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:

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
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
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…
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
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”
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
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
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
EXTRA: Be passionately worshipping church
- we are all commissioned into ministry of church and God