Total Dependence – Learning to Live in the Spirit: Committed to Spirit Empowered Ministry

• Acts 20:12-38
• Paul leaving the church of Ephesus
  • there is sweetness in his farewell and a heart cry
• farewell was filled with heartfelt encouragement
  • he had wrung himself out for the Ephesian church
• captures what the church ought to value most

8 desires/charges for our church to embrace:

1. Be relationally committed church (v18, 38)
   • loving each other for the long haul
   • doing life together
   • v17-18; reminds them of the relationship grown between them
     • we need to break down doors of individualism
   • v38; hearts broken because won’t see face again in this life
     • shows the depth of friendship and relationship in body of Christ
   • even if we have experienced pain and hurt in local church, it doesn’t remove us from command to love one another in the Body
     • embracing relation with church is to show world the kind of love they long for
   • John in 1, 2, 3 John shows the relation looks like
     • 1 Jn 3:1-11, 23
     • 1 Jn 4:7,11,21
   • love one another by committing to one another
     • human relationships are messy but they are worth it in the end
   • but how to love the difficult and different?
     • Jesus loves His church, and so should you
2. Be personally transparent church (v19,34-35)
   • you can’t experience depth of relationship if you’re only superficial
   • “with tears”; Paul showing raw, true emotion
   • Paul invited people to be alongside him
     • need to break out of emotional prison or you will have spiritual decline
   • the church should be incubator of authenticity, not deception and hurt
     • place to have genuine care, feedback, rebuke, transparency, growth
       • don’t play “church”
   • only reason we can do this: grace
     • grace is central to forming vibrant community
   • our shortcomings allow God’s grace to be shown and magnified
   • grace is not excuse for lack of growth; it is a means for experiencing greater growth
   • failures of others can’t prevent us from seeking growth, relationship, community

3. Be biblically faithful church (v20-21, 27, 32)
   • be so dominated with the Word that people knows there’s something different
     • your reputation is how people define you
   • don’t abandon the Word or preach from own experience and words
     • preach God’s word; it is the only way to live properly
   • read, know, study, apply the Word!!!
   • v26; “I’ve done my part, now do yours!”
   • but we can still miss the mark despite focus on the Word (i.e. Ephesian church described in Revelation) therefore…
4. Be gospel-centred church (v21)
   • the entire Bible is centred around Jesus: the true prophet, true priest, true King, the true hero
     • only because of Christ we can hold onto the Word
   • each of our testimonies point to Christ regardless of what we have or haven’t done; it isn’t a competition
5. Be spirit-led church (v22-23)
   • Holy Spirit present and leading Paul
     • Paul was ruled by the Holy Spirit, not the spirit of the world
   • can’t be of our own power and strength
     • easy to be led by our own focus, appetites and desires
   • the Spirit works in spite of us
     • we can be led down path we don’t want to go, for the glory of God
   • Christian life is impossible without the Spirit
     • you need to give yourselves selflessly and recklessly for the expansion of the kingdom
     • Eph 4:12
   • between beginning and end of your life, what are you going to do with your life for purposes of God?
     • doesn’t mean full-time ministry is the only way; we need the missionary mindset regardless of where we are
   • v24; “I only care about finishing the race for Christ”
6. Be a joyfully giving church
   • be generous in this life, for the treasures in the next life will be stored up eternally and never fade
7. Be a deliberately watchful church (v28-31)
   • be watchful to selves, to the flock, to the wolves
   • sharpening effect on others in the church (1 Pet 5:8)
   • test everything by the Word!
     • Col 4:2; steadfast in prayer
8. Be prayerfully dependent church (v36)
   • God must be your source of strength if we are to accomplish anything done by Spirit
   • do you believe in the power of prayer?
   • an aspect of prayer is that it is our weakness leaning on God’s strength
     • pray BIG
     • prayer reveals where you place your strength
9. EXTRA: Be passionately worshipping church
   • we are all commissioned into ministry of church and God