WEBVTT 00:00:00.990 --> 00:00:04.929 the very first day. Remember that? Remember how 00:00:04.929 --> 00:00:08.150 you dried the tear in your eye with the first 00:00:08.150 --> 00:00:10.109 one? And when the last one went out, you said 00:00:10.109 --> 00:00:12.890 with Martin Luther King, Jr., free at last, free 00:00:12.890 --> 00:00:19.350 at last. New chapters. We all turn them over 00:00:19.350 --> 00:00:23.170 all the time. In the book of Acts, we come to 00:00:23.170 --> 00:00:27.910 such an occasion in this 20th chapter. Luke, 00:00:28.170 --> 00:00:31.859 the historian and physician, does a great service 00:00:31.859 --> 00:00:35.039 for the church as he writes by the inspiration 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:38.399 of the Holy Spirit and records a number of Paul's 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:41.299 spoken messages. He does this with some detail. 00:00:41.380 --> 00:00:44.740 For example, in the 13th chapter of Acts, he 00:00:44.740 --> 00:00:49.479 records a message that Paul gave to Jews and 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:54.520 to Gentile God -fearers in a city called Antioch, 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:57.840 located in a province of Pisidia, which is modern 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:01.359 -day Turkey. Because he recorded that message, 00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:04.819 we have a good idea of how Paul approached his 00:01:04.819 --> 00:01:07.579 Jewish listeners when he presented the gospel 00:01:07.579 --> 00:01:14.120 to them. Then again in chapter 17 of Acts, Luke 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:17.219 rather records for us Paul's message on Mars 00:01:17.219 --> 00:01:21.640 Hill on the Areopagus, this place where the intellectuals 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:24.120 of that day gathered in Athens near the Acropolis 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:27.739 in order to hear new ideas and debate philosophical 00:01:27.739 --> 00:01:32.519 concepts. And in that chapter, we have a presentation 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:36.060 of Paul's message. And we understand from that 00:01:36.060 --> 00:01:38.459 how he approached those who were pagan in their 00:01:38.459 --> 00:01:41.680 background and had very little idea of what the 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:47.040 Old Testament taught about God. In chapters 22, 00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:50.359 24, and 25 of Acts, we have Luke's record of 00:01:50.359 --> 00:01:53.980 Paul's defense of himself before various authorities. 00:01:54.819 --> 00:01:57.319 He shared his testimony, what God had done in 00:01:57.319 --> 00:02:01.129 his life. But here in the 20th chapter of Acts, 00:02:01.349 --> 00:02:05.069 we have Luke's record of Paul's farewell comments 00:02:05.069 --> 00:02:10.389 to some church leaders. It says in verse 17, 00:02:10.409 --> 00:02:15.009 and from Meletus, he sent to Ephesus and called 00:02:15.009 --> 00:02:18.710 to him the elders of the church. Paul was on 00:02:18.710 --> 00:02:22.370 a journey back to the city of Jerusalem. Things 00:02:22.370 --> 00:02:26.900 were about to change in Paul's life. A new chapter 00:02:26.900 --> 00:02:30.979 was about to open, a chapter of imprisonment 00:02:30.979 --> 00:02:37.060 and confinement and arrest. And as he is heading 00:02:37.060 --> 00:02:40.060 back toward Jerusalem, he is touching base with 00:02:40.060 --> 00:02:42.580 many of the churches that he has founded on previous 00:02:42.580 --> 00:02:46.199 journeys. He did not go to the city of Ephesus, 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:49.939 probably because he would have been mobbed by 00:02:49.939 --> 00:02:53.129 the believers there. But he also may have been 00:02:53.129 --> 00:02:56.229 mobbed by the pagans there who hated Paul and 00:02:56.229 --> 00:02:59.969 by certain Jews who sought to take his life. 00:03:01.150 --> 00:03:03.569 And so he went to the city of Miletus on the 00:03:03.569 --> 00:03:05.849 coast and asked that the elders come there to 00:03:05.849 --> 00:03:11.590 meet him, which they did. He bids them farewell 00:03:11.590 --> 00:03:13.949 in this meeting. And as he does this, he leaves 00:03:13.949 --> 00:03:18.310 an example to us as to how to bid a healthy farewell. 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:24.780 There are good goodbyes and then there are bad 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:31.379 goodbyes. Some time ago I heard about a guard 00:03:31.379 --> 00:03:36.360 at a Nazi camp from World War II who was dying. 00:03:38.939 --> 00:03:41.319 He had become greatly convicted that what he 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:43.680 had done there was wrong and so he sought out 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:46.819 some survivor of the Holocaust who could come 00:03:46.819 --> 00:03:50.680 to his bed and hear his confession. as he died. 00:03:52.099 --> 00:03:55.580 And so someone was found in the city where he 00:03:55.580 --> 00:03:58.639 was who could do that. This person went to his 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:02.780 bedside and the guard poured out his repentance 00:04:02.780 --> 00:04:05.520 over what he had done and confessed to this man 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:09.360 that what he had done was terribly wrong and 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:15.840 asked him to forgive him. And the survivor of 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:19.259 the Holocaust only sat there. and could not bring 00:04:19.259 --> 00:04:22.720 himself to forgive the man and just walked away. 00:04:26.100 --> 00:04:29.019 There are unhealthy farewells, but Paul gives 00:04:29.019 --> 00:04:32.079 us an example of what a healthy farewell is all 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:36.579 about. It is my desire, deep desire, to follow 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:41.620 this model as we say goodbye in this ministry 00:04:41.620 --> 00:04:45.769 at Grace Church. I want to say farewell to you 00:04:45.769 --> 00:04:49.509 in a way that will impart God's grace to you, 00:04:49.889 --> 00:04:54.129 those whom I love. And so as we look at Paul's 00:04:54.129 --> 00:04:56.610 example, I think you will note with me several 00:04:56.610 --> 00:05:00.569 elements that are involved in a healthy goodbye. 00:05:02.529 --> 00:05:05.790 By the way, you can apply a good deal of this 00:05:05.790 --> 00:05:10.949 to the goodbyes of your life. Just think about 00:05:10.949 --> 00:05:12.970 it as we work our way through and follow his 00:05:12.970 --> 00:05:16.709 example of a healthy goodbye. A healthy goodbye 00:05:16.709 --> 00:05:20.829 in the first place includes recounting past experiences 00:05:20.829 --> 00:05:27.129 together. Paul says in verse 18, you yourselves 00:05:27.129 --> 00:05:30.930 know from the first day that I set foot in Asia 00:05:30.930 --> 00:05:34.149 how I was with you the whole time serving the 00:05:34.149 --> 00:05:36.990 Lord with all humility and with tears and with 00:05:36.990 --> 00:05:39.649 trials. which came upon me through the plots 00:05:39.649 --> 00:05:43.649 of the Jews, how I did not shrink from declaring 00:05:43.649 --> 00:05:47.069 to you anything that was profitable in teaching 00:05:47.069 --> 00:05:51.269 you publicly and from house to house, solemnly 00:05:51.269 --> 00:05:55.170 testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance 00:05:55.170 --> 00:06:00.230 toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." 00:06:00.230 --> 00:06:02.009 In saying a healthy goodbye, the first thing 00:06:02.009 --> 00:06:04.889 that Paul does is to recount with them some past 00:06:04.889 --> 00:06:08.800 experiences. When you and I say goodbye, it helps 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.740 us to remember the journey that we have shared 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:16.620 in common. Notice that twice, Paul uses that 00:06:16.620 --> 00:06:20.339 word how, H -O -W. In doing this, he sort of 00:06:20.339 --> 00:06:22.980 divides his thoughts in two directions as he 00:06:22.980 --> 00:06:26.839 recounts past experiences. In the first place, 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:29.939 he talks about how he was with them serving the 00:06:29.939 --> 00:06:33.620 Lord. He is thinking of their times of service 00:06:33.620 --> 00:06:38.420 together. Now, if you read the book of Acts and 00:06:38.420 --> 00:06:40.639 understand what happened in Ephesus, you understand 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:43.279 why a lot of what Paul says recounts suffering. 00:06:44.699 --> 00:06:47.300 Because the time in Ephesus was a very difficult 00:06:47.300 --> 00:06:50.000 time with a lot of affliction, a lot of persecution 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:53.579 of Paul personally and of the believers there. 00:06:54.579 --> 00:06:56.939 But as he looks back, he wants them to remember 00:06:56.939 --> 00:07:00.660 with him those times of service. When they joined 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:04.100 arms, they linked hands in serving the Lord Jesus 00:07:04.100 --> 00:07:08.199 Christ together. And then secondly, he recalls 00:07:08.199 --> 00:07:11.740 how he was declaring and teaching and solemnly 00:07:11.740 --> 00:07:15.240 testifying. Notice the verbs that Paul uses. 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:20.040 In lots of different ways and manners, Paul says, 00:07:20.100 --> 00:07:22.220 I taught you the word of God. And so he wants 00:07:22.220 --> 00:07:25.220 them to remember with him those times when the 00:07:25.220 --> 00:07:27.779 truth of the word of God was laid before them. 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:31.019 And he reminds them then of the very heart of 00:07:31.019 --> 00:07:34.870 the gospel message that he had preached. A message 00:07:34.870 --> 00:07:38.790 that is good for Jew and Gentile, he says, and 00:07:38.790 --> 00:07:42.790 it is this, repentance toward God and faith in 00:07:42.790 --> 00:07:47.290 our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is there giving us 00:07:47.290 --> 00:07:52.069 the very essence of the gospel itself. It involves 00:07:52.069 --> 00:07:55.069 a repentance toward God, a change of mind and 00:07:55.069 --> 00:07:58.889 heart toward God. So that instead of rebelling, 00:07:58.970 --> 00:08:02.689 against God or running away from God, one changes 00:08:02.689 --> 00:08:06.790 direction, one changes his mind about God. And 00:08:06.790 --> 00:08:10.110 then understanding what God has done for him, 00:08:11.069 --> 00:08:13.810 he then believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and 00:08:13.810 --> 00:08:16.350 trusts that Christ's death on the cross was sufficient 00:08:16.350 --> 00:08:19.889 for his sins. And he believes that Christ rose 00:08:19.889 --> 00:08:22.730 literally from the dead. And in doing that, the 00:08:22.730 --> 00:08:25.670 person becomes a child of God. That is the heart 00:08:25.670 --> 00:08:28.569 of Paul's message. And as Luke writes briefly, 00:08:28.790 --> 00:08:31.610 what Paul is saying on this occasion, Paul points 00:08:31.610 --> 00:08:34.309 us all in the direction of the message he had 00:08:34.309 --> 00:08:38.129 preached. A healthy goodbye involves recounting 00:08:38.129 --> 00:08:41.769 past experiences together, times of service and 00:08:41.769 --> 00:08:46.970 times of teaching. As I look back over the 18 00:08:46.970 --> 00:08:51.429 years that I have been with you, one of the Sundays 00:08:51.429 --> 00:08:54.129 that stands out to me is our very first Sunday 00:08:54.129 --> 00:08:57.909 together. I wonder if those of you who were here 00:08:57.909 --> 00:09:01.629 on the first Sunday, March 1 of 1981, would just 00:09:01.629 --> 00:09:03.909 stand a moment. If you're able to do that, would 00:09:03.909 --> 00:09:07.309 you stand? It's a long time ago, and I have the 00:09:07.309 --> 00:09:10.309 same feelings you do. All right, look at this. 00:09:10.350 --> 00:09:12.169 We have a number who are in this service. Thank 00:09:12.169 --> 00:09:14.970 you for doing that. I remember that first Sunday 00:09:14.970 --> 00:09:18.490 together with you was about 100 of us gathered 00:09:18.490 --> 00:09:22.730 to worship the Lord in that auditorium. And I 00:09:22.730 --> 00:09:25.049 remember how God then began to bless and over 00:09:25.049 --> 00:09:30.990 the coming months how quickly we grew. I remember 00:09:30.990 --> 00:09:34.389 being on vacation. I think it was 1981, wasn't 00:09:34.389 --> 00:09:39.809 it? When we were in Kentucky on vacation driving 00:09:39.809 --> 00:09:42.769 to church and we were listening to the CBS News 00:09:42.769 --> 00:09:46.669 and they said that a tornado had just struck 00:09:46.669 --> 00:09:50.389 Roseville, Minnesota. I said, come on, you've 00:09:50.389 --> 00:09:54.970 got to be kidding me. And sure enough, they confirmed 00:09:54.970 --> 00:09:56.370 that that's what had happened, that there was 00:09:56.370 --> 00:09:59.389 some damage, no deaths. Later that night, I called 00:09:59.389 --> 00:10:01.370 back to find out what had happened, and the tornado 00:10:01.370 --> 00:10:03.970 came right across through here, took out our 00:10:03.970 --> 00:10:05.970 trees over here, opened it up beautifully for 00:10:05.970 --> 00:10:08.230 parking. Remember that when we parked on the 00:10:08.230 --> 00:10:12.649 lawn over there? Until the asphalt was put in? 00:10:14.590 --> 00:10:18.889 I remember when in 1983 we relocated to the Northwestern 00:10:18.889 --> 00:10:22.100 College campus for a whole year. How many of 00:10:22.100 --> 00:10:23.860 you were part of that? Would you lift your hand? 00:10:24.139 --> 00:10:27.820 Do you remember back when we did that? It was 00:10:27.820 --> 00:10:29.720 a big challenge. Every Sunday we had to set up 00:10:29.720 --> 00:10:31.980 for church and we used almost all the classrooms 00:10:31.980 --> 00:10:34.120 at that time as well as Maranatha Hall for a 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:37.139 whole year to worship while they deconstructed 00:10:37.139 --> 00:10:40.100 and constructed on this site the building that 00:10:40.100 --> 00:10:44.179 we're in now. And I remember canvassing neighborhoods 00:10:44.179 --> 00:10:46.720 together when many of us would go out into the 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:49.240 northern St. Paul area, south of here as well 00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:53.639 as in Roseville. We canvassed the area. And another 00:10:53.639 --> 00:10:59.200 occasion when we gave out the Jesus videos. I 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:01.120 recall the series that we did on Romans back 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:03.840 in the mid -1980s. Some of you may recall that. 00:11:04.340 --> 00:11:06.340 As together we struggled with the truth of that 00:11:06.340 --> 00:11:08.340 tremendous epistle. And for about two years, 00:11:08.340 --> 00:11:10.799 as I recall, we just went through it chapter 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:13.320 by chapter and paragraph by paragraph, seeking 00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:17.009 to apply its great truths to our lives. And more 00:11:17.009 --> 00:11:19.470 recently, the series that we studied together 00:11:19.470 --> 00:11:22.509 on spiritual warfare and how God taught us how 00:11:22.509 --> 00:11:25.429 we're to fight the battle that we're in against 00:11:25.429 --> 00:11:29.470 our spiritual enemies. And all the time emphasizing 00:11:29.470 --> 00:11:32.470 the same message that Paul talks about here, 00:11:32.490 --> 00:11:35.009 the grace of God. I'm glad we began this morning 00:11:35.009 --> 00:11:40.309 by singing, Amazing Grace. We call ourselves 00:11:40.309 --> 00:11:42.830 Grace Church, Roseville. And that name was chosen. 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:45.940 when we began with a particular reason, and that 00:11:45.940 --> 00:11:48.820 reason is that that's the message that we preach 00:11:48.820 --> 00:11:52.019 here, the message of the grace of God. And that's 00:11:52.019 --> 00:11:54.519 the spirit and the attitude that we have sought 00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:57.240 to inculcate in our congregation, in our hearts 00:11:57.240 --> 00:12:00.279 from the very beginning, the spirit and the attitude 00:12:00.279 --> 00:12:04.279 of grace, of God's grace in us and for us and 00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:07.860 grace toward one another. We've had some special 00:12:07.860 --> 00:12:11.860 times together. times of celebration and joy. 00:12:12.019 --> 00:12:15.740 I'll never forget this summer when we celebrated 00:12:15.740 --> 00:12:19.700 the elimination of our long -term mortgage and 00:12:19.700 --> 00:12:23.019 times of sorrow as well when we have laid to 00:12:23.019 --> 00:12:26.440 rest people that we've loved, who've been a part 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:30.700 of our congregation. Here's what I hope that 00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:35.519 you'll remember after I'm gone. And that is that 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:39.799 I have sincerely loved you. and have taught you 00:12:39.799 --> 00:12:42.039 the Word of God as best God has given me the 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:45.860 ability to do that. I have sought to bring to 00:12:45.860 --> 00:12:49.720 you the person of the Lord Jesus Christ that 00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:52.860 you might fall more deeply in love with Him and 00:12:52.860 --> 00:12:57.799 grow in your intimacy with Him. As I look back 00:12:57.799 --> 00:13:00.299 upon our shared experiences together, I say as 00:13:00.299 --> 00:13:03.779 Paul did to the Philippians, I thank my God upon 00:13:03.779 --> 00:13:09.860 every remembrance of you. Well, a healthy goodbye 00:13:09.860 --> 00:13:12.940 also includes relating personal convictions, 00:13:13.139 --> 00:13:15.720 as Paul does in the next verses, verses 22 to 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:20.659 24. He says, and now, he's not going to dwell 00:13:20.659 --> 00:13:23.159 in the past anymore. He says, and now, behold, 00:13:24.220 --> 00:13:27.179 bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, 00:13:27.940 --> 00:13:30.480 not knowing what will happen to me there, except 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:34.340 that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me 00:13:34.340 --> 00:13:38.320 in every city. saying that bonds and afflictions 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:41.179 await me, but I do not consider my life of any 00:13:41.179 --> 00:13:45.539 account as dear to myself, in order that I may 00:13:45.539 --> 00:13:48.940 finish my course and the ministry which I receive 00:13:48.940 --> 00:13:53.179 from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the 00:13:53.179 --> 00:13:57.700 gospel of the grace of God." And so a healthy 00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:00.419 goodbye includes this idea of relating personal 00:14:00.419 --> 00:14:03.500 convictions as Paul does here. He shares his 00:14:03.500 --> 00:14:07.139 heart with them. In doing so he talks about his 00:14:07.139 --> 00:14:11.740 own personal future. The Lord had spoken apparently 00:14:11.740 --> 00:14:13.940 through prophets in the church to tell Paul what 00:14:13.940 --> 00:14:18.600 was ahead. And Paul is confident that God is 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:20.659 going to carry out his plan and that's all that 00:14:20.659 --> 00:14:23.379 Paul is really concerned about because he mentions 00:14:23.379 --> 00:14:25.980 not only his future but his values to them and 00:14:25.980 --> 00:14:29.120 he makes it very clear that one of his highest 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.799 values is to fulfill God's course for him. When 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:35.340 he speaks about that, he uses athletic imagery. 00:14:35.500 --> 00:14:37.799 He says, I want to finish my course. I want to 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:42.940 finish the race that God has given me. Fulfilling 00:14:42.940 --> 00:14:46.460 God's personal assignment was right at the top 00:14:46.460 --> 00:14:51.240 of the list for Paul in his life. I want you 00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:54.220 to know that I feel the same way as I leave you. 00:14:55.340 --> 00:14:58.220 That I am leaving, as Paul says here, bound in 00:14:58.220 --> 00:15:02.899 spirit. Jeanette and I are both absolutely convinced 00:15:02.899 --> 00:15:07.100 that this is the will of God for our lives. He 00:15:07.100 --> 00:15:11.000 has given us great peace about that. And he has 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.580 given us absolute peace about the fact that he 00:15:13.580 --> 00:15:16.799 is going to lead you as a church onto greater 00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:20.379 things in the future. We feel bound in the spirit 00:15:20.379 --> 00:15:23.240 by that, not bound in a bad way, but just convicted, 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:26.360 deeply convicted in the spirit that all of this 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:31.220 is working out the plan of God. And I join with 00:15:31.220 --> 00:15:34.480 all of you, I hope, in saying that the will of 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:39.059 God, God's race for me, is right there at the 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:42.840 top of the list. I don't want to run off the 00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:45.500 course somewhere along the way or get disqualified 00:15:45.500 --> 00:15:49.340 stepping out of bounds. I want to stay in the 00:15:49.340 --> 00:15:52.799 course that God has marked out for my life. I 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:55.120 have to believe that all of you share the same 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:58.580 deep desire. Those are deep personal convictions 00:15:58.580 --> 00:16:02.200 to us. And that as we run this course, God is 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:06.299 going to proclaim through our lives in those 00:16:06.299 --> 00:16:09.379 circles of influence that He gives us. He is 00:16:09.379 --> 00:16:12.139 going to solemnly testify of the gospel of the 00:16:12.139 --> 00:16:15.399 grace of God to others. What a wonderful thing 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.679 that when God directs our paths in new directions, 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:22.580 we have the privilege of sharing the gospel with 00:16:22.580 --> 00:16:25.840 new people, of having new spheres of influence 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:29.000 where we can go and represent Jesus well. That 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:31.860 is a great privilege as well as responsibility. 00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:37.179 A healthy goodbye relates personal convictions. 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:40.120 When you say goodbye to your son or your daughter, 00:16:40.179 --> 00:16:44.220 they're heading off to college, tell them what 00:16:44.220 --> 00:16:48.940 your convictions are. Let them know what your 00:16:48.940 --> 00:16:53.080 dreams and your hopes for them are. Let them 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:56.700 know what's important to you. That makes for 00:16:56.700 --> 00:16:59.720 a healthy goodbye. And it will cement something 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:02.860 into them that all the pressures of college will 00:17:02.860 --> 00:17:07.680 not be able to erase. In saying a healthy goodbye, 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:10.759 Paul also includes recognizing present realities. 00:17:12.059 --> 00:17:15.059 And we need to do that as well. Some people say 00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:19.000 goodbye almost in a fantasy world, pretending 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:21.279 as though things are not what they really are. 00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:24.079 You see this most often when people are saying 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:28.970 goodbye to someone who is near death. It's an 00:17:28.970 --> 00:17:32.049 unwillingness to face the reality with them of 00:17:32.049 --> 00:17:34.329 the finality of this. It's well, I'll see you 00:17:34.329 --> 00:17:41.750 later or it is You're going to get well We need 00:17:41.750 --> 00:17:46.289 to face realities when we say goodbye Paul says 00:17:46.289 --> 00:17:49.369 in verse 25 behold I know that all of you among 00:17:49.369 --> 00:17:52.250 whom I went about preaching the kingdom Will 00:17:52.250 --> 00:17:56.789 see my face no more Therefore I testify to you 00:17:56.789 --> 00:17:59.519 this day that I am innocent of the blood of all 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:02.460 men, for I did not shrink from declaring to you 00:18:02.460 --> 00:18:07.579 the whole purpose of God." Paul tells them that 00:18:07.579 --> 00:18:10.819 separation is imminent, and he expects that that 00:18:10.819 --> 00:18:15.400 separation will be final. Now, it does indicate 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:17.900 in the rest of the New Testament that may not 00:18:17.900 --> 00:18:21.059 have been the case. That Paul, in fact, did see 00:18:21.059 --> 00:18:23.279 them again. But as far as Paul knew at this point, 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:26.779 the reality was, this is it. I'm not going to 00:18:26.779 --> 00:18:31.579 be back with you again in this world." And so 00:18:31.579 --> 00:18:33.720 he recounts for them the fact that he felt that 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:37.420 his responsibility for them was now finished. 00:18:37.460 --> 00:18:39.599 He says, I am free from the blood of all men. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:44.220 I have not shrunk from declaring to you the whole 00:18:44.220 --> 00:18:47.660 will and the purpose of God. I've done what I'm 00:18:47.660 --> 00:18:51.539 supposed to do. Now, I'm not going to stand here 00:18:51.539 --> 00:18:54.529 today and say, you will never see me again. because 00:18:54.529 --> 00:18:57.869 I don't feel that way. I hope that's not the 00:18:57.869 --> 00:19:02.630 case. But you won't see me in this role again 00:19:02.630 --> 00:19:07.190 after we say goodbye. And it will be a while 00:19:07.190 --> 00:19:10.809 before you see me because it is my conviction 00:19:10.809 --> 00:19:15.970 that a former pastor needs to stay former long 00:19:15.970 --> 00:19:18.329 enough for his successor to get established. 00:19:20.970 --> 00:19:23.210 When he comes back, he needs to come back at 00:19:23.210 --> 00:19:26.990 the express invitation of the new pastor so that 00:19:26.990 --> 00:19:31.269 there's no undermining of the position and the 00:19:31.269 --> 00:19:35.309 loyalty to that new pastor. So it may be a while 00:19:35.309 --> 00:19:38.410 before I see you once we say goodbye, unless 00:19:38.410 --> 00:19:40.250 of course we run into each other on the street 00:19:40.250 --> 00:19:43.710 or you come to visit us in San Jose, but I won't 00:19:43.710 --> 00:19:48.271 be back in this role. And I leave you with... 00:19:48.860 --> 00:19:51.839 Some sense of satisfaction that I believe that 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:55.220 I've done what God wanted me to do. I say some 00:19:55.220 --> 00:19:57.339 sense of satisfaction because it's not complete. 00:19:57.900 --> 00:20:00.039 There are things I wish I had done better or 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:04.059 differently along the way. But nonetheless, I 00:20:04.059 --> 00:20:06.660 leave believing that I have done what God wanted 00:20:06.660 --> 00:20:10.180 me to do here. And in the same sense as Paul, 00:20:10.660 --> 00:20:15.359 I feel relieved of that responsibility. Those 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:17.599 are the present realities, and we need to recognize 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:20.779 them and talk about them. That's part of a healthy 00:20:20.779 --> 00:20:27.920 goodbye. In verses 28 to 31, we see that a healthy 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:30.759 goodbye involves realizing potential challenges. 00:20:32.339 --> 00:20:36.599 Transitions, as you may know, often bring vulnerability 00:20:36.599 --> 00:20:40.650 to problems. When a young man or young woman 00:20:40.650 --> 00:20:43.430 transitions out of their home to a new place 00:20:43.430 --> 00:20:47.250 to live or new job or to college, it makes that 00:20:47.250 --> 00:20:49.529 young person vulnerable to certain challenges 00:20:49.529 --> 00:20:53.349 and temptations until they get their own home 00:20:53.349 --> 00:20:55.490 established or they get their feet planted or 00:20:55.490 --> 00:21:00.390 they buy their own convictions. In most transitions, 00:21:00.450 --> 00:21:03.349 there's a certain vulnerability that takes place 00:21:03.349 --> 00:21:07.029 in the process of them. And Paul expects that. 00:21:07.089 --> 00:21:10.880 He says in verse 28, Be on guard for yourselves 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:14.500 and for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit 00:21:14.500 --> 00:21:18.059 has made you overseers. To shepherd the Church 00:21:18.059 --> 00:21:20.519 of God which He purchased with His own blood. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:25.220 I know that after my departure, savage wolves 00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:28.440 will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:33.019 And from among your own selves. He's talking 00:21:33.019 --> 00:21:36.029 to the elders now. From among your own selves 00:21:36.029 --> 00:21:39.690 men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw 00:21:39.690 --> 00:21:42.430 away the disciples after them. Therefore, be 00:21:42.430 --> 00:21:45.609 on the alert, remembering that night and day, 00:21:45.630 --> 00:21:48.670 for a period of three years, I did not cease 00:21:48.670 --> 00:21:53.769 to admonish each one with tears." Paul expected 00:21:53.769 --> 00:21:57.650 spiritual attack upon the church in Ephesus. 00:21:57.829 --> 00:22:01.049 From without, he expected savage wolves who would 00:22:01.049 --> 00:22:05.720 come in and attack the flock. And he says, even 00:22:05.720 --> 00:22:08.980 from among the leadership, I'm concerned that 00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:11.140 there will be those who will arise to draw away 00:22:11.140 --> 00:22:15.859 disciples after themselves. You see, transitions 00:22:15.859 --> 00:22:21.059 do not occur in a vacuum. Transitions, like all 00:22:21.059 --> 00:22:23.460 of life, occur when there are spiritual pressures 00:22:23.460 --> 00:22:26.799 to bear. And the enemy is always looking for 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:30.019 a weak point. He's looking for an opportunity 00:22:30.019 --> 00:22:33.180 for a beachhead by which to attack the work of 00:22:33.180 --> 00:22:37.230 God. Now Paul is addressing leaders in particular. 00:22:38.670 --> 00:22:40.990 And it is leaders in particular who must guard 00:22:40.990 --> 00:22:44.690 the church against these kinds of attack. And 00:22:44.690 --> 00:22:48.809 so to be on guard for themselves and then for 00:22:48.809 --> 00:22:53.349 all of the flock. But the truth also is that 00:22:53.349 --> 00:22:56.210 every one of us bears some responsibility for 00:22:56.210 --> 00:23:00.569 the welfare and the unity of the church. Let 00:23:00.569 --> 00:23:03.670 me tell you what I'm concerned about. After 30 00:23:03.670 --> 00:23:06.650 years of working in churches, I know a little 00:23:06.650 --> 00:23:10.430 bit about the dynamics of people. When there 00:23:10.430 --> 00:23:14.130 is a perceived vacuum in authority in a church, 00:23:15.890 --> 00:23:18.450 it is not unusual to find some who will want 00:23:18.450 --> 00:23:21.150 to manipulate that for their own personal agendas. 00:23:22.069 --> 00:23:24.769 If you've had much experience in churches, you 00:23:24.769 --> 00:23:28.950 know that to be true. there are often people 00:23:28.950 --> 00:23:31.990 who are kind of lurking back waiting for that 00:23:31.990 --> 00:23:34.849 vacuum and then who step forward in order to 00:23:34.849 --> 00:23:38.309 draw away disciples after themselves or to press 00:23:38.309 --> 00:23:43.990 their own issues. They have hobby horses that 00:23:43.990 --> 00:23:47.109 they want to ride and they want others to get 00:23:47.109 --> 00:23:50.930 on the horse with them. And so I want to urge 00:23:50.930 --> 00:23:54.329 you to Be on guard during this transition period. 00:23:54.410 --> 00:23:56.789 Understand that it is a vulnerable time in a 00:23:56.789 --> 00:24:00.589 sense for Grace Church Roosevelt. And beware 00:24:00.589 --> 00:24:03.670 of those who would seek to take advantage of 00:24:03.670 --> 00:24:07.210 this time by bringing in doctrinal aberrations. 00:24:08.089 --> 00:24:11.569 Or who would use it with gossip against leaders 00:24:11.569 --> 00:24:14.589 trying to undermine or to draw away people to 00:24:14.589 --> 00:24:17.529 follow them. Or those who would sow seeds of 00:24:17.529 --> 00:24:22.500 unrest or of distrust. Now, I have no particular 00:24:22.500 --> 00:24:24.799 group or person in mind in saying that. I'm only 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:28.299 saying it in principle. But I'm saying it also 00:24:28.299 --> 00:24:31.940 aware of the reality of human nature. And so 00:24:31.940 --> 00:24:34.599 it's very important in this final goodbye for 00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:37.440 you and me to realize the potential challenges 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:41.700 that exist at a time like this. And that we simply 00:24:41.700 --> 00:24:45.480 ask God to make each one of us a sentinel, to 00:24:45.480 --> 00:24:50.619 guard the unity of the Spirit. in the bond of 00:24:50.619 --> 00:24:55.180 peace. To be on the front lines and the moment 00:24:55.180 --> 00:24:57.619 we pick up that there's somebody who's creating 00:24:57.619 --> 00:25:00.380 disturbance, that we go to that person and say, 00:25:00.859 --> 00:25:04.859 look, this is not the time for it. Or go to someone 00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:06.660 who's in charge and say, you need to be aware 00:25:06.660 --> 00:25:09.240 that this is happening. So that we nip in the 00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:11.279 bud those kinds of things that the devil can 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:15.539 use to bring division and hurt to the body of 00:25:15.539 --> 00:25:20.859 Christ in this time of vulnerability. A healthy 00:25:20.859 --> 00:25:23.420 goodbye talks about those kinds of things honestly 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:27.299 and upfront. It recognizes the reality of them. 00:25:29.220 --> 00:25:32.759 And then in verse 32, the apostle Paul gives 00:25:32.759 --> 00:25:35.220 us this model that a healthy goodbye involves 00:25:35.220 --> 00:25:41.619 releasing others to providential care. Paul has 00:25:41.619 --> 00:25:45.240 already told us how precious the church is to 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:50.900 Christ. He shed His blood for the church. He 00:25:50.900 --> 00:25:56.779 purchased us with His own blood, verse 28. The 00:25:56.779 --> 00:25:59.900 church is so precious to Jesus that He will never 00:25:59.900 --> 00:26:05.700 forsake it, ever. Never will He leave it. And 00:26:05.700 --> 00:26:09.779 so in verse 32, the apostle entrusts the church 00:26:09.779 --> 00:26:14.180 to God with these words. He says, and now I commend 00:26:14.180 --> 00:26:18.619 you to God. and to the word of His grace, which 00:26:18.619 --> 00:26:22.019 is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance 00:26:22.019 --> 00:26:27.119 among all those who are sanctified." The word 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:32.200 commend literally means to place alongside something. 00:26:33.420 --> 00:26:37.460 Or it means to deposit, like you would deposit 00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:41.920 money in an account. Paul is saying here, and 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:47.119 now I deposit you with God. What is he doing? 00:26:47.859 --> 00:26:51.579 He is acknowledging his release of them to the 00:26:51.579 --> 00:26:57.200 Lord. He entrusts them to God and to God's Word, 00:26:58.259 --> 00:27:02.680 which he says is able to build you up, which 00:27:02.680 --> 00:27:05.799 is able to give you the inheritance that belongs 00:27:05.799 --> 00:27:11.819 to you. Paul in leaving the Ephesians knew that 00:27:11.819 --> 00:27:14.819 their church had a great potential for the future. 00:27:15.630 --> 00:27:19.109 And as he commits them to God, this is just written 00:27:19.109 --> 00:27:23.210 into the very language that he uses. As I say 00:27:23.210 --> 00:27:26.210 goodbye to you, I'm convinced that Grace Church 00:27:26.210 --> 00:27:30.730 Roseville has a future. This is the end of one 00:27:30.730 --> 00:27:33.069 chapter. It's the beginning of a new chapter. 00:27:34.869 --> 00:27:38.509 And God has some wonderfully gifted man that 00:27:38.509 --> 00:27:41.890 He is now preparing to come here and to lead 00:27:41.890 --> 00:27:45.539 you into the future. who is going to help you 00:27:45.539 --> 00:27:48.279 to write that next chapter of what He wants this 00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:52.140 church to become. That's exciting to me. The 00:27:52.140 --> 00:27:55.180 Lord will not abandon His people, His church. 00:27:56.819 --> 00:28:00.799 And having said that, I want also to say, neither 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:05.579 should the people abandon His church. There's 00:28:05.579 --> 00:28:07.660 usually a tendency in a time like this for people 00:28:07.660 --> 00:28:09.640 to say, well, it's time for me to visit around 00:28:09.640 --> 00:28:13.470 a little bit. I think I'll go see a this church 00:28:13.470 --> 00:28:17.009 or that church. It's closer to home or I've heard 00:28:17.009 --> 00:28:20.569 about what they're doing. And I suppose that's 00:28:20.569 --> 00:28:22.470 a tendency all the time, especially in a metro 00:28:22.470 --> 00:28:25.970 area where we have so many options. Folks, this 00:28:25.970 --> 00:28:30.190 is not the time to do that. If you want to do 00:28:30.190 --> 00:28:33.009 that at some point, then let God lead you in 00:28:33.009 --> 00:28:37.170 it. But this is not the time to do it. This is 00:28:37.170 --> 00:28:39.690 the time to pull together. Just as God is not 00:28:39.690 --> 00:28:44.029 forsaking His church, neither should you. This 00:28:44.029 --> 00:28:47.329 is the time more than ever before to say it's 00:28:47.329 --> 00:28:50.470 important that I be there. It's important that 00:28:50.470 --> 00:28:53.849 I keep on giving. It's important that I get involved 00:28:53.849 --> 00:28:58.150 in serving. It's vital that I pray for my church. 00:29:00.029 --> 00:29:03.869 And by the way, that is the most important key 00:29:03.869 --> 00:29:08.029 in the months ahead. The success of the coming 00:29:08.029 --> 00:29:12.809 transition Will depend upon your praying more 00:29:12.809 --> 00:29:17.289 than any other single element. I Can't underscore 00:29:17.289 --> 00:29:21.670 that enough So use the opportunities that you 00:29:21.670 --> 00:29:25.750 will have to pray together For God's blessing 00:29:25.750 --> 00:29:28.529 and his leadership and his guiding over the coming 00:29:28.529 --> 00:29:33.910 months Here's what I'm trusting I'm trusting 00:29:33.910 --> 00:29:38.380 that the Lord is staying with you I'm trusting 00:29:38.380 --> 00:29:42.299 that He's going with us, of course. But because 00:29:42.299 --> 00:29:47.220 He is God, He's also able to stay with you. And 00:29:47.220 --> 00:29:50.539 He's able to lead you into that future. And by 00:29:50.539 --> 00:29:54.240 the power in Himself, and by the effectiveness 00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:58.900 of His Word of grace, He is able to build you 00:29:58.900 --> 00:30:03.859 up so that the interim period is not a time of 00:30:03.859 --> 00:30:07.019 decline and deterioration. But it's a time of 00:30:07.019 --> 00:30:10.819 building up. It is a wonderful thing when churches 00:30:10.819 --> 00:30:14.059 go into an interim time and they actually grow. 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:19.720 They grow. That happens. That is not that unusual. 00:30:20.740 --> 00:30:23.240 And when it happens, it's not a slight to the 00:30:23.240 --> 00:30:26.599 former pastor. Oh, now he's gone. The church 00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:29.759 can grow. That's not what it means. I'll tell 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:31.839 you what it often means. It means that the church 00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:36.309 has suddenly... owned this transition and they've 00:30:36.309 --> 00:30:40.170 become revitalized by the fact that they know 00:30:40.170 --> 00:30:42.670 that there's vulnerability and they know that 00:30:42.670 --> 00:30:45.250 they need God's blessing and God's leading in 00:30:45.250 --> 00:30:49.970 a deeper way than before. And so they begin to 00:30:49.970 --> 00:30:53.730 pray more intensely and earnestly and as a result 00:30:53.730 --> 00:30:57.750 of that intensified prayer, God blesses and the 00:30:57.750 --> 00:31:01.519 church grows. I'm trusting God to be able to 00:31:01.519 --> 00:31:04.099 do that here at Grace Church, Roseville. And 00:31:04.099 --> 00:31:07.359 likewise, I'm trusting you to remain loyal to 00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:10.819 the church. Loyal in prayer, loyal in service, 00:31:11.099 --> 00:31:13.619 loyal in your giving, loyal in your support for 00:31:13.619 --> 00:31:17.259 one another and your leaders, loyal in your encouragement 00:31:17.259 --> 00:31:22.319 of one another. As I say goodbye to you, as Paul 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:26.039 does here, I commend you to God and I release 00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:31.339 you to His providential care. And then, finally, 00:31:31.559 --> 00:31:35.380 in saying a healthy goodbye, Paul includes a 00:31:35.380 --> 00:31:39.500 reminding of particular responsibilities. Verses 00:31:39.500 --> 00:31:44.920 33 to 35. He says, I have coveted no one's silver 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:48.160 or gold or clothes. Yourselves know that these 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:51.680 hands minister to my own needs and to the men 00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:55.019 who were with me. In everything I showed you, 00:31:55.079 --> 00:31:58.460 that by working hard in this manner, you must 00:31:58.460 --> 00:32:02.190 help the weak. And remember the words of the 00:32:02.190 --> 00:32:05.289 Lord Jesus that He Himself said, it is more blessed 00:32:05.289 --> 00:32:10.609 to give than to receive. That quotation is not 00:32:10.609 --> 00:32:14.150 recorded in the Gospels anywhere. It suggests 00:32:14.150 --> 00:32:16.930 to us that in addition to the inspired writings 00:32:16.930 --> 00:32:20.529 of the New Testament, there were other oral traditions 00:32:20.529 --> 00:32:22.750 that were passed down of some of the things that 00:32:22.750 --> 00:32:27.490 Jesus said. And Paul here latches onto one of 00:32:27.490 --> 00:32:31.019 those and by the Spirit includes it in the inspired 00:32:31.019 --> 00:32:36.180 word, where Jesus said it's more blessed to give 00:32:36.180 --> 00:32:42.299 than to receive. Have you experienced that? I 00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:47.299 know you have. It really, truly is a happier 00:32:47.299 --> 00:32:51.119 experience to give to someone than it is to receive 00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:55.240 a gift, isn't it? It creates a bubble of joy 00:32:55.240 --> 00:32:58.549 in your heart. It's like Drinking a whole glass 00:32:58.549 --> 00:33:02.170 of 7 -Up all at once and just feeling that effervescence 00:33:02.170 --> 00:33:07.269 down inside. To give to someone who is in need 00:33:07.269 --> 00:33:09.849 is just a great joy in your heart to be able 00:33:09.849 --> 00:33:14.190 to do that. So Paul reminds them of this particular 00:33:14.190 --> 00:33:17.430 responsibility. They were to follow his example 00:33:17.430 --> 00:33:21.609 in generosity and to help the weak. And here's 00:33:21.609 --> 00:33:25.190 what I want to urge you to do by way of a particular 00:33:25.190 --> 00:33:30.549 responsibility. I want you not to become paralyzed 00:33:30.549 --> 00:33:37.009 by this transition. On the other hand, what I 00:33:37.009 --> 00:33:40.329 want you to do is to focus in the coming months 00:33:40.329 --> 00:33:46.789 on serving Christ and others. In the midst of 00:33:46.789 --> 00:33:49.150 change, it's easy just to shrink back and say, 00:33:49.509 --> 00:33:51.029 I'm not going to do anything. I'm just going 00:33:51.029 --> 00:33:54.789 to wait and see what happens. And become paralyzed. 00:33:56.009 --> 00:33:59.890 What I want to urge you to do is to focus on 00:33:59.890 --> 00:34:03.990 serving Christ, to be a giver to others. Not 00:34:03.990 --> 00:34:07.089 someone who's receiving, but someone who's giving. 00:34:07.650 --> 00:34:10.389 And you know if you do that, if you do that, 00:34:10.449 --> 00:34:12.889 your life is going to be so fulfilled and rich 00:34:12.889 --> 00:34:17.469 and blessed in the coming months. And the time 00:34:17.469 --> 00:34:21.409 of this transition, be it a year or longer, whatever 00:34:21.409 --> 00:34:24.889 God takes, and let Him take the time He needs 00:34:24.889 --> 00:34:27.739 to prepare you and prepare the candidate that 00:34:27.739 --> 00:34:33.039 you'll vote on. But that time period will go 00:34:33.039 --> 00:34:36.360 more quickly than you can possibly imagine if 00:34:36.360 --> 00:34:40.699 you're really focusing on serving, being busy 00:34:40.699 --> 00:34:44.360 serving the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:51.219 Healthy goodbyes don't just happen. They are 00:34:51.219 --> 00:34:55.320 intentional. They are created. by the steps that 00:34:55.320 --> 00:34:59.260 you and I take. They take place when you and 00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:03.000 I purpose in our hearts to honor God and to do 00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:08.079 what is right and to do our part. Will you today 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:12.880 purpose to do your part? Will you do that for 00:35:12.880 --> 00:35:18.380 the church's sake? Will you purpose in your heart 00:35:18.380 --> 00:35:22.059 to make this a healthy farewell for your sake, 00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:29.340 your family's sake? Will you, determined in your 00:35:29.340 --> 00:35:32.760 heart, will you, with an intentional act of your 00:35:32.760 --> 00:35:37.340 will, make this a healthy farewell and transition 00:35:37.340 --> 00:35:43.239 for Jesus' sake? Because you see, ultimately, 00:35:43.420 --> 00:35:47.980 it's His name. It's His glory that is involved 00:35:47.980 --> 00:35:52.619 in this. Some of you have been very, very kind 00:35:52.619 --> 00:35:56.000 in words to me and to my family. And I thank 00:35:56.000 --> 00:36:00.090 you. from the bottom of my heart for those words. 00:36:02.090 --> 00:36:06.550 I feel very unworthy of many of the things that 00:36:06.550 --> 00:36:13.050 have been said. But let me say this, if you have 00:36:13.050 --> 00:36:15.650 appreciated my ministry in the years that we 00:36:15.650 --> 00:36:19.349 have been together, the very highest compliment 00:36:19.349 --> 00:36:23.929 that you can pay me is to apply in my absence. 00:36:24.710 --> 00:36:28.489 what I have sought to teach you and to exemplify 00:36:28.489 --> 00:36:31.650 by the grace of God. That's the very highest 00:36:31.650 --> 00:36:36.789 compliment that you can pay me. And as you seek 00:36:36.789 --> 00:36:40.889 to do that and to focus on serving Christ and 00:36:40.889 --> 00:36:43.989 others in the months ahead, this is going to 00:36:43.989 --> 00:36:49.789 be a farewell that will be noted in heaven. And 00:36:49.789 --> 00:36:52.789 it'll bring blessing to the earth and joy to 00:36:52.789 --> 00:36:56.260 your lives. and a great future for this church. 00:36:56.920 --> 00:37:05.219 May God make it so. Let's pray. I'm going to 00:37:05.219 --> 00:37:08.460 ask you to respond this morning. And I'm not 00:37:08.460 --> 00:37:11.800 trying to put undue pressure on you, but sometimes 00:37:11.800 --> 00:37:14.679 it's just good for us to make a move physically 00:37:14.679 --> 00:37:17.780 as we say that we're going to do something. So 00:37:17.780 --> 00:37:23.119 if you today... would respond to this message 00:37:23.119 --> 00:37:29.300 and say, God, help me to do my part. I want to 00:37:29.300 --> 00:37:32.300 make this a healthy goodbye. I want it to be 00:37:32.300 --> 00:37:36.360 a good farewell and transition. And therefore, 00:37:36.380 --> 00:37:40.840 I'm going to seek to do my part. And I'm going 00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:45.780 to be focusing on serving you, Lord, and serving 00:37:45.780 --> 00:37:51.539 your people. And I'm going to be praying and 00:37:51.539 --> 00:37:57.480 trusting you. If that is your intention, if that 00:37:57.480 --> 00:38:01.260 is your purpose, then I want to invite you to 00:38:01.260 --> 00:38:04.440 signify it by just standing quietly to your feet 00:38:04.440 --> 00:38:09.619 and saying so. Now, if you're from another congregation 00:38:09.619 --> 00:38:12.159 visiting this morning, perhaps this isn't the 00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:14.820 right response for you, or maybe there's another 00:38:14.820 --> 00:38:18.619 reason that you shouldn't stand. Oh, God help 00:38:18.619 --> 00:38:25.179 you to do this. Amen. God, by your Holy Spirit, 00:38:25.880 --> 00:38:30.619 will you come and fill every heart responding 00:38:30.619 --> 00:38:35.599 to this message. And enable us, I pray, each 00:38:35.599 --> 00:38:40.860 one of us to do our part to make this the kind 00:38:40.860 --> 00:38:44.699 of a parting that will bring honor and glory 00:38:44.699 --> 00:38:51.119 to Jesus Christ and blessing to His Church. We 00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:55.219 commit ourselves to you just as Paul and these 00:38:55.219 --> 00:39:01.980 Ephesians did. And as we even shed tears in saying 00:39:01.980 --> 00:39:05.960 goodbye over the next couple of weeks, we nonetheless 00:39:05.960 --> 00:39:08.880 shed them with deep thankfulness in our hearts 00:39:08.880 --> 00:39:14.320 for what we have experienced together. and with 00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:18.320 deep trust in you for what the future holds, 00:39:19.239 --> 00:39:22.900 knowing that it holds blessing as we walk with 00:39:22.900 --> 00:39:28.460 you. In Jesus' name, Amen. And all God's people 00:39:28.460 --> 00:39:32.159 said, Amen. We're dismissed.