The Work, The Workers, and The Will of God

Turn to the book of Acts and we're going to be looking at you'll see you'll see this long text there on your screen. That's what I had hoped that you read this week. We send out an email each week with the text that we're going to be looking at on Sunday. And I encourage you to read that before you come because a lot of times that text is more maybe not more than I would want to preach on a Sunday but more than you would want to listen to on a Sunday. So I asked you to read it ahead of time going to be in Acts chapter 20 and 21 today. So I'd ask you to turn there. Right? So you guys you guys are looking at the book of Acts and we're continuing the series as we've just been walking through looking at what God did and understanding that the very same God who did all of these things in the book of Acts is very much still at work. Today is very much still engaged in what's going on with his people and with his World today and so are we looked at a lot of different things? We've looked at Jesus's Ascension. We've looked at the coming of the Holy Spirit. We've looked at the church failing at times. We've looked at the church succeeding at times about the consistent theme throughout has been the gospel going forth has been lives being changed because they've encountered not just the Risen Messiah not just encounter Jesus, but because they've encountered his people right? That's how the gospel moves forward. We can kind of make when we talk about missions. We talk about evangelism. We talked about all of this thing's it kind of becomes abstract. And and we miss that the way God does this is through individuals who are simply faithful to do what he asked them to do. That's what it is. And so you'll see the title of today's message the work the workers and the will of God. I want you to normally don't worry too much about the time but this is this is like literally the outline for my sermon. So I want to make sure you guys get this we're going to look at what is the work that God has given the church to do because we'll see it in Acts, but we need to understand it still operable today. There's this tendency for us to read the Bible and say well that was just what happened. Then we're going to do our own thing that I know that this is what guides us. This is what informs us as to what it is that we're supposed to be doing today who it is that God has appointed to this and what are some characteristics of those who work to build his kingdom and finally we're going to look at what is the will of God For these who work for these workers and for the work that they do before we dive into this text. Would you pray with me?

Got to ask that you would guide us today collectively as we look at your word god guys my words keep me from saying anything that doesn't need to be said help us together to glorify You by not just hearing but by applying this word to our lives and we praise you God because we know that you are capable of doing so much more than we could ask or even imagine God receive the glory from your people. I ask in Jesus name. Amen. In Acts chapter 20, you know what before we get to ask you guys are wondering about this thing, aren't you? Right. All right. So so let me explain his kids. This is what you were helping me. Do all right, you were helping me in a really concrete way teach the adults how simple the idea of what God is doing in the world is how simple it is this thing that he's given us to do. How hard was it kids to pick up a block and set it on the table? How many do that was the hardest thing you had to do all week?

How many of you that was the hardest thing you had to do this morning? Right, I think waking up has got to be the hardest thing to do every morning, right? This was not hard. If each person brought their brick and said it's here where we said that it sometimes we get distracted. We think this work that God is doing in the world that it's it's something that we have to do. All of it ourselves know we just have to do the one little thing that God has done had given us to do this morning in the men's class Lauren talked about how each of us have time and I'm going to mess this up he's going to he's going to watch this and judge me we have time Treasures talents. There's a fourth one anybody remember. God has given us these things and always asks us to do is how can you glorify me and benefit those around you? And in terms that Red Hills is really familiar with how can you take what you have and use it to love God love others and make disciples. The work is super simple almost as simple as setting blocks on a table kids good job. You showed your parents how easy this can beat. It's really simple what God has asked us to do. And then who are we to be? Well, we got to change our identity as Christians to understand that it's not just about getting our get-out-of-jail-free card. But that God has given us a task in our primary identity is as a worker in his kingdom a servant for Christ a slave of Christ Our identity has changed and so the the work the workers and the will of God the will of God. What is it that God wants he is doing something and it is it is Kidz you helped with the illustration but it is bigger than building a wall on a stage what God is doing is nothing less than completely changing all of reality. So that he can have a people. Who will honor him and glorify him forever? That is what God is doing and even now we can begin to do that. We come to the Acts chapter 20 and then Acts chapter 20 and in this is one of those things where I wish I could have kind of preach more this cuz there's some really cool stuff here in the text before this but basically understand it Paul at one point had been persecuting Christians, but now he's preaching Christ to the World by Paul has been going on these missionary journey than and this is kind of the record of his third missionary journey, and he goes throughout the region and he's preaching the gospel and he stays a year-and-a-half here and he stays a couple weeks here and he stays three years here and he's making disciples. That's what he's doing and we get all these stories about the fact that there are others now who are engaged in this work early in this text and in chapter 18, we're introduced to this guy. Nopales and Priscilla and Aquila, we'd met earlier and these guys are are spreading the gospel and Barnabas and Silas and marking and all of these people who are going out with the gospel and saying the people Jesus is King and and that's what's happening. But Paul as was his practice has been going around preaching the gospel and he's getting ready now to shift his Focus. If you will is getting ready to enter a different season of ministry and a church that he had invested a lot in was the church at Ephesus and the church at Ephesus as he is, you know kind of sailing past he calls the leaders of that church and he's going to give them basically his final instructions to them. It's a look with me and Acts chapter 22 start reading in verse 17.

Now from my leaders, he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the church to come to him 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 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 two Greeks of repentance toward God and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold I'm 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 than imprisonment and afflictions await me but I do not account my life of any value Norris 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 and now behold I know that None of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God 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. I know that after my departure Fierce wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock and from among your own selves will arise men speaking Twisted things to draw a way the disciples after them. Therefore be alert remembering that for three years. I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance amongst all those who are Sanctified. I coveted no one silver or gold or apparel you yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who are with me in all things. I've 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 and when he had said these things he knelt down and prayed with them all and there was much weeping on the part of all they embraced fall and kissed him being sorrowful most of all because of the word yet spoken and that they would not see his face again and they accompanied him to the ship.

This is one of the most poignant passages in the New Testament here. We see Paul who's been serving the lord so Faithfully saying this is what the Lord is constraining me to do. Call being Paul can't just say see you guys later. Nopal has to use this as a moment to teach the people. And he doesn't use the words directly, but I think he's teaching them about the work the workers and the will of God. He's teaching them first and foremost about the work that God has given him to do but he's helping them to understand. This is the work that God has for you to do as well. And that work is to make disciples to make disciples and to be disciples. We talked about this at Red Hills a lot we talked about the fact that to be a disciple is is really simple right in in Matthew chapter 28, Jesus gives this commission to the apostles and to the church after then he says go and make disciples and they need to find the disciple is for them a disciple of somebody who's been baptized in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. And the disciple is somebody who's been taught and is seeking to obey all that Jesus commanded. That's what a disciple is the work for Paul. Is that work for the church at Ephesus and church? It's our work today to to make disciples and be disciples. How do we do that? Well, Paul kind of walk them through and walks us through how he did his first officer's understand this if you were going to be disciples who make disciples you have to start by not trying to focus on disciples. You start by focusing on the Lord. You start by serving Christ. Look at verse 19 verse 19 serving the Lord with all humility and Tears by Paul says, look at my Ministry. You see me ministering to a ton of different people. You see me being disciple and making disciples, but first and foremost My Eyes Are Fixed On Christ. I'm not looking at the numbers. I'm not looking at the individuals first I get there. But first and foremost I'm serving Christ. Churches of thing people will always disappoint you. People will always disappoint. You people are difficult. Right as the saying goes Church would be all right if it wasn't for all the people. Right, it's hard to live in relationship with one another. It's hard to make disciples when I'm a sinner and there is sinner. It's hard to make disciples. But if we start by not focusing on how hard it is, we start by not focusing on the challenges we start by saying okay Jesus. This is about you. From start to finish and I'm just going to do what you tell me to do all of a sudden. We have a new perspective. Do we have a new way of looking at the tasks that God has given his at the work that he's had for us to do we start by serving the lord and focusing our attention on him. People will always disappoint you Jesus never does. Jesus never does and if you say I'm going to go serve these people. Eventually your Sparks going to run out. If you say I'm going to fix this problem.

You going to be exceedingly disappointed when it doesn't happen, but if you just set out and fade my goal. In the work that God has given me is ultimately to serve Christ. He will fill you for that work. He will sustain you in the midst of the difficult Seasons. So so you start out with your eyes focused on Christ. Even as you're saying I want to make the seiples you're focusing on price and saying No, this is ultimately serving the lord but the next thing you got to do is you've got to open your mouth. You've got to declare the gospel. Look at verse 20. I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable teaching you in public in from house to house testifying both the Jews and Greeks of repentance towards God and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Look, when was the last time that any of you? Turned in a Christian so that they could be put in jail.

When was the last time you left your home with the intent of going to a church and dragging people out into the street for them to be mocked and locked up? All right, good weed establish the Baseline Paul could do those things and turn around and say now I'm preaching this gospel. If you have not gone so far as to do that great your got a head start on the Apostle Paul. You can preach the gospel with less hindrance than Paul had Paul had to overcome his personal history. If you remember back when we first met in the disciples didn't want to believe that he had actually changed. They didn't want to believe that this guy who'd been persecuting and was now preaching the gospel. You don't have that to overcome. You don't have that history behind you. You have nothing but this opportunity to testify both to Jews and Greeks or to Baptists and Mormons. or to Oil Workers in Bank workers or did whoever you run across testifying of repentance toward God and a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because if the work is making disciples we keep our eyes on Jesus. And the thing we declare is the gospel. We're not declaring an alternative morality. We're not declaring a list of do's and don'ts we're not declaring faith in a book. We're declaring Jesus. Cuz her eyes are fixed on him and we know that there is no other name given among men by which we may be safe. So we testify to the gospel. We declare repentance and we declare faith in Christ. And we do so obeying the spirits we doso obeying the street looking for 22 Now Behold. I'm going to Jerusalem constrained by the spirit not knowing what will happen to me. Their paws experience is your experience. Paul's experience is your experience. It's my experience has every person who has ever experienced the indwelling presence of the spirit of God when we have that compulsion to speak the truth of Christ. to our neighbor to a co-worker We are experiencing this note that just as Paul doesn't know. What lays ahead of him? We don't know what lays ahead of us the kids when they got up here to to build this while they didn't know what I was doing. I didn't go to anybody ahead of time and in prime the pump so to speak. They just knew this is what they they come forward get a brick and and put it on the table. Jesus is not telling you go and save people. No, I ain't going to testify to people they're responsible for their decision. You're responsible for the proclamation. So we go under the compulsion of the spirit not knowing the outcome not knowing the end result. How terrifying is it to not know where you're going even as you said out? Play some of us live here though. Summerfest walk out the door in like Where was he going? You walk into the room.

Christian you don't have to ask that guy. I mean like if you're looking for something at your house, you have to ask that question, but when it comes to this work of making disciples, you don't have to wonder what the spirit of God is compelling me. I don't know how it's going to turn out. Yeah, but you know what you're supposed to do. And that's enough we want certain see we so demands certain see from this life and God says to us know. Because when we are comfortable and when we aren't scared, that's the point at which we stop depending on the spirit if we have all the answers if we are capable of doing what everything needs to be doing. And we don't need him. And I would submit to Christian. There's no place scarier to be. And to be in a place where you don't need. The one who scripture says is upholding All Things by the power of His word. And so it's going to be uncomfortable. You might not know how it turns out. You're just being called to the work keep your eyes on Jesus preach the gospel depend on the power of the spirit to defend the faith to not just declare the gospel, but also to defend the face whenever Paul is talking here to the leaders of the church. He's talking to these people and he says look at verse 27, I did not shrink from declaring to the whole counsel of God pay careful attention to yourselves into all the flock in which the Holy Spirit made you overseers to care for the Church of God, which she obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure Fierce wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock and from among your own selves will arise men speaking Twisted things to draw way disciples after them there for be alert remembering that for three years. I did not see Snyder day to admonish everyone with tears. This is not an easy task. Because not only are we supposed to be going out and making disciples, but we're supposed to be creating this Fellowship.

The furthers that work we're supposed to be United together in doing this thing in demonstrating to the world. This is what it means to own Christ as king. That's what we're doing here. You guys thought you were here to hear an inspirational speech listen to a little bit of good music get some Goosebumps get topped off and head back out on your week know this is something entirely different. This is not a Sunday performance. And if it is it's not worth doing. I'm sorry, you guys have better things to do with your time if we're just showing perpetuating a show. We're missing something vital. Because God has said no this right here. This Gathering of the Saints is how I am going to demonstrate to the world. The reality that my son is King. This Gathering is meant to point people to Jesus people talk about how you know, Jesus, you know, you don't see Jesus and all of this stuff and he laughed and and how can this really be true? They're meant to see it in the church the body of Christ. Right if you want to know how well I ate over Thanksgiving. You just have to look at my body, right? If you want to know how much I exercise you just have to spend a little time on a trail with me and listen to me wheezing.

if people want to know Jesus they ought to be able to see us if they are. That's what Jesus looks like, which means what we're doing together is vital and it means that we have to be careful with what we do with this gathering with these things. Right Paul says, there's going to be dangerous from outside. There's going to be dangerous from inside. How do you recognize them? How do you protect against them? How in the world are you going to do this? carefully according to the word of God and with the discernment of the Holy Spirit Search God's intent for you has always been the same that you. Would look like Jesus. That is so important so vital that if in any points you are tempted to stop looking like Jesus.

It is essential. Did you guys guard against that it is essential that you say? No, this is what we're about. This is what we are to do. We are defending the work of God in this world. And it's the work of God has seen right here. And this work?

Is never finished? This work is never done. Until Jesus comes back. The church is a work in progress. Until Jesus comes back. It is essential to defend the Faith from threats from inside and from threats from outside until Jesus comes back is essential to let the spirit lead the people of God until Jesus comes back. It is essential to testify to the truth of the Gospel. Until Jesus comes back. It's essential that we keep our eyes on him. So that we don't miss him when he comes the work is making disciples. We do that by keeping our eyes on Jesus by declaring the gospel by obeying the Spirit by defending the faith and by recognizing we're not done until he's here. But the workers let's talk about the workers for a second. If the work is so vital if the work is the last commission that Jesus gave his church before he ascended if that work is so vital. What are the workers supposed to be? How are they supposed to look? I already gave you the answer like Jesus. Like these people talk about how difficult it is to understand the Bible. Look I get it. There's some really confusing stuff in there. But you cannot read the Gospels. And be introduced to this King Jesus. And not come away drawn to him and not come away and say wow. That's amazing. That's what I want. And that's by Design. God gives us Jesus because we cannot fix what's wrong with us ourselves. God gives us Jesus because the world is broken and so are we God gives us Jesus to do what we couldn't do. None of us could make ourselves right with God. You can't work hard enough. You can't do enough good things to please God. You can't get back into his good graces because you sending you rebelled against his authority. Any moment that you said, I know this is what's right and yet I'm going to do this other thing that I want to do that is rebellion against God and you can't fix it. God sent Jesus to do that. God sent Jesus to live the perfect life. You couldn't live God sent Jesus to take the punishment that you could not take without ceasing to be.

And Jesus took it that we didn't deserve it and God raised him from the dead to prove. But he didn't deserve it and to give us this hope if we will submit ourselves to Christ if we will stand underneath him. The wrath of God will not reach us and we will be saved. That's why Jesus came, but that's not the only reason Jesus came. Jesus also came to show us what it was that God intended for Humanity to show us the kind of life that God wanted from his people and we don't get to that life by being good enough. We get to that life by throwing ourselves on the mercy of God and sing. Jesus change me. We want to look like Jesus in order to make disciples who you guessed. It look like Jesus. Paul says follow me as I follow Christ. Why does he say that?

Because people can't see Christ. They can see him. They have to know which way to go some of my favorites places to hike to in southern, Utah. Occur after the Trail Ends, right? And I'm sure that I probably shouldn't admit to this on Facebook live. I'm sure that's like they intend when they put those signs of the end of trail. I think they mean we're supposed to stop and turn around not always the best at following those and there's a really cool stuff if you go beyond the end of the trail, but that's also where you get lost. That's also why my wife says to me make sure you take somebody with you this time. She worries about me. Why because I've never been there and there's no Trail. Too many of us. That's what following Christ is like we read the gospels and we see Jesus when I don't know how to get there from where I'm at. but that's not how God designed. He didn't design it say here's Jesus this perfect one. Now you go be perfect like him know. He said he was Jesus the perfect one and he's begun changing. This guy's life want to go learn from him for a bit used again changing. This lady's life. Why don't you go sit down and then spend some time with her and that's where we need each other to come together. And to say follow me as I follow Christ and when I get off the trail, I'm going to turn around and follow you back to Christ. This is not like some Christians are better than others. Nobody just got to follow them know. This is a mutual thing. Sometimes you're on the trail and I need to follow you sometimes I'm on the trail. You need to follow me, but we're all going towards Jesus. The workers are meant to look like Jesus in order to make disciples who look like Jesus. What did Jesus look like?

Was Jesus humble?

was Jesus obedience Was Jesus self-sacrificing? Was Jesus loving? Was Jesus focused on his desires or on God's desires? Was Jesus focused on the needs of others or his own preferences?

We know these answers, right? We know this we can look at the gospel and we can see this we need each other to be reminded of what it is that we're trying to do. We need it to be the kind of workers that God intends for us to be we need the example of Christ and the example of one another. Church do not try to live the Christian Life by yourself. Do not try. You can't you see the disclaimer, you know on the on the videos do not try this at home. No, no. No, that's not that's not what applies in this case. This is what you try at home. This is what you try in your Gathering. Look at Jesus. Look at those who are seeking him and together say that's where we're going. That's the humble obedient sacrificial Kingdom Focus others focused self-sacrificing loving. These are the kind of ideas that we need to hold up and enshrine. These are the things that we need to say. This is what we want to see from one another. This is our goal to obey Jesus together. Those are that's kind of workers that we want to be. What is the will of God? What is the will of God as this work is going out. He says I Want You To Go, Make Disciples. And these are what I want you to do. This is the kind of workers that I'm looking for. What is the will of God with the will of God is that the kingdom of God? Woodrow The will of God, is it the kingdom of God would grow. Independence of any one person Look at verse 32. Verse 32 now, this is Paul again speaking to the elders from Ephesus. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance amongst those who are sanctified. Paul tells them look you're not going to see me again. But that's okay. Because God's desire for you is not to have me around God's desire for you is to grow and to be built up. And to receive the inheritance God's desire is for his people to grow. I commend you to God to the word of his grace which is able to build you up to give you an inheritance among those who are Sanctified the will of God is for his kingdom to grow the will of God has for his churches to grow the will of God is for his people to grow. We do not grow. except by the grace of God and except in the way that God desires the will of God is for his people to grow in displaying the gospel. and in glorifying him and finally Is for his people to be Unified? It's for his people to be United. That's the will of God in all throughout the Book of Acts. We see these moments of unity in the life of the church and all the disciples were together in one Accord and not the Honda kind either, right? They were together. They were unified. They were living life together. They were doing what God had commanded them to do together.

And then we go on and we see these moments of just in sweet Fellowship in the Saints and then is the gospel expands to the Jews and to the Gentiles. We see them coming together these people who have been so far apart before Christ God's bringing together people from different nationalities people with different languages people with different political views people with different ideas about society and what the best way to do that is people who have entirely different cultural backgrounds people have different amount of money in the bank. God brings them all together. He says in Christ now regardless of all of these individual differences. You're not one. Search the will of God is for these disciples who are displaying the gospel and glorifying God to be United. Look at look at 20. In verse 36 through 38 when it said these things he knelt down and prayed with them all there was much weeping. They embraced him and kiss him being sorrowful because of the word he'd spoken that they would not see his face again and they accompanied him to the ship. This is the church acknowledging the difficulty. That is the message that Paul is brought. The saying we're in it together. And this goes on in to chapter 21 in chapter 21 Paul is visiting with different churches that he's been with before and as he goes through they gather together and we see in verse 5, for example of 21 when our days there were ended we departed went on a journey and they all with wives and children to come penis until we're out of City kneeling down on the beach. We prayed said farewell to one another then we went on board the ship returned home. They don't see this.

As the destruction of the unity they see this is an expression of the unity.

Goes on and we read that Paul is going to go to Jerusalem the prophet speaks to me and says you're going to be bound. You going to be handed over.

And what do they do? They pray with him and agree together. Whatever the Lord Wills. They're United because they've got something bigger envisioned their United because they recognize that the work is making disciples and they recognize that the workers are supposed to look like Jesus and they recognize that the will of God is for them all to grow in those things. And to be United as they do it.