3.7.27 5.28.2023 Motivation Acts 20.18-34

Start:

Entice: Today let’s begin with some questions.

Why even be a Christian?

Why live by faith in a hostile world?

Why spend so much time, talent, and treasure on the church?

Why is faith willing to endure?

How do we leverage our personal faith and the gathered faithfulness of the Church to reach others with the story of Jesus.

Why do this?

Why live a life committed

to Christ,

His Church,

and Ministry?

These are reasonable questions. In today’s text Paul gives some reasonable answers which motivated him and, that should motivate us in our faith and service.

Engage: Humans are religious.

Even when living an

a-religious,

atheistic,

or

agonistic life people commit to causes, align with movements, or embrace ideas with a focus, an energy, a zeal, with a whole-hearted commitment that is religious even when not called that. I am a Christian for both objective reasons and subjective reasons: It is true, and it “works” Here we begin to arrive at an answer for our faith, an answer that defines and describes our motivation. We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is as objectively true as the laws of physics or geometry, though admittedly, in a different way. Furthermore, we believe faith in Christ can define every human’s place in the world. It is explaining this dual nature of Christian faith that undergirds our faith and motivates us.

Expand:

If it is true for everyone everywhere that should certainly change our view of ourselves and everyone else.

That is why Abraham left Ur,

David left his sheep,

and Jesus went to the Cross.

If it’s true for everyone

—everything must change.

Paul explains this to some of his friends and colleagues. True, he was talking about himself, but he was really recommending his experience as a model for all of us.

Acts 20:18–35 ESV

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 that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 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. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 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. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 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.’ ”

Excite: You don’t have to sail the seven seas, learn multiple languages, or emigrate to share the motivation of Paul. His calling was different than ours. We all have a unique contribution to make to the ministry the Church. Yet when we read His words there is a simple answer to most of the questions about what should motivate us.

Explore:

The most basic motivation is to honor Christ by our persistent, faithful, obedience.

Expand: Paul tells us that this faithfulness yields obedient desires

Body of Sermon: First we will cultivate the Desire to

1 Be a Faithful Servant.

1.1 Vigilant .

1.2 Committed.

1.3 Invested.

Next Paul tells us we will nurture the Desire to

2 Proclaim a Focused Message.

2.1 Profitable.

Acts 20:20 ESV

20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

2.2 Comprehensive.

Acts 20:24 ESV

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.

Acts 20:27 ESV

27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

2.3 Sanctifying.

Acts 20:32 ESV

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.

2.3.1 Commended to God.

2.3.2 Committed to the Word of Grace.

2.3.3 Building up the Church.

2.3.4 Initiating us into our Inheritance.

2.3.5 Including us among the Saints.

Finally, Paul tells us that we must have The Desire to

3 Provide a Foundation for community.

We provide a foundation for community by being

3.1 Present.

(You’ve got to be there)

We provide a foundation for community by being

3.2 Consistent.

(Regardless of circumstances)

And in a well-founded community we will be and show others how to be

3.3 Content.

(Wholly engaged)

Shut Down

We do what we do so that others can too. That is what motivated our ancestors and it should be sufficient for us. There are people who need Jesus. They will hear when focused servants tell the story.

It needs to be the right story, the rightly focused story of Jesus and His love. This provides a good foundation for our service to others and with others. This motivation was articulated by Paul in Acts 20 but he is not the first nor the last example. I prayerfully preach the message knowing that this congregation is similarly motivated.

If you join up with us, we invite you to join us in our quest to tell the story.