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Introduction:
Introduction:
I want to welcome you again this morning.
First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today. I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.
I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.
Over the past couple of years we’ve been doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written by a First Century disciple named Luke who wrote it for a couple of reasons:
First, to give us a history of how the church started, who was there, and the circumstances that surrounded it.
Second, in a way, to give us a template on how to accomplish the mission that Jesus gave us to take the gospel to the entire world.
With that said, if you haven’t been with us I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life or to our Facebook page where you can watch previous messages.
Today however we are picking back up in Acts 20 as the Apostle Paul continues his Spirit led journey towards Jerusalem. A journey that will eventually take him to Rome. And a journey that, according to Church history, will ultimately lead to his death.
And as we learned last week, it’s going to be a challenging journey as along the way Paul will face ongoing persecution, assassination attempts on his life, a sea voyage that will end in shipwreck, and then eventually his arrival in Rome where he will be imprisoned as he awaits to go before Caesar.
That being the case, Paul has necessary safeguards in place that will ensure he reaches his destination.
Last week we talked about those safeguards, and their importance not only in Paul’s life, but our lives as well. Because like Paul we too are on a journey. A journey of faith so to speak as we journey towards the plans and purposes that God has for us.
So, what are the safeguards?
The first was the safeguard of Christian friendship. In other words, if we’re going to make the journey, we can’t do it alone. We need other Christians to journey with us. Believers of like faith who will be there to encourage us when the path gets rough, challenge us when we are tempted to leave the path, and protect us when the enemy comes after us.
Second we need to be spiritually awake. In other words, we need to make sure we’re not so focused on the world and its desire that we lose sight of God’s plan and purpose in our life. Paul puts it like this:
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
And Jesus puts it like this:
34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Jesus says, “Stay awake”.
Finally, we need to make sure we are allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, direct, and redirect us on our journey. That fact is, if the Holy Spirit isn’t leading us, then inevitably we are going to take a wrong turn, miss an exit, or get lost.
Which means, if we want to be Spirit led, we need to be praying and in the Word on a daily basis allowing the Holy Spirit to guide, direct, and if necessary redirect us.
So, if you missed last week, I would encourage you to go online and watch or listen to the message, because if we’re going to accomplish God’s plan and purposes in our lives, we need these safeguards in place.
That being said, we are moving to a new focus today as Paul continues his journey towards Jerusalem. Picking up in verse 16 Luke writes:
16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
Luke says Paul is hurrying to reach Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost, which was an important Jewish feast. And Luke says he’s in such a hurry that he forgoes visiting the church in Ephesus.
However, while Paul is in a hurry to get back to Jerusalem, along the way he is going to make a couple of pitstops, one of which he will make in our passage today as he pauses in the Greek city of Miletus.
So, why does Paul stop in the city of Miletus?
We’ll get to that in a moment. But before we do I want to take a moment and build some framework for what what Luke is about to introduce us to in this next section of scripture. And to do that I want to ask you a question.
Question - Have you ever been in a situation where you had to give what you thought could or would be a final goodbye to a friend, family member, or loved one?
And when I say final goodbye, I’m talking about a number of different scenarios.
For example, maybe you had a friend who was moving out of state, and you knew outside of some texts or email correspondence, the chances of crossing paths with them was probably slim.
Or maybe you had a loved one in the military, and with each deployment you knew this could be the final goodbye?
Or maybe you had a family member or friend in their final stages of life, and you knew with each visit to the hospital, this could be the final goodbye.
Or, maybe one we can all relate with, maybe you had a friend or family member that suddenly passed away, and so you attended their funeral knowing this would be an opportunity to give your final goodbye.
The truth is we’ve probably all been in one of those situations.
So, let me ask you this. When you were saying your final goodbye, what were some of the things you said?
Well, it probably depended on the scenario, right?
For instance, if it was a friend moving out of state, you might have let them know how much you appreciated their friendship and how much they meant to you. With that there might have been some hugs, a few tears, and then that final farewell.
Or if you had a loved one deploying over seas, you might have taken that opportunity to let them know how much you love them, while at the same time assuring them everything would be ok in their absence.
Or if it was a loved one in the final moments of life, you might have taken the opportunity to share how much they’ve meant to you. How much you’re going to miss them, and what an impact they had had on your life. It might even be a moment where they share some final thoughts with you as well.
For example, years ago when my grandfather passed away, he brought my dad and each of his siblings into his hospital room one by one where he proceeded to give each of them some final words of instruction for their life. An emotional moment as you can imagine.
But I think the one we can all relate with is the sudden loss of a friend or family member. Which I would say represents one of the hardest goodbyes we must make.
A final goodbye that involves a number of emotion and tears.
A goodbye that causes us to recount the impact that person had on our life and the lives of others.
A goodbye that highlights their life time accomplishments.
A goodbye that defines their character and who they were.
A goodbye that honors their life and inspires us to live our lives in a similar fashion.
A goodbye that might even be full of some shame and regret as we consider the conversations we wish would would have had and the time we wish we would have spent.
A final goodbye that places them ultimately in the hands of eternity.
I don’t know about you, but for me those are the hardest goodbyes.
Now, you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, that’s heavy. Thanks for dredging up some painful moments from my past. Not sure I’m glad I came to church or not.”
Listen, I’m not trying to dampen your spirits this morning. What I am trying to do though is set the mood and tone for where Luke is taking us.
Because as we come back to Acts 20 today, we come to a final goodbye and an emotional moment as Paul says goodbye to a group of people he deeply cared for.
And like the goodbyes we’ve just highlighted, Paul’s goodbye will encompass a number of different focuses that we are going to look at over the next few weeks.
First it will involve what you might call a retrospect as Paul reviews and recounts his past relationship, position, and behavior with this group.
Second, it will involve what you might call a prospect as Paul looks to the future and what he believes is to come and the challenges that he will face.
Third, it will involve a testament as Paul gives final direction and words of warning to those he is leaving behind.
Finally, it will conclude with a blessing as Paul issues his final hopes and wishes for this group as he commends them to God and says his final goodbye.
In addition to that, this final goodbye from Paul to this group represents what you might call a model.
In other words, as Paul gives this final goodbye speech, it’s a speech that is meant to challenge and encourage them to replicate the life that he has lived, is living, and will live.
So, in a way, it’s similar to a speech we might hear somebody give at a funeral as they recount the positive aspects of the deceased persons life, and then challenge others to live their life in a similar fashion. However, in this case, Paul is giving the speech about himself.
Now, I know that might sound a little egotistical on Paul’s part, but this kind of speech was common in the first century, and it’s purpose wasn’t meant to elevate the individual as much as it was to elevate the manor of life that they were committed to living.
It’s exactly what Paul was doing in 1 Corinthians 10 when he admonished the Corinthians to live a life worthy of their faith by using himself as an example. He writes:
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
In this passage Paul basically says, “If you want to live the kind of life God has called you too, Follow Jesus like I follow Jesus”.
In other words, if you need an example of what this looks like, then look at me because I’m fully committed to living in this way.
Now, in saying that does Paul mean to say he’s perfect? Of course not. What he’s saying is, as a committed Christian, let me be an example of what this looks like.
Which quite honestly, is what all of us should strive to be able to say to others as well. But in order to do that, we have to be committed at the same level of commitment that Paul was.
So, what does that look like?
That’s what we are going to discover as we walk through this passage over the next few weeks. Because for the next several verses this is what Paul is doing, but to a much greater extent as he’s challenging these believers to model their life off of a specific pattern, mainly his.
That being the case, we aren’t going to tackle the entirety of Paul’s speech today. Instead, today and next week we are just going to focus on the introduction. An introduction that will set the framework for what our lives as Christians should look like.
So, with that as our basis, let’s jump back into Acts 20 and find out why Paul has stopped and who he’s stopped to talk too. Beginning in verse 17 Luke writes:
17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.
Let’s stop there for a moment, because in this opening statement Luke tells us who Paul is meeting with, and Luke says it’s the elders of the church in Ephesus. So, why them?
Well, as we’ve learned, Paul had a deep love for the church in Ephesus and had spent nearly three years there planting and growing that church which great success.
But some time has passed now, and while Paul would have liked to visit Ephesus once more term, as we learned a moment ago, he’s in a hurry to get back to Jerusalem, and he doesn’t have time too stop. So instead he sends for the Elders at Ephesus to meet him in Miletus so that he can see them one final time.
Which leads us to what Paul had to say to him, because once they arrive Luke says Paul begins his speech with the following words:
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.
Paul begins his speech to the Ephesian elders by referencing the first time he met them, from the first day he set foot in Asia. And then from there he highlights what his attitude, witness, and interaction with them entailed.
Why is this important? It’s important because it’s a model of what it looks like to walk the journey of faith while at the same time leading people to Jesus.
Because when Paul entered Asia, he was setting foot in unfriendly territory. And how he acted, what he said, and how he treated them would largely determine their acceptance of the gospel.
And so by referencing this, Paul is reminding the Ephesian Elders of what his conduct entailed.
Why is this important for us? It’s important because as we walk the journey of faith, how we act, what we say, and how we treat people will largely determine how effective we are in reaching them for Jesus.
So, a great question would be, “How did Paul walk in a way that led people to Jesus?”
I would like to suggest to you he walked in three specific ways, one of which we will look at this morning, and I would state it like this:
In order to reach people for Jesus, Paul walked sacrificially.
Paul puts it like this:
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;
Paul says as he came and lived among the Ephesians, he did it in a sacrificial way.
So, what does that mean? Paul describes it in three words. Here’s the first one:
- To walk sacrificially, I have to exercise humility.
Paul says he came, “serving the Lord with all humility...”
Which means Paul approached them with a humble attitude and spirit. An attitude that reflected the character of Jesus. What does that character look like? Paul describes that character in Philippians 2 where he writes this about Jesus:
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Paul says humility is defined in Jesus, as Jesus submitted himself to human form and became nothing, in order to reach a lost and dying world.
And so just like Jesus, when Paul first came to Ephesus, he came in humility.
A good question then would be, “What exactly does that mean?”
What it means is that Paul didn’t have a “I’m better than you attitude” when he came to Ephesus. Instead, Paul considered others better than himself. Paul explains it like this in Philippians 2:
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
What that means then is, as Paul came into Ephesus, he didn’t come in with the attitude that he had all the answers.
He didn’t come to town and look down on people because they weren’t as enlightened as he was.
He didn’t come to town thinking he was better than them because he was a Christian and they weren’t.
He didn’t have this attitude that he’s a somebody and their nobodies.
Instead, he came to town and he became a servant putting the needs of others before himself. He came to town with the attitude of a nobody.
In fact, in the Greek, the idea here of humility is one who relinquishes their status.
And isn’t this exactly what Jesus did. He relinquished his status when he left heaven, put Himself in human form, and became obedient to what it would take to save you and I.
Paul did the same thing. Because while Paul was an apostle, while he was more educated than most, while he was somebody wise in word and speech, while he deserved respect, when he came to Ephesus he laid that all down. Why? Because in order to reach somebody, he first must become a nobody. He must become a servant of those he hopes to reach.
Now, when I say that, some might say, “Ok pastor, but that sounds so weakly and powerless”.
It’s not powerless at all. It’s actually power under control. A power under control that allowed Paul to find favor with those he was trying to reach.
Let me explain it like this, and I know some of you aren’t going to like this illustration, but it fits, and I think it’s true.
When it comes to President Trump, and I know we all have an opinion about him, one of the things many people initially liked about him was the fact that politically speaking he was a nobody. A nobody in the world of politics. A humble servant who was willing to give himself for the good of our country with the mission to make America Great Again.
And I think that’s partly what got him elected and why so many people gravitated to him.
But the problem for President Trump, is after he got elected, while he had a lot of power as President, he didn’t go to Washington in humility. Instead, he showed up with a “I know better than all of you attitude. And not only that, but I’m here to drain the swamp”. And it was a turn off to a lot of people. And in the end it was an attitude that ultimately worked against him and left him powerless.
Why? Because he didn’t exercise power under control. He didn’t humble himself. He didn’t consider that maybe he didn’t know everything. He didn’t behave in a way that would draw his adversaries in. Instead, he behaved in a way that pushed them further away. He didn’t exercise power under control.
And when you don’t exercise power under control, it leads to pride and arrogance, which in the end brings you down. The writer of Proverbs puts it like this:
18 Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
And please hear me, I’m not saying that President Trump wasn’t a good President or that he wasn’t sincere. I’m just saying the higher you elevate yourself, the further you distance yourself from others, and the further the fall is when you fall. And believe me, you will fall.
Contrast that next to Jesus, who left heaven and came into our world as a servant. A servant who didn’t put people down, instead he lifted them up. A servant who always gave God the glory, not Himself. A servant who didn’t say “Me first”, but instead said, “The first shall be the last and the last shall be first.”
Do you see the difference. Jesus exercised power under control. Because he could have wiped his adversaries off the face of planet, but he didn’t. He could have called a legion of angels down to save Him, but he didn’t. He could have said in the garden, “Not your will, but mine.”
But Jesus didn’t do any of that. Instead, he exercised power under control. He exercised humility.
So, a great question would be, “What does that look like for us?”
Well, it comes in all different shapes and sizes.
But I think it starts simply with a change in attitude. Which comes when we stop seeing ourselves better than others.
For example:
When it comes to your faith, you have to stop thinking that because you know Jesus, attend a certain church, belong to a certain denomination, read your Bible, and signed up for the 21 Day Fast that you’re better than someone who doesn’t possess all your religious qualifications. Because that kind of attitude won’t allow you to reach anybody.
People like this are what we call “Religious People”. People who think “their you know what” doesn’t stink.
People who look down on somebody who walks into church that doesn’t look like them, dress like them, or act like them. People who thumb their nose at somebody who has a certain background or reputation.
I’m just telling you, if that’s your attitude, you’ll never reach anybody for Jesus. To be honest, it’s why a lot of churches never do reach people.
The same is true in your work environment:
If you have an arrogant attitude.
If you’re a know it all.
If you come across like you have all the answers.
If you are constantly looking for ways to puff yourself up while putting others down.
If you’re a me first and others second.
Good luck on every reaching anybody for Jesus. Because that kind of attitude and behavior is not attractive. Instead, it pushes people away.
The same is true if you’re a leader or manager in your work environment. Because if your attitude is, “I’m the boss so do what I say” or “I’m too important to give you my time or talk to you”. Can I just tell you, that kind of attitude will never lead anybody to Jesus. That kind of attitude will never lead to an opportunity to share your faith. Why? Because you’re not exercising power under control.
So, if we’re going to reach lost people, we have to approach them in humility. We have to be willing to take the position of a servant.
That’s why Paul entered Ephesus with humility. Not only because it modeled the attitude of Jesus, but it’s the only way he was going to be able to lead that city to Jesus.
This leads to a second word that Paul uses to describe his approach:
- To walk sacrificially, I have to empathize with the circumstances of others.
Paul puts it like this:
“serving the Lord with all humility and with tears...” Acts 20:19a ESV
The idea of tears here is that Paul not only approached with humility, but he empathized with their circumstances. Which means he showed true care and concern for them.
So, for example, if somebody Paul was ministering too was sick, Paul waled through that sickness with them.
If somebody was mourning the loss of a loved one, Paul mourned with them.
If somebody was facing a challenge at work, emotionally, Paul faced it with them.
You see Paul didn’t just show concern, he actually took on their pain with them. Which means they knew when Paul said, “I’m praying with you”, that he meant it. They knew by the tears in his eyes that Paul truly cared for them.
And I’m telling you right now, that kind of empathy goes a long way in reaching people. Because the fact is, people don’t care how much you know or even what you know until they know how much you care.
So, a great question would be, “How do you develop that kind of empathy?” It goes back to what we just talked about.
It starts as you put others first. It starts with humility. Because the more you put others first, and the less you make life about you, the more you’ll care for them.
It goes back to something Jesus said when it comes to not storing up treasure on earth. Concerning that He says:
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The point Jesus is making here is that what you care about, what you put all your time and invest in, that’s where your heart will be. In other words, your heart follows your actions.
And that’s a universal principle. Because the fact is, the more you treasure the needs of others, the more you invest in others, the more you care about what they are going through or they are facing, the more your heart will be right there with them.
So you have to put others first.
I think as well it requires you to listen. To actually hear and see what is going on in their lives. Which means we have to stop talking and start listening.
That’s a challenge for many of us. Because the truth is, most times we care more about what we have to say and what we are going through rather than what others are saying and what they are facing.
But if we’ll stop for a moment and listen, we might be surprised to learn that what others are saying and facing is more important than what we are saying and facing.
But you’ll never know that unless you’re willing to listen.
Finally, as you listen, you have to put yourself in their shoes. Meaning, you have to imagine what they must be feeling. What they must be going through. Or maybe even recall how you felt when you faced a similar challenge or trial in your life.
For example, many of you probably don’t know my wife and I’s story, but in the beginning days of our marriage we had a lot of marriage problems, we weren’t serving the Lord, and as a result we ended up getting a divorce. It was probably one of the darkest periods in my life.
Thankfully though, through that horrible situation, we both came to faith in Christ and ended up getting remarried to one another. Which has become an amazing testimony for us to share with couples who are considering divorce.
And what it’s also done is it’s allowed us to empathize with people who are considering divorce or who have gone through a divorce. Because the moment they start sharing their story, the memory of how I felt in our divorce rises to the surface. And in that moment I’m able to care and minister for them in a way that many can’t. Why? Because I can truly empathize with their pain.
I have to imagine as Paul ministered to the people of Ephesus, he often remembered what his life before Jesus was like. How lost he was. How hopeless he was. How miserable he was. How destitute he was.
Not only that, but what he was. He was a murderer. He was a man of wrath and anger. He was an arrogant jerk. Paul puts it like this in Galatians 1:
13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.
Paul was a hot mess before Jesus. But it was the memory of his past life that allowed him to have empathy as he considered the condition of those he was trying to reach.
And the same must be true for us. Because the truth is, the people we are trying to reach are lost and they’re living in hopelessness, just like you were at one time. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Paul says our lives were in a downward spiral, but in His grace and mercy Jesus pulled us out of the nose dive and set us up with Him.
Which means, the people we are trying to reach don’t need our condemnation. What they need is somebody who will truly care and show them the empathy and love of Christ. Who in our hopelessness cared enough to not just shed a tear, but shed his blood so that we might live.
If we want to walk sacrificially, we have to have empathy for the circumstances of others.
This now leads to a final way we walk sacrificially.
- To walk sacrificially, I have to be willing to endure hardship.
Paul puts it like this:
19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;
Paul says along with his humility and empathy, in order to reach people for Jesus he was willing to endure hardship. And in his case, it was the many persecutions that came in Ephesus, specifically from the Jews. Why the Jews? Because the message of the gospel represented a threat to their way of life.
Why? Mainly because throughout most of the 1st Century, Judaism and Christianity had been lumped into one basket, which worked in favor for Christianity, because Judaism had been given special privileges by Rome to worship as they saw fit. Which means they weren’t required to worship the false god or give tribute to Caesar.
However, with the rise of Christianity, the Jews were afraid if Rome got sideways with Christianity, it would mean Rome would get sideways with them.
That being the case, they were doing everything they could do to either distance themselves from Christianity or shut it down all together.
That’s why at the riot in Ephesus the Jews were trying to distance themselves from Paul. Because the last thing they wanted is for the people to turn on them.
All that to say, the Jews were not fans of Paul and were continually trying to trip him up or take him out.
Which means, as a result, Paul often endured great hardship and persecution. What kind of persecution? Well, he faced all kinds, not just in Ephesus, but throughout his life. Here are just a few that he mentions in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28.
23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Notice what Paul says. He says he was often imprisoned, recieved countless beatings, and 5 times recieved forty lashes from the Jews, something that probably happened in Ephesus. And that’s just the beginning of the list.
All that to say, Paul endured great hardship for the gospel.
And what was true for Paul will be true for every Christian.
Now, does that mean we are going to be beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked? I doubt it. In fact, I highly doubt if anyone of us will ever see that kind of persecution.
What it means though is if you’re serious about leading people to Jesus, you’re going to face some level of hardship.
What kind of hardship? It will vary.
For some, it could be the ridicule of family and friends who think you’ve lost your mind because your attending the church out by Taco Bell.
For others it could be a loss of status in the community as you’re ostracized because of your faith in Jesus.
For some it could lead to financial loss as you lose business or don’t get hired for a certain job because of your faith.
It’s possible you could be persecuted at work and not get that promotion you were hoping to get.
It could even lead to challenges in your marriage as one spouse gives their life to Christ and another doesn’t, which leads to strife in the marriage.
I actually have a friend who when he gave his life to Jesus, came home and told his wife about it, and she left him, said she didn’t want anything to do with some Jesus freak.
All that to say, there’s a 100% chance that putting your faith in Jesus and attempting to lead others to Him will lead to some level of hardship in your life.
But here’s the challenge. Nobody likes the idea of hardship, so instead of accepting it, we try and avoid it.
How do we avoid it? I think a lot of people do it by keeping their faith under wraps. In other words they just don’t make it known that they are a Christian.
And that results in two tragedies.
Tragedy #1 - It forfeits an opportunity to share your faith with somebody who desperately needs Jesus. And to me, that’s a tragedy.
Tragedy #2 - It forfeits an opportunity to gain a reputation that will attract people to Jesus.
Here’s what I mean by that. When a person endures hardship for their faith, it has two effects.
First, it demonstrates their level of comittment to what they believe, which is admirable and something that catches peoples attention.
And second, that commitment often generates sympathy from others. In other words, as people watch you endure hardship for your faith, they begin to sympathize with you.
You mean feel sorry for me pastor? No. What I mean is they begin to admire you.
Which then allows you to build a reputation that will actually attract others to you as you model a life worth following. A life of character. A life of faith. A life of hope. A life that doesn’t allow the words and actions of others to dissuade you. A life that doesn’t give into peer pressure. A life that looks a lot like Jesus.
Can I just tell you, people are looking for people like that to follow.
But you’ll never model that kind of life if you’re not willing to endure hardship.
The bottom line is this. If we want to walk sacrificially, we have to walk in humility, we have to empathize with the circumstances of others, and we must be willing to endure hardship.
As the worship team comes, my challenge to you today is to consider if your committed to that kind of life?
You might ask, “Ok pastor, that’s great. But how does one know if they are committed to a life of sacrifice?”
I’m glad you asked, because as we close, I have three questions you can ask yourself that will hopefully help you determine that:
Question #1 - Have you sacrificially given yourself to Jesus?
In other words, have you given your life fully to Jesus? Because that’s where it starts.
Going back to verse 18, look at what Paul says:
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;
What I want you to notice is that Paul’s humility, tears, and trials are a result of him serving the Lord.
Which means, Paul’s first sacrifice wasn’t to the Ephesians, it was to the Lord Jesus as he gave his life fully to Him.
Because the fact is, until you’re willing to do that, you’ll never be able to live a life of sacrifice for others. Why? Because you don’t have it in you. And the only one that can put it in you is Jesus. Paul puts it like this in Romans 12:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Paul says we must first give our lives to Christ.
Let me ask you something, “Have you done that? Have you made a sacrificial commitment to Jesus and made Him Lord and master of your life?”
Question #2 - Is your slogan, “Make me great again!” or is it “Make others great again!”
I think one of the challenges we face as Christians living in America, is to fall into the trap of thinking that it’s all about me. Because unfortunately, that’s the American way. But it’s not the Jesus way. Because Jesus wasn’t about making himself great. Instead, he made himself small. And in making himself small, He became great.
And the same will be true for all of us. Because when we put others first, when we humble ourselves, that’s when we become great. The Apostle James puts it like this:
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Question #3 - Do you empathize with the circumstances of others.
Here’s another way to say that. Do you actually care about people? I think that’s a great question for every Christian. Because the fact is, God cares about people. God empathizes with the circumstances of people. How do I know that? I know that because Jesus wasn’t just willing to show concern, He actually took them on himself. Matthew puts it like this concerning Jesus:
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
Jesus not only sympathized. He not only empathized. He transferred our pain to himself. The Apostle John puts it like this:
2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
What that means is Jesus became the sacrifice for us. That’s how much he cared for us.
Let me ask you something, “Do you have a Christ like love for people?”
Question #4 - Are you willing to endure hardship for Jesus?
Again, a great question for every Christian. Because as I said a moment ago, enduring hardship comes with the territory. In fact, it’s a symbol that you are a Christian. The Apostle Peter puts it like this:
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
Peter says persecution and hardship is one of the evidences of our faith.
Now, you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, those are hard questions. And if I’m being honest, I don’t think I’m actually living that kind of life. What do I need to do?”
Well, the fact is, none of us have the life of sacrifice mastered. If I’m being honest, I struggle in some of those areas.
So, here’s what we all need to do. We need to go back to the first question, and we need to make sure that each day we are fully sacrificing ourselves to Jesus. Because if we’re committed to that, the rest will follow.
Start Song:
So, here’s what I want to do. As we close we are going to close in worship. And what I want to challenge you to do today is lay your life down before Jesus. To sacrificially give your life to him.
For some, it may be the first time you’ve made this decision. A decision to make Jesus Lord of your life. And I can’t think of a better and more life giving decision that will change your life forever. And all it requires is that you surrender to Jesus and make Him Lord of your life.
For others, maybe it’s not the first time, but it’s a needed time. The truth is, you’re not living a life in full surrender to Jesus. And today is your day to return to that. Because until you’ve sacrificed yourself fully to Him, you’ll never sacrifice yourself for others, which means you’ll never live the life Jesus has called you to live.
Closing Prayer
A Life Of Sacrifice
A Life Of Commitment
Serve with humility
Serve with perseverance
What does it take for me to be a Christ follower:
I must be committed to a life of sacrifice.
I must be committed to telling people the truth.
I must be committed to sharing the gospel.