Acts 20:13-38
Rarely are we given a glimpse into the deepest recesses of a person’s soul. But when Paul called the leaders of the Church at Ephesus to meet him at the port of Miletus, prior to embarking on his final journey to Jerusalem, the occasion could not have been more poignant. It was Paul’s farewell to the crown jewel of the churches that he had planted and the leaders that he had nurtured. These were deeply formed friends and colleagues who would never see each other again, this side of heaven. And much of the future of Paul’s work on behalf of the gospel now rested largely in their hands. It was a profound parting. It has been said that last words are lasting words. As Paul spoke on that moving occasion, shepherd to shepherd, it was a window into the deepest desires and concerns of his soul. The result was one of the most cogent descriptions on the nature and substance of ministry ever given. This morning we’ll sit in on that memorable address, and its timeless message, in Acts 20:13-38, in a message entitled, “Foundation For Ministry”.
