Acts 20:1-24: Paul’s Testimony: Service & Humility?

From Ephesus, Paul travels to Macedonia through Greece strengthening and encouraging the churches he had established. Paul had planned to take the long journey by sea directly back to Syria (where his sending church at Antioch was), but the plotting of anti-Christian Jews made him take an overland route accompanied by many.

This is the first certain example we have of Christians gathering together on Sunday’s for worship and teaching, because Sunday was a normal working day they gathered in the evening. Paul preaches a night-long sermon, Eutychus sleeps off, falls off, raised from the dead and the preaching continued till day break.

Paul then comes to Miletus and sends for the elders of the church in Ephesus to meet him there.

I. Serving The LORD In Humility: (19).

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less, selflessness, and the giving of respect (regardless of earthly status). It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised or asked to do the lowest of tasks or to be last. In humility Paul thought of himself the least of the apostles, the least of all the saints and the chief of sinners. The opposite of humility is pride, pre-occupation with self or the swelling of self above actuality or reality.

Numbers 12:3 - (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)

Proverbs 3:34 - Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.

Proverbs 29:23 - A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.

Proverbs 22:4 - By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life.

James 4:10 - Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up

II. Finishing The Race With Joy: (24). Paul knew trouble was ahead of him. But that didn't trouble him. He knew his life was safe in God’s hands. May God give us more Christians who will say none of these things move me ! Uncertainty did not move Paul.

Psalm 16:8 - I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Paul thought of himself as an accountant , weighing carefully the credits and the expenses; and in the end, he does not count his own life dear to him, compared to his God and how he can serve him.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

Paul thought of himself as a runner who had a race to finish, and nothing would keep Paul from finishing the race with joy. Additionally, Paul speaks of my race - he had his race to run, we have our own - but God calls us to finish it with joy.

Philippians 3:12-14 - Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

[Some] run after the childish toys of the world, forgetting the prize they should run for. We should run for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9:24 - Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

Hebrews 12:1-2 - Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.