Address to Young People: Acts 20:16-38
Table of Contents
Address to Young People: Part 1
Acts 20:16-38
Part 1ACT 20:16-38
“Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the Church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words, of the Lord Jesus, how He said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.”
There is always something remarkably interesting about the last words of anyone who is taking his final farewell of us. We know from the account here that the apostle Paul would never look into the faces of these dear men again so long as he lived. We sense the solemnity of it; his heart is full-he has a burden on his heart. He is hastening on to Jerusalem, and longs for his people after the flesh. He is passing so near to Ephesus that he just can't resist that urge to once again see those dearly beloved men of God with whom he had spent not less than three years of intimate Christian ministry.
The bonds that we forge in Christ are like none other in the world. Men try to imitate these things. They have their religious groups, their fraternities and their unions, but these are poor, shallow imitations of what we Christians have in the bonds of Christ. Only those who have experienced this kind of thing can enter into it, but I know when I speak to my brethren in Christ this afternoon, that you all have tasted this; that lovely bond that grows stronger as the years go by.
It was so here. How the Apostle loved those men, and how those men loved the Apostle Paul. If we trace on down to the end, and see the closing, parting scene, how beautiful it is! Those embraces, those mutual tears, mutual love, mutual sorrow as they say their final farewell. They go as far as they can with him and see him on the ship and, I doubt not, as long as they could see him, they were waving in farewell. Many of us have experienced that waving of farewell to some beloved servant, knowing we will never see his face again here on earth.
Now when these elders from Ephesus are come to him, the first thing Paul calls to their attention is the character of his ministry and service among them (verses 18, 19). That is important. I know that there are those present here who are young, and I can't refrain from keeping them before my mind. We know that among you young people there is a real genuine desire to serve the Lord. I am glad of that. I am sure that the Lord put that desire in your heart. I am glad that you are not waiting until you are old before you decide to do something for Christ. If you can learn at the outset that there is only one becoming attitude that is pleasing to Christ-and you have it so beautifully exemplified in the life of Paul- you have the secret of true service.
“Serving the Lord with all humility of mind.”
O, if we could only emulate that! It is the only way to serve Him. The most outstanding example of it in Scripture, in a servant of Christ, is found in John the Baptist. There was a man greater than whom was none born of woman. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave him that special place. He was the immediate personal forerunner of the Son of God in His advent into this world. Yet see what his estimate was of himself, and of his service in the 3rd of John, vs. 27-30,
“John answered and said, A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
I call your attention again to the 30th verse-"He must increase but I must decrease." O, what a lovely expression! One repeats, I do not know anywhere in the Word of God, words more noble, more admirable in a servant of Christ, than those little words of John spoken here-"He must increase but I must decrease.”
What a calamity, and how sad that the service of Christ has become so profaned in professing Christendom around us, that man actually uses it deliberately as a stepping stone to his own advancement into a position of influence among his fellowmen. That is travesty! A travesty on the service of Christ.
The greatest servant the Lord Jesus Christ had, was the Apostle Paul. None ever excelled him. And he said to these Ephesian elders, "I take you to record this day." This group of men-I do not know how many there were, but they knew him, and he could say to them: "You know what manner of man I was among you." During those three years what did they see? They saw Christ. "Ye know after what manner I have been with you at all seasons." Day in and day out, as he went among them, they saw Christ in him. Does the world see Christ in us?
“With all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations" (vs. 19). That is what they witnessed in that beloved Apostle.
A sister once said, "All brethren are nice; at least at conferences." And there is a measure of truth, as well as a measure of wit in that remark, but, brethren, here is the Apostle Paul, speaking and calling attention to his ministry, and he says,
“Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations.”
(To be Continued)
Address to Young People: Part 2
Acts 20:16-38
Part 2ACT 20:16-38
Is there ever a time or place to lay aside what is becoming to Christ? Are we to be one thing when we are out on the street corners preaching the gospel, a group of young men raising their voices in testimony to the salvation they now enjoy? Are we to be one thing there, and another as soon as the conference is over? When we find ourselves no longer under close surveillance, what kind of lives are we leading?
Paul says, "at all seasons." That does not mean just at conference time. Another thing one has observed, and we speak that we may be helpful, not to be critical, saints will make a great effort and sacrifice to go to a big meeting such as we have here, and I thank God for everyone that is here. They seem to enjoy it, but when they get back to the little meeting, we may see them once a week at the Breaking of Bread. The ministry of Christ at home often isn't worth coming a few blocks for, but at a general meeting it is worth driving many miles. Is that consistent? There is no such thing as "seasons" when it comes to personal faithfulness and godliness.
Verse 20. "And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house.”
The Apostle was a faithful servant because he kept back nothing from the saints that was profitable. Do you think they always enjoyed hearing all he had to tell them? He says if he had pleased men he should not be the servant of Christ. A faithful servant is going to tell us what we do not like to hear, as well as the things we do like to hear. He kept back nothing from them. "I kept back nothing that was profitable." Is that the kind of servants we want to be? Is that the kind of hearers that we want to be? Do we want those who minister, to tell us all the truth; or do we want them to trim their ministry?
In Timothy we read that a time was coming when those who professed to be saints of God would not endure sound doctrine, but would heap unto themselves teachers, having itching ears (2 Tim. 4:3). I believe we are living in that time now. I believe we see it all around us, and that very spirit can creep into our little meetings, until we want the brother who ministers the Word to minister only that which will not cut too deep, and will not plow the conscience. Do you wish him to betray his trust, and shade his ministry because it cuts into your life? It is a solemn thing to quench the Spirit. You sit in the meeting, and there is welling up in your soul resentment because some brother is ministering truth to you that makes you uncomfortable.
Ah, yes, we like to hear about salvation. That is good. And we like to see people saved. That is lovely. Perhaps we like to hear about the Lord's coming-that blessed hope. Yes, we like to hear these things, but when the Apostle Paul was ministering, he did not stop there, but talked about things that pertained to the every-day life and walk of his hearers. We know that, for he has left his record here. We know the character of his ministry. He talked about lying, stealing, about covetousness, drunkenness; about worldliness, fornication and other sins. About those sins that he found had crept in among those professing to be children of God.
He was faithful in proclaiming the whole counsel of God. Do we want to emulate him? Is that the ministry we want to hear? Or have we got to the stage where we have itching ears? Some say all that is necessary is the ministry of Christ. And in a certain sense that is true. But part of the ministry of Christ is the calling of your attention, the attention of the saints, to those things that are contrary to the life and calling of Christ. The Epistles abound in it. There is not one to which we can turn, but we find that the Apostle is calling their attention to gross inconsistencies in their lives and ways. That is part of the ministry of Christ.
We can recall the incident of Ahab's 400 prophets. It reminds one of a worldly saying which might be said thus,
“Surely 400 can't be wrong" (1 Kings 22:6-8, 9, 14, 23, 26-28; 2 Chron. 18:4-8, 16, 22, 25-27).
The 400 all prophesied alike. They prophesied what the king wanted to hear. But there was another prophet there- just one man. After the 400 had given their prophecies, Jehosaphat says there must still be another prophet, and Ahab confesses that there is, but that they do not like to hear him. He tells them the truth, and he suffers for it (2 Chron. 18:16, 22, 25, 26). Four hundred were wrong, and only one was right, because the one man got his message from above, and the 400 got their message from expediency.
We are living in days when we want to be flattered. We are in the last days. If we are to be faithful, we must hearken to the Word in order to know the mind of Christ. Do we want a sort of 50-50 life, or do we want the whole counsel of God? If we say "so far and no farther", the Spirit may take us at our word, but we may suffer for it the rest of our lives.
“Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
“None of these things move me." How far is that true of us? Dear young Christian, do you have a grasp of it down in your soul in such a way that you are not going to be moved? Have you sat down and counted the cost? Are you willing to pay the price, and go on for God, and walk the path of separation to Him? There will be rich compensation, if you do, but there is a price to pay. The Lord isn't going to be your debtor. He will more than compensate you. The happiest Christian here today is the one living in the closest communion with Christ; the one who is walking closest to Christ.
The Apostle says he wants to finish his course with joy. Let us examine that expression. "Finish the course." That meant that he was on a set course. He couldn't finish something he wasn't on. Evidently the course that he was on, was one that he felt could stand the test of that "All-seeing Eye." He wants to finish the course with joy. The course that I, as an individual believer, am on at the present time, if I go on in that course where will it land me? You are on a course, when will you finish it? No one knows. There is no age limit to this finishing process. How often we find young Christians taken out of this scene.
I know a young Christian woman who today is lying with death on her forehead.
For her, the course will soon be finished. You know not how soon you, too, may finish your course. If you finish the course that you are on at the present time, is it going to be a joyful finish, or one of sorrow? If you knew that you were going to finish up this month, if that could be revealed to you in some way, would it necessitate a radical change in your course? In your associations? In your pleasures? In your fellowships? In your personal secret life? In your spiritual life? If you knew that this month was the month the course finished for you, would it require a lot of sudden, hasty adjustments in your life?
(To be Continued)
Address to Young People: Part 3
Acts 20:16-38
Part 3ACT 20:16-38
The Apostle Paul says, "I know nothing against myself." There was a man that could say before the eyes of God, "I know nothing against myself." What did that mean? It meant that he wasn't allowing anything in his life that wouldn't stand the test of the judgment seat of Christ. He wanted to finish his course with joy, and beloved saints of God, he did! He did finish with joy. There never was a more triumphant finish to a course than the Apostle Paul's. We would all like to finish that way, wouldn't we? We can, for there is a way to see to it, that we can finish our course that way.
There is a recipe for that kind of a finish. What is it? He had Christ before him always! Morning, noon and night it was Christ before him always. More and more of Christ before his soul, until that final moment when he was absent from the body and present with his Lord.
Dear fellow Christian, the Spirit of God longs this afternoon that you and I might finish our course with joy, too. We can't afford to take chances; there is no time to waste. Let us see to it that we are on the right course, and that Christ is the object of our life.
“Nothing but Christ, as on we tread.”
“Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”
“I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Paul says he is free from the blood of all men. Could we say the same? Paul started this address by reminding them "After what manner I have been with you." He pointed to his life among them. Preaching (declaring the counsel of God) was half, and living was the other half, and at the end he could say, "I am pure from the blood of all men.”
Are we pure from the blood of all men? Our lives speak loudly day after day, and everyone has his influence on the rest of us. There are no exceptions. That is absolutely, universally true. Every one of us influences in some way the rest of us. And what you allow in your life, what your brethren can see in your life- "After what manner I have been with you at all seasons"—that has its positive influence upon your brethren. Are we free from the blood of all men, if we are allowing in our lives a wrong attitude, a wrong spirit, wrong associations, indulging in wrong things that grieve and dishonor our blessed Lord? If we are, we can't say that we are free from the blood of all men.
Perhaps the deep sorrow that came into that Christian's life, was because he copied my example, and he wasn't able to stop where I did, so he came to that awful breakdown and sorrow. We are here in this world, and mingling with our fellowmen, saved and lost, all those that we meet day after day,- are our lives telling for Christ? Do they see Christ in us?
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with the blood of His own." (N. T.).
In the few minutes that remain to us, we want to speak of the Church of God. We want to speak of the body of Christ. We want to speak of the House of God. Not that these are synonomous terms. But when the Word of God speaks of the Church of God, what does it mean? It means that God has down here on earth a company of people that He calls His Church. They are comprised of all the saved of all the world. Everyone that belongs to Christ forms a part of that Church-the people of God. He has only one Church. There is only one that interests Him. Men have made many churches, but God had only one. And He speaks only of one, and is interested only in one. Beloved, you and I have no right to recognize any other than one. The moment we do, we are making allowances for what God disallows. He has only one Church, and it is very precious to Him. How do we know it is precious? Because of the price He paid for it. What does this verse say?
“The Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood." The blood of His own Son. It is as precious to God as He is precious to Him. It should be precious to us.
When you meet another Christian and have opportunity to speak to him, do you have to examine him and find out what his "tag" is before your heart can go out to him? What denomination he is in? If so, you are not in communion with the mind of the Spirit of God. For God isn't any respecter of persons. He loves every child of God, and he loves them because they are children of God. He is just as interested in that man, just as much as any other saint. Every saint of God should be of interest to us. Every one that calls upon that blessed Name out of a sincere heart, we should seek to minister to them because they belong to Christ. That was the commission that Paul gave to these men here in verse 28, "Feed the Church of God.”
What Christ desires is that the people of God shall be fed. Now this isn't preaching the gospel. That isn't the way the Lord feeds His people. Don't misunderstand me, one is not disparaging or belittling the preaching of the gospel, but feeding the people of God is a very different thing. It is nourishing and cherishing them. It is pasturing the sheep of Christ, and every sheep of Christ can stand a bit of pasture. When we meet a child of God, can't we speak to him about Christ, and minister to him of what we ourselves have received from Him?
In Mark's gospel, He speaks of giving just a cup of cold water, and the reason we do it, is because the recipient belongs to Christ. When you meet another member of the body of Christ, do you value him or discount him? "O," you say, "he doesn't walk with us" and perhaps you discount him. Do you think the Lord discounts him? Everyone that belongs to Christ is precious to Him.
Some of you may be getting a bit nervous for fear the speaker is widening out too broad a ground. I trust that before we get through we won't feel that way. But there is a great danger of becoming shriveled in our affections to those who are Christ's.
(To be Continued)
Address to Young People: Part 4
Acts 20:16-38
Part 4ACT 20:16-38
“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." "Grievous wolves." Be on your guard, they are still going about, and they are still spoiling the flock. Grievous wolves are not really converted people at all. They have that profession; they have rallied under the banner of 'Christ, but they are strangers to the grace of God. There never was a day, I believe, in the history of the Church of God when that kind of thing was so rampant as, at the present time. And none of us are exempt. Let us not say,
“O, I am gathered to the Lord's Name, and there is no danger of my being taken in by these things.”
Everyone is in danger from these kind of men. I have heard of one just this week who has fallen. He was breaking bread with us a year ago, but he has been taken in, deceived and led astray. I suppose if someone had talked to him several years ago, he wouldn't have thought it possible. He is one of the flock who has been spoiled. These things are increasing in number, in intensity and cleverness. We cannot afford to tamper with this kind of thing for a moment.
The Lord told us something about these things in the 13th of Matthew, verses 24-30, in the parable of the tares and the wheat. There is no question in my mind but what the increasing multiplicity of these things-these corruptions of Christianity-is the binding into bundles for judgment at the end of this age. There was a time when we could name the groups of those who had thrown over all orthodoxy. We couldn't do that now. We are living in days when these things are permeating the whole of professing, Christendom. Don't tamper with anything that doesn't bear the imprint of the truth of God. Don't look into it. Don't give it five minutes of your time. If you have a doubt about anything that is put into your hand, or that you have heard, go to an older brother or sister and tell them, but don't tamper with these things. They are poison to your soul.
And if you are here this afternoon and unsaved, and have heard repeated pleas, and have consistently rejected the gospel, don't blame God if He allows you to receive and commit yourself to another gospel, which is not the true gospel. Don't trifle with the truth of God!
“Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (verse 30).
The Apostle is not telling them what might happen. He is telling them what would happen, and there is quite a difference. "Of your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." That is division, schism. These men with ambition, regardless of what character of ambition it is, arising and teaching that which will attract to themselves, and draw away disciples after themselves. It says they "draw away." If you are going to draw someone away, you have to have a point from which to draw them. There has to be a gathering point, and I believe that gathering point is Matt. 18:20. Christ in the midst of the two or three gathered to His Name.
But here come these men. Now these are not wolves. They are sheep-willful sheep. It doesn't say they speak wicked things, but perverse things. Truth taken out of its proper connection. You can take truth to pry saints out of the path of obedience, if you pervert it. They teach things that tend to draw weak saints from the simplicity that is in Christ. And the result is, that they gather a following. Now when Paul got to that point in his address, that was a climax, and he immediately says:
“Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears" (verse 31).
There was a terrible burden on the Apostle's heart. He felt what a serious thing division was in the Church of God. He wept about it, and says, "O, brethren, I know it is coming, but, I beseech you to watch." Someone says, "It is coming, but we don't need to be told that now: it has come. What a witness Christendom is to the truth of those words! But instead of discouraging us, and causing us to doubt our Bibles, it should make us believe them.
Suppose we had all gone on together in that lovely outward unity that was found on the day of Pentecost? That would be lovely, wouldn't it? But if we had, our Bible wouldn't be true. "Also of your own-selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (verse 30.) And it has happened, and it has been happening all down through the ages of the Church's history.
Now a question arises, that if that is true, is it necessary that I personally be guilty of schism? Is there no avenue to escape being in a divided Church? Yes, there is a path, and there is a way, and it is marked out right here in verse 32,
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
“God and His Word!" The only two things to which the Apostle could commend them that he knew couldn't change. If he had commended them to the elders, that wouldn't do. If he had commended them to the Church, that certainly wouldn't do. But he commended them to God. Has God changed His thoughts about His Church? Has God ever altered the constitution of the Church? Is it any the less precious to His heart than it ever was? Then if not, He must have a path in which our feet can walk, that acknowledges all the truth that pertains to the Church of God. "I commend you to God and to the Word." O, brethren, we have the Word, and the Word of God hasn't changed. It is the very same Word the Apostle Paul gave to the Ephesian elders. It is as fresh, as precious, as operative as it ever was. It searches to the "dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts, and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).
It is that precious Word that will guide us midst the confusion that is upon us. We cannot escape the fact that division has come, and that this process of drawing away disciples is going to continue, but we can cling to the Word of God. There is a path, and God wants us, to find it, and to walk in it. God would have been mocking us if He had warned us that all this was going to come, and had not given us a path to walk in.
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
Sanctified means set apart. Every believer here this afternoon has been set apart for God. And with Him we can find a path for our feet. With God and His Word. God never separates Himself from His Word. It is by the Word that He guides, that He leads, that He preserves. If we place ourselves under His guidance and His preserving power, the time will come when we, too, can finish our course with joy. Let us pray.
(Concluded)