This past Sunday I (Jacob) preached from Acts 20:17–38. You can find the sermon here: “How Then Will You Live?” There in Acts 20:17–38 Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders for what he suspects is the last time in order to exhort them in their pastoral duties. To accomplish this, he holds out his ministry as a model,
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia…” (Acts 20:18).
The implicit message to the Ephesian elders is, “You know how I lived. How then will you live?” Well how did Paul live? In short, he did not shrink back from testifying to the gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:20–21, 24, 26–27). That’s his implicit call to action here. Don’t shrink back from testifying to the gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Well, how exactly did Paul not shrink back? What was the manner of this action? If we can identify the manner by which he did not shrink back, then we can identify some helpful applications for ourselves. And yes, you should apply this to yourself even though you are not Paul and even though you may not be an elder. Paul isn’t exhorting the Ephesian elders or us to replicate his apostolic ministry in all its specific, unique, divinely ordained detail. Rather the principle in play here is simply the imitation of Christlike men (1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1),
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
So, Paul’s question to the Ephesians is the same question we must ask ourselves: How, then, will we live? Will we shrink back? And if we won’t, what will a life that does not shrink back look like? To answer that, look at Paul.
Paul did not shrink back from testifying to the gospel in two ways: (1) with his voice and (2) with his life. First he points to how he testified to the gospel with his life,
“You yourselves know how I lived (by) serving the Lord…(Acts 20:18–19).
Second, Paul describes how he testified to the gospel by pointing to how he used his voice,
“You yourselves know how I lived…how I did not shrink from declaring…(Acts 20:18, 20).
And Paul goes on to describes both his use of his life, and his use of his voice, which will consider. Let’s consider first Paul’s voice and apply what we discover to ourselves. Then we will do the same with Paul’s life.
Paul’s Voice and Your Voice
- Declare and teach the gospel (Acts 20:20–21, 26–27). In vv. 20–21 Paul says that he declared, that is, he told, he proclaimed, he announced the gospel, and he taught the gospel. Christians declare the gospel to one another. This is just what we do. The gospel is our native tongue. Christian, disciple out in the world or in the home or in the proper contexts given your role, declare the gospel and teach it. Fathers and mothers, you must declare and teach the gospel to your children (the highest privilege). Christian man or woman, declare the gospel to your unbelieving friends and neighbors or if God calls you to it, out in the mission field. Men, declare and teach the gospel to your brothers in the church and the younger men, or the church body if the church calls you to it. Women in the church, declare and teach the gospel to the younger women (Titus 2). Christians testify to the gospel with their voices by declaring and teaching it.
- Testify with your voice in public (Acts 20:20). Paul says he testified to the gospel in public (Acts 20:20). Oh boy, now we’re nervous. The fear of man can hit a little different in public than in the context of the church or your church family. But Peter himself addresses this very reality to the saints,”Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:14–15).You must be ready, Christian. You must anticipate and prepare yourself for testifying to the gospel in public with your voice. Such public declaration and defense of the gospel builds up the church (Acts 18:27–28). Christians testify to the gospel with their voices in public.
- Testify with your voice in private (Acts 20:20). Paul also says in v. 20 that he went house to house testifying of the gospel. You must also testify to the gospel with your voice in your personal and most intimate relationships. Church member to church member. Believer to believer. Friend to friend. Believer to unbeliever. Husband to wife. Wife to husband. Sibling to sibling. We must practice testifying of the gospel to one another to grow in our gospel fluency. That is, you will find the more you talk about it and ponder it together, the more your affections for the gospel and Jesus increase, and, as a result, the more fluent you are in talking about it. Fan the flame of gospel fluency by speaking of Christ to one another. Christians testify to the gospel with their voices in private.
- Testify with your voice by warning other believers (Acts: 20:28–31). In Acts 20:28–31, Paul warns the Ephesian elders twice! In verse 28 he says “Pay careful attention!” and in verse 31 he says, “Be Alert!” or “Stay Awake!” And, he tells them to recall that he admonished, that is, he warned or instructively rebuked, every one of them. The rest of the address will make clear that Paul is concerned for their life and doctrine—their personal holiness and their accurate knowledge of the faith. Christians, we should do the same. Christians warn one another regarding our personal holiness and orthodox doctrine. We must give one another license to do this! Christians testify to the gospel with their voices by warning other believers.
- Testify to the gospel by pointing to promises (Acts 20:32). In Acts 20:32 Paul commends the Ephesian elders to God. That is, he commits them to, he sets them before, he entrusts them to God. And then with his voice, he articulates the promise of the gospel that makes this trust possible: “God and…the word of grace…is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).Christian, you may testify to the gospel with your voice by warning and admonishing but you also must always testify to the gospel by pointing to the promises. God has made you holy—sanctified (Acts 20:32). God and the gospel will build you up into his holy temple, perfectly conformed to the image of the Son (Acts 20:32; Ephesians 2:21; Romans 8:29). And, God by the gospel will give you the inheritance, eternal life and joy with God and your King Jesus together with all the saints (Ephesians 1:18; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:4). That promise is what makes the warning mentioned above so potent. Christians testify to the gospel with their voices by pointing to the promises.
Next, consider how Paul testified to the gospel with his life and how it applies to you.
Paul’s Life and Your Life
- Testify to the gospel with your life by living as a slave of Jesus (Acts 20:19). Paul began by saying “You know how I lived among you…serving the Lord” (Acts 20:18–19). Paul says he lived as a slave to the Lord (Τhe original Greek is stronger than the ESV render “servant” gets at. δουλεύω: be a slave; δουλος: slave). You will always shrink back from testifying to the gospel with your life (and your voice) if you do not see yourself as a slave to Jesus. The image is meant to be striking. Think of the slave. The master says go here, he goes there. The master says do this task, the slave does it. The master says give this message, the slave gives it. The slave does whatever the master says. Now, what you have to do to ensure the you have the correct image in mind is not import the image of an abusive, unjust, evil master into the illustration. What’s the imagery? Paul says, “being a slave to the Lord.” Put Jesus into the picture. We obey because Jesus is our master and we are his slave. Christian, you must add this mentality into all the images Scripture gives us regarding our relationship with God—God is our Father and we are his adopted children. God is our shepherd, we are his sheep. Jesus is our heroic deliverer, savior, and champion, we are his ransomed and rescued people. Jesus is our King and we are the people of his kingdom. Jesus is our brother. Jesus calls us his friends. Jesus is our husband, and we are his bride…Jesus is our master and we are his slave. And our master says cease this sin, so you cease. He says honor, respect, submit to your husband, so you do so. He says love your wife as I, Christ, loved the church, giving myself up for her. So you do. He says speak here, so you speak. He says be silent here, so you hold your tongue. He says lift your hands in praise, so you lift them. He says kneel before me in repentance so you kneel and repent. He says love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so you love and pray. Trust and obey him because of who he is, and you heart will follow. Testify to the gospel by living as a slave of Jesus.
- Testify to the gospel with your life by living a life marked by humility (Acts 20:19). Paul says in Acts 20:19 that he served the Lord with all humility. Christian, you don’t testify to the gospel by seeking to gain glory from men. You testify to the gospel by humbling yourself before the Lord to obey him and by humbling yourself before your fellow man to point them to the truth in love. This is reflective of Jesus. Paul writes to the Ephesians, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility…” (Ephesians 4:2). God hates pride, but he gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 16:5; Luke 16:15; James 4:6). Testify to the gospel by living a life marked by humility.
- Testify to the gospel with your life amidst tears and trials (Acts 20:19). Paul says twice, once in Acts 20:19 and again in Acts 20:31, that his ministry among the Ephesians was marked with tears. Living a life that testifies to the gospel will include tears. Christian, you will testify to the gospel to those you love and (1) they may continue to not get it, (2) they may completely reject it, (3) they may walk away from it, or, (4) by God’s grace, they may finally come ’round. Expect to expend many tears no matter what. And know that your tears themselves testify to the gospel. They will be tears that are a sign of judgment on those who reject the gospel and tears that are a sign leading to the salvation of others who accept it. Furthermore, these tears will often be tied to trials. Paul says also in Acts 20:19 that he testified to the gospel with trials. Christian, you testify to the gospel when you walk through trials. The fiery trial is, as Peter says, the crucible that reveals the faith of pure gold that God has placed in you which leads to glory (1 Peter 1:6–7). And, the watching world will see your life in the midst of trials. They will see both your own weakness and yet wonder at the strength the Lord supplies. They will see a life testifying to the worth of the gospel as you cling to Christ and nothing else. And when you suffer through trials for the sake of the gospel itself, you will be a picture of Christ’s suffering for the gospel. Testify to the gospel with your life amidst tears and trials.
- Testify to the gospel with your life by following the Spirit’s lead (Acts 20:22–23). Paul notes in Acts 20:22–23 that he is constrained by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, who testifies to him that wherever he goes there are afflictions and imprisonment awaiting him. What is astonishing here is not that the Spirit reveals this inevitable affliction to Paul. What is astonishing is that Paul still goes when the Spirit says go, in spite of it. Paul testifies to the gospel by his obedience to the Spirit. And so you. Christian, you testify to the gospel when you follow the Spirit’s lead. Now we read this and automatically our minds ask: “Where’s the Holy Spirit leading me?” in the most broad sense. Okay, but let’s make it simple. The Holy Spirit, Jesus tells us in John, comes (1) to lead you into all truth and thus sanctify you (John 16:13; 17:19), (2) to bear witness about Jesus (John 15:26), (3) to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). This is where the Holy Spirit is leading you, into the truth of Jesus unto your personal holiness. Start there. The Holy Spirit is leading you to Jesus and holiness. The rest are the details that he will work out. Testify to the gospel with your life by following the Spirit’s lead.
- Testify to the gospel with your life by not taking but by giving (Acts 20:33–35). Look at Paul’s words in Acts 20:33–35. How did Paul live among them? Like this—”I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 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’ ” (Acts 20:33–35). Paul did not live among the Ephesians like their hometown silversmiths and priests of Artemus who profited off their worship. Paul lived by Jesus’ economic philosophy in order to testify to the gospel by his hard work and caring for the weak. In so doing, he was a living illustration to the Ephesians of hard gospel work that aims not to take but to give to the weak who cannot provide for themselves. And that’s what the gospel is. Jesus did the hard work of the gospel in order to give to you, the weak, who could do nothing to save yourself. This is the way of the gospel life. Christian, do not live a life of consumption and taking and hoarding. Show Christ by working hard in order to give. Testify to the gospel with your life by not taking but by giving.
Christian, imitate Paul. Do not shrink back from testifying to the gospel with your voice and your life. In doing so, you won’t just imitate Paul, but you will imitate the one who never shrunk from testifying to the gospel with his voice and his life, our King, Jesus. And because he did not shrink back, you live now and will live for eternity. Therefore, in that knowledge, testify to the gospel now with your voice and your life. Imitate Paul as he imitated Christ. Don’t shrink back.
