Now this is one of the most interesting
passages of Scripture. If you know a little bit about
what's behind it, Paul the Apostle was parting
from his friends at Ephesus. We learn several things from
reading this twentieth chapter of the book of Acts. First of
all, he had preached to them for about three years. And now
he was going, bound in the Spirit, he said, to Jerusalem. And we know that he would never
preach to these people again. This was his last sermon. This was his farewell message. He knew it. Most of them knew
it. And he came to Miletus and he
sent for the elders, the officers, bishops, pastors, of the churches
in Ephesus, he sent for them and told them to come up that
he wanted to speak to them before he went to Jerusalem. This was
his last message, his last time to meet with them, his last time
to see them before God took him on to glory. Now what did he
have to say? He met with them to bid them farewell, and he
had some things to say. He didn't boast of the converts
that he'd won Christ. I noted particularly throughout
this whole message, Paul said nothing about how many hundreds
of people had been added to the church under his ministry. A
pastor was leaving a church in Ashland a few years ago, and
in his farewell address to the church, He listed all of the
people who had been won to Christ, who had been baptized, who had
joined the Church by letter. He mentioned how many sermons
he had preached, the buildings that had been built during his
ministry, the missions that had been organized, and all of these
other things that had been done, strangely, through this whole
message. There's no mention of converts.
There's no mention of sermons preached. There's no mention
of churches or missions organized. There's no mention of missionaries
sent out. There's no mention of the percentage
of increase in the budget. There's no mention of books which
he had written. He didn't ask them to praise
him or to give him a testimonial for his great service in that
city for the cause of Christ. It would be most interesting
to carefully examine this last message and just see exactly
what Paul had to say to these people. Paul, who is called in
the word of God, the minister's pattern, the minister's pattern,
the believer's pattern. I see five things in particular,
I see more than that, but five things that stand out. First
of all, in verse 19, Paul had this to say in verse 19. He said,
I have served the Lord with all humility of mind. With many tears
and with many trials, I have served the Lord with humility. Oh, to learn this. To be able to say with this apostle,
I am what I am. I have what I have. I know what
I know. I do what I do by the grace of
God Almighty. Oh, to learn that! To be able
to serve the Lord in whatever capacity he calls me, whether
as a minister, or an elder, or a deacon, or a musician, to be
able to serve the Lord with humility. The Apostle said, I'm not worthy
to be an I'm less than the least of the saints. I'm the chief
of sinners. I serve the Lord with a deep
humility." I think three things will produce humility, and they
are as follows. First of all, a man, if he knows
anything about genuine humility, and I guess when we think we
do, we don't, But a man who knows something about serving the Lord
with any humility at all, first of all must be made conscious
of his imperfections. Richard Baxter said it better
than anyone. He said, I preach as one who
may never preach again. I preach as a dying man to dying
men. Paul never wore a uniform of
religion. Paul never took unto himself
a holy title. Scripture says holy and reverend
is his Christ's name. The Apostle Paul served the Lord
with humility. And when we learn that we are
nothing, he said that over in the book of 1 Corinthians. Turn
over there with me a moment. In 1 Corinthians, I think it's
chapter 2 or 3, we'll find it easy enough. In 1 Corinthians
3, he says, verse 5, who is Paul? Who is Paul? Who is Apollos? But ministers by whom you believe,
1 Corinthians 3, 5, even as the Lord gave to every man. I have
planted, Apollos has watered, God gave the increase, so neither
is he that planted anything. And neither he that watereth
anything," we're not anything, I'm nothing, nothing. The first thing that we've got
to learn in serving the Lord, and that's a Bible term, Paul
used it here, serving the Lord, the first thing we've got to
learn is our own imperfections and our own unworthiness and
our own sinfulness. And then the second thing that
we must learn if we're going to serve the Lord with humility
is that all our gifts, all our gifts, whatever gifts we have,
whether it be talents, or whether it be money, or whatever it might
be, all our gifts are borrowed. They're borrowed. And he who
gave them can just as easily remove them. all our gifts are
borrowed. Our minds are enlightened by
His grace. Our hearts are made to love by
His Spirit. Our lips are touched by His power. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter
4. Listen to Paul again. In 1 Corinthians
4 verse 7, he begins or ends verse 6 with these words, that
no one of you be puffed up, elated, proud, for one against another. Aren't you ashamed? For who maketh
you to differ? Who made you to differ? What
do you have you didn't receive? Huh? And if you received it,
why do you glory as if you didn't receive it? Pride in a believer
is contradictory. Pride in a Christian is unheard
of in the scripture. And we've got to learn, first
of all, our imperfections, and secondly, our gifts, whatever
they might be, even if it's a gift to believe, are borrowed. They're from the Lord. And then
the third thing we've got to learn is this, if we're going
to serve the Lord with humility. And that is that our dependence
is on the Holy Spirit. Without him we can do nothing.
Only the Holy Spirit can make our witness effectual. Only the
Holy Spirit can convict of sin. Only the Holy Spirit can reprove
of sin. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal
Christ. It shouldn't be difficult for
any man to serve the Lord in whatever capacity God's called
him, with humility, because actually, we ought to be amazed if God
permits us to serve Him. Turn to Isaiah chapter 40. Listen
to this Scripture. Isaiah chapter 40, verse 6 through
8. Actually, we ought to be amazed
that God Almighty should condense in to let us be any kind of vessel
of mercy. Speak for him, sing for him,
labor for him, witness for him. In Isaiah chapter 40, verse 6,
the voice said, Cry, and I said, What shall I cry? And he said,
Cry, all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness of the flesh
is as the flower of the field, the grass withereth, the flower
fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely
the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth, but the word of our God will stand forever. We're not
anything, I'm not anything, or to be able to serve the Lord
with humility of mind. It may look like that this proud,
fleshly religion is successful, but I guarantee you it's not
successful. And we're going to find that
out someday. All of this great bragging and boasting and all
of this flesh and all of this so-called successful religion
is nothing but wood, hay, and stubble. And I imagine we're going to
find that that despise not the day of small things. I think
we're going to find someday that the gold and silver and precious
stone that has been laid upon the foundation Jesus Christ is
going to amaze every one of us. I wish we could learn to serve
the Lord with humility. And we will be able to if we
ever learn these three things. We learn our own imperfections
and esteem others better than ourselves. If we learn our own
infirmities And if we learn that our gifts are borrowed and God
can just as easily remove them as he gave them, if we can learn
that our dependence is upon him, we have nothing, are nothing,
know nothing but by his sovereign grace. Now the second thing in this
message, Acts chapter 20, first thing Paul says to them, I've
served the Lord with all humility of mind. And then the second
thing, in verse 20, he says, I have kept back nothing that
was profitable unto you. I have kept back nothing that
was profitable unto you. I have showed you and I have
taught you publicly and in your homes, testifying both to the
Jews and to the Greeks, two essential things. Repentance toward God
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Now old Pastor Dodd, who lived
150 years ago, used to be called jokingly by the other preachers
and people, Old Mr. Repentance and Faith. That's
what they called Pastor Dodd, Old Mr. Repentance and Faith.
And they called him that because he preached these two things
all the time, repentance and faith, repentance and faith.
But Philip Henry was asked about that one time, and he replied,
I think it's wonderful. And I'll tell you this, if I
die in the pulpit, I desire to die preaching repentance and
faith. If I die out of the pulpit, I
desire to die practicing repentance and faith. The man who has repentance ought
to be thankful. The woman who has been led of
God to repent. I mean genuine repentance. And
this is something that's difficult, not difficult, impossible to
teach. The goodness of God leads a person to repentance. It's
not something that you can feign. It's not something that you can
produce. It's something that's produced
by a broken heart. And repentance is toward God.
toward God, not toward myself and not toward my fellow man.
Repentance is toward God. Paul called it a godless sorrow. And I repent continually. Repentance
is a continual attitude. We never cease to grieve and
we never stop confessing. And then thirdly, repentance
is not of this particular sin or that particular sin altogether,
though it is. But repentance concerns an attitude
as much as practice. Repentance concerns our nature
as much as our sins. Repentance has to do with what
we are as much as what we've done. And this is something 99%
of the religious people have never learned, because they've
never been led to repentance. Godly sorrow worketh repentance. And that repentance is toward
God. David said, Against thee have
I sinned. And repentance is continual.
David said, My sins are ever before me. And repentance has
to do with our nature. We repent because of what we
are. not only because of what we've
done. And Paul said, I preach this
to you, repentance toward God, repentance toward God, repentance
toward God. And then faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ. What is faith in Christ? Faith
has but one object, and that's Christ. Faith has but one source,
and that's Christ. Faith has but one reason for
existence, and that's Christ. And faith has but one glory,
and that's Christ. And faith has but one food to
feast upon, and that's Christ. Faith in His person, faith in
His Word. Faith in His power, and faith
in His work. And faith in His glory, and faith
in His grace. And faith like repentance is
a living, continual state of being. We never stop believing. And Paul said, your faith groweth
exceedingly. If you do not believe in Christ
more today than you did six years ago, it do well to examine yourselves
whether you be in the faith, because faith groweth. Faith
groweth. Faith groweth. It is toward Christ,
it is continual, and it groweth. And repentance is toward God,
and it's continual, and it groweth. And Paul said, I haven't kept
this back from you. I have declared publicly and
from house to house two essential things, a heart broken over sin
and a heart in love with Christ. And it never stops. And it never
stopped. Those are the two essential things.
And then the third thing I note about this message is found in
verse 27. And he says, I have not shunned
to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Now brethren, I think
that I can say something here. I have not preached with the
power that I desire. I made a television broadcast
last Monday night, and I was about as unhappy Monday night
and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and Saturday
as anybody on earth, because I knew that I had miserably failed. I didn't feel the power of the
Holy Spirit, I didn't feel the liberty that I liked to have.
went in to study this more and watched it. It wasn't quite as
bad as I thought it was. If it had been as bad as I thought
it was, I'd have never made another one, but it was almost as bad.
But I was encouraged the other day by reading a sermon by Mr. Spurgeon. He went down somewhere
to preach, and while he was up preaching, he made this statement,
the Spirit of God is not here. I have no liberty. I have no
power. I have no option. I'm labeling
hard to say anything." And that was a man who was so fluent and
so powerful usually and so used of God, and yet he knew it just
wasn't there. And I have not preached with
the power that I desired, and I have not preached with the
earnestness that I should. And I don't think anybody can
say that. I don't think Paul said that. I have not preached
with the earnestness, and I have not preached with the effectiveness
that I covet. And I have not preached with
the wisdom. that I desire, but one charge that cannot be leveled
toward this preacher. And Paul said toward himself,
I have not left out part of the word of God because of the fear
of men or because of covetousness. He said here, I have not shunned
to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Look down here at verse
33. I have coveted no man's silver,
gold, or apparel. And it might be added, I've coveted
no man's praise and no man's friendship at the expense of
the Word of God. I covet friendship. I'm not a
loner. I can't exist without them. But
I'll tell you this, not at the expense of God's word. Not at
the expense of God's word. I have not shunned, and this
is what preachers today are doing, they're shunning to declare all
the counsel of God because of covetousness and because of fear. Let me ask seven questions. I
think these are worth asking, and I think they're worth considering,
and I think they're worth answering on the part of every preacher,
every officer of this church, and every believer. Let me ask
you seven questions briefly. First of all, shall we try to
make God known by withholding his true attributes? Can you
do that? Can you make God known by withholding
his true attributes? You take his sovereignty, his
glory, his righteousness, his justice, his purpose. Can you really make God known? Can you make God known to people
when you, out of fear or covetousness or for whatever reason, withhold
his true attributes? Who is God? We've got to tell
the truth about God. We've got to tell everything
that we know that the scripture says about him. And if we soft-pedal
this thing and if we withhold these things, as one preacher
said, if I preach that, I'd lose my members. Well, can you make
God known and not preach the truth about God? No, you can't. Because if you
don't tell the truth about God, they're going to be worshiping
another God, not the God of the Bible. Here's the second question.
Shall we try to win men to Christ? by preaching another Jesus? Paul
said they'll come, 2 Corinthians 4, he says they'll come, Levin
4, he says they'll come preaching another Jesus. Who is this Jesus
that's being preached, that this Jesus that didn't know where
he came from or why he came or what he was doing or where he
was going, this Jesus that just wants to do this and can't, and
this Jesus that's so disappointed and so sorrowful because he failed,
this Jesus who stands at the heart's door and begs for entrance
and people won't let him in. Well, I can't win men to Christ
by preaching another Jesus. We've got to preach the victorious,
conquering Redeemer of Scripture in all of His power and glory
and beauty. Let me ask you the third question.
Shall we try to convert men with another gospel? Paul said, if
any man preach any other gospel, I don't care if it's an angel
from heaven, let him be a curse. What's going to be gained? I
may build a large church, or a large denomination, or a large
religious following, by preaching another gospel, but nobody's
going to be saved. I do not believe men can be saved
by trusting another Jesus. I do not believe that men can
be converted by receiving another gospel. I don't believe we're
all going to the same place, because we're not traveling the
same way. The fourth question, shall I try to make the cross
acceptable by removing the offense? Huh? Paul called it the offense
of the cross. The offense of the cross. It's a hated cross. It's a despised
cross. Shall I try to make it acceptable? Shall I try to make it without
offense? Just take away the offense of
the cross and then preach it. The fifth question. Shall I try
for man's benefit to mix God's grace and man's works. Paul said
it's either all of grace or all of works. It can't be grace and
works. Salvation cannot be both, God's grace and man's works cooperating. It is either all grace and all
the gift of God, or it's all the fruit of man's efforts. Shall
I try to mix it? The sixth question, shall I give
a man a hope for heaven? who is not a new creature in
Christ Jesus. Shall I give the nominal religious
person a hope for heaven if he is not a new creature in Christ
Jesus? And then notice verse 29 and
30. Paul says, I know this, and this
is the seventh question after I read this, I know this, that
after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock, and also of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves."
Now then, if I draw away a disciple after me, what hope can I give
him? What hope can I give him? Suppose
a man follows me. Suppose a man is my disciple. Suppose an individual believes
what I preach, and he trusts me and has confidence in me and
hope in me, what can I give him? And then the fourth thing now.
The Apostle Paul said, I have not shunned to declare unto you
all the counsel of God. And the fourth thing, and watch
this, verse 32. And now, brethren, I commend
you to God. and to the word of his grace.
I commend you to God." Now, here's what he said. I've come among
you for three years, and I've served the Lord with humility.
I know my infirmities, I know my sins, I know my inabilities,
I know my gifts are borrowed, I know my dependence on the Holy
Spirit. I have served God with humility, and I have preached
to you repentance toward God and faith in Christ. And I have
not shunned or declared unto you the whole counsel of God.
I have preached God in his sovereignty and Christ in his grace and the
Holy Spirit in his work. I have preached to you the cross,
the substitutionary work of Christ. I have preached these things
to you. Now I commend you to God. And I say that the denominationalists
can't do this. He can't do this. He can't preach
to people and say, Now I commend you to God and to his word. That
denominationalist has got to keep that person on the track. That denominationalist has got
to hold that person in line. That denominationalist has to
keep that person attached to them in order that they follow
their program. But Paul said, I commend you
to God and to his word. The Romanist can't do this. The
Romanists can't just preach to people for three years and say,
now, your relationship with God is between you and God. I commend
you to God, I commend you to him, I commit you to him, I deposit
you in his charge, you're his child, he's your master, he's
your Lord, now I leave you to him. The legalists can't do that. The legalist has all these rules
and regulations that fellow has to follow, and he's got to keep
him reminded of these things. He's got to stay on his heel.
He's got to stay on his doorstep. He's got to keep him fulfilling
his pledge and his promises and his vows and his decisions and
his prayer life, and got to give him a card when to read the Bible,
when to pray, and have him sign up for all these things. The
legalists and the Romanists and the denominationalists cannot
say, I commit you to God. I leave you to God. I deposit
you to his charge and his word. But that's what Paul said. I'm
not afraid. Now I've preached to you three
years, and I've kept back nothing profitable unto you, and I haven't
shunned or declared unto you all the counsel of God. Now,
brethren, I commit you to God. And I leave you with his word.
Do you know what the Reformation was all about? The Reformation
was all about four things. There were four things involved
in this Reformation 300 years ago, and this is what it was
all about. Number one, they contended for
the scriptures alone, not the scriptures plus the writings
of men. Not the scriptures plus the declarations
of the denomination, not the scriptures plus the rules and
creeds of men, but the scriptures alone as the only rule of faith
and practice. The second thing that the Reformation
was all about, and that is Christ alone. Not Christ and Maverick,
not Christ and the Church, not Christ and our works, not Christ
and something else, Christ the only mediator and the only Savior
and the only substitute. The third thing the Reformation
was all about, grace alone. The Scriptures alone, Christ
alone, and grace alone. Salvation is holy and totally
and completely by the grace of God apart from works in any shape,
form, or fashion. that men were lifted from the
cesspool of sin and guilt by the grace of God and transformed
into children of the King only by the grace of God, not by works,
not by giving, not by praying, not by witnessing, not by baptism,
not by church ordinances, not by sacraments, but by grace alone. That's what they fought for.
And the fourth thing, and this is important, They fought for
the fourth thing, the right of private judgment. And that means
this, that I can preach to you and I can teach you as an ambassador,
as a messenger, as a minister of God Almighty, but it all boils
down to this. Whether you're ten years old
or seventy years old, salvation is between you and Christ. between
you and Christ. You can't hang on my coattails
and I can't hang on yours. You can't come to me for assurance
and come to me for confidence and come to me for help. It's
got to be to the Savior, you and the Lord, just you and the
Lord. And that's what they fought for,
the right of private judgment, and that's what Paul is saying
here. Brethren, I've done all I can do. I've preached to you,
I've kept back nothing profitable to you, I've tried to serve the
Lord among you with a humility of spirit and mind, I've preached
repentance and faith, I haven't shunned the declaring to you
the whole counsel of God. Now I deposit you with God and
with his word of grace. It's between you and the Lord
now. And the word of God can build you up. And the Word of
God can give you your rightful inheritance. It's purchased for
you by the Lord Jesus Christ among all those that believe.
And if a man preaches the gospel, he can safely commit his hearers
to God and to the Word, if he preaches the gospel. He can safely commit his hearers
to God and his gospel. Now, last of all, and then I'll
close. Verse 35. And Paul said, verse
35, I have showed you by example how you ought to support the
weak. I have shown you by example how
you ought to support the weak. The grace and faith of Christ
produces a likeness to Christ, and we learn to show mercy. Paul said, I had to learn in
whatsoever state I am to be content. Don't be satisfied with a profession
of faith. If you have real faith, I'm sure
you won't. Don't be satisfied to say, well,
I'm saved, I'm going to heaven, the rest doesn't matter. If you're
saved, I don't believe you will. I believe that we need to learn
to show mercy. I believe we need to learn to
love people. I believe we need to learn to
forgive. I believe we need to learn to
live not for ourselves, but to live for others. I believe we
need to learn where the true blessings of God really are.
Paul said, I have showed you these things. I have showed you
by example how you ought to support the weak and to remember the
words of the Lord Jesus Christ, how he said, It is more blessed
to give than to receive. It is more blessed to give than
to receive. One other scripture, and I close.
Turn to 2 Timothy, chapter 4. Now here Paul is talking about
his death. He's already said farewell to these people
at Ephesus. And he says here in 2 Timothy,
chapter 4, verse 7, verse 6, I'm ready to be offered The time
of my departure is at hand, 2 Timothy 4, 6. Death is at hand. I've fought a good fight, I've
finished my course, and I've kept the faith. Here is a preacher,
here is a believer who is able to look at the past without regret.
He's able to look at the present without anxiety, and he's able
to look at the future without fear. Henceforth there is laid
up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, shall give me in that day, and not to me only," here's
that humility of Paul again, "'not to me only, but to all
them also that love his appearing.'" Our Father, we thank Thee for
the Word. Help us, dear Lord, to live upon
Christ and his word, the precious blood and the precious promises. We pray, O Lord, for a growth
in grace and a growth in faith and a growth in the knowledge
of Christ. We pray, our Father, to be able
not only to talk of Christ here in the assembly, but to be able
to rejoice in and feed upon and talk of Christ out on the streets
and in our homes and with our friends and our loved ones. We want, O Father, not to be
able only to rejoice in these things here, and to demonstrate
a compassion and affection and a fellowship in this building. But grant our Father that this
religion which we claim, and this experience of grace which
we claim, and this relationship with Christ which we claim, shall
be demonstrated when we are alone, when we are with our loved ones,
and when we are with our enemies. Because, our Father, if this
relationship with Christ and this feeding upon him is reserved
only for a special day and only for a special ceremony in time,
how do we differ from those Jews of old who kept their feast days
and fast days, and of whom our Master said, You call me Lord
with your lips, but your hearts are far from me. Rend our hearts,
O Lord, break them. Let us be circumcised in heart,
not in the flesh. Let our hearts be broken and
our spirits contrite. Or let us cease to profess with
our lips what we've never experienced in our hearts. May every one of us safely be
committed to thee and to thy word, that we may grow thereby. Teach us humility and the Spirit
of Christ. In his name we pray, amen. Brother
Ronnie, you come lead us please in a closing hymn. Let's sing 463. Stand, please. Who can cheer the heart like
Jesus by His presence so divine? True and tender, pure and precious,
oh, how blessed to call Him mine! All that fills my soul is Jesus. He is more than life to me. And the first of ten thousand
in my blessed Lord I see. What a wonderful redemption. know. How my skin go red like crimson. wider than the snow. All that drills my soul is Jesus. He is more than life to me. And the fairest of ten thousand
in my blessed Lord I see, sang the last, by the crystal flowing
river. With the ransomed I will sing
And forever and forever Praise and glorify the King He is more than life to me. And the fairest of ten thousand
is my blessed Lord, I see.