Sermon by Pastor Brent Kompelien
August 18, 2024
INTRO
Good morning! We are at an important turning point in the book of Acts. And here’s what I want to challenge you to consider right at the start: Major turning points are often the perfect opportunity to reshape our perspective and re-ground our priorities.
ILLUST — Let me give you a historical example. 1968 was a year of dramatic change and a year filled with tumultuous events. If you think 2024 is crazy, just listen to some of the things that were happening in 1968:
(SLIDE 3) In January, Communist North Korea seized the American warship USS Pueblo the Sea of Japan, raising tensions to a fever pitch. That same month the Tet Offensive began in Vietnam as the Viet Cong launched a series of surprise attacks in South Vietnam that resulted in 100,000 casualties and 630,000 refugees.
(SLIDE 4) Later in March, President Lyndon Johnson announced on television that he will not run for re-election, dropping out of the race with only a few months to go.
(SLIDE 5) In April, riots erupted after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN.
(SLIDE 6) Later in June, Senator Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles.
(SLIDE 7) In August, Russian troops invaded Czechoslovakia to crush a democratic uprising. And later that month demonstrations devolved into violent chaos at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
(SLIDE 8) In October, the Summer Olympics were held in Mexico City, sparking controversial civil rights demonstrations in the United States.
(SLIDE 9) And in December, Chairman Mao exiled 17 million Chinese youth to poor rural areas in a re-education program that devastated the lives of a whole generation of young people.
(SLIDE 10, blank) This sounds an awful lot like the turmoil and upheaval we are experiencing today!
Yet the tumultuous year of 1968 was capped by a perspective-shifting event.
On December 21 (SLIDE 11) Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders launched from Kennedy Space Center on the first manned mission aboard the Saturn V rocket. Their mission was to be the first human beings to leave earth and travel to another heavenly body, taking a 3-day journey to go orbit the moon 10 times and return the 200,000 miles back to earth.
You see, they started in low-earth orbit, and then they fired the 3rd rocket stage to accelerate to escape velocity of 24,593 mph, and soon the astronauts witnessed a sight that no human being had ever seen: (SLIDE 12) They saw the entire earth as one single object retreating into the distance in their spacecraft window.
When asked later about this experience, the astronauts reported how transformational this experience was. They were engineers and pilots, not philosophers or poets. And yet they couldn’t help but be struck by the awesome wonder of this blue and green and white marble against the blackness of empty space. The earth was a beauty, a marvel, an oasis in the void.
They got a sense of grandness and smallness at the same time. They got a sense of the grandness of the design and beauty and special gift of life on earth. They also got a sense of the smallness of our little planet in the vast universe, the smallness of our conflicts and divisions, the finitude of humanity, and the sense that we are like grass that withers, a mist in the grand scope of time.
This perspective shift led these three astronauts to do something special as they orbited the moon on Christmas Eve. (SLIDE 13) On a live television broadcast to an audience of over 1 billion people across the globe, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders read aloud the 1st chapter of Genesis and told the story of God creating everything.
This moment marked a perspective shift. After the turmoil of 1968, there needed to be a re-grounding of priorities. (SLIDE 14, title)
You see, there are certain moments when we need to stop and ask ourselves: Where is my focus? What are my priorities? Who am I living for? What kingdom am I trying to build? And together as the people of God, are we seeking His glory and stewarding everything He has entrusted to us for gospel fruit?
Friends, we are at one of those moments in the life of our church and in the tumultuous world we live in.
We are in the midst of a divisive political season.
There are wars and disasters and suffering all across the globe.
Many are lonely or hurting or struggling through illness or relational conflict.
Here at our church we have major decisions in front of us, like our building project, and the stakes are high. Yet there are incredible opportunities to expand our ministry impact and to see more people be reached with the gospel.
PROP — Here’s what I want you to ask you as we look at our passage today: Will you take this opportunity to reshape your perspective and re-ground your priorities? My prayer is that we would come together as a church family to set a Kingdom-focus, centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ, to be inspired to move toward God’s plans for us.
Open with me to Acts 20. Today’s passage is a major turning point in the unfolding story of the early church. The Holy Spirit tells the Apostle Paul to go back to Jerusalem, making it clear that he will face prison and hardship. It is a moment where Paul is going to make a farewell tour and, through his words and actions, he is going to demonstrate his priorities for serving in God’s kingdom.
ORG SENT — Now, because this passage is rather long, we are going to tackle it in four parts and read each section one-at-a-time. Each part reveals some of Paul’s priorities for gospel fruitfulness. Let’s walk through what Paul did and said at this pivotal moment in his life.
MAIN 1 — Paul Invested In Others (20:1-6). (SLIDE 15)
READ Acts 20:1-6.
There are two observations we need to make as we watch Paul demonstrating his priorities:
First, he is an encourager (vv. 1-3) (SLIDE 16) — twice Luke points this out.
This is what it means to be an encourager: Help others take a step closer to Jesus. APPLY: In what ways does God call you to encourage others in their faith?
Second, he is an equipper (vv. 4-6) (SLIDE 17) — Notice how many different people from different locations were traveling with Paul. He is a master at training others and equipping them for ministry. Here’s the list of people he was investing in: (SLIDE 18, whole list)
Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea.
Aristarchus from Thessalonica.
Secundus from Thessalonica.
Gaius from Derbe.
Timothy from Lystra.
Tychicus from Asia.
Trophimus from Asia.
Luke from Syrian Antioch.
IMPORTANT — (SLIDE 19) Look at this map of the wide scope of the locations where they are from (All the way from Macedonia to Syria! Over 1000 miles!).
APPLY — Who are you investing in? Who are you training up and equipping? Maybe its a child, grandchild, niece, nephew, brother, sister, or friend.
(SLIDE 20, blank) We are a church that values intentional whole-life discipleship. Remember our Disciple Making Pathway? — Get Connected, Get Ground, Get Healthy, Get Strong, Get Going. APPLY: In what ways are you involved in this yourself? In what ways are you helping others?
It is as simple as this: Ask questions that cause others to think about Jesus. Share wisdom that points people to Jesus! Give away what you’ve learned, open your heart to others, model to them how you know and love Jesus!
This is demonstrated in the next part of our passage as Paul spend time sharing the gospel with the people he meets.
MAIN 2 — Paul Preached The Gospel (20:7-12). (SLIDE 21)
READ Acts 20:7-12.
This is a wild story! Remember, we often see Paul’s personality come through in the book of Acts. Apparently he could be rather long-winded! He talked on-and-on, and the upstairs room grew warm, and the dim candlelight likely made it difficult for everyone to stay awake!
This young boy, Eutychus (whose name means “lucky” in Greek!), sat in the window and fell asleep. There was no air conditioning and windows did not have any glass. The flow of cool air after sundown was important for cooling the house. This boy likely sat in the window because it was cooler.
Picture this moment: suddenly Eutychus slips out the window and falls 3 stories! Everyone is rushing downstairs, people are screaming, his mother is crying, and everyone realizes that this boy is dead.
Then Paul throws himself on the boy and he comes back to life! How are we to understand this?
This isn’t the first time this has happened in the Bible. You see, there is a pattern in the Bible we need to understand: (SLIDE 22) A new revelation of God’s very words are frequently accompanied by signs and wonders that corroborate the authority of the person speaking those words from God.
(SLIDE 23) Elijah prophesied to the rebellious King Ahab that there would be a drought in Israel, which wasn’t well received by Ahab! But God protected and preserved Elijah, even directing him to go to the house of a poor widow in Zarephath.
This widow and her young son were destitute and had no food. But God miraculously multiplied a small jar of flour and a jar of oil to make bread until the drought ended.
Some time later her son became ill and died. 1 Kings 17:20-24 tells us what Elijah did: “Then he cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.”
Similarly, 2 Kings 4 tells us about Elisha, the protege of Elijah, who also cried out to God and lay himself on a boy who had tragically died, and God brought this boy back to life, corroborating his authority as God’s prophet.
Now, Paul does the same thing. He had just been preaching the gospel, speaking the words of a new revelation of the fulfillment of God’s promises through Jesus, and his authority to be the spokesperson for God in this dawning of the New Covenant in Christ was corroborated by his miraculous resuscitating of this boy from the dead.
KEY: This church in Troas could say the same thing to Paul that the widow said to Elijah: “Now we know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.” And the truth Paul testified to about Jesus Christ is captured in the words of the New Testament, the very Words of God, and is the only sure foundation and it is our only hope.
In other words: The central priority of the church MUST be to preach the gospel, to remain centered on the gospel, and to share the gospel with everyone in every circumstance as God gives us the opportunity. Let me say it a different way: We are a gospel-centered church! And don’t tempt me to keep preaching until midnight! I’ll do it!
MAIN 3 — Paul Trained Godly Elders (20:13-38). (SLIDE 24)
READ 20:13-38.
These are the priorities he outlines from his own ministry and what he exhorts the Elders of Ephesus to embody in their leadership:
(SLIDE 25) Serve (vv. 18-19) — Who is Paul serving? Look carefully! He is serving the Lord! Not without difficulty! He serves with humility and with tears in the midst of suffering.
(SLIDE 26) Preach (vv. 20-21) — He taught publicly and privately. He is not being sneaky or self-serving! He is simply declaring that everyone must repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
(SLIDE 27) Persevere (vv. 22-24) — He only wants to finish the race and be faithful.
(SLIDE 28) Guard (vv. 25-31) — Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock.
(SLIDE 29) Sacrifice (vv. 32-35) — He was willing to work hard and help others.
Each of these are critical for the leaders of a church to embody! APPLY: Let me level with you here. We are so blessed to have Elders in this church who exemplify these things. Friends, your Elders love you, they want to serve the Lord, they want to help you understand the gospel, they are men who desperately want to finish the race of faith well, they are standing watch over you, and they are willing to sacrifice for your well-being. Praise the Lord for leaders like this!
It is imperative that every local church has these kinds of leaders. Remember, Paul is on a farewell tour before he goes to Jerusalem to face his fate, which ultimately included martyrdom. He lovingly, painstakingly, and passionately makes his heart for these leaders known, and he realizes how important it is that he passes along leadership to Godly Elders in each local church because he won’t be there much longer.
MAIN 4 — Paul Was Willing To Suffer (21:1-16). (SLIDE 30)
READ 21:1-16.
IMPORTANT: I need you understand this about Paul. (SLIDE 31) He is most concerned with obedience, not his own safety or comfort.
Let me remind you again of what Paul said in 20:22-24, because this is really his thesis for the whole farewell tour: (SLIDE 32) “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
For Paul, finishing the race meant going to Jerusalem to face prison, hardship, and ultimately death. This is the end of Paul’s farewell tour. Look at this map (SLIDE 33). This captures every place he visited on his 3rd missionary journey. And at the end, he traveled over 1500 miles to get back to Jerusalem because the Holy Spirit told him to.
ASK: (SLIDE 34) How far will you go to say “yes” when God asks you to be obedient? I don’t necessarily mean literal mileage, but to what extend are you actually willing to step in faith into whatever God asks you to do or wherever God calls you to go?
APPLY: I think a common problem we have with “stepping out in faith” is that we want to know all the details, we want to see the path in front of us, and we want some assurance that the leap of faith makes sense. In other words, we want God to get our approval before we say “yes” to trusting Him.
Paul didn’t know what was going to happen to him, yet he was willing, even eager, to go where the Holy Spirit called him to go. He was ready to give up his life. This is the call of the gospel! Die to self! Pick up your cross! Follow me, Jesus said!
How does someone get to this kind of place? How did Paul gain this kind of perspective or priorities in his life?
I believe it can only happen when you turn your perspective to think like this: (SLIDE 35) Everything I have is God’s, including my very life, and therefore everything is a stewardship responsibility to glorify God and witness to the gospel.
Think about that. What is the outcome of repenting of your sins and believing that Jesus Christ is Lord? For Paul, this meant an entirely different set of priorities, and entirely new perspective, and a willingness to open his hands and say, “Lord, use me as you see fit. Here is my life, here is my time, here is my talent, here is my treasure. Place me where you want me, give me favor and influence with whomever you send into my life, let my personal desires and aspirations be redeemed for your kingdom. Not my will, but yours be done.”
APPLY: (SLIDE 36, blank)
This is my prayer for you, and the vision I believe God has given our church. ILLUST — I was just looking at our August Prayer Calendar, which I put on the wall in my office so I can pray for our church family, and I counted 329 adults and kids. God has gifted this church 329 wonderful, amazing, beloved children of God; 329 image-bearers; 329 ambassadors of the gospel, and God has called each of us to say, “Here I am Lord, my life if yours.”
We want to be a church where we take what God has entrusted to us and make it fruitful for his kingdom and for his glory!
That is why we are investing in the kids and youth of our church through hands-on discipleship, like today when they are learning about the Lord’s Prayer and God’s daily provision for us by learning how to make sourdough bread.
That is why we are slowly developing the 5 acres on the back part of our property, because we want to demonstrate a picture of redemption by taking a neglected and overgrown patch of creation and making it beautiful and useful for ministry.
That is why we are developing partnerships with local ministries and global missionaries so that we can better do evangelism and outreach with others who are kingdom-minded.
This is why we are equipping teams and raising up deacons to lead those teams, so that that Body of Christ can serve the Body of Christ with the unique gifts, skills, and passions God has given you.
And this is why we are working hard to understand the cultural moment we are living in, because we want to embody the priorities of the Kingdom of God in the midst of a challenging world.
What part will you play? Will you choose to gain a kingdom-perspective? Will you cultivate everything God has given you for his glory?