Acts Devotional Week 13

Acts: Finishing the Work

July 29, 2012

Acts 20:18-28

When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now  I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.  I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.  I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.  “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.  But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.  “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again.  I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.  “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.

 This is a sad farewell.  Paul’s missionary journey is leading him into danger and he knows it.  He is speaking to his friends and fellow ministers.  He is also saying what needs to be said to prepare himself for the unknown trial ahead.  First, he recognizes where he has come from.  He has endured trouble before and it never stopped him from doing the Lord’s work.  This was the work the Holy Spirit led him too.  It was a work that saw the message of Christ shared with boldness, honesty, and humility wherever it needed to be shared. 

Second, Paul expresses where he is going.  Sometimes we need to say something out loud for it to become a reality.  The same faith that led Paul to successfully do God’s work in Asia is leading him to Jerusalem.  Speaking his intention brings clarity and accountability.  It is a reassurance.  In order to do what God has called him to do, Paul must go to Jerusalem no matter the risk.  He will have to trust God for the rest and he knows it.  He will finish the work.

Finally, Paul speaks to his friends.  He has set himself as an example to them.  Now he is going away and does not expect to return.  These disciples of his will need to continue the work.  They must not shrink from the task the Lord has given them.  They are the guardians of God’s message and the one’s responsible for the discipleship of God’s people.  They must also finish the work God began through Paul.  Will we finish the work God has begun in our lives?