Acts 20:24
Planted!
How would you
honestly answer this question: What are you living
for?
Ready or not,
some day it will all come to an end
There
will be no more sunrises, no minutes,
hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or
forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not
matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally
disappear.
So,
too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so
important will fade away. It won’t matter where you came from, or on what
side of the tracks you lived, at the end. It won’t matter whether you were
beautiful or brilliant.
Even
your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be
measured?
What
will matter is not what you bought,
but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave. What will matter is not
your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned,
but what you taught.
What
will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that
enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What
will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What
will matter is not how many people you
knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone. What will
matter is not your memories, but the
memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom
and for what.
Living a life that matters
doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s
not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
So Choose to live a life
that matters…
Paul
the apostle lived a life that mattered!
A)Infact we might say that
his life was the most well lived life of any person in the entire Bible/ excl
JC!
B)Here in Acts 20 Paul makes
a statement that I think explains why – he lived such a well lived life.
C)V.13-16 picks up the story
of Paul’s travels – having left Troas; Paul was
heading for Jerusalem
D)He was determined to get
there for the feast of Pentecost –
1)For that reason he decided
to sail past Ephesus. –
E)He didn’t have the time to
go there and meet with the believers whom he Served
for 3yrs.
1)They would have kept him
too long.
But
Paul couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet with the Elders. So docking at
Miletus – he called for them.
A)There on the Island of
Miletus – Paul hosted a mini Leadership conference for the leaders of the
Church in Ephesus.
B)V. 17-38 make up one of
the most profound and insightful portions of scripture for anyone desiring to
be used by God – especially full time ministry.
C)Read V.17-38
Cc) There were
three parts to Paul’s farewell message.
First
he reviewed the past
(Acts 20:18-21); then he discussed the present (Acts 20:22-27); and finally,
he spoke about the future (Acts 20:28-35).
D)We will
begin to break this down after next week – when I
get back from Uganda.
This morning I want to focus on one statement Paul makes in
the middle of this message.
A)Statement
that describes the reason why – whether talking about the Past/ present/
future{ well lived.
B)In V.23 Paul
said – I know that everyone is talking about – what is going to happen to me at
Jersusalem
C)There had been prophesies – and the Holy Spirit was
bearing witness – Not going to be good.
1)No one
wanted Paul to go!
D)They didn’t
want to lose him! – Paul said I know what everyone is saying – even the HS
bearing witness!
E)Then he
uttered these powerful words – that really summed up his approach to life.
24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my
life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry
which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of
God.
A)Amazing
perspective – I know what is coming – but it doesn’t matter – doesn’t move me.
B)Now was the
Paul the Christian version of Clint Eastwood – Go ahead make my Day!
1)My life
doesn’t mean anything any way! NO
C)Was Paul
super human – Just wasn’t affected by persecution – threats – trials?
1)Lord knows
he went through more than his share
D)2
Corinthians 11:22-28 he spells it out for us what his life had looked like.
He was beaten with whips he received 39 strips from the
Jews; {40 usually would kill a man.
Three times beaten rods, once stoned; Three times
ship wrecked
He spent a Day and night in deep;
experiencing times of being hungry; naked; been without; several times jailed.
Lets not forget the time he was stoned and left for dead and the fact that
there was always the constant risk of being robbed.
And
looking back to what he went through and looking ahead to what was coming Paul
said: None of these things move me –
nor do I count my life dear to myself.
A)Was Paul just a super stud
Christian – was He not human.
B)I think a better
understanding of what Paul meant here is – that these things didn’t permanently move him.
C)Here is why I say that:
Paul reflecting on his testimony and the things he went through in 2
Corinthians 1:8 – said there were times when He
despaired even of life.
D)2 Corinthians 4:7 he
describes it as being hard pressed, perplexed and
struck down in his spirit.
1)remember Acts 18 – The
Lord came when Paul was in Prison – Be not afraid
– {He was afraid.
My
point is Paul was human – he felt things – he struggled with emotions, had
fears.
A)But he didn’t stay there!
B)Important to note: Make
relatable: because there are things that move me all the time.
C)Moved
when I see people I love in the fellowship suffering. – Breaks my heart.
1)Paul spoke about that as
well – 2 Corinthians 11 – the care and concern of the Churches.
D)I get moved when pp are talking about me behind my back things untrue
– bugs me –be honest –
1)Try to shake it off –
hard.m
I
get moved when things don’t work out the way that I thought –
A)This whole trial with the
Building project – has weighed heavy on my heart –
2)Financial pressure that
comes with it. –
B)Honest – I have had my times – asking God why?
1)What is the deal! –
Challenged my faith at times
C)Point is I don’t stay
there – infact I am as excited about the future as I have ever been –
1)Exciting message – New
Years – No building plans
D)I get moved when my wife or kids go thru things
- I feel helpless to help
them.
My
point is there are things that move me – there are things that move You – there
are things that moved Paul.
A)But he didn’t let those
things permanently disable him -
B)He rose up and moved
forward in confidence! How?
C)The answer is in
Horticulture – { The science of Plant cultivation. { WEIRD
D)Actually an illustration
from nature that Jesus gave – about the Christian life.
1)Paul understood what it
meant to be planted.
I
believe Paul grasped something that Jesus taught - that was so important -
recorded in all four gospels.
A.)Mentioned six times!
B)Jesus
who desires us to live fulfilled lives - who
loves us - desires happy fulfilled - who wants us to be effective in ministry
1)Said
- six times - "Whoever seeks to save his life will
lose it but, whoever will lose
life for my sake and gospels - will save it!"
C.)Jesus
taught us that the secret to a fulfilled life is not in how much you have, how
much you accomplish
1)Not
in who you are - how successful you've become - secret is not in finding
yourself - but losing yourself
Turn
to John 12
Scene
: Final week of Jesus life prior to His Crucifixion / He is w/ His disciples in
Jerusalem for the feast of passover
A)A
couple of guys from Greece who were there to worship – came to the disciples
and said: WE WISH TO SEE JESUS!
B)Key
to worship: SEE JESUS!
22 Philip came and told
Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. 23 But Jesus answered them, saying,
"The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
A)Now this is the 1st time Jesus has ever said the hour has come that the Son of man should
be glorified
B)He is talking about His death – He is talking about His Sacrifice.
C) That is where His glory is going to be revealed is in the
cross.
1)Glory in DEATH - what
it would accomplish
Life/ salvation/ freedom/ healing – redemption
Then
Jesus used an illustration from nature – Seed being planted
24 Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it produces much grain.
25 He who loves his life
will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal
life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My
servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
Seeds
are all the same: Different shapes and sizes
A)Seeds are small and
insignificant. – But there is life in them.
B)Don’t put seeds on display
– no contest for seeds.
C)What gets displayed is
what they produce: Giant squash, Tomota, Pumpkin – redwood tree
For
a seed to become what it was meant to be it has to be buried. – The Process is
the same.
A)Under the dirt!
B)We are like seeds – Small
insignificant in and of ourselves – but life in us – God’s life.
1)Meant to DISPLAY – SOMETHING ELSE
C)The life of God – the
attributes of God – manifested in our lives.
1)But
in order for that to happen – we have to be buried
The Process is
the same for all! 1 Corinthians 10:13
“No
temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but
with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to
bear it.”
A)Paul said: the trials I
have gone through are common – others have gone through them too.
B)Often when we are in a
trial it is easy to think the Devil designed this especially for us.
1)Nobody knows the trouble I
have seen – nobody knows my sorrow.
C)Reality{ Many have gone
through the same thing.
1)Doesn’t matter the gym –
similar equipment –
Working the same muscle
groups.
The
same thing is true Spiritually – Similar trials working the same spiritual
muscles –
A)Building the same
spiritual charater.
B)No matter the trial – God
is there – He is in the midst of it – accomplishing His purpose.
C) “The
will of God will never lead you where the grace of God will not keep you.”
1) God loved Paul and God
loves you.
D)The process involves being
buried – Dying to Self
Now think about if that seed could talk - I
don’t like
it down here It is
Dark/ Cold / Dirty / Worms bugs /
Water is Cold
–
A)But in order for the life in the seed to come forth all of that is
Necessary
B) God has put His life into you –HS / but in
order for him to get his life out of You /
1)You need to be willing to be planted.
C)Being
willing to be planted means realizing you are living for someone Bigger than
yourself.
Paul
was living for something –someone bigger than himself.
A)Paul had received a
ministry and mission from the Lord to preach the gospel of grace.
B)Paul was living to fulfill
that calling. –
1)His life was about sharing
the message of redemption to those that were lost.
C)We too have been
commissioned to live lives for the Lord
1 Corinthians 10:31
“Therefore,
whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
D)Opposite of what we see in
Culture:
Life, People, Us, Self
Pollster John Zogby posed this question recently
to 4,000 Americans: "What will be the historic legacy of Baby
Boomers?" The response
Forty-two percent said boomers had "ushered in an era of
consumerism and self-indulgence."
That mentality has just
carried over to our kids
A national study fresh out of SDSU
Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University
Twenge and her colleagues, examined
the responses of 16,475 college students nationwide
The
findings have been published in a book entitled "Generation Me.”
Why Today's Young Americans Are
More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable Than Ever
Before,"
"We need to stop endlessly
repeating 'You're special' and having children repeat that back. "Kids are
self-centered enough already."
If we are going to live a
well lived life for God we must come to the reality – We are here for God and
not for ourselves.
We exist to bring God glory
and to fulfill his mission for our lives.
Redeemed for
an eternal purpose:
Ephesians 2:10
“For
we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
We have a role to play in
the Church and in the world.
So
Paul realized he was here for Someone bigger than himself. His Glory not ours.
A)That is the Example we see
here in Jesus!
27 "Now My soul is troubled, and
what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came
to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.
Aa)What we have here is Jesus wrestling in his
humanity – Not w/ Self like us – but in his soul
1) My soul – my spirit is
troubled
B)
Why – He knew what He was about to go thru
1)
Later in the week – sweat drops of blood – let this cup pass
C) Beaten –
Bruised – battered – forsaken
1) Most of all – He would
feel separation from His father –
D) Fullness of Sin – upon
Him – Full arm of God’s wrath
1) Father
watched in silent – Didn’t respond
Jesus
is wrestling in his humanity – His flesh
A)We wrestle in the flesh
too – for different reasons
B) Lord I don’t want to be
Vulnerable – I don’t want to be exposed –
1)I
don’t want to give to people who might not appreciate it
C) We
wrestle in the flesh –
D) What can we learn from
Jesus – His aim – His purpose – Father Glorify your
name
C) Jesus made
a Choice Seek the Fathers glory & the Fathers will above his own Comfort
1)Choice that every man has to make – Love myself , glorify myself or
Love God & Glorify God { Can’t have it both ways
D)People leave marriages –
no biblical grounds - self
Now
this is really intriquing to me When the seed is buried in the ground it is covered / never
seen again!
A) After some
more watering stem comes out / later grows into a tree / later bears fruit /
now here is what
B)The seed is never seen again /
only the fruit which resulted in the
seed being planted in the ground !
C) That is the work that God is seeking to do in each one of us
as He seeks to conform us into the image of His own Son ! Rom. 8:29
1)
that any good that comes forth from my life / any love / any compassion/ isn’t
because I am a great person
D) But because Jesus is living
in me / I died / buried in Him / watered by his word / get
into word / word gets into me
1) The result
will be fruit that reflects Him!
BEING PLANTED
Are you in a Tough Job – God
has planted you there for a reason
Difficult marriage ? He
wants to be Glorifeid in your Trial
B) Realize that the Lord is
seeking to do something in & Thru your life
right now that He couldn’t do if You were married
C)That is the place that He
has You planted in presently
D)Are
You sick ? Wants to be glorified in your Sickness / Show His Grace is
Suffucient –
Power perfected
in weakness
Jesus says that is the
person my father will honor!
In
Gethsemne and on the cross the father was silent – but Here He answers!
Then a voice
came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it
again."
I will be Glorified Son in your obedience
32 And I, if I
am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." 33 This He said, signifying by what death He
would die.
Lifted
up for you – Jesus was the first seed buried
All
believers are part of his fruit –
You
today! – Your life – Buried in Jesus
Living
for something bigger than yourself
Nutured
by God!