Acts  Sermon Series

Wheelersburg Baptist Church 8/10/03 Brad Brandt

Acts 20:13-24 "How to Live a Life of No Regrets—part 1"**

As they scan back over their lives, a lot of people struggle with regrets. I mean really struggle. If they could turn back the clock there are certain events they would rewrite, if only they could.

H.G. Wells, famous historian and philosopher, said at age 61: "I have no peace. All life is at the end of the tether." The poet Byron said, "My days are in yellow leaf, the flowers and fruits of life are gone, the worm and the canker, and the grief are mine alone." The literary genius Thoreau said, "Most men live lives of quiet desperation."

Ralph Barton, one of the top cartoonists of the nations, left this note pinned to his pillow before taking his own life: "I have had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone from wife to wife, from house to house, visited great countries of the world, but I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day." 

There are two ways to approach the subject of regrets. One is to help people who have them deal with them. There is great hope available for people who feel the weight of regrets, through an understanding of the grace of God available through Jesus Christ. But how to deal with regrets is not the approach we’re going to take in this message. We’re going to talk about how to live in such a way that there are no regrets.

The first approach is like sending an ambulance to the bottom of a cliff to pick up the injured who fell over. The second approach is to build a sturdy fence at the top of the cliff to prevent falling and injuries in the first place. In the next two weeks, my intent is to do the latter. We’re going to build a fence so to speak. We’re going to learn how to live in such a way that there are no regrets. We’re going to learn from the farewell speech Paul gave to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20.

In Acts 20 Paul looks back. He reflects on what he did during his ministry in Ephesus. One thing becomes quite apparent as you listen to Paul. He had no regrets. No, he wasn’t perfect, and no, he’s not boasting for as he elsewhere said, "I am what I am by the grace of God." But it was true, because of the grace of God, he had no regrets.

We can learn much from Paul, particularly from the goodbye exhortation he delivered. In Acts 20:13-38, we learn in plain and simple terms how to live a life of no regrets. If we want to arrive at the end of our lives without regret, we must learn to live with three passions Paul modeled in this passage. We’ll look at the first two this week, and consider the third next time.

People who end their lives well are people who live their lives well. And people who live their lives well are people who settle this fundamental issue. My life is not my own. I belong to God my maker. I am here for a purpose, a purpose He has given me. It’s not my will that matters. What matters most is His will.

But herein lies the problem with which we are born. It’s not His will that matters most. It’s my will. It’s what I want. The first man, Adam, went His own way and I’ve inherited His nature. I don’t want to do my Maker’s will. I want my will.

Thankfully, in His amazing grace, God took the initiative to rescue self-seeking sinners from certain destruction. He sent His Son on a rescue mission, so that through the Son’s obedience, sinners are transformed inside out. When a sinner believes in Jesus Christ and accepts His substitutionary life, death, and resurrection, God forgives that sinner and gives him a new heart and a new life. And what’s the evidence of that new heart and life? It’s a new passion in life. No longer is the sinner consumed with what he wants out of life. He now lives with a passion for what God wants out of his life. He now lives with a passion for the will of God.

Dear friend, know this. If a person doesn’t desire the will of God, if what matters most is his or her own agenda, that person has no right to claim to be a Christian, for a Christian is a follower of Christ.

You say, "Show me this passion for the will of God. What does it look like in real life?" Look at Paul. The apostle modeled this passion in two ways in verses 13-16.

A. We see this by noting what Paul did (13-15). "We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos." Stop there for a moment and remember the context. Paul is nearing the end of his third missionary trip. He’d been serving in Ephesus for nearly three years, but had to leave when a riot took place. He took a ministry tour through Macedonia and Greece, followed by a return trip through the same region. Then, accompanied by a ministry team of at least eight other men (20:4), he set out for Jerusalem to deliver a benevolent offering.

It would be handy to check your Study Bible map as we read the following verses. Luke records several locations Paul and his teammates visited (13-15):

"We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus."

A couple of things impress me about Paul here.

1. He made personal sacrifices (13). Verse 13 indicates that while the others took a ship and traveled around the peninsula from Troas to Assos, Paul walked across it. We’re not told why he walked. Maybe he wanted some "alone time" to pray and think. Perhaps he wanted to stay behind as long as possible to make sure Eutychus was okay, or to minister just a little bit longer to the believers in Troas.

One the one hand, it’s not a big thing, but on the other hand it speaks volumes about the kind of person Paul was. Which would be easier, sitting down for a forty mile boat-ride, or a twenty mile walk? Yes, it was just a "little" thing, choosing to walk rather than ride. But it’s the "little" things that cause a true servant to stand out from the crowd, the willingness to deny oneself in common, unspectacular ways.

And throughout his ministry, Paul did that. He gave up a night’s sleep in Troas. He walked rather than ride to Assos. He made personal sacrifices. That’s not all…

2. He took risks (14-15). For every walk down an unknown road and every ship ride on the unpredictable Mediteranean Sea, one thing was true. There were risks. Paul himself wrote about the dangers in his second letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:26): "I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers."

Such commitment seems radical to our thinking. We want a safe Christianity.

Kent Hughes comments, "Commitment means different things to different people. Consider the young man who waxed eloquent as he poured out his heart’s devotion in a letter to the girl of his dreams, saying, ‘My dear, I would climb the highest mountain, swim the widest stream, cross the burning desert, die at the stake for you. P.S. I will see you on Saturday if it doesn’t rain."

What would motivate Paul to make personal sacrifices and take risks like he did? It boiled down to one thing. The will of God. He did what he did because he had a passion to obey the will of God, no matter what. We see it by noting what he did.

B. We see this by noting what Paul didn’t do (16). "Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost."

Luke informs us there was something Paul didn’t want to do, namely, go to Ephesus. It wasn’t because he didn’t like the people there, for he certainly loved them. Luke says he skipped a return visit to Ephesus because he had another destination in mind, Jerusalem. And if possible he wanted to get there by the Jewish holy day of Pentecost.

According to Acts 20:6 Paul left Philippi after Passover. If his goal was to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost, he didn’t have much time to waste. There are fifty days between Passover and Pentecost. The trip between Philippi and Troas used up twelve of the days and the segment to Miletus took another four days. That’s sixteen of the fifty, leaving just thirty-six days to finish the journey to Jerusalem.

That’s why Paul didn’t venture to Ephesus. He didn’t have time.

But why Jerusalem by Pentecost? Luke doesn’t say. We know that at Pentecost Jerusalem would be filled with Jews who had traveled there for the holiday. That meant it was the perfect time for evangelism. It was also a great time to deliver the love gift. After all, if the Jews there were already struggling from a famine, the extra people in town for Pentecost would make life even harder for the locals. The money Paul was carrying would buy a lot of much needed food for the folks. It would also show the skeptical, fellow Jews that these new Gentile Christians really had changed.

We can learn something about the will of God from this. I see four principles for decision-making here.

1. We must not equate open doors with God’s will. When Paul found a ship going so close to Ephesus, he might have concluded, "Wow, it has to be God’s will for me to go to Ephesus. Why would He bring me so close if not?" But just because circumstances look good to us doesn’t mean something is God’s will. Remember what happened when Jonah disobeyed God and wouldn’t go to Nineveh? He just happened to "find" a ship heading where he wanted to go, bound for Tarshish, away from Nineveh! Don’t base your decisions merely on circumstances.

2. We must often choose between good options. Going to minister in Ephesus, or going to Jerusalem by Pentecost? One option wasn’t sinful. Both were good options for Paul. That’s the way it often is for us in decision making. And that’s why we need the wisdom of God if we are to discern the will of God.

3. We must settle the issue of our purpose in life. Many people have no real purpose in their lives. They just coast along, bouncing from event to event like the ball in a pinball machine. Other people have a purpose, but it’s their own purpose, not a God-given one.

The truth is, I have no right to create my own purpose for living. Why not? The Bible says I am not my own (1 Cor 6:19), for I have been bought with a price. I belong to God and He has already given me a purpose.

You see, that’s what drove Paul, His God-given purpose, to glorify God by making known the gospel of His Son. That purpose affected every decision he made, including whether to go to Ephesus or Jerusalem. Which option will result in the most glory to God? Which option will affect most positively the spread of the gospel of Christ? That’s the option he chose, the one that best fit His God-given purpose.

There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playng in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other. As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, "Henry, you're holding the bat wrong. You're supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark." Aaron didn't say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, "I didn't come up here to read."  He knew his purpose.

Do you have a God-given purpose in life that you can state clearly in one sentence? If not, I urge you to prayerfully search the Scriptures and ask God to help you develop one. And then test every decision by how the outcome will relate to your purpose.

4. We must make decisions based on convictions, not feelings. This is vital. So many do things out of a whim or hunch or merely because it "felt" like the right thing to do. But our feelings are so unpredictable and unreliable. Paul developed a plan for this trip, a plan that involved taking an offering, traveling to churches for a couple of year period to collect it, and then delivering that offering to Jerusalem. Because he had a conviction about that plan, he said "no" to what he might have felt like doing (see his friends in Ephesus) if he allowed sentiment to dictate.

If you want to live a life of no regrets, this is essential. Live to please yourself, and you’ll have regrets. Live to please people, and you’ll look back with regrets. But live with a passion for the will of God and you’ll finish life without regrets.

When it came to the Word of God Paul was passionate. He wanted to know it and make it known to others. We see this passion demonstrated in two ways in the following verses.

A. It’s what Paul exhibited in Ephesus (17-21). Verse 17 begins, "From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church." I remind you that Paul had already ministered the Word in Ephesus earlier on this trip, for nearly three years. But he didn’t go this time, perhaps because of the risk that if he went, his ship would leave before he returned to Miletus. But since he cared deeply for these brothers, he did the next best thing. He called for the Ephesian elders to come to him. And they did.

Luke uses the term "elders," presbutos in Greek, which refers to a mature man who was selected to serve in a leadership capacity (Acts 14:23). In verse 28 he refers to the same men as "overseers," episkopos, sometimes translated "bishop." Also in verse 28, to pinpoint their job description, he uses the term "shepherd." They were to "shepherd the flock." The word pastor means "shepherd." In the New Testament these three terms are basically interchangeable and refer to the same person. Thus, when Paul called for the "elders" of the church, he wanted to meet with those who led the church (the overseers), the pastors, the men gifted and called by God to feed and lead the believers in Ephesus.

Beginning in verse 18 Luke records this farewell speech to the elders. In the book of Acts Luke records some eight messages delivered by Paul. This is the only one addressed to Christians. It’s unique because, as Wiersbe points out, "It reveals Paul the pastor rather than Paul the evangelist or Paul the defender of the faith."

Listen to the first part of Paul’s message, noting especially his passion for the ministry of the Word:

Verses 18-21: "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. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. 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. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.’"

Paul’s words say much to us about what it takes to have a successful ministry. If you want to have a successful ministry, as God’s defines "success," you must demonstrate six characteristics seen in Paul’s life.

1. Successful ministry involves a transparent life (18). "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you."

Four preachers met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said, "Our people come to us and pour out their hears, confess certain sins and needs. Let's do the same. Confession is good for the soul." In due time all agreed. One confessed he liked to go to movies and would sneak off when away from his church. The second confessed to liking to smoke cigars and the third one confessed to liking to play cards. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn't confess. The others pressed him saying, "Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?" Finally he answered, "It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here."

There were no skeletons in Paul’s closet. His life was an open book.

2. Successful ministry involves a servant’s heart (19). "I served the Lord with great humility and tears." There are no big shots in God’s work, only servants, and those who serve God’s way see themselves as servants.

3. Successful ministry involves a complete message (20a). Paul said, "You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you." So many today want to reduce the gospel message to a bare-bones minimum. They say that post-moderns are relational and can’t handle doctrinal teaching and deep theology. Consequently, they offer a generic message that produces generic results.

Paul’s approach was certainly different. John Stott called Paul’s work an example of "evangelism in depth," noting that "he shared all possible truth with all possible people in all possible ways." He taught a complete message. In the phrase used in verse 27 (KJV), he declared "the whole counsel of God."

4. Successful ministry involves an emphasis on teaching (20b). Teaching the Word of God, of course, as Paul did: "But have taught you publicly and from house to house." Notice the two arenas of teaching for Paul. He taught publicly—that refers to the public ministry of the Word—and from house to house—which refers to the private ministry of the Word (he engaged in targeted discipleship—that’s basically what biblical counseling is).

5. Successful ministry involves consistency (21a). "I have declared to both Jews and Greeks." Paul didn’t change his message. He gave the same truth no matter who was in the audience. Jews or Greeks, it didn’t matter.

6. Successful ministry involves a clear objective (21b). Some preachers are like the Chinese jugglers. One stood against a wall and the others threw knives at him. They'd hit above his head, close by his ear, under his armpit, and between his fingers. They could throw within a hair's breadth and never strike.

What was Paul’s objective in preaching? What did he want people to do having heard his message? He tells us in verse 21, "That they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus." That’s the goal of biblical preaching, to call people to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some people define a successful ministry in terms of the size of the membership or budget, or by the amount of public recognition it receives. But here’s how God defines a successful ministry. Six vital characteristics—a transparent life, a servant’s heart, a complete message, an emphasis on teaching, consistency, and a clear objective.

There’s one thing the Ephesian elders couldn’t miss as they listened to Paul that day. Standing before them was a man who had a passion for the Word. As they listened they were reminded that it was the reason Paul came to Ephesus in the first place.

We see Paul’s passion for the Word demonstrated in a second way in the next section.

B. It’s why Paul was willing to die in Jerusalem (22-24). "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace."

We often try to avoid hardship. Paul didn’t. He settled two issues, his passion for the will of God and the Word of God, and once he did that, the consequences were irrelevant. I see a couple of lessons we need to learn from Paul’s bold declaration.

1. When life gets tough, we need realism (22-23). Listen again to Paul, specifically to his realism about the danger, "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me."

Paul wasn’t fanatical. He knew what he was getting into—and his realism wasn’t unfounded, for he would soon be nearly torn limb from limb by an angry mob in Jerusalem. But he faced the danger willingly and openly.

So must we. The Lord never said it would be easy. It wasn’t for Him. It won’t be for us. And when life gets tough, we need realism. That’s not all.

2. When life gets tough, we need resolve (24). This kind of resolve, "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace."

Paul’s life was all about the gospel, the good news of God’s amazing grace. That gospel changed his life. Though once a persecutor and killer of Christians, he was shown mercy. The sovereign God reached down, stopped him in his tracks, and saved him by grace through faith in the One he once hated. No wonder he had such resolve, "I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may complete this task, the task of proclaiming the gospel until my dying breath."

Years ago, James Calvert headed to the Fiji Islands as a pioneer missionary to the cannibals living there. On the way the captain of the ship tried to talk him out of it, finally crying out in desperation, "You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages." Calvert calmly replied, "We died before we came."

That’s how to live without regrets, my friend. Live with a passion for the will of God. And live with a passion for the Word of God.

Though anonymous, the following poem says it well:

There’s one more resolve that Paul revealed in his farewell address to the Ephesian elders. We’ll see it next time. But for now, let’s ask ourselves this question. As we take inventory, there is no more important question than this…

To avoid regrets the answer must be yes. May God help us to see our lives as He sees them today.

Acts  Sermon Series