The Blessed Life: Generosity and Discipleship

• The Blessed Life 00:28:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts the cultural definition of blessing (comfort, success, material abundance) with the biblical definition (walking closely with God, presence over provision).
• Prosperity Gospel vs. Discipleship Gospel 00:30:37 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explicitly rejects the prosperity gospel's promise of material return for giving, advocating instead for a discipleship gospel focused on living like Jesus with an open hand.
• Discipleship and Multiplication 00:32:36 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor identifies 'disciples making disciples' as the answer to a broken culture, using the mob in Acts 19 as a contrast to the positive impact of daily gospel teaching.
• Paul's Suffering and Anxiety 00:35:02 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor lists Paul's hardships from 2 Corinthians 11 to illustrate the cost of ministry, emphasizing that Paul's motivation was anxiety for the churches, not personal gain.
• Paul's Suffering and Ministry 00:36:10 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor lists Paul's hardships (beatings, shipwrecks, danger) to illustrate the cost of his ministry and the 'daily pressure' of anxiety for the churches.
• Christ-Centeredness vs. Paul-Imitation 00:37:27 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor clarifies that the sermon is not about emulating Paul's life but about raising Christ up through Paul's example, emphasizing that Paul pointed to Christ.
• Giving Time and Encouragement 00:43:20 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor identifies the first point of giving as providing time and presence, citing Paul's encouragement of believers and the story of Eutychus.
• Giving Purpose and Priority 00:44:34 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor discusses how Paul prioritized mission over comfort, skipping Ephesus to go to Jerusalem, and contrasts this with modern church calendars.
• Giving Humble Service 00:46:13 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that humility is strength under surrender, noting Paul's service with tears and trials, and that generous leaders are humble.
• Giving Up Control 00:46:57 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes Paul's surrender to the Spirit's leading despite knowing imprisonment awaited him, using the metaphor of an open hand versus a clenched fist.
• Giving Care and Warning 00:47:51 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor highlights Paul's emotional generosity in protecting the church from false teachers, noting that true shepherds protect people, not positions.
• Giving It All Back to God 00:48:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor discusses Paul commending the elders to God and the word of His grace, illustrating the concept of releasing people and trusting God.
• Giving Without Greed 00:50:08 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor emphasizes Paul's integrity in working with his own hands to avoid accusations of greed, linking integrity to the believability of the gospel.
• Giving Like Jesus 00:51:51 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor introduces the main verse, Acts 20:35, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive,' as the culmination of the previous points.
• The summit of [Acts 20](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+20&version=KJV): Giving like Jesus 00:51:51 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor identifies Acts 20:35 as the climax of the chapter, highlighting Jesus' teaching that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and explains how Paul lived this out before quoting it.
• The benefits of giving 00:54:36 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that giving brings joy now, breaks the chains of greed, builds eternal impact, and turns loss into legacy, contrasting the world's 'keep' with Jesus' 'give'.
• Helping the weak 00:56:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor emphasizes that generosity is an action directed toward the weak, specifically mentioning the international mission offering and how giving time, effort, and dollars becomes discipleship.
• The blessed life and identity 00:59:03 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor concludes that the blessed life is about identity and becoming what God wants us to become, characterized by receiving grace, everyday generosity, trust in God, and building the kingdom.

• Sermon Illustration 00:25:19 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the biblical account of a young man falling asleep while Paul preached in Acts 20, noting that while many sermons focus on this, he is taking a different point of view.
• Sermon Illustration 00:27:23 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about decorating his house early for Christmas because his oldest daughter was home, allowing them to celebrate her birthday and Thanksgiving together.
• Sermon Illustration 00:31:09 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts the historical context of Acts 19, where a mob formed because silversmiths were losing money due to people converting to Christ and stopping the purchase of idols.
• Sermon Illustration 00:33:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor quotes Benjamin Franklin's description of a mob as a 'monster with plenty of heads but no brains' to illustrate the irrationality of the Ephesian mob.
• Sermon Illustration 00:36:46 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asks the congregation if anyone wants to go on a mission trip with Paul, highlighting the extreme hardships Paul endured (beatings, shipwrecks, danger) to contrast with the ease of modern life.
• Sermon Illustration 00:45:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his family sitting down with the church calendar at the beginning of the year to plan their family activities around church events, illustrating how his family prioritized God's work.
• Sermon Illustration 00:49:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts a recent event where two families came to him after a message on 'releasing,' feeling called to move to a new church plant in Davidson, and how he had to let them go to support God's work there.
• Sermon Illustration 00:50:47 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses an analogy of going to a grocery store and asking a stranger 'how are you doing?' to illustrate how people often suspect an 'angle' or hidden motive in interactions, contrasting this with the Christian angle of introducing others to Christ.
• Sermon Illustration 00:58:13 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes the scene of Paul kneeling on a bench at Miletus with crying elders, noting that Paul was empty-handed yet completely full, illustrating the concept of being 'more blessed to give than to receive.'

• Pastoral Charge 00:32:41 ▶️ 📄
  > Lead one person to faith in Jesus Christ during the Christmas season.
• Pastoral Charge 00:34:32 ▶️ 📄
  > Identify and begin discipling a specific individual.
• Pastoral Charge 00:45:54 ▶️ 📄
  > Attendees without passports are instructed to speak with the pastor to receive financial assistance for obtaining one for mission trips.
• Pastoral Charge 01:01:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor calls the congregation to examine their lives, confess repentance, and commit to giving themselves to God's calling.

[00:01:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Good morning.
[00:01:40] Welcome to Peninsula.
[00:01:41] My name is Adam and we are so thankful you're here to worship with us today.
[00:01:46] As we come into December, there's a couple of things we want you to know about.
[00:01:49] You know, we know this is a busy time of year, but there are several really important things happening here at Peninsula.
[00:01:54] First, it's coming up very soon.
[00:01:56] Our annual meeting is going to be December 3rd at 7 p.m.
[00:02:00] This is going to be an opportunity for the members of our church to hear about the 2026 budget, to vote on it, to approve it,
[00:02:07] and it is just a great time as we look ahead to what God is going to do through our church family this year.
[00:02:13] Also, that Sunday, December 7th, is an event we have called Starting Point.
[00:02:17] So maybe you're newer here to Peninsula.
[00:02:19] You're like, what is happening?
[00:02:20] What do ministries here look like?
[00:02:21] How do I get involved?
[00:02:23] All sort of questions like that.
[00:02:24] This event is for you.
[00:02:26] It's going to be immediately following our second service about 12-15.
[00:02:29] We have lunch.
[00:02:30] We have childcare provided.
[00:02:31] We'd love for you to join us.
[00:02:33] You can sign up online and join us on December 7th for
[00:02:37] Also, we know as we're coming into December, it is Christmas time.
[00:02:41] And we just want to say we are so excited.
[00:02:43] I love this time of year.
[00:02:45] We have a lot of fun.
[00:02:46] We also think a lot about families and how we can help as we talk about Advent.
[00:02:51] Advent is that waiting.
[00:02:52] If you have kids, you know right now they are waiting for Christmas.
[00:02:55] But also, it reminds us that God's people were waiting for the coming of Christ and just like we wait for Him to come again.
[00:03:01] and one of the things we do every year is we help out providing a resource for Advent.
[00:03:07] You can pick those up at several places throughout the campus today and that is a way for you and your family to spend a little bit of time each day just thinking about the coming of Christ and the salvation that He brings.
[00:03:17] So take that resource and in all the fun make sure that we have the opportunity to remind our families what this time is about.
[00:03:24] But also we don't want to forget the fun.
[00:03:25] We do have a lot of good things here.
[00:03:27] One of our favorite events we have for particularly our families with kids is called Jingle Jam.
[00:03:33] It's going to be Monday, December 15th.
[00:03:35] It's from 6 to 7.30.
[00:03:37] It's a free event.
[00:03:38] There's treats, crafts, games, music.
[00:03:41] They have a great time.
[00:03:42] You get to do that together as a family.
[00:03:45] is going to be geared toward our preschool and elementary age families but you know families with teens are welcome too but don't forget space is limited for that it's because there's only so much room so this is one that sign up does matter so jump online right now if you're sitting here take a moment and register for that the register for that by december 10th but we look forward to jingle jam
[00:04:08] also a great opportunity for you and your family to kind of serve others during this christmas season is through operation christmas shop we have the shoe boxes we have a goal this year of sending 500 shoe boxes through samaritan's purse and this is a great opportunity not only to bless a kid as they have a chance to get the box and the fun things and the gifts in there but this provides this ministry a great opportunity to share the gospel with these kids
[00:04:35] This is a great ministry to partner with.
[00:04:37] You can pick up those boxes downstairs in the lobby as well.
[00:04:41] You can drop them all off in a cart we have in our on-mission area in the lobby.
[00:04:47] So make sure to drop those off.
[00:04:49] The deadline for that to bring them back is going to be Sunday, December 14th.
[00:04:53] So don't forget that.
[00:04:54] Grab a box, fill it up, and bring it back by the 14th.
[00:04:57] The last thing I want you to know about as we come into Christmas is our Christmas Eve services.
[00:05:02] This year we're going to have four identical services at 12, 1.30, 3.30, and 5.
[00:05:09] All services are going to be the exact same.
[00:05:10] It's a great opportunity for you to invite someone to come with you.
[00:05:13] They actually say that this is one of the most likely times of year that if you invite someone to attend a service with you that they are likely to say yes.
[00:05:21] So maybe you've got a neighbor, a friend, someone at work.
[00:05:24] You've been thinking about inviting to church with you.
[00:05:26] This is a great opportunity to do so.
[00:05:28] But as you invite them, don't forget, register on our website for this spot.
[00:05:33] You can go to peninsulabaptist.com slash christmas.
[00:05:37] You can register for that.
[00:05:39] What this is going to help us do is make sure that we have space for everybody who comes.
[00:05:42] so it'll let you know how the services are filling up we need to use all four of those um ideally we would love to see all four full um and that will help us do that make sure there's space for people who come that day so join us on december 24th for christmas eve at 12 1 30 3 30 or 5.
[00:06:02] but again today we are so thankful to be here to worship together to get to kick off this advent season as we remember not only the coming of Jesus but the salvation he brings and we look forward to worshiping with you today thanks for being with us well good morning

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
You all have smiles on your face like you ate pie or something this week.
[00:06:33] How many of you had a great Thanksgiving?
[00:06:35] Raise your hand if you had a good Thanksgiving.
[00:06:36] Did anybody in here not eat pie?
[00:06:38] Anybody?
[00:06:39] Okay, so there's a few.
[00:06:40] Cake maybe or something?
[00:06:42] Nothing?
[00:06:43] Oh my goodness gracious.
[00:06:45] Anybody have some pie left over that you can share?
[00:06:47] I'm kidding.
[00:06:48] So glad to be with you today as we enter into our Advent season.
[00:06:52] Today's word is hope.
[00:06:54] And we'll be singing through hope and we'll be celebrating through hope as well.
[00:06:59] I hope that you can see the words on the hymn we're going to sing back there.
[00:07:04] Doesn't the stage look amazing?
[00:07:06] We have such creative people here to bring us into our Advent season.
[00:07:09] Today we're going into Acts chapter 20 and we're going to be looking at hope in a whole different light.
[00:07:15] We're going to be looking at Acts chapter 20 and what the blessed life really is and what it means to have a blessed life.
[00:07:23] It's definitely not what the world says is blessed.
[00:07:26] And so we're going to be looking at that here in a few moments.
[00:07:27] I want to lead us in a time of prayer before we go into our first song to sing together as we celebrate who Christ is for us.
[00:07:34] And as we do that, I would like to ask you to stand both here and in our video venue.
[00:07:38] Stand as we join together in worship today as we celebrate the goodness of our King.
[00:07:44] Let's pray together.
[00:07:45] Father, we thank you so much for your grace that greets us every day.
[00:07:49] We thank you for this season that allows us to reflect on how good you are to us and to be mindful of the praise that we have in our hearts for you.
[00:07:59] So through the gentleness of your spirit and even the power of your spirit at the exact same time, meet us where we are and lead us in the time of worshiping you.
[00:08:08] So be praised, be glorified, and be honored today.
[00:08:13] In Jesus' name we pray.
[00:08:14] Amen.

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Almighty Early in the morning A song shall rise to Thee

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
of Psalms, Blessed Trinity.

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Come on church, let's lift our voices to the King of Kings.

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Holy, holy, holy, though the darkness hide
[00:09:54] Thy glory may not cease
[00:10:44] Holy are You, Lord God Almighty Worthy is the Lamb Worthy is the Lamb You are Holy Holy are You, Lord God
[00:11:13] Worthy is the Lamb, Worthy is the Lamb, Amen.
[00:11:37] Hallelujah, Hallelujah, For the Lord God Almighty
[00:11:58] For the Lord God Almighty reigns Hallelujah, Holy, Holy

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Lord God Almighty God in three Persons Blessed Trinity

[00:14:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to
[00:14:47] O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
of Angels.

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Sing in exultation.
[00:16:33] Lord we greet thee born this happy morning Jesus to thee be our glory given Word of the Father now in flesh appearing

[00:18:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
All the saints and angels bow before your throne All the elders cast their crowns before the Lamb

[00:18:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
You're worthy of it all You're worthy of it all For from you are all things And to you are all things You deserve the glory
[00:19:33] All the saints and angels They bow before your throne All the elders cast their crowns before
[00:20:50] You are all things, You deserve glory You're worthy, worthy of it all God You're worthy, worthy of it all And You deserve, You deserve all

[00:21:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Day and night, night and day, let incense arise.

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Day and night, night and day, let incense arise

[00:23:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Father God you do deserve all the glory and Father that's our place here right now to give that to you to come before you and restate Father that we give this to you because all things are due to you and we pray this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ would y'all be seated

[00:24:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Day and night, night and day, let incense arise.
[00:24:27] You may be thinking to yourself, what exactly is that?
[00:24:30] It's an Old Testament reference to the incense that was burned in the temple that brought good smell to the nostrils of God.
[00:24:38] But today for us, that incense is our hearts worshiping and our lives serving.
[00:24:46] And we're going to be talking about that today as we enter into Advent.
[00:24:48] Today's word is hope.
[00:24:50] and we're going to be talking about that through Acts chapter 20 here in just a moment in Acts chapter 20 although we're not going to speak a whole lot about it there is a part of the account in Acts chapter 20 where Paul is preaching extra long and a young man who's sitting in the window gets tired into the evening and he falls asleep while Paul is preaching do not use that as an excuse today
[00:25:19] But you might not want to sit in a window.
[00:25:21] I'm kidding.
[00:25:22] We're going to talk about that in just a minute.
[00:25:23] I'm not going to really hit on that today because chapter 20 actually brings out something else.
[00:25:28] Many times when you hear people preaching Acts chapter 20, you will hear that account of the young man who was a servant who was probably very, very tired because he had served all day.
[00:25:39] Paul was preaching extra long because it was most likely the last sermon he would be able to preach to these people because he didn't know what was going to happen to him when he went to Jerusalem.
[00:25:48] and so he was speaking extra long and he had a great burning heart and desire for the church and he wanted to make sure that they were taken care of and so he's speaking extra long and he fell asleep and most pastors will hit on that and talk a little bit about that but today I'm taking a little bit different point of view of Acts chapter 20 we're going to pick up the pace through the book of Acts at this point because we're going to complete the book of Acts by the end of December
[00:26:17] And so we are going to be hitting large chunks, but I trust that you will continue to read the book of Acts so you are aware of the accounts as they are going by.
[00:26:28] We're not picking up the pace because we feel like the rest of Acts is not important or that it doesn't matter.
[00:26:33] There's a lot of repetitive type accounts that seem to be repetitive anyway.
[00:26:38] Paul goes into an area, he gets put in jail, and he defends himself with the gospel every single time.
[00:26:45] There are different nuances, and we'll hit on those as we finish the book of Acts.
[00:26:50] But today we're going to consider the whole entire chapter 20 of the book of Acts today as we start to pick up the pace and go into Advent.
[00:27:01] So, is it too early, by the way, for me to say Merry Christmas?
[00:27:05] How many of you have already been listening to Christmas music for a few...
[00:27:09] I didn't even have to...
[00:27:10] I didn't even finish my statement.
[00:27:12] How many of you listen to Christmas music all the way through the year?
[00:27:14] Anybody?
[00:27:15] There's a few that listen to Christmas all the way through the year.
[00:27:18] We did decorate our house a little sooner this year than we normally do, but that's okay.
[00:27:23] We enjoyed it.
[00:27:24] One reason we did that is because my oldest is home, and she was able to come and...
[00:27:30] Celebrate several things, not just Thanksgiving.
[00:27:33] She got to celebrate my wife's birthday together.
[00:27:37] But today is her birthday too, my oldest daughter's birthday.
[00:27:40] So if you see her out and about, wish her a happy birthday.
[00:27:44] and Slipper of 20.
[00:27:45] I'm just kidding.
[00:27:48] Just teasing with that.
[00:27:49] We'll get a chance to talk a little bit more about her toward the end of the service.
[00:27:54] But we are going through the book of Acts and I want to talk about the blessed life, living to give, and I want to kind of explain what it means to live the blessed life because you hear in today's society mainly, you hear this terminology, prosperity gospel.
[00:28:12] Kind of like the prosperity gospel says that if you give to God, He will give back abundantly.
[00:28:20] And that's all wrapped around the possessions we own, the health we have, and those types of things.
[00:28:26] We're going to take a whole total different look at that.
[00:28:30] I'm going to kind of explain the title before we actually get into Acts chapter 20 because I want you to understand the foundation of where I'm getting what I'm pulling from in Acts chapter 20.
[00:28:42] Before we get there.
[00:28:45] But when most people hear the word blessed, they picture comfort and success and material abundance.
[00:28:53] And in our culture, living your best life usually means living for yourself.
[00:28:59] Getting what you want and never getting sick.
[00:29:03] But when Jesus and the apostles here are talking about blessing, they meant something very, very different.
[00:29:11] Being blessed is not about perfect health, a big house, or a pain-free life.
[00:29:17] Those are wonderful things when they happen.
[00:29:19] They're icing on the cake, and it is what we want, it is what we desire.
[00:29:23] But the truly blessed person is one who walks closely with God.
[00:29:31] You can say that today you are walking closely with God.
[00:29:35] That's a truly blessed life.
[00:29:38] In other words, you can be sick and still feel blessed.
[00:29:42] You can be broke in your wallet but still feel blessed.
[00:29:46] You can be struggling and still feel blessed.
[00:29:50] Because the blessing of God is His presence, not just His provision.
[00:29:57] And so it's not measured by what we get from God, but how much of ourselves we actually give back to God.
[00:30:04] This is where we're going to see the difference.
[00:30:07] A little bit of a nuance with Acts chapter 20.
[00:30:09] It's living so fully surrendered to Christ that His generosity flows through us to others.
[00:30:18] And so Paul understood that kind of blessing.
[00:30:21] And as he told the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, quoting Jesus, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
[00:30:27] This is where we have been heading when we started back in Acts chapter 1, almost a year ago, and we've been walking through, we've been coming to this moment.
[00:30:37] Today's message isn't about a prosperity gospel, it's about a discipleship gospel.
[00:30:45] It's about learning what it means to live as Jesus did, open-handed.
[00:30:51] Open focus and others focused and joyfully generous.
[00:30:57] So the blessed life and how it deals with hope of who we are in Christ.
[00:31:03] So I need to give a little context before we walk into chapter 20 so you can kind of know a little bit of what's happening.
[00:31:09] At the end of chapter 19 in the book of Acts we see that a mob has formed.
[00:31:16] They have formed mainly because Paul was meeting with people on a daily basis.
[00:31:22] He was sharing the gospel.
[00:31:23] They were believing in Christ and they were giving their life to Christ.
[00:31:27] Well, why did that upset people?
[00:31:29] Well, the local silversmith company who sold silversmith items to those who were worshipping Diana, the pagan god, started losing money.
[00:31:40] They started losing money because more and more people were converting to faith in Christ and they were no longer buying products from the local silversmith.
[00:31:50] That made them mad.
[00:31:52] I'm just going to tell you, wherever the gospel is preached powerfully and where God is allowed to move in people's lives, those who make money off of superstition and sin are going to get angry.
[00:32:07] But that's not
[00:32:08] What Paul was worried about.
[00:32:10] He was worried about preaching into their lives.
[00:32:13] Paul didn't anger the opposition because he picketed outside the temple of Diana.
[00:32:18] He didn't stage an anti-idolatry rally.
[00:32:23] All he did was teach the truth daily and people were sent out.
[00:32:27] The new believers were sent out into the community and they were bringing more people.
[00:32:33] This to me is the answer to our broken culture.
[00:32:36] Disciples making disciples.
[00:32:39] It's a multiplication process.
[00:32:41] If we all in here over this Christmas season lead one person to a believing faith in Jesus Christ, think about what that one person might do in 2026 when they go and share their faith with somebody.
[00:32:55] It's a multiplication process.
[00:32:57] And that's what we're to be about.
[00:32:59] And so a mob was formed around what Paul was doing so much so that they say that upwards of like 10,000 people gathered in the local arena and was chanting whatever saying they chant to Diana.
[00:33:16] They were this mob mentality of just heated up about something.
[00:33:23] We are created to worship.
[00:33:25] God created us to worship.
[00:33:27] But when we worship the wrong things, we mess up bad.
[00:33:32] We were created to worship God and nothing else, but sometimes we tend to worship other things.
[00:33:37] And the mob mentality was getting really ugly.
[00:33:40] Benjamin Franklin, he had a thing he said about a mob mentality.
[00:33:45] He said, in this mob mentality, there are plenty of heads, but no brains.
[00:33:51] That's the way Benjamin Franklin looked at it.
[00:33:56] Benjamin Franklin called it a monster.
[00:33:57] It's a monster with plenty of heads but no brains, I think is the way he put it.
[00:34:01] And you see Paul actually refer to the monster in Ephesus.
[00:34:06] I find that interesting, a slight connection there.
[00:34:10] To me it's sad when people are led by selfish leaders who know how to instigate panic among people to get them stirred up and they're no longer thinking, they're just fighting for something because everyone wants a hill to charge.
[00:34:24] Let me tell you, church, the hill we need to be charging is making disciples who make disciples.
[00:34:30] One at a time.
[00:34:32] Go find that person that you can disciple.
[00:34:35] And you've heard me say it before, discipleship starts before salvation.
[00:34:40] The world wants to disciple us in its way, we need to be discipling people in the way, Christ.
[00:34:47] And that's what we need to be pushing toward.
[00:34:51] Paul here, one more thing, I know we're going to cover all of Acts 20, I'm not going to read the whole chapter.
[00:34:58] But Paul actually gives a list of things that he went through when he was on mission in Christ.
[00:35:02] Now you could very slowly go through the book of Acts and pull out the things he went through as you're reading through Acts and say, wow, this happened to him, this happened to him, this happened to him, and this happened to him.
[00:35:12] But Paul actually gives the list in 2 Corinthians.
[00:35:16] It's 2 Corinthians 11 where he's doing a teaching on what it means to give of yourself for the faith.
[00:35:25] And this is what he says in 2 Corinthians 11 starting at verse 23.
[00:35:30] He says, Are they servants of Christ?
[00:35:33] I am a better one.
[00:35:35] I am talking like a madman.
[00:35:37] Now why is he saying that?
[00:35:37] I'm talking like a madman because what you're getting ready to hear that he went through, you would say, Why would you keep doing it?
[00:35:45] Why?
[00:35:46] You are a madman.
[00:35:47] For all of that stuff to happen to you and you just kept on?
[00:35:51] You know, at some point, why didn't you just throw in the towel and say, I'm done?
[00:35:55] But he doesn't.
[00:35:55] He says, I am talking like a madman with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
[00:36:05] Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
[00:36:10] Three times I was beaten with rods.
[00:36:13] Once I was stoned.
[00:36:14] Three times I was shipwrecked.
[00:36:17] A night and a day I was adrift at sea, on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often
[00:36:39] Without Food in Cold and Exposure.
[00:36:43] Anybody want to go on a mission trip with Paul?
[00:36:46] I'm just kind of curious.
[00:36:49] But here's the thing that gets me.
[00:36:50] This is where it pulls it in.
[00:36:52] This is where we're going to be pulling out of what we're talking about in Acts chapter 20.
[00:36:57] And apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
[00:37:09] That chokes me up.
[00:37:11] To think that he was going through all that but he was carrying the weight of making sure the churches stayed unified and were going out and sharing the faith.
[00:37:21] That's a purpose.
[00:37:22] That is a driven cause that Paul had.
[00:37:25] I want to kind of clarify something.
[00:37:27] When we go through this Acts chapter 20, I am not trying to raise Paul up on a pedestal.
[00:37:32] I'm going to actually raise Christ up on the throne where he belongs through what Paul went through in his life and Paul the whole time was pointing to Christ.
[00:37:42] So this is not a sermon on be like Paul, this is a sermon on be like Christ.
[00:37:47] So keep that in mind as we're going through this.
[00:37:50] The blessed life, living to give, we are most like Jesus when we give ourselves away.
[00:37:59] This is where we're headed today.
[00:38:00] So in Acts 20, the Apostle Paul is on his way to Jerusalem.
[00:38:05] He said this.
[00:38:06] He already knows he's on his way to Jerusalem.
[00:38:08] And he's not aware of what's going to happen.
[00:38:11] He's fully aware that suffering is in his path.
[00:38:15] Imprisonment may even await him there.
[00:38:18] He knows this.
[00:38:18] And along the way, he stops in Miletus and calls for the elders of the church of Ephesus, men he had discipled and served alongside for years.
[00:38:30] What we're about to hear are some of Paul's final words to them, a kind of farewell speech.
[00:38:37] It's deeply personal and it shows what mattered most to him after decades of following Jesus.
[00:38:44] He doesn't talk about success or comfort.
[00:38:48] He talks about serving and finishing well and giving his life for the gospel.
[00:38:55] So what I want to do is, I know Acts chapter 20 has a lot there, and I trust you'll go back and read all of Acts chapter 20, but in order to kind of make the points of where we're headed today, I'm going to start at verse 17.
[00:39:09] So Acts chapter 20, verse 17 is where we're going to start reading.
[00:39:15] Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.
[00:39:21] And when they came to him, he said to them,
[00:39:24] You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews.
[00:39:39] How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable.
[00:39:44] and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of a faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
[00:39:56] And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
[00:40:13] But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course in the ministry that I receive from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
[00:40:31] He is strengthening these people that are listening to him saying, don't bemoan what I'm going through.
[00:40:39] Stay on task.
[00:40:40] Stay on target.
[00:40:42] Let people know about the good news of Christ.
[00:40:45] If Paul was anyone who had a grasp on what eternity was, then he is the example of it.
[00:40:54] He had eternity in mind.
[00:40:57] Not what he could gain here, but what life was truly about.
[00:41:02] Now let's move down to verse 32.
[00:41:06] And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
[00:41:18] I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.
[00:41:23] You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.
[00:41:32] Now verse 35, in all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus how he himself said it is more blessed to give than to receive.
[00:41:51] Now, if you take the totality of chapter 20 and you think about all that Paul has faced in all of Acts, you read in Corinthians what he faced and who he was, and then he still repeats the words of Jesus, it is more blessed to give than to receive, you know that Paul is showing us that this is not just a quote of philosophy, it is something he lived through.
[00:42:21] Acts 20 is his farewell message to the Ephesian elders and he isn't boasting, he's showing them what the blessed life looks like in real time.
[00:42:35] As we begin our week of international prayer for our international mission partners and more of our international work that God's doing, as we consider the international mission offering that we'll be taking to support the International Mission Board missionaries that are on the field around the globe,
[00:42:52] We see this truth.
[00:42:55] The most blessed people are the ones who live open-handed before God.
[00:43:05] So what I want to do is walk through now chapter 20.
[00:43:09] And I want to talk about what leads Paul up to that phrase, remember what Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
[00:43:20] Number one, giving time
[00:43:22] and Encouragement.
[00:43:23] In verses 1-12 Paul travels through Macedonia and Greece encouraging the believers.
[00:43:30] He gives his time and his presence.
[00:43:33] In Troas he preaches late into the night and a young man, Eutychus, falls out of the window.
[00:43:39] Paul rushes down, embraces him and God restores his life.
[00:43:44] Incredibly encouraging the church at that time that God was still with them and walking with them.
[00:43:50] But here's the thing, Paul gives his presence, his patience, and comfort.
[00:44:00] Generosity starts with presence.
[00:44:04] I'm not talking about like Christmas gift presents.
[00:44:07] I'm talking about presents spelled the other way, like I'm here with you.
[00:44:13] Before we give money, we provide time.
[00:44:16] Think of someone who invested in your walk with the Lord.
[00:44:20] That investment in you that brought you to a point of understanding your need for Christ was generosity to you.
[00:44:28] It was showing you the way.
[00:44:32] So that's giving time and encouragement.
[00:44:34] In verses 13-16 we see giving purpose and priority.
[00:44:40] Paul hurries toward Jerusalem.
[00:44:44] For Pentecost, but because the Spirit was leading him there, he skips the comfort of staying in Ephesus any longer.
[00:44:51] Why?
[00:44:51] Because his mission was driving his schedule.
[00:44:56] He gives up what's pleasant to pursue what's purposeful.
[00:45:02] Most of the time, generous people are mission-minded people.
[00:45:07] They give their calendars to God's calling.
[00:45:12] I remember when I was growing up my family would sit down with the church calendar at the beginning of the year because the church had its calendar kind of set out for the year and we would plan our family things around what was on the church calendar.
[00:45:25] I know that's not the way of today but there was a time in my life where my family was teaching me the purpose and the priority is the things that God is doing in our lives and church is a big part of that.
[00:45:39] I guess we have to ask ourselves, what might God be asking us to release so that we can join Him in mission?
[00:45:50] Do you have your passport yet?
[00:45:54] If not, come talk to me.
[00:45:56] I will help pay for it.
[00:45:58] Well, not for you to go on a cruise somewhere.
[00:46:02] But so you can go on mission for the Lord, thinking globally.
[00:46:07] of how God may use your gifts and your talents to share his love with others.
[00:46:13] Then in verses 17 through 21, we see giving humble service.
[00:46:17] He says in there, you know how I lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with tears and with trials.
[00:46:25] And by the way, humility isn't weakness, it's strength under surrender.
[00:46:31] Paul's ministry wasn't to be impressive, it was invested.
[00:46:37] And the most generous leaders are the most humble ones among us.
[00:46:44] So let's recap so far.
[00:46:46] We have giving time and encouragement in verses 1 through 12.
[00:46:49] We have giving purpose and priority in verses 13 through 16.
[00:46:53] We have giving humble service through verses 17 through 21.
[00:46:57] And then in verses 22 through 24 we have giving up control.
[00:47:01] He says, I am bound by the Spirit, was the word he used there.
[00:47:06] I do not account my life of any value if only I may finish my course.
[00:47:12] Paul knows hardship awaits, yet his hands stay open.
[00:47:20] He didn't have a clenched fist to hold what God had.
[00:47:24] He had an open hand of surrender before the Lord.
[00:47:28] Clenched fist can't receive nor give.
[00:47:31] Open hands means that things can be given and passed on.
[00:47:36] The blessed life begins when we release our control to God.
[00:47:43] Trusting Him fully that He is a sovereign God sitting on the throne and knows what our tomorrow brings.
[00:47:51] And then we have verses 25 through 31 giving care and warning.
[00:47:56] For three years Paul did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears and heartache.
[00:48:03] And that's emotional generosity that he was giving.
[00:48:06] He gives spiritual protection even when he had to say some things that were uncomfortable about the way people were living outside of the truth.
[00:48:16] And let's just call it what it is.
[00:48:17] True shepherds protect people, not positions.
[00:48:21] And this is what he was doing.
[00:48:24] Generosity sometimes means saying what others need to hear, not what they want to hear.
[00:48:32] Then we have in verse 32, giving it all back to God.
[00:48:38] I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
[00:48:42] That's what had anxiety inside Paul.
[00:48:47] Don't stray from this.
[00:48:49] It's God and His Word.
[00:48:51] Paul releases them.
[00:48:52] He trusts God to sustain what he had started.
[00:48:57] His generosity was ending in trust in God.
[00:49:01] It's a kind of a releasing, allowing God to do.
[00:49:05] About a month ago, maybe a little over a month ago, one of the messages that we had in here was releasing.
[00:49:12] That we're going to be a church that sins, and that means one day we're going to have to release people to go.
[00:49:17] That we're going to be planting a church in Davidson, which is one, I pray, of many that we'll be planting as a church.
[00:49:24] We're going to release people to go help make that work happen.
[00:49:28] On Monday morning, after that message, two families came in and said, thank you for the message, we feel God's calling us somewhere else.
[00:49:33] And I was like, no, no, no, no, no.
[00:49:35] Actually, I had to let them go because God was clearly calling them there and I've followed up with them since then and God is doing a great work where they are.
[00:49:46] It's a releasing.
[00:49:47] God allows and trusts us with people so that we can equip them, so that we can send them out.
[00:49:53] That's who we become.
[00:49:54] That's what makes us a church of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, is a church that receives people, disciples them, and sends them out to go make more disciples so that they can do the same.
[00:50:08] Which brings us to number 7, verses 33 through 34, giving without greed.
[00:50:16] I coveted no one, silver or gold.
[00:50:19] He says, these hands provided for my needs.
[00:50:22] Paul worked hard so no one could accuse him of using the gospel for gain.
[00:50:29] He gave his labor freely.
[00:50:32] The gospel never smells like greed, never looks like greed, never acts like greed.
[00:50:39] Integrity keeps generosity believable.
[00:50:41] And when people see our freedom from greed, they're more open to the grace.
[00:50:47] You start talking with someone about anything that you don't know, like you go to the grocery store and you say, hey, how are you doing?
[00:50:52] They start looking at you, what's your angle?
[00:50:55] Because we feel like everybody has an angle, right?
[00:50:59] But we do have an angle.
[00:51:01] It's to introduce them to Christ.
[00:51:03] We want the opportunity to be able to share the good news, the hope of the world with other people that we come in contact with.
[00:51:13] So very quickly, let's walk back through verses 1-12 was giving time and encouragement.
[00:51:18] Verses 13-16 was giving purpose and priority.
[00:51:23] Verses 17-21 is giving humble service.
[00:51:29] Verses 22-24 was giving up control.
[00:51:33] Verses 25 through 31 is giving care and warning.
[00:51:38] Verse 32 was giving it all back to God.
[00:51:41] Verses 33 and 34 were giving without greed, which brings us to the main verse.
[00:51:51] Verse 35, giving like Jesus.
[00:51:57] This is where we've been rushing to get to.
[00:51:59] Let me read this verse again.
[00:52:00] In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus how he himself said it is more blessed to give than to receive.
[00:52:18] I would say this is the summit of Acts 20.
[00:52:22] Everything Paul said
[00:52:25] All the time that he gave, the tears and the toil leads right here.
[00:52:32] So what I want to do is kind of break this down as we look at it.
[00:52:38] A. Paul lived it before he quoted it.
[00:52:43] He lived it before he quoted it.
[00:52:47] Paul's entire life since his conversion was a sermon on giving.
[00:52:53] Because his sermon on giving was something that he had received from Christ.
[00:52:58] Think about chapter 20 as I did it, but let's look at it a little bit different way.
[00:53:02] Paul gave encouragement, gave time, gave humility, gave his life, gave care, gave trust, and gave labor.
[00:53:13] Then he says, now remember what Jesus said.
[00:53:18] He's not preaching theory.
[00:53:21] He's actually describing his biography.
[00:53:26] But another thing I think is interesting when I read this and I hear about it is B. Jesus said it and then lived it.
[00:53:38] We don't read these exact words in the Gospel, but we trust that Paul is quoting things he had heard about what the Apostle said Jesus said.
[00:53:47] It echoes everything about Jesus.
[00:53:49] Just a real quick hint.
[00:53:50] Matthew 10 says, Freely you receive, freely give.
[00:53:53] Mark 10 says, The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life.
[00:54:00] John 3.16, God so loved the world that He gave.
[00:54:05] This is who Jesus was.
[00:54:06] Paul didn't invent generosity.
[00:54:10] He inherited it from Jesus.
[00:54:14] To follow Christ is to adopt His rhythm of self-giving love.
[00:54:20] If Jesus is the greatest giver, then giving is how we most look like Him.
[00:54:30] But let's pull the thread a little bit.
[00:54:31] See, why is giving more blessed?
[00:54:36] Why is giving more blessed?
[00:54:40] Well, first of all, it brings joy now.
[00:54:45] It brings joy now.
[00:54:47] The word blessed that is used there in the original text means deeply favored by God.
[00:54:56] Joy grows as we give and our hearts expand as we exhale grace to other people.
[00:55:04] Can I just say as a side note, no extra charge for this little one right here, grace needs to be the first place we're generous.
[00:55:13] We love because Christ first loved us.
[00:55:19] We should love others because Christ first loved us.
[00:55:23] Grace should be the first place we start with everyone because grace is the first place Jesus started with us.
[00:55:32] He didn't wait until we were right or perfect to say, okay, when you get things a little bit more in line, I'll think about coming out of heaven.
[00:55:39] No, it was our brokenness that drove Him.
[00:55:43] To say, here I am, I'm going.
[00:55:47] We need to understand that it brings joy now.
[00:55:52] It also breaks chains.
[00:55:54] Every gift weakens greed's grip.
[00:55:58] Giving says, my trust is in God, not what I own.
[00:56:03] It builds eternal impact.
[00:56:05] What we keep fades away.
[00:56:09] What we give multiplies forever.
[00:56:13] Every missionary sent, every Bible translated, every child reached is an echo of someone's generosity.
[00:56:23] You are never poorer for giving, only richer in grace.
[00:56:32] Then he talks about helping the weak.
[00:56:33] I want to pull that out a little bit of that verse.
[00:56:35] Paul began the verse, we must help the weak.
[00:56:39] Generosity is never abstract, it's an action.
[00:56:44] We give to the international mission offering.
[00:56:49] We are helping the weak who have yet to hear the gospel.
[00:56:56] When we help those through our generosity of time, we are making them feel important.
[00:57:05] Our time, our effort, our dollars become discipleship.
[00:57:09] When we view it that way, our prayers become power in places that we will never visit, perhaps.
[00:57:16] And so then you have the blessed exchange.
[00:57:21] It is more blessed to give than to receive.
[00:57:24] It's an exchange.
[00:57:26] There's a transaction happening there.
[00:57:30] Receiving feels safe.
[00:57:33] Giving feels risky.
[00:57:35] But Jesus lost his life.
[00:57:38] And gain the world of people in salvation.
[00:57:41] Paul gave everything and gained a worldwide spiritual influence.
[00:57:48] When we give, God turns loss into legacy.
[00:57:55] The world says keep.
[00:57:58] Jesus says give.
[00:58:00] The world says you'll run out.
[00:58:04] Jesus says you will be filled.
[00:58:10] So think about this scene when you're thinking about Acts chapter 20.
[00:58:13] Paul kneels on a bench at Miletus.
[00:58:17] The elders are there crying with him.
[00:58:19] They know that they may never see him again after he leaves at this time.
[00:58:25] And he's empty-handed.
[00:58:27] Paul has poured out everything and yet is completely full.
[00:58:37] Oh, let those who have ears hear.
[00:58:42] That's the blessed life.
[00:58:47] As we begin to think about the Advent season and what our hope is and what our hope should be in, may it be something that reminds us of who we're to become in Christ.
[00:59:03] It's not about achievement.
[00:59:06] It's about identity.
[00:59:09] It's not about possessions, it's about becoming what God wants us to become.
[00:59:14] So what is living the blessed life today based on the scripture we just read?
[00:59:22] The blessed life begins with receiving grace.
[00:59:27] That's the first step, receiving grace in Christ, understanding that you are in need of Christ.
[00:59:34] The blessed life flows through everyday generosity of just having a mindset of generosity toward people.
[00:59:43] The blessed life extends beyond ourselves.
[00:59:47] The blessed life is sustained by trust in God, and the blessed life builds the kingdom.
[00:59:58] So it's not defined by what we possess, it's actually what we are willing to give.
[01:00:07] It's not about how much we accumulate, but about how much we resemble Christ.
[01:00:16] The blessed life isn't what the world celebrates, it's what God calls us to imitate.
[01:00:23] The generous giving life of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
[01:00:30] And He, Church, is our hope.
[01:00:36] Let's pray.
[01:00:43] Father, the world paints a total different picture of what it means to be blessed.
[01:00:49] Every commercial that comes on television is talking about how if we own or move or do, we can be blessed in a certain set of ways.
[01:01:03] It connects in my mind and makes perfect sense that you would say the opposite.
[01:01:11] Trust in you fully, walk with you daily, abide in your hope, become more like Christ,
[01:01:20] and experience the fullness of life as we experience your presence.
[01:01:28] So call us out, Spirit.
[01:01:31] Those things that we're holding onto that's getting in the way of us experiencing what life is supposed to be like in you, bring them to the top.
[01:01:42] Let us see them clearly.
[01:01:45] Let us have courage to step before you humbly and confess before you in repentance that we may give of ourselves to you, to your calling, that we may walk with you in full, complete joy and blessing.
[01:02:03] In Jesus' name we pray.
[01:02:05] Amen.

[01:02:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Let's stand together in both rooms as we finish this song, What He's Done.

[01:02:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
See, on the hill of Calvary My Jesus bled for me My Jesus set me free
[01:02:34] Look at the wounds that give me life Grace flowing from His side No greater sacrifice What He's done What He's done All the glory and the honor to the Son
[01:03:00] My sins are forgiven My future is heaven I praise God for what He's done Sing for the freedom He has won Even death is dead and done His life has overcome
[01:03:32] Speak, say the name above all names Over every broken place He is risen from the grave What He's done, what He's done
[01:03:52] All the glory and the honor to the Son My sins are forgiven My future is heaven I praise God for what He's done What He's done What He's done
[01:04:19] All the glory and the honor through the Son My sins are forgiven My future is heaven I praise God for what He's done I praise God for what He's done