Paul: A Man with a Plan
1. Focus. He wanted to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost, and time was getting kind of tight. So, although he had spent three years at Ephesus, pr4ached the Gospel, laid important foundations and made good friends, he didn't want to go into the city. There had been trouble before he left last time, and if eh was arrested, he might be stuck there for some time. Even if he didn't get arrested, there were so many groups, how long might it take him to get round them all. So he headed straight for Miletus, 25 miles or so south of Ephesus, and asked the Ephesian Elders – the leaders of the various congregations and small house-churches and house groups in Ephesus, to come and see him. Cheek of it! But Paul knew what he wanted, and he was working to that plan. As a leader, he was focussed enough that he was prepared to ask others to inconvenience themselves. Paul's face was set towards Jerusalem in a way that was very much like Jesus himself. (See Lk 9. 51: As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.)
2. Legacy
You know how I lived the whole time I was with you (v. 18)
The “Touch”. Paul had touched lives. He had worked, he had been humble, he had cried, he had persevered despite opposition (v. 19); he had used every method he could – “publicly and from house to house” (v. 20); and he has supplied his own needs and show a radical attitude to material things (v. 33f). His temperament and behaviour in every contact with people, has set a standard, provided an example for others to follow,..
“The Truth” The Story – the Gospel of the Kingdom. (v. 25) He has taught them useful truth: stuff that can be put into practise (v. 21) not just a load of theory. In particular he had called everyone – Jew and Gentile – to turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus; (v. 21) and that is useful truth that we need to act upon; he has been preaching the kingdom (v. 25) – so he has talked about what life is like when God rules, and that too is useful, practical teaching.
“The team” The guys he is talking to are the “Elders” of the Church. In Acts 14. v23 we are told that Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church they planted. So these guys may have been from a variety of congregations and house churches in Ephesus. See v. 28. They are the Shepherds of the flock – which is God's church (not theirs!). They are overseers or visitors to care for the broken and needy. They have to take care of their own spiritual lives as well as those of the flock. Leaders, we can't steer others to port if we are not steering ourselves to port. They are there (v. 29) to keep the flock focussed on the truth, on right teaching. And they are plural. The idea of a lonely individual who does that job – for a stipend or not, with the tile “Pastor” or not – is foreign to the New testament. Leadership is teamwork.
3. Change. He had begun as a local evangelist, become a travelling missional leader (remember – because a wise man called Barnabas encouraged him to join the team) and church planter; he had been a pastor and teacher, particularly during his third journey. N and now he faced something different, more difficult to define: he himself would describe himself as an ambassador in chains (Eph 6. 20) – travelling at the Emperor's expense as a prisoner; encouraging all he met, sharing the Gospel, and writing letters. Befriender, campaigner and author.
That change is a matter of shape; not content. There are three constants in Paul's life.
He has always been about Jesus, forgiveness of sins and the Kingdom of God. Changing shape doesn't alter the message.
he has always been himself. Changing shape doesn’t' alter the man. We need to remain firm and constant on the message of the Kingdom Good news. And we need to remain ourselves. Ministry involves being who we are, and using the personalities, skills and gifts God has given us. Whether you're a quiet introvert, or a noisy extrovert; whether you're energetic and always on the go or slow and methodical; whatever your natural skills and talents; your training; your spiritual gifts; they are part of you. Use them!
He has always been a man of the Spirit. Paul describes himself as compelled by the Spirit (NIV) or more literally “Bound by the Spirit” (AV, v. 22). What does that mean? That’s an unusual concept. Paul himself says where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor 3. 17) He certainly doesn't want there to be any legalism about his life – indeed legalism was one of the hallmarks of false teaching. But it is only as we accept the bondage of the Spirit – letting him be in complete control of our lives what ever the cost – that we really experience the freedom of the spirit.
4. Sacrifice: There area a number of dark themes brooding over this passage: Paul's ministry was changing shape, and that may have sounded a bit scary. We don't like change! All change – even good change like leaving school or getting married or your child growing up and leaving home – involves loss. One of our wedding pictures shows me with a very serious face on – I guess I had just signed my life away! In a few weeks time our youngest son will get married in France. I know that the father of a bride once said “I don't think I'm so much losing a daughter - as gaining a bathroom!” But seriously I know it's a good change – Pete's found a beautiful and spiritual girl; they want to serve the Lord Jesus together; but there's a sense of uncertainty and loss. Nobody likes change, because nobody likes the experience of loss.
Paul specifically knew he was facing difficult times; somehow the Holy Spirit had made it clear to him that he faced imprisonment (v 23) and that this was his last visit to Ephesus, where he had spent 3 years (v. 25) And there would be challenges not only through separation from Paul but through false teachers. No wonder there was a river of tears (the Message) as he prayed for the elders. There is pain in life; and in ministry. I'm sorry if that disappoints you, but it is the reality.
And then the elders accompanied him to the boat. The word accompanied is used in various ways...
“conduct, escort, esp. a departing traveller”: that's the obvious one here.
But it can also mean to “follow a corpse to the grave”, and that is what it must have felt like to the Elders.
But there's another meaning: the word can mean “carry offerings in procession.”
The way to deal with loss is the way of conscious and voluntary sacrifice: in Romans 12. 1, Paul says present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. It was in that spirit that Paul, “Bound in the Spirit” walked onto that ship, ready for whatever God had for him. And in that spirit the Elders had to hand Paul – and themselves – over to God. And as fully surrendered men and maybe women of God, they were ready to be shepherds of the flock and servants of the king.
Surrender is the attitude we need. Now I value the healing ministry. It is important. Just accepting everything isn't surrender: it's fatalism. We need to take seriously what Jesus meant when he told us to pray with faith, and that faith can move mountains. I believe we need to “birth the supernatural” in or midst (to quote the title of a recent book by Heidi Baker). But we get upset when things don’t work out the way we expect or want. Why? I believe some of our prayer is about “controlling God” (which actually is magic not faith. And surrender means yielding control. It's when we are yielded to him that we can pray prayers of faith. Surrender is not a “bargaining chip” that we can use to get what we want from god. That would be another form of control. It is simply surrender to him. We say “God you're in charge; you're in control. Your Kingdom come.”
When we are yielded to God we can pray with compassion instead of self interest. When we are yielded to God, we don’t waste energy chafing about the things we don't like or understand. When we are yielded to God, we are free from fear. When we are yielded to God, we can handle anything.
© Gilmour Lilly August 2014
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