Finish the race

Acts 20

The heart of a pastor.

Paul was on his way to Jerusalem and has been warned in dreams and visions and by other Christians that it is not going to go well, yet he keeps moving forward. He calls together a meeting of the Ephesians leadership and tells them these things.

“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.”…,,

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.”

“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.”

“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. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Jesus loves us and died to prove it, paying for all of our mistakes, our sin. Then he rose from the dead and lives in heaven at Gods right hand interceding for us. He has a plan for our lives. Sometimes that plan will take us straight into danger. Paul’s life will take him through some incredibly hard things but Jesus will be there with him every step.

He will be with us too.