Authentic: Faithfulness
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
JUNIOR CHURCH DISMISSED
Good morning again. Thank you all for coming out to the celebration of Liberty Baptist’s 40th anniversary and open house service.
The church was started in the gymnasium of a school in 1979 and built this building in 1990. The building was dedicated on October 7th 1990. So we are a day away from this property being 30 years old.
In the many years Liberty has been here God has been faithful to provide during difficulties. The church paid off the mortgage on this property in 2010. 10/10/10 if I was told correctly.
This year I was honored and privileged to be called as the 5th pastor of Liberty in its 40 year existence.
God has already allowed us to do some great things and we are looking to do much more in the future. Here at Liberty “we strive to connect people to God while growing together in Him, causing us to serve one another while we share the gospel with those around us.”
All of that can be summed up in three words. Engage, Equip, Empower. We will Engage the community with the gospel, Equip Christians with gospel centered teaching, and Empower Believers to live out the gospel in their lives.
We strive to connect people to God while growing together in Him,
With that said I’d like for you to open your Bibles to .
causing us to serve one another while we share the gospel with those around us.
God has been faithful to the people of Liberty Baptist over the last 40 years and they have been faithful to Him. Today I want us to focus on the future and our faithfulness to the Lord in the days, months, and years ahead.
Being faithful to the Lord has eternal benefits but it also has practical, in the moment benefits. Living a life faithful to the Lord will not lead to great health and great wealth, but it will lead to contentment, joy, and peace.
You could be here this morning and going through a difficult situation. There could be someone here struggling with their faith. You may be here for the free food and have no faith at all.
This morning we are going to explore the text and see how Paul remained faithful and then draw some practical principles for our own faithfulness.
Follow along with me as I read,
And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them,
Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
PRAY
The Apostle Paul is on his third and final missionary journey and has arrived in a city by the name of Miletus. Miletus was a city of considerable size and importance.
From Miletus Paul summoned the elders of Ephesus to him.He had planted the church at Ephesus early in this same book. The account we just read is Paul unloading his soul onto the elders. It is a testimony of faithfulness. It’s a message of encouragement. He describes three characteristics of himself that have kept him faithful through his tumultuous life that they and we should seek to adopt.
If you like to take notes you can do so on the back of your bulletins and follow along as I preach this morning. Notice the first characteristic of Paul, he was bound with compassion.
I. Bound by Compassion
I. Bound by Compassion
And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
Acts 20:
Paul’s focus in this passage shows us that he was burdened for People.
A. He was burdened for people
A. He was burdened for people
We can often go through our days and see those around us as irritations. Things in our way keeping us from getting what we want done as fast as we want it done.
This wasn’t Paul. Paul didn’t see people as irritations he saw them as living souls, just as Christ did.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Paul didn’t see people based upon skin color, political affiliation, religious background, or anything else. He saw them for the living soul that Jesus gave His life for on the cross so that they might be saved.
When we have something on our heart, whether a victory of defeat, we talk about it. We tell people.
Just a few chapters earlier we see how this burden compelled Paul to tell others of Jesus.
And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
There are people walking around everyday that need to hear the message of Jesus. It’s when we get a burden for people that we will be compelled to witness.
Paul was not just compelled, he was bound to witness.
B. He was bound to witness
B. He was bound to witness
The text says he was pressed in the spirit. The word pressed there is translated from a greek word that means “to constrain, to hold” Paul was taken hold by the Holy Spirit of God to the point he had to share the message of the gospel with the jews.
When we have something on our heart, whether a victory of defeat, we talk about it. We tell people.
There are people walking around everyday that need to hear the message of Jesus. It’s when we get a burden for people that we will be compelled to witness.
The verb
And he didn’t just share part of the message of the gospel He shared the whole message. In verse 20 of our text you’ll see the expression “kept back.” The writer of the book of Acts, Luke, was a doctor and this expression is from his medical background. The greek word that translates into this is “Hupostello” and describes withholding food from patients.
Paul did not pull punches, he told the truth and the whole truth whether the person would like it or not.
He told of the love of Christ and how died for their sins, just as He died for our sins. He also told them that they were sinners and how Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the father except by me.”
He made sure they knew that while all roads may lead to Rome, they do not lead to Heaven. Paul writing to this same group of people in Ephesus reminds them of this truth
B. He was bound to witness.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Many people are trying to do good works in order to get to Heaven. They are giving, they are getting baptized, they are serving, they are saying prayers, and yet it is all for naught if they don’t have faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross.
It’s by God’s grace that we are saved by faith in the gospel. The gospel is simply the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as described in
Paul’s compassion came from his faith in the gospel and it’s transforming power in his own life.
For those that might not be familiar with the life of the Apostle Paul, you should know who he was before he got saved.
Paul was a man that was highly educated and respected in the Jewish community. He was a rabbi, a pharisee, and a murderer. After the resurrection of Christ he was the primary persecutor of the disciples of Christ in Jerusalem.
It was on the road from Jerusalem to a town called Damascus that Jesus revealed himself to Paul, who at the time was named Saul of Tarsus, and blinded him.
Long story short, Paul got his sight back and stopped persecuting Christians. He became one of them and even more, he became the Apostle to the Gentiles. A gentile is anyone that is not a Jew.
When we place our faith in the gospel our lives can be transformed. Might not happen overnight but as we follow the Lord and seek to know Him and live for Him, you life can be turned around just like Paul’s. Paul was a murderer and God changed his heart. No matter what you’ve done or who you are, He can work in your life as well if you will put your faith in Him.
After such a drastic life change you can expect that Paul would face some trouble. He went from murdering Christians to being one. To those that followed him when he was killing Christians he had turned his back on the Jewish faith, which he had, and now deserved the same fate.
But we can see that Paul remained faithful to the Lord.
And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
He is leaving them to go back to Jerusalem as the Holy Spirit guides him not knowing what is going to happen to Him.
We see the next characteristic of faithfulness here. We are to be bold in tribulation.
II. Bold in Tribulation
II. Bold in Tribulation
There are some guarantees we have in this life we are going to be faithful to the Lord. It’s not health and wealth. It’s not a smooth life that doesn’t have problems.
Jesus said in
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Paul knew this and He anticipated trials.
A. He anticipated trials
A. He anticipated trials
Look at verse 22 again “…not knowing the things that shall befall me there.”
He would go on to write later in his life to a young man by the name of Timothy
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
He learned this because of his life. Paul was accustomed to trials and tribulation
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Whipped, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked in the sea for a day and night, robbed, lies told about him, hunger, thirst, weariness, and pain.
Trials is a word Paul could have used as a theme for his life. The Apostle Paul had a faith that God used to spread the message of the gospel and plant churches in a time when the belief in Jesus and the gospel was being punished with death.
Paul endured trials don’t you think it’s reasonable to assume we will too. Is it because we don’t have faith? No.
The more we exercise our faith in Jesus, in His Word, the more trials we will have. The question that Christians should ask themselves is “Am I suffering trials or tribulations because of my faith in Christ?” If not, might I remind us all of what Paul said “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL suffer persecution.”
Are we living godly lives in Christ? If so, Paul said there will be trials.
When Paul went through these trials he knew he remained faithful.
B. He endured testing
B. He endured testing
Look at verse 23
Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
The Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, was with him in every city that he faced bonds and afflictions. The same Holy Spirit that indwells each believer when we trust in Jesus as our Savior.
When we place our faith in Christ as our only hope for Heaven. When we know that we can’t work our way to heaven. When we see that our good never outweighs our bad. When we understand what the Bible says when it describes our righteousness as filthy rags.
When we understand the power of the gospel in our lives and make the decision, by faith, to trust only in Christ to save us, we have access to the same Holy Spirit Paul had access to and can endure the testing of our faith just as Paul did as we rely upon Jesus to get us through.
Peter wrote
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
We can either allow trials to shake our faith or we can have an authentic faithfulness to endure.
I recently read about Missinaries Martin and Gracia Burham. It was on May 27, 2001, Missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham were taken captive by Muslim terrorists and held hostage for over a year. On June 7, 2002, Martin was shot and killed during the rescue attempt. Gracia was wounded as well, but she survived and was freed. Later, she shared some of her questions and struggles regarding the Lord’s goodness and His allowing suffering in our lives.
“Sometimes I wonder, Why did Martin die when everyone was praying he wouldn’t? Why does Scripture lead you to believe that if you pray a certain way, you’ll get what you pray for? People all over the world were praying that we’d both get out alive, but we didn’t….I used to have this concept of what God is like, and how life’s supposed to be because of that. But in the jungle, I learned I don’t know as much about God as I thought I did….What I do know is that God is God—and I’m not. The world’s in a mess because of sin, not God. Some awful things may happen to me, but God does what is right. And He makes good out of bad situations.”
Through our trials we may have questions but when we take those questions to the Lord, we deepen our faith.
Excerpt From: Paul Chappell. “Real Church Curriculum (Teacher Edition).” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/real-church-curriculum-teacher-edition/id619923135
This is the secret to remaining faithful. This is the secret to getting through the tough times. If you missed everything else or went to sleep nows the time to wake up.
The secret to faithfulness is dependance upon the Lord.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
When we think highly of ourselves we are thinking low of God. Forgetting that we are not self made men and women. It is God that gave us the talents and abilities that we have.
It’s through Him we will be able to endure.
Paul endured great trials and anticipated continued testings. But he was bold in his tribulations because he knew that he had a message worth suffering for.
Paul kept his sights—not on his suffering—but on the finish line.
Excerpt From: Paul Chappell. “Real Church Curriculum (Teacher Edition).” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/real-church-curriculum-teacher-edition/id619923135
He was burdened to Finish.
III. Burdened to Finish
III. Burdened to Finish
No one wants to be a quitter. You’ve never heard someone say that on their tombstone they want written “the one who quit.”
For Christians it is our desire to endure until the end and hear those words “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
In our text we find 4 different admonitions from Paul as the practical means we can learn and employ to remain faithful and finish well.
And it doesn’t matter where you are in your christian journey. Whether you have been saved for decades, struggling with your faith
The first admonish is to not overvalue self.
A. Do not overvalue self
A. Do not overvalue self
This can be done in two different extremes. We either elevate or depreciate ourselves to the point we make ourselves unusable for the Lord.
Sometimes this is expressed when we feel slighted because others didn’t treat us fairly. Sometimes it’s expressed when we feel we haven’t accomplished enough or that we are unworthy.
Paul had a view of himself that is convicting. He didn’t count his life worth anything. He had given it wholly over to the Lord.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Excerpt From: Paul Chappell. “Real Church Curriculum (Teacher Edition).” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/real-church-curriculum-teacher-edition/id619923135
In a day when self promotion, self thought, and self esteem, we struggle with giving ourselves wholly over to the Lord. We have become so self conscious and self aware that we have forgot to be conscious of the Lord and aware of His presence.
If we are going to remain faithful to the Lord and live life that is honoring to him, we must keep our focus on Him.
There will be good times and hard times living a life for Jesus. Our goal through both of those is that we should know Christ better and accomplish his purposes more effectively.
Do not Overvalue self and Rely on the Holy Spirit.
B. Rely on the Holy Spirit
B. Rely on the Holy Spirit
Paul relied on the Holy Spirit to speak to the hearts of the people as he preached. He did not rely on himself to accomplish the life God had given him to live, he trusted God Himself to do that.
What does it practically look like to rely on the Holy Spirit ? How does the Holy Spirit speak to us?
Practically, I believe, relying on the Holy Spirit is best done through having a prayer life. Having a time each day and before each decision to speak to God and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, wisdom, and peace.
Then be quite and pay attention to the thoughts He gives you. Then obey what he impresses upon your heart.
Then we must value the service of Christ
C. Value the service of Christ
C. Value the service of Christ
When we life our lives for something greater than ourselves we can endure and remain faithful to the purpose that God has called us to.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
“the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of grace of God.”
The ministry, the service, that we have all been called into is one of telling others about Jesus. To testify of Him and tell others about Him is what we have been saved to do on this earth.
Your ministry or area of service may not be that of pastoring or being a missionary but you have the privilege of being called to live for something greater than a paycheck. Whether on the job or at a sporting event, we have been called to be witnesses and ministers of the grace of God.
Knowing the importance of the gospel, of the life giving and life changing message that has been entrusted to our care, helps us to remain faithful and not quit.
Too much is at stake to quit.
Remaining faithful to the Lord is about not overvaluing self, relying on the Holy Spirit, and valuing the service we have in Christ.
The last admonition and I’ll be done, is to decide to finish with joy.
D. Decide to finish with joy
D. Decide to finish with joy
The end of verse 24 says “so that I might finish my course with joy.”
Ever met someone who was faithful to church and to the Lord in the life but was grumpy and difficult to be around?
Excerpt From: Paul Chappell. “Real Church Curriculum (Teacher Edition).” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/real-church-curriculum-teacher-edition/id619923135
Ever met someone who served the Lord with gladness and joy?
There is a difference between the two. To remain faithful and glorify God we must be careful not to get to a place in life where we are here but we aren’t happy about it.
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
says “the joy of the Lord is your strength”
It’s the joy we find in service tot he Lord that provides us the strength to keep going.
If you are serving the Lord for recognition or admiration, your in it for the wrong reasons.
Admiration fades, happiness is fleeting, but joy. Joy is something that comes from God based on us finding our identity in the gospel of Jesus.
If we as Christians are to one day hear the words “well done” from Jesus we must learn from Paul to not overvalue self, to rely on the Holy Spirit, to value the service of Christ, and to run our race with the joy of the Lord.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Remaining faithful to the Lord and living a life glorifying to Him begins with first knowing Him.
If you are here this morning and haven’t trusted Jesus as your savior I’d like to give you the opportunity to.
We are going to transition into a time where we like to take a few moments and respond to the message we just heard.
With every head bowed and eye closed I’d like to ask you a couple questions this morning.
The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Getting through life and the difficulties and trials that you face is not easy. Knowing God and knowing He loves you makes it more bearable though.
That all starts with knowing for sure your are saved.
The Bible says in
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
If you just trusted Jesus as your savior would you raise your hand?
,
Christians, are being faithful? You know Jesus, you’ve been saved for years. but have you been faithful to the calling God has on your life?
Have you relied on the Holy Spirit or have you been doing things on your own? Are you carrying burdens that need to be given to Christ?
This morning I want you to take a moment and respond in your seats however the holy Spirit would lead you to. Make a commitment to remain faithful and ask god to show you how.
PRAY
Connection Card
Announcements
Offering
Dismissal Instructions
Guests served first
Suggest exiting through both stairwells, line should run around room exiting outside or back into the room
Guests, please don’t feel obligated to give. For those who attend here, we are asking for $5 donation per person and no more than $20 per family. A box is available for that downstairs.
If you didn’t bring cash or can’t give that, go ahead and eat. It’s a donation not a requirement. If you feel you should give more, go right ahead.
Pray and dismiss.