Finish Well

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Good morning Chapel family. I want to add my voice of gratitude for our Sunday morning volunteers. You guys are amazing…thank you for the sacrifices you make to serve at The Chapel. It is an honor to be your pastor and to serve with you.

Three and a half months ago, on the first Sunday of 2025, we started our study in the book of Acts. I’ve taught Acts many times before, but it felt like something was different this time. It felt like you guys didn’t just want to learn the book of Acts; you wanted to live it. I had heard all about the signs of revival going on in our country—college ministries booming, Bible sales spiking, churches growing—but it’s one thing to hear about it out there; it’s another thing to experience it right here. And we have been experiencing it right here: record numbers of baptisms; amazing volunteer energy; the need to start a third service. Last Tuesday our Young Adults had a bonfire gathering. You remember the weather early last week? It felt like January—not the kind of weather you want to sit outside for a couple of hours. But there is such passion and energy in that group—here’s a picture of just a part of the group who came out. God is doing something at The Chapel.

I think the moment when I first realized something special was happening was back in January. As part of our J-Term, we offered a 3-week course in evangelism. A year ago, if you told me we were offering a class in evangelism, I would have predicted 20 people would show up. But the class was packed out—over a hundred people wanting to learn how to share their faith better. Something is happening. Just as the Holy Spirit was moving in the first century, he’s is moving today. And it’s amazing to be part of that.

In Acts 1, verse 8, Jesus said to his disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses.” And every week we’ve been reminding ourselves that we are his witnesses. The way that Jesus is growing his church today is through us. And I keep hearing stories of Chapel people who have been awakened to that calling: talking about their faith in natural ways, praying for people, serving people, inviting people to church, inviting people to their small group. I’m watching as people turn up their spiritual volume, and become less fearful and more confident in their faith, and it’s really encouraging to see.

So today it’s time to wrap the series up. And I want to close with a very personal challenge. Years ago, I realized that life is filled with what I call “windows of influence.” A window of influence is a period of time when your life intersects with the life of another person, and you have the opportunity to affect that person in a positive way. So the window is open for a period of time, but inevitably it closes.

Four times, on September mornings in early September, I have dropped off a child for their first day of kindergarten. And I’ve driven off with a lump in my throat. Probably much more emotional than my kid, who’s pretty happy to get out of the house. But every time, as I drove away, I was aware that a window of influence had just closed. There was that period that my wife and I had them in the house all day long, and that window was now shut. And each time, I found myself thinking, “I hope we used that window well.”

I’ve had similar thoughts at my kids’ high school graduations. Or when friends have moved away, or when important people in my life have passed away. Each time, a window that was once open was now closed.

Think about your life for a minute. What kinds of windows of influence have opened and shut for you?

Every time a good friend moves, a window closes.

Every time a person you work with gets transferred to a different department, a window closes.

If you’re a teacher, every June when the kids walk out of your classroom, a window closes.

If you’re a coach…or a student ministries leader…if you lead a small group…if you’re a father or mother or grandparent…if you have neighbors… you might not think of it this way, but God has given you the opportunity to influence the life of another human being for a period of time. And at some point, those windows always close. Sometimes unexpectedly.

So here’s the question as we finish this series: As witnesses for Christ, how do we use our windows of influence wisely?

When you come to Acts chapter twenty, Paul realizes there’s a window closing. He has spent three years in the city of Ephesus—which is in modern-day Turkey. That’s the longest he spent in any one place during his missionary journeys. So he’s grown close to these people. And now a few months have gone by since he’s been with them; he’s wrapping up the third missionary journey, sailing back to Jerusalem. And he decides to stop and visit one more time with his friends from Ephesus. If we listen carefully, Paul’s words will help us use our own windows of influence well.

So—let’s read the passage—Acts 20, starting in verse 17. This is God’s Word for us today…

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 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, which he bought with his own blood. 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. 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. 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.’ ”

36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. This is the Word of the Lord.

So Paul calls for the leaders of the church, and he basically says, “Let’s look back on this window of time that we spent together.” And he talks about a lot of things, but I want to focus on three. Three decisions all of us have to make—which affect how well we use the windows of influence that God gives us. And after each one, I’m going to invite you to do some self-reflection. Alright? Here we go: three decisions we all need to make.

First, Our Master. Our Master. Look at verse 19: I served the Lord with great humility and with tears…. So even though Paul had given these people three years of his life, and he cared about them, and he had sacrificed for them…at the deepest level they weren’t the ones he was serving. He doesn’t say, “I served you; he says, what? I served the Lord. This is really important.

Because as we have windows of influence in people’s lives, it’s easy to seek the approval or the applause of those people. Does that make sense? So yes—we’re called to love people, and serve people, but we have to make sure that the One we’re ultimately serving is someone beyond those people.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul expresses the same thing—look at Galatians 1:10…Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. So it’s one or the other. As you go through life, you’re either a people-pleaser or a God-pleaser.

Have you ever seen parents who are trying to gain the approval of their kids? They try to be their kids’ buddy instead of being their parent. Why would we ever do that, as parents? Well, because we don’t like the idea of our child not liking us. “Sure, you can have Fruit Loops for breakfast every day…Pop Tarts for lunch…if that’s what makes you happy.” How does that turn out? It’s a disaster. But if we’re ultimately serving someone beyond our kids, it’s okay if the kids are a little upset with us, right? They’ll get over it. And the same goes for every human relationship.

Let me get very specific: if we’re seeking the approval of people, we will be ineffective witnesses for Christ. Because our fear of disapproval will make us timid and overly cautious. We’ll always be afraid that if we talk about Jesus or sin or repentance, someone will be offended. So we’ll keep the conversation on sports and weather and work and everything else, but we’ll avoid the things that really matter.

And Paul shows us a better way, because he knew who his master was. And that gave him such a deep security, and a deep desire to serve this amazing God…which freed him to speak clearly and boldly about the gospel. And if people got offended—which they often did with Paul—that was really okay, because ultimately he wasn’t serving them anyway.

You know what I’ve realized about myself? When I’m interacting with non-believers, and I bring up God—even in small ways, and people react either with indifference or with hostility, you know what my tendency is? To shut off and stop trying. Like, “Oh—this person’s not interested. This person’s offended. Moving on.” Can you relate to that? My tendency is to get turned away far too easily. But God is working on me. And over the years, I have become less and less of a people-pleaser, and more and more of a God-pleaser. Don’t you love it when God grows you? Thank God we’re not stuck the

way we are. So as I’ve become less of a people-pleaser and more of a God-pleaser, I’ve become a much better witness for Christ. I can talk about sin and Jesus and faith much more freely, and not be so concerned if people like me.

I told you we would do some self-reflection after each point, so I’m going to give you 3 gauges to help you evaluate yourself. The first gauge is called The “Master” Gauge. On one end is People-Pleaser, and on the other end is God-Pleaser. As you think about the way you interact with people, how would you rate yourself? Be honest. And be hopeful—because God can grow you.

Paul says, “The reason I served you was because I was really serving Him.”

Here’s the second decision we all have to make: Our Message. Look at verses 20 and 21: 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. So Paul says, “When I think back on the time we had together, I didn’t hesitate to say everything you needed to hear.” That word “hesitate” can also be translated “to shrink back.” And Paul says, “I didn’t shrink back. I said what needed to be said.”

And the essence of Paul’s message—if you boiled it down—is in verse 21: no matter who you are, you need to turn to God in repentance and have faith in Christ. If somebody came to Ephesus back then, and they had never met Paul, and they said, “Tell me about this guy Paul. What’s he all about?” People would immediately say, “Oh, he’s into Jesus. That’s his message.” It was just obvious.

There’s a famous quote that people love to quote, by the famous Saint Francis of Assisi. Have you heard this quote? “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” Have you heard that? People love that quote, because they say, “I don’t really have to talk about Jesus; I can just be a nice person—honest and generous and kind—and I’ll be preaching the gospel by my actions.” You know what the problem is? First of all, there is zero evidence that Saint Francis ever said that. But more importantly, it’s not true. You can be a kind and generous person—and you should be! But no one will ever see your kind actions, and walk away saying, “Wow—there must be a loving God who created me, and who sent his son to die for my sins. I need to repent and put my faith in Christ so I can receive forgiveness and eternal life.” That will never happen! The only way people will understand the life-changing good news of the gospel is if we…what? Tell them.

And as Paul reviews the window of time he spent with these people, here’s what we read: I preached, I taught, I declared, I testified. The thing that was most important to him was crystal clear because of what he talked about.

What would they say about you? If somebody had never met you before, and they asked your friends, or they asked the people you work with, or they asked your kids, or they read your social media, what would they conclude is most important to you? Would they say, “He’s obsessed with the Yankees,” or “All she talks about is yoga,” or “He’s really passionate about politics.” Or would they know clearly that you follow and love Jesus, above all else?

Now: I realize that for some of you, your windows of influence are in jobs or public schools or other places where they have policies about not proselytizing. And you have to honor what you’ve agreed to. But I have had teachers and employers—and maybe you’ve been blessed enough to have some of these too—and I knew they stood for Christ, not because they preached sermons in class or in the office, but because of the way they approached their job, the way they treated people, little things they said…and also because when they had the opportunities, outside of official work or school context, they did talk about their faith.

So: think about a window of influence that you have in someone’s life. Do you have that person in your mind? Now—imagine if you got a text or a phone call today, saying that person moved, or got a new job or God forbid, they died. Here’s my question: Would you have any regrets? Are there things you would wish you had said, but you never got around to it?

So here’s the second gauge: The “Message” Gauge. On one end is Jesus, and on the other end is Anything Else. In other words, do people know the main message of your life is Jesus, or do they maybe not even know you’re a believer, because it never comes up? Where do you fall on that line? Here’s the good news: that window of influence, that I just told you to imagine if that window closed—it’s probably still open. So now is the time.

Okay—one more decision we all need to make: Our Mission. Verses 22 and 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. Think about this: in verse 22, he says the Spirit is leading him to go to Jerusalem, right? But then in the next verse, he says the Spirit keeps warning him that he’s going to have all kinds of terrible things happen when he gets there. Does that mean God might intentionally lead me into a dangerous situation? And if the answer is yes—which it was for Paul—what does that mean about the way that we make decisions about God’s will for our lives?

I have noticed a pattern in our culture over the years. In June, when schools let out for the summer, they usually put a message on the sign in front of the school, right? In the past, it would say something like, “Have a Great Summer.” Or they would slip in something to make you feel guilty like “Make Sure you Read this Summer.” Or the ultimate joy-killer, “See you in September.” But here’s what I’ve noticed: more and more, here’s the message schools are putting up (do you know what it is?): “Have a Safe Summer.” I see that all the time. Or sometimes it says “Have a Safe and Happy Summer.” And I just want to say, I think that’s a little strange.

Because when the students come back to school in September, and the teacher asks them, “What did you do over the summer?” can you imagine a kid raising his hand: “I was so safe this summer. I didn’t get sunburned once. I drank plenty of water. I always wore my bike helmet. And I didn’t use a single Band-Aid!” And all the other kids, go, “Whoa—awesome summer.” That would just be weird. And I’m all for safety, but for it to rise to that level—to put it on the sign—like, of all the things you could wish a kid for the summer—adventure, discovery, challenge, service, travel, romance—the thing that makes it on the sign is “safety”? What is the message we’re teaching the next generation?

Probably some of you will disagree with me; I’ll probably get some angry emails. I also know we have a few school principals at The Chapel, so I look forward to those conversations. But here’s my point: when we’ve been captivated by the gospel and the love of Christ, and the call of God on our lives to be a witness of Christ, that becomes more important than everything—including our comfort and safety.

Paul says, “God is leading me to Jerusalem, but I know it’s going to be hard and I know it’s going to be dangerous.” And then verse 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. Does that grab your heart like it grabs mine? To be able to say, “I’m willing to sacrifice my comfort and my convenience and even my safety if necessary, for the sake of being a witness for Christ.”

I’m not saying we should be reckless or careless with our lives. But I am saying we don’t make safety and lack of pain the deciding factors in the way we live. I am saying that if we are secure in the love of

Christ, we can hold our physical lives a little more loosely. I remember the first time I traveled to Colombia on a mission team. I looked up Colombia on the US State Department web site, and it said, “We don’t recommend travel” because of some dangerous conditions. So before I left, I wrote a hand-written note to Norma Jean, and I put it in my desk drawer at The Chapel, and I told my co-worker that if anything happens to me, to give it to Norma Jean. The letter basically said, “If you’re reading this letter, it means I never made it home. But I need you to know that I am truly home. And I’ll see you there.” So far she’s never had to read that letter. But I’ve thought of that many times, as I’ve traveled to Central and South America, and Africa, and even to Paterson. When you believe in Christ, and you know he’s got you, you hold your life a little more loosely, and you become willing to take some risks for the sake of Christ.

This year at The Chapel, we have more people serving the homeless in Paterson every month, and more people signing up for mission trips—to Colombia and Dominican Republic and Mexico and Tanzania—than we have had in a long time. And that’s another sign of revival, because it means people are willing to do challenging things for the sake of the gospel.

Now, does God call everyone to South America or Africa or even Paterson? No. But he does call everyone to be committed to a mission that’s bigger than our own lives and our own comfort. Jesus said, “If you want to find your life, let go of your life for me.” In a culture that is so self-absorbed, the people we influence desperately need those kinds of examples.

So here’s the third gauge: The “Mission” Gauge. On one end is Comfort, and on the other end is Risk. Where would you put yourself? Are you serving God in ways that stretch you and scare you a little bit…or are you playing it safe?

So…how do your three gauges look? Did you give yourself an honest review?

I was thinking of how people would respond to this, and I realized this could be really discouraging. And that is the last way I want you to feel. If you feel guilty and condemned for not being a good enough witness, that is not from God. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But if you feel convicted; if you feel challenged, that probably is the Holy Spirit.

So don’t focus on the past and all the ways you could have done better. Focus on now. What are the windows that are open now? Because there are open windows. How will you use your influence, in the power of the Holy Spirit, in those open windows God has given you? How will you please God rather than people, turn up your spiritual volume…plant seeds…pray for people…invite people…and leave the results to God?

Chapel family: we are his witnesses. Over these past few months, God has been building his kingdom—here—in amazing ways. It has been a time unlike any I can remember here at The Chapel. And I cannot wait to see how God will continue this revival… through us. Amen?

Would you rise, and I’m going to call up our worship team to close out our series with worship. As they get ready to lead us, let’s pray together.