The Preachers Last Sermon

Q: What does the Bible say about humility in ministry?

The Bible teaches that humility is essential in serving others and recognizing that all gifts are from God. In his farewell address, the Apostle Paul emphasized his service marked by humility, stating, 'I have served you with humility of mind' (Acts 20:19). He recognized that his ability to minister was not due to his own merit but by the grace of God. This humility was vital in Paul's ministry; he viewed himself as 'less than the least of all saints' (Ephesians 3:8) and reflected the Christian belief that all gifts and talents come from God, calling for a humble attitude toward others.

Q: How do we know repentance is essential for Christians?

Repentance is crucial as it signifies a turning toward God and is necessary for salvation. Paul's message includes a clear emphasis on 'repentance toward God' as an essential component of the gospel (Acts 20:21). This repentance is not merely feeling sorry for specific sins but involves a profound change of heart regarding sin and a recognition of one’s guilt before God. True repentance leads to godly sorrow which brings salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10). This underscores the necessity of repentance as a continuous state in a believer's life, showing their dependence on God for forgiveness and transformation.

Q: Why is preaching the whole counsel of God important?

Preaching the whole counsel of God ensures that all truths necessary for faith are communicated, preventing spiritual malnourishment. Paul asserted the importance of not shunning to declare 'the whole counsel of God' (Acts 20:27). This means that pastors and teachers must be diligent to include all aspects of Scripture, even those that may be challenging to preach. In a time where some truths may be offensive to the natural mind, it’s imperative that preachers maintain a commitment to the entirety of God’s revelation. This prevents the dilution of the gospel message and fosters spiritual growth among believers, as they gain a full understanding of God’s attributes and commands.

Q: How does Paul demonstrate reliance on God in his ministry?

Paul relied on God by committing his ministry to Him and emphasizing the power of His Word. In his final address, Paul directed the Ephesians to 'commit you to God and to the word of His grace' (Acts 20:32). This demonstrates his understanding that success in ministry is not through personal ability but through reliance on God's sovereignty and guidance. Such commitment reflects a deep trust in God’s capacity to save and sustain believers. Paul encouraged them to seek understanding through the Scriptures, thereby highlighting the Word of God as the essential source for spiritual growth and stability.

Now let's open our Bibles to
the book of Acts, chapter 20. Paul was leaving his friends
at Ephesus. They would see his face no more. They would never again hear him
preach. Think of it now. Never again. He had faithfully labored among
them, preached the gospel for three years. as long, I reckon,
as he stayed in any place. This was the last message. He
knew it, they knew it. The Holy Spirit had already revealed
it to him and to them. And it's very interesting. This
is one of my favorite chapters in all of God's Word. It's so
interesting to note the things that Paul brought out in this
message. I often think if God were to
revealed to me that I was preaching my last message, or that I was
leaving a congregation never to see them again, or never to
minister to them or fellowship with them, what, just exactly
what would you say? What would you, how would you
sum up your ministry? How would you sum up your farewell
address? What would you say? Well, I note
that Paul did not boast of the number of people that he had
led to Christ. And note also that he did not
boast of the sermons that he had preached, the books he had
written, or the churches he had organized. And note also that
he did not seek praise from them, or he did not seek a testimonial
from them to his great service in their city. There's six definite
things that he brings out in this message that I want you
to note. this morning, six definite things. First of all, back in
verse 18, he opens this message with this statement, and when
they were come to him, he said unto them, You know from the
first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been
with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with humility, with
humility of mind. how difficult this is to learn. I'm talking to myself, I'm talking
to every one of you. There is no place in the service
of our Lord, in the kingdom of our God, in the fellowship of
his people, there is no place at all for pride. You hear the
Apostle Paul speaking this way, I am what I am by the grace of
God. You hear him saying this, I'm
not worthy to be an apostle. I'm unworthy to preach, to teach,
to minister to others, to lead. I'm unworthy to lead." He said,
I am less than the least of all of the saints. In fact, he said,
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I'm chief. Now, is this idle chatter, is
this just loose talk, or do we believe it? I wonder if we are conscious
that all of our gifts are God-given. I tried to bring this out in
my class this morning. Who maketh thee to differ? Do
you have a gift? God gave it to you. Do you have
a talent? God gave it to you. Do you have
a mind? God blessed you with it. Do you have a knowledge of
Christ? He revealed We have nothing of our own selves. We have nothing
of our natural ability. It is all the gift of His grace.
Our gifts are God-given. Then why do we boast as if we
did not receive it? The Lord maketh rich and the
Lord maketh poor. Anybody in this congregation
that is blessed materially, God blessed you. Anyone who's not
blessed materially, it's because it's God's will and God's purpose
that you be in the particular position you're in. the particular
position I'm in. I wonder if we're conscious of
our own imperfections. I wonder if we're conscious of
our own sins. Richard Baxter used to say this
again and again and again. I preach as a dying man to dying
men. Our minds are enlightened by
his grace. Our hearts are made. If you love
anybody, it's because God enabled you to love. Don't feel so smug
and pious because you forgave somebody. God enabled you to
forgive them. Our lips are touched by his grace
and he who gave the gift can just as easily take it away.
Good health is a gift of God. No man has any power at all except
it be given him from above. That's the reason I say there's
no place in the kingdom of God, in the family of our Lord, in
the fellowship of believers, for pride of face, of place,
of race, of grace, or any other gift of God. One of the saddest
stories that I've ever read was told by Mr. Spurgeon. He told
about a man, he said, this is his exact words, to whom I owe all of my natural knowledge of
material and the physical world. He was my teacher, he said. Well,
this man who taught Spurgeon, who had an academy for young
men, old and gray-headed, had lived in this particular town
all of his life. He had taught. His school was
in this town. He was a man of position. He
was a man of great influence. He was a man respected, admired,
among the top men in the entire community. Spurgeon said, I stood
one day out in his yard and saw the police come and get him,
handcuff him to two policemen, and take him away in a patrol
wagon. He lost his mind. this great
old leader, this great old man, this respected man. And Spurgeon
said, as I stood in the yard of that home and saw him raving,
standing on the porch of his house, handcuffed to two policemen,
he said, my heart nearly burst from within me as I thought,
oh, how rapidly one can fall, how quickly all of these So-called
gifts can be taken away and we can be reduced to nothing, to
poverty. My friends, everything we have
by God's grace, that's the reason Paul said, I've served you with
humility of mind. Humility of mind. I know what
I am. I know my infirmities, my afflictions. I serve you with weakness and
fear and trembling. We're dependent on the Holy Spirit.
Turn to Isaiah 40. Listen to this. If you don't
believe this, ask God to teach it to you today, because it would
be terrible if God had to teach it to you the way he taught it
to that old professor, wouldn't it? But look at Isaiah 40, Isaiah
40, verse 6. God teach it to us. The voice
said, cry. And he said, well, what shall
I cry? Isaiah 40, verse 6, cry, all flesh is grass. And the goodliness
thereof is as the flower of the field, the grass withereth, the
flower faded, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it.
Surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower
faded, but the word of our God endureth forever. Endureth forever. Paul said, I have planted, the
polis is watered, but Neither is he that planteth anything,
nor he that watereth anything." One time they were accusing him
of not being an apostle. He said, I am too an apostle.
And I'm not one whit behind the cheap apostle, although, now
watch this, three words, I be nothing. I don't want to just learn to
say that as words and have it in my catechism and my creed
and my systematic theology. I want God to teach it to my
heart and to my mind. I am nothing. I am nothing. That's what he's saying. I've
served you with humility. He that's first, let him be last,
and he that's last, let him be first. And the second thing that
he said is in verse 20. And I kept back nothing profitable
that was profitable unto you. But I've showed you and taught
you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the
Jews and also to the Greeks, two important things, two essential
things. What are they? Underline them
in your mind. Repentance. What's this middle word? Toward
God. Some people who talk about repentance
have never repented because they don't know what repentance is.
Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Old Pastor Dodd, now listen this
is a classic, Old Pastor Dodd used to preach so much on repentance
and faith, repentance and faith, repentance and faith, that they
called him Old Mr. Repentance and Faith. That was
his nickname. But, to which he would answer,
that's all right, he'd say. That's all right. 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, faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ. What is repentance? Somebody
said, well, it's a turning. I know it is, but oh, what a
turning. Somebody said, well, it's a change of mind. But oh,
what a change. Turn to 2 Corinthians 7. Let's
see if we can get a little light on repentance. Why did Paul call
it repentance toward God? Now, brethren, repentance has
to do not so much with this sin or that sin as with the nature
of sin. Repentance has to do not only
with what I've done, but what I am. That's the reason repentance
is a continual state. And true repentance, repentance
that leads to salvation, is repentance toward God, not feeling sorry
that I've been exposed, not feeling sorry that I've had my sins revealed,
not feeling sorry that I've wronged someone else, but repentance
toward God. Now look at 2 Corinthians 7,
verse 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance. Godly sorrow to salvation, not
to be repented of. But the sorrow of the world worketh
death. There is a sorrow that does not
lead to repentance. Esau is an example of this. He
sought repentance with tears. He was sorry that he lost the
birthright. He was afterwards sorry that
he had sold his birthright. He was sorry that his brother
was now over him. He was sorry that he didn't inherit
the blessing. He was sorry that he was deprived
of the goodness of God. But he was never sorry, like
David said, against thee, and thee only have I sinned, and
done this evil in thy sight. True sorrow is because I've sinned
against God. That's where the sorrow is. It's
not just going to Don and saying, I'm sorry I offended, I'm sorry
that I did wrong, I'm sorry that I said this or that. Or going
to John over here and saying, John, I'm sorry that I didn't
do what I told you I'd do. That's God-earthly sorrow. But
this sorrow that worketh repentance is when I fall on my face prostrate
in the presence of God and say, O Lord, my sins are against Thee. It is Thy law that I've trampled
unto feet. It is Thy glory of which I've
come short. It is Thy name that I've blasphemed. It is Thy cross that I've shamed.
I'm sorry, my sins are against thee. You see what I'm saying? Repentance is toward God. Not
only for what we've done and what we've said, but for what
we are. And faith is toward our Lord
Jesus Christ. Faith has one object, that's
Christ. Faith has one foundation, that's Christ. Faith has one
hope, that's Christ. Faith has one reason, that's
Christ. Faith has one source, that's Christ. And as we grow
in the knowledge of Christ, we grow in faith. Paul said, this
is what I've declared. I've declared unto you repentance
toward God. And this is a continual repentance. This is a continual godless sorrow. This is a continual realization
of what I am. Of what I am. O God, the publican
called it, O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Isaiah caught
it, oh God, I'm a man of unclean lips. Job caught it, oh God, I've heard
of thee by the hearing of the ear, now mine eye seeth thee,
wherefore I abhor myself. I repent, I repent, oh God, I
repent. It's not a public thing, it's
a godly thing. It's a spiritual thing. Oh God,
I repent in sackcloth and ashes. All right, verse 27. The third
thing, Paul said, I've served the Lord with humility. I've
declared unto you repentance toward God and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ. This relationship got to be settled
between you and God. And thirdly, verse 27, I have
not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Now,
brethren, We have not preached with the
power that we desire. I don't know anybody that could
say that they have preached with the power or taught with the
power that they desire. We've not preached with the compassion
that we should. We have not preached with the
effectiveness that we covet. We have not preached with the
wisdom that we ought to display. But I do pray that we may be
able to say this, at least, I have not shunned to declare unto you
the whole counsel of God." Fear of men must not cause us to hold
back portions of God's Word. The praise of men must not cause
us to hold back that which is clearly revealed in God's Word.
No, we can't preach the whole counsel. We don't know the whole
counsel. But we must not shun to declare unto men the whole
counsel, what God reveals to us, fear, covetousness, position,
must not lead us to leave out those portions of God's Word
which the believer needs, and unfortunately which the natural
man hates. Let me ask you some questions. Shall we try to draw disciples
after ourselves by denying original sin and total depravity? Shall we try to make God known
by leaving out his glorious attributes of power and glory and sovereignty,
majesty, holiness? Shall we try to win men to Christ
by preaching another Jesus, another gospel, by another spirit? Shall
we try to make the cross acceptable by removing the offense? Shall
we give men a hope for heaven who are not new creatures in
Christ Jesus? Look at verse 29 and 30. I know,
Paul said, after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in
among you, not sparing the flock, and of your own selves shall
men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples
after them. Therefore watch. The gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ has been, is now, and always will be offensive to the
natural mind. The natural mind is enmity against
the things of God. We must not try to pacify the
natural mind. We must not hold back those things
that are clearly revealed in God's Word in order to get along
with natural men. I have not shunned or declared
to you the whole counsel of God. And then the fourth thing. Now
watch this carefully, verse 32. And now, brethren, I commend
you to God and to the Word of His grace. I'm starting right
now, 11 o'clock, preaching this message on television. It's being
aired right now at 11 o'clock this morning. And I made some
statements on this verse right here that I'm going to make to
you. Now, the Apostle Paul had loved these people. No question
about his love for them, his regard for them, his heart beat
for them. No question he wanted them to
know Christ. He said, I could wish myself
a curse from Christ for my brethren according to the flesh. He said, my heart's desire and
prayer to God is that Israel might be saved. No question about
that. This man endured affliction,
persecution, all manner of inconveniences, prison, later martyrdom for what
he believed. He preached the gospel. He wrote
the gospel. He stood for the gospel. But
when he departed from these people, he said two things here that
I think are very important. He said, I commit, the word command
there is commit. I commit you to God. You look
it up in your Amplified and Berkeley and other translations. I commit
you to God. He's the Savior. I'm not. He's the Redeemer. I'm not. He is the Atonement. Don't come
to me. Don't come to the church. Seek
the Lord. I commit you to God. I wish these television preachers
and pastors and evangelists and other high-pressure religious
salesmen would do what Paul's doing here. Paul stood before
these. This was the last time. Looks like he could have made
a real thing out of this, you know. He could have said Paul's
last sermon and now he comes to the end of it and had the
organists go to the organ, the choir start playing softly. Now
this is God's last train. This is the last opportunity
now. We want to make some decisions. We want you to come down the
aisle now. And we want you to rededicate.
We want you to dedicate. We want you to make professions.
We want you to do this. You come now and make you this.
I'll never get preached to you again. This may be the last sermon.
You're over here now." That's not what he said. He told him,
he said, I've served you with humility. I've told you how repentance
is toward God and faith's in Christ. And I haven't kept back
the doctrines of God's sovereignty, and elective grace, and invincible
call, and anything that's the whole counsel of God I preach.
I commit you to God. I commit you to God. Old Spurgeon
used to finish his message, instead of telling people to come to
him, or come to the altar, or come to the baptismal pool, or
come to the front, or come make a profession, he'd say, go home
and seek the Lord. Go home and seek the Lord. God's
not down here. No magic formula by coming to
the front. There's no power in my hand.
There's no power in a profession. The power's in Christ. Go to
Christ. I commit you to God. He's the
only one who can reveal your sins to you. He's the only one
who can reveal Christ to you. He's the only one who can speak
peace to your heart. I can't give you peace. I can't
give myself peace. I can't give you assurance. He
can. He can. Go to him. I commit you to God. I'll tell
you something else he said, and I commit you to the word of his
grace. Now, you listen to me. When I
see a man on television or in the pulpit start holding up a
book and say, now, I've got a book on how to be saved, I wouldn't
sin for it. And I don't know why you would. Here's the book on how to be
saved right here. We don't need his book. Another
one holds up a book and says, now that you've made your decision,
be sure and write to me. I've got a book on how to live
the Christian life. Here's the book right here on
how to live the Christian life. Paul said, I commit you to God
and I commit you to his word. I don't have any books on how
to. how to be saved, or how to live the Christian life, or how
to be happy though married, or how to this and how to that.
Here's your solution. I commit you to his word." Now,
this is serious. You may feel offended at me for
saying that, but I'm quoting the apostle. The last time he
ever spoke to these people, he says, I commit you to God. I
commit you to God. He is able to save you. He is
able to help you. He is able to strengthen you.
And look at this verse 32. I commit you to His Word, which
is able to build you up and give you an inheritance. Is that what
you want? Among them that are sanctified, I commit you to His
Word. Oh, these articles are good.
Sure they are. And books, I read books. But
I don't read books on how to. I read commentaries and messages
that are based on this word. And the greatest error you can
make, I tell you, it's your soul, do with it what you will. But
the greatest error I'm personally convinced that you can make is
listen to anybody preach and then put your soul in their hands.
and then follow their little rituals and their little recipes
and plans. Now you come down here and you
take my hand, you repeat after me and you say these words, now
you're saved. Now you take my book and read my book and do
what I say, how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, how to
win the victory, how to live a victorious life, how to do
this. That's the biggest mistake you ever made in your life. You listen to me and preach Christ.
And then you go home and do like the Bereans, you search the scripture
to see if these things are so. And you cry out to God, Oh Lord,
give me a knowledge of this word. If you can teach that preacher
your word, you can teach me your word. The same Holy Spirit that
taught him, Elijah was a man of like passions as we are, James
said, yet he prayed that it wouldn't rain, it didn't. What's he implying
there? He's implying that I got as much
right as Elijah to pray. I got as much opening to the
throne of God as anybody. I don't have to go down here
to the priest in his girlish robes and ask him to pray for
me. I can go directly to the Father through Jesus Christ,
my great high priest. Brethren, we're brethren. And
he said in verse 33, I've coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel,
and I say the world has a legitimate complaint against the Church
and against preachers in this day. God deliver them. and religious
causes. They have become professional
beggars in the name of God. What a pity! If we must support the Church
of the Lord Jesus Christ by candy sales and bazaars and pledge
cards and asking for support and begging for support and running
articles on giving, let's close the doors. They've already been
closed a long time ago and Ichabod's written over the door. The glory
has departed. If God's in it, God'll pay the
bill. If God's in it, God'll supply
the means. If God's in it, God'll meet the
need. And you don't have to let anybody know but him. And if
preachers become interested in money, investments, security,
and financial support, they ought to move out of the pulpit. They're
already out of the ministry. If God does not and cannot meet
our daily needs, it's an indication that we're not in his purpose
and we're not of his glory. And I believe that. And Paul
believed that. He said, I haven't coveted anything
you have. And then in closing, he said,
I've showed you, verse 35, all things, how that so laboring
you ought to support the weak to remember the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ, it's more blessed to give than to receive. And don't, please don't, let's
don't. I don't want to, I don't want
you to. To only apply these words to
the clanging of coins, better to give than to receive. That's
not the only application. The application is it's better
to love than to be loved. It's better to show mercy than
to receive mercy. It's better to forgive than be
forgiven. It's better to live not for self
but for others. It's more blessed to give in
anything than to receive. That's what he's talking about
there. The whole thing summed up in that. Our relationship
with one another. Be the giver. Be the forgiver. Be the lover. Be the gracious
one. Nobody ever speaks to me. Won't
you speak to somebody? Nobody ever calls me. It's better
to call than to be called. That's what he's saying. For blessed to give. When have
you ever read a message so blessed? As this great man of God sums
up his ministry in departing from these whom he loves, and
sums it up with this statement, it's more blessed, oh, the joy
of it, the identification with Christ in it, it's more blessed
to give than to receive. Our Father in Heaven, We trust humbly, give thanks for this day. What
a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arm.
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting
arm. To have Christ, to have this
fellowship, To have this assembly, to have
this unity, this oneness in Christ, to have these opportunities,
it's more, O Lord, than we ever hoped for or ever dreamed. And
we praise thy name. We commit ourselves afresh and
anew to thee and to thy glory. And we pray, O Lord, that thou
would bless. O speak to us, give us a word from thee. Leave us
not to ourselves. Let us not become emerged in
activity, but let our activity be Christ-centered and Christ-glorifying. Thank thee for this day and bless
the service tonight. Refresh us and reanoint us and
give us a word to speak for thy glory. For Christ's sake we pray,
amen. Let's turn to 393. Take my life
and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. at the impulse of Thy love, at
the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee. Take my voice and let me sing always only for my King. Take my love, my God, I pour
at Thy feet its treasure store. Take myself and I will be ever
only ever of thee, of all thee.

The Preachers Last Sermon

What does the Bible say about humility in ministry?

How do we know repentance is essential for Christians?

Why is preaching the whole counsel of God important?

How does Paul demonstrate reliance on God in his ministry?

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The Preachers Last Sermon

What does the Bible say about humility in ministry?

How do we know repentance is essential for Christians?

Why is preaching the whole counsel of God important?

How does Paul demonstrate reliance on God in his ministry?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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