Gospel Humility
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Pastor Jojo Ma
Weekly Bulletin | Song Lyrics | Nicene Creed
Acts 20:13-38
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 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.’” 36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
I. The character of Christian ministry
II. The content of Christian ministry
III. The care of Christian ministry
I. The character of Christian ministry
17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials…”
Every Christian should devote their life to the church and have a great love for the church.
13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus.
17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials…”
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
Phil 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
To count others more significant is to add up their needs, subtract your agenda, and find a way to bless them, even if it is inconvenient or costly to you.
Tim Keller, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy
Your heart needs to bathe in the mercy of God’s love for you and his forgiveness toward you. Your mind needs to be obsessed with the cross and your Savior. You need to be consumed with something so big, so massive, so great, so glorious --- that everything pales and whimpers in comparison. You need to see Jesus for who he is.
18 You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials.
II. The content of Christian ministry
20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ…27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we properly interpret and teach the Old and New Testaments, what we will inevitably proclaim is Christ and his saving gospel.
St. Augustine: “The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed.”
24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
2 Cor 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.
III. The care of Christian ministry
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.
“Pastor, elder, overseer, bishop, shepherd” --- these names are but one office.
1 Pet 5:1-2 So I exhort the elders (presbuterous) among you, as a fellow elder (sympresbyteros) and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd (poimanate) the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight (episkopountes), not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you.
17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders (presbyterous) of the church to come to him...28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (episkopous), to care (poimainein, literally “to shepherd”) for the church of God.
Titus 1:5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders (presbuterous) in every town as I directed you…7 For an overseer (episkopon), as God’s steward, must be above reproach.
John MacArthur said this: “As the apostolic era came to a close, the office of elder emerged as the highest level of local church leadership. Thus it carried a great amount of responsibility. The elders were charged with the care and feeding, as well as the spiritual guidance, of the entire church. There was no higher court of appeal, and no greater resource to know the mind and heart of God with regard to issues in the church.”