Acts 20:13-21 – We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
“When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.” How wonderful to, nearing the end of one’s life, it is to be able to say to brothers and sisters, that they bear witness to how our life was lived. To know that no-one could step forward to recall a fault. Paul could tell remind them that he had left a good testimony to them. Praise God!
“I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.” Paul was not boasting but recounting what they had witnessed. Paul did not fail to serve the Lord as a humble servant. Paul didn’t come to be served, but as Jesus came to serve, so did Paul (Matthew 20:26-28). In 1 Corinthians 9:22 Paul described how he entered a city to humbly serve “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” Paul lived out what he wrote to the Philippians “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3) Even though Paul was opposed by Jewish opponents and non-believers who beat him and stoned him, who stalked him to try to kill him, he persisted to be humble before all. Paul didn’t “burn out” in doing well (Galatians 6:9). The minister who has the right perspective remembers that he first serves God and then, in his service to God, serves others. It is with that perspective that one cannot fail. Doing what God has called us to do in the manner God wants us to do it ends in fulfillment. It is God we first seek to please and then to also minister to mankind. (Galatians 1:10) First we love God and if we do that then we will love each other and desire to, out of His love, minister to others (Mark 12:29-31). So we seek to please God in doing what He has called us to do and, in doing that, we are fulfilled. Obedience is our task, results belong to God. So when Paul was tested, he did not let testing by man deter him from the call of God. Paul could look back in peace, with joy, that he had faithfully served the Lord and he could say to these leaders that they all knew he had.
“You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.” Paul taught in public, not hesitating to preach the full Gospel. He didn’t shrink back at hard subjects that would be opposed. He boldly preached them. Not as an angry witness screaming at people, but as a loving representative of Jesus who sent them to represent the righteous and loving way of God. He did not teach only in public, but he went house to house. Where the door was open to preach and teach, he did. What he declared in public he taught from house to house. To the souls that heard the message he also went to their homes to preach the Gospel to their families. Paul was strong in preaching the whole truth and it all started with loving God and loving others.
“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” All of us must consider what God has called us to do. For Paul he was called to preach the truth that all needed to repent and to have faith in our Lord Jesus in order to have peace with God. Paul obeyed without exception even if the world did not like the message. So today some are called to preach, some are called to teach, all are called to love, to spread the Gospel, to testify how Jesus has changed our lives. We are also to comfort those who need comfort, to cry with the weeping and to also remind them that Jesus brings peace and joy to the hurting (Isaiah 61:1). We are to be all things to all people that they may know the love, peace and joy of God. And these three cannot be taken away from any who truly know Him. May we all be faithful like Jesus was to the Father and like Paul was to Jesus. Let us all show how greatly we love Jesus by how greatly we love each other. How wonderful is that! Having done that we are fulfilled. Having done that we have fulfilled love (1 John 4:16-17) and pleased God as He has enabled us to do (2 Corinthians 1:21). Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”