Chapter 3: Session 3
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August 15, 2020, Saturday, 2:56 PM
Manila, Philippines
CCF 4W'S Live Intentionally!
WELCOME
Who among your family members or relatives do you see living (or has lived) a life of meaning & purpose? What kind of impact do they have (or had), on the lives of people around them?
WORD
Acts 20:18-28
18 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. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.20 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. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.
25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b]
We have heard it mang times in our Sunday services:life is about choices & small choices can lead to big consequences. The choices we make either lead us to the purpose that God has intended for us or lead us to a path where we are much futher away from His will. So, a key question to ask ourselves is, are our choices & actions aligned with our God given purpose? There is a great need today for us to live lives of intentionally. What this means is that we do not live carelessly or without a clear plan or purpose. You see, good results do not happen by chance. They are by products of INTENTIONALITY. You bear fruit as you pursue intentions that are purposeful & beneficial to you & to others. We see this in the life of Paul his ministry as recorded in
Acts 20
Through Macedonia and Greece
20 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,3 where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaiusfrom Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas,where we stayed seven days.
Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders
13 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. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 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.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 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. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tearsand in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.20 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. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. 25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b]
1) SERVE GOD & OTHERS
In Acts 20:17
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
Paul, called for the church leaders in Ephesus. In what was to be Paul's final discourse to them, the apostle reminded them of how he served God & the people for three years, in the face of severe opposition. Notice, he model led serving God with humility & with tears. Serving the Lord may not always be comfortable, but every tear shed is worth it, for we know the greater promises that we can hold on to. There is much to learn from Paul's example of selfless service. Today our culture is all about SELF & consumerism has infiltrated even our churches. If we are not careful, we will end up being like those who primarily seek to fulfill their own interests in & through the church rather than look for ways to fulfill God's purpose for the church in & through them.
2) SHARE GOD'S TRUTH
In Acts 20:21-22
21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
we also see Paul teach God's truth with intentionality, both in large gatherings & from house to house. As he spoke about the truth, it was not always pleasant to his listener's ears, but he made sure it was shared in love. Part of God's truth is the fact that we have to repent of our sins & turn away from them. There must be a daily denial of our own sinful desires in order to live a life pleasing to Him.
3) SEEK GOD'S AGENDA
As we continue to read further along the chapter, we see that Paul speaks of himself as "enslaved", "bound" & "imprisoned" by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 20:22-23
22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
What this means is that he was doing all of these things out of CONVICTION. Instead of focusing on his own welfare & convenience, he went out of his way to make sure God's agenda was met. Paul was not a "shallow" believer. He knew, as we all should, that there will be challenges along the journey of following Jesus. It is important to seek God's will & agenda because He wants what is best for us. We can entrust everything to Him & believe that He will achieve His purpose in everything,
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
including the difficulties we encounter as we live out His purpose. Also, notice what Paul said in
Acts 20:24
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.
how he lived his life was just as important as finishing his course. Like a marathon runner on a race track with one thing on his mind, "I will finish my course..." this is intentionally living out God's purpose for him. To do this we must "walk by the Spirit at all times"
Galatians 5:16
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
& consider that God's will is more important than our own dreams & plans.
Philippians 1:21
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
4) STRENGTHEN FUTURE LEADERS
Paul knew that he will not be around forever. He was aware of his morality; how could he not? He life was always threatened by both Jews & Gentiles alike! To live intentionally with purpose, Paul saw the value of building up the future leaders by encouraging them & making sure they were deeply rooted in God.
Acts 20:27
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
He then emphasized the importance of guarding themselves (the leaders) & the flock of God. Purposeful living means that we know our strengths & weaknesses as there are dangerous traps set by the Enemy for our spiritual walk, things that can lead to us making poor choices. Paul commanded the leaders to hold fast to their integrity first & then instructed them to guard the flock. It is important to ask ourselves, "are we living double lives?"
Acts 20:29-30
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
remind us to guard the flock as well from false teachers who attack Jesus' sufficiency.
2 Peter 2:1
False Teachers and Their Destruction
2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
Anybody that teaches you & draws you away from Jesus is dangerous. We must also teach holiness brought about by Jesus reigning in our lives. We need to emphasize to those we shepherd how are we forgiven by GRACE, because Jesus paid for all our sins & because of that we should not continue living a sinful lifestyle. But should you sin, you should come to Christ & confess to Him
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sinsand purify us from all unrighteousness.
claiming his promise of forgiveness & cleansing from all unrighteousness. Guarding the flock also means guiding the flock in all truth
Acts 20:31-32
31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
the safeguard being God & His Word (the Bible). As he ended his time with the Ephesian elders, Paul knelt down & prayed for them intentionally. The great apostle knew that the secret of living an intentional life; the pursuit of God & his purpose is complete dependence on God to fulfill His purpose for us & through us. Brothers & sisters, by His grace & power, let us live each moment intentionally for God & His purpose!
DISCUSSION QUESTION: (DONT INCLUDE HERE YOUR PAST EXPERIENCE BECAUSE WE ARE NOW AT THE PRESENT, POST THIS IN YOUR WATTPAD)
1. Are you living your life intentionally, pursuing God's purpose for at home, school or the office?
Mia answer: Yes I am
Kathy answer: Yes am. I pursue God's purpose at home, school and work.
2. Recall instances when you might have missed out on being intentional as salt & light to other people
Mia answer: When I disobey my elder
Kathy answer: Whenever I was building anger inside my heart, I missed out on being intentional as salt and light to other people.
3. How will you put this lesson into practice? Do you need to commit to serve others more? Maybe you need to share the gospel to family members & friends? Do you have to refocus your life to pursue God's purpose & not your own?
Mia answer: I will put this lesson into practice by doing what I read; yes I need to commit to serve others more; I also need to share the gospel to my family members & friends; I also need to refocus myself to God to pursue God's purpose & not my own
Kathy answer: I would put this lesson into practice by doing good deeds, praying, attending fellowships. And I would need to share the gospel to my father and friends. I also need to concentrate myself on God's purpose why these things are happening in my life.
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