Finish Your Course

Acts 20:18–24 “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, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 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.”

What is life?

Physically - blood, breathing, understanding of personhood

Socially - live, laugh, love

Biblically - Jesus is life

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

John 11:25–26 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”

John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Paul had life, eternal life, through Jesus

Whatever happened in the physical did not take away Paul’s true life in Christ

Prison was necessary to share the gospel with the heads of state, even Caesar

“But, he could have done more if he didn’t make waves”

No

If we’re not willing to stand up when we have nothing then why would we do it when we have something to lose?

God directed Paul’s steps

In light of a Christian worldview

Our life is in Jesus

Life comes with difficulty and we are to remember where our life comes from

Don’t let the world scare you away from living out your calling fully

Sharing the gospel

Becoming all things to all people

1 Corinthians 9:22 “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”

Not to become perverse to perverse people but know how to go about sharing the gospel

To the Jews he expounded on Scripture

To the Gentiles he preached what they didn’t know

Mars Hill, the unknown God

“of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ”

Not being ashamed of the gospel

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

There is no need to be ashamed or embarrassed of the gospel

The gospel is the power of God for salvation

Preaching half the gospel is to not preach the gospel

Of word and deeds

Yes, our life should reflect the gospel

Yes, our actions should preach

Words are important

Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

What course are you on?

Easy life?

Good life?

Eternal life?

Make disciples

Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ

However old, however young, if there is blood running through your veins, then your course is not over