Sunday 20th July Acts 20.17-38

Qn. 2, 3

….: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time….(18): Paul’s testimony to the people of the church in Ephesus is a good example of someone who shepherded well his flock: 1) He served the Lord in all humility; 2) He passed through diverse trials, yet he never succumbed to any; 3) He never held any word to himself, and he could do everything openly; 4) He only shared the Word of God and never indulged himself in anything unworthy; 5) He never desired for anything from other people,  he could use his hands to make a living. Therefore, he is not feeling guilty about anything. “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; (29): As Paul bids them farewell, he is well aware that he would not come back, as he had a revelation from God that he was going to be put into prison (22-23). Even with that information clear to him, he was not afraid for three reasons: 1) He didn’t care about his life because he had surrendered it to Christ; 2) He had to complete his journey; 3) He had to fully deliver the message given to him. When totally surrendered to Jesus, no need for fear of anything, for whether we live or whether we die; we are the Lord’s (Rom. 14.8). Consider: We need to be focused on what we have been called for, since that’s what gives us the hope of where we are heading for.