It’s In The Farewell
Pastor Albert Almore
There’s 66 books in the Bible. 39 in the Old Testament, 27 in the new. Out of all those books in the Bible, this message, this farewell speech that Paul shares with the elders of this church, is one of the most compelling messages of all time.
“From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.”
Acts 20:17-18
“I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.”
Acts 20:19-20
“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
Acts 20:21-22
“I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.”
Acts 20:23
“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
Acts 20:24
““Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.”
Acts 20:25-26
“For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
Acts 20:27
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.”
Acts 20:28-29
“Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.”
Acts 20:30-31
““Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.”
Acts 20:32-33
“You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.”
Acts 20:34
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ””
Acts 20:35
“When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.”
Acts 20:36-37
“What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”
Acts 20:38
I want to preach a message from this subject today…
IT’S IN THE FAREWELL
I think if we’re all honest, we all see some things inside of Paul’s farewell message, that we need to say farewell to in our own lives. Especially if we’re going to reach that place that we sense God is calling us to.
See, this morning I’m speaking to that part of you that you see when you close your eyes. This morning I’m speaking to that part of you that you visualize while you’re zoning out driving down the highway. This morning’s message is for the other side of you, that part of you that you see while in worship or as the Word of God is going forth. That part of you that sees yourself reaching for more. That part of you that sees yourself accomplishing more, becoming more, as the Holy Spirit is leading you to His more, and in order for you to get there…IT’S IN THE FAREWELL!!!
It’s true—Eyes haven’t seen, nor has ears heard the things that God has prepared for you, but in order for you to get there…IT’S IN THE FAREWELL!!!
In order for you to embrace your future, you’re going to have to say farewell to somethings in the present!
And I don’t know about you but I’m not waiting on a ball to drop to change. I’m not waiting for a clock to strike midnight to change, I’m not waiting on the calendar to say 2023 to change. No! I’m making the changes that I need to make NOW. I’m making the adjustments that I need to make this morning. I’m making the moves that I need to make now, and I’m starting with THIS MESSAGE, because IT’S IN THE FAREWELL!
“When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.”
Acts 20:18
Can you say that? Can I say that? You know how I lived the whole time I was with you…
📝 FAREWELL TO DOUBLE MINDEDNESS.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
James 1:5
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”
James 1:6-7
“A DOUBLE MINDED MAN IS UNSTABLE in all his ways.”
James 1:8
📝 FAREWELL TO HOLDING BACK.
📝 Farewell to holding back when it comes to SERVING.
“I SERVED THE LORD with great humility and with tears and IN THE MIDST OF SEVERE TESTING by the plots of my Jewish opponents….
Acts 20:19
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work WE MUST MUST HELP THE WEAK…
Acts 20:35
Jesus had this to say about serving in Matthew 20:28,
“For even the Son of Man came NOT TO BE SERVED but TO SERVE OTHERS and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
Matthew 20:28
The greatest among you MUST BE A SERVANT.
Matthew 23:11
What does serving look like???
"Be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity. Don’t allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility PUT OTHERS FIRST and view others as more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3
Isn’t this what Christ did? He placed our lives above His life. The Son of Man came NOT TO BE SERVED but TO SERVE OTHERS and to give his life as a ransom for many.
📝 Serving isn’t about US BEING SEEN, serving is about making sure that HE’S BEING SEEN.
📝 Farewell to holding back when it comes to SHARING THE GOSPEL.
You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.”
Acts 20:19-20
“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
Acts 20:21-22
“For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you THE WHOLE WILL OF GOD.”
Acts 20:27
The gospel is still good news. The gospel still saves. The gospel still delivers. God just needs someone to deliver it.Romans 10:14 says,
“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”
Romans 10:14
Where would I be if someone didn’t share their faith with me?
📝 Farewell to holding back when it comes to GIVING.
“You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs AND THE NEEDS OF MY COMPANIONS.”
Acts 20:34
How did Paul meet the needs of his companions? HE GAVE.
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.’ ””
Acts 20:35
📝 Giving is a matter of FAITH.
📝 Giving is a matter of TRUST.
📝 Giving is a matter of OBEDIENCE.
📝 Giving is a matter of the HEART.
““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO.”
Matthew 6:19-21
📝 It’s not MONEY that God is after, it’s your HEART.
After all…
God gave us His ONLY.
God gave us ALL He had.
God gave us ALL THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
📝 FAREWELL TO GIVING INTO THE WOLVES.
“I know that after I leave, SAVAGE WOLVES will come in among you and will not spare the flock.”
Acts 20:29
📝 Wolves come to DISCONNECT.
📝 Wolves come to DISCOURAGE.
📝 Wolves come to DEVOUR.
In what manner have you allowed the salvage wolves into your life? Have you allowed them to disconnect you, discourage you, or to devour your faith?
1 Peter 1:13 tells us how to combat against the wolves. It says,
“Therefore GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”
I Peter 1:13
GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND….in other words prepare for the fight. GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND Prepare not to give in to the wolves.
📝 FAREWELL TO WITHDRAWING.
“When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with ALL OF THEM AND PRAYED. THEY ALL WELPT as they embraced him and kissed him. What GRIEVED THEM MOST was his statement that they would never see his face again…
Acts 20:36-38
I want that. I want that type of community in my life. I want that type of brotherhood in my life, BUT I’LL NEVER GET THERE IF I KEEP WITHDRAWING.IT’S IN THE FAREWELL!!!
In order to embrace my future, I’m going to have to say farewell to somethings in the present! It’s in the farewell.
I don’t believe I’m by myself this morning. I believe this message is for all of us. I believe this message is for all of us that see ourselves living better. This message is for all of us that see ourselves doing better. This message is for all of us that believe. This message is for all of us that believe our best days are ahead of us, and not behind us. This message isn’t for the old you, this message is for the new you. This morning is for the focused you. This morning is for the driven you. This morning is for the determined you, but in order for you to get there IT’S IN THE FAREWELL!!!
I don’t know about you, but this morning I’m saying farewell to double mindedness! This morning I’m saying farewell to holding back! This morning I’m saying farewell to the wolves! This morning I’m saying farewell to withdrawing! Our God makes ALL THINGS NEW!!! Come what may I’M MOVING FORWARD!!! THIS IS MY FAREWELL!!! I’M MOVING FORWARD!!!
Song: Moving Forward
WHERE DO YOU NEED TO SEND YOUR FAREWELL THIS MORNING?
What mindset, what way of of thinking, what way of living do you need to say farewell to?