The Gospel Ministry

Acts: The Gospel in the City PART XXIV
Dr. Timothy Keller
19 May 2013

Acts 20:17-37
17From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.  18When the arrived, he said to them:  "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.  19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.  20You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.  21I have declared to both Jews and Greek that they must turn to God in repentence and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

22And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.  23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.  24However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.

25"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.  26Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.  27For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.  28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.  Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with how own blood.  29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  31So be on your guard!  Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.  33I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.  34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.  35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

36When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.  37They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.

What should a Gospel Church look like?

TRUTH (v.20-21)
--To know God, you can't just believe what you want to.
--Bible's account of God is true.
--If the Word comes from God, it makes sense that parts of it would offend some cultures; otherwise, it would have been designed to make everyone happy.
--Helpful truth (v.32--which can build you up)
--Disease of the soul means the Word isn't dwelling richly in you.
--Worrying is a sign that we think we are smarter than God.
--Deuteronomy 29:29
--Truth is preached publicly (sermons) and house to house (small groups).
--Recognize authority of leaders but they are tender and joy can be shared.
--Hebrews 13:17

TEARS
--To be "with" people means to be exposed.
--We often seek to achieve salvation by our actions.
--In doing so, we can never be honest with others and self as we are always saving face.
--Either be stuck on ego inflation or self loathing.
--Having God in our lives removes the need for performance based approval.
--Allows you to be weak and honest as we rememberd Jesus humbled on the cross.
--Tears allow humility in our Truth so as not to become oppressive and judgemental.

TIES
--Friendships aren't as self absorbed as romantic love.
--Same things amaze, motivates, and awes them.
--Possibility of being friends with someone where all you have in common is Christ.

BIG PICTURE
--Paul is walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
--Christ faced horrible suffering at the end of life.
--In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus, as weak human, asked his friends to pray with him.
--Jeusus experienced ultimate loneliness so that we could be together.