Friday, December 19, 2014

There is a final application I would like to highlight as we wrap up our “4S” study of Paul’s farewell address recorded in Acts 20:17-21:1. Usually, when giving a farewell talk you close with what in your mind is most important. It’s likely the one thing you want your hearers to remember. As Paul closes his appeal he reminds them about how hard he worked to provide for his and his team-mates’ needs. Then he declares, “Remembering the words of Jesus, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” This impact statement should be a foundational application based on our study. Not only is it a good statement to remember and apply when faced with decisions in life, we should remember who the author of the statement is. As we found earlier in our study, this impact statement is attributed to Jesus, even though it is not mentioned in the gospel accounts. Jesus, for sure, modeled the priority of giving over against receiving. He articulated his mission statement in Matthew 20:28: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” If the elders from Ephesus were to remember anything from Paul’s farewell address it was this, follow Jesus Christ’s example of looking more for what you can do or give to others than what you can get from others. I believe this was a principle Paul kept in mind as he faced important decisions in his life. You would be wise to follow his example, and that of Jesus as well.