Faithful

Introduction

It happened again

Steven Lawson

73 year old

preached in over 20 countries and written over 30 books

regularly preached and taught in a seminary

had an ongoing years-long affair with a woman about = 50 years younger

unfaithful to his marriage, the ministry, and his Lord.

Good news is that the grace of God is always available following true repentance, but the damage is deep and far-reaching.

It hurts because we were not meant to experience unfaithfulness — in fact,

The aim and claim of our lives is faithfulness.

What does it mean to be faithful?

Put in the context of marriage the concept does not seem that difficult.

Being actively committed to my wife in a way that fulfills my role as a husband.

committed - duh

actively - it’s a cheap marital faithfulness if the most you can say is, “i’m not currently having an affair”

Success as a husband is to complete your role as a husband

We last left Paul in Ephesus in Acts 19. He spent about three years there, building and encouraging the church.

Goes up through Macedonia and ends up at the city of Corinth in Greece.

He stays there for three months (probably writing letters to churches while there), then plans to sail toward Jerusalem but there was “a plot made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria,” so Paul decides to travel back through Macedonia.

We know Paul is trying make it back to Jerusalem in time for the celebration of Pentecost. It was about 26 years after the first Pentecost, and he wants to make it in time.

Though Paul loved the church, he sailed past Ephesus for fear he would not make it there and on to Jerusalem. He lands at Miletus and this is where we pick up the story.

Acts 20:17-18

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,

Faithfulness is evidenced (authenticated?) through living and not through talking. (18)

Paul says, “Look at how I live and it will prove how faithful I am.”

Can YOU say the same?

Paul says this to his brothers in the church - you can’t be faithful to God and NOT be faithful to the people of God.

(Love God, Love your neighbor - they must go together)

Most of the practices which demonstrate our faithfulness to the character of Jesus can only be done in relationship with other people:

• forgiveness (can’t forgive unless offended)

• confession

• service

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 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.

Be Faithful to serve the Lord — without reservation. (19)

“Serve” - Three words could be used:

λατρεύω = serve religiously as in worship

Romans 1:9 ESV

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you

διακονέω = serve periodically as a ministry

1 Timothy 3:10 ESV

10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.

*Paul uses

δουλεύω = serve as a slave always and with everything. To live as one who is owned by another.

Matthew 6:24 ESV

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

To be faithful in this way is to view your life as not your own - as owned by another.

It is very likely that while Paul had recently spent his winter in Greece that he wrote the letter to the Corinthian church in which he states,

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

19 … You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Paul describes his service in three ways:

• all humility

Paul was willing to sacrifice his pride

• with tears

• Paul served with passion not duty

• with trials

• Paul’s service was serious. It cost him.

• He didn’t serve the Lord so he could gain.

Serving faithfully means without reservation, holding nothing back

**What are you holding back from God while claiming to be faithful?

What do you not want to give him because it might change how you view or others view you?

What are you holding back such that the Christian life feels more like going through the motions than a passion with tears?

How far are you willing to (NOT) go?

You can’t follow the One who served you by expecting to be served.

**When you pull those closest to you, can you point to a life that is spent on serving the Lord?**

Would they characterize your life as:

• Humbly serving

• Serving with passion not as religious duty

• Serving even when it hurts.

Be Faithful to speak gospel truth — without hesitation. (20-21)

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.

You couldn’t shut Paul up from talking about Jesus — many of the Jews had tried.

ILLUST - You speak about that which is most important to you.

One child - shoes. Teenage girl - her boyfriend.

For Paul, every conversation pointed back to Jesus!

Paul did not shy away from tough conversations or bold teaching that needed the gospel truth applied to them.

*do you?

If no, the only reasons I can think of would be 1) you don’t know how or 2) Jesus just isn’t that important in your life.

Be Faithful to follow the Spirit — even without the destination. (22-23)

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.

Paul does not know what is next, but he knows he is next to the Spirit.

I guarantee if you find a person whose life is characterized by faithfulness, you will find a person whose life has been marked by clear direction and sometimes redirection of the Holy Spirit.

What is almost shocking is that it seems that Paul is content to NOT know the specifics and details

ILLUST - Needing to drive through a live tank range. I would not have done it if it weren’t for the Army pilot guiding me through.

I learned an important lesson that day — worry less about where you are going and more about who is leading.

“I don't want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know I couldn't be doing this by my own power. I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through. That if He doesn't come through, I am screwed.”

— Francis Chan

Paul is willing to face uncertainty as long as the Spirit was with him and leading him.

• He had seen the Holy Spirit in action.

• The Holy Spirit had filled him and used him.

• Paul was completely given over to the Holy Spirit.

If you are being led by the Spirit and you find yourself in a difficult place or a place of uncertainty you don’t need to worry about what is next, you only need to take the next step with the Spirit.

To be Spirit-led 2 things need to happen:

1. You need to have the Holy Spirit.

This happens when you trust in Jesus

John 14:16–17 ESV

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

2. You need to be walking with the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 ESV

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:25 ESV

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

You can’t expect the Spirit to lead you through the difficult areas of your life if you are not walking with him any other time in your life.

The Holy Spirit is not an Uber you call to get you out of a bad date. He is your date.

** You can’t expect to be led by the Spirit if you are you are not willing or waiting to listen to the Spirit. **

How often do you wait and listen to the Spirit for direction:

in choosing a job

dating

making decisions

spending money

Next verse is most important. We saw the HOW to be faithful but this next verse describes the WHY be faithful.

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.

But - in contrast to all that may happen to me.

I do not account - regard, make

Precious to myself - he does not say it is not precious

“I only want to finish what Jesus gave me to do”

“I don’t care what happens, I only want to be faithful”

For Paul,

Faithfulness is more important than life. (24)

Faithfulness is worth my life

It is more important to be faithful than it is to live

Paul would rather have a shorter life and be faithful than a longer life and NOT be faithful.

ILLUST - Edie?

Paul does NOT say you are not valuable. You are worth the very blood of Jesus!

He says that his life is not precious for himself.

ILLUST - Trying to teach kids the value of a dollar - they have a little money and the spend it on the dumbest items. They spend it on things that won’t last- instant gratification rather than lasting enjoyment.

Faithfulness is worth your life because it IS your life.

It is time that we become a little risky for Jesus.

Risk you life for Jesus, don’t waste you life on yourself

**Don’t be afraid to risk for Jesus.**

What about Jesus’ life or what he called his followers to looked safe?

When do we see the early church driven by ‘good financial sense?’ or by ‘strategic initiatives focused on mitigating constituent loss and promoting congregant growth?’

Instead, the early church

Followed the Spirit fully

Trusted Jesus completely

Accepted ridicule and praised God

They were thrown in prison and sang.

They gave until it hurt

and stayed faithful when it did hurt.

They were martyred

They were missionaries

They were mothers and fathers

They stood up for Jesus

and laid down their lives for him

They shut out their prejudices

and opened their homes to the marginalized

they ate with sinners

and lived like saints

They advanced God’s Kingdom regardless of any earthly king.

They were willing to go anywhere for Jesus

Do anything for Jesus

Because they were servants of Jesus.

When did the Church feel the need become so safe?

Why do we mitigate risk and send others to be missionaries?

Why do we leave Jesus at the church on Sunday so he doesn’t cause us problems on Monday?

Why have we traded the life of the faithful with a life of less faith?

In so doing, I fear we have only found ourselves trading

the miraculous for the mundane,

being Spirit-led for being safe,

faithfulness for religion.

What we find at the end is not “life to the fullest” as Jesus had promised and so we complain that the Christian life is not fulfilling.

But we have not received what Jesus has promised because we have not given TO Jesus what WE have promised. . . everything.

Risking everything for Jesus is the safest place to be.

Sacrificing everything forJesus is the most fulfilling life to live.

And doing so may not mean dying for your faith but it will mean living out your faith.

Your everything may not mean martyrdom,

It may mean godly motherhood

and we are all called to be missionaries.

Risking for Jesus may mean opening:

your wallet to start giving

or your heart to start forgiving,

your house for your neighbors

or your home for an orphan.

Letting the Spirit lead may mean:

walking away from your dreams

or giving up on the American Dream

It may mean:

stepping away from him, her, them, or there.

and following the Spirit, only He knows where

It may not mean quitting your job to be a missionary — but it might.

It doesn’t have to be full-time ministry — but it could

It isn’t guaranteed to be more than you can handle — but it probably will.

It doesn’t need to be something big — but I bet it probably is.

You see,

God hasn’t called us to comfort but to faithfulness

He hasn’t called us to safety but to faithfulness

He hasn’t called us worldly success but to faithfulness

He hasn’t called YOU to (you fill in the blank) but end with faithfulness

And when you do, you will be able to say with Paul:

2 Timothy 4:7–8 ESV

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Faithfulness is more important than life because faithfulness IS life.

Beware of taking the symbol of all that Christ has given for you if you are unwilling to give your all for him.

Faithfulness is not guaranteed; it must be guarded. (25-31)

Faithfulness is from God and will be rewarded. (32-35)

**A word for the unfaithful.**

2 Timothy 2:13 ESV

13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV

9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

(communion)