Final Sermon:
“Until We Meet Again”
Acts 20:17–28, 32 (NRSV)
By John Gill ~ June 15, 2025
Beloved friends in Christ, today marks both an ending and a beginning—a time of farewells, but also of hope and trust in God’s continuing work among us. This is my final sermon as your pastor before I step into retirement, and as I stand here, am overwhelmed with memories, gratitude, and deep love for each of you.
As I prayed about what to share today, God led me to pull out the Study Bible Terri gave me many years ago, to search the scriptures for my “swan song” sermon scripture text for this day. As I thumbed through the pages reading the many underlined passages and jottings in the margins, I came across a note I had written to my future-self. In the margin of the page of Acts, chapter 20, this is what I wrote: “This would be a good text for pastors to reflect on as they are retiring.”
I decided I should take my own advice, and preach on the text that Carole just read to you.
It is helpful to know the context of this passage: Paul's farewell to the elders of the Church of Ephesus reveals a deep and abiding relationship he had established and nurtured with the church in Ephesus as he had once lived among them and preached to the citizens there.
In our text this morning Paul offers a heartfelt farewell, where he reviews his ministry, warns them of future challenges, and charges them to guard the church. He emphasizes his commitment to the gospel and his personal example of humble service, humility, and dedication.
Now, on his third missionary journey, Paul deliberately travels near to Ephesus so he can see his beloved friends one last time. He gathered the elders of the church in Ephesus to say goodbye, knowing that he would likely never see them again.
And while my situation is different (I certainly hope to see you again!), Paul’s heartfelt farewell speaks to the tenderness, humility, and love that every pastor feels for their congregation –– feelings that I am also experiencing today!
So, I decided to take my cue from Paul as I share my final “swan song” words to you, as your pastor.
Paul began by reminding the Ephesians of his own example. In Acts 20:18–19 (NRSV), he said:
“You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me…”
Friends, I, too, have tried to live among you with humility, sharing your tears and your joys, your struggles and your celebrations. Together, we have laughed, we have cried, we have celebrated milestones, and we have grieved losses. We have grown together in faith and in love.
Even as I strove to do my best as your pastor, I know that, in the midst of ministry and life together, I have not always been perfect. None of us are. So, if I have hurt anyone along the way, please know that was never my intention, and I ask your forgiveness. I trust that God’s grace will heal any wounds, and that the Holy Spirit will continue to knit us together as the family of Christ.
As we continue through this scripture text, Paul went on:
“I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.”
Throughout the total of 13 years I have pastored at Tomoka, I, like Paul, have tried my best to be helpful to you—in spirit and in deed—and to be faithful in proclaiming the whole gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether in worship, in Bible studies, in hospital rooms, in your homes, or simply in conversations, I have sought to be a pastor who shares God’s love and truth with you.
I have loved teaching and preaching, praying with you, and simply sharing life together. I trust that God has used even my imperfections to bless you and to help you grow in faith.
Looking ahead to the future, Paul also said in verses 22–23:
“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city-after-city that jail and suffering lie ahead.”
Like Paul, I don’t know exactly what the future holds for me. I am almost overwhelmed by the opportunities that lie before me in retirement. But I do know this: God is not finished with me yet! I believe that God will continue to guide me, just as He will continue to guide each of you, and this congregation.
I trust that God still has a place-of-service for me (hopefully not involving persecution,imprisonment, or martyrdom!) – a role in ministry where I can continue to love and serve Him.
And let me remind you, dear friends, that there is no retirement from being a Christian. Ministry is not confined to a pulpit or a title—it is a way of life. Whether ordained or lay, we are all called to serve Christ in whatever ways we can – wherever we find ourselves.
I look forward to discovering where I might be most useful to God—perhaps volunteering, encouraging others, or simply living out my faith day-by-day. God will reveal this to me in time.
As Paul took his leave from his beloved friends, Paul told the Ephesian brothers and sisters:
“And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know. So guard yourselves and God’s people.”
Paul was pretty sure that he would never see his Ephesian friends again. Thankfully, that’s not the case for us! God willing, Terri and I plan to return to Tomoka after a year’s absence —giving you time and space to embrace Pastor Katie as your new shepherd. Tomoka is our congregation, too. You are our church family, and Terri and I treasure that bond more than words can say.
Paul concluded his farewell by commending his friends to God:
“And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.”
As I step back from active pastoral ministry, I commend you to God, who is able tostrengthen you, and to build you up in grace. I also commend you to the care of your new pastor, Katie, - who will, in time, become my pastor as well!
You can show your love for Terri and me by loving the Harringtons just as you have loved us. You will be a blessing to them, - if you love them completely!
My dear friends, I have done my best to serve you faithfully. But today, I lay down the mantle of being your pastor. Yet please know this: Terri and I will always be your friendsin Christ.
Very soon, Katie will be your pastor. Therefore, I will not perform weddings, funerals, or other official acts of ministry here—at least for the next year. Call on Katie, and allow her to be your pastor. Support her, encourage her, and walk alongside her – just as you have with me.
In the final analysis, the crux of Paul’s “Swan Song” is the same as mine: His desire to “finish well.” He told them:
“My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus —the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”
My greatest wish in these final years of ministry has been to “finish well.” I want to thank you, my Tomoka family, for being willing to welcome me back as your pastor for a second time so that my final four years of ministry might be the best years of my entire ministry.
In 2021, as I returned to be your pastor, I had set several goals for myself – to help this congregation become more vital, to grow in numbers and in the Spirit, to steer the ship of the church safely through the stormy waters of Covid and denominational schism, and to heal some strained relationships, - healing made possible by my own spiritual growth in grace.
I can joyfully say that all those goals have been met – and more – by God’s grace. So, the time is right for me to retire, and to entrust you to God and to your fabulous new pastor, Katie Harrington.
So, like Paul, my goal was to finish my 40 years of ministry well. I pray that by God’s grace, I have done so - I pray that, in spite of my failings, you have somehow seen Christ in me, and that together we have grown in faith and love.
So, Terri and I are not saying “goodbye” – but “until we meet again!” Whether here in Tomoka or in the glorious kingdom of God –
May God bless you and keep you.
May He strengthen and guide you in the days ahead.
And may we all continue to serve Him faithfully, until the day we are once again gathered-together in His presence.
Amen.
© 2025 by John B. Gill, III
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