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Go To Acts: The Church
Handbook Series
O
Come, and be Faithful
Acts 20:18-38
[opening PowerPoint clip from Old
Faithful]
The Apostle Paul took 3 missionary journeys. In chapter 20 he’s about
to begin the last lap…his 3rd trip. And in these verses he’s
about to head out for Jerusalem, and
he has to say goodbye to these saints at Ephesus he’s spent so much time
with. It’s a very tender and touching scene…one of the most moving and
heartwarming farewell speeches that’s ever been recorded in literature. He
literally opens up his heart and let’s us look inside.
Let’s peer inside Paul’s heart, and see what’s in there.
3 attributes we find in
Paul’s heart:
1. Faithfulness
v. 18 This verse speaks of Paul’s faithfulness over those 3
years. “From the first day” he hit the ground running, and thru many
hardships in this very difficult city, he was dependable and never quit, and
never slacked off.
Faithfulness is the most important quality that you and I can cultivate
in our hearts as well. We have such faithful people here…thank you! “God
give us more faithful, dependable people for your work here!”
There may be some things you cannot do. You may not be able to get up
here and sing, or teach a s.s. lesson like your teacher did this morning, or
preach a sermon…but there’s one thing you CAN do…we ALL can do it…we can be
faithful!
Faithfulness is a quality
which I admire…but it’s
a quality which God requires!
I Cor. 4:2
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found
faithful.
Areas where we need to be faithful:
·
To our
family—faithfulness begins at
home. Remember the ’96 presidential election? It was Clinton vs. Dole, and
the cry of the day was that a candidate’s private life was his own business,
and has nothing to do w/ how he runs the country. How many remember that?
That’s nonsense, because it has everything to do w/ it. Public office is a
matter of public trust, and if a man is not faithful at home, he’s not
faithful anywhere. This is at the very core of our lives.
Let me add that we don’t have to be
physically unfaithful to be classified as “unfaithful.” Some are married to
their jobs, some have a love affair w/ shopping or sports. Being faithful
involves establishing and maintaining proper priorities, even outside the
bedroom.
Eph. 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and
gave himself for it;
Ill.—I like motorcycles…I love them. I grew
up on them…like a 2nd home—I was bounced from one foster-cycle to
another! I’d like to have one now, but I haven’t had one since 1992, when I
sold my favorite one. Know why I sold it? Kimberly asked me to when I
asked her to marry me! She calls them “murder-cycles”, and wants us to
raise our family before I have another bike. And if it makes her happy, it
makes me happy. I had a choice to make that day and I made it. If I said
no, she still may have said yes, but it wouldn’t have been right. [“honey,
are you sure I can’t have one? Ok!”]
There’s nothing so precious that we should not be willing to give it up
for our spouse. No bass boat, no job, no golf outing. [Paul was a golfer
for at the end of his life he said, “I have finished my course!”] This goes
for ladies too: no friend should come before your spouse…no coworker should
know secrets you won’t tell your spouse! Our children should not come
before our spouse.
Ill.—Guns are on my forbidden list as
well…don’t you feel sorry for me today! At least the fun ones are
forbidden, that is. I mean, I have one “for protection” that is very wimpy
and is locked away in a case so tight and so hard to get to that I’d have to
appeal to a burglar to “give me a minute” while I get it out! But she’d
prefer I not have my Ruger or Colt right now while the kids
are small. [Actually, isn’t that her putting the kids before her spouse?!
J
] One of our men offered to sell me his Glock the other day and I
was entertaining the idea when he said “there’s no safety” on this gun.
Right then and there I knew it couldn’t happen right now! If she DID let me
bring it home it would only be long enough for her to threaten me w/ it in
her hand and then send me to take it back!
Faithfulness
is a great quality, and it begins at home
or it doesn’t begin at all!
Faithful to our family…
·
In our
finances—Question: what would
you do w/ a million dollars? One guy said, “I’d put it toward my debts, as
far as it’d go!” I know what you’d do with it… exactly what you’re doing
with that $100 you have right now. In other words, if you don’t put God 1st
and tithe now you wouldn’t tithe if you had a million dollars. If you’re
not generous now you wouldn’t be generous if you were rich. If you’re not
faithful in your finances now you wouldn’t be then! Don’t believe that?
Here’s a verse:
Luke 16:10
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much:
and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
God says, “If I can’t
trust you with a little then I can’t trust you with a lot”…it’s
the little things that count.
Ill.—guy said to his wife, I think our kids
got my brains…she replied, I’m sure they did, it’s the little things that
count!
Next verse…
Luke 16:11
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon,
who will commit to your trust the true riches? [things like wisdom, power,
and understanding]
God says, “The test of
your faithfulness in the spiritual realm is what you do with your
finances in the physical realm.”
Many today are deprived of great spiritual blessings, frankly, because
they are not faithful w/ money…not just the tithe that God requires, but
that which He entrusts us to keep and use wisely! Some don’t get their
prayers answered because they aren’t faithful w/ their finances. Some don’t
understand their Bible and lack wisdom because they are unfaithful
financially. Some are powerless in their witness and never win even 1 soul
to Christ because they aren’t faithful financially…they haven’t even passed
a simple physical test, and God says, “you go nowhere spiritually until you
pass this simple test of ownership!”
The money isn’t the real issue…the money is only the test. Make sure
and pass that test, so God can start sticking gold stars and smiley faces
all over your life!
As a Pastor, and as a Christian, I need wisdom, power, and
understanding, and so I cannot afford to be foolish in my finances…I must be
obedient—letting go and letting God show what He can do…if only I’ll pass
that simple test!
Be faithful to family, in your finances…
·
To the
fellowship—the Bible has so
much to say about faithfulness to church. It’s a blessing to see you here
today…will we be seeing you faithfully?
Romans 12:5
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one
of another.
That means you’re as much a part of me and I of you, as this arm is a
part of my body. And when the body meets and you’re not here, then part of
the body is missing, and we cannot fully function…we need each other!
Hebrews 10:25
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of
some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching.
Ever heard someone say you don’t have to go to church to be a
Christian? Technically, that’s true…but I doubt the sincerity of the
salvation of anyone who knowingly and willingly forsakes the assembly when
it’s in their power to be there.
Some say, “I get just as much out of nature, on the lake, with my
family, at the park.” And as they say it, they reveal the heart of their
problem…you don’t come to church just for what you can get, but for what you
can give.
Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
How many boys and girls can you teach about Jesus at the lake? What
missionaries can you support and write to in the woods? Whose babies can
you watch at the bowling alley so others can hear the preaching? How much
will your marriage be helped and your family enhanced while you’re out w/
friends at a ball game?
Back to Heb. 10:25
“exhorting” = “encouraging”
How many of you enjoy church more when there’s a good crowd than when it’s
half empty and you’re wondering where the rest of your body is?!
I know what a struggle it is for me, personally, to fight against this
world, my flesh, and the devil, and I’m in church all the time. I don’t
know how some can claim to truly fight the fight w/out the support of the
local church, the way God intended us to do it.
I’m afraid to miss
church…I’ll miss a blessing. Often I’m told by people that they “heard”
they missed a good service and “wished” they would have been there. Thank
God, I’m also often told by some that though they had to work or were out of
town, they were blessed by listening later on the website or on tape.
I can point to about 10 sermons that have absolutely changed my life in
the last 2 decades…one of them just a few weeks ago at a Preacher’s
fellowship in Effingham. And I was present for each of those life changing
sermons. What if I wasn’t present? Several of you have said the same thing
about a message you have heard here, and some of you could say the same
thing except for the fact that it was on a Wednesday or a Sunday night and
you weren’t there, and didn’t take advantage of technology to catch up
either, and only eternity will tell what God intended to do in your life!
We ought to be faithful to our church, trusting that God has our
number and His messenger will “ring our bell” if only we follow the basic
command to be faithful!
Every time you come to church you’re saying to God, “you’re
important to me.” But you’re saying more than that…you’re also saying,
“pastor, you’re important to me”, and you’re saying to the people you sit
near, “you’re important to me!” It’s selfish to skip to church and say, “it
won’t hurt ME.” Truth is, yes it will, and it hurts others too!
Ill.—Bro. Carl is a good example to all of
us. 2 weeks ago he took on the challenge of a s.s. class that needed a
teacher, and he’s now working on recruiting more men for his class…his
idea! Last week he suggested we set up a greeter schedule that will help
welcome people inside…great idea! And he’s 89 years young! And he knows
you don’t just come to church to see what you can get, but what you can
give…no wonder God has left him around so long…we need people like him!
To family, in finances, to the fellowship…
·
To the
faith—now I’m talking about
the Word of God. Many today are doubting some parts of God’s Word, and
approaching the Bible “cafeteria style”, taking only what you like and
leaving the rest behind…putting question marks after some commands of the
Scriptures. Well, today is no time to be putting question marks down, but
exclamation points!!!
Some who doubt the Word today even call themselves “theologians”, which
I have a problem with. For that term comes from 2 Greek words:
Theos
= God
Logos
= Word
They don’t believe the logos so they must not know the Theos! It’s like
Grape Nuts…they’re neither grapes nor nuts!
Folks, we’re not to judge the Word
of God, we’re supposed to let the Word of God judge us!
Ill.—William Booth, founder of the Salvation
Army, said: “the chief danger of the 20th c. will be #1
Forgiveness without repentance.
#2 Salvation without regeneration. #3 Heaven without hell.
Isn’t that the day and time in which we live? Our generation is
lost, most of the modern church is lost, and we need faithful people who’ll
be faithful to the faith!
The first thing we see when we peer into the heart of Paul is
faithfulness. Are you faithful? To your family? With your finances? To
the fellowship? To the faith?
Click here
to vote for this sermon.
See pt. 2 of this message
here.
2. Humility
3. Compassion
O Come, and be
Faithful
Acts 20:18-38
3 attributes we find in Paul’s heart:
1. Faithfulness
v. 18
Faithfulness is a quality which I
a__________… a quality which God r______________!
1 Cor. 4:2
We need to be faithful:
·
To our f__________
Eph. 5:25
Faithfulness begins at h______
or it doesn’t begin at all
·
In our f______________
Luke 16:10
God says, “If I can’t trust you
with a l__________ then I can’t trust you with a l____”
Luke 16:11
God says, “The test of your
faithfulness in the s________________ realm is what you do
with your finances in the p______________ realm.”
·
To the f__________________
Romans 12:5, Hebrews 10:25 ,
Matthew 20:28, Heb. 10:25
“exhorting” = “e____________________”
·
To the f________
We’re not to j________ the
Word of God, we’re supposed to let the Word of God j________
us
2. H______________
v. 19, 1 Cor. 15:9 , Eph. 3:8 , 1 Tim. 1:15
3. C__________________
v.19
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