I Entrust You to God and the Word of His Grace

July 20, 2025 · Ray · Acts

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Series · Acts · Week 101 of 120

Scripture referenced 7 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Acts 20 primary passage being preached through, the travel log and Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders

1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia.
2 When he had gone through those parts, and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece.
3 When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.
4 These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea; Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians; Gaius of Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
5 But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas.
6 We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days.
7 On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and continued his speech until midnight.
8 There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together.
9 A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor, and was taken up dead.
10 Paul went down, and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.”
11 When he had gone up, and had broken bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed.
12 They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted.
13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land.
14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard, and came to Mitylene.
15 Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus.
16 For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly.
18 When they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time,
19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews;
20 how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house,
21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.
22 Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there;
23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me.
24 But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.
25 “Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more.
26 Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men,
27 for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
28 Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.
32 Now, brothers, I entrust you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up, and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33 I coveted no one’s silver, or gold, or clothing.
34 You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me.
35 In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36 When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37 They all wept a lot, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
38 sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

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Luke 9:51

Jesus set his face like flint toward Jerusalem, used to parallel Paul walking toward chains and afflictions

51 It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem,

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Ezekiel 33

God setting a watchman on the wall, used to illuminate Paul declaring he is innocent of the blood of all people

1 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, ‘When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;

3 if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blows the trumpet, and warns the people;

4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn’t heed the warning, if the sword comes, and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.

5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and didn’t take warning. His blood will be on him; whereas if he had heeded the warning, he would have delivered his soul.

6 But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn’t blow the trumpet, and the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes, and takes any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

7 “So you, son of man: I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and give them warnings from me.

8 When I tell the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you don’t speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand.

9 Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he doesn’t turn from his way; he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.

10 “You, son of man, tell the house of Israel: ‘You say this, “Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them. How then can we live?”’

11 Tell them, ‘“As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why will you die, house of Israel?”’

12 “You, son of man, tell the children of your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him in the day of his disobedience. And as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither will he who is righteous be able to live by it in the day that he sins.

13 When I tell the righteous that he will surely live; if he trusts in his righteousness, and commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but he will die in his iniquity that he has committed.

14 Again, when I say to the wicked, “You will surely die;” if he turns from his sin, and does that which is lawful and right;

15 if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he will surely live. He will not die.

16 None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done that which is lawful and right. He will surely live.

17 “‘Yet the children of your people say, “The way of the Lord is not fair;” but as for them, their way is not fair.

18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he will even die therein.

19 When the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he will live thereby.

20 Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” House of Israel, I will judge every one of you after his ways.’”

21 In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, “The city has been defeated!”

22 Now Yahweh’s hand had been on me in the evening, before he who had escaped came; and he had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

23 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

24 “Son of man, those who inhabit the waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we are many. The land is given us for inheritance.’

25 Therefore tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. So should you possess the land?

26 You stand on your sword, you work abomination, and every one of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. So should you possess the land?”’

27 “You shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword. I will give he who is in the open field to the animals to be devoured; and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of the pestilence.

28 I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment. The pride of her power will cease. The mountains of Israel will be desolate, so that no one will pass through.

29 Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.”’

30 “As for you, son of man, the children of your people talk about you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak to one another, everyone to his brother, saying, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes out from Yahweh.’

31 They come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don’t do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.

32 Behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they don’t do them.

33 “When this comes to pass—behold, it comes—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

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Ezekiel 34

woe to the bad shepherds, used to underscore Paul's warning to the elders about caring for the flock

1 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and tell them, even the shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep?

3 You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep.

4 You haven’t strengthened the diseased. You haven’t healed that which was sick. You haven’t bound up that which was broken. You haven’t brought back that which was driven away. You haven’t sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor.

5 They were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.

6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth. There was no one who searched or sought.”

7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear Yahweh’s word:

8 “As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd. My shepherds didn’t search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn’t feed my sheep.”

9 Therefore, you shepherds, hear Yahweh’s word:

10 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I am against the shepherds. I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. The shepherds won’t feed themselves any more. I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.”

11 “‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.

12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

13 I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

14 I will feed them with good pasture; and their fold will be on the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold. They will feed on fat pasture on the mountains of Israel.

15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down,” says the Lord Yahweh.

16 “I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.”’

17 “As for you, O my flock, thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male goats.

18 Does it seem a small thing to you to have fed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? And to have drunk of the clear waters, but must you foul the residue with your feet?

19 As for my sheep, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet.’

20 “Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: ‘Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

21 Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad;

22 therefore will I save my flock, and they will no more be a prey. I will judge between sheep and sheep.

23 I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be their shepherd.

24 I, Yahweh, will be their God, and my servant David prince among them. I, Yahweh, have spoken it.

25 “‘I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil animals to cease out of the land. They will dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

26 I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will cause the shower to come down in its season. There will be showers of blessing.

27 The tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them.

28 They will no more be a prey to the nations, neither will the animals of the earth devour them; but they will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid.

29 I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, and not bear the shame of the nations any more.

30 They will know that I, Yahweh, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord Yahweh.

31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”

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1 Peter 5

Peter's command to shepherd the flock of God, cited alongside Paul's charge to the Ephesian elders

1 Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed.

2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;

3 neither as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock.

4 When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.

5 Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;

7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

8 Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9 Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.

10 But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

11 To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you; and so does Mark, my son.

14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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Philippians 1

Paul's confidence that God will keep on doing the good work he started, referenced in connection with Paul entrusting the elders to God

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants:

2 Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God whenever I remember you,

4 always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy,

5 for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now;

6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

7 It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

8 For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

9 This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;

10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ;

11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

12 Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;

13 so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;

14 and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.

16 The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;

17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.

19 For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose.

23 But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

24 Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

25 Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

26 that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.

27 Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

28 and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

29 Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

30 having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is in me.

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Ephesians 2:8-10

saved by grace through faith, not of works, we are his workmanship created for good works, used to explain Paul's gospel of God's grace

8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9 not of works, that no one would boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Acts 20 brought Pastor Ray and the congregation through a detailed travel log of the apostle Paul's final journey toward Jerusalem, a journey marked by long goodbyes, a stunning miracle, and a farewell speech to the elders of Ephesus that cut close to home for several people in the room. The passage moved between the comedy of a young man falling asleep during a very long sermon and the weight of a pastor surrendering his life to a calling he could not fully see ahead of him. It was a morning that held grief and resurrection hope in the same hand.

What was said

After the uproar in Ephesus died down, Paul gathered the disciples he had spent years teaching in the Hall of Tyrannus and left for Macedonia. Pastor Ray traced that route on a series of maps, noting that Paul was now moving more slowly than he had on earlier journeys, spending weeks and months in places rather than days. The traveling party grew to include men from across the region, and Luke, by switching to "we," signals that he is now one of them.

At Troas, on the first day of the week, the group gathered in an upper room to break bread and hear Paul preach. Knowing he was leaving the next morning, Paul kept talking until midnight. A young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, fell into a deep sleep and dropped three floors to his death. Paul went down, fell over him and embraced him, and said not to be troubled, that he was alive. Pastor Ray paused here to speak plainly about the weight this passage carries. He had spoken with Peter Stalker, whose own son fell to his death from a balcony, and Peter's response was direct: it is about the resurrection, not the falling. Luke was resurrected. He is more alive than we are.

Paul walked overland to Assos while the others sailed, then rejoined the ship for a carefully logged series of stops down the coast. He had decided to bypass Ephesus entirely, because he knew that if he went there, he would not be able to leave. He was pressing toward Jerusalem, trying to arrive by Pentecost, and the love he had for those people would have cost him the time he did not have.

From Miletus, he sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus. His speech to them is the heart of the passage. He reminded them that they had seen him serve with tears and through plots, that he had not shrunk from telling them anything that was good for them, and that the Holy Spirit was now telling him that chains and afflictions were waiting for him in Jerusalem. He was walking toward that, not away from it, just as Jesus had set his face toward Jerusalem in Luke 9. Pastor Ray said plainly: who does that remind you of.

Paul told the elders he would not see their faces again, and that after he left, people from the outside and even from among themselves would come to pull the flock apart. His charge was to guard themselves and the whole flock, to shepherd the church God purchased with his own blood, and to remember that it was the grace of God, not human merit, that held everything together. He commended them to God and to the word of His grace, which he said was able to build them up and give them their inheritance.

They wept. They embraced him and kissed him repeatedly. They walked him to the ship. Pastor Ray noted how hard that kind of goodbye is, and then said what Peter Stalker had said to him: we will see his face again. They will see Paul again. That is what resurrection means, and it is the same word underneath all of it, the miracle at Troas and the tears at Miletus alike.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Ray talked about Paul spending longer and longer stretches of time in each place as his ministry went on, rather than moving quickly from town to town. What do you think changes in a person or a community when someone stays and teaches deeply rather than passing through?
When Ray shared Peter Stalker's response about his son Luke, Peter said 'It is about the resurrection, not about him being dead.' How does the hope of resurrection actually change the way you grieve, or does it feel harder to hold onto than it sounds?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Speaker 3At Even though AT T.

RayI mean, where's your phone AT and T? Everybody's been complaining about it for about two weeks. I had no idea. Okay.

Speaker 3We just bought a SIM it's straight talk. So I don't know Oh, okay. I don't know what Don't

Rayknow which towers or hours they use.

Speaker 3Yep. I feel like they all share the same. They just say different things. For I Love You, Lord, I noticed that there's another version of I Love You, Lord. Which one were you Was it okay.

Good. Because I saw a different one in there. I like, oh, it's not that one. Yeah. So that one, I think, it's only two it's only one verse, really.

Yep. So I think maybe we do it twice. And the second time,

RayThat sounds good. Okay. You can read off of that? Completely. I have that.

Say we could print them up for you if

Speaker 3I can I mean them If you have If

Rayyou can send them to me?

Speaker 3It's I Stand Amazed and I Surrender All in I Surrender is in C. There's only one version of I Stand Amazed. I don't know how to send it to

Speaker 2you because Yeah. That's okay.

RayDon't don't worry about it. If the if it's not working, it's not working.

Speaker 3But this These are just screenshots. Okay.

RayWell, good morning everybody. Even before the microphone comes on, I'm glad that y'all are here. I'm glad to be here. As you can see, Judy is not here. Jesse is.

Jesse has been a missionary in Kosovo and he has hey, here we go. He's been a missionary in Kosovo and he is around living down in Star Valley for now. And here he is with us to first Sunday here, he's leading with me in song. Would you stand up with us? And is this the song we're singing?

Speaker 3Holy, holy, holy.

RayYeah. Nope. That's not it. Great. You know what we're gonna do today?

Can everybody just grab a hymnal? They're up here in the front. Blake, I'm sorry about this, man. I thought that got handled. Okay.

It's holy, holy, holy. Connor's favorite. Holy, holy, holy. Here we go. Hymn number three.

Here it is. Y'all can sing your parts if you grab the hymnal, but we have it ready to go.

Speaker 2Up on the wall.

RayWe can sing off the wall.

Speaker 2Holy, holy, holy, all thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea. Holy, holy, holy, Amen. We're gonna sing another one. What is that other one? Come fount

Rayof every blessing. What's the page number?

Speaker 3Superb question.

RayCome now fount of every blessing. We've got it right there. Hymn number 11. Alright.

Speaker 2Come now fount of every blessing. Tune my heart to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy ever ceasing. Call for songs I love. Use my heart, take and seal it.

Seal it for thy courts above. Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it seal it for thy courts above. Amen. Y'all can have a seat.

RayThank you, Jesse. Appreciate it. We're going to go two more songs next but the church camp out is happening. This weekend, actually, they're probably still on the beach down there at the Palisades and if you want to know what a church camp out is like, it's like this. Doesn't that look like fun?

Aren't you glad you're here this morning? Yeah. That looks like I was on that camp out, but I was not. I didn't go to that one, but that's down at Palisades and they are having the time of their lives. So I'm really glad.

Seeking truth in your twenties is happening. If you're a 20, actually if you're an 18, that's good, close enough. The seeking truth in your twenties is for graduated from high school, college age people, you don't have to be a college attender to go. Seeking truth in your twenties, group out behind the airport off of Zenith Drive at the McCooey's place. Sunday nights at 06:30, they are having a great turnout for that every Sunday evening at 06:30.

So, live music, good food, games, bonfires, authentic discussions, and learning truth about Jesus and it's free and easy to get there. So, out behind the airport, watch the elk. There are a bunch of them, maybe a moose or two, but on your way out, that's a that's a great thing. Come check it out. Can't beat the view.

Engine room is a Sunday morning prayer group. We have a Wednesday morning prayer group that's been going for a long long time here, longer than I've been here. I think at least since the early two thousands that I know about, but this is a Sunday morning prayer group that started just a few weeks ago. They're calling it engine room and praying for Sunday services, meeting at 08:30 downstairs in the middle or the youth room or the purple room. Middle room, youth room, purple room are all the same room.

Downstairs in between all of the stuff downstairs is the engine room. I don't need that one right now. That's the squish or go to overflow. We're fine. I think you all you all could spread out if you want to.

August 3 is first BBQ, so that's going be right out here on the lawn again. Beautiful glorious days. We've had several already this couple already this year and the next one is August 3. Prepare for that because that happens at 10:00 instead of eleven for this group. If you want to come in and eat before the service starts at eleven, you're welcome to do that and the 10:00 hour reminds me of this.

We are doing church at the fair this coming week. Yeah, it's so much fun. Sunday, July 27 at 10AM under the big Top. There's only one service. So, there's only one service.

If you normally come at eleven, you're to be late for that one service, okay? So, come on in and meet under the big top. In fact, the Lions Club also does breakfast at that time. So, it's a good time to come on in and go to breakfast beforehand. So, if you get there at nine and have breakfast, you can do that.

Y'all can park here and walk if you want to or shuttle your people and send the send the one that wants to walk back here. Church at the fair, 2025. They keep asking so we keep doing it and I'm thankful for the invitation. So, Don and Marlon Young are our missionaries of the missions moment this week. It's about Don and Marlon and if you know Don and Marlon and most a lot of y'all do, Don was the interim pastor here in the year before I got here and he set me up to win in so many ways and he's done that not just one or two times.

He's been doing this for a career where he it goes into a place with College of Prayer is their ministry and it says, instead of saying where he is, it just or where they are. It says, College of Prayer in all countries and so they have a goal. Pray that the College of Prayer could reach the last 19 nations by this year's end. So, when we get into the travelogue of the apostle Paul today, the apostle Paul has no mileage over these people, alright? Don and Marlon have been rolling and tumbling for God for a long, long, long time and when he served here, like I said, he set me up to win.

I want to pray for them right now and ask that lord that you would help them to reach the goal that you have set on their heart. We will read in scripture where you had told Paul in the spirit lord that he was bound for Jerusalem and so he was doing all that he could to get there in the time frame lord that you gave to him and so God I pray that Don and Marlon with the time that they have would be able to reach all so that they would be able to say along with Paul that I've done everything I can. I've shared my heart. I'm I am laying it all out there. They work hard and they go and they go motivated by the gospel.

In Jesus name, I pray that you would that you would use this ministry in a powerful way. In them and through them, lord, we pray that

Speaker 3you would

Raywork. Amen. So, that's Don and Marlon. Is there anything else? I think there's one more slide.

Yeah. If there's anything else, it's probably on the First Baptist Church website, firstbjackson.org. We'll get you there and when I introduce Jesse, Jesse's been coming in and playing the piano and hanging out. We've had a chance to talk and associate a little bit. When Judy said she wasn't gonna be around, said, Jesse, would you come on in?

And he said, yes. And he came in and had a little bit of trouble on the way getting here this morning. What's next? I'll let you tell the story sometime in the future.

Speaker 3Are we telling the story

RayNo. It's sometime in the future. Let's sing a song.

Speaker 3I stand amazed.

RayAlright. I stand amazed. That one was in the first service. Would you all stand up and we will stand amazed instead of sitting amazed. Alright.

Here we go.

Speaker 2I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene

RayThank you, Lord. Thank you for your provision, Lord. Thank you for all that you are doing in us and through us, and I pray, Lord, that you'd be accompanying your word, that you plant seeds deep in our hearts that would grow to fruition. In Jesus' name, Lord,

Speaker 2we stand before you amazed and thankful. Amen.

RayWhat's the news?

Speaker 3I love you, Lord.

RayHow about I love you, Lord? Can we just do this one a cappella? Of course. Okay. Give me a chord.

Speaker 2I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, Oh, my soul Take joy, my king. Sweet, sweet, holy, love, stay right here with us, filling us with your love. And for these blessings, we lift our hearts in praise. Without a doubt, we'll know that we have been revived when we shall leave this place.

RayAmen. Thank you, Jesse. Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I'm going invite the ushers to come forward.

And I'll pray. Again, Lord God, thank you for all that you are already doing in us, lord, that we don't even have the comprehension to understand for the path that you have set before us, lord. I pray that we'd be conscious and cognizant at the same time of the direction that you are placing within our hearts, within our minds, that you would have the steps that you have for us, lord, that we'd be consciously stepping into them. Anytime that we're in Acts, lord, I'm reminded that they are living by faith in the same kind of way that we are living by faith. It's required, Lord, that we just trust you.

We don't know everything that's coming, but we do know who is in charge of tomorrow. So in Jesus name, Lord, I ask your blessing on this offering. I pray that you would do your will and your way through it, that you bless the gift, Lord, and the one who has given the gift. I pray that it would be effective for advancing the good news of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Amen. Thank you, Jesus. So, we're up to Acts 20 and our continuing study of the book of Acts and our continuing kind of chronological study, We're going along as chronologically as Luke goes. We're going along that way and he's pretty specific. Today, very specific.

It's sort of a travel log. In the first service, I said, I don't know how far I'm going to get. My task is to present what it says and my prayer during the week is where do I stop? When I was in seminary, I asked a professor, we we asked a professor, the collective class and a preaching class said, how long should a sermon be? And he said, long enough to do honor to God's word and short enough to do honor to his people.

We're going to see an example of somebody going over that probably the today. After the uproar had ceased. Now, last week, what we were covering was the uproar. After the uproar had ceased, the uproar was the near riot in Ephesus. So, there was nearly a riot.

It was not a riot. Do you remember the town clerk coming in and saying, hey, calm down. Y'all calm down. If if you've got something that really needs to come forward, go through the proper channels through the court. Demetrius, if you're going to do that and all your buddies that are with you, we're not going have a riot here today.

Go home. Calm down. Just don't do this. We're not having a riot here today. We don't want that here in Ephesus at the theater.

So the uproar after it had ceased in Ephesus, there it is. I'm gonna use a lot of maps this morning because I think it helps us connect it to the real world. Ephesus is in what we would call Turkey now. It's in what they would call Asia then. Paul sent for the disciples.

Now, remember there were 12 disciples in Ephesus that he had found among the people in the synagogue and when there was resistance in the synagogue and plots against him in the synagogue, he took the disciples and he went to the Hall Of Tyranus and in the Hall Of Tyranus of Philosophy Hall, he taught there for a couple of years daily. It says, taught every day there. Now, Sabbath, they were in the synagogue and then they they retreated from the synagogue with the with these disciples and Paul had taught him and taught him well for a long time and I think that's important. If we go back to seeing the quickness of the first missionary journey, how fast they were rolling when Mark was with him and kind of in charge of setting the schedule, we think, setting the time frame. They were going really really quickly and Paul, the further on we go, it seems like he's spending more time in places.

So, he sent for those disciples who knew him very well and when he encouraged them, those Ephesians disciples and he had taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. So, from Ephesus to Macedonia, Ephesus is in Asia. Earlier in Acts, we saw that he was hindered from ever getting into from going into Asia. He was hindered from going into Bethenia and he found himself at Troas and he had a vision of a Macedonian man and that's where we see him crossover into what we call Europe into Macedonia and he went to by way of Minneapolis to Philippi, Thessalonica, and to Berea in Macedonia. So, this is where he's going.

Back from Ephesus up to Macedonia. Now, when he gone through those regions and he'd given them much encouragement. Think about the people that we know. The ones that we have heard about are Lydia, the seller of purple from Thyatira who was living in Ephesus, part of a small prayer group down by the riverside and he sees her. Now, he got a vision of a Macedonian man but it's interesting that he met a woman, then he met a slave, and they met a Gentile.

The Philippian jailer. Now, when he gone through those regions, can you imagine him coming to Lydia and her household or to the Philippian jailer, his household, giving them much encouragement. He then came to Greece and there we are from Ephesus to Macedonia, from Macedonia walking down to Greece. Maybe Achaia, it doesn't say specifically. And there, he spent three months in Greece.

Those three months most likely according to every commentator that I've read that said has an opinion on it. They say it was the winter months because travel is terrible in that region during the winter. So, if you're looking at spending some time, that's a good time to spend it because sea travel becomes He spent three months there and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews, which was fairly common and usually started in the synagogue and when he promoted the way or promoted the way of Jesus specifically that Messiah has come and you missed him and they were supposed to know and when the rejection was great, he would step back to the Jew first but also to the Gentiles so he'd go from there. He spent three months in Greece when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria. Syria is all the way over there.

That's a pretty good ride on a boat. It's a pretty good ways. It's probably four or 500 miles. It's a it's a long ways. From Greece to Syria and that was the plan to go by ship.

He's he had a plan to set sail but the ships that would go from Greece over to Syria were mostly cargo ships that had space for passengers and if you were to set a plot against someone, all you have to have is another guy on a boat that's a little bit stronger than the one you want gone. Does that sound nefarious? That's what he had uncovered as a plot against him. So, he spent three months in Greece and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews, as he was just about to set sail for Syria, He got wind of it and decided to return through Macedonia. I'm going to try to put the emphasis where Luke does.

There's a lot of other information about this journey in Corinthians and in Romans 15 and other places but I'm going to just try to give the emphasis where Luke gives it. As he was about to set sail, he decides to return through Macedonia. So he does not do that trip, he does this trip, which makes the trip longer to get back because he still is gonna have to go through there. We'll see more. And he was accompanied by sopeter of Berea.

Berea. Oh, Berea is great. Berea is the place where they had a more noble view than the Thessalonians, it says in an earlier chapter of acts, which is great except the very next people mentioned are from Thessalonica. I think that's fun. Luke says, Sopater of Berea, he was the son of Pyrrhus and by Aristarchus.

Now, we don't know about the guy, what's in a name. Aristarchus is an elevated name like aristocracy. He would probably have been a sort of a ruling class. Aristarchus, names can tell us that. And then the very next name of another guy from Thessalonia, Thessalonica, another Thessalonian, Aristarchus, elevated name, and then Secundus.

Now, how many people do you know named second? I mean, we know how many First Baptist Churches you know of? Tons of them. How many Second Baptist Churches you know of? Not many.

There are a few. I know. I think it's Spanish. Yeah, that's good. That's exactly right.

The Secundus is the name of this. Now, the primary slave of a household would be Primus, the first And the secondary slave of the household would be Secundus. So Aristarchus elevated name and Secundus, not even the highest slave but a lower slave than that. So, but they're both from the same place and this in itself to me and to a lot of other folks too. They see that and they go, wow, Soperdur of Berea is great, but Aristarchus and Secundus, it's God is calling people out of every socioeconomic group.

He's calling us out of and into, into the same family. And Gaius of Derby and Timothy, we know is from Lystra and Tichicus and Trophimus are both from Asia. So, if you're looking at dots on the map of where people are from like we had our little pins on the map out in the sanctuary for so long, the best view. This is where they're from, around the Aegean Sea and over into Galatia. Now, these people had gone ahead of us and they're waiting for us.

Luke is the author of this and Luke is speaking right here in the second person plural. He he is our first person plural. He's saying, we right here. These had gone ahead and they were waiting on us. They're waiting on us at Troas and so, when they went from Greece, Greece up around through Macedonia and they made the reverse journey from what they had made earlier in Acts and we, it says, sailed from Philippi, probably Minneapolis, which is just down the Hill.

We sailed from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread. So, we know what time frame this is. This is before the day of Pentecost. We'll hear it later that Paul is wanting to get somewhere before the day of Pentecost. So, we know the time frame here is the days of unleavened bread, Passover, time of year.

So, Philippi to Troas and we were and we reached them at Troas within five days. It didn't take them that long to get to Macedonia. It's a reverse wind to go the other direction. So it's harder to get there. Within five days and we stayed there for seven days and Luke is so specific.

He's a great historian. I love that he gives details about stuff like that. It's a great travel log. Have you all read other travel logs? It's so interesting to read when people went somewhere.

We occasionally, I don't journal every day but when we go on a trip, a lot of times, I take a notebook along and say, this is when this happened and I I went with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and my wife one time. We went on a three day trip and we had five flat tires. So, we ended up riding home on the back of a rollback trailer, rollback tow truck, sitting in the car, the four of us and me trying to dodge bridges with the steering wheel. I'm on a trailer. I'm not in the driver's seat of this thing.

And just details like that, it it calls back the the the truth of it. There's spiritual truth here, but a lot of this is just the details of life. Where are we going to go? How long we're going to stay? Who's there with us?

And what is being communicated through us? So we sail from Philippi, we reach Troas. Troas is right there and on the first day of the week, I think, I think. Now, we we know that the resurrection was Sunday, this first day of the week is Sunday. I think this is the first place in the New Testament where it says and they gathered together on Sunday.

The Lord's day, it's called elsewhere. When we gather together to break bread, they were going to come together and eat a meal together and it was going to be like the Lord's supper. It was an agape meal. They gathered to break bread and Paul began talking to them and he was intending to leave the next day. Now, if we think about Troas and his history there, it says he was hindered from going into Asia.

It says he was hindered from going into Bethany. He finds himself at Troas and spending the night there. It doesn't look like he was there for very long. Do I have any objections to that? I might ask Rich.

He's good with this stuff. Paul Paul was not in Troas for very long the first time he came through because he saw that vision of the Macedonian man and he goes after that vision. So, when he comes back through, can you imagine he's been all of these places? He's spent all this time in Ephesus. He's there for three years.

In Corinth, he's there for a long time, a year and six months. He's he's there for three months in Greece. He's all these different places. He spent a lot of time and now when he's coming back through, I imagine he just just thought, I haven't told all these people all of this stuff. Now, he had running buddies with him.

He had disciples with him but Paul began talking to them and he was intending to leave the next day and knowing that you you're leaving the next day as a pastor, as a preacher, as a pastor. You want to tell him all you know. And so he prolonged his message until midnight. Can you imagine? Coming here this morning and thinking, oh, we're gonna eat so it's probably around lunchtime.

Even if it was supper time, prolonging your message until midnight? Oh my goodness. My uncle Jerry would not be pleased. My uncle Jerry was the guy who sat in the back and he would he would watch the watch for a little bit and then he would watch it and start listening to see if it had stopped, you know, see if something was wrong with it. He prolonged his message until midnight and this is it's a little comical so far.

It's a little bit comical that he's like, oh, Paul. Come on, man. And there are many lamps in that upstairs room where we were all gathered together. Now, just here in the upper room brings you back to the upper room where Christ had those four chapters in John, right? It brings you back to the upper room where the disciples were gathered at Pentecost.

It brings you back to a lot of upper rooms in Acts. We've already seen a couple. This is the third out of four, fourth out of fifth, five maybe. There were many lamps in that upstairs room where we were all gathered together with the purpose of celebrating communion together and hearing of the Lord and there was a young man named Eutychus and Eutychus was sitting on the windowsill and sinking into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. You can hear this.

Now, I said two weeks ago, I think it was, that if you're the seven sons of Skeva and you go in and you're preaching that Jesus whom Paul preaches and the demon inside of a man says, Jesus I know and Paul I've heard of, but who are you? And then the demon whips the seven sons of Sceva till they're naked and wounded and leaving. I said, that story is comic relief unless you're one of the seven sons of Sceva or in their family. Uticus is sitting on a windowsill, sinking to a deep sleep and Paul's droning on and on and it says, and Uticus was overcome by sleep and he fell down from the 3rd Floor and he's picked up dead. Now, I don't care what kind of prayer meeting you're having if somebody dies.

That's a rough, rough, rough time and he falls out of the window asleep and you can imagine the horror of the scene when he falls and he's found dead. Now, Paul went down and he fell upon him and just the way that it says, he fell upon him and he embraced him reminds me of Elijah and reminds me of Elisha and it reminds me of Jesus and Jairus' daughter and it reminds me of Jesus with Lazarus even the resurrection. He says, don't be trouble for he's still alive and if you read that as he didn't die, I think Luke, the physician, when he said he was dead, he was dead but just like, she's just asleep from Jesus, right? It's the, it's a calming word. The situation is handled.

The situation is good and I'm going to say right now, pastorally, sometimes it's hard to preach a passage when there's a close connection and we've all experienced the pain of death. Some of us closer than others but in this church body, I know of two that have fallen. One to their death and one to being blinded and I was so moved by this for the past month studying and preparing for this message and knowing that there's nothing funny about Uticus falling out of that window. I talked to Peter Stalker whose son fell from a 7th Floor balcony to his death. And I said, Peter, I'm having a hard time presenting this passage because I know you're here and I know you're going to be here and I'm so moved by the lost.

The last time I presented this was two weeks after Luke fell and the Lord somehow shielded me from even thinking about it And just as I mentioned it, I saw them and my heart was broken again. I had done his funeral. And Peter said, Ray, it's about the resurrection. It's not about him being dead. It's about the resurrection.

And Luke has been resurrected and I have the hope of the grace of God forever. I don't have any doubts. I am fine. Don't be troubled. He is alive.

He's more alive than we are alive and so the grace of God is sufficient and it's good and it's good for that father of that young man who fell and it was good for the parents of this young man who fell and the people around and when Paul had gone back up, Luke says it again. He'd gone back up there again, broke the bread, and eaten. He talked with him for a long while. He kept on talking till daybreak. So, uncle Jerry would have been gone.

Dave Dave O'Jay would be gone, right? Absolutely gone. He talked with him a long while until daybreak but he knew he had one day. He knew he had plans. He's trying to get somewhere and he didn't want to leave anything left and we'll actually see one of his narratives before the end of this service.

They took away the boy alive and he was fine and they were all greatly comforted. It's real. The miracles authenticate the message and Paul preaches on the resurrection constantly and then they have a demonstrable metaphor right in front of them. So, this is actually a tapestry that does not show up very well on these screens. It's a sixteenth century tapestry.

These are three different events. The big one in the foreground you can see is the burning of the scrolls of magic that we covered last week. But this one up in the right corner is of this instance. So there is an upper story window and this boy has fallen and Paul is lying over him although, I don't know if that's Paul's haircut. David c Cook Sunday school literature does not agree with that at all.

But Paul is lying down on him and embracing him. We've got two disciples running down. One of them has a purse that's bulging purse and this is the same passage. I'm gonna try to keep emphasis where Luke keeps it but this is the same trip where they're taking up a collection from all the Gentile churches and they're taking up a collection for the suffering saints in Jerusalem. I don't know.

It's interesting what artists pick up on and so that nobody else in the whole painting has a money bag except for that guy. There are a couple of ladies that are watching too and this is the moment of the fallen. This is the moment of he is dead and he has been picked up dead. It's hard to describe the resurrection but that's what it's about. But we went ahead.

So breaking the action, this is a vignette and then that we went ahead to the ship. We went from Troas and we set sail for Asos and Asos is around an isthmus intending from there to take Paul on board for that's what he had arranged. I think he might have been skittish of ships a little bit after the plot maybe but he wanted to walk across. Maybe he knew something in between Troas and Asos that he wanted to see. He intended himself to go by land.

So there it is. It's sort of a triangular isthmus and he walks while they ride. And it says, when we met him at Asos, we took him on board and we came to Middling. I'm from Georgia. In Alabama, they call it Middling, that's what it is.

Now in Greece, it may be Mitelini or something else, but in Alabama, it's Middling. About 75 miles from where I grew up. But it's not. This is there's Mitalin. It's on the Isle Of Lesbos.

So Troas over to Asas and down to Mitalin. He's very detailed in his log and sailing from there with Paul on board, we arrived the following day opposite Kiosk. I don't know if there's not a name for the area or if he forgot the name for the area but Kiosk is right here and you can see that there's a little isthmus there too and he's saying it's opposite. I don't remember. I don't know if I can't remember the name of the town or there's just not a town name.

We stopped and camped right there across from Kios and then, after that, Paul oh, we came to Miletus. So we came from Samos and Follande, we came to Miletus, which is a beach not too far. The slide didn't show up. Miletus is down South of Samos. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he wouldn't have to lose time in Asia.

Now, he'd spent three years with the folks in Asia in Ephesus. Three years daily teaching. And when you have that kind of relationship with somebody, when y'all who live here, you know, people come here and they stay for a while and when you get really, really, really close to somebody, we had some folks come back this morning. They've been gone about five years and to see em is like, oh, I just want to spend time with them. It's hard.

So, Paul decided, I can't go to Ephesus. If I go to Ephesus, I'm going to get stuck there. There's no way I'm going to be able to make it to where I'm going. It says, he was hurrying if it might be possible for him to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. He is leaning forward towards, he's already said at one time that he feels like the spirit is leading him towards Jerusalem and if we'll go and pay attention from Miletus to Jerusalem at six ten miles.

So, it's a long way and he's trying to make it from basically passed over to the day of Pentecost of fifty days in there. He's trying to make it. From Miltus, he sent word to Ephesus. Miltus to Ephesus is 30 miles. So, he sent word.

He he passed Ephesus on purpose. So, he didn't get caught up with all the people that he knew so well but when he got to Miletus, they stopped and he sent word up to Ephesus and said, bring the elders. It's not everybody but this is a farewell speech basically to the elders of the church And I think it's indicative of what Paul must have been saying on this journey all the way back towards Jerusalem. He probably was saying basically the same thing everywhere he had visited. From Miltus, he sent word to Ephesus and called himself elders of the church.

And so when they came to him, he said to them, it really does say y'all. Y'all yourself know that from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, how I was with you the whole time. You know me and I know you and I know what it's like to minister among you. I know what it's like to have the resistance that you're getting. Y'all know me and I know you.

We, I was there. I was serving the Lord with all humility. You might think that's not a very humble statement but it's the truth. I was serving the Lord with all humility just trying to do the next right thing that God had for me and it was with tears and it was with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews. The plots for being killed or being criticized or defamed, slandered, maliciously, hurt.

There were tears and there were trials and you know how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was beneficial. What a pastor's heart he has. He's seeing these folks in a primarily Gentile area and he's saying everything that I know from the Old Testament, everything that I know from knowing Jesus, everything that I know from the gospel of Jesus that's revealed directly to him and through his interaction with all the other apostles, I didn't shrink from declaring anything to you that was beneficial and I didn't shrink from teaching you publicly and from house to house. We showed up in the Hall Of Tyrannus and we showed up wherever we were invited and he has a pastor's heart and it's obvious. He says, I was solemnly testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks of repentance toward God.

That's necessary and a faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. He was carrying the gospel forward. He was carrying all of the components of it forward and now, he says, behold, I am bound by the spirit. I'm on my way to Jerusalem not knowing what's going to happen to me there. That's a little note of foreshadowing and foreboding.

He clears it up in the next sentence, but it's a pretty good journey still in front of him. But these people that he loves, I'm sure he's asking for prayer. I'm sure he's asking for him to well, he, let me tell you what he keeps on asking from him. He tells us, except, I don't know what's waiting for me there except for the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city. Whether that was through people or it was just something that the Holy Spirit was impressing upon him everywhere he went.

The Holy Spirit was saying that chains and afflictions await me in Jerusalem. Now, does that sound weird? He has been walking to avoid a plot against him sailing. He didn't just say, God will protect me and go. He found out about a plot to kill him and so he walks instead of traveling.

So, he's avoiding trouble where he can. The Holy Spirit's, he's bound by the spirit to go to Jerusalem and the Holy Spirit tells him that chains and afflictions await him there and he's walking towards it not away from it. Who does that remind you of? Jesus. Jesus, in fact, Luke volume one and Acts volume two of the same story, right?

Luke volume one says that in 951, it says, and Jesus set his face like flint. He was going towards Jerusalem and he would not be dissuaded. He was walking towards what was a certain death. Paul is an understanding that chains and afflictions await him. He feels bound by the spirit to go to Jerusalem and maybe Rome, he said earlier.

He had no idea exactly how that would come about at this point. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself. Jesse sang, I surrender all during the operatory and I thought of this. Paul had surrendered his right to his life. He had given it because it was worth it.

He surrendered all for the cause of Christ to the one who had saved him, to the one who'd saved him out of his religious zeal that was misplaced and misdirected. Christ had saved him and it was by grace that he was saved and he knew it. I don't consider my life of any account as dear to myself so that I may just finish the course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus. Amen. What he wanted to do is exactly what God wanted for him to do.

This is, you know, the elders from Ephesus and if you think about the book of Ephesians, he said to them later, y'all know, it's by grace that we're saved. It's through faith but it's by grace that we're saved. Through faith, not of work so that no one can boast. I can't no matter how many miles I've I've gone. Nobody can boast because it's a gift of God.

No one can boast. We're his workmanship. We're his poiema. We're his craftsmanship, his masterpiece. We are his workmanship and we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he has said in advance for us to do those steps like we would so that we would walk in and he said, I just wanna walk out my whatever it is.

I don't understand what it is fully but I know that this is where I'm I'm bound. Are you with me now? I I hope that this feels like it's really really real because we all have the steps. God's established steps in front of us. They're not the same ones as Paul's but God's established steps in front of us for us to carry out so that I may finish the course in the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus Christ and this is what it is to testify solemnly of the gospel of God's grace.

It's not a meritocracy. It's not who deserves it because of what they've done. It is a gospel of God's unmerited favor. No one can boast. Paul is saying, you can't be good enough to get in and you can't be bad enough to be excluded.

It simply must be received. Unmerited favor of God must be received by faith and so, he says, now, verse 25 and now behold, I know that all of y'all among whom I went out about preaching the kingdom, I know that y'all are not going to see me again. What a sad note that is. This guy that they love, oh, we we just lost Carl. The people who are visiting don't know Carl.

Everybody here, we just lost an associate pastor we all love dearly and to to think about Paul say it. I I can see Carl's face. I can see him on the internet. I can call him on FaceTime. I can go see him if I want to.

Paul was pretty sure chains and afflictions are what he was going to find in Jerusalem and when he said, I'm not going to be back through here. Pretty sure. This is the last time you're going to see me. Now, just like when he was in Troas and he had one, he had one chance. He was going to tell him everything he could.

This says, you're not going to see my face anymore. So, therefore, I testify to you this day that I'm innocent of the blood of all people. This reminds me of Ezekiel 33 actually. Ezekiel where he's God says, I've set a watchman on the wall. I've given you fair warning.

Paul is saying, I've done all that I can and I testify to you this day. I'm innocent of the blood of all people. The path that I have covered, I've covered thoroughly evangelizing, going for it, leaving people in place behind me so that they wouldn't get off track. I testify to you this day, I'm innocent of the blood of all people for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. I had a professor that was very fond of saying, the mission of God is a blessing for all peoples.

He said, it's it's a blessing for all every tribe, tongue, and nation and that blessing is Jesus. It is redemption available in Jesus name. The gospel of the grace of God available in Christ. I didn't shrink from declaring that. Now y'all, be on guard for yourselves.

Be on guard. You're the elders. This is not the whole church he's talking to. These are the elders of the church, the overseers. He said, y'all, be careful.

Be on guard for yourselves for all of the flock. Among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. I trust the Holy Spirit to do his work. I trust the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you. I have done all that I can and now I'm leaving it to you.

Y'all, as Peter would say, shepherd the flock of God that is among you. In first Peter five, he says, y'all shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood. Don't treat it as some light thing. The responsibility that you've been given is those who have learned of this gospel first and who have experienced it firsthand. Y'all treat people well.

Treat your sheep well. You are the shepherds of the flock. I know that after my departure, there will be savage wolves that will come in among you and they will not be sparing the flock. They won't care as much as you do. In Philippians, Paul says, yes, some people preach for the wrong reasons.

Some people do it for gain. Some people do it for profit. I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you. They'll not be sparing the flock. This is resistance from all sides and he says, honestly, from among your own selves, men will arise and they'll be speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.

There's a bit of a hint of he's warning them against factions because that happens and division happens and he's saying, elders keep the family of God together. Don't let em splinter. Be good to them. Care for their souls. Care for their well-being and from among your own selves, men will arise.

Speaking perverse things, drawing away the disciples after them. That reminds me so much of Ezekiel 34 and for y'all, if you're reading through the Bible and you hit Ezekiel 34, it might be something you just pass over and go, woe to the bad shepherds. What does that even mean? For me, I read that and go, woe to the bad shepherds. I don't want to be one of those.

I want to care for the hearts of the people that God has entrusted to me. So, woe to you bad shepherds as if you have time, read that and pray for every pastor you know. So, therefore, Paul says, be on alert. Remembering that for night and day for a period of three years, I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. It was at a heart level that we connected and when somebody was getting off track, though it brought me great pain, I was willing to say so.

I was willing to share the truth and love, right? The truth of the goodness of the God and to do so in love to say, you're headed down a bad path. Come on back in to the center of the gospel and now, Paul says, I entrust you elders to God and to the word of his unmerited favor to his grace which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. The grace of God is sufficient to do what it was designed to do which is save and redeem fallen man. I entrust you.

When I read that, I thought, this needs to be stitched on a pillow somewhere. I entrust you to God into the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. He believed that the Holy Spirit would keep on doing as he said to Philippi and other places. He said that I know that I know that God will keep on doing the good work that I saw him start in you. He'll keep on doing it till the last day.

This is what he's saying. This last time I'm going to see you, this is the last thing I have to say. I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. How are we doing on that, Jackson? You yourselves know that these hands serve my own needs.

I worked hard and the men who are with me also worked hard. We weren't begging. We were there working and in everything I showed you that by working hard in this way that y'all can help the weak, you must help the weak and you must remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, it's more blessed to give than it is to receive. Work hard so that you will have money and able to help other people in need. When he had said these things, he knelt down and he prayed with them all.

I'm sure he prayed for them and they prayed for him but they prayed with them all and they all began to weep out loud. And they embraced Paul and they repeatedly kissed him because they loved him. That's right. And they were grieving and they were grieving especially over the word which he had spoken that they would not see his face again. It's really hard.

It's really hard. But just like Peter said, Ray, it's about resurrection. We will see his face again. In fact, we will see his face again. You know, we'll see him for the first time.

They'll see him again. Grieving especially over the words he'd spoken that they would not see his face again and here we are on the ship again. They were accompanying him to the ship saying goodbye, voyage. As he's headed from there to Jerusalem. We'll pick up with chapter 21 after the fair.

I'm not going do the travel log. During the fair, if you'd pray for me as a minister of God's grace to a community. Next week, the presentation will be not just for believers, it'll be for whoever shows up at the fair and so if you pray for me that God has a good word for the community at Cowboy Church next week at 10:00, one service only right over there And would you pray with me? I'm on well, what did you have planned? What's that?

I surrender. I surrender all. Let's do that. I'm gonna pray and we'll go to that. In Jesus name, Lord, we do surrender all.

What we're asking, Lord, is that you would show us which steps. It's not so it's not for our glory, but it's for your path. What it is that you want for us to do. What's the next thing that you want for us to do. And right here collectively as we sing, I pray that we would all sincerely be surrendering all to your will whatever that may be.

In Jesus name, amen. It's hymn number five ninety six if you all wanna stand.

Speaker 2All to Jesus I surrender. All to him I freely give. I

RayAmen. And now, just like Paul, I commend to you. I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, his unmerited favor. That unmerited favor is what is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all of those who are sanctified. Lord God, may we be as placid as that picture of the oxbow looking at Moran.

May we be carriers of your peace into a world that is so full of turmoil and turbulence. May we be a blessing to all peoples. In Jesus name, amen.

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Church Leadership Finishing Your Calling Grief And Resurrection Paul'S Farewell Surrendering To God

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