher of our faith. And faith has one
reason for hope, and that's Christ. Not because of anything I do
or shall do, but it's because of what he did. And faith has
one foundation, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. And faith
is a continual principle. It's a state of being. A man
didn't once believe on Christ, and now he doesn't. That's an
impossibility. Christ is our life. When Christ
comes in to dwell, we die. And the life we now live in the
flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us
and gave himself for us. I have believed, I am believing,
I shall continue to believe. My faith has found a resting
place, not in device or creed. I trust the ever-living One. His wounds for me shall plead.
Enough for me that Jesus saves. This ends my fear and doubt. A sinful soul, I came to Him. He'll never cast me out. I need
no other argument. I need no other plea. It's enough
that Jesus died that he died for me. Paul says, I serve the
Lord among you with humility, and I have not shunned, I have
kept back nothing profitable unto you, I have placed unto
you clearly repentance toward God. Not toward men, toward God. Not even toward self, toward
God. And faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ, the one Savior, the one Redeemer, the one Mediator, the
one Substitute, we are complete in him. who is made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Now, the third
point of his message. Now, stay with me right here.
And Paul said, as he continued this farewell message, I have
not shown, look at verse 27, I have not shown to declare unto
you all the counsel of God. I serve the Lord with humility,
I've kept back nothing profitable unto you, I have not shunned
to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Now, my friends, we
need to learn to be able to say this. I may not preach with the
power that I desire, and I don't. I may not preach with the enthusiasm
and earnestness that I should, and I'm sure I don't. I may not
preach with the effectiveness that I covet, and that's certainly
so, and I may not preach with the wisdom that I'd like to have,
and that's certainly so, and I ask God to give me that wisdom.
But I'm telling you this, one charge that must not be leveled
against a minister or a Sunday school teacher or an elder or
a deacon or any of God's children is that I have, through covetousness
and fear and seeking the praise of men, left out part of the
word of God. What a horrible, horrible, horrible
charge to be leveled at any of God's that we have omitted parts
of this book because we covet men's possessions, or we covet
their praise, or we fear their persons. What a horrible charge! Paul said, look down at verse
33, he said, While I have been with you, I have coveted no man's
silver, gold, or apparel. I want nothing that you have.
And I believe he could add this, I have coveted no man's praise
I have coveted no man's friendship. I have not sought to make disciples
to follow after me at the expense of God's holy word." Now, you
listen to me. I don't care who it is. We are
not servants of Christ if we lean on the arm of flesh for
our support. We are not servants of Christ
if we seek to win disciples for our cause or our program or our
denomination, or if we seek to gain support by preaching what
men want to hear. Paul said, I have not shunned
to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Let me ask you seven
questions. Will you think with me for a
moment? Shall we try to make God known by withholding his
true attributes? God is love, but God is just. God is merciful, but God is true. And God is gracious, but God
is sovereign. And we must not keep back the
glory and the justice and the power and the awesomeness of
God Almighty. We must preach God in all his
attributes. Shall we try to win men to Christ
by preaching another Jesus, a Jesus of our own imagination? That's
what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11 forward, they'll come preaching
another Jesus and another spirit and another gospel. Why? To make
disciples. to get numbers, to get crowds,
to get people down the aisle, to make reports, to have baptisms,
to make an impression, to glory in men's flesh. Shall we do that?
Shall we preach half of Jesus? Or are we going to preach Christ
the sovereign, perfect priest and king? Thirdly, shall we try
to convert men by preaching another gospel? Or shall we declare the
gospel of God's glory and leave this work of conversion in the
hands of the Holy Spirit? Shall we try to make the cross
acceptable by taking away the offense? Shall we try to make
the cross of Christ acceptable and glamorous by taking the offense
out of it? Paul said the gospel of the cross
is offensive. It's called foolishness by this
world. The world despises the gospel
of substitution. It hasn't changed. And then in
the next place, shall we try to mix God's grace and man's
Paul plainly declares throughout the whole book of Romans, salvation
is all of grace or all of works. It's not mixed. It cannot be
mixed. We can't mix man's dignity and God's deity. We can't mix
man's works and God's grace. It's got to be all of God. Shall
we give a man a hope for heaven who is not a new creature in
Christ? Shall we keep padding our roads with unconverted professors
of faith and pat them on the back when we see them, Christmas
and Easter, and tell them they're all right, they're in the Lord,
when we know they're not? Shall we compromise the gospel
of redeeming grace to win the support of natural men? What
shall I do on this TV program? In order to get your letters
and get your support and get your help, I compromise the gospel
of Jesus Christ? The answer is an emphatic no.
Paul said, I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole
counsel of God. And though all men forsake us,
and though all men turn from us, and Paul said they did, all
men have forsaken me, only Luke is with me, I will not, he said,
shun to declare unto you the whole counsel of God. I know
this. We're on the trail of God's sheep.
Out yonder somewhere are God's sheep, and they're going to hear
his voice. They're not going to hear the
voice of a stranger. a stranger's voice they will not follow, they
are going to hear his voice. And we must give them the word
of God, not what we think they ought to have and what they ought
to hear, but the word of God, unmixed with our ideas and unmixed
with our creeds. It is not a denomination or a
program or a church that we are promoting, it is the glory of
God Almighty. It's to bring sinners, not to
ourselves or to our buildings or to our creeds, but it's to
bring sinners to Christ. Listen to Paul. Oh, that I may
win Christ and be found in him. Oh, that I may know him and the
power of his resurrection. And that's what I want for you,
that you may win Christ. Not that I may win your approval
or win your fellowship or win your support. I want you to win
Christ. that you might know him, whom
to know is life eternal, that you might rest in him. And that
brings us to the fifth point, and this is one of my most important
points I want you to listen carefully to. Paul, in bidding farewell
to this group of people, he preached to them, I think, about three
years. He was leaving. No more would they hear him,
no more would they see his face, never again. This was his last
message, and he says, now, since I've been with you, I serve the
Lord with humility. And I've kept back nothing profitable
unto you. I've whittled down the flesh,
I've stripped the flesh, I've knocked the foundations out from
under the flesh. I've preached repentance toward
God and faith toward Jesus Christ. And I've not courted your support,
I've coveted no man's apparel or gold or silver or friendship
or fellowship, I've not shunned or declared unto you the whole
counsel of God." Now, four, he said, I commit you to God. I
commit you to God and his word. Look at verse 32. It says, I
commend you to God and the word of his grace. But the word there
gets you an amplified Bible or a Greek New Testament. You'll
find the word is, I commit you to God. I commit you to God. I commit you to God to save you.
I commit you to God to teach you. I commit you to God to protect
you. I commit you to God to care for
you. Now, I know the present-day method is not this at all. The
present-day method is for me to design my message till I get
down to a certain point and have an organ start playing and a
choir start softly singing, and I'm supposed to draw some kind
of imaginary net, and I'm supposed to get people to come to the
front, to come to me, to come to an altar, to come to a church,
to come to an ordinance, to come to something physical. But this,
my friend, cannot save. We preach that you're a sinner.
We preach that your sins are against God, your guilt, we preach
your guilt and your need. We preach Christ as the only
Savior, and when we close this message, we commit you to him. I say unto you, don't come to
me, seek the Lord. Go off yonder in your own bedroom
or in your closet and cry out to God for mercy. Be like the
publican in the temple. Don't come down and shake a preacher's
hand and have him tell you what to say, and then shake your hand
and tell you you're saved, you're all fixed up, you'll go to heaven
when you die, your name's in the Lamb's Book of Life. He can't
save you, but God can. He can't speak peace to your
heart, but God can. He can't put a saw in your heart,
but God can. And that's what I'm telling you
to do. I'm telling you, when I finish this message today,
get along with the Lord, like the publican in the temple, and
cry, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I receive Christ as
my Lord and Savior. I commit myself to the Son of
God. Paul says, I commit you to God. I've preached to you,
I've not shunned or declared unto you the whole counsel of
God. I've kept back nothing profitable unto you. Now I commit you to
God, to save you, and to keep you, and to care for you, and
to protect you, and to provide for you. And watch this now.
And I commit you to his word. His word is able to build you
up in the faith. His word is able to cleanse you.
His word is able to give you assurance. I don't have a pamphlet
to send you on how to be saved. You get your Bible. I don't have
a pamphlet to send you on how to live for God or how to anything
else. I commend you to the word of
God. I commit you to God the Savior, and I commit you to his
word to teach you. Don't come to me, go to Christ. Don't turn to a human vessel
or human writings, turn to his word. My word, he said, shall
not return void. It shall accomplish that whereunto
I have sent it. As newborn babes desire the sincere
milk of God's word, that you may grow. Wherewithal shall a
young man cleanse his way by taking heed to the word of God.
You lay these tracts and pamphlets and books and how-to books and
how-not-to books aside and buy you a Bible and bury yourself
in God's Word. That's what Paul said to these
people, I commit you to God, the Savior, and I commit you
to his Word, his Word of grace, to teach you and to build you
up in the faith and to strengthen you and give you assurance and
make you what you ought to be. Faith cometh by hearing, hearing
by the Word of God. If you want this message on cassette
tape, two messages on each tape, this week and next week, three
dollars, write to me. The address will be given to
you at the close of the program. Until then, Henry Mahan, be to
you a very pleasant, good day.

Paul's Farewell Message

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Paul's Farewell Message

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